Flight Safety Information April 22, 2019 - No. 081 In This Issue Boeing 737 Max: FAA's outsourcing of air safety raises conflict-of-interest questions Air Canada pilots reviewing aircraft systems on Boeing's MAX jets Incident: Kuwait A320 at Beirut on Apr 21st 2019, bent nose Incident: Easyjet Switzerland A320 at Hamburg on Apr 17th 2019, commenced takeoff without clearance Incident: Emirates B773 at Cape Town on Apr 20th 2019, cargo door indication Incident: Aeromexico B789 near Mexico City on Apr 20th 2019, electrical problem Incident: Delta B752 at San Francisco on Apr 19th 2019, smoke on board Incident: Skywest E175 near Oklahoma City on Apr 18th 2019, smoke in cabin Incident: Cathay Pacific A359 at Hong Kong on Apr 19th 2019, problem with landing gear on departure Incident: Mount Cook AT72 at Christchurch on Apr 19th 2019, suspected collision with object on runway ATR 72-600 veers off runway on landing in thunderstorm at Taichung, Taiwan Dornier 228-212 - Runway Excursion (Nepal) India to track exact positioning of aircraft in its oceanic airspace from 2020 AOA Sensor Malfunction Prompts Vision Jet Emergency AD Unlucky coin toss lands another Chinese airline passenger in trouble Virgin Galactic expects rapid conclusion of SpaceShipTwo test flights after downtime Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ERAU Avionics Short-Course for Professionals Certificate Courses in Slovenia from SCSI Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Position Available: Deputy Director of Safety Boeing 737 Max: FAA's outsourcing of air safety raises conflict-of-interest questions Boeing invited pilots and others to tour its Renton, Washington plant Wednesday where 737 Max jetliners are assembled in an effort to show how it is improving safety in the aircraft that has had two fatal crashes in the past 6 months. The Federal Aviation Administration has for years allowed many aerospace companies to use their own workers in place of FAA inspectors, a system that is coming under scrutiny after two Boeing 737 Max jetliners crashed, killing the crews and passengers. A total of 79 companies are allowed under federal policies to let engineers or other workers considered qualified report on safety to the FAA on systems deemed not to be the most critical rather than leaving all inspections to the government agency. To critics, it's a regulatory blind spot. "The FAA decided to do safety on the cheap -- which is neither safe nor cheap, and put the fox in charge of the henhouse," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in a statement. He's vowed to introduce legislation "so that the FAA is put back in charge of safety." Boeing 737 fuselages on the assembly line in Renton. Boeing builds all of its 737s in a single massive factory. (Photo: Boeing) The safety inspection program operates widely under the benign name of Organization Designation Authorization. It has come under renewed attention after the crashes of the two jets -- Lion Air off Indonesia, an accident that killed 189 in October, and the Ethiopian Airlines crash last month that claimed 157 passengers and crew. The list of companies that applied and were approved by the FAA include some of the best-known names in aviation, such as private aircraft makers Learjet and Gulfstream and helicopter companies Bell and Sikorsky. Companies choose workers as FAA "designees," allowing them to stay on the payroll while assessing safety for the federal agency, which then reviews their work. Boeing, like many aviation companies, depended on this system to stay competitive. The airplane maker unveiled the more fuel-efficient Max version of the 737, an aircraft series first designed in the 1960s. The new 737 Max model approved by the FAA in 2017 was made to compete with archrival Airbus and its popular A320 jetliner. To get the 737 Max airborne, Boeing developed a software-based automated anti- stalling system that is being blamed as having been a key factor in both crashes. The system was designed to make pilots feel like the aircraft had the same flying dynamics as previous versions. But in the two crashes, either the system or the sensors on which it depends malfunctioned, pushing the plane's nose toward the ground as pilots tried to keep the aircraft aloft. Dan Elwell, acting director of the Federal Aviation Administration, told the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and Space last month that the system, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, was initially supervised directly by the FAA, but was then handed over to ODA supervision once the agency's "comfort level" with the system had risen. It is those kinds of disclosures that are raising concern. "As I understand it, any system that was safety critical was supposed to have more direct FAA oversight," said U.S. Rep Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The larger issue, DeFazio said, is the extent to which the FAA became complicit in Boeing's desire to rush a plane that could compete against Airbus in a way that could have compromised safety. "We've got to find out whether the FAA was pressured by Boeing," said DeFazio, who plans to hold a committee hearing on the issue. Corporate self-inspection under FAA auspices has been allowed in various forms for decades. But it wasn't until 2005 that the ODA system was created to allow private- sector employees deemed to be highly qualified to be appointed to be the FAA's eyes and ears in the development of aircraft. The rationale was that the private sector inspectors could keep tabs on the more routine features of aircraft under development, allowing the FAA's team to focus on the harder, riskier systems. Mindful of commercial aviation's safety record in the U.S. -- there wasn'ta single passenger death since 2009 until a Southwest Airlinespassenger died after a 737 engine failure a year ago -- the ODA program was reauthorized in 2018. And it still has the FAA's support. The FAA said in a statement that companies aren't left to police themselves. "The agency is directly involved in the testing and certification of new and novel features and technologies," it said. But the program hasn't been without its issues. In 2015, the Transportation Department's inspector general said in a report that he had found four instances of self- audits in which employees working under the ODA program said they felt time pressure, "which could lead to rushing safety-critical tasks to meet safety schedules." Inspector General Calvin Scovel told the Senate subcommittee that two of those instances had come from Boeing. Boeing said in a statement to USA TODAY that the process of using "employees who are designated representatives of the FAA" has led to the safest transportation system in the world. Its workers "act independently on behalf of the FAA when performing this role." The program is in no danger of being abolished. The FAA estimates it would need to hire 10,000 more inspectors at a cost of $1.8 billion in additional payroll costs if the program didn't exist. It isn't just Congress that's skeptical. A union representing FAA inspectors, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, has been opposed to the expansion of the ODA system for years. "They have expanded the ODA program too far," said Mike Perrone, the union's president. Larry Rooney, president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, an umbrella organization offour airline-pilot unions, takes a more nuanced view. While acknowledging there are issues connected with letting aircraft makers take part in an oversight role, he said the FAA might not have the expertise or the manpower to handle the task itself. The whole system is based on trust between an aviation company and the regulator. And, Rooney added, referring to the latest 737 Max crash, it's yet to be seen where the fault in the development of the MCAS system lies. "Was there a breakdown in this particular incident," he said, "or a rush to get the plane out? That's a story for another day." https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/20/did-faa-outsource-air- safety-boeing-and-other-companies/3497255002/ Back to Top Air Canada pilots reviewing aircraft systems on Boeing's MAX jets An Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 from San Francisco approaches for landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport over a parked Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 13, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Helgren (Reuters) - Air Canada said on Thursday its Boeing Co 737 MAX pilots were reviewing aircraft systems and alternative flight conditions for the grounded planes, and the carrier would decide on further training pending final recommendations from regulators. On Wednesday, Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau called for pilots to receive simulator training for Boeing's new 737 MAX software, going beyond a draft report by a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration-appointed board, which recommended additional training without requiring a simulator. Boeing is working to deliver to global regulators a software update and new training proposals for the MAX following a Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October and an Ethiopian crash in March, which killed 346 people combined. Boeing said on Wednesday it was making "steady progress" on the path to certifying the software update and had made the final test flight before a certification flight. Air Canada said it was the only carrier in the United States and Canada with 737 MAX simulators. The country's largest carrier said it was pleased to see the Canadian government take a "rigorous approach" in how it weighs its requirements for reintroducing the jets into service. Air Canada's rival, Westjet Airlines, declined to specifically address Garneau's comments, but the carrier follows all Transport Canada recommendations, a company spokeswoman said by email. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-air-canada-boeing/air-canada-pilots-reviewing-aircraft-systems-on-boeings-max-jets- idUSKCN1RU2F5 Back to Top Incident: Kuwait A320 at Beirut on Apr 21st 2019, bent nose A Kuwait Airways Airbus A320-200, registration 9K-AKG performing flight KU-501 from Kuwait City (Kuwait) to Beirut (Lebanon), was on approach to Beirut's runway 16 descending through about 8000 feet when sort of an impact occurred. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 16. A post flight inspection revealed a bent nose. Lebanon's Civil Aviation Authority reported the captain suggested they flew through a cloud of hail at the time, however, the kind of damage, that also was limited to just the nose with no damage to windscreen or other parts of the aircraft, suggests a lightning strike or some object. The airline reported the aircraft flew through a mass of passing snow. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 11 hours, then departed for the return flight KU-502. Metars: OLBA 201000Z VRB06KT 6000 FEW009 SCT032 14/11 Q1016 RERA NOSIG= OLBA 200905Z 24015KT 3900 RA SCT026 BKN037 14/10 Q1017 NOSIG= OLBA 200900Z 24015KT 8000 -RA SCT050 17/10 Q1017 NOSIG= OLBA 200800Z 23015KT 8000 FEW031 18/09 Q1017 NOSIG= OLBA 200700Z 23016KT 8000 FEW031 18/11 Q1016 NOSIG= OLBA 200600Z 18005KT 130V220 7000 -RA SCT027 15/10 Q1016 NOSIG= OLBA 200500Z 13008KT 5000 RA BKN027 13/10 Q1016 RERA= http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6fe1d2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Easyjet Switzerland A320 at Hamburg on Apr 17th 2019, commenced takeoff without clearance and rejected An Easyjet Switzerland Airbus A320-200, registration HB-JXO performing flight U2-1028/DS-1028 from Hamburg (Germany) to Basel/Mulhouse (Switzerland/France), was cleared to line up runway 05 behind the landing Turkish Airlines aircraft and wait. A Turkish Airlines A321-200 registration TC-JTP performing flight TK-1667 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Hamburg (Germany) landed on Hamburg's runway 05, rolled out and needed some time on the runway to taxi to the next turn off. After the A321 had passed threshold runway 05 the Easyjet A320 taxied into position and commenced takeoff, when the Turkish A321 was still on the runway during roll out. Tower instructed the A320 to stop immediately, the crew complied and rejected takeoff at high speed, the aircraft slowed to taxi speed about 1600 meters/5250 feet down the runway and vacated the runway via taxiway D7 just at the same time when the A321 vacated the runway via taxiway E6 about 2950 meters/9680 feet down the runway. The A320 returned to the holding point runway 05 and departed runway 05 about 6 minutes after the rejected takeoff. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6fda9e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Emirates B773 at Cape Town on Apr 20th 2019, cargo door indication An Emirates Boeing 777-300, registration A6-ECW performing flight EK-773 from Cape Town (South Africa) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), departed Cape Town's runway 19 when the crew stopped the climb at FL090 due to a forward cargo door indication and decided to return to Cape Town. The aircraft dumped fuel and landed safely back on Cape Town's runway 19 about 50 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 90 minutes, then departed again and reached Dubai with a delay of 2 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6fc915&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Aeromexico B789 near Mexico City on Apr 20th 2019, electrical problem An Aeromexico Boeing 787-9, registration XA-ADH performing flight AM-1 from Mexico City (Mexico) to Madrid,SP (Spain), was enroute at FL350 about 100nm northwest of Cancun (Mexico) and 680nm east of Mexico City when the crew decided to return to Mexico City due to an electrical problem. The aircraft climbed to FL360 for the return and landed safely back in Mexico City about 105 minutes after turning around. A replacement Boeing 787-9 registration XA-ADD reached Madrid with a delay of about 4.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Mexico for about 5.5 hours, then returned to service. Passengers reported the crew reported an overheating indication with one of the electrical systems on board. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6fbb7e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B752 at San Francisco on Apr 19th 2019, smoke on board A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N707TW perfomring flight DL-1359 from San Francisco,CA to New York JFK,NY (USA), was climbing out of San Francisco's runway 01R when the crew stopped the climb at about 15,000 feet reporting smoke in cockpit and cabin. The aircraft returned to San Francisco for a safe landing on runway 28L about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N704X is estimated to reach New York with a delay of 4.5 hours. A passenger reported cabin crew cut the power to the cabin while the aircraft was climbing out, the flight crew subsequently announced there was smoke in cockpit and cabin due to an air conditioning system overheating. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1359/history/20190419/1540Z/KSFO/KSFO http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6e8821&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Skywest E175 near Oklahoma City on Apr 18th 2019, smoke in cabin A Skywest Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of United, registration N164SY performing flight OO-5585/UA-5585 from San Francisco,CA to Oklahoma City,OK (USA), was enroute at FL310 near the top of descent about 115nm west of Oklahoma City when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft rapidly descended to FL240 and FL230. Later on approach the approach controller queried whether they could see out of the window or whether they needed a SAR type approach, the crew responded they could see through the windows, it actually had been smoke in the cabin, it was only half so (illegible), they were still waiting for further information from the cabin crew. The aircraft continued to Oklahoma City for a safe landing on runway 35L about 28 minutes after leaving FL310. The FAA reported: "SKYWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT 5585 REPORTED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT", unknown injuries, unknown damage, unknown tail number, unknown phase of flight. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKW5585/history/20190418/1905Z/KSFO/KOKC http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6e6d92&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Cathay Pacific A359 at Hong Kong on Apr 19th 2019, problem with landing gear on departure A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-900, registration B-LRF performing flight CX-113 from Hong Kong (China) to Auckland (New Zealand), was climbing out of Hong Kong's runway 07R when the crew stopped the climb at 9000 feet reporting a problem with the nose landing gear upon retraction. The aircraft dumped fuel and returned to Hong Kong for a safe landing on runway 07L about 65 minutes after departure. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6e85ca&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Mount Cook AT72 at Christchurch on Apr 19th 2019, suspected collision with object on runway A Mount Cook Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A on behalf of ANZ Air New Zealand, registration ZK-MVI performing flight NZ-5759 from Christchurch to Dunedin (New Zealand), departed Christchurch's runway 02 and climbed to cruise level 160, when the crew decided to return to Christchurch over concerns, they might have hit an object on the runway with one of their wheels on departure. The aircraft landed safely back on Christchurch's runway 02 about 45 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Christchurch about 14 hours after landing. Passengers reported they did not notice any bump or had any other observation of hitting something on the departure runway. Flight attendants later in the flight informed them however that the flight crew suspected they had hit something on departure and were returning as precaution. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c6e833d&opt=0 Back to Top ATR 72-600 veers off runway on landing in thunderstorm at Taichung, Taiwan Date: 20-APR-2019 Time: 21:19 LT Type: ATR 72-600 (72-212A) Owner/operator: Far Eastern Air Transport Registration: B-28082 C/n / msn: 1464 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Category: Serious incident Location: Taichung-Ching Chuan Kang Airport (RMQ/RCMQ) - Taiwan Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Magong Airport (MZG/RCQC) Destination airport: Taichung-Ching Chuan Kang Airport (RMQ) Investigating agency: ASC Narrative: Far Eastern Air Transport flight FE3060, an ATR 72-600 aircraft, registration number B- 28082, took off from Penghu Airport for Taichung Airport. The aircraft veered off the side of runway 36 during landing at 21:19 (13:19 UTC). The aircraft had no damage and all people on board were safe. The Aviation Safety Council (ASC) initiated an investigation. Weather about the time of the incident (1319Z): RCMQ 201221Z 31007KT 0800 R36/1600D -RA VCTS BR SCT004 BKN008 FEW016CB OVC020 23/23 Q1009 NOSIG RMK A2981 TS SW MOV VRBL RCMQ 201300Z 34008KT 0600 R36/1400N RA VCTS FG SCT004 BKN008 FEW016CB OVC020 23/23 Q1010 BECMG 0300 RA VCTS FG RMK A2983 RA AMT 4.0MM TS S STNRY RCMQ 201404Z 05003KT 0600 R36/1400U TSRA SCT004 BKN008 FEW016CB OVC020 23/22 Q1010 NOSIG RMK A2985 TS SW MOV E https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=224218 Back to Top Dornier 228-212 - Runway Excursion (Nepal) Date: 22-APR-2019 Time: Type: Dornier 228-212 Owner/operator: Tara Air Registration: 9N-AKK C/n / msn: 8239 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 17 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Ramechhap Airport (RHP/VNRC) - Nepal Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport (KTM/VNKT) Destination airport: Ramechhap Airport (RHP/VNRC) Narrative: A Dornier 228-212, 9N-AKK, suffered a runway excursion after landing at Ramechhap Airport in Nepal. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=224217 Back to Top India to track exact positioning of aircraft in its oceanic airspace from 2020 NEW DELHI: Come next January and India will be able to know the exact position of aircraft flying over the vast stretches of Indian Ocean falling in airspace of its own as well as that administered by it, every 30 seconds. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has tied up with American company Aireon that with its partners provides space-based global air traffic surveillance system. On land, planes equipped with automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) systems beam their positions to ground-based receivers every few seconds. India has 30 such receivers, which, in turn, send the positional data to connected ATC monitoring systems, giving exact position of aircraft. But when over the vast ocean, air traffic controllers (ATC) get only a rough idea of position of aircraft. "From next January, aircraft with ADS-B system will beam their exact position every 30 seconds to satellites of Aireon system, which will then send the data to our ATC systems in real time. Thus even over ocean we will know exactly where an aircraft is. We will roll out this system in airspace that we monitor and offer it free of charge to airlines flying and overflying there. That will vastly improve the quality of service that Indian ATC offers," Vineet Gulati, member (air navigation services, and head of AAI's air traffic control told TOI. AAI will roughly spend about Rs 50 crore annually on this new facility. India has November made it mandatory for its airlines track their aircraft throughout their journey by equipping aircraft with ADSB system. This decision was taken after the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines' MH 370 on March 8, 2014, when flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The Boeing 777 that operating as MH 370 is yet to be located. Knowing exactly where an aircraft is over the vast oceans will be a comfort to flyers. "The backbone of Aireon's technology resides on Iridium NEXT constellation of satellites. Eight Iridium NEXT launches on Space-X Falcon 9 rockets successfully occurred between January 2017 and January 2019... Iridium is hosting Aireon's specially designed receivers on each Iridium NEXT satellite, covering 100%," the Aireon website says. "Aireon is providing global air traffic surveillance system using a space-based ADS-B... ADS-B is an air traffic surveillance technology that relies on the aircraft broadcasting their identity, a precise GPS position.... The data is broadcast every half-second from the aircraft and is being used by air traffic controllers (ATCs) to identify and separate aircraft in real-time... Space-based ADS-B provides full, continuous, global air traffic surveillance, whereas before, 70% of the world had no access to ATS surveillance information (like the oceans, polar regions, mountainous regions, jungles, deserts). This significantly improves air traffic management (ATM) safety, efficiency, predictability and capacity, while reducing overall infrastructure costs," the website says. The DGCA rule mandating ADS-B last year said, "The operator shall establish procedures, approved by the DGCA, for the retention of aircraft tracking data to assist SAR (search and rescue) in determining the last known position of the aircraft." https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/india-to-track-exact- positioning-of-aircraft-in-its-oceanic-airspace-from-2020/articleshow/68973936.cms Back to Top AOA Sensor Malfunction Prompts Vision Jet Emergency AD The FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) for the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet on Wednesday in response to three reports of the stall warning and protection system (SWPS) or Electronic Stability & Protection (ESP) System "engaging when not appropriate." According to the AD, "Cirrus and Aerosonic (manufacturer of the technical standard order AOA [Angle of Attack] sensor) have identified the probable root cause as an AOA sensor malfunction due to a quality escape in the assembly of the AOA sensor at Aerosonic." The AD (PDF) requires replacing existing AOA sensors with improved AOA sensors before further flight. The AD notes that the SWPS or ESP systems could engage even when the aircraft is operating with sufficient airspeed and at a proper AOA for normal flight, including activation of the stall warning alarm, stick shaker, stick pusher, under speed protection, and color-coded airspeed awareness ranges displaying the stall band, "regardless of actual indicated airspeed." It warns that the potentially erroneous indications derived from a malfunctioning AOA sensor could result in "unintended automatic flight control activations; the flight crew having difficulty controlling the airplane; excessive nose- down attitude; and/or possible impact with terrain." "In early April of this year, one of our company pilots experienced the engagement of the Stall Warning and Protection System when not appropriate during a flight at altitude," Cirrus said in a statement. "The pilot followed the published Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) procedures and landed the aircraft safely. Out of an abundance of caution, we immediately began working with the FAA and our internal teams to determine the root cause and began our operator communication process. With the benefit of detailed feedback from our company pilot about the April event, we were able to identify service histories that pointed to a probable similar occurrence in November." The company issued Service Advisories on April 8 and 12 April 12 followed by a mandatory Service Bulletin on April 16 requiring that operators replace the AOA sensor. Cirrus emphasized that the root cause of the malfunction is an AOA sensor hardware issue, not a software problem. http://flash.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AOA-Sensor-Malfunction-Prompts-Vision-Jet- Emergency-AD-232666-1.html Back to Top Unlucky coin toss lands another Chinese airline passenger in trouble First-time flier was praying for blessings for a safe trip in fifth incident this year Airline appeals to travellers not to be superstitious China Southern Airlines has asked passengers not to be superstitious following the latest incident of a passenger throwing coins for good luck. A woman in southern China has been detained for flipping six coins at a plane to pray for a safe trip, in the fifth such incident this year. The pony-tailed passenger was seen on surveillance camera footage throwing coins just before boarding China Southern Airlines flight CZ8427 from Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, to Bangkok on Saturday. The airline said on its Weibo microblog account that the woman, a first-time flier, threw the coins to pray for blessings. The coins were all found and the flight took off after a delay of 78 minutes. "Please don't be superstitious," China Southern said. "Abide by aviation safety regulations when taking planes and don't throw things." Passengers ground plane by throwing 'lucky' coins - yet again China has seen numerous such incidents since the first reported case in 2017, when an elderly woman threw a handful of coins at a China Southern Airlines plane. She was released without punishment after a stern lecture from police. Some of those involved in such incidents this year have not been let off so lightly. In February a man was detained for seven days for throwing coins at a plane's engine in the airport in Anqing, Anhui province, southeast China. Earlier this month, a woman who followed his mother-in-law's advice to throw coins at a plane at Tianhe Airport in Wuhan, in the northern province of Hubei, was detained for 10 days. Man who threw coins at plane for luck faces criminal charges Weibo users have urged airlines to be creative in deterring such frequent bad behaviour. "Why not post a QR code in boarding areas for passengers to scan and pay for the blessing? They have idle money anyway," said one user. "It's very easy to solve this: severe punishment with media reports," said another Weibo user. "The economic losses of such an incident will all be shouldered by the passenger with court enforcement, followed by criminal detention on charges of damaging civil aircraft. Who'd dare to toss coins after several such examples?" A man who threw two coins at the engine of a Shenzhen Airlines plane when boarding a flight from Nanning to Shenyang in July 2017 was sued for more than 70,000 yuan (US$10,400) by the airline. The two parties settled in March, with the man paying 50,000 yuan. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3007126/unlucky-coin-toss-lands- another-chinese-airline-passenger Back to Top Virgin Galactic expects rapid conclusion of SpaceShipTwo test flights after downtime Virgin Galactic astronauts Virgin Galactic's Dave Mackay, Mike Masucci and Beth Moses on stage at the 35th Space Symposium April 9 to receive their FAA astronaut wings they earned after a Feb. 22 flight of SpaceShipTwo to the edge of space. Credit: Tom Kimmell COLORADO SPRINGS - Virgin Galactic's chief pilot believes the company will be able to go through the remainder of its SpaceShipTwo test program fairly quickly once test flights of the suborbital spaceplane resume. In an interview during the 35th Space Symposium here April 9, Dave Mackay said the SpaceShipTwo vehicle called VSS Unity, which he piloted to the edge of space on a test flight Feb. 22, is currently undergoing work that includes outfitting the interior with the cabin the company plans to use on commercial flights that will carry space tourists. "The next time it flies, we expect to have the full commercial cabin installed," he said. A few other modifications to the vehicle are also in progress, such as changes to cockpit displays. "This downtime might be fairly long," he said. "Once we get out of that, we should be able to get through the remainder of the test program pretty quickly and get into commercial service." He didn't specify when test flights might resume and how long it would take to complete those remaining test flights. Company founder Richard Branson has expressed his desire in recent months to start commercial flights this year, perhaps as soon as July, and confirmed he plans to be on that first commercial flight. Mackay, co-pilot Mike Masucci and Beth Moses, the company's chief astronaut instructor, all praised the vehicle's performance on that February test flight, the most recent one by the vehicle. On that flight the vehicle flew to an altitude of nearly 90 kilometers, the second time SpaceShipTwo exceeded the 50-mile boundary used by U.S. government agencies for awarding astronaut wings. "The way it flew on that flight was as good as I could ever have hoped for," Mackay said. "I was delighted with the way the vehicle flew." That included not just the rocket-powered phase of the flight, which Masucci described as "smooth," but also the experience as the vehicle coasted near apogee. "It was extremely quiet," he said. "To take that all in was very surreal." This was the first SpaceShipTwo flight with a third crewmember, Moses, on board, to evaluate the experience from the perspective of future customers. "My cabin evaluation turned out to be very textbook," she said. "I got all the data, plus, that I wanted to." Part of her work, she said, was to calibrate how long certain aspects of the flight last, both in actual time and how it's perceived. One example of the difference between actual and perceived time, she said, was the period after SpaceShipTwo is released from its WhiteKnightTwo aircraft and before it ignites its rocket motor. "It was exactly per plan, but felt many-fold longer than I anticipated," she said. Those insights will help refine the training program for the company's customers. Another aspect of the flight they remarked on was the reentry, which was loud, but not overly so, as the vehicle encountered the upper atmosphere and slowed down. "What I didn't expect was how visceral entry felt," she said. "Entry was dramatic." "It kind of delineates the boundary between the space experience and the atmosphere," Mackay said. "It emphasizes that you have actually been to a special place." They also emphasized that the view from the vehicle is something that photos and video alone can't duplicate. "That view was otherworldly," Masucci said. "No camera or no video can ever do it justice because it's a totally sensory experience." "Everybody's seen pictures of the Earth from space, but for real it looks different because the sky is intensely black," Mackay said. "The Earth is incredibly bright, and cameras or videos don't capture that in the same way as the human eye does." Moses, who said she "skipped off the plane with a smile" after the test flight, doesn't know if she'll get another chance to fly. While future test flights will carry more people on board, there are others who may fly on those tests, as well as, later, the company's customers once commercial operations begin. "I am equally dying to fly again, and yet want to bring that experience to as many people as I can." The three were at the Space Symposium for an April 9 ceremony where they received commercial astronaut wings from the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency has now awarded seven such wings, five of which have gone to Virgin Galactic crew members. "It brings us another step closer to realizing the dream of regular and routine commercial human spaceflight," said Wayne Monteith, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at the FAA, who pinned the wings on Mackay, Masucci and Moses in an on-stage ceremony between plenary talks at the conference. The three said in the later interview that the wings were an honor as much for the company as for themselves. "This really belongs to the whole company," Mackay said. "I don't view it as my wings more as wings for the company." https://spacenews.com/virgin-galactic-expects-rapid-conclusion-of-spaceshiptwo-test- flights-after-downtime/ Back to Top Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award will be presented during the 72nd Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov 4-6 in Taipei, Taiwan. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 74 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2- page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until May 10, 2019. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the non-profit Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Helicopter Association International (HAI) is dedicated to providing its members with services that directly benefit their operations, and to advancing the international helicopter community by providing programs that enhance safety, encourage professionalism and economic viability while promoting the unique contributions vertical flight offers society. HAI has more than 3,800 member organizations and annually produces HAI HELI-EXPOŽ, the world's largest trade show and exposition dedicated to helicopters. Position: Deputy Director of Safety Overview: The Deputy Director of Safety is responsible for supporting the association's existing aviation safety programs and developing new safety initiatives to benefit HAI's membership. Essential Functions of the Position Include, but Are Not Limited To: * Providing auxiliary support to the Director of Safety * Serving as the HAI safety representative on various industry, government, and international boards, task forces, and meetings * Providing feedback for the association's response to proposed safety-related regulations and legislative initiatives * Collecting, researching, and analyzing safety and accident data for subsequent statistical reporting * Developing and implementing new HAI industry safety initiatives * Routinely interacting with aviation related agencies and organizations in support of the rotorcraft industry * Supporting all aspects of HAI's accreditation programs (IS-BAO & HAI APS) that assist helicopter operators in reducing incidents and accidents, while improving industry safety culture * Providing safety supervision for flight activities at the association's annual trade show and exposition, HAI HELI-EXPOŽ * Responding to requests for rotorcraft safety assistance from HAI members and the general public * Serving as staff liaison for assigned HAI committees * Contributing content for use in HAI's printed and electronic publications * Making safety presentations on behalf of HAI as necessary * Other duties as assigned The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Desired Qualifications for the Position Include: * College or advanced degree related to aviation safety and/or management * Five or more years of related helicopter safety background, training, and experience * Certificated helicopter pilot and/or maintenance technician * Previous experience with helicopter or other aviation-related organization * Prior international experience preferred * Experience with auditing protocols and accreditation programs * A passionate commitment to the promotion of helicopter safety * Highly motivated, able to work independently and in a team environment * Excellent written and verbal communication skills with prior experience in creating and delivering written proposals and public presentations * Research, data analysis, and report writing experience * Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite * Detail oriented, self-starter, with strong organizational and time management skills * Ability to travel The above qualifications are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. APPLY HERE Curt Lewis