Flight Safety Information April 29, 2019 - No. 086 In This Issue Boeing waited until after Lion Air crash to tell Southwest safety alert was turned off on 737 Max Pilots demand better training if Boeing wants to rebuild trust in 737 MAX Southwest Says It Wasn't Told by Boeing That a Safety Alert on the 737 Max Had Been Deactivated FSF Urges World Regulators to Recommit to Collaborative Approach in Certification Decisions Incident: Zimbabwe B762 at Johannesburg on Apr 28th 2019, engine surges, engine recovered Incident: Ryanair B738 near Paris on Apr 28th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: Fedex B752 near Amsterdam on Apr 26th 2019, loss of cabin pressure Incident: Canada Rouge A319 at Toronto on Apr 17th 2019, fumes on board Beechcraft 200 Super King Air - Loss of Engine Power - Accident (Canada) Chicago-bound regional jet makes emergency landing in Bloomington Air Zimbabwe: Fire breaks out on jet as passengers panic Last Year's F-15 Fighter Crash Was Due to "Pilot Error," Report Says Qatar Airways Resumes Flying Through Syrian Airspace IFALPA Conference Statement on Reduced Crew Operations Measles Scare on Flight From DR Holds Up Plane at JFK: Airline China develops unique heat-resistant hypersonic aircraft Aeroflot approved to acquire up to 74 Western-built narrow-body aircraft Fly me to the moon: Germany eyes slice of lucrative space market Position Available: Regulatory Compliance Manager - Maintenance Program Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Position: Deputy Director of Safety Boeing waited until after Lion Air crash to tell Southwest safety alert was turned off on 737 Max KEY POINTS * Boeing did not tell Southwest, its largest 737 Max customer, that a safety feature was turned off. * The safety feature is an alert that lights up in the cockpit if a plane's angle-of- attack sensors transmit faulty data about the pitch of the plane's nose. * Southwest did not know about the change until after the fatal Lion Air crash. * The FAA even considered grounding Southwest's Max fleet while they weighed whether or not the airline's pilots needed additional training about the safety alert, according to The Wall Street Journal. Boeing did not tell Southwest Airlines, its largest 737 Max customer, that a standard safety feature designed to warn pilots about malfunctioning sensors had been deactivated on the jets. The safety feature is an alert that lights up in the cockpit if a plane's angle-of-attack sensors transmit faulty data about the pitch of the plane's nose. This feature is known as an angle-of-attack disagree light and was included in previous versions of the 737. Southwest did not know about the change until after the fatal crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia. The airline, in a statement to CNBC, said Boeing had indicated through its manual that the disagree lights were functional on the 737 Max. Southwest said Boeing told the airline that the disagree lights were inoperable only after the Lion Air crash. The airline subsequently took action to turn the alerts on. Southwest Airline's statement: Upon delivery (prior to the Lion Air event), the AOA Disagree lights were depicted to us by Boeing as operable on all MAX aircraft, regardless of the selection of optional AOA Indicators on the Primary Flight Display (PFD). The manual documentation presented by Boeing at Southwest's MAX entry into service indicated the AOA Disagree Light functioned on the aircraft, similar to the Lights on our NG series. After the Lion Air event, Boeing notified us that the AOA Disagree Lights were inoperable without the optional AOA Indicators on the MAX aircraft. At that time, Southwest installed the AOA Indicators on the PFD, resulting in the activation of the AOA Disagree lights - both items now serve as an additional crosscheck on all MAX aircraft. Federal Aviation Administration safety inspectors and supervisors were also unaware of the change, according to government and industry officials that spoke to The Wall Street Journal. The FAA even considered grounding Southwest's Max fleet while they weighed whether or not the airline's pilots needed additional training about the safety alert, according to the Journal. But those discussions were brief and did not go up the chain, the newspaper reported. Boeing, in a statement to CNBC, said the "angle-of-attack" disagree lights would be included as a standard Max feature. "As we return to service, all customers will have the AOA disagree alert as standard and have the option to include the AOA indicator at no cost," a Boeing spokesperson said. "This change will be made to all MAX aircraft - production and retrofit." Boeing's 737 Max was grounded by the FAA in March in the wake of fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. Several major airlines have extended Max flight cancellations through the summer. American has canceled Max flights through Aug. 19, totaling 115 flights per day, while Southwest has canceled through Aug. 5 and United through June 5. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/28/boeing-didnt-tell-southwest-that-safety-feature-on- 737-max-was-turned-off-wsj.html Back to Top Pilots demand better training if Boeing wants to rebuild trust in 737 MAX CHICAGO (Reuters) - American Airlines pilots have warned that Boeing Co's draft training proposals for the troubled 737 MAX do not go far enough to address their concerns, according to written comments submitted to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and seen by Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The cockpit of Jet Airways Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is pictured during its induction ceremony at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai, India, June 28, 2018. REUTERS/Abhirup Roy/File Photo The comments were made by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents pilots at American Airlines Group Inc, the world's largest airline and one of the biggest 737 MAX operators in the United States. Their support is important because Boeing has said pilots' confidence in the 737 MAX will play a critical role in convincing the public that the aircraft is safe to fly again. Boeing's fast-selling 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board just five months after a similar crash on a Lion Air flight that killed all 189 passengers and crew. Now it is readying for regulatory approval a final software update and training package to address an anti-stall system known as MCAS that played a role in both nose-down crashes. A draft report by an FAA-appointed board of pilots, engineers and other experts concluded that pilots only need additional computer-based training to understand MCAS, rather than simulator time. The public has until April 30 to make comments. Protesters are expected outside Boeing's annual meeting in Chicago on Monday, where shareholders will also question the company over its safety record. APA is arguing that mere computer explanation "will not provide a level of confidence for pilots to feel not only comfortable flying the aircraft but also relaying that confidence to the traveling public." It said the MAX computer training, which originally involved a one-hour iPad course, should include videos of simulator sessions showing how MCAS works along with demonstrations of other cockpit emergencies such as runaway stabilizer, a loss of control that occurred on both doomed flights. APA also called for recurring training on simulators that includes scenarios like those experienced by the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines pilots, in addition to computer training. "When pilots visually experience the failure modes and then apply them, the lesson is cemented in their minds," APA wrote. American Airlines has said it is looking at the potential for additional training opportunities in coordination with the FAA and its pilots union. Canada, Europe and South Korea are all weighing the need for simulator training, going above the recommendations in the draft FAA report, sources have said. Required simulator training could delay the MAX's return to service because it takes time to schedule hundreds or thousands of pilots on simulators. Hourly rates for simulators range between $500 and $1000, excluding travel expenses. American Airlines Chief Executive Doug Parker said on Friday that even if other countries delay the ungrounding of the MAX, once the FAA approves it, American will start flying its 24 aircraft. Union pilots for Southwest Airlines Co, the world's largest operator of the MAX with 34 jets and dozens more on order, have said they were satisfied with the FAA draft report but would decide on additional training once they see Boeing's final proposals. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airplane-boeing-pilots/pilots-demand- better-training-if-boeing-wants-to-rebuild-trust-in-737-max-idUSKCN1S40IA Back to Top Southwest Says It Wasn't Told by Boeing That a Safety Alert on the 737 Max Had Been Deactivated Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are parked on the tarmac after being grounded, at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California on March 28, 2019. MARK RALSTON-AFP/Getty Images Southwest Airlines says Boeing did not disclose that it had deactivated a safety feature on its 737 Max jets until after one of the airliners crashed last year.At issue is an alert that tells pilots if a sensor - called an "angle of attack" (AOA) indicator - is transmitting bad data about the pitch of a plane's nose. The sensor's alerts had been operational in previous versions of the 737 but were switched off in the 737 Max.The news first appeared Sunday in The Wall Street Journal. The Journal also reported that Federal Aviation Administration safety inspectors and supervisors did not know about the change either. The FAA declined to comment.In a statement Sunday, Southwest said that the safety feature was "depicted to us by Boeing as operable on all Max aircraft." Only after a Lion Air 737 Max crashed in Indonesia last Oct. 29 did Boeing say the feature wasn't turned on, Southwest said. The Max was grounded after a second crash, involving an Ethiopian Airlines jet, on March 10. In response to the Journal story, Boeing said that as the Max planes return to service "all customers will have the AOA disagree alert as standard." Earlier this month, an Ethiopian government report found that a malfunctioning sensor sent faulty data to the 737 Max 8's anti-stall system, forcing down the nose of the jet. The pilots could not regain control of the aircraft; 157 died in the crash. Last year's Lion Air crash killed 189. http://time.com/5579466/boeing-southwest-max-737-safety-deactivated/ Back to Top FSF Urges World Regulators to Recommit to Collaborative Approach in Certification Decisions ALEXANDRIA, Va. - After the tragic Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents and the fragmented approach in grounding the Boeing 737 MAX, regulators from around the world are gathering for a special certification review to fully understand the flight control system, human factors or other considerations and to validate any proposed solutions, including training requirements. The interim reports from both accidents, while not comprehensive or final, are important inputs to the deliberations. "We urge the participants to recommit to a collaborative, data-driven approach to airworthiness and certification decisions," said Dr. Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation. "We need to not only restore public confidence in the safety of the aircraft but also preserve the well-established certification and airworthiness process that's produced the world's safest mode of transportation." A key component of this process is the mutual acceptance and validation of the certifying authority's certification decisions. This long-standing practice, which has evolved over many decades, has ensured a harmonized and orderly approach to certification and has enhanced global aviation safety. The Foundation believes strongly that authorities participating in this review should adopt a data-driven and scientific approach to understanding the automated flight control system, pilot training and proposed improvements. "The passengers and crews killed in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents were from many nations and included personnel on international humanitarian missions," said Shahidi. "Global aviation safety is not confined to national boundaries and therefore requires coordinated actions. We call on authorities to adopt an organized approach and outcome to restore the traveling public's confidence in the aircraft certification process, and to demonstrate the value of international cooperation to ensure passenger safety." About Flight Safety Foundation Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and communications to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. http://flightsafety.org Back to Top Incident: Zimbabwe B762 at Johannesburg on Apr 28th 2019, engine surges, engine recovered An Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767-200, registration Z-WPF performing flight UM-462 from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Harare (Zimbabwe) with 98 passengers and 9 crew, was climbing out of Johannesburg's runway 03L when the crew declared Mayday Mayday Mayday and requested to stop climb at FL090 and return to Johannesburg. The crew advised they had left hand engine (PW4056) surges. While turning south on radar vectors the engine recovered, the crew subsequently reported the fault had cleared and they had normal operation about 10 minutes later, they wanted to continue to Harare. The aircraft climbed to FL390 and continued to Harare where the aircraft landed safely about 90 minutes after departure. Johannesburg's ATC had alerted emergency services, who had assumed their stand by positions, had halted departures and sent arrivals into holds for the emergency return. After the crew had reported the fault had cleared ATC resumed operations at Johannesburg Airport and stood down emergency services. Ground witnesses reported they saw the aircraft repepatedly banging and emitted streaks of flame, while the aircraft was turning south the surges stopped. The aircraft turned north again and climbed out of sight. The aircraft was transponding callsign AZW-303 (UM-303), the previous inbound flight's callsign from Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) to Johannesburg. On Apr 29th 2019 the airline reported the aircraft experienced a malfunction on one of the engines resulting in a brief tail pipe fire. The malfunction did not threaten the continuation of the flight and the aircraft landed safely in Harare. A deputy minister of Zimbabwe travelling as passenger on board of the aircraft reported the aircraft received a bird strike on departure causing blowing sounds and sparks from the engine. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c7467ca&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Ryanair B738 near Paris on Apr 28th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-FIE performing flight FR-7411 from Faro (Portugal) to Eindhoven (Netherlands), was enroute at FL380 about 170nm southwest of Paris Beauvais (France) when the crew received indication of low oil pressure for the right hand engine (CFM56), shut the engine down, drifted down to FL250 and diverted to Paris Beauvais for a safe landing about 45 minutes after leaving FL380. A passenger reported the crew announced after landing the right hand engine had to be shut down due to lack of oil pressure. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c747022&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Fedex B752 near Amsterdam on Apr 26th 2019, loss of cabin pressure A Fedex Boeing 757-200, registration N939FD performing flight FX-5190 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Stockholm (Sweden), was climbing through FL320 out of Paris when the crew initiated a rapid descent reporting they had lost cabin pressure. The crew decided to divert to Amsterdam (Netherlands) for a safe landing on runway 06 about 40 minutes after leaving FL320. A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N922FD departed Amsterdam about 3 hours after landing of N939FD. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 18 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c731267&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Canada Rouge A319 at Toronto on Apr 17th 2019, fumes on board An Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319-100, registration C-FYJG performing flight RV-1848 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Los Cabos (Mexico) with 133 passengers and 5 crew, was climbing out of Toronto when the flight crew noticed a light odour on the flight deck, cabin crew reported a stronger odour in the cabin. The flight crew levelled off at 10,000 feet, declared PAN reporting fumes in the cockpit and returned to Toronto. The aircraft landed overweight on runway 05 about 40 minutes after departure. A replacement A319-100 registration C-FYJP reached Los Cabos with a delay of about 4 hours. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found out the odour occurred with the right hand air conditioning pack and found the associated condensers to be contaminated with oil. The right hand air conditioning pack was deferred inoperative under minimum equipment list requirements. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ROU1848/history/20190417/1230Z/CYYZ/MMSD http://avherald.com/h?article=4c730df6&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Beechcraft 200 Super King Air - Loss of Engine Power - Accident (Canada) Status: Preliminary Date: Wednesday 24 April 2019 Time: ca 19:00 Type: Beechcraft 200 Super King Air Operator: Keewatin Air Registration: registration unknown C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: near Gillam Airport, MB (YGX) ( Canada) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Agricultural Departure airport: Winnipeg International Airport, MB (YWG/CYWG), Canada Destination airport: Churchill Airport, MB (YYQ/CYYQ), Canada Narrative: The Beechcraft 200 Super King Air, operated by Keewatin Air, on a medevac flight, departed Winnipeg International Airport, Canada for Churchill Airport. Unconfirmed rumours suggest that the aircraft suffered a loss of power in both engines. The flight crew attempted to reach Gillam Airport for an emergency landing. The aircraft touched down on the surface of a frozen lake, just short of the runway. It impacted the upsloping shoreline causing both main landing gear legs to separate. The aircraft continued and slid on the runway. The two pilots and two medical staff were not injured. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20190424-1 Back to Top Chicago-bound regional jet makes emergency landing in Bloomington BLOOMINGTON - United Airlines flight 5228 from Columbia, Mo., to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago made an emergency landing at Central Illinois Regional Airport on Bloomington's east side about 7:45 p.m. Sunday, the airline said. The Canadair (Bombardier) Regional Jet 100 had only one engine operating with 49 passengers and three crew on board, the airline said. Bloomington Fire Department was on standby at the airport. According to the United Airlines website, the flight was scheduled to leave Columbia Regional Airport at 6:20 p.m. and land at O'Hare at 7:58 p.m. The website said the flight is operated by SkyWest Airlines in partnership with United. CIRA officials issued a statement Sunday night, which said, in part, "All passengers and crew are safe. We are hosting them in the gate area as they await the arrival of another aircraft to take them to Chicago O'Hare. In an 11 p.m. tweet, CIRA officials said the replacement flight had departed for O'Hare. United's website indicated the flight arrived at O'Hare at 11:33 p.m. https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/public_safety/chicago-bound-regional-jet- makes-emergency-landing-in-bloomington/article_390f574d-ce47-5824-874c- ce4d6f1731f6.html Back to Top Air Zimbabwe: Fire breaks out on jet as passengers panic Officials of the airline said the plane had hit birds after takeoff in mid-air. The bird strike caused fire in the jet's engine unsettling some passengers. Photo: AIR ZIMBABWE Many passengers on Air Zimbabwe aircraft on Sunday were thrown into a state of panic after fire broke out on the flight. Officials of the airline said the plane had hit birds after takeoff in mid-air. The bird strike caused fire in the jet's engine unsettling some passengers. One of those who panicked on the plane is Zimbabwe's deputy minister of Land, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. Vangelis Haritatos was aboard the Air Zimbabwe plane when the mid-air mishap happened. He narrated the incident to local news outlet Bulawayo24.com that "We were all visibly shaken as blowing sounds and sparks came from the affected engine on impact, but the pilot Captain Chiwara and his crew were true professionals." Air Zimbabwe assures In a statement, Air Zimbabwe said the incident did not threaten the safety of passengers and crew. "Air Zimbabwe wishes to inform the public that their Boeing 767-200ER servicing flight UM462 (JNB/HRE) on 28 April 2019 experienced a malfunction on one of its engines resulting in a brief tail pipe fire. "However, the malfunction did not threaten the continuation of the flight and safety of the crew and passengers on board and it landed safely in Harare at 2035hrs," the company said in the statement. https://africafeeds.com/2019/04/29/air-zimbabwe-fire-breaks-out-on-jet-as- passengers-panic/ Back to Top Last Year's F-15 Fighter Crash Was Due to "Pilot Error," Report Says The jet was engaged in a mock dogfight with a F-22 Raptor when the pilot became disoriented and plummeted toward the Pacific Ocean. A June 2018 crash of a F-15C Eagle fighter was caused by pilot error, a report into the incident has determined. The report says that the pilot became confused while visually tracking a F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, thinking he was flying to the right when he was actually flying vertically. The pilot ejected moments before impact, sustaining moderate injuries. The F-15C fighter, assigned to the U.S. Air Force's 44th Fighter Squadron on the island of Okinawa, was engaged in a mock dogfight with a Raptor from the Alaska-based 525th Fighter Squadron. The F-15C pilot realized that the plane was slowing down and, according to Stars and Stripes, the aircraft "may have stalled". The pilot attempted to correct the situation but, acting on incorrect information, took action that actually made the problem worse. Within seconds the pilot attempted to bail out but at first pulled the wrong handle. When the pilot finally did bail out he or she was just 1,100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. The pilot suffered a broken leg during the process but was picked up by a Japanese Self Defense Force search and rescue helicopter. The president of the accident investigation board convened to look into the crash, Colonel Harmon Lewis Jr., said of the crash: "three additional factors substantially contributed to the mishap: spatial disorientation, lack of emergency procedure training for negative G departures from controlled flight, and limited time to analyze the situation and recover." The fighter apparently crashed into the Pacific Ocean and was a total loss. The crash caused a temporary stand-down of F-15s at Kadena air base in Okinawa where the fighter was based. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a27276112/f-15-fighter-crash/ Back to Top Qatar Airways Resumes Flying Through Syrian Airspace Last week we saw reports that, after eight long years, Syria had re-opened its airspace to Qatar Airways. When the civil war in Syria broke out in 2011, airlines stopped flying over the country and instead went over neighboring countries. These detours lengthen flight times and consume more fuel, presenting higher costs to airlines. Now the request of Qatar Airways to fly over the country has been approved by the Syrian Government. This comes shortly after a visit to Damascus by Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh Al Fayyad, who reportedly carried messages from Doha to Damascus the previous week. Qatar 777 A break for Qatar Qatar and its flag carrier haven't had it easy in the last few years. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and several other Arab nations imposed a land and sea blockade. Qatar Airways was also banned from flying over Saudi and Bahraini airspace. The aim of this blockade was to punish Qatar for its alleged support of Sunni Islamist terrorism and Iranian influence in the region. Since the initial shock of the coordinated blockade, we see that it failed cripple the Qatari economy as expected. On the contrary, the country's vast wealth was able to provide a cushion to the harsh impact of the blockade. Qatar accessed some of its $340 billion in reserve funding to establish new trading partners and build its domestic industries. However, while the country has proven itself resilient, Qatar Airways has suffered due to "longer flying time and loss of departing seats from the blockading countries". Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said in a statement following the release of its 2017 Annual Report: This turbulent year has inevitably had an impact on our financial results, which reflect the negative effect the illegal blockade has had on our airline ... We have not capitulated, we have not given in to any demands...We have continued our growth and Qatar has continued investments. Qatar A350 Significant time and fuel savings With an airspace blockade still in effect with Saudi Arabia, Qatar Airways will benefit significantly from this development in Syria. Let's use a real-world scenario to look at the results: QR256 from Doha to Larnaca, Cyprus: On April 23rd the flight lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes. On the other hand, this mornings' journey on April 28th was cut down to 3 hours flat. This single route occurs daily in addition to numerous other routes taking the same direction. Considering all of these flights, this means significant time and money savings for Qatar Airways. QR256 Flight QR256 on April 23rd. Notice the diversion around Syrian airspace Source: Flightradar24 Flight QR256 on April 28th. Finally allowed to fly over Syria Source: Flightradar24 Of course the move isn't purely altruistic on Syria's side. The country will also benefit from allowing Qatar Airways to fly through its airspace in the form of overflight fees. These are fees an airline must pay for the right to fly through its airspace. We don't know the exact cost or formula charged by Syria but a list compiled by Jetex notes that for aircraft weighing 76 metric tons or more, "a rate per metric ton is assessed". Moving forward It will be interesting to see if any other airlines will seek and gain permission to fly over the country. We've also written an article about more commercial air service returning to Syria. But more importantly, it's clear that the conflict in Syria is not completely finished. There are still risks to consider when flying over an active war zone. In fact, on April 17th, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) extended the validity of the conflict zone warnings for Syria to October 25th 2019: Due to the remaining hazardous security situation, with the presence of terrorist organisations and ongoing military operations, there is a risk of both intentional targeting and misidentification of civil aircraft. The presence of a wide range of ground- to-ground and dedicated anti-aviation weaponry poses a HIGH risk to operations at all flight altitudes. What do you think about all of this? Given the official EASA warning and considering what happened to MH17 in 2014, is Qatar Airways being irresponsible in flying over Syria? Would you take the risk yourself? https://simpleflying.com/syrian-airspace-open/ Back to Top IFALPA Conference Statement on Reduced Crew Operations BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 29, 2019--The 74 th Conference of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) in Berlin, Germany: The 2019 IFALPA Conference fully supports any developments that improve the current safety standards in commercial air transport. Our enviable safety record and culture is based upon two properly rested, fully qualified, and well-trained pilots. It is imperative that any future evolution of this benchmark improves upon it and does not degrade the safety and security level in any area. It is the Federation's position that because reduced crew operations carry significant additional risks over existing dual pilot operations, they will result in a serious reduction in flight safety. It is essential to fully address these risks and safety shortfalls before the industry accepts changes to the standards which have built the safest transportation system in history. https://apnews.com/Business%20Wire/a1f00d07ec5c4506bab3dd9e4bf3fe66 Back to Top Measles Scare on Flight From DR Holds Up Plane at JFK: Airline The Port Authority temporarily quarantined the plane while the passengers got checked out. Wale Aliyu reports. A measles scare onboard a plane from the Dominican Republic to New York City held up the arrival for passengers on a JetBlue flight Sunday night. JetBlue Flight 410 landed at JFK Airport from Santo Domingo around 9 p.m., but was held from arriving at the terminal after officials got reports of a medical emergency on the plane. Out of an abundance of caution, the Port Authority temporarily quarantined the plane while the passengers got checked out. A short time later all customers got the all clear and flyers deplaned normally, JetBlue said in a statement. Some passengers told News 4 they weren't sure what was going on, but rumors were circulating that somebody may have had measles. "Some sort of medic type guy came on with a mask and a police man, probably Port Authority, with a mask looked at the kid and decided that it was probably mosquito bites," one passenger said. A Passover program director said he organized the trip for Orthodox families and said JetBlue crews saw an Orthodox Jewish boy with mosquito bites and unfairly profiled him as having measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that 695 measles cases had been reported this year nationwide, with nearly 400 cases confirmed in New York alone. Measles is a highly contagious disease, and symptoms include rash, high fever, cough and red, watery eyes. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Measles-JFK-Airport-JetBlue-Flight- Dominican-Republic-509199941.html Back to Top China develops unique heat-resistant hypersonic aircraft (PICTURED - The rocket carrying the Falcon) An experimental unmanned aircraft that can fly at 20 times the speed of sound is to undergo a crucial test flight on today (Thursday). The Falcon HTV-2 will be launched on a rocket into space then will glide back down to Earth at speeds of 13,000mph. The previous test flight lasted only nine minutes before being deliberately crashed as a safety measure due to technical difficulties. Chinese scientists have developed a new heat-resistant material for hypersonic aircraft which can endure over 3,000 C from friction caused by a Mach 5-20 flight within the atmosphere. The lead scientist on the project said the material outperforms all similar foreign-made ones with its high melting point, low density and high malleability. The new material enables a hypersonic aircraft to fly at Mach 5-20 within the atmosphere for several hours, as the high heat resulting from the friction between the aircraft and the air reaches between 2,000 C to 3,000 C, a temperature normal metal would not be able to endure. Normal metals melt at around 1,500 C, but this new material can bear over 3,000 C for an extended period, state-owned Hunan Television reported recently. Unlike foreign technologies that use traditional refractory metals and carbon-carbon materials, the China-made new material is a composite of ceramics and refractory metals, Fan Jinglian, the lead scientist who developed the material and a professor at Central South University in Central China's Hunan Province, told the Global Times. The combination of ceramics and refractory metals makes the material far more efficient than foreign-made ones, and this technology is world-leading, Fan said. In a simple analogy, Fan likened her composite to concrete cobble. "Think of the ceramics as the cobblestones, or the pellets, and the refractory metals are like the concrete. In high temperatures, the ceramics will act as pellets that pin the refractory metals, so they will not soften and deform." As a result, the material not only has a high melting point, but also valuable characteristics such as low density and high malleability, according to the Hunan Television report. China launched a major hypersonic aircraft project in 2009, and most Chinese scientists considered using carbon-carbon materials instead of metals back then. Fan was questioned for her proposal to use such a material, but she insisted on making a sample, which came into being in 2012 and showed great potential. As of March, the material has been used for products in a variety of fields including aviation, space exploration, shipbuilding and national defense, Hunan Television reported. Hypersonic aircraft is not the only area in which materials made of ceramics and refractory metals can shine, Fan said. Any field that involves extreme high temperature, such as engines, space rockets and nuclear reactors, will have a great demand for the material, Fan noted. China launched the Xingkong-2 waverider hypersonic flight vehicle via a rocket in a target range located in Northwest China in August 2018. On Tuesday, East China's Xiamen University launched the Jiageng-1 hypersonic aircraft with a double-waverider design. The test was part of the university's project to try to quintuple the current speed of civil aircraft to achieve global direct access within two hours, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday. It is unknown whether Fan's material was used in these two cases. https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/china-develops-unique-heat-resistant- hypersonic-aircraft/ Back to Top Aeroflot approved to acquire up to 74 Western-built narrow-body aircraft Aeroflot Half of Aeroflot's fleet will be Russian-made by 2030 (Aeroflot) Aeroflot's request for nearly 100 Boeing and Airbus airliners - to be delivered in the 2019 to 2023 period - has been formally approved by the Russian government. The big decision was confirmed by Denis Manturov, the country's minister of industry and trade, after a meeting of the government commission for import substitution, headed by prime minister Dmitry Medvedev. Against a backdrop of tense political relations between Russia and the West and, in a security measure move introduced by the government in 2018, state-owned Russian companies must now coordinate the importation of aircraft worth more than one billion roubles with the government. The approval means that national carrier Aeroflot is now officially allowed to acquire 22 long-haul wide-body Airbus A350s and 74 medium-haul Airbuses and Boeings of unspecified types. Commenting on the acquisition of the A350s by the state-owned airline, Manturov pointed out: "Our aviation industry does not yet produce this class of aircraft. In order to fulfil Aeroflot's competitiveness, we have agreed the purchase of 22 [of these] aircraft." Interest in the A350 is not new. Aeroflot originally signed a firm order back in 2007. According to the current plan, the operator will take delivery of the first eight aircraft of the type in 2020 and seven more in 2021. As far as narrow-body aircraft are concerned, the national carrier is essentially the only major Russian airline that has not yet ordered Airbus A320neos or Boeing 737 MAXs. These types of aircraft are considered as direct competitors to Russia's yet-to-be- serially-built advanced MC-21. "As for narrow-body aircraft, again we decided to support Aeroflot's request, given the fact that there are firm contracts [collectively from several Russian customers] for 175 MC-21s. And, in addition, we are currently working with Aeroflot to purchase 35 more MC-21s," the minister added. Manturov maintains that half of Aeroflot's fleet will be Russian-made by 2030. Currently the airline operates 50 Superjet 100 regional jets. According to its new strategy, Aeroflot intends to increase the number of Russian-built aircraft up to 190 by 2023. The airline has an order for 100 SSJ100 regional jets and 50 of the narrow-body MC-21s. "With firm contracts for 175 of the MC-21 aircraft (and the expected additional 35 more for Aeroflot) we have a backlog to keep busy [Russian aircraft industry] producing them almost until 2027 when we will reach the average annual production rate of 70 aircraft. So, accordingly, we have coordinated the purchase of the foreign aircraft (Boeings or Airbuses) for Aeroflot whilst also providing the necessary MC-21 workload for [manufacturer] UAC," the minister explained. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/aeroflot-approved-acquire-74-western-built-narrow- body-aircraft/ Back to Top Fly me to the moon: Germany eyes slice of lucrative space market BERLIN Reuters) - Facing tough competition from China, the United States and even tiny Luxembourg, Germany is racing to draft new laws and attract private investment to secure a slice of an emerging space market that could be worth $1 trillion a year by the 2040s. Employees chat at a production line of Airbus' European Service Module (ESM), which is delivered for NASA's Orion Spaceship, at the Airbus plant in Bremen, Germany, February 19, 2019. Picture taken February 19,2019. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer The drive to give Germany a bigger role in space comes as European, Asian and U.S. companies stake out ground in an evolving segment that promises contracts for everything from exploration to mining of outer-space resources. Firms likely to benefit from any future spending rise in Germany include Airbus, which co-owns the maker of Europe's Ariane space rockets, and Bremen-based OHB. The new legislation would limit financial and legal liabilities of private companies should accidents happen in orbit, set standards for space operations and offer incentives for new projects, the German economy ministry told Reuters. The ministry's aerospace and space commissioner, Thomas Jarzombek, could submit the laws to parliament later this year. The move comes as companies and trade groups press for German authorities to establish a regulatory framework for the lucrative new market to encourage private investment. "We are sounding the alarm that Germany and Europe are falling behind in space vis-a- vis China and the United States," Dirk Hoke, defense and space chief at Franco- German-led aerospace group Airbus, told Reuters. "We're at a critical juncture to ensure we stay in the top league." Germany is Europe's economic powerhouse and the world's fourth-largest economy. However it had just the world's seventh-largest national space budget in 2018, an estimated $1.1 billion, just over half the amount generated by fifth-placed France, according to preliminary data from Paris-based research firm Euroconsult. The figure, which excludes contributions to pan-European programs, is dwarfed by the United States - by far the largest spender on space at almost $40 billion. Ironically, American space ambitions could offer a lifeline. Hoke said a new lunar Gateway program backed by U.S. space agency NASA offered a chance for Germany and others in Europe to stake a claim to a key role in the market. "In my view, it is hugely important that we participate as equal partners so that we are primed to develop and build technologies for such a gateway," he said. The program involves designing and developing a small spaceship that will orbit the Moon and serve as a temporary home for astronauts and as a base for work on the moon's surface and, later, missions to Mars. NASA had aimed to finish the Gateway by 2026, but Washington is now aiming to put humans back on the Moon by 2024, which could lead to an accelerated schedule. Even before then, Germany is facing a brain-drain as companies worldwide ponder how to extract minerals from asteroids and water from the moon within a decade. Some companies are already considering moving to Luxembourg, which has taken a lead in Europe by enacting laws to limit liabilities and ease restrictions on mining operations. It has also set up a 100-million-euro ($112 million)investment fund for projects. "It's a global market. We have our customers and we will keep them, even if we have to run the company from somewhere else," said Walter Ballheimer, CEO of German Orbital Systems, a Berlin-based start-up that builds small satellites. "Germany was overtaken a long time ago," he said. "But it's not too late. If they are courageous enough and adopt a clear space policy ... then we can still have a piece of the cake that we should have as a leading export nation." Two other heads of small German space companies told Reuters they were considering leaving the country. 'LEAN' SPACE LAW But Germany is not standing still. Space commissioner Jarzombek is working with trade groups, companies and other experts to draft the space laws, and plans to submit it them parliament sometime after September. "We are aiming for a lean basic law that is open to the future," said a spokeswoman for Jarzombek and the economy ministry. "A national space law should focus above all on incentives and make it possible for the German space industry to play a bigger role in global developments." Berlin is also pressing the United Nations to set standards for mining of the Moon, asteroids and other objects in space. The United States passed a law in 2015 that encouraged private companies to undertake mining work beyond Earth, and gives its firms the right to claim resources they may one day be able to extract from celestial bodies. Jarzombek helped secure a 269-million-euro increase in planned funding for the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2020-2023. But Germany's total space funding, which includes ESA and national programs, is not expected to rise in that period. It edged slightly lower to 1.57 billion euros in 2019. The 18-member ESA oversees cooperation on space exploration and launches, but individual countries have their own research and interests, funded outside the ESA budget. Matthias Wachter, aerospace expert at the BDI German Federation of Industry, said advances in space were crucial for future technologies such as autonomous driving. "Germany is limping behind," he said. Any spending plans would have to contend with rising budget pressures and an economic slowdown. Germany is in its 10th year of expansion, but only narrowly avoided recession last year. Senior executives from Deutsche Bank and Munich Re and others met in Berlin this month to brainstorm ways to fund and insure new space projects. One problem is Germany's conservative approach to investment and financing as entrepreneurs seek capital, said Sebastian Straube, CEO of investment firm Interstellar Ventures. Straube is building a 100-million-euro investment fund that will fund projects. He is also working with companies like rail operator Deutsche Bahn to encourage them to support new ventures that build applications taking advantage of increased access to space through satellites in low-earth orbit. SPACEX BATTLE Marco Fuchs, CEO of satellite builder OHB, said Germany needed bigger increases in national space funding to pay for pioneering developments, citing growing competition worldwide. The company carried out a privately funded commercial mission with China to orbit the moon in 2014, and teamed up this year with Israel Aerospace Industries to offer the commercial delivery of payloads to the lunar surface for ESA. OHB is a key player in the battle between Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket and the Falcon 9 built by Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch the first of two new OHB spy satellites, called Georg, for Germany's foreign intelligence agency in 2022. The contract, worth tens of millions of dollars, is drawing political attention after SpaceX and Ariane traded barbs about access to each other's markets, which could presage a transatlantic trade dispute in coming years. OHB and the German government are expected to select the winner by late 2020, and Fuchs said the decision would be based on many factors, including launch dates and available budgets. "In the end, it's always a question of the price - or a political decision," he said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-exploration-germany-analysis/fly-me-to-the- moon-germany-eyes-slice-of-lucrative-space-market-idUSKCN1S406Y Back to Top Regulatory Compliance Manager - Maintenance Program POSITION PURPOSE: Continuously reviews Republic Airways policies and procedures for regulatory compliance and system safety, working with local FAA to satisfy compliance questions and issues. ESSENTIAL DUTIES : To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 1. Collaborates with appropriate management to ensure compliance or implement global improvement correction action when instances of non-compliance or identification of needed improvement areas. 2. Develops and maintains database for tracking compliance with regulations. 3. Analyzes airline industry regulations in anticipation of changes that may affect policies and procedures. 4. Uses independent judgment to evaluate revisions to policies and procedures for regulatory compliance and system safety prior to submittal to the FAA for acceptance/approval. 5. Researches Code of Federal Regulations for the Company to ensure that any new operations are FAA compliant. 6. Works closely with the FAA and participate in teamed inspections. 7. Assists and conducts internal audits as needed. 8. Travels to all maintenance bases and contract vendor facilities to conduct audits as needed. 9. Provides administrative assistance maintaining legal filings by assisting regulatory agencies. 10. Provides assistance during inspections conducted by outside agencies (IOSA, DoD, etc.) 11. Acts as liaison with the FAA to investigate, correct and finalize regulatory issues. 12. Participates in Maintenance ASAP ERC meetings as needed. 13. Fosters the Company's core values and culture throughout the work environment. 14. Performs various other duties as required. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE. * Bachelor's degree or equivalent with at least 3 years of previous Internal Evaluation or Quality Assurance experience. * A&P Certificate * Knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations and FAA Advisory circulars. * Strong experience in Microsoft Office applications is a must. PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE * Bachelor's degree in Aviation or related field with at least 5 years of previous experience. Previous supervisory experience. * Dispatcher License and/or Pilot Certificate. * Auditor Certification and Training; CQA, ISO, CASE and IOSA Auditor. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. REASONING/PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. DECISION MAKING Makes decisions daily use of resources, performance and budgets. Decisions could require additional expenditure of resources if not sound decisions. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Able to move about the work environment. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Outdoor weather conditions up to 35% of the time. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, including overnight and weekend travel APPLY HERE 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 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