Flight Safety Information June 27, 2019 - No. 129 In This Issue U.S. regulator cites new flaw on grounded Boeing 737 MAX FAA Finds New Problem With 737 Max Jets, Delaying Their Return To Flight Long before the Max disasters, Boeing had a history of failing to fix safety problems Accident: Angara AN24 at Nizhneangarsk on Jun 27th 2019, engine failure Incident: El Al B738 at Sofia on Jun 26th 2019, fumes in cabin, bird strike suspected Incident: American B738 at Reno on Jun 25th 2019, burst tyres on takeoff RAF jets scrambled to intercept Air India flight after bomb threat Moscow blamed for disruption of GPS systems at Ben Gurion Airport Airlines' dirty secret: Air quality is terrible inside airplanes T-38 pilot who saved two lives and an aircraft receives top safety award Etihad Airways trains other airlines' pilots amid turnaround plan Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines to explore wide-ranging partnership American Airlines wants to outsource another 5,000 maintenance workers, union says This Cessna Aircraft Will Test an All-Electric Propulsion System Schools need to encourage girls to become pilots, says Aer Lingus 'Leading Change within a Safety Management System' AVIATION COMMUNICATION: STRATEGY AND MESSAGES FOR ENSURING SUCCESS AND PREVENTING FAILURES Join us in Washington, D.C., on July 15-18 for ALPA's annual...Air Safety Forum U.S. regulator cites new flaw on grounded Boeing 737 MAX FILE PHOTO: The angle of attack sensor is seen on a 737 Max aircraft at the Boeing factory in Renton WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has identified a new risk that Boeing Co must address on its 737 MAX before the grounded jet can return to service, the agency said on Wednesday. The risk was discovered during a simulator test last week and it is not yet clear if the issue can be addressed with a software upgrade or will require a more complex hardware fix, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The FAA did not elaborate on the latest setback for Boeing, which has been working to get its best-selling airplane back in the air following a worldwide grounding in March in the wake of two deadly crashes within five months. The new issue means Boeing will not conduct a certification test flight until July 8 in a best-case scenario, the sources said, but one source cautioned it could face further delays beyond that. The FAA will spend at least two to three weeks reviewing the results before deciding whether to return the plane to service, the people said. Last month, FAA representatives told members of the aviation industry that approval of the 737 MAX jets could happen as early as late June. The world's largest planemaker has been working on the upgrade for a stall-prevention system known as MCAS since a Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October, when pilots were believed to have lost a tug of war with software that repeatedly pushed the nose down. A second deadly crash in March in Ethiopia also involved MCAS. The two accidents killed a total of 346 people. "On the most recent issue, the FAA's process is designed to discover and highlight potential risks. The FAA recently found a potential risk that Boeing must mitigate," the FAA said in the statement emailed to Reuters. "The FAA will lift the aircraft's prohibition order when we deem it is safe to do so." Boeing said in a securities filing late on Wednesday that the FAA has asked it to address through software changes a specific flight condition not covered in the company's already-unveiled software changes. The U.S. planemaker also said it agreed with the FAA's decision and request, and was working on a fix to address the problem. "Boeing will not offer the 737 MAX for certification by the FAA until we have satisfied all requirements for certification of the MAX and its safe return to service," Boeing wrote in the filing. INTENSE SCRUTINY Boeing's aircraft are being subjected to intense scrutiny and testing designed to catch flaws even after a years-long certification process. Two people briefed on the matter told Reuters that an FAA test pilot during a simulator test last week was running scenarios seeking to intentionally activate the MCAS stall-prevention system. During one activation it took an extended period to recover the stabilizer trim system that is used to control the aircraft, the people said. It was not clear if the situation that resulted in an uncommanded dive can be addressed with a software update or if it is a microprocessor issue that will require a hardware replacement. In a separate statement, Boeing said addressing the new problem would remove a potential source of uncommanded movement by the plane's stabilizer. A hardware fix could add new delays to the plane's return to service. The FAA also said on Wednesday that it continues "to evaluate Boeing's software modification to the MCAS and we are still developing necessary training requirements. We also are responding to recommendations received from the Technical Advisory Board. The TAB is an independent review panel we have asked to review our work regarding 737 Max return to service." American Airlines Group Inc and Southwest Airlines Co earlier canceled flights through early September as a result of the grounding. On Wednesday, United Airlines said it also was removing MAX flights from its schedule through Sept. 3. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/exclusive-faa-says-identifies-potential-200032632.html Back to Top FAA Finds New Problem With 737 Max Jets, Delaying Their Return To Flight Southwest Airlines is among the companies that grounded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft because of a software failure that caused fatal crashes of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines planes. The FAA said Wednesday it has found a new flaw in the plane that needs to be fixed. The Federal Aviation Administration has found a new problem in Boeing's troubled 737 Max that the company must address before the regulatory agency will allow the airplanes to fly passengers again. The discovery further delays the airliner's return to service. Southwest, American and United Airlines, the three U.S. carriers that fly Max jets, have already pulled the aircraft from their schedules through Labor Day weekend and this latest development could set back the plane's return to commercial flight well into the fall. Boeing's popular narrow-body aircraft has been grounded since March after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crashed shortly after taking off from the airport in Ethiopia's capitol, Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. It was the second crash of a Max plane in five months; as a Lion Air jet crashed in Indonesia last October, killing 189 people. Investigators link both crashes, in part, to an automated flight control system that acted on erroneous information from malfunctioning sensors and put the planes into nose dives the pilots could not pull the planes out of. Boeing has developed a software fix for that flight control system, called MCAS, but sources familiar with the situation tell NPR that in simulator testing last week, that FAA test pilots discovered a separate issue that affected their ability to quickly and easily follow recovery procedures for runaway stabilizer trim and stabilize the aircraft. A statement from the regulatory agency says as part of a process designed to discover and highlight potential risks, "the FAA found a potential risk that Boeing must mitigate." Boeing says in a statement that the company is working on the required software fix to address the FAA's request. A spokesman told NPR the company is committed to working closely with the FAA to safely return the 737 Max to service. Just a few weeks ago, officials with the FAA and Boeing had suggested the 737 Max could be certified to fly airline passengers again by the end of this month. Now that timeline is being pushed back at least a few weeks, if not considerably longer. https://www.npr.org/2019/06/26/736430419/faa-finds-new-problem-with-737-max-jets-delaying-their-return-to-flight Back to Top Long before the Max disasters, Boeing had a history of failing to fix safety problems Several Boeing 777 aircraft were in various stages of production during a media tour of the firm's facility in Everett, Wash., in February. (Lindsey Wasson/Reuters) Years before two Boeing 737 Max jets crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, U.S. regulators found a pattern of recurring safety problems with the manufacturing giant. During a trip to Japan in 2015, an auditor with the Federal Aviation Administration discovered a Boeing subcontractor was falsifying certifications on cargo doors for hundreds of 777s and had been doing so for years, according to interviews and government documents. Back in the United States, Boeing mechanics were leaving tools inside plane wings, precariously close to the cables that control their movements. Workers also were improperly installing wires in 787s, which could increase the risk of shorts or fires, FAA officials found. Repeatedly, safety lapses were identified, and Boeing would agree to fix them, then fail to do so, the FAA said. The agency launched or was considering more than a dozen legal enforcement cases against the company for failing to comply with safety regulations, a review of FAA records shows, with fines that could have totaled tens of millions of dollars. So FAA officials tried a new approach. Rather than pursue each violation separately, agency officials bundled them together and negotiated a broader deal. "The thinking was, get everything wrapped into one case since we're trying to address a bunch of broader systemic issues anyway," said an FAA official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. As Boeing faces intense scrutiny over back-to-back crashes of its 737 Max jet, documents and interviews show that the company had safety problems known to federal regulators for years. In 2015, the FAA decided to try to get Boeing to meet, then go beyond, federal safety requirements by addressing broader corporate culture and governance issues, including what agency officials considered a lack of transparency. The week before Christmas of that year, Boeing and the FAA signed a five-year settlement agreement that was unprecedented in scope. The company paid a modest $12 million penalty, but it agreed to make significant changes in its internal safety systems and practices for "ensuring compliance" with regulations. In the days after the agreement was signed, top U.S. officials cast it as a powerful reminder that every company, no matter its size, must comply with minimum safety standards. Boeing's profits after signing the deal topped $20 billion by the end of September 2018, making the company's $12 million penalty easy to gloss over despite occasional press reports of the firm's shortcomings. Then a Lion Air 737 Max plunged into the Java Sea on Oct. 29. It was the first of two tragedies that led many to question the soundness of the Boeing aircraft and the company's approach to safety. And it injected the largely overlooked government settlement with a new urgency - as a means of tracking company failures identified by the FAA, illuminating Boeing's relationship with its regulators, and potentially forcing new safety improvements as investigators probe what was behind the two Max crashes. Among its commitments under the deal, Boeing agreed to greatly expand its use of an internal tool meant to help determine the root causes of its safety problems and make sure they get fixed and stay that way. In response to FAA findings that Boeing was often late or incomplete with its required safety submissions, the company also agreed in 2015 to take various remedial steps and be more responsive. But over the first 3½ years of the agreement, Boeing failed to meet some of its obligations, according to two people who requested anonymity to discuss details of the settlement. Boeing says it has taken major steps to comply. The FAA, meanwhile, last year chose not to invoke enforcement provisions that could have meant $12 million in additional penalties for the company. The agreement runs through Dec. 31, 2020, and there is the potential for more financial penalties if Boeing fails to meet the requirements. As investigations continue into Boeing and the FAA over the safety certification of the 737 Max and the two crashes that killed 346 people, regulators and others are scrutinizing whether there are echoes of the persistent problems that prompted the 2015 agreement. An FAA official said it is too early to establish a connection between the probes and specific concerns addressed in the settlement. But the official, who asked not to be named discussing ongoing matters with Boeing, said that "if we learn something, we'll obviously go back and address that." 'Failures of corrective action' Boeing's inability to rid its newly built planes of what it calls "Foreign Object Debris," such as tools left behind, was one of the problems that prompted the settlement. But an FAA official said the company is still struggling with the issue, and a top Air Force official told Congress the government temporarily halted deliveries of Boeing tankers earlier this year over "FOD" problems. The company committed to improving the quality and timeliness of information it provides to the FAA. But in the case of the 737 Max, the FAA said, it took Boeing more than a year to notify it about a software problem that disabled a crucial warning light connected to the automated system at the center of the tragedies. Most of the cases that sparked the settlement talks involved "apparent failures of corrective action," according to the agreement - meaning Boeing wasn't implementing promised fixes or problems were reoccurring. For example, before the 2015 agreement, Boeing workers kept failing to insert "lock wires" into holes in bolts used to build planes, according to the FAA. The wires are akin to the twist-ties of industrial manufacturing, and they serve as a backup so bolts or other fasteners can't come loose, allowing critical parts to detach in the rumble of flight. Whether because of problems with training, sloppiness or employees rushing to meet commercial deadlines, the FAA found Boeing failed to sufficiently correct the problem in the period before the settlement. In addition, special decompression panels - meant to prevent a sudden change in pressure from collapsing the floor beneath passengers - had been improperly installed, and "corrective actions" weren't sufficient. A source of contention has been whether Boeing has met its commitment to use its own "Boeing Problem Solving Model" to examine the causes of an array of problems and come up with systemic solutions, rather than simply dealing with the symptoms. The company also agreed to provide "on-demand reports" covering "any documentation relating to" Boeing's work implementing the agreement. But a person familiar with the settlement said Boeing has demonstrated "some resistance" to providing that information. Boeing did not answer questions about how many times the problem-solving model has been used or whether it had been slow to meet its commitments under the agreement. The FAA said in a statement that it "has not yet assessed any deferred penalties" against the company but "continues to closely monitor and evaluate Boeing's performance." It added: "When we have had a concern, we have raised it with Boeing for resolution consistent with the agreement. As this settlement remains open, we cannot discuss our current evaluation and potential appropriate actions we may take based on Boeing's performance of the agreement." Boeing said it "has worked with the FAA and invested significant resources to implement these improvements, further enhancing Boeing's quality and compliance systems" and is "fully committed to meeting the rigorous standards" in the agreement. "This is precisely how the system is supposed to work: rigorous oversight by the FAA, coupled with significant Boeing investment in process, systems, and people, leading to continuous improvement in safety, quality, and compliance," Boeing said in a statement. Boeing's responsiveness, oversight under scrutiny The settlement agreement grew out of long-running concerns among some at the FAA that Boeing was not complying with federal safety standards. Critics say that because of the firm's importance to the U.S. economy, its confidence in its own technical expertise and its deep ties in Washington, Boeing has a history of shaping the rules it follows - and slow-rolling legal mandates it doesn't consider a priority. Boeing's delays turned into a major FAA concern after a fuel tank exploded in a Boeing 747 in 1996 and TWA Flight 800 crashed off Long Island, killing 230 people. In 2008, the FAA gave Boeing and other companies more than two years to provide airlines with the technical information they needed to comply with a post-TWA regulation intended to make fuel tanks less flammable. Boeing missed the deadline by more than 300 days, and the FAA took legal action in response to Boeing's "tardiness." That case helped lead to the settlement, as did missed deadlines elsewhere, including for sending airlines data needed for their inspections to make sure structures didn't crack, according to the FAA. Some at the FAA say Boeing was testing agency rules in other important ways that also have resonance today, citing the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program as an example. The program delegates power to a unit inside Boeing that is supposed to do much of the detailed, technical work involved with finding whether the company is complying with minimum safety standards. The Boeing employees are supposed to act independently of Boeing's corporate interests in judging whether an airplane's designs meet those standards. But when there were disagreements over whether safety standards were being met, top Boeing employees who were supposed to be representing the FAA at times aggressively championed the company's interests instead, even traveling to Washington to make their case. Agency leaders, with backing in Congress, have pushed for greater delegation of safety responsibilities to Boeing. Some FAA officials have warned that the agency has been too deferential, and auditors have repeatedly found that the FAA has fallen short in overseeing its own delegation program. The 2015 agreement said Boeing's top two ODA employees "will not advocate" for the company on specific compliance issues, to avoid potential conflicts. But a recent case under investigation in South Carolina indicates similar conflicts may have continued. In April, the FAA investigated after a Boeing inspector, working as part of the ODA program in South Carolina, complained about facing undue pressure from company management. The inspector found Boeing failed to comply with a safety regulation and alleged that a manager from outside the ODA unit interfered with the inspector's work. Earlier this month, the FAA notified Boeing in a letter of investigation that the inspector had indeed faced management interference. The FAA said procedures meant to ensure inspectors remained independent weren't being followed or were being subverted by a dual reporting structure that left inspectors subject to more than one boss. Boeing declined to comment. The highly delegated certification process has come under increased scrutiny since the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crashes, with questions being raised about how the anti-stall system investigators say was a factor in both crashes was certified as safe. The Justice Department's criminal division is looking into the 737 Max, and a congressional committee, the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General and several internal and external panels are investigating the FAA's approval of the plane and the agency's broader certification system. Falsified certifications After a cargo door on a United Airlines 747 broke off near Honolulu in 1989, the Boeing jet faced an "explosive decompression," and nine passengers were "ejected from the airplane and lost at sea," according to the National Transportation Safety Board. A problem in the door control system - a bad switch or wiring - allowed the locked door to become unlatched and blow open. "Also contributing to the accident was a lack of timely corrective actions by Boeing and the FAA following a 1987 cargo door-opening incident on a Pan Am B-747," the NTSB said. So FAA officials were alarmed to discover in 2015 that a mechanic at a bus and airplane parts maker north of Nagoya, Japan, Iwado Industry Co., had falsified certifications on hundreds of cargo doors. Iwado was acting as a supplier to Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which in turn provided parts directly to Boeing. For years, the Iwado mechanic had been working on part of the door's mechanical system without the correct tool and had been falsely recording that the work had been done properly, according to the FAA. The submissions were also certified as correct by a second layer of quality-control workers. Safety experts say that type of breach calls into question the trustworthiness of operations. "It's disturbing that people might think that they can cut corners and lie, if that's happening, when in fact the consequences of those falsehoods could be severe," said Arnold Barnett, an aviation safety researcher and professor of statistics and management at MIT. Boeing said all the large 777 doors were "re-measured" by both suppliers after the FAA's discovery and "no non-conformances were found." After a follow-up FAA visit, "all parts were confirmed to be safe and compliant," Boeing said. The mechanic was retrained the day the issue was discovered, and improvements were made to the training curriculum, Boeing said in a statement. But the episode raised questions about Boeing's oversight of its global network of suppliers and the suppliers' internal inspection regimens. Kawasaki Heavy Industries said in a statement that "Boeing was the primary examinee" of the FAA audit, so it and Iwado were not in a position to answer questions. Iwado did not respond to requests for comment. The mechanic was one of a number of such examples, according to the FAA. Boeing's own employees in Renton and Everett, Wash., and elsewhere also recorded false information for certain planes, including on a 787 that was sold to Air Canada and later experienced a fuel leak, the FAA found. A Boeing mechanic and inspector involved in that case faced unspecified "corrective action," the company said. Boeing audits "concluded that this was an isolated event," the company said in its statement, adding that it launched long-term fixes, "including formal training and communication on personal accountability in the manufacturing process, stressing the importance of complying with all regulatory requirements." The Seattle Times in 2017 first reported on many of the cases that led to the settlement. Beyond the issue of providing accurate information, the settlement also describes specific benchmarks Boeing must meet to improve the quality of its safety submissions and hit deadlines. The goal is to "make sure there's clarity about what right looks like and expect that the first time and avoid our use of resources reworking things to get it to be acceptable," the FAA official said. A Boeing spokesman did not answer questions about its progress in those and other specific areas. But a person familiar with the company's activities said it made a number of improvements, including to some specifications used by its mechanics in building planes that the FAA said could be confusing. It also audited a sample of its suppliers and found that the cases of "improper acceptance" of parts addressed in the settlement were not typical. "You've got to give them credit for what they do," an FAA official said. Max threatens 'story of success' Acting FAA administrator Daniel Elwell. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) In the months since the dual disasters overseas, acting FAA administrator Daniel Elwell has repeatedly pointed to the remarkable safety record of the U.S. commercial aviation system, crediting the rigor and shared purpose of government and industry. "One fatality in 10 years. I'll say it again: 90 million flights, 7 billion passengers. We've had one fatality," Elwell said after a Texas meeting last month with international aviation authorities on the FAA's response to the Max. Barnett, of MIT, said those numbers represent a "remarkable story of success." "Of course, everything looks a little different in light of the Max," he said. In a recent study, Barnett found that about 1 in 8 million passengers worldwide died on a scheduled commercial flight in the decade ending in 2017. But for passengers who flew on the Max, Barnett estimated the risk was "at least 20 times that," or roughly 1 in every 300,000 passengers. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/long-before-the-max-disasters-boeing-had-a-history-of-failing-to-fix-safety-problems/2019/06/26/b4f5f720-86ee-11e9-a870-b9c411dc4312_story.html?utm_term=.06dc3c7736bb Back to Top Accident: Angara AN24 at Nizhneangarsk on Jun 27th 2019, engine failure, veered off runway and collided with building An Angara Airlines Antonov AN-24, registration RA-47366 performing flight 2G-200 from Ulan-Ude to Nizhneangarsk (Russia) with 43 passengers and 4 crew on board, was on approach to Nizhneangarsk when the left hand engine failed. The aircraft landed on Nizhneangarsk's runway 22 in the touch down zone at 10:24L (02:24Z) following a stable approach, rolled out on the center line for some distance, then veered right off the runway, went over soft ground and impacted a building, a fire broke out. The captain and flight engineer were killed in the accident, 44 people were able to evacuate or were rescued, 7 people were injured, 37 people remained uninjured including first officer and flight attendant. The aircraft was destroyed. Russia's Ministry Emergency Ministry reported emergency services received the emergency call at about 10:30L after the aircraft broke through a fence catching fire and collided with sewage treatment plants. 44 people were rescued, 7 of them were injured. Two people on board have been killed. A fire on board of the aircraft was quickly extinguished by emergency services. (Editorial note: these numbers suggest, in combination with the official passenger and crew count by the airline, one person is still missing). The airline reported RA-47366 performing flight 2G-200 from Ulan-Ude to Nizhneangarsk made an emergency landing at Nizhneangarsk, veered off the runway and collided with ground infrastructure. As result of the collision a fire occurred. All 43 passengers were promptly evacuated. The captain and flight engineer were killed, the first officer and the flight attendant escaped uninjured. The captain had 34 years of experience and 15,702 hours total, the first officer 20 years of experience and 6,315 hours total, the flight engineer 35 years of experience and 13,728 hours. The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC/MAK) have opened an investigation. Rosaviatsia reported the crew declared "Distress" about 30km (16nm) from the airport reporting the failure of the left hand engine. Emergency services took their stand by positions for the arrival. On landing the aircraft went off the runway, collided with technical structures of the airport and caught fire. All passengers are alive, the captain and flight engineer died in the accident. The MAK reported an accident happened to AN-24 RA-47366 at Nizhneangarsk. Two crew were killed, the aircraft burned partially down. A commission has been formed and has begun work to investigate the accident. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c9b1ac2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: El Al B738 at Sofia on Jun 26th 2019, fumes in cabin, bird strike suspected An El Al Boeing 737-800, registration 4X-EKM performing flight LY-5298 from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was climbing out of Sofia's runway 09 cleared to climb to FL250, when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting fumes in cabin, the crew stopped the climb at FL210 to run checklists and decide whether to continue or return. The crew subsequently advised they believe they had received a bird strike into an engine (CFM56), the engine was running fine, nonetheless, they requested to return to Sofia. The aircraft landed safely on Sofia's runway 09 about 37 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration 4X-EKI is estimated to reach Tel Aviv with a delay of 8:40 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Sofia about 9 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c9ae4cf&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: American B738 at Reno on Jun 25th 2019, burst tyres on takeoff An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N943NN performing flight AA-1266 from Reno,NV to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 169 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Reno's runway 34R when tower queried whether they had blown a tyre on departure, the crew rsponded "we might have" and indicated they were working on the issue. The aircraft climbed to 17,000 feet to be vectored around near Reno while the crew were running their checklists. The longer runway 34L had been closed for works in progress, equipment was on the runway, ATC found out the mid of the runway was contaminated with chemicals, however, the workers would be able to clear the runway in about 30 minutes and the runway would be available for the emergency. The crew decided to use the longer runway, they needed to "burn off gas" anyway and that would work out "just fine". The crew advised they would stop on the runway, requested emergency services to inspect the tyres to ensure nothing catches fire. The aircraft landed safely on runway 34L about one hour after departure. Emergency services reported two tyres flat on the right main gear and there was smoke coming off the gear. The crew activated the APU and shut the engines down. The passengers disembarked onto the runway via mobile stairs and were taken to the terminal. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1266/history/20190625/0755Z/KRNO/KDFW http://avherald.com/h?article=4c9ae352&opt=0 Back to Top RAF jets scrambled to intercept Air India flight after bomb threat - Stansted on red alert RAF jets were launched this morning after a security threat on an Air India flight. The passenger plane made an unscheduled landing at London's Stansted Airport at around 10.15am. The aircraft was escorted by two RAF jets. An RAF spokesman said: "The RAF can confirm Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft were launched this morning from RAF Coningsby to intercept a civilian aircraft. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1145986/stansted-airport-bomb-threat-raf-fighter-jets-air-india-latest-update Back to Top Moscow blamed for disruption of GPS systems at Ben Gurion Airport Israeli officials say interference caused by Russian military in Syria; Russian embassy dismisses accusation as 'fake news' An airplane drives along the runway at Ben Gurion International Airport, on May 8, 2018. (Flash90) Israeli officials on Thursday accused Russia of responsibility for the ongoing disruptions to the satellite navigation systems of airplanes flying around Ben Gurion International Airport. The Russian embassy in Israel dismissed the allegations as "fake news" that they "couldn't respond to seriously." The issue has not yet caused any accidents or safety incidents, but has a "significant impact on all aspects of operating a plane from the cockpit, as well as on managing air traffic," the Airports Authority said in a statement Wednesday. The interference with the airplanes' GPS reception appears to stem from a form of electronic warfare known as "spoofing," which Russia has been accused of doing in the past as a defensive measure, despite the disruptions it causes to nearby aircraft and ships. The interference appears to originate in Syria, where Russian troops and aircraft are fighting on behalf of the country's dictator, Bashar Assad, Israeli officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Israel Defense Forces refused to comment publicly on the source of the interference, but said it has not affected its operations. "The issue is of civilian concern and the IDF provides technological support in order to facilitate freedom of movement within Israel's airspace," the army said. "The IDF operates continuously to maintain operational freedom of movement and superiority in the electromagnetic spectrum." The Israeli Airline Pilots Association said Russia's spoofing was a fairly advanced method of feeding GPS receivers with incorrect location data by a transmitter, making it appear to the pilot as though the aircraft is in a different location, sometimes miles away. As the GPS receiver continues to show location information, it does not immediately appear as a malfunction. "This type of blocking requires great technical knowledge and high mechanical capability, which is not possessed by individuals or organizations," the association wrote on Twitter. Since the interference began, planes in Israel have had to use an alternative method for landings, known as the Instrument Landing System. "It is a safe and professional method that is used every day in airports around the world, including Israel," the Airports Authority said. The GPS reception problem only affects airplanes in the sky, not sensors on the ground. "Ben Gurion Airport controllers have been giving full guidance to planes that are taking off and landing. At no point has there been a safety incident connected to this GPS interference or related to navigation instructions or flight paths," the airports spokesman said. GPS spoofing problems have been reported in Russia in the past. In June 2017, over 20 ships experienced GPS interference while sailing through the Black Sea, showing the vessels to be 25 nautical miles (46.3 kilometers) closer to the shore than they actually were and in some cases on land. Similar anomalies have been reported around the Kremlin and Putin's Palace. Researchers have surmised that Russian officials use GPS spoofing as a protective measure for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Norwegian news outlet NRKbeta. During the GPS interference in the Black Sea, Putin was located nearby, inspecting a natural gas pipeline. Areas in Norway and Finland close to the Russian border have also reported this type of GPS interference. https://www.timesofisrael.com/moscow-blamed-for-disruption-of-gps-systems-at-ben-gurion-airport/ Back to Top Airlines' dirty secret: Air quality is terrible inside airplanes Flight attendants, passengers and flight crew often breathe toxic fumes - and the airlines are in denial Flight attendants, pilots and the traveling public have complained for decades about health effects that they attribute to poor air quality in the aircraft cabin. Yet despite years of highlighting potential risks to air safety from toxic fumes, airline labor unions and airline safety advocates believe the aviation industry remains reluctant to address their concerns. John Samuelsen, the president of the Transport Workers Union of America, a labor organization that represents over 17,000 flight attendants across the United States, characterized the problem as the "dirty little secret" of the airline industry. Samuelsen told Salon that while this is issue is by no means new, airline labor unions have struggled to convince airlines to take their concerns seriously. (He noted TWU represents flight attendants at Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Allegiant Air.) Samuelsen explained that the air individuals breathe on commercial airplanes is a combination of recycled air within the cabin (that passengers and crew inhale and exhale), along with outside air that has been compressed by the aircraft's engines, known as "bleed air." For decades, aircrafts have relied on bleed air for a range of purposes - from cabin pressurization to anti-icing to air conditioning and starting the engine - but if a seal inside the engine leaks, bleed air can mix with cabin air and can cause toxic fumes to leak into the cabin. Most passengers expect bleed air to be heavily filtered, but Samuelsen said that's often not the case. "There's always a potential. . . that flight attendants, passengers or the flight crew are breathing in chemicals and things that can make you very sick - even carcinogens," Samuelsen said in reference to bleed air. He claimed that while airlines are in "absolute denial" over problems with air quality, his union's concerns have managed to capture the attention of members of Congress, who responded by introducing a measure called the Cabin Air Safety Act to tackle the issue. The legislation, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and in the House of Representatives by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., would require commercial aircrafts to install, operate and constantly monitor carbon monoxide detectors during flights. It would also require flight attendants, pilots, aircraft technicians and first responders to undergo training at least once a year on how to identify and respond to incidents involving toxic fumes on aircrafts involving smoke or fumes. The bill would direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop a standardized system for flight attendants and other airline crew to report incidents of smoke or fumes on board a commercial aircraft. Investigators would have to take place no more than seven days after an incident is reported to identify "any replaced, worn, missing, failed or improperly serviced components," according to a draft of the legislation. The agency would also be required to publish the data collected every three months on a public website. "This legislation can protect the flying public and airline crews by ensuring the cabin air they breathe during flights is safe - free from any hidden and toxic fumes," said Blumenthal, who is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Samuelsen said the bill is "designed to compel operations like Southwest Airlines to pump air into the cabins that's chemical-free and carcinogen free." Despite concerns by passengers and crews, the FAA told Congress in 2015 that the "risk for these issues" is "extremely low." It remains unclear how often these toxic fume events occur. The FAA has said toxic fume events are extremely rare, while the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents approximately 15,000 pilots at American Airlines, has said approximately 20,000 fume events have occurred over the past decade - an average of five per day. This disparity may result from a lack of uniform reporting procedures among various carriers. The issue has prompted four flight attendants, all of whom work for Alaska Airlines, to file two lawsuits against Boeing Co. because of "devastating health effects" from what they allege was exposure to toxic fumes on flights. Though most pilots, flight attendants and travelers will never experience a serious fume event, airline labor unions believe the potential threats are too serious to ignore. "This should be a no brainer," Samuelsen said. "The current system that exists across the board in this industry is that the air quality of planes is completely horrific." https://www.salon.com/2019/06/23/airlines-dirty-secret-air-quality-is-terrible-inside-airplanes/ Back to Top T-38 pilot who saved two lives and an aircraft receives top safety award Maj. Gen. Patrick Doherty, commander of the 19th Air Force, presents Capt. Matthew Heath, an instructor pilot at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., with the Air Medal Feb. 6, 2018. at Vance Air Force Base, Okla. (Airman Zachary Heal/Air Force) WARNER ROBINS, Ga. - Capt. Matthew Heath, a T-38 instructor pilot, was guiding a student during a landing in Amarillo, Texas, on Nov. 18, 2017, when the Talon suddenly lost thrust in both engines. "When I saw the student move the throttle and nothing happened ... it was definitely nerve wracking to say the least," Heath told The Telegraph of Macon, Georgia. Heath, who is assigned to the the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, took the controls and managed to guide the aircraft to a safe landing, saving the lives of himself and his student, and also saving the $8.2 million aircraft. On Thursday, Gen. Dave Goldfein will present Heath with the Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy at the Pentagon, according to the Air Force Safety Center. The trophy, awarded annually to one airman by the chief of staff, recognizes outstanding feats of airmanship by aircrew members who - by extraordinary skill, exceptional alertness, ingenuity or proficiency - averted accidents or minimized the seriousness of the accidents in terms of injury, loss of life, aircraft damage or property damage, according to the Safety Center website. This trophy memorializes 1st Lt. Koren Kolligian Jr., an Air Force pilot declared missing in the line of duty when his T-33 aircraft disappeared off the California coast on Sep. 14, 1955. Heath, chief of training for the 25th Flying Training Squadron, previously accepted the Outstanding Airmanship Award from Air Education and Training Command's director of safety, according to The Telegraph. The Warner Robins, Georgia, native has also received the Air Medal. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/06/26/t-38-pilot-who-saved-two-lives-and-an-aircraft-receives-top-safety-award/ Back to Top Etihad Airways trains other airlines' pilots amid turnaround plan Etihad in talks with US and Chinese aviation regulators for approvals to train aviators in bid to provide new revenue stream A man enters the Boeing 787 flight simulators at Etihad Aviation Training (EAT). All Photos by Reem Mohammed / The National. Etihad Airways is expanding its pilot training programme to serve other airlines globally, opening a new revenue stream for the Abu Dhabi-based carrier as it pursues a turnaround plan to narrow losses. Etihad won contracts from 40 clients, more than half of which are airlines including Dubai-based Emirates, since the third-party training division began a year ago, Captain Paolo La Cava, managing director of Etihad Aviation Training, told The National on Wednesday. It is also in talks with US and Chinese aviation regulators for approval to train their airlines' pilots, capitalising on demand in those major travel markets. "It's part of the transformation that we started because we need to see what we have and what we can do best, this is one example," he said at Etihad's headquarters. "It's a good source of revenue because we have a fantastic return on assets ... I always say even one dollar makes a difference." Etihad is working to maximise the value of its assets, in this case its state-of-the-art flight simulators and experienced pilots, as part of a turnaround plan to return to profitability. The carrier is undergoing a restructuring process that has entailed slashing unprofitable routes, trimming its aircraft orderbook and focusing on point-to-point routes while scrapping plans to invest in global airlines' stakes. The carrier is seeing "incredible" demand for its Boeing and Airbus pilot training services, fuelled by a global shortage of pilots, incoming aircraft deliveries, growing air travel and expansion of low-cost operators, Mr La Cava said. In the first half of 2019, it exceeded its revenue targets by 30 per cent after meeting its annual target in 2018. That growth spurt is reflected in US plane maker Boeing's forecast that 804,000 new civil aviation pilots will be needed to fly the global fleet of aircraft over the next 20 years, up from 790,000 pilots in its previous forecast, its Pilot & Technician Outlook 2019-2038 report shows. Etihad Aviation Training, which is certified by the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority and Europe Union Aviation Safety Agency, counts among its customers Emirates for Airbus A380 pilot training, Oman Air and Bahrain's Gulf Air. It also serves India's aviation services firm Elite Blue Global and Sharjah's Alpha Aviation, managed by Air Arabia. The most popular aircraft types for training are the Airbus A320-family narrowbodies and Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, according to Mr La Cava. The training division, part of Etihad Aviation Group, receives the biggest demand from clients in the Middle East, India and Europe for narrowbody jets, Mr La Cava said. Demand for training widebody pilots comes primarily from airlines in Asia, South America and Africa. In the next two decades, Asia Pacific will lead global growth in demand for pilots, with a requirement for 266,000 new pilots, according to Boeing. North America will require 212,000, Europe 148,000, the Middle East 68,000, Latin America 54,000, Africa 29,000 and Russia/Central Asia 27,000. Seeking to tap into this huge demand in Asia, Etihad is in early-stage talks with the Civil Aviation Administration of China for certification to train Chinese airlines' pilots, Mr La Cava said. It is also in the midst of a certification process by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and expects approvals by 2020, he said. Etihad Aviation Training, which has 160 instructors, boasts 10 full flight simulators for Boeing 787 and 777 and Airbus A320, A330, A340 and A380 aircraft with a new A350 simulator to be introduced in November. It also has 12 fixed-based Airbus and Boeing training devices. The simulators, which cost about $15 million each, are from global aviation training firm CAE. Etihad's facility offers training for new pilots from so-called "ab initio" stage at its base in Al Ain where it has more than 100 cadet pilots and 22 training aircraft, including four Embraer Phenom 100 jets. Mr La Cava said the simulators can be upgraded to adapt to the evolution of aircraft technology such as Airbus' new and longest-range narrowbody the A321 XLR. In a Boeing 787 simulator the instructors - all Etihad pilots - demonstrate various weather conditions on take-off and landing, from foggy mornings to thunderstorms in the horizon, as the machine "soars" above Abu Dhabi's landmarks such as Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Ferrari World. Abu Dhabi, which is focusing on developing its aviation sector to diversify away from oil, wants to export its aviation expertise. "Etihad has 1,800 pilots, a lot of experience and a lot of instructors - so why don't we maximise and optimise the utilisation of crew resources and use the same trainer to train other airlines?" Mr La Cava said. "That's the unique selling point we have. https://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/etihad-airways-trains-other-airlines-pilots-amid-turnaround-plan-1.879411 Back to Top Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines to explore wide-ranging partnership SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) and Malaysia Airlines have signed a preliminary agreement to explore a wide-ranging strategic partnership that could include more codeshares as well as cargo and aircraft maintenance, the companies said on Thursday. The cooperation between the airlines, which split out from Malaysia-Singapore Airlines in 1972, comes amid financial trouble at Malaysia Airlines. The Malaysian government is considering whether to shut, sell or refinance the loss-making national carrier, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in March. Shukor Yusof, the head of Malaysian aviation consultancy Endau Analytics, said between the Singapore Airlines deal and a recent joint venture agreement with Japan Airlines Co Ltd (9201.T) there appeared to be little chance the government would sell its national carrier. "Malaysia Airlines needs as many tie-ups as possible to stay alive," he said. "That said, Singapore Airlines is likely to gain more having a bigger, wider market and network and more importantly, deeper pockets." The new cooperation could include "a significant expansion of codeshare flights beyond Singapore-Malaysia routes, as well as enhancements on the frequent flyer program front", both airlines said in a joint statement. CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said the stronger partnership would allow Singapore Airlines to increase its presence in the strategically important Malaysian market and help Malaysia Airlines compete more effectively against rivals like AirAsia Group Bhd (AIRA.KL). The carriers said they intended for a formal agreement to be finalised in the coming months subject to regulatory approvals and that it would include Singapore Airlines subsidiaries SilkAir and Scoot as well as Malaysia Airlines' Firefly arm. "This will naturally start speculation that Singapore Airlines could be the white knight strategic investor that Malaysia Airlines needs and the Malaysian government has been advocating for, but there would be so many challenges that would need to be overcome to make that a serious option," Sobie said. Ties between the two neighbors, which were a single country until Singapore split from Malaysia in 1965, have been strained at times. The most recent spat was over maritime borders and air space between Singapore and Malaysia's southern-most state of Johor. The countries agreed in January to take steps to de-escalate tensions. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-air-malaysia-airlines/singapore-airlines-malaysia-airlines-to-explore-wide-ranging-strategic-partnership-idUSKCN1TS1A6 Back to Top American Airlines wants to outsource another 5,000 maintenance workers, union says Employees walk by an American Airlines Boeing 777 jet under maintenance at American Airlines Hangar 5 at DFW International Airport. (Jae S. Lee/Staff Photographer) American Airlines could outsource another 5,000 union maintenance and fleet service workers, said one of the unions representing those workers. After nearly four years of tense contract negotiations, International Association of Machinists spokesman Joe Tiberi said Fort Worth-based American Airlines is refusing to make commitments to how much maintenance and fleet service work will be done by company employees. "They are looking to significantly reduce the union footprint," Tiberi said. "In places like Dallas, they replace union labor with lower cost and lower benefit labor, and that impacts the whole community." American Airlines spokesman Joshua Freed didn't deny that unionized maintenance and fleet service positions could decrease but said instead that the airline plans to offer job and location security to current workers. "We've been pretty clear all along that we do more maintenance and fleet service work than any other airline," Freed said. "Our proposal language ensures that will continue to be the case." Discussions on outsourcing labor came during ongoing contract negotiations as the groups try to merge 31,000 mechanics, fleet service workers and other unionized employees that were part of American Airlines and U.S. Airways when they merged in 2013. Those workers are represented by both the IAM and Transport Workers of America, who formed a joint committee to negotiate in 2014. Negotiations are so tense that American accused its mechanics of intentionally slowing down work to create cancellations and delays. The unions have denied those charges, and the sides are set to meet in federal court Monday. The proposed round of union job losses won't come through layoffs but instead through attrition and buyouts to slowly reduce the influence of the organized workers, Tiberi said. About 2,200 of those job cuts would be heavy maintenance workers at facilities in Dallas, Tulsa and Charlotte. Another 1,550 would come from fleet service workers, 950 in non-aircraft maintenance and the rest in line-maintenance workers who repair aircraft at airports across the country. The unions have argued for years that mechanics and other workers took major concessions during lean years and bankruptcy. After American reported a $1.4 billion profit last year, union officials say it's time to be more generous to workers. With 84 percent of its workers in unions, including pilots and flight attendants, Freed said American isn't trying to diminish any union. For now, Tiberi said, union negotiations have stalled with American Airlines, and the two sides have yet to work out wages, benefits and workplace conditions and protections. The number of workers and amount of work done by union employees are key starting points, he said. "Our numbers have diminished, and as American Airlines grows, good jobs deserve to grow with it," Tiberi said. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/business/2019/06/26/american-airlines-wants-outsource-another-5000-maintenance-workers-union-claims Back to Top This Cessna Aircraft Will Test an All-Electric Propulsion System AeroTec is prepping to flight test a magniX all-electric propulsion system on a Cessna Caravan 208B turboprop plane. Cessna Caravan Photo: Courtesy of Cessna Furthering the aviation communities' aim to reduce carbon emissions -which tests, engineers and certifies aerospace projects and products-joined forces with Washington-based magniX to test the magniX 750 horsepower magni500 all-electric propulsion system on a Cessna Caravan 208B single-engined turboprop plane. The two companies are working together to get magniX's system certified and begin flight testing by the end of 2019. "The electric-aviation revolution is very real, and AeroTec is the right team to help innovative aviation companies like magniX bring their technology to market sooner," said Lee Human, AeroTec's president and founder. "AeroTEC is responsible for the magni500-powered 208B's modification design, integration and flight test." The Cessna Caravan is one of the world's most used Middle Mile (traveling fewer than 1,000 miles) planes, with more than 2,600 operating in 100 countries. By refitting this aircraft with magniX's electric-propulsion system, the industry will witness a quick hit to the emissions-reduction tally. The Caravan can seat up to 10 passengers and sports a range of 1,079 nautical miles, and it needs 2,055 feet for takeoff. Owners configure these planes for business or cargo use, with a choice of three interior packages to luxe as little or lot as desired. The cockpit features the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite, with all kinds of displays and increased situational awareness."Retrofitting an iconic workhorse like the Cessna Caravan for the first time is no small feat. Through our work with AeroTec, we are committed to meeting and exceeding expectations of our solution so we can continue to advance electric aviation," said magniX CEO Roei Ganzarski. "Electrifying existing aircraft enables flexible, clean air-travel...at a fraction of the cost. And for operators not ready to make the leap into new, clean-sheet, all-electric aircraft, retrofitting the Cessna Caravan provides a solution that allows them to reap the benefits of clean, cost-effective aviation in a shorter time frame." magniX began production of the propulsion system this spring, and AeroTec is busy modifying aircraft in anticipation of the new system. The first flight is scheduled for the end of this year at the AeroTec's Flight Test Center in Moses Lake, Wash. https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/this-cessna-aircraft-will-test-an-all-electric-propulsion-system-2856078/ Back to Top Schools need to encourage girls to become pilots, says Aer Lingus Study finds only a third of women encouraged to pursue careers in Stem About a quarter of female respondents said they would be suited to the role of a pilot. Photograph: Getty Images Secondary schools need to make more of an effort to encourage teenage girls to consider a career as a pilot, according to a study commissioned by Aer Lingus. The Red C Survey, which was carried out with 500 adults aged 18-30 from across Ireland, found only a third of women were encouraged to follow a Stem (science, technology, engineering or maths) career while at school compared with half of men the same age. And it said this was contributing to the relatively low number of women applying for Aer Lingus's pilot training programme. The study found that becoming a pilot was discussed significantly more in boys' schools than in girls' schools with just 8 per cent of women talking to their guidance councillor about how to become a pilot. While 6 per cent of men said they had considered becoming a pilot, only 3 per cent of women had considered flying as a career. Most women said they did not consider a career as a pilot because it's "not for me". However, one in four did not believe they had the necessary skills while more than a third had not heard about it as a possibility while in school or college. For men, the main reason for not becoming a pilot was the perceived financial cost. More than half of men aged 25-30 believed they would suit the role of a pilot compared with just over a quarter of women in the same age group. Nearly 80 per cent of women said there were not enough female pilots in the profession compared with just 45 per cent of male respondents, while one-third of women said the role was "not female friendly". Only one in three of all adults surveyed believed being a pilot would allow for a good work balance. At present just one in 10 of Aer Lingus pilots are women, similar to most airlines around Europe, according to the company. The findings of the survey showed that airlines need to visit schools and promote flying as a career for women, said Aer Lingus director of operations and former pilot, Davina Pratt. Myths around the work-life balance of a pilot, maths and Stem qualifications and funding for pilot training should also be addressed, she said, adding that a career in flying simply "isn't being actively promoted to them [women] as a career option currently". https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/schools-need-to-encourage-girls-to-become-pilots-says-aer-lingus-1.3938438 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top ISASI 2019 is pleased to announce that the technical program is now posted on the seminar website at www.isasi2019.org Choose the "Program" page and "Program Review" for the most up to date information. It will be necessary for you to click on the program icon to open the full program. Dates to remember: July 28 - Final date for registration for the MH 17 Master Class. Please register for the seminar first and then contact Daan Zwart at D.Zwart@vnv.nl for more information. July 28 - Final date for Early Bird pricing. August 4 - Deadline for hotel reservations. After this date we will not be able to guarantee the seminar rate. We look forward to seeing many of you in The Hague! Back to Top Join us in Washington, D.C., on July 15-18 for ALPA's annual Air Safety Forum Curt Lewis