Flight Safety Information October 24, 2019 - No. 217 In This Issue The 737 Max has cost Boeing $9.2 billion and counting FACTBOX-Nine factors that contributed to Lion Air 737 MAX crash Ex-Boeing Pilot Complained of Management Pressure on MAX, Former Colleagues Say Incident: Kalitta B744 at Cincinnati on Oct 22nd 2019, gear problem on departure Incident: Delta B763 over Atlantic on Oct 1st 2019, electrical odour on board Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Milan on Oct 23rd 2019, smoke in cabin Incident: Saudia B789 near Dhaka on Oct 21st 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: Envoy E145 near Jacksonville on Oct 22nd 2019, cabin pressure problem Cessna 401A - Fatal Accident (Mexico) Deere corporate jet struck by lightning 2 helicopters collide in midair as pilots herd deer on Texas ranch JAL submits measures on pilots' drinking problems Spirit Airlines Announces Upcoming Order of 100 Airbus A320neo Family Aircraft Air safety regulator must consider costs (Australia) NASA Contracts Colorado's Drone Traffic Technology To Help Pilots CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT United States Helicopter Safety Team...Industry Co-Chair Search Chair Position Announcement Instructor Pilot Aviation Safety Officer Manager, Helicopter Maintenance SAFE SKIES FOR ALL: INTRODUCING SPACEFLIGHT INTO OUR SKIES The 737 Max has cost Boeing $9.2 billion and counting A photo of Boeing 737 MAX airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton More than 1,500 hours of safety tests later, the Boeing 737 Max is still as grounded as ever, with no real guidance on precisely when it will hit the skies again. For the airplane's manufacturer, it's all getting very, very, very expensive. In the third quarter of 2019, according to an earnings report today (Oct. 23), the plane's continued grounding cost Boeing $900 million, bringing the total to $9.2 billion, since two fatal crashes between them killed nearly 350 people in March. Boeing still managed to make $1.2 billion in profit in the quarter, largely due to an uptick in higher defense and services revenue. In the same quarter last year, it made $2.4 billion. Max-related losses are rippling throughout the aviation sector: Boeing's US airline customers estimate they've lost hundreds of millions since the plane was grounded at the start of the year, Earlier this month, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association announce it would sue Boeing for $100 million in lost income. Boeing has already committed to paying out $5 billion after tax in compensation to airlines, though it's not yet clear whether this will come in the form of discounts or other benefits. (Either way, the approximately 10,000 pilots in the union probably won't see much of it.) While the company was reluctant to issue much by way of detailed advisory today, it says it expects the plane to be back in the air before the end of the year. This is broadly in line with the estimates of US airlines: As of earlier this month, American Airlines said it expected the Max to return to service on January 16, while United Airlines had a more ambitious expected date of January 6. Southwest, meanwhile, has removed it from its schedules entirely until at least February. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/737-max-cost-boeing-9-182047641.html Back to Top FACTBOX-Nine factors that contributed to Lion Air 737 MAX crash Oct 23 (Reuters) - Mechanical and design issues are among nine sets of factors that contributed to the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX jet operated by Lion Air last October, Indonesian investigators have found. Following is a transcript of slides presented by officials to relatives at a briefing on Wednesday, obtained by Reuters, together with an unofficial explanation of key technical terms. The full report will be released on Friday . CONTRIBUTING FACTORS 1. During the design and certification of the Boeing 737-8 (MAX), assumptions were made about pilot response to malfunctions which, even though consistent with current industry guidelines, turned out to be incorrect. 2. Based on the incorrect assumptions about pilot response and an incomplete review of associated multiple flight deck effects, MCAS's reliance on a single sensor was deemed appropriate and met all certification requirements. 3. MCAS was designed to rely on a single AOA sensor, making it vulnerable to erroneous input from that sensor. 4. The absence of guidance on MCAS or more detailed use of trim in the flight manuals and in pilot training, made it more difficult for flight crews to properly respond to uncommanded MCAS. 5. The AOA DISAGREE alert was not correctly enabled during Boeing 737-8 (MAX) development. As a result, it did not appear during flight with the mis-calibrated AOA sensor, could not be documented by the flight crew and was therefore not available to help maintenance identify the mis-calibrated AOA sensor. 6. The replacement AOA sensor that was installed on the accident aircraft had been mis- calibrated during an earlier repair. The mis-calibration was not detected during the repair. 7. The investigation could not determine that the installation test of AOA sensor was perform(ed) properly; however the mis-calibration was not detected. 8. Lack of documentation in the aircraft flight and maintenance log about the continuous stick shaker and use of the Runaway Stabilizer NNC meant that information was not available to the maintenance crew in Jakarta nor was it available to the accident crew, making it more difficult for each to take the appropriate actions. 9. The multiple alerts, repetitive MCAS activations and distractions related to numerous ATC communications were not able to be effectively managed. This was caused by the difficulty of the situation and deficiencies in manual handling, NNC execution and flight crew communication, leading to ineffective CRM application and workload management. These deficiencies had previously been identified during training and reappeared during the accident flight. GLOSSARY Following is an unofficial explanation of the abbreviations used, based on previous Reuters reports and industry documents. AOA: Angle of Attack, a key flight parameter which indicates the angle between the wings and the oncoming flow of air. If the angle becomes too high, the aircraft can stall or lose lift. The data is drawn from two sensors, one on which side of the nose. AOA DISAGREE: An indicator, optional at the time in the 737 MAX, indicating the two AOA sensors are producing values that differ by an excessive margin. Boeing plans to make this feature standard as part of a redesign following the Lion Air accident and a separate crash five months later in Ethiopia. ATC: Air Traffic Control CRM: Crew Resource Management, a method of coordination between pilots designed to improve their responses to errors and reduce stress. It was developed in response to earlier crashes and is now a standard part of pilot training and procedures. MCAS: Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), a flight control software patch designed to lower the nose of the aircraft when there is an elevated Angle of Attack. It was developed for the latest version of 737, the MAX, to compensate for the tendency of the plane's nose to drift higher due to the size and shape of the its newer and larger engines. Boeing has redesigned the software in order to soften its impact and prevent repeated misfirings. NNC: Non-Normal Checklist or problem-solving procedure. RUNAWAY STABILIZER: Uncommanded movements of the plane's horizontal stabilizers - small wings near the bottom of the tail that are designed to control the pitch or up/down movement. (Reporting by Fanny Potkin, Jessica Damiana, Bernadette Christina Munthe, Tim Hepher Editing by Nick Zieminski) Back to Top Ex-Boeing Pilot Complained of Management Pressure on MAX, Former Colleagues Say Mark Forkner, a former senior Boeing Co. pilot who was publicly vaulted into the company's 737 MAX crisis, complained years ago that he felt pressure from management to ensure the series of jets wouldn't require expensive pilot training, according to former colleagues. Mr. Forkner, who at the time was the chief technical pilot for the MAX and who is a focus of a federal probe of the jet's development, became well-known Friday when internal messages that Boeing turned over to congressional investigators suggested he might have had concerns about the plane's flight-control system after encountering some problems in a simulator. Federal agents have in the past few months questioned Mr. Forkner's former co-workers and supervisors about their efforts to develop the 737 MAX, the latest version of Boeing's best-selling jet, according to people familiar with the matter. Some of the questions are related to his successful effort in 2016 and 2017 to persuade the Federal Aviation Administration not to require extra simulator sessions before allowing MAX pilots to fly passengers, one of these people said. Mr. Forkner's attorney David Gerger declined to address questions about his client, who is now assisting with technical matters at Boeing's largest MAX customer, Southwest Airlines Co. Mr. Gerger told The Wall Street Journal on Monday: "Mark flew the MAX. His Air Force buddies flew the MAX. He would never put himself, his friends or any passenger in an unsafe plane." According to a fellow pilot who had worked closely with Mr. Forkner at Boeing, Mr. Forkner repeatedly indicated to this ex-colleague that he feared losing his job if the FAA rejected Boeing's arguments to minimize training, and the fellow pilot recalled making that point in an interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That interview is part of the widening Justice Department probe into how the MAX was designed and certified as safe by the FAA and whether Boeing officials may have misled regulators as part of that process. Boeing didn't respond to a request for comment about pressure on Mr. Forkner. Over the weekend, the company said it was still investigating the circumstances surrounding the internal messages. "We understand entirely the scrutiny this matter is receiving and are committed to working with investigative authorities and the U.S. Congress as they continue their investigations," the company said. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. On Tuesday, Boeing removed Kevin McAllister as head of its commercial airplanes unit, making him the highest-profile departure from the company since the MAX crisis. The FBI, which is working with the Transportation Department's inspector general's office, is looking into whether inaccurate statements, incomplete technical submissions or undue management pressure inside Boeing contributed to two fatal crashes of MAX jets in less than five months, according to people familiar with the situation. The misfire of an automated flight-control feature known as MCAS led to the accidents that took a total of 346 lives and grounded the global fleet in March. Mr. Forkner's responsibilities at Boeing focused on pilot-training issues and devising manuals for the fleet. One of his main objectives was to make sure airlines purchasing the MAX wouldn't have to pull pilots off moneymaking passenger flights for additional training. Rick Ludtke, a former Boeing flight deck engineer who worked with Mr. Forkner, said: "Mark was under an enormous amount of pressure....He clearly was stressed." Some of Mr. Forkner's former colleagues recall him as an honest co-worker who wasn't able to fly much at Boeing because of labor disputes and budget issues affecting the group he worked in. One former colleague described him as someone with the character to take a stand over safety issues. The fellow pilot said some co-workers were surprised when Mr. Forkner, known as an avid Seattle Seahawks football fan, took the Southwest job and relocated to the Dallas region, leaving a large group of relatives behind. When Mr. Forkner's internal Boeing messages to another pilot emerged Friday, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association President Jon Weaks said the messages showed "Boeing misled pilots, government regulators and other aviation experts about the safety of the 737 MAX." Southwest has pulled the MAX from its schedules through early February. In the documents that congressional investigators have gathered, which total hundreds of thousands of pages, is a Boeing marketing brochure for the MAX that advertised the jet wouldn't require significant additional pilot training, according to Rep. Peter DeFazio, the Oregon Democrat who chairs the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee. Boeing has said that was a design objective "always subordinate to other requirements, including safety." Among the documents, which total in the hundreds of thousands of pages, congressional investigators have gathered is a Boeing marketing brochure for the MAX that advertised the jet wouldn't require significant additional pilot training, according to Rep. Peter DeFazio, the Oregon Democrat who chairs the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee. Boeing has said that was a design objective "always subordinate to other requirements, including safety." Southwest, with some 10,000 pilots, years ago signed what Mr. Ludtke has called an unusual deal for a Boeing customer: a $1 million rebate for any aircraft that required extra simulator training for cockpit crews. Investigators for the House panel also have documents verifying that arrangement, according to a person familiar with the committee's work. Mr. DeFazio said Mr. Forkner has declined to meet with congressional investigators. A Southwest spokeswoman said its MAX contract was a "very standard agreement" that "holds parties accountable to previously determined benefits of launching a new aircraft type." The union representing pilots at Southwest have sued Boeing, alleging that the plane maker rushed its 737 MAX jet to market and misrepresented the plane as safe. Boeing has said it respects the Southwest pilots but it will defend itself against the suit. Southwest had 34 MAX jets in its fleet at the time of the grounding and was supposed to have around twice as many by the end of the year. Mr. Forkner hasn't been interviewed by Boeing, the company has said. In September, an FBI agent told one of the former co-workers of Mr. Forkner that he hadn't cooperated with questioning, the fellow pilot said. Mr. Gerger declined to comment. Boeing has tried for months to interview Mr. Forkner about what he meant in the messages, a person familiar with the company's internal review of the matter said. People familiar with the matter said Boeing and Mr. Forkner don't have a joint defense agreement, indicating that their interests might not be aligned and that they aren't routinely sharing documents or other information. Instant messages between Mr. Forkner and a colleague in November 2016 were lighthearted and technical by turns and started with banter about drinking vodka in a hotel room. Later in the exchange, Mr. Forkner said: "So I basically lied to the regulators (unknowingly)," apparently referring to how engineers modified the MCAS flight-control system. Mr. Gerger has said Mr. Forkner was referring to a malfunctioning simulator program, not problems with the MCAS feature itself. In January 2017, Mr. Forkner said in an email to the FAA that all mention of MCAS should be removed from manuals because the flight control system activates "way outside the normal operating envelope," meaning pilots would practically never experience its activation. An earlier email included Mr. Forkner's mention of his skill at "Jedi-mind tricking" foreign regulators into adopting the FAA's position on training requirements. Mr. Forkner's internal messages have sparked condemnation on Capitol Hill, where Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg is slated to testify before two panels next week. They have also further strained an already tense relationship between Boeing and the FAA. During the time of the internal messages, four months before U.S. regulators in March 2017 approved MAX to begin commercial service, Mr. Forkner sent a separate message from his official Boeing email account to an FAA official about working to certify the jet with the FAA and foreign regulators. "It was a huge deal, but I got what I needed to, at least so far," he wrote. The message ended with: "You know me. I usually get what I want." The name of the recipient was blacked out in the copy, which was among a batch of emails obtained by congressional investigators and which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Over the weekend, Boeing said various FAA officials knew about MCAS's final configuration regardless of what Mr. Forkner said in chat messages or emails. The company said Mr. Forkner's counterparts at the FAA were exposed to the modified system on test flights starting a few months before his chat messages. The FAA has said it continues to review the MAX's approval and outside recommendations to improve the agency's certification procedures. At Southwest, Mr. Forkner has worked on regulatory and MAX issues, people familiar with the airline said, sometimes shaping discussions between the FAA and Southwest's management. The Southwest spokeswoman said Mr. Forkner has worked on various projects as part of the flight operations technical team but hasn't worked as a leader on the airline's plans to return the MAX to passenger service. https://www.barrons.com/articles/ex-boeing-pilot-complained-of-management- pressure-on-max-former-colleagues-say-51571860581 Back to Top Incident: Kalitta B744 at Cincinnati on Oct 22nd 2019, gear problem on departure A Kalitta Air Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration N401KZ performing flight K4-232 from Cincinnati,KY to Anchorage,AK (USA), was in the initial climb out of Cincinnati's runway 27 when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet to run a checklist for a gear issue. The crew subsequently decided to return to Cincinnati, dumped fuel and landed safely back on Cincinnati's runway 27 about 70 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 3.5 hours, then departed again and reached Anchorage with a delay of 5 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/CKS232/history/20191023/0345Z/KCVG/PANC http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce5c38e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B763 over Atlantic on Oct 1st 2019, electrical odour on board A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N189DN performing flight DL-474 (dep Sep 30th) from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Venice (Italy) with 220 people on board, was enroute at FL350 over the Atlantic Ocean about 230nm southeast of St. John's,NL (Canada) when an electrical odour in the cabin was detected, no smoke was visible. The captain handed controls to the first officer and performed the "smoke and fumes" checklist. Shortly after completing the checklist the crew received indication for the left hand recirculation fan. The crew consulted with maintenance, then decided to turn around and divert to St. John's, the crew declared emergency. The aircraft landed safely in St. John's about 55 minutes later. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance verified the left recirculation fan had been the source of the odour. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL474/history/20191001/0118Z/KJFK/LIPZ http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce5bf99&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Milan on Oct 23rd 2019, smoke in cabin An Easyjet Europe Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IVU performing flight U2-2733 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Malaga,SP (Spain) with 150 people on board, was climbing out of Malpensa's runway 35L when the crew stopped the climb at FL080 reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft returned to Malpensa for a safe landing on runway 35R about 20 minutes after departure and taxied to the apron. A replacement A320-200 registration OE-IJD reached Malaga with a delay of about 6 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Milan about 14.5 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce5b782&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Saudia B789 near Dhaka on Oct 21st 2019, engine shut down in flight A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 787-9, registration HZ-ARA performing flight SV-885 from Guangzhou (China) to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) with 299 people on board, was enroute at FL340 about 340nm east of Dhaka (Bangladesh) in Myanmar Airspace, when the crew needed to shut the right hand engine (GEnx) down. The aircraft drifted down to FL200 and diverted to Dhaka for a safe landing on runway 14 about 75 minutes later. The aircraft is still on the ground in Dhaka about 58 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce5bc38&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Envoy E145 near Jacksonville on Oct 22nd 2019, cabin pressure problem An Envoy Embraer ERJ-145, registration N685AE performing flight MQ-3798/AA-3798 from Miami,FL to Columbus,OH (USA) with 38 people on board, was climbing out of Miami when the crew stopped the climb at FL250 due to a problem with the cabin pressurization. The aicraft diverted to Jacksonville,FL (USA) for a safe landing. A replacement Embraer ERJ-145 registration N694AE reaced Columbus with a delay of 2.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Jacksonville for about 13 hours, then positioned to Abilene,TX (USA) at maximum FL240 and still on the ground in Abilene. The airline reported a possible mechanical issue. The airport reported the aircraft diverted to Jacksonville with a possible cabin pressure problem. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ENY3798/history/20191022/2350Z/KMIA/KCMH http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce5b2f5&opt=0 Back to Top Cessna 401A - Fatal Accident (Mexico) Date: 23-OCT-2019 Time: Type: Cessna 401A Owner/operator: Private Registration: XB-JZF C/n / msn: 401A-0051 Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Las Juntas, municipality of Madero, Coahuila - Mexico Phase: En route Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Durango Destination airport: Acapulco-Alvarez International Airport (ACA/MMAA) Narrative: A Cessna 401A crashed under unknown circumstances. All five occupants were killed. Some reports speak of six occupants. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230167 Back to Top Deere corporate jet struck by lightning MOLINE - A John Deere corporate jet was struck by lightning Monday morning. Ben Leischner, executive director at the Quad-City International Airport, said the Deere & Co. plane took off Monday morning around 6:30 a.m. and was struck by lightning and turned around and landed back at the airport. That was done as "more of a precautionary," he said. "It's not uncommon for aircraft to be struck by lightning. ... It does happen from time to time." The six passengers and three crew members were not harmed, according to Ken Golden, director of global public relations for Deere. "The aircraft returned safely to the Deere Aviation hanger at the Moline airport," Golden said. "Deere's flight maintenance crew is performing a full inspection of the aircraft." https://wcfcourier.com/business/local/deere-corporate-jet-struck-by- lightning/article_2db0cc12-123f-5dc0-9068-83d798e609a2.html Back to Top 2 helicopters collide in midair as pilots herd deer on Texas ranch: FAA PHOTO: Robinson helicopters are pictured outside of London. Aviation- images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Two helicopters collided in midair as the pilots herded deer on a ranch in Texas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The two Robinson R22 helicopters crashed Wednesday morning shortly after 9 a.m. local time on a ranch near Hebbronville, Texas, about 150 miles south of San Antonio, FAA officials announced in a statement. The conditions of the occupants have not been confirmed, officials said. Their identities were not released. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. https://abcnews.go.com/US/helicopters-collide-midair-pilots-herd-deer-texas- ranch/story?id=66480539 Back to Top JAL submits measures on pilots' drinking problems Japan Airlines has submitted a set of new measures to the government aimed at dealing with alcohol-related problems involving its pilots. The Transport Ministry hit JAL with a business-improvement order this month in connection with a series of drinking incidents. It was second such reprimand for the airline in less than 12 months. Under the new plan, JAL will work with doctors and counselors to determine pilots' drinking habits, by reviewing their day-to-day health condition and work record. Pilots found to have addiction problems will be barred from flying and receive treatment. The plan requires all executives, including the president, to meet JAL's roughly 2,000 pilots to talk about the seriousness of the drinking problem and raise their safety awareness. The firm will also send letters to pilots' families, asking for their support. JAL says it intends to steadily implement the measures to win back trust from customers. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191024_20/ Back to Top Spirit Airlines Announces Upcoming Order of 100 Airbus A320neo Family Aircraft Spirit signs memorandum of understanding with Airbus to add a mix of Airbus A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo aircraft to continue Spirit's growth and sustain one of the youngest, most fuel-efficient fleets in the U.S. Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE), America's fastest-growing airline, today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus for the purchase of 100 new Airbus A320neo Family aircraft, together with the option to purchase up to 50 additional aircraft. The MOU includes a mix of Airbus A319, A320, and A321 models. These aircraft are planned for delivery through 2027. MIRAMAR, Fla., Oct. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE), America's fastest-growing airline, today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus for the purchase of 100 new Airbus A320neo Family aircraft, together with the option to purchase up to 50 additional aircraft. The MOU includes a mix of Airbus A319, A320, and A321 models. These aircraft are planned for delivery through 2027. "This new order represents another milestone for Spirit," said Spirit Airlines' President and CEO Ted Christie. "The additional aircraft will be used to support Spirit's growth as we add new destinations and expand our network across the U.S, Latin America and the Caribbean. We look forward to working with our valued partners at Airbus to finalize our agreement." Spirit's Fit FleetŪ is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the U.S. with an average aircraft age of just 5.6 years. Spirit currently operates 138 Airbus A320-family aircraft and has seven Airbus A320neo aircraft scheduled for delivery from Mobile, Ala., by year-end 2019, bringing its fleet count to 145. In 2020 and 2021, Spirit anticipates taking delivery of 48 A320neo aircraft. "The Airbus A320 Family has been a strong platform for the remarkable success of Spirit over the past several years," said Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer. "The continuing confidence in the A320 expressed by the airline certainly lifts our spirits, and we look forward to being a part of the Spirit team's continued growth for many, many years to come." In December 2019, Spirit plans to unveil an aircraft cabin redesign as part of its Invest in the Guest initiative. The cabin redesign will improve the look and feel of the interior while adding new, more comfortable seats that provide additional usable legroom. Spirit's new seats will feature thicker padding, ergonomically-designed lumbar support, and a full-size tray table. Middle seats will also gain another inch of width, and every seat will gain nearly an inch of pre-recline compared to Spirit's current seating configuration, with exit rows adding even more. Visit the Spirit Careers page to learn about the hundreds of pilot, flight attendant and maintenance positions that America's fastest growing airline will be hiring over the next few years. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/10/23/1934429/0/en/Spirit- Airlines-Announces-Upcoming-Order-of-100-Airbus-A320neo-Family-Aircraft.html Back to Top Air safety regulator must consider costs (Australia) The general aviation industry raised concerns about the costs associated with new regulations. Australia's aviation safety regulator will have to take into account the cost of making rules, under laws which have cleared federal parliament. The shift comes after the general aviation industry raised concerns about the costs sometimes associated with fresh regulations. Legislation making the change to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority passed the lower house on Thursday, after clearing the Senate in July. "The Australian government is very conscious of the challenges faced by small business in Australia, and the need to remove unnecessary costs and regulatory burden," assistant minister Andrew Gee told the chamber on Thursday. "It is important that we continue to support an aviation industry which is dynamic and sustainable." Mr Gee insists safety in the industry will always be the most important consideration. Labor backed the change, believing it strikes the right balance between keeping people safe and address the concerns of the aviation sector. "While we understand that there will always be groups that say the balance is completely wrong one way or the other ... on balance, we are supporting this bill," Labor MP Catherine King told parliament. Some commercial pilots had feared the changes could lead to weaker safety standards in favour of profits, but smaller industry players backed the bill because it aims to reduce costs. https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/6457078/air-safety-regulator-must- consider-costs/ Back to Top NASA Contracts Colorado's Drone Traffic Technology To Help Pilots JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A Colorado start-up is hoping to revolutionize how drones are detected in the air while keeping pilots and passengers safe. Drone Traffic recently won a NASA contract to develop the technology and has been contacted by the FAA to help out around wildfires. "We've already got 100 incidents per month that the FAA has documented where drones are operating where they should not be," said Drone Traffic CEO and Founder Rick Zelenka. "Several of those incidents are actually collisions between a drone and a small aircraft." The idea started when Zelenka returned to flying after a hiatus. He took years off when drone technology started to erupt. "I was worried about flying the aircraft and what might be out there. I started thinking how would I get to know of warnings of drones that are operating where they shouldn't be operating," he said. The idea is to have a small radar attach to aircraft. Then inside the cockpit, pilots can get an alert when a drone is in the area. The technology goes a step farther and inform other pilots in the area. "We're bringing together these different pieces in a unique way. Let's crowdsource information so that all pilots know who are interested about a hazardous drone that might be in their flight path," Zelenka said. "A pilot like me is going to need that information in real time to say, 'Hey there's a drone out there, it's hazardous, watch out for it. Do something different.'" NASA has a long history helping technology incorporate into air traffic control. Drone Traffic's grant will help bring software and hardware together to make his patent a reality. He's meeting with more government officials in the coming weeks to see if it can help other pilots. "The FAA contacted me with, 'Hey can we apply your system to help us out with this. So we can identify these drones and help our guys flying the firefighter aircraft to avoid these drones." Currently planes are grounded around wildfires when a drone is in the area. This technology could keep firefighters working and safe. "I want as much safety improvements as I can have," Zelenka said. https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/10/23/nasa-drone-traffic-technology/ Back to Top CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Fatigue is a pervasive issue that affects all airline cabin crew. Fatigue may impede cabin crews' ability to consistently and effectively manage passengers from safety, security and service perspectives. As part of our undergraduate research project at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia), we are conducting a survey of international cabin crew primarily engaged in long-haul (LH) and ultra long-haul (ULH) flight operations. This survey asks cabin crew for their views on various issues associated with work- related fatigue and stress. We also seek your views on the availability and effectiveness of various fatigue countermeasures. If you are working as LH or ULH cabin crew, you are invited to participate in this study. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire, which also includes a consent form. The study takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. To access the study, please go to the following website: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8qBLCKgmpWlraxT Participants who complete the study will be eligible to enter a draw to win the latest iPad (6th Generation). This research project is being supervised by Peter Renshaw at the Department of Aviation, Swinburne University of Technology. If you have any questions, please contact Peter at prenshaw@swin.edu.au Back to Top United States Helicopter Safety Team Industry Co-Chair Search The USHST also has begun a search for an industry co-chair to succeed Raj Helweg, chief pilot of Air Methods, who is nearing completion of his second two-year term as co- chair. Helweg will remain with the USHST Steering Committee. The USHST government co-chair is Wayne Fry, FAA Flight Standards Division Manager for General Aviation Safety Assurance. For information and criteria on how a helicopter safety expert can join the USHST effort, contact Chris Hill via email at chris.hill@rotor.org. And don't forget to join in on the Helicopter Safety conversation! https://www.facebook.com/groups/524159038149866/ Thank you for everything that you do to support our safety initiative! We are 93+ days since our last fatal accident due to a strong communication network and also exceptional leadership! We value your feedback. The AVS Customer Feedback Form is at: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/stakeholder_feedback/air/air600/ United States Helicopter Safety Team http://www.ushst.org/ Back to Top Chair Position Announcement Department of Aerospace Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) invites applications for an innovative leader to chair the Department of Aerospace. Start date for the position is August 1, 2020. Expedited tenure upon appointment possible. The selected candidate must have prior experience and/or academic credentials that would allow a tenured appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. All applications must be submitted through the MTSU Jobs web page (https://mtsujobs.mtsu.edu). Additional details and instructions can be found there. With approximately 1,000 undergraduate majors, the Department of Aerospace (https://www.mtsu.edu/aerospace/) is a signature department at MTSU, and is one of the nation's largest collegiate aviation operations programs. Our majors can choose among six concentrations: Aerospace Technology, Aviation Management, Flight Dispatch, Maintenance Management, Professional Pilot, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations. In addition, the department offers minors in Air Traffic Control and Unmanned Aircraft Systems as well as a Master's degree in Aeronautical Science with concentrations in Aviation Education, Aviation Management, and Aviation Safety and Security Management. MTSU is located in Murfreesboro, just outside of Nashville, in one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation. Located in the geographic center of the state, and included in Money magazine's "Top 100 Places to Live," Murfreesboro is implementing a community-wide growth plan while still maintaining a small-town feel. In addition to college events, the 'Boro' features a thriving Square, an extensive Greenway system, a Center for the Arts, and a variety of festivals and music venues. The primary responsibility of the chair is strong academic leadership for the department, ensuring excellent quality program delivery and student success and achievement. Other responsibilities include budgetary coordination, faculty/staff hiring and management, operational oversight of the MTSU airport campus and flight school, and partnership development with business, industry, and associations. The chair will serve as a champion for the growing program and will be expected to engage in fundraising, navigate periodic AABI accreditation review, and ensure compliance with FAA and other pertinent regulations. Successful candidates must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated vision, leadership, and the ability to work productively with faculty and students from diverse backgrounds. The selected candidate will have a bachelor's or higher degree in an aviation discipline and will also have a doctorate or terminal degree in an appropriate, related field. The selected candidate will have pilot, maintenance, or dispatch certification and must have 3 years teaching and/or leadership experience at the collegiate level. Candidates who have 5 years'experience working in or managing flight operations will receive special consideration. Back to Top Instructor Pilot: Assists with the development and delivery of flight, ground and simulator training programs to ensure that Air Care training is vigorously applied. Coordinates to integrate pilot training with medical crew training. Assists in developing and implementing flight related medical personnel training. Operate North Memorial aircraft according to Federal Aviation Regulations and North Memorial Policies to transport customers to local hospitals. Basic Qualifications: Education * Some college with Bachelor's Degree preferred. Experience * Helicopter & instrument instructor experience, or * Simulator instructor experience. * Classroom instructor experience. * Possess the required experience as listed in the Federal Aviation Regulations under Part 135. * FAA CFI/CFII or former military instructor pilot desired. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities * Possess a current FAA Medical Certificate; and an FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate. * Ability to semi-annually pass the required FAA instrument proficiency exam. * Ability to annually pass the required FAA Ground exam. * Organizational & people skills. * Some management skills. * Computer knowledge and writing skills. Apply Here: https://northmemorial.com/north- memorial-health-careers/ Back to Top Aviation Safety Officer: Responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the Safety Management System (SMS). Serves as a consultant to the all aviation departments on safety issues and performs related safety duties as required. Establishes and maintains active working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Basic Qualifications: Education * Bachelor of Science Degree with major course work in Aviation Management, Industrial Safety or * Hygiene, Public Administration, or closely related field. Experience * Previous experience with helicopter or other aviation-related organization * Certified helicopter pilot and/or maintenance technician preferred * Experience with auditing protocols and accreditation programs Knowledge, Skills and Abilities * Familiar with FAA rules and regulations * Application of FAA/NTSB/NASA aviation safety programs Licensure/Certification(s)/Registration * Valid Class D Driver's license in the state of residency with acceptable driving record---State Requirement * FAA CFI/CFII----NMHC Preferred * Airline Transport Pilot/Commercial Pilot License---NMHC Preferred Apply Here: https://northmemorial.com/north- memorial-health-careers/ Back to Top Manager, Helicopter Maintenance This position serves in the role of Director of Maintenance as described in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Supervises maintenance personnel as well as managing and scheduling aircraft maintenance. Supervises the maintenance of all tools, equipment, and supplies. Maintains all required aircraft records in a current status and transfers any log discrepancies not repaired to the deferred sheet. Directs all training and maintenance activities of maintenance personnel, determines personnel requirements based on present and projected workloads, and submits reports required by FAR 135.415 & FAR 135.417. Basic Qualifications: Education * High School Graduate or equivalent (GED) required * Airframe and powerplant technical school graduate * Factory training on at least one aircraft operated by North Memorial Health Air Care Experience * Must meet recent experience requirements of FAR 65.83 on same category and class of aircraft operated by North Memorial Health * Five (5) years' experience as a certified aircraft mechanic * In lieu of item 2: 3 years' experience with a certified airframe repair station, including 1 year in the capacity of approving aircraft to return to service. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities * Must know maintenance sections of operations manual, operations specifications, FAR 135.39C, and other applicable regulations. * Must be highly knowledgeable of the Aircraft Manufacturer's Maintenance Manual, inspection and maintenance specifications, applicable Federal Aviation Regulations and applicable portions of the Operations Manual. Must maintain close liaison with local FAA-FSDO on maintenance matters. Apply Here: https://northmemorial.com/north-memorial-health- careers/ Back to Top JOIN US! SAFE SKIES FOR ALL: INTRODUCING SPACEFLIGHT INTO OUR SKIES www.alpa.org/safeskies October 31, 2019 | Hyatt Regency Hotel | Washington, D.C The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation invite you to a dynamic one-day conference as we highlight numerous, ongoing efforts to transform our airspace for the future. Curt Lewis