Flight Safety Information February 28, 2019 - No. 044 In This Issue Accident: SA Airlink E135 at Kasane on Feb 26th 2019, bird strike Incident: Jetblue A320 at Santo Domingo on Feb 25th 2019, hydraulic failure Incident: American B738 at Hartford on Feb 26th 2019, odour on board EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Embraer Phenom 100 jet saved by EMAS in overrun incident at Kansas City- Downtown Airport, USA Unruly passenger forces a Hawaiian Airlines flight to return to Honolulu Position: Vice President, Aviation Operations and Technical Services IS-BAO Operator Continuous Improvement Roundtable at 2019 NBAA IOC Airlines reroute to avoid Pakistan NTSB says deadly Alaska midair collision offers safety message Aviation safety non-negotiable, goal - zero accidents 7 different types of turbulence and how pilots navigate this nuisance while flying U.S. issues new rules barring lithium batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft Birds hit 280 planes at Salt Lake City's airport last year Amazon Crash Raises Safety Questions About Cargo Airlines Russia, US discussed civil aviation issues on February 26-27 IATA appoints new Regional Vice President for North Asia AOPA CREDIT CARD TO INCLUDE CASH BACK REWARDS FOR FLIGHT TRAINING Embraer shareholders OK sale of commercial jet division to Boeing NASA developing electric airplane that could cut travel cost by more than half Senate bill seeks extension of the space station WBAT Now Offers ASAP Facilitation with SMS Platform Support Aviation Innovations Conference: Cargo Airships...March 14 - 15, 2019...Toronto, Canada ISASI-Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Dinner/Meeting--2 May 2019 ISASI 2019 - Call For Papers GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Accident: SA Airlink E135 at Kasane on Feb 26th 2019, bird strike A South African Airlink Embraer ERJ-135, registration ZS-SJX performing flight 4Z-8307/SA-8307 from Kasane (Botswana) to Johannesburg (South Africa), was departing Kasane when a large bird impacted the aircraft's nose, penetrated the pressure vessel and became stuck. The crew returned to Kasane for a safe landing. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Kasane about 35 hours later. The bird hanging off the aircraft's nose: http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4c5396&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A320 at Santo Domingo on Feb 25th 2019, hydraulic failure A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N529JB performing flight B6-1204 from Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) to Newark,NJ (USA) with 158 people on board, was climbing out of Santo Domingo's runway 17 when the crew stopped the climb at 15,000 feet due to a hydraulic failure. The aircraft burned off fuel and returned to Santo Domingo for a safe landing on runway 17 about one hour after departure. The aircraft was towed to the apron. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 28 hours, then positioned to Newark. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4c51b4&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American B738 at Hartford on Feb 26th 2019, odour on board An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N899NN performing flight AA-2250 from Hartford,CT to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) with 93 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of Hartford's runway 33 when the crew stopped the climb at 4000 feet due to an unusual smell on board. The aircraft returned to Hartford for a safe landing on runway 33 about 14 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 6 hours, then departed again, climbed to a maximum of FL240 for the flight and reached Chicago with a delay of 5:50 hours. The airline reported the return was prompted by an odour caused by a faulty air conditioning system. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL2250/history/20190226/1551Z/KBDL/KORD http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4c56a5&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Embraer Phenom 100 jet saved by EMAS in overrun incident at Kansas City- Downtown Airport, USA Date: 27-FEB-2019 Time: 04:28 LT Type: Embraer Phenom 100 Owner/operator: Quest Diagnostics Registration: N649DX C/n / msn: 50000194 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Kansas City-Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport, MO (MKC/KMKC) - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Chicago-Dupage County Airport, IL (DPA/KDPA) Destination airport: Kansas City-Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport, MO (MKC/KMKC) Narrative: An Embraer Phenom 100 jet overran runway 19 after landing at Kansas City-Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport, USA. The aircraft rolled onto the Engineered materials arrestor system (EMAS) area and came to a stop. Weather about the time of the incident (1028Z): KMKC 271036Z 33012KT 3SM BR OVC005 M03/M06 A3022 RMK AO2 I1001 T10331056 KMKC 271003Z 31007KT 2 1/2SM BR OVC004 M03/M04 A3021 RMK AO2 T10281044 https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=222341 Back to Top Unruly passenger forces a Hawaiian Airlines flight to return to Honolulu A tracking map from FlightAware.com shows the path of the returning plane. (FlightAware.com) HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaiian Airlines flight 459 was en route to the Incheon International Airport Wednesday when an unruly passenger forced the pilot to turn around and come back to the islands. A Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson said the flight departed HNL at 1 p.m. with 263 passengers and 13 crew members on board. Approximately four hours later, an unruly passenger was reported on board and the captain decided to turn around. Exactly what happened on board is not yet clear. The airlines says flight 459 was scheduled to land on Oahu at 8:40 p.m. Sheriffs, FBI and Customs along with Border Protection agents were set to meet the plane and arrest the passenger. A new departure time for South Korea is set for 10:10 p.m. Hawaiian Airlines is apologizing to their guests for the inconvenience. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/02/28/unruly-passenger-forces-hawaiian- airlines-flight-return-honolulu/ Back to Top Back to Top Vice President, Aviation Operations and Technical Services Washington, District of Columbia, United States DESCRIPTION Position Overview: The Regional Airline Association (RAA) seeks an experienced airline management professional in Washington, DC to complement its core team in advancing the association's advocacy and business agenda for its airline and associate members. Essential Functions of the Position: * Establishes the strategy and vision of RAA's Operations focus; contributes to the development and implementation of RAA strategic objectives. * Provides aviation operations expertise to RAA team and membership; identifies regulatory developments related to flight operations, flight training, air traffic and other technical matters; analyzes proposals for anticipated impact on members and designs and implements response. * Effectively communicates information to RAA team and members, the FAA and other stakeholders. Contributes to development of RAA position papers, Congressional testimony, regulatory comments and other policy communications. * Serves on industry operations and technical task forces and working groups, including agency rulemaking and regulatory negotiating committees. Serves as Liaison between RAA and FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO), NextGen and related organizations. * Works cooperatively with RAA members and other industry stakeholders to form coalitions and consensus positions on flight operational and technical matters. * Provides strategic leadership for the Regional Operations Council and the Flight Technology, Flight Training, Maintenance and Inflight Committees. Develops content and coordinating activities for the full range of RAA-sponsored meetings, including the Annual Convention. Coordinates with the Regulatory Counsel on regulatory exemptions. REQUIREMENTS Qualifications for the Position: * Transport pilot with line and flight operations managerial experience - ideally former Pilot in Command (PIC) for an air carrier operating under part 121 or part 135 of FAR 119 * Thorough understanding of aviation safety standards, safe operating practices and 14 CFR Chapter I (Federal Aviation Regulations). Extensive familiarity with 14 CFR Part 135 and 121 airline operations * Bachelor's degree required, preferably in aviation field. * In-depth knowledge of National Airspace System and FAA NextGen priorities; extensive familiarity with air traffic control technology and procedures * Ability to define complex problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions and decide and implement appropriate actions * Ability to effectively present information to top management, regulatory agencies, public groups, and the RAA Board of Directors * Ability to expand upon the association's significant professional relationships with both government and industry representatives and develop and manage new relationships * High proficiency with Microsoft Office products; particularly Excel and PowerPoint * Previous association experience valued * Moderate (25%) travel required Critical Attributes of the Ideal Candidate: * Able to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment * Diplomatic; able to challenge established or entrenched ideas and promote industry positives * Strong oral and written communication and project management skills * Professional, organized, responsive, enthusiastic * Able to work quickly, make fast and well-reasoned recommendations, anticipate and adapt to evolving member needs * Strategic, tactical, self-motivated, outcome-oriented * Dedicated to service, the RAA team and our member airlines BENEFITS The position offers a competitive salary and benefits including choice of medical plans, dental and vision coverage, 401k plan with matching contributions and paid parental leave for qualified employees. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume along with salary requirements to the job portal. About RAA The Regional Airline Association (RAA) provides a unified voice of advocacy for North American regional airlines aimed at promoting a safe, reliable, and healthy regional airline industry. Regional airlines are critical U.S. infrastructure, operate 41 percent of the nation's flights and provide the only source of scheduled air service to the majority (63 percent) of the country. RAA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. APPLY HERE Back to Top Back to Top Airlines reroute to avoid Pakistan Airlines operating flights from East Asia to destinations in Europe are having to reroute their planes away from Pakistan and northern India. The airspace is closed because of escalating tension between the two countries, following the shooting down of two Indian military jets. Flights via Pakistan have been cancelled and other flights rerouted. Thai Airways has taken the more drastic step of suspending all its flights destined for Europe. With flight space south of Pakistan becoming crowded, the Bangkok-based airline has not been able to establish alternative routes for its flights. "By closing the airspace, every flight from Thailand to Europe has been affected. For flights that are going to depart this evening, we will call an urgent meeting to consider the impact of such events," said Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham. Singapore Airlines and British Airways are among the operators which have had to reroute flights. Singapore Airlines said longer flight routes would make refuelling necessary. Alex Seftel, who works as a journalist, was en route from Bangkok to London on Wednesday on a flight with Taiwanese operator Eva Air. The flight was turned back over Calcutta in northern India. "We were on the flight, a couple of hours in, and I noticed on the flight route map that it was going in the opposite direction," he said. "There was a lot of circling around and we had very little information until we got into the airport." Back in Bangkok, passengers waited several hours for an explanation before being transferred to a hotel for the night, with a new flight provisionally scheduled for early Thursday. Some international flights have been rerouted through Mumbai on India's western coast. Mark Martin, founder and chief executive at Martin Consulting India, said about 800 flights a day used the India-Pakistan air corridor, making it "very critical". "You can't overfly China, so you have to overfly Pakistan and India and go to South East Asia and Australia. Most of the traffic destined for Bangkok and Singapore will have to fly over Iran and then possibly take a detour," he said. The recent flare-up between Indian and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir began when a suicide car bomb killed 40 Indian paramilitary police on 14 February. India retaliated with an airstrike on what it said was a militant training base on Tuesday. Indian domestic airlines, including IndiGo, Go Air, Jet Airways and Vistara, cancelled services in northern India because of airport closures, although Indian airports later resumed operations. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47392300 Back to Top NTSB says deadly Alaska midair collision offers safety message The scene of an Aug. 31, 2016 midair collision near Russian Mission that left five people dead, seen in National Transportation Safety Board imagery. (From NTSB) A 2016 midair collision near Russian Mission that left five men dead was ultimately the result of pilot error according to federal investigators, who urge aviators to fit planes with transmitters and displays so they can track each other. The collision near the Western Alaska village, between a Cessna 208 Caravan operated by Hageland Aviation and a Piper Super Cub operated by Renfro's Alaskan Adventures, took place on Aug. 31, 2016. All three people in the Caravan - pilot Harry Wrase, 48, and passengers Steven Andrew, 32, and Aaron Minock, 21 - as well as Super Cub pilot Justin Babat, 44, and passenger Jeff Burruss, 40, lost their lives. The National Transportation Safety Board issued its final reports Wednesday on the two planes involved, attributing the deadly wreck's probable cause to "the failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other while in level cruise flight, which resulted in a midair collision." The scene of an Aug. 31, 2016 midair collision near Russian Mission that left five people dead, seen in National Transportation Safety Board imagery. (From NTSB) "Given the remote area in which the airplanes were operating, it is likely that the pilots had relaxed their vigilance in looking for traffic," NTSB officials wrote. The Caravan had taken off three minutes before the 10:01 a.m. collision en route from Russian Mission to Marshall, according to the NTSB, while the Super Cub had left Bethel shortly after 9 a.m. headed for a hunting camp about 20 miles north of Russian Mission. Investigators wrote in Wednesday's report that they found signs in the planes' wreckage "consistent with the Cessna's outboard left wing initially impacting the Piper's right wing forward strut while in level cruise flight." "Examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of either airplane," NTSB officials wrote. "Neither pilot was in communication with an air traffic control facility and they were not required to be." The scene of an Aug. 31, 2016 midair collision near Russian Mission that left five people dead, seen in National Transportation Safety Board imagery. (From NTSB) Responders drove to the crash site in all-terrain vehicles and the Alaska Army National Guard sent a rescue helicopter, but there were no survivors. Federal Aviation Administration regulations placed the area of the crash under its "see and avoid" doctrine, which requires pilots to watch for and steer away from other aircraft, although research indicates the average physiological and mechanical lag time to do so is 12.5 seconds. The NTSB report notes that "the see-and-avoid concept requires vigilance at all times by each pilot, regardless of whether the flight is conducted under instrument flight rules or [visual flight rules]." Although the collision occurred amid sunny and clear skies, the report noted that until about 10 seconds before impact, the pilots would have seen each others' planes as "a relatively small, slow-moving object" roughly the diameter of a penny viewed from 7 feet away. In the seconds before the collision, however, the planes would "blossom" in each other's view. "From about 2 minutes before the collision, neither airplane would have been obscured from the other airplane pilot's (nominal) field of view by cockpit structure, although the Cessna would have appeared close to the bottom of the Piper's right wing and near the forward edge of its forward wing strut," NTSB investigators wrote. The scene of an Aug. 31, 2016 midair collision near Russian Mission that left five people dead, seen in National Transportation Safety Board imagery. (From NTSB) ) The Caravan carried an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transmitter, which broadcast its location to other aircraft. Neither plane in the collision, however, was fitted with a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) which would have showed planes' locations or courses. "CDTI data would have presented visual information regarding the potential conflict to both pilots beginning about 2 minutes 39 seconds and auditory information beginning about 39 seconds before the collision, providing adequate time for the pilots to react," NTSB investigators wrote. The NTSB also found a similar probable cause to the Russian Mission crash, in its final reports Wednesday on another Alaska midair collision that same month. Two people suffered minor injuries in the Aug. 5, 2016 incident at the Wasilla Airport, where two planes collided as they were both attempting to land. Mike Hodges, the NTSB investigator who examined both collisions, said they offer important lessons to Alaskan aviators. "I think the two big takeaways are number one, a midair collision can happen anywhere in the country whether it's congested airspace or remote airspace," Hodges said. "And number two, the see-and-avoid concept doesn't work - and the only way to protect yourself is to have an ADS-B system." The FAA is still rolling out formal ADS-B requirements for aircraft types and regions, Hodges said, so the systems aren't yet required on all U.S. aircraft. According to Hodges, the disparity of the two Alaska midairs' locations show that watching for other aircraft is a statewide concern. "I think people have the perception that a midair collision would happen over Anchorage or someplace where there's a lot of people, but Russian Mission proved that it can happen anywhere," Hodges said. "Pilots have to be vigilant - whether they're flying over Anchorage or Russian Mission, they have to be vigilant at all times." https://www.ktva.com/story/40040777/ntsb-says-deadly-alaska-midair-collision-offers- safety-message Back to Top Aviation safety non-negotiable, goal - zero accidents A flight attendant gives safety instructions to passengers on board an Airbus A321 Neo aircraft, operated by Bamboo Airways, at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam. Based on data provided by IATA, on average, a passenger could take a flight every day for 241 years before experiencing an accident with one fatality on board. Flying continues to be the safest form of long distance travel the world has ever known. Last year some 4.3bn passengers flew safely on 46.1mn flights, data provided by International Air Transport Association shows. Based on the data, on average, a passenger could take a flight every day for 241 years before experiencing an accident with one fatality on board! The industry suffered 523 passenger or crew deaths as a result of 11 fatal accidents in 2018, compared to an average of 8.8 fatal accidents and 234 fatalities in the preceding five-year period, and a record low of just six accidents causing 19 passenger/crew deaths in 2017. Fatal accidents have indeed fallen every decade since the 1950s, a significant achievement given the massive growth in air travel since then. Statistically, one has more chance of being killed riding a bicycle or even by lightning. The chances of dying in an air crash in developed or emerging markets are estimated to be one in 29mn. But flying has become so safe that many travellers often take it for granted. Travellers tend to remember safety only when some issues crop up or a crash occurs. Over the course of several decades, regulators and industry worked together to significantly reduce the risk of accidents and to improve airplane design, maintenance, training, and procedures. But accidents, safety issues and emergencies can still happen. The 2018 Airline Safety Performance registered the all accident rate (measured in accidents per 1mn flights) at 1.35, equal to one accident for every 740,000 flights. Although this was an improvement over the all accident rate of 1.79 for the previous five-year period (2013-2017), it was a decline compared to 2017's record performance of 1.11, IATA says. Major jet accidents, measured in jet hull losses per 1mn flights, were registered at 0.19, an increase on 0.12 in 2017, the global body of airlines said in its latest safety report. However, this was an improvement of the previous five-year period of 0.29. Although aviation is seen as a very safe industry today, recent accidents have shown that vulnerabilities still exist. In particular, events do occur, which were not previously foreseen, the so-called 'game- changers' being crashes involving Malaysian Airlines MH370, and MH17 and Germanwings 9525 a few years ago, and more recently, the Lion Air tragedy in October last year. Various stakeholders are now working on a project to totally eliminate midair collisions by 2020. It may seem an unlikely event that two airplanes would collide while flying, but history marks quite a few of these tragic events. In recent years, however, thanks to technological advancements, midair collisions have become increasingly rare, especially for jets - and by next year, they are expected to reduce to near zero. By then, nearly all aircraft will be mandated to be equipped with ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) technology. The ADS-B devices, which can be installed on any aircraft, from the biggest airliner to the smallest private plane - provide signals that enable pilots to track all other aircraft in their vicinity on a screen in their cockpit, regardless of weather or visibility. Another major initiative to ensure good safety performance in the commercial airline industry is a data-driven approach to identifying current and emerging risks. Dubbed IATA's Global Aviation Data Management program, GADM is the world's most diverse aviation data exchange initiative of its kind. Data captured in GADM databases comprises accident and incident reports, ground damage occurrences and flight data from more than 470 different industry participants. "Through GADM, we are using information from the more than 100,000 flights that operate safely every day to identify and address operational issues before they can become potential risks," points out IATA director-general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac. The improvement in airline safety is down to a combination of several factors, although the introduction of the jet engine in the 1950s stands out as a major development. Jet engines reportedly provide a level of safety and reliability unmatched by the earlier piston engines. The introduction of digital instruments - known as the 'glass cockpit' in the 1970s - and the advent of fly-by-wire technology in the 1980s are also notable achievements, driving safety improvements to a great extent. Improvements in sensors, navigation equipment and air traffic control technology, such as anti-collision control systems, have also played a key role in enhancing safety. Undoubtedly, technology has made air travel safer. That said, aviation analysts have expressed fears that the safety paradigm could be compromised, when there are economic and performance pressures on the aviation industry. They argue that cost-cutting exercises should not be at the expense of safety. Because, safety is something non-negotiable. As they say, when it comes to safety, there is no competition! That's because the entire industry shares the same goal - zero accidents. https://www.gulf-times.com/story/623490/Aviation-safety-non-negotiable-goal-zero- accidents Back to Top 7 different types of turbulence and how pilots navigate this nuisance while flying New reports warn air turbulence could become more common because of climate change, but according to experts, turbulence isn't usually something for airline passengers to worry about. Air turbulence is air movement created by atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts or thunderstorms. There are a number of different types of turbulence and it can be unexpected and happen when the sky appears to be clear. According to airline pilot, curator of AskThePilot.com and author of Cockpit Confidential, Patrick Smith, conditions might be annoying and uncomfortable, but the plane is not going to crash. "Turbulence is an aggravating nuisance for everybody, including the crew, but it's also, for lack of a better term, normal. From a pilot's perspective, it is ordinarily seen as a convenience issue, not a safety issue," Smith said. Occasionally, turbulence has been responsible for injuries. For instance, passengers were injured flying over the Sierra Nevada in February 2019. However, most turbulence is well within what planes are designed to fly through and will not cause the plane to crash. When a flight changes altitude in search of smoother conditions, Smith said this is by and large in the interest of comfort. "The pilots aren't worried about the wings falling off; they're trying to keep their customers relaxed and everybody's coffee where it belongs. Planes themselves are engineered to take a remarkable amount of punishment," Smith said. airplane on dark stormy sky An airplane is taking off under grey stormy clouds. (syaber/Getty Images/iStockphoto) "Avoiding turbulence is a combination of art and science. We take our cues from weather charts, radar returns and those real-time reports from other aircraft. Larger carriers have their own meteorology departments, and we get periodic updates from the ground," Smith said. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston said even though you can't see turbulence, it can be predicted on a radar. "Specialized hi-res doppler radar called TDWR (Terminal doppler weather radar) have been installed at/near numerous airports to detect sudden development of wind shear, which is a sudden change in wind direction or speed. Wind shear can threaten aircraft crashes at relatively low altitudes, during take-offs, approaches and landings," Boston said. Smith explained wake turbulence further and said it is something you can hear from inside the aircraft. "With aircraft, this effect is exacerbated by a pair of vortices that spin from the wingtips. At the wings' outermost extremities, the higher-pressure air beneath is drawn toward the lower pressure air on top, resulting in a tight, circular flow that trails behind the aircraft like a pronged pair of sideways tornadoes," Smith said. The vortices are most pronounced when a plane is slow and the wings are working hardest to produce lift. Therefore, Smith said the prime time for an encountering them is during approach or departure. "When pilots pass on reports to other crews, turbulence is graded from light to extreme," Smith said. Over the whole history of modern commercial aviation, the number of jetliner crashes caused by turbulence, even indirectly, can be counted on one hand, according to Smith. "Each year worldwide, about a hundred people, half of them flight attendants, are hurt by turbulence seriously enough to require medical attention - head, neck, shoulder and ankle injuries being the most common," Smith said. According to Smith, that works out to about 50 passengers out of the roughly 2 billion passengers who fly each year. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/7-different-types-of-turbulence-and- how-pilots-navigate-this-nuisance-while-flying/70007482 Back to Top U.S. issues new rules barring lithium batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft Large U.S. carriers already voluntarily comply with requirements set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. A lithium-ion battery sits inside a smartphone sold as an Apple Inc. iPhone 4S in an arranged photograph in Hong Kong, China, on Jan. 11, 2014.Brent Lewin / Bloomberg via Getty Images The U.S. government said on Wednesday it is issuing new rules barring airlines from carrying potentially hazardous lithium-ion cells and batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft, and setting new requirements for transporting them on cargo planes. The U.S. Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) unveiled the new rules after Congress last year ordered the agency to complete them by early 2019. The agency is adopting requirements that have been force in other countries since 2016. Large U.S. carriers already voluntarily comply with requirements that were adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. aviation agency, that took effect in April 2016, PHMSA said. President Donald Trump's administration will require lithium-ion cells and batteries to be generally shipped with a state of charge of no more than 30 percent on cargo aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said under certain conditions lithium batteries could result in smoke or fire. A battery fire could exceed the capabilities of an aircraft's fire suppression system and lead to a catastrophic failure, it said. PHMSA said it was finalizing the rules on an expedited basis to address "an immediate safety hazard." The rules do not restrict passengers or crew members from bringing personal items or electronic devices containing lithium cells or batteries aboard aircraft, or restrict cargo planes from transporting lithium-ion cells or batteries at a state of charge exceeding 30 percent when packed with or contained in equipment or devices. Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly common as production has grown to more than 7 billion cells in 2017 from about 3 billion cells in 2007, the administration said. A 2015 working paper by a group representing plane makers including Boeing Co said current firefighting systems were not adequate to "suppress or extinguish a fire involving significant quantities of lithium batteries." U.S. regulators identified 39 incidents in air cargo transportation between 2010 and 2016, with 13 involving lithium batteries and smoke, fire, extreme heat, or explosion that would have been affected by the new rules. In one instance, packages of lithium ion cells were found smoldering in an aircraft unit load device during unloading, suggesting the initial thermal runaway likely occurred while the shipment was on the aircraft. The agency also noted three aircraft accidents in 2007, 2010 and 2011 linked to lithium ion batteries transported as cargo as either the cause or a factor that increased the severity of the fire. Those accidents resulted in the complete loss of all three aircraft and four lives. PHMSA said it will allow a limited exception for up to two lithium batteries used for medical devices to be transported on passenger aircraft, and at a state of charge higher than 30 percent, for remote areas like Alaska that do not have regular cargo service. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-issues-new-rules-barring-lithium- batteries-cargo-passenger-n976976 Back to Top Birds hit 280 planes at Salt Lake City's airport last year. New federal rules seek a bigger bird-control zone. (Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ducks fly above the marshes North of the Salt Lake International Airport. The airport had 280 bird strikes in 2018. Most were minor, but overall they caused at least $674,892 in reported damage. There were 171 bird strikes with small song birds; 39 with waterfowl, 36 with raptors, 13 with bats and four with pigeons or doves. Another 17 strikes were with unknown types of birds. In November, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 carrying 223 passengers lifted off from Salt Lake City International Airport heading for Paris. But officials say six big tundra swans flew into it over the runway, crashing into its nose and engine covers. No birds survived, and the airport's chief says it was "a very, very close call" for the jumbo jet. The birds "didn't go straight into the engine, which is fortunate. Because at that elevation and that location, the potential for recovery is not great," Bill Wyatt, executive director of the airport, told the Airport Advisory Board recently. The plane safely landed a few minutes later, and was grounded for inspection and repair. The Federal Aviation Administration reported nearly 14,500 bird strikes nationally in 2017. Those numbers led the agency to propose drastically increasing the area where all major airports must work to keep wildlife away from planes, expanding it from two miles to five beyond airport boundaries. A Burrowing Owl rests on the fence surrounding the Salt Lake International Airport. The airport had 280 bird strikes in 2018. Most were minor, but overall they caused at least $674,892 in reported damage. There were 171 bird strikes with small song birds; 39 with waterfowl, 36 with raptors, 13 with bats and four with pigeons or doves. Another 17 strikes were with unknown types of birds. The FAA may yank federal funding from airports and their sponsors - such as Salt Lake City - that do not do everything in their power to limit new developments that could attract birds and other wildlife, including denying building permits. That proposed five-mile boundary includes much of Salt Lake City (to 1300 East on the east, plus all of its northwest quadrant out to the Kennecott tailings ponds). As an example of the tough choice between federal funds or new development that the city could soon face was a new Amazon facility built within that expanded five-mile, bird-control zone. Bobby Boswell, a U.S. Department of Agriculture biologist who works under contract with the airport, notes that the new facility included a retention pond that probably would not fully drain within 48 hours after rainfall. So that would violate proposed rules - because it would be considered a wetland that attracts waterfowl. Salt Lake City could be found in violation of proposed rules if it approved similar projects in the future. https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/02/26/birds-hit-planes-salt/ Back to Top Amazon Crash Raises Safety Questions About Cargo Airlines By Alan Levin (Bloomberg) Passenger airlines in the U.S. have recorded a remarkable period of safety over the past 10 years. Not so the nation's cargo planes. Five domestically registered aircraft have crashed since 2009 - killing 16 people - including Saturday's violent plunge into a bay near Houston of a plane carrying Amazon.com Inc. packages. While no cause has been identified for that crash, which killed all three people aboard, it has revived concerns that safety standards for such things as mandatory sleep breaks for pilots or fire safety regulations are more lax on the cargo airlines than their passenger counterparts. The Federal Aviation Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to monitor safety issues, had been "taking a focused look at cargo operations" before the accident, the agency said in a statement on Monday night. The FAA also said it was looking at "any additional measure that may be warranted." John Cox, president of consulting company Safety Operating Systems and a former airline pilot, said "there have been a higher number of cargo accidents than passenger accidents almost as far back as I can remember." And, he said, "That still continues today." There's been just a single death on U.S.-registered passenger airlines since Feb. 12, 2009. "We do have some safety concerns that remain," said Captain Robert Travis, president of the Independent Pilots Association, which represents about 3,000 United Parcel Service Inc. pilots. Equalizing Regulations The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents flight crews at FedEx Corp., has called for equalizing the safety and security regulations for passenger and cargo flights. "Lesser requirements are placed on all-cargo operations in several crucial areas, which results in unnecessary safety risk," the union said in a position paper posted on its website. Little is known about what caused the Atlas Air wide body Boeing Co. 767-300, operating on behalf of Amazon, to suddenly dive from about 5,800 feet (1,768 meters) into a bay as it approached Houston. A video captured from a nearby jail showed the plane didn't turn or try to pull out of the plunge in its final seconds, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc. fell 5.76 percent Monday to $55.51. The company said in a statement that it was "deeply saddened" by the crash and was assisting the victims' families. The accident drew attention to the safety records of passenger compared to cargo airlines. Cox said safety in the cargo arena has improved along with passenger airlines and that he wouldn't characterize the industry as unsafe. However, cargo operations sometimes occur in more hazardous conditions, such as during the middle of the night or at airports that aren't as well equipped, he said. In some areas, the regulations aren't as rigorous for cargo flights, he said. Cargo carriers follow older regulations that require pilots get at least eight hours of rest each day. The newer rules for passenger airlines, which went into effect in 2014, call for at least 10 hours off between shifts to ensure crew members can reach a hotel room and still get close to eight hours of sleep. The new rules also added requirements designed to reduce fatigue, including cutting the amount of hours crews can work per day if they fly late at night. The cargo industry has a good safety record and any differences in how it's regulated are the result of its unique operating requirements, said George Novak, president of the National Air Carrier Association, a trade group representing freight haulers, including Atlas. "If the FAA felt there was a serious safety lapse or a gap, action would have been taken some time ago," Novak said. The association has been participating the FAA's review of cargo safety, he said. The difference in the safety record of passenger and cargo carriers is even more stark when comparing the number of flights they make: In 2017, the most recent year for which complete data is available, passenger flights totaled 9 million compared to 603,000 for cargo, almost 15 times higher, according to U.S. Transportation Department data. Read More: How One Crash 10 Years Ago Helped Keep 90 Million Flights Safe The NTSB objected to cargo carriers being excluded from the 2014 rules designed to give airline pilots more rest, particularly when they fly late at night. "The NTSB disagrees with this exclusion, as many of the fatigue-related accidents that we have investigated over the years involved cargo operators," the safety board wrote to the FAA in a 2013 letter. One factor that has led to accidents is the higher likelihood of hazardous or flammable material being carried on cargo flights, according to accident reports. Dubai Crash A UPS Boeing 747 crashed in Dubai on Sept. 3, 2010, after a fire erupted on the plane and pilots couldn't reach the airport. The plane was carrying more than 81,000 lithium- based batteries, which can burn at high temperatures or explode, according to a report by the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates. While guidelines adopted by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization and followed by airlines prohibit bulk shipments of such batteries on passenger flights, there are no such restrictions on cargo airlines. Both UPS and FedEx have taken numerous steps to ensure manufacturers package batteries properly and are exploring better equipment to contain fires. "Although the companies have been very proactive, there's always the opportunity for some undeclared hazmat to get through and that's a concern," Travis said. One accident illustrating the hazards of carrying cargo occurred April 29, 2013, at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. A National Air Cargo Inc. 747 under contract to the U.S. military crashed shortly after takeoff when heavy vehicles in the cargo hold broke loose and slid backward, damaging flight controls. All seven people aboard died. The NTSB identified issues with the airline's procedures for restraining large loads and said the FAA didn't adequately oversee safety at the carrier. https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2019/02/27/289429.htm Back to Top Russia, US discussed civil aviation issues on February 26-27 According to the US State Department, Washington and Moscow "reviewed problems of interested entities from the aviation industry" WASHINGTON, February 27. /TASS/. Representatives of Russia and the United States discussed issues pertaining to the civil aviation within the regular dialog framework on 26-27, a spokesman of the US State Department told TASS on Wednesday. "US and Russian experts in civil aviation matters met in Washington on February 26 and 27 to discuss civil aviation issues," the spokesman said. "Meetings were an element of the regular dialog on civil aviation matters," he noted. The United States and Russia "reviewed problems of interested entities from the aviation industry," the diplomat said. Consultations were held "in the way negotiations are held with other main partners of the United States in the aviation sector," he said. Representatives of the US State Department, the Department of Transport and the Department of Commerce took place in the meeting together with observers from the private sector, the diplomat noted. "Representatives of the government and the industry were in the Russian delegation," he added Representatives of Russia and the United States would hold talks in Washington on February 26-28 on development of the air service between the two countries, press service of the Russian Transport Ministry told TASS earlier. The topic is the development of the air traffic, the Ministry said. The previous meeting between representatives of aviation authorities of two countries was held in June 2018. It was reported that issues of transit freight flights of the US air carriers across the Russian airspace were raised at that meeting in particular. http://tass.com/world/1046738 Back to Top IATA appoints new Regional Vice President for North Asia Baojian Zhang stepped down from the role in November after 24 years of service at the organization. Ma Tao The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Ma Tao as Regional Vice President for North Asia. Ma's remit covers 36 IATA members across the North Asia region, including airlines in Greater China, Mongolia and North Korea. He succeeds Baojian Zhang, who stepped down in November after 24 years of service at IATA. "I am passionate about aviation and its potential to assist in the development of North Asia," said Ma. "And I am determined to strengthen IATA's relationship with China and the region's stakeholders as we focus on ensuring that aviation is safe, secure, efficient and sustainable." I am determined to strengthen IATA's relationship with China and the region's stakeholders as we focus on ensuring that aviation is safe, secure, efficient and sustainable Joining from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Ma has served in a number of different positions including most recently as Head of the Airworthiness Certification Center of CAAC. From 2006 until 2017, Ma also held posts at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) following his appointment as China's Permanent Representative on the organisation's Council. Based in Beijing, Ma will use his expertise to help guide the strategy and deliver on the main activities of IATA's North Asia operations, such as promoting aviation safety, advocating for the adoption of global standards, and managing financial settlements between airlines and agents. The North Asia Regional Office is an integral part of IATA's Global Delivery Center supporting its worldwide financial settlement activity. Ma will report to Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac as part of the Strategic Leadership Team at IATA. "We are very excited that Ma Tao will be joining IATA," de Juniac said. "He brings with him deep knowledge of the aviation industry, China and ICAO. The North Asia region has enormous potential. "Under Ma's leadership, IATA can contribute to the region's success by promoting global standards, efficient regulations, and quality infrastructure. "China, already the world's second largest aviation market, looks to the industry to play a key role in its strategic development. The challenge is keeping pace with the phenomenal growth." https://airlines.iata.org/news/iata-appoints-new-regional-vice-president-for-north-asia Back to Top AOPA CREDIT CARD TO INCLUDE CASH BACK REWARDS FOR FLIGHT TRAINING Cash back for flight training? Now you can through the new AOPA World Mastercard with Commerce Bank. A credit card with rebates for fuel, automobile rentals, and aviation products is among the many benefits of AOPA membership. Photo by David Tulis. AOPA upped the cardholder benefits to include two percent Cash Back on every dollar spent at flight schools. Cardholders can also receive four percent Cash Back for select AOPA purchases; three percent Cash Back for all purchases at select AOPA partners including Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co., Aero-Space Reports, Jeppesen, Sirius XM Aviation, PilotWorkshops, and Sporty's Pilot Shop; two percent Cash Back for fixed-based operator (FBO) purchases, aviation and auto fuel costs, ride sharing, and taxi costs; and 1 percent Cash Back for all other purchases. (Certain points and purchases restrictions apply, see full Rewards Terms and Conditions at AOPA.org/creditcard.) Cash Back is applied as a statement credit. "We believe AOPA and Commerce Bank have the best available credit card rewards program for pilots, and we will continue to look for ways we can improve, bring down the cost of flying, and make aviation more accessible to everyone," said AOPA Senior Vice President of Marketing Jiri Marousek. Cardholder purchases also support AOPA's industry-leading initiatives including the Air Safety Institute, advocacy, and various You Can Fly programs designed to reduce costs and barriers to flying. The card is available through the AOPA website. The AOPA credit card is accepted anywhere Mastercard is accepted. Rewards points can be redeemed for Cash Back or other items provided through AOPA Pilot Rewards. A Cash Back redemption is applied as a statement credit. The statement credit will reduce your balance, but you are still required to make at least your minimum payment. A minimum of 2,500 points is needed to redeem for Cash Back. Values for non-cash back redemption items such as merchandise, gift cards, and travel may vary. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/february/26/aopa-credit-card- to-include-cash-back-rewards-for-flight-training Back to Top Embraer shareholders OK sale of commercial jet division to Boeing SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Shareholders of Brazil's Embraer SA approved a deal on Tuesday to sell 80 percent of the company's commercial plane division to Boeing Co, enabling Boeing to compete with Airbus SE in the market for jets with up to 150 seats. About 96.8 of shareholders voted in favor of the deal after Embraer overturned an injunction that had put the shareholder meeting on hold. The transaction must now be approved by antitrust regulators around the world. Embraer shares surged as much as 4.6 percent in Sao Paulo trading. Under the terms of the deal finalized in December, Boeing will pay $4.2 billion to control Embraer's most profitable division, supplying passenger jets to airlines. It positions Boeing to better rival Airbus, which last year bought a controlling stake in Bombardier Inc's CSeries planes - which also have less than 150 seats - putting Airbus in direct competition with Embraer. Embraer shareholders' approval of the Boeing deal caps more than a year of negotiations in Brazil since the companies announced their talks. Behind the scenes it was more than two years since the idea was presented internally to Boeing, a person familiar with the matter said in July. Brazil's government, which holds veto power over important business decisions at Embraer, a former state company, said last month that it would not block the partnership. Once the transaction receives full regulatory approval, Boeing and Embraer will be joint owners of a yet-to-be-named commercial jet company, of which Embraer will own 20 percent, and Boeing, 80 percent. The deal will provide a cash influx that the Brazilian planemaker has defended as crucial to its survival as increased competition between Boeing and Airbus squeezes out smaller rivals. "The potential operation with Boeing will save Embraer," lawyers for the Brazilian planemaker said in July in a court filing as it battled an earlier challenge to the deal. Embraer executives said earlier this year they would be able to wipe out the company's current debt thanks to Boeing's cash, giving them what they described as a fresh start. But critics say the arrangement will leave Embraer weaker and financially dependent on its two remaining divisions, executive jets and defense, both of which have posted losses in recent quarters. Shareholders also approved a joint venture between the two planemakers to market Embraer's new KC-390 military cargo jet. Embraer will retain ownership of the plane's intellectual property, but hopes Boeing will drum up orders from allies of the United States. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-embraer-m-a-boeing/embraer-shareholders-ok- sale-of-commercial-jet-division-to-boeing-idUSKCN1QF1AM Back to Top NASA developing electric airplane that could cut travel cost by more than half Electronic airplanes are believed to be generations away, however Ramanan Krishnamoorti insists electric engines will change the way planes look, how goods are shipped and how we travel. HOUSTON - NASA's X57 prototype powered by 14 battery-fed propellers aims to lift and land planes with five times less energy than jet fuel. "That's a huge impact," Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Chief Energy Officer for the University of Houston said. He sees plenty of groups working on the idea because it could cut travel costs by up to 60 percent. That would open doors for more on-demand, point-to-point freight delivery, Krishnamoorti said. Also, it would allow airlines to add routes to low-demand stops currently too expensive to offer much service. "If you can have smaller aircraft that can have a far lower energy cost with them those routes start to become profitable," he said. However, that seems to be years, perhaps a decade away because even NASA's newest batteries hold just a fraction of jet fuel's energy. Lifting their four-seat prototype aircraft requires 14 electric engines. Even when airborne, though, electric planes have a lot to prove, Krishnamoorti said. "It has to be safer than what we already have," he added. "You'll see some of it in a few years when batteries become a lot lighter. (But) we're going to see cars completely transformed, we're going to probably see ships completely transformed and only then will we probably see airlines that will be fully transformed." He believes transatlantic is generations away. However, Krishnamoorti insists electric engines will change the way planes look, how goods are shipped and how we travel. https://www.khou.com/article/travel/nasa-developing-electric-airplane-that-could-cut- travel-cost-by-more-than-half/285-e5e8eb9d-a2a4-4c77-91d2-ccd41260fbb2 Back to Top Senate bill seeks extension of the space station International Space Station as seen from Space Shuttle Atlantis in this July 2011 photograph. Credit: NASA WASHINGTON - A bill introduced by a bipartisan pair of senators Feb. 27 would authorize an extension of the International Space Station to 2030 and also make permanent human settlement of space a national goal. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced the Advancing Human Spaceflight Act Feb. 27, with its central provision authorizing an extension of operations of the ISS from 2024 to 2030. Other members of Congress sought such an extension last year in response to a proposal in NASA's fiscal year 2019 budget proposal to end direct federal funding of the station in 2025, part of an effort to commercialize low Earth orbit operations. The Space Frontier Act, introduced last summer by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Bill Nelson (D- Fla.), included a similar extension of the ISS operations to 2030. The Space Frontier Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent in December, but died in the House when it failed to win a two-thirds majority required under suspension of the rules, a House mechanism for the expedited passage of bills deemed noncontroversial. Opposition in the House, though, was based on other provisions of the bill dealing with commercial space regulatory reform and not the ISS extension. Cruz said in a January speech that he would seek to reintroduce the Space Frontier Act. Either that bill or a separate NASA authorization act he is planning would likely include the ISS extension language, he said then. Other sections of the 12-page Advancing Human Spaceflight Act includes requirements for reports on a strategy from transitioning from the ISS, the development of other human space facilities in or beyond Earth orbit, and life support systems. It also directs NASA to establish an advanced spacesuit program at the Johnson Space Center. Perhaps the most forward-looking portion of the bill would amend the National Aeronautics and Space Act to make human space settlement a national goal, inserting language declaring that "human space settlement and a thriving space economy will enhance the general welfare of the United States." The term "human space settlement" is defined in the bill to mean "a community in space or on a celestial body in which humans live on a permanent basis and engage in personal and commercial activity that enables growth over time, with the goal of becoming economically and biologically self-sustaining as a part of a larger network of human space settlements." "The only way to continue learning about the universe around us is to aim high and dream big," Cornyn said in a statement about the bill. He added in the statement that the bill was developed with "input from Houston's space community." "This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the servicemen and women of NASA can continue their cutting-edge research and exploration missions, and I look forward to seeing the pioneering solutions that drive the next era of innovation," said Peters, a former ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee's space subcommittee, in the statement. This bill is not the first time Cornyn, who is typically not as active on space issues as Cruz, his colleague from Texas, has introduced a far-reaching space bill. In January 2017 he introduced the Mapping a New and Innovative Focus on our Exploration Strategy (MANIFEST) for Human Spaceflight Act. That bill, and companion legislation introduced in the House by then-Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), called for the development of a strategic plan of missions leading up a human mission to Mars. "By requiring a strategic plan from NASA, this bill will help focus existing resources towards achieving our long-term goal of landing a human on Mars," Cornyn said in the statement about the MANIFEST for Human Spaceflight Act in 2017. That bill did not advance in the House or Senate after its introduction in 2017, and the new Advancing Human Spaceflight Act makes no mention of Mars. https://spacenews.com/senate-bill-seeks-extension-of-the-space-station/ Back to Top Back to Top Aviation Innovations Conference: Cargo Airships March 14 - 15, 2019 Toronto, Canada www.aviationinnovationsconference.com https://www.facebook.com/events/1842427552533870/ Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Dear Participants, My name is Sabrina Woods, and I am a researcher working towards my Doctorate in Aviation from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University under the guidance of my adviser, Dr. Scott Winter. My research focuses on how different general aviation pilots approach cross-country flying. To support my research project, I have created an online questionnaire to gather information directly from the GA population. In order to participate you must: * be at least 18 years old * hold a private, sport, commercial, ATP or recreational certificate, and * be willing to volunteer your time. Participation is voluntary and anonymous, and you may opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be destroyed. The survey will take about 10 minutes or less of your time to complete. Thank you in advance for your help. Please click on the link below to access the questionnaire. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WoodsStudy Curt Lewis