Flight Safety Information March 1, 2019 - No. 045 In This Issue Incident: KLM B744 at Los Angeles on Feb 25th 2019, rejected takeoff due to disobedient engine Incident: Air Austral B788 near Naples on Feb 27th 2019, engine problem Incident: Vistara A20N at Hyderabad on Feb 25th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: UTAir B735 at Ufa on Feb 28th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: United B752 over Atlantic on Feb 28th 2019, cracked windshield Accident: Spirit A319 near Las Vegas on Feb 27th 2019, smoke in cockpit Accident: Alaska B739 near Minneapolis on Feb 27th 2019, smell of burning plastics on board Incident: Flybe E195 at Exeter on Feb 28th 2019, haze on board prompts evacuation before departure EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Accident: American B772 near Honolulu on Feb 27th 2019, severe turbulence injures 2 cabin crew Gulfstream G200 - Runway Excursion (Russia) Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage JetProp DLX - Fatal Accident (Louisiana) Position: Vice President, Aviation Operations and Technical Services Boeing tanker jets grounded due to tools and debris left during manufacturing Saskatoon couple drowned after door design impeded exit in fatal NWT plane crash: TSB GPS JAMMING SCHEDULED ACROSS US Southwest Airlines sues mechanics' union over grounded planes PILOT CONVICTED FOR ILLEGAL CHARTER FLIGHT UN aviation agency concealed serious hack: media Honeywell to Unveil Hybrid-Electric Turbogenerator for Electric Aircraft British Airways Chooses Boeing 777 to Replace 747s Airbus May Assemble Newest Jet in China to Secure Far East Deals Blockchain - a Paradigm Shift in Maritime & Aviation Safety Electronic Systems Investigation from SCSI 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 Incident: KLM B744 at Los Angeles on Feb 25th 2019, rejected takeoff due to disobedient engine A KLM Boeing 747-400, registration PH-BFS performing flight KL-602 from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was accelerating for takeoff from Los Angeles' runway 24L when the crew rejected takeoff at lo speed. Tower asked the crew to roll down the runway passing the next exit before vacating the runway. The crew advised one of their engines (CF6) didn't spin up as much as they wanted. The aircraft returned to the apron. A passenger reported they were kept on board for about 2 hours while maintenance were working on the #2 engine (left inboard). The flight was subsequently cancelled and the passengers were rebooked onto other flights. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 49 hours, then departed for flight KL-604 of Feb 27th. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4d0135&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Air Austral B788 near Naples on Feb 27th 2019, engine problem An Air Austral Boeing 787-8, registration F-OLRC performing flight UU-976 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Dzaoudzi (Mayotte), was enroute at FL370 about 40nm southeast of Naples (Italy) when the crew received a fault indication regarding the electronic engine control of one of the engines (Trent 1000) and decided to return to Paris. The aircraft descended to FL230 for the return and landed safely back in Paris about 3 hours after leaving FL370. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Paris about 23 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cfb7f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Vistara A20N at Hyderabad on Feb 25th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Vistara Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-TNB performing flight UK-870 from Hyderabad to Delhi (India) with 130 people on board, was climbing out of Hyerabad's runway 27L when the crew stopped the climb at about 8000 feet due to an engine (LEAP) failure. The crew returned to Hyderabad for a safe landing on runway 27L about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200N registration VT-TNF reached Deli with a delay of 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Hyderabad 78 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cf98f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: UTAir B735 at Ufa on Feb 28th 2019, engine shut down in flight A UTAir Boeing 737-500, registration VP-BXQ performing flight UT-364 from Ufa to Moscow Vnukovo (Russia) with 123 people on board, was climbing out of Ufa when the crew stopped the climb at about FL140 due to the failure of one of the engines (CFM56). The crew shut the engine down and returned to Ufa for a safe landing about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-500 registration VP-BYL reached Moscow with a delay of 2:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 19 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cf73d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: United B752 over Atlantic on Feb 28th 2019, cracked windshield A United Boeing 757-200, registration N17104 performing flight UA-65 from Lisbon (Portugal) to Newark,NJ (USA), was enroute at FL330 about 600nm westnorthwest of Lisbon when the crew decided to return to Lisbon reporting a cracked windshield. The crew descended the aircraft to FL190 for the return and landed safely back in Lisbon about 3.5 hours after departure. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Lisbon about 8 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cf583&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Spirit A319 near Las Vegas on Feb 27th 2019, smoke in cockpit A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N531NK performing flight NK-424 from Los Angeles,CA to Minneapolis,MN (USA), was enroute at FL330 about 230nm northeast of Las Vegas,NV (USA) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Las Vegas reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely on Las Vegas' runway 26R about 40 minutes later. The FAA reported three flight attendants were transported to a hospital with unknown injuries. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/NKS424/history/20190227/2000Z/KLAX/KMSP http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cde49&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Alaska B739 near Minneapolis on Feb 27th 2019, smell of burning plastics on board An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N224AK performing flight AS-51 from Chicago O'Hare,IL to Seattle,WA (USA) with 144 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of Chicago when the crew stopped the climb at FL250 due to an odour of burning plastics on board. The crew subsequently decided to divert to Minneapolis,MN (USA) where the aircraft landed safely. 8 passengers reported feeling ill and were checked at the airport by medical staff. 4 cabin crew were taken to a hospital. The FAA reported the aircraft diverted to Minneapolis due to air quality issues, four cabin crew were transported to hospital with unknown injuries. The airline reported 8 passengers were examined for respiratory problems, 4 crew members were hospitalized. The cause of the odour is being investigated. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cd85b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Flybe E195 at Exeter on Feb 28th 2019, haze on board prompts evacuation before departure A Flybe Embraer ERJ-195, registration G-FBEJ performing flight BE-4321 from Exeter,EN (UK) to Alicante,SP (Spain) with 100 passengers and 5 crew, had backtracked Exeter's runway 26 for departure, lined up for departure and was waiting for takeoff clearance when a loud bang occurred followed by haze developing in the cabin. The crew initiated an emergency evacuation of the aircraft via slides. There were no injuries. The airline confirmed the aircraft was evacuated after haze developed in the cabin. Passenger Video (Video: Andy Feaver): 100 passengers and five crew evacuate plane after cabin fills with 'haze' http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cae95&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Accident: American B772 near Honolulu on Feb 27th 2019, severe turbulence injures 2 cabin crew An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N771AN performing flight AA-123 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) to Honolulu,HI (USA), was descending towards Honolulu when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Honolulu's runway 08L about 20 minutes later. The FAA reported two flight attendants received unknown injuries. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL123/history/20190227/1525Z/KDFW/PHNL http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4cdcc5&opt=0 Back to Top Gulfstream G200 - Runway Excursion (Russia) Status: Preliminary - official Date: Tuesday 26 February 2019 Time: 12:42 Type: Gulfstream G200 Galaxy Operator: Silk Way Business Aviation Registration: 4K-AZ88 C/n / msn: 189 First flight: 2008 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Moskva-Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) ( Russia) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Executive Departure airport: Baku-Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD/UBBB), Azerbaijan Destination airport: Moskva-Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO/UUEE), Russia Narrative: The Gulfstream G200 Galaxy plane slid off the side of runway 24C after landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, Russia. The aircraft slid sideways off the left side of the runway and became stuck in snow. The 5 occupants, 3 passengers and 2 pilots were not injured. Caught on cam: Business jet overshoots runway at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20190226-0 Back to Top Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage JetProp DLX - Fatal Accident (Louisiana) Date: 28-FEB-2019 Time: 10:40 Type: Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage JetProp DLX Owner/operator: Lennard Properties Registration: N428CD C/n / msn: 4636232 Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants: Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Shreveport, LA - United States of America Phase: Initial climb Nature: Private Departure airport: Shreveport Downtown Airport, LA (DTN/KDTN) Destination airport: F05 Narrative: Pilot on Piper Mirage Jet Prop conversion reported a problem and was returning to the field. Plane crashed in or near the Red River. ATC contacted police about losing contact with a plane they feared went down nearby, Unknown number of occupants and condition at this time. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=222397 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 Boeing tanker jets grounded due to tools and debris left during manufacturing The Boeing KC-46 tanker program, built on the frame of a Boeing 767, is assembled in Everett. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times) Boeing leadership was forced to ground its 767-based KC-46 tankers for the past week after the Air Force expressed concern about loose tools and other foreign object debris (FOD) found in various locations inside the completed airplanes, according to internal company memos. Boeing was forced to ground its 767-based KC-46 tankers for the past week after the Air Force expressed concern about loose tools and bits of debris found in various locations inside the completed airplanes, according to internal company memos. "We have USAF pilots here for flight training and they will not fly due to the FOD (foreign object debris) issues and the current confidence they have in our product that has been discovered throughout the aircraft," factory management wrote in a Feb. 21 memo to employees on the 767 assembly line. "This is a big deal," the memo emphasized. The lapse in standards raises questions about Boeing's plan for a major shift in its quality- control procedures. Training flights resumed Thursday morning after approximately a week's downtime, during which Boeing worked with the Air Force on how to resolve the production problems. Boeing spokesman Chick Ramey acknowledged the problem but characterized it asonly "a temporary pause" in flight operations. The KC-46 is built as an empty 767 airframe on the main assembly line in Everett, then transferred to a facility at the south end of Paine Field called the Military Delivery Center (MDC), where the jet's military systems, including the refueling and communications equipment, are installed and the airplanes are completed. The internal company memo said the MDC "grounded our 767 tankers due to FOD and tool control." During the process of building aircraft, all airframes are supposed to be routinely swept for any kind of foreign object debris - especially anything metal. A loose object left, say, inside a wall cavity or under a floor, is potentially dangerous because over time it could damage equipment or cause an electrical short. "The 767 program has been scrambling to get our employees down south ... to the MDC to clean FOD from our delivered tankers to get our aircraft back in the air," the memo states. The memo notes that eight tools were found in aircraft delivered to the MDC and two more in tankers delivered to the U.S. Air Force. Another memo said repeated finding of FOD by the Air Force was "a chronic issue" that has "resulted in a program level impact." Air Force spokeswoman Capt. Hope Cronin said the military is "aware of the concerns over FOD in KC-46 production aircraft" and takes such contamination "very seriously." "The combined Air Force, Defense Contract Management Agency, and Boeing team is working together to resolve these concerns as safely and quickly as possible," Cronin said via email. Making sure that no foreign object debris makes its way onto a finished airplane is the responsibility of every mechanic who works on the plane but also of the quality inspectors, whose job is to do a final check on any area of an airplane before it is closed up. What seems to be a serious lapse in FOD control comes as Boeing says it intends to cut almost 1,000 quality inspectors jobs over the next two years. Quality inspectors concerned about that move pointed recently to Boeing's failure in December of one element of a quality-control audit on the 747, 767 and 777 airplane programs. Management said the MDC "has declared a level 3" state of alert on the Everett assembly line over the KC-46 FOD issue. On a scale embedded in Boeing's defense contracts, this level is one step away from a complete shutdown of the assembly line, the memo makes clear. "Does anyone know what a level four is?" the management memo asks. "A level four ... will shut down our factory. This is a big deal." Employees installing the airplane's systems on the assembly line were directed last week to shut everything down "48 minutes prior to shift end" in order to complete a thorough inspection for debris and to clean the work area. "It will take us all to win back the confidence of our customer/USAF and show them that we are the number one aircraft builder," the memo urges. In addition to six flight test KC-46 tankers, Boeing has already delivered six tankers to the McConnell and Altus Air Force Bases, with about 45 more production tankers at Boeing's Puget Sound area facilities in the final stages of completion. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeing-tanker-jets-grounded- due-to-tools-and-debris-left-during-manufacturing/ Back to Top Saskatoon couple drowned after door design impeded exit in fatal NWT plane crash: TSB A float plane which crashed in the Northwest Territories is shown in a Transportation Safety Board handout photo.The TSB is issuing a warning over the doors on a small floatplane after three passengers drowned on a sightseeing flight in the Northwest Territories last August.The passengers died in August after the Cessna crashed during an attempted landing on a remote lake. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Transportation Safety Board MANDATORY CREDIT THE CANADIAN PRESS GATINEAU, Que. - Canada's aviation safety watchdog says a "significant safety issue" exists with a popular small airplane in which three passengers drowned during an attempted landing on a northern lake. The Transportation Safety Board says problems with the Cessna 206's doors have been known for more than two decades with no regulatory action. "The risks resulting from delayed egress from the aircraft remain high and more defences are needed to mitigate this hazard," the board said in an aviation safety advisory released Thursday. In the advisory, the board notes the five-passenger, float-equipped plane was on a sightseeing trip from Fort Simpson, N.W.T., to Virginia Falls in Nahanni National Park last August when the pilot lost control while trying to land on a lake. The right wing hit the water, the plane flipped and came to rest upside-down and partially submerged. The pilot and one passenger got out safely and were quickly rescued. The pilot dove back in to try to free the others inside but was unsuccessful. "The three remaining occupants were unable to exit the aircraft and drowned; they were found inside the cabin with their seatbelts undone," says the document. "The impact forces were well within the range of human survivability. The investigation was unable to determine what egress action, if any, was taken by the passengers who were unable to exit the aircraft." Killed were 33-year-old Geoffrey Dean of Castor, Alta., and Stewart and Jean Edelman of Saskatoon, who were both 72. The Cessna 206 is equipped with two adjoining cargo doors. The board found that the front door was blocked by the extended flap of the right wing, which stopped the door from opening past eight centimetres. In that position, the rear door can only be opened by actions described on a placard above the handle. "Without functional exits, the time required to exit the aircraft may increase, which in turn increases the risk of death in time-critical situations," the board says. The problem has been understood since 1989. In 1991, Cessna released a bulletin to plane owners recommending installation of a spring assembly to automatically retract the rear handle and get that door to open. Transport Canada strongly recommended the spring in 2007, but it wasn't made mandatory. Simpson Air, the company that owned the crashed Cessna 206, hadn't installed it. No one from Simpson Air was immediately available to answer questions. Board spokesman Eric Collard said in an email the door problem can't be linked definitively to the fatalities. "The (board) has not conducted any analysis to determine differences between operating doors equipped with or without the spring." The investigation into the accident is continuing, Collard said. No recommendations have been issued to Transport Canada, although the advisory says "(Transport Canada) may wish to reassess the suitability of the rear double cargo door as an emergency exit." Aviation regulators in Canada and the United States had discussed the problem extensively with Cessna between 1999 and 2003. Transport Canada looked at it again in 2005 and commissioned a report on exiting submerged float planes. No action was ever taken. "Results of the studies indicated there were no suitable design changes that could feasibly be applied to the entire Cessna 206 fleet," the advisory says. "By May 2008, the file was put on hold due to other priorities and the absence of a clear way forward." The board says five accidents resulting in eight deaths have occurred since 1989 in the United States and Canada in which extended flaps blocked the rear double-door. There are more than 250 Cessna 206 planes licensed in Canada for commercial and private use. https://thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatoon-couple-drowned-after-door-design-impeded- exit-in-fatal-nwt-plane-crash-tsb Back to Top GPS JAMMING SCHEDULED ACROSS US Pilots are hurrying to beat a deadline for equipping their aircraft with GPS- based navigation technology at the same time the military is stepping up its jamming of GPS during training exercises, AOPA said, calling on the FAA to recognize the problem as a growing flight-safety risk. Areas where the military is conducting GPS interference on March 1. Image generated with TARGETS courtesy of MITRE. Pilots who flew in airspace affected by a four-day military exercise with GPS jamming in early February described to AOPA impacts ranging from erratic notification to unexpected flight routings. With more of the so-called GPS interference events scheduled soon in several regions, AOPA remains dissatisfied with the FAA's efforts to adopt solutions. "We are hearing from pilots with safety concerns and questions about how their navigation systems might react," said Rune Duke, AOPA senior director of airspace, air traffic, and aviation security. "AOPA has communicated those concerns to the FAA, but we do not feel they are adequately prioritizing this issue." A paradoxical piloting predicament is developing: More aircraft owners are complying with a mandate to equip with GPS-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology to avoid being excluded from much controlled airspace after Jan. 1, 2020, just as defense exercises that jam GPS are increasing. Advising ATC of a GPS-jamming emergency Pilots who encounter an interruption of GPS navigation that affects flight safety or who have related flight-control issues can say the phrase "Stop buzzer" to air traffic control. That phraseology should initiate the process of interrupting the testing to restore navigation signal reception. During previous GPS-interference events, pilots declared emergencies, but the jamming continued because ATC did not understand that the emergency was related to the GPS interference. According to the Pilot/Controller Glossary, "Stop buzzer" is a term used by ATC to request suspension of "electronic attack activity." Pilots should only use the phrase when communicating with ATC, or over the emergency frequency 121.5 MHz, if a safety-of-flight issue is encountered during a known GPS interference event. They should make ATC understand that they face a GPS-related emergency, and that halting the GPS interference will resolve it. In late February and early March, FAA flight advisories notified pilots of "GPS interference testing" events scheduled to take place in Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Polk, Louisiana; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Each of the multi-day events "may result in unreliable or unavailable GPS" signals, the flight advisories said. The GPS interference event in Washington state between Feb. 26 and March 1 highlights the far-reaching impact of GPS jamming. Encompassing a complex airspace area in a densely populated region, the exercise stood to affect 67 airports where about 1,500 aircraft are based, as well as many arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. AOPA-noting that the number of GPS-jamming events tripled between 2012 and 2017-is pressing the issue with FAA and Department of Defense leadership, "but we believe action is needed," Duke said. A starting point for an action plan is the set of recommendations issued in 2018 by a working group co-chaired by AOPA of the technical advisory organization RTCA. One of the 25 recommendations noted that "the preflight resources available online for pilots are fragmented and obscure," and the reports of pilots who shared their experience in the recent GPS-jamming event in the Southeast region offer fresh examples of gaps in information about the jamming. "Some pilots learned about it through airports' automated terminal information broadcasts, while others were advised that interference could take place when they were cleared for an RNAV approach. Some aircraft were also routed around non-radar airspace areas due to the possibility of interference that would affect both navigation and surveillance by air traffic control," he said. FTPK 19-19H GPS interference testing. Image courtesy of the FAA. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/february/27/more- gps-interference-exercises-planned Back to Top Southwest Airlines sues mechanics' union over grounded planes * Southwest sued its mechanics' unions and several leaders over grounded jets. * The airline accused mechanics of writing up minor maintenance issues to ground planes. * The union, which has been in contract talks with Southwest for more than six years, has denied the accusations. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet takes off from San Antonio International Airport in Texas. Southwest Airlines on Thursday alleged in a lawsuit that its mechanics' union is encouraging the workers to purposefully write up minor maintenance issues in order keep jets out of service to gain leverage in contract talks. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Dallas, intensified the feud between the low-cost airline and its mechanics. Southwest has canceled hundreds of flights this month as the number of out-of-service jets more than doubled. The two have been in contract negotiations for more than six years. The lawsuit against the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association called the action illegal and said that it would cause "irreparable injury" to Southwest and the public if it wasn't stopped. Southwest normally plans to have about 20 planes out of service each day, a spokesman said. The lawsuit said it had 51 planes out of service on Wednesday and 45 on Tuesday. The AMFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment but has recently denied Southwest's allegations after the airline said it would investigate the issue. "No matter how small an issue we may find with an aircraft, we have an obligation mandated by operation of our [Federal Aviation Administration] issued licenses to repair it and make the aircraft airworthy," the union's national director Bret Oestreich said last week. "It is our hope that the Southwest management will join this commitment to restoring our safety culture and looking at this transition not as an 'operational emergency' but rather the beginning of a new normal." The mechanics rejected a new contract in September after the proposed pay increase came up short of what they had sought. "Today's action does not alter our goal of reaching an agreement that benefits our hardworking Maintenance Employees nor does it change the Company's unwavering commitment to Safety," Russell McCrady vice president of labor relations at Southwest said in a statement. "Southwest is - hands down - one of the best companies in the world to work for and we will not stray from our focus on rewarding our mechanics, while we work to shield our employees and customers from unnecessary disruptions within the operation." https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/01/southwest-airlines-sues-mechanics-union-over- grounded-planes.html Back to Top PILOT CONVICTED FOR ILLEGAL CHARTER FLIGHT A British private pilot was recently convicted of operating an illegal charter flight, and a flight that was unsafe, following a trial in Manchester, England. Robert Murgatroyd commenced a flight in a Piper Cherokee from Barton Aerodrome, near Manchester, to the Isle of Barra, Scotland, on Sept. 9, 2017. He had taken payment of £500 from each of his three passengers, who were bird watchers hoping to see the American Redstart, which had not been observed for 30 years. He was found to have been making a profit from the flight, rather than it being a cost- sharing flight as currently permitted under European Union Aviation Safety Agency regulations. Thus he should have held a commercial license and the aircraft should have been included on an air operator certificate (AOC). After departure in poor weather from a wet runway at the small general aviation airfield, the aircraft struggled to get airborne and crashed shortly afterward close to a major highway. The pilot suffered a broken nose, and the passengers also suffered minor injuries. The Civil Aviation Authority and Greater Manchester Police mounted a criminal investigation, separate from the inquiry by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). Investigators found that the Cherokee was 426 pounds over the maximum takeoff weight of 2,150 pounds. The jury found Murgatroyd guilty on all seven counts of the charges, which included recklessly endangering the safety of an aircraft and the occupants; conducting a public transport flight without an AOC; acting as a pilot without holding an appropriate license; and flying outside the flight manual limitations. The judge set sentencing for March 15. "This was a very serious incident that could have ended with fatalities...We hope his convictions will deter other pilots from ignoring the law for personal profit," said Alison Slater, head of the UK CAA's Investigation and Enforcement Team. Spotlight on Charter The Air Charter Association (BACA) said it is "pleased to note the verdicts of the jury" in the case, given that Murgatroyd had organized the illegal charter. It noted that the case is "symptomatic of a wider problem caused by the blurring of the line between commercial and private aircraft operations. The current regulatory regime does not adequately protect the boundary and has left members of the public exposed to risks of which they are largely unaware." Whether you're weighing the relative merits of charter, a jet card, a membership program, or a share in a fractionally owned aircraft, we're here to help. BACA reports that it engaged with the UK CAA over its concerns, in particular following the emergence of flight cost-sharing websites and "the lack of public awareness about the law and implications of paying for flights on non-commercial aircraft." It is concerned that there is little public understanding of the "lower standards of maintenance, pilot training, and flight planning...when compared to commercial air transport flights." "The commercial exploitation of the cost-sharing regime puts direct pressure on pilots to fly in marginal conditions or to push the boundaries of their pilot skills, or the performance of their aircraft. This case is a stark example of that problem," according to BACA. BACA chairman Richard Mumford added, "Our association, which represents the interests of over 250 companies involved in legal aircraft charter, has become increasingly concerned at the way cost sharing and short-term day leasing is being seen as an easy way of circumventing the very clear laws on chartering aircraft. "We hope that this verdict...will focus the minds of private pilots considering pushing the boundaries when it comes to cost-sharing, especially with the relative ease that websites and apps allow them to advertise flights to the general public, who are largely unaware of the dangers and risks involved. We also hope that it will help to raise awareness and understanding among members of the public to enable them to make informed decisions about how and with whom they choose to fly." Potential illegal charter flights in Europe have also come under scrutiny since the crash of a Piper Malibu near the Channel Islands with footballer Emiliano Sala on January 21. The AAIB and other authorities are still investigating the cause, but it has emerged this week that pilot David Ibbotson did not hold a commercial pilot license and might have also been relying on cost-sharing rules. https://www.bjtonline.com/business-jet-news/pilot-convicted-for-illegal-charter-flight Back to Top UN aviation agency concealed serious hack: media The Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization was the victim in November 2016 of the "most serious cyberattack in its history," Radio-Canada said The Montreal-based United Nations aviation agency concealed for months a hack of its computers and allowed malware to spread throughout the airline industry, Canada's public broadcaster reported Wednesday. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had in November 2016 been the victim of the "most serious cyberattack in its history," Radio-Canada said. Internal documents obtained by the broadcaster revealed a flawed response to the attack- believed to have been launched by a Chinese hacker group-mired in delays, obstruction and negligence, and attempts by staff to hide their incompetence. American airplane maker and defense contractor Lockheed Martin was the first to raise concerns, alerting the ICAO that its servers had been hijacked to spread malware to government and airline computers. In an email to the ICAO, the Lockheed Martin cyberintelligence analyst described the attack as "a significant threat to the aviation industry." It had the characteristics of a "watering hole attack" that targets visitors to a website. The UN agency, working with 192 member states and industry groups, is responsible for setting international civil aviation standards, including for safety and security. The ICAO information technology team reached out to a New York-based IT agency affiliated with the UN to analyze the attack, but then rejected its expertise-not bothering to respond to emails for several days or transmitting unusable data. It would take a fortnight before an analysis revealed that the intrusion was actually an even bigger problem. Mail server, domain administrator and system administrator accounts were affected, giving hackers access to the passwords of more than 2,000 ICAO users to read, send or delete emails. Within 30 minutes of the ICAO piracy, at least one member state's website, Turkey, had been infected. But the ICAO tech chief continued to downplay its seriousness. An independent investigation in 2017 would conclude that the malicious software used in the attack had been identified by ICAO antivirus software a year earlier, but that the computers had still not been disinfected. The ICAO told AFP that the Radio-Canada report contained "many erroneous interpretations and conclusions," saying the gravity of the malware found on its servers "has been greatly exaggerated." "We're not aware of any serious cybersecurity ramifications for external partners which resulted from this incident," it said. "And as a standards-setting body, with no operational role or mandate in aviation, the inference that our data security could pose risks to the combined aviation and aerospace sectors, or the general public, is grossly inaccurate." The agency also has made "robust improvements to its cybersecurity posture and approaches to mitigate further incidents," it said. In Ottawa, Canadian Transportation Minister Marc Garneau called the revelations "worrying" and vowed to discuss them with ICAO boss Fang Liu. https://phys.org/news/2019-02-aviation-agency-conceals-hack-media.html#jCp Back to Top Honeywell to Unveil Hybrid-Electric Turbogenerator for Electric Aircraft Honeywell will debut its prototype hybrid-electric turbocharger at the HAI Heli-Expo in March. The engine is a showcase for the company's expanding presence in the urban air mobility market. The prototype combines Honeywell's existing, flight-proven Honeywell HTS900 engine with two compact electric generators capable of providing 200 kilowatts together--enough to power 40 homes running the air conditioner on a hot summer day. The engine will burn conventional fuel or biofuel to either feed motors or charge batteries. The turbocharger promises to be an ideal fit for urban air mobility vehicles. By incorporating multiple motors and batteries into an aircraft, a vehicle could be able to turn certain motors on or off to power vertical or horizontal flight--which could extend the craft's range and reduce fuel consumption. This technology could enable aircraft designers to create vehicles that would deliver people and goods quietly and efficiently: in fact, several of an aircraft's electric motors could be powered by a single Honeywell turbocharger. "This redefines powered flight by providing electricity to spare in a safe, light package built for aviation," said Bryan Wood, senior director of Honeywell's hybrid-electric and electric propulsion programs. Honeywell already has a significant footprint in the aerospace industry, providing systems for airlines, business jets, military and rotary aircraft. But it has been committing more resources to the urban mobility market--a growing aviation industry segment made up of on-demand and automated passenger vehicles and cargo-carrying air transportation services. These services promise to open up new ways of getting people and goods to their destinations while reducing congestion on conventional transportation routes. Honeywell on urban air mobility The company offers an extensive suite of technologies to aviation companies developing vehicles for the growing market: avionics, propulsion, flight controls, navigation, collision avoidance, power generation, actuation, logistics, and satellite communication and connectivity technologies. As an example, Honeywell is partnering with aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel to develop engines and flight systems for eVTOL vehicles that will form Uber's fleet of air taxis. With its hybrid turbocharger Honeywell is increasing its commitment to the electric air vehicle sector--enabling aircraft makers to bring more advanced and consumer-ready products to market. "As the urban air mobility segment grows, Honeywell is providing safe, reliable propulsion solutions as well as a host of other aviation technologies that are ready to install today on next-generation vehicles." https://www.engineering.com/AdvancedManufacturing/ArticleID/18574/Honeywell-to-Unveil- Hybrid-Electric-Turbogenerator-for-Electric-Aircraft.aspx Back to Top British Airways Chooses Boeing 777 to Replace 747s * British Air will add up to 42 of the upgraded wide-body jets * Deal with options valued at $18.6 billion, excluding discounts Boeing 777X Boeing Co. ended a two-year sales drought for its 777X aircraft, as the owner of British Airways struck a deal for as many as 42 of the planes to replace an aging fleet of 747 jumbo jets. IAG SA will order 18 of the 777-9, the largest version of the wide-body jet, the planemaker said in a statement Thursday. British Airways' parent company took options on an additional 24 of the planes, which, if exercised, would push the deal's value to $18.6 billion before customary discounts. The order gives a lift to the 777X program weeks before the upgraded jet's factory rollout, the first milestone ahead of its planned 2020 debut. Boeing has sought to position the twin- engine behemoth as the heir to its iconic, hump-backed 747 jetliner. The 777-9, the first of a two-plane family, will feature Boeing's widest-ever wingspan and a distinctive look of its own, with wingtips that flip up when the plane is on the ground for maneuvering near airport terminals. "It really does lend credibility for the program," John Strickland, an aerospace consultant in London, said of the IAG order. "Other airlines will look at their successful results today and say, 'If it's good enough for them, we ought to look at this seriously."' Boeing advanced 1.2 percent to $440.84 at 1:59 p.m. in New York. IAG fell less than 1 percent to close at 599 pence in London after reporting earnings. British Airways will use the planes to replace its fleet of 34 aging 747s, which are due be retired by early 2024. Airbus SE had pitched the A350-1000, which the airline has already bought to meet an earlier requirement, to fulfill part of the order. Bloomberg News reported earlier that IAG directors yesterday selected Boeing over Airbus. Order Boost Sales of the new Boeing planes, which seat upwards of 400 people, had sputtered after an initial order flurry around the 777X's launch at the 2013 Dubai Airshow. Even so, Boeing has amassed 358 orders and commitments from a blue-chip customer roster that includes Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, All Nippon Airways and the three largest Persian Gulf carriers. British Airways also has committed to lease four more Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, Boeing said Thursday. The planes will probably replace the airline's oldest 777-200 aircraft and, like the 777-9, may improve profits on long routes because of their large cargo bays, Strickland said. The order was announced as IAG reported that adjusted operating profit advanced 9.5 percent to 3.23 billion euros ($3.7 billion) last year, ahead of the 3.15 billion-euro average estimates of analysts. Revenue rose 6.7 percent to 24.4 billion euros. "This was a very good performance despite three significant challenges: fuel prices increasing 30 percent, considerable air-traffic control disruption and an adverse foreign exchange impact of 129 million euros," Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh said in a statement. Flat Forecast Earnings this year are forecast to be flat, as long as fuel prices and exchange rates stay steady, the company said. IAG said in January it would walk away from bidding for Norwegian Air ASA after the low- cost carrier declined two informal offers. Walsh said Thursday that the company completed the disposal of its Norwegian stake by mid-February. Asked about potential interest in Thomas Cook Group Plc airline unit, Walsh said IAG hadn't looked into it at all and wasn't actively looking at anybody. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-28/british-air-is-said-to-favor-boeing- 777x-to-replace-aging-jumbos Back to Top Airbus May Assemble Newest Jet in China to Secure Far East Deals An Airbus A330-800neo landing at Toulouse Blagnac airport following its first flight. Airbus SE is looking at assembling its newest A330neo wide-body jet in China as part of a bid to win orders for the plane in one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Airbus may expand its existing plant in Tianjin to accommodate the model, but a decision has not been made with the business case yet to be established, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. The plan may not go ahead, they cautioned. A spokesman for Airbus declined to comment. Airbus previously offered to build its A380 superjumbo in China in exchange for orders from the country's airlines, but that pitch was rejected amid concerns about the double-decker plane's suitability for the local market, according to two of the people. The smaller, more fuel-efficient A330neo is potentially a better fit, with more than 200 of the original- generation model already sold in the Asian nation. The move to extend the Tianjin plant - which currently assembles Airbus' single-aisle A320 workhorse - comes as Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc is said to be offering to establish a Chinese plant to secure an engine deal for the wide-body plane being developed by Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd., or Comac. The U.K. company is pitching a derivative of the Trent 7000 turbine for that aircraft, which is also the only option on the A330neo. Biggest Market China is set to become the world's biggest plane market next decade and will need almost 8,000 aircraft worth $1.2 trillion over 20 years, according to Boeing Co. estimates. President Xi Jinping has also earmarked aerospace as a priority industry, encouraging Western producers to set up shop in the country. The A330neo - abbreviated from new engine option -- assembly plant would add to an existing completion and delivery center for Airbus' original A330, where planes get final touches before being shipped to the customers. The upgraded aircraft entered service last year but has been battling for orders with Boeing's more advanced 787 Dreamliner. Airbus has secured sales for 230 A330-900s but just eight smaller -800s, losing contracts from Hawaiian Airlines Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. along the way as they switched to the Boeing aircraft. The Toulouse, France-based company has since won a 40-jet deal from Emirates, though only after the Dubai carrier canceled the bulk of orders for the A380, which Airbus announced earlier this month was being wound up. The company is also targeting a follow- on contract for 44 planes from Malaysia's AirAsia that was announced but never signed. http://fortune.com/2019/02/28/airbus-jet-assembly-china/ Back to Top Blockchain - a Paradigm Shift in Maritime & Aviation Safety World's first blockchain protocol for aviation & maritime safety. Blockchain technology that was once dubbed the 'new kid on the block' is now becoming the norm, especially with brands such as IBM, Walmart, Facebook and financial institutions utilising the technology in various use cases. It has brought with it an elimination of centralised institutions, the redistribution of trust, and the establishment of a worldwide ledger of value - qualities that motivate more organisations to adopt the technology and disrupt the usual standards of operations. Leveraging on these benefits of blockchain, BlocBox is building an immutable distributed ledger to solve various challenges in the maritime and aviation industry, which include black box data retrieval, transparency, predictions and ownership. Based on the framework of a hybridised blockchain, and the utilisation of a Hyperledger and a modified BigchainDB, BlocBox is developing its own proprietary protocol. The utilisation of blockchain technology in the BlocBox solution makes it possible for all forms of data (sensitive and non-sensitive) to be stored securely through the differentiation of a public main chain and a private side chain. A transmitter will be developed and installed on vessels and aircraft to read data from Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs), Flight Data Recorders (FDRs) and Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVRs), in which the data will run through a compression and encryption algorithm before relaying it onto a customised blockchain through satellite infrastructure. A recent study by Inmarsat proved that satellite communications can help to improve safety and overall operational efficiencies while saving billions in dollars. The BlocBox team will apply the solution to both the aviation and maritime sector to further enhance data accuracy and retrieval while retaining the same advantages of boosting competence and greater savings. Adding on to the usage of blockchain to record all on-board data, BlocBox will also integrate the BlocBox Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm into the BlocBox transmitter. The AI algorithm will be trained to first pick up and transcribe audio recordings from vessels and aircrafts, identify the stress levels in tone and language of crew members as part of data collection and subsequently, store these audio recordings onto the private side chain. With consecutive trainings, the voice analytics within the BlocBox algorithm will be able to pick up specific keywords for emergencies. This, coupled with the ability to read stress levels identified in the tone of voice, will trigger a warning to be issued to stakeholders involved once they exceed a pre-defined threshold. With the amalgamation of blockchain and AI, BlocBox is combining the potential of both technologies to revolutionise safety procedures within the maritime and aviation industry. Both technologies serve to enhance the capabilities of the other while simultaneously offering opportunities for better accountability. The team's idea of the safety protocol now exists in the form of patent rights as they have successfully concluded the patent application, further pushing the progress and development of the BlocBox's solution. The synergy of different features is the brainchild of an experienced team and board of advisors which include Mr. Kenny Koh, Co-founder and CEO of BlocBox with extensive years of experience in satellite communications; Mr. Saurish Nandi, Co-founder and CTO of BlocBox with a strong background in maritime and data analytics; Ms. Shilpa Karkeraa, the Blockchain Lead within the team; Mr. Priveen Raj Naidu, co-founder of AirAsia Singapore and CEO of Reapra Aviation; and Capt. Ninad Mhatre, a maritime veteran and Deputy MD of Zeaborn Ship Management. https://www.coinspeaker.com/blockchain-a-paradigm-shift-in-maritime-aviation-safety/ Back to Top 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