Flight Safety Information October 26, 2019 - No. 219 In This Issue Boeing wrongly assumed pilots would quickly trim out MCAS Design flaws, pilots faulted in fatal jet crash Safety Chain Failed Lion Air Flight, But Boeing MCAS Was Weakest Link Boeing considered system redesign before accidents: NTSB report Incident: Swiss BCS3 near Marseille on Oct 24th 2019, problem with heat sensor Accident: Cathay Pacific B773 near Nagoya on Oct 25th 2019, turbulence injures 4 cabin crew Incident: Canada E190 at Toronto on Oct 6th 2019, fumes in cockpit Airbus A330-243 - Ground Collision (China) Jet goes off runway, hits fence at Boulder City airport Small airplane with 3 aboard crashes near Red Creek Airstrip in Tonto National Forest FAA shuts down Florida repair firm that supplied faulty Lion Air sensor Hong Kong Airlines earns warning from Air Transport Licensing Authority over financial tailspin Qatar Airways, JAL among suitors for Malaysia Airlines Stratolaunch, Which Flew the World's Biggest Airplane (Once), Sold to Mystery Owner Ground handling companies fined for aircraft damage (Taiwan) USAF releases light attack RFI for 'limited number' of aircraft Bonuses for Boeing workers eliminated for 2019 Launch date set for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft at Cape Canaveral CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Chair Position Announcement SAFE SKIES FOR ALL: INTRODUCING SPACEFLIGHT INTO OUR SKIES Boeing wrongly assumed pilots would quickly trim out MCAS Boeing incorrectly predicted the manner in which 737 Max pilots would respond to the activation of the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, by assuming they would initially pull back on the control column and then trim out the force to maintain level flight. But the investigation into the Lion Air 737 Max accident last October has revealed that assumption that crews would immediately trim the aircraft were wrong. MCAS was designed to reduce nose-up attitude by automatically adjusting the horizontal stabiliser to reduce pitch. Activation of MCAS on the Lion Air jet - a result of the inaccurate angle-of-attack sensor readings - did lead the crews to respond initially by pulling on the control column, says Indonesian investigation authority KNKT. "However, they did not consistently trim out the resulting column forces as had been assumed," it states. "The Boeing assumption was different from the flight crew behaviour in responding to MCAS activation." Failure to re-trim the aircraft during a series of repeated MCAS activations would result in the stabiliser gradually shifting to its maximum deflection, with the crew attempting to keep the nose up with increasing force on the control column. When the 737 Max was being developed, simulator testing during functional hazard assessment "never considered" the scenario of repetitive MCAS activation incrementally driving the stabiliser to its maximum limit. Boeing had believed repetitive MCAS activations to be "no worse" than a single activation, because of its assumption that the pilots would trim out the forces each time, says the inquiry. It had also assumed that the crew would respond correctly, and within 3s. But an absence of this trimming would "escalate the flight crew workload", the inquiry states, and the effects of this failure to trim after each MCAS activation "should have been reconsidered". Boeing had reasoned that unintended stabiliser deflection, triggered by MCAS, could be addressed by the use of elevator alone - through the crew's pulling on the control column. But the Lion Air accident showed that, in an extreme case, repeated MCAS deflections without sufficient trim would result in a cumulative out-of-trim situation which "could not be countered" just with the elevator, says the inquiry. This scenario was "contrary to the Boeing assumption" during the airframer's functional hazard assessment process, it adds. "Any out-of-trim condition which is not properly corrected would lead the flight crew into a situation that makes it more difficult for them to maintain desired attitude of the aircraft," says the inquiry. "The flight crews in both the accident flight and the previous flight had difficulty maintaining flightpath during multiple MCAS activations." Boeing's functional hazard assessment played down the potential impact of unintended MCAS stabiliser deflection, classifying it as a 'major' failure condition rather than 'hazardous' or 'catastrophic' - which meant the company was not required to analyse this scenario more rigorously. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-wrongly-assumed-pilots-would- quickly-trim-out-461811/ Back to Top Design flaws, pilots faulted in fatal jet crash JAKARTA, Indonesia - Design flaws in Boeing's 737 Max jet, regulatory lapses, and false assumptions about pilots' responses to new systems combined to cause last year's fatal Lion Air crash, Indonesian investigators said Friday as their final report. The crash prompted Boeing to make changes to the 737 Max, the company said. Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29 after taking off from Jakarta. All eight crew members and 181 passengers were killed. The crash was soon tied to a new automated feature that Boeing had included on the 737 Max, a new version of its popular jet with larger, more fuel-efficient engines. Investigators said the feature was mistakenly triggered by faulty information from an external sensor. Similar problems were blamed for the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March that killed 157 people. The Max has been grounded worldwide since that crash. Officials from Indonesia's transportation safety regulator said Friday that several factors worked together to doom the Lion Air jet. "These items were connected to each other. If one of them was not occurring on that day, the accident may not have happened," said Nurcahyo Utomo, an investigator at the National Transportation Safety Committee. Those factors included incorrect assumptions by Boeing about how pilots would respond to the new flight-control system, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. Investigators said the MCAS design relied on a single sensor and was therefore vulnerable to errors. "One [angle of attack] affected the whole system," Mr. Nurcahyo said. A false reading on that sensor redirected the plane's nose down, leaving the crew unable to override autopilot commands. Other fatal mistakes included a lack of training for pilots in the new system, a lack of documentation about problems in previous Lion Air flights involving the same jet, and ineffective coordination between flight crews. Investigators said the plane should have been grounded after an earlier fault. The report offered stark new details about an external sensor involved in the crash, pointing at the role of a maintenance firm in Florida and oversight by U.S. regulators. A dirty angle-of-attack sensor was sent to a Miramar-based company, Xtra Aerospace, for maintenance in 2017. It was then sent back and installed on the left side of the Lion Air flight the day before it plunged into the Java Sea, the report said. Angle-of-attack sensors are supposed to give pilots, and airplane systems, reliable data to help understand how the aircraft's nose is pointed in relation to oncoming wind. But shortly after takeoff, the newly installed left sensor showed a reading that was different, by 21 degrees, from the one on the right. Investigators say that inaccurate reading caused Boeing's automated feature to mistakenly fire, again and again, before the plane crashed. The "sensor was most likely improperly calibrated at Xtra Aerospace," the Indonesian crash report said. The FAA said it issued an order revoking Xtra Aerospace's repair station certificate Friday, saying the firm had "failed to comply with requirements to repair only aircraft parts on its list of parts acceptable to the FAA that it was capable of repairing." https://www.toledoblade.com/news/World/2019/10/25/design-flaws-pilots-faulted-in- fatal-jet-crash/stories/20191026026 Back to Top Safety Chain Failed Lion Air Flight, But Boeing MCAS Was Weakest Link Most aircraft accidents can be traced to a series of failures, small or large, which on their own might have amounted to nothing but combined result in disaster. While providing full details of the chain of events which led to the Lion Air JT610 tragedy, the report points to the weakest link being the Boeing 737 MAX MCAS. Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) investigator Nurcahyo Utomo If only The detailed final report published today by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) reads like heartache. Investigators detail the last exchange between the captain reassuring the first officer, "it's ok," and the first officer repeating his warning that the plane was flying down, "fly up," while they continue to struggle against the MCAS system, having repeatedly failed to regain control of their aircraft without ever knowing their true position. Then the sound of a single chime of the interfone which flight attendants use to communicate with the flight deck and each other, before the final terrain and sink rate warnings. And then silence. Though the KNKT cautions that the report is merely a safety assessment and not intended to attribute blame, the details provided by investigators paint a picture of the tragedy of Lion Air Flight 610 as a chain of "if only" events. If only the Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor hadn't failed. If only the replacement sensor hadn't been erroneously calibrated with up to a 25º bias. If only Lion Air maintenance had properly documented the repeated failures reported by previous crew as a major fault with the aircraft, worthy of investigation, rather than returning the aircraft to service. If only the crew that successfully handled similar problems on the same aircraft just a day before had provided a more detailed incident report. If only the crew knew about MCAS. If only none of this had mattered because the MCAS worked as Boeing had assumed it would. MCAS and the Changed Product Rule Boeing wanted the 737 MAX to handle and operate similarly to previous generation 737s, to speed certification and avoid airlines having to put pilots through expensive simulator training, and that led it to create MCAS. As the accident report details, the Boeing 737-8 (MAX), was certified under the FAA's Changed Product Rule as a derivative of the 737-800, while introducing the CFM LEAP- 1B engine with a larger fan diameter and redesigned engine nacelle compared to engines installed on the 737 Next Generation (NG) family. But the larger engines changed how the plane handled at elevated angles of attack. Boeing implemented aerodynamic changes as well as a stability augmentation function called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), as an extension of the existing Speed Trim System (STS). Findings by the Joint Aviation (JATR) have previously suggested that this aircraft may have warranted an independent type certification process. The Lion Air crash report also points in this direction. MCAS caused pilot confusion The design of the MCAS was based on a series assumptions that did not prove to be complete or accurate. Crew were not initially made aware of its function and repeated activations of the MCAS made the aircraft's control column too heavy for pilots to handle. Boeing didn't test for the effect on pilots of repeated activations of MCAS. "During [functional hazard assessment], the simulator test had never considered a scenario in which the MCAS activation allowed the stabilizer movement to reach the maximum MCAS command limit of 2.5° of stabilizer movement. Therefore, their combined flight deck effects were not evaluated," the report states. Boeing's assumptions underestimated the time it took pilots to respond to system messages, and engaging with the results of MCAS actions directly affected pilots response time and made the aircraft increasingly more difficult to handle. At its normal rate, after 3 seconds, the MCAS would move the stabilizer 0.81 degrees in the aircraft nose down direction, a large degree of movement. To counter, the flight crew had two options: continually pulling back forcefully on the control column, or using a switch on the control column that electrically moves the stabilizer. However doing the latter will also reset the MCAS function which can be activated again in 5 seconds. In the event of repetitive MCAS activation without sufficient flight crew response to return the aircraft to a trimmed state, it could reach a point where the forces on the control column mount to a level where the pilots can no longer exert enough counter- force to maintain control. "During the accident flight, the DFDR recorded a control force of 103 lbs., after repetitive MCAS activation was responded with the FO had responded with inadequate trim to counter MCAS. At this point, the flight crew was unable to maintain altitude," the report says. And it's important to remember that MCAS was invisible to these Lion Air pilots. They were simply not aware that it was working against them. "Without prior knowledge of MCAS functions, the flight crew would depend on the visual and motion cues, prior training for runaway stabilizer, and general training on pitch control to be able to analyze the situation and recognize the non-normal condition. Review of the DFDR data showed that during both the accident and the previous LNI043 flights, the flight crew responded within 2-3 seconds using control column to control the flight path and subsequently trimmed out column forces using electric trim. In the previous LNI043 flight, the flight crew required 3 minutes and 40 seconds rather than seconds to recognize and understand the problem, during which repetitive uncommanded MCAS activations occurred. During the accident flight, recognition of the uncommanded stabilizer movement as a runaway stabilizer condition did not occur thereby, the execution of the non-normal procedure did not occur." AOA and the single point of failure To avoid a single point of failure leading to an accident, many aviation safety standards rely on redundant systems. However, Boeing has no redundancy built-in. The MCAS function used input from a single AOA sensor. Though competitors like Airbus base their systems on reconciling input from multiple sensors, Boeing decided that a single input was sufficient because AOA sensor failures are rare. According to Boeing only 25 activations of stick shaker alerts were due to AOA failures in 737 aircraft over the last 17 years, in more than 240 million flight hours. But, investigators note, this rarity was still too high a risk especially with lack of training provided to pilots to interpret the effects on MCAS of erroneous sensor data. "To comply with the safety requirement of a 'hazardous failure condition,' the aircraft is supposed to rely on sensors that have less than a one-in-10-million (1E-7) chance of failing. Generally, that means taking measurements from two sensors. A hazardous failure condition depending on a single sensor should have been avoided in the certification process." In the end, investigators found that, "The MCAS function was not a fail-safe design and did not include redundancy. A single failure to the AOA sensor corresponding with the FCC commanding STS resulted in erroneous activation of MCAS. During the accident, flight crew reactions were different from and did not match the guidance for assumptions of flight crew behavior that were used when classifying the hazard severity of this failure mode in the functional hazard assessment." https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2019/10/25/safety-chain-failed-lion-air- flight-but-boeing-mcas-was-weakest-link/#6b43fdec4352 Back to Top Boeing considered system redesign before accidents: NTSB report SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) engineers and test pilots considered before two fatal 737 MAX crashes whether an anti-stall system should be redesigned after discussing how flawed data from a single sensor could trigger it repeatedly, U.S. investigators have found. FILE PHOTO: Aerial photos showing Boeing 737 Max airplanes parked at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. October 20, 2019. REUTERS/Gary He/File Photo The so-called MCAS system, which relied on one sensor, has been linked in part to crashes of 737 MAX jets flown by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines, which triggered a worldwide grounding and a corporate crisis at the world's largest planemaker. The potential redesign discussed during 737 MAX development was ultimately ruled out, based in part on the assumption pilots would react in time to any malfunction, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report to Indonesian investigators. Although not formally part of the required analysis, the Boeing staff discussed the scenario of repeated activation of MCAS due to erroneously high Angle-of-Attack data and considered whether a redesign was necessary, the NTSB report said, citing a 2019 presentation by Boeing to the agency. "As part of this discussion they discussed the combined flight deck effects ... but determined that no redesign was necessary," the NTSB said of the Boeing discussion, referring to alerts that could be potentially distracting to pilots. Later, in a review after the Lion Air 737 MAX crash last October which killed all 189 people on board, Boeing also found that presenting the scenario to regulators would not have led it to classify the anti-stall system as a bigger hazard at the time. Boeing has redesigned the system to rely on more than one sensor and help reduce pilot workload as it strives to return the model to the air. The fresh details of the design of the MCAS system from the NTSB are included in a final report by Indonesian officials into the Lion Air crash. The NTSB has been supporting the Indonesian-led probe. Reuters obtained a copy of the overall report, due to be released publicly later on Friday or on Saturday. In a statement on Friday, Boeing said it had redesigned the system so MCAS would in future compare information from both Angle-of-Attack sensors before activating and would be easier for pilots to over-ride. "These software changes will prevent the flight control conditions that occurred in this accident from ever happening again," it said, declining further comment. RELATIVELY SIMPLE Boeing had assumed pilots would recognize the plane's uncommanded nose-down movement within the three seconds required by regulators, making it relatively simple to restore the aircraft to a normal position, according to the final report. The manufacturer did not consider what would happen if a pilot reacted more slowly, leaving MCAS able to move the nose down by the system's maximum allowable amount. In the Lion Air crash, it took the pilot 11 seconds to respond to the first movement, during which the system reached the maximum authority. Indonesian authorities recommended Boeing make more allowance in the design of its jets for the reactions of normal pilots, rather than its exceptionally skilled test pilots. Boeing, which did not describe the MCAS system in pilot manuals, thought pilots would quickly perform a checklist to deal with a problem called "runaway stabilizer", for which they were already trained and which resembled the impact of MCAS. However, the report found that MCAS did not behave in the same manner as a typical runaway, as the movement was not continuous and pilots were able to counter it multiple times by pulling back on their control columns. At the same time as the aircraft was moving nose-down, making it difficult to control, the pilots were faced with a cascade of alerts as they tried to diagnose the situation. "The flight crew were running out of time to find a solution before the repetitive MCAS activations placed the aircraft in an extreme nose-down attitude that they were unable to recover from," the report said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-crash-boeing-ntsb/boeing-considered- system-redesign-before-accidents-ntsb-report-idUSKBN1X41Y5 Back to Top Incident: Swiss BCS3 near Marseille on Oct 24th 2019, problem with heat sensor A Swiss International Airlines Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration HB-JCG performing flight LX-2160 from Geneva (Switzerland) to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain) with 20 people on board, was enroute at FL270 about 180nm south of Geneva and about 50nm west of Marseille (France) when the crew decided to return to Geneva. The aircraft landed safely on Geneva's runway 22 about 80 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft carried 20 people when the crew decided to return due to a problem with a heat sensor. The aircraft returned to service the following morning after about 1.5 hours on the ground. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce6eefe&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Cathay Pacific B773 near Nagoya on Oct 25th 2019, turbulence injures 4 cabin crew A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300, registration B-HNN performing flight CX-532 from Hong Kong (China) to Nagoya (Japan) with 125 people on board, was descending through about FL120 towards Nagoya when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing minor injuries to 4 cabin crew. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Nagoya's runway 36 about 15 minutes later. The 4 cabin crew took a taxi to a hospital to have bruises and scratches treated. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce6ed29&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Canada E190 at Toronto on Oct 6th 2019, fumes in cockpit An Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190, registration C-FHOY performing flight AC-442 from Toronto,ON to Ottawa,ON (Canada) with 60 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through FL180 out of Toronto when the crew stopped the climb and decided to return to Toronto reporting an odour in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely back in Toronto about 21 minutes after departure. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found the APU oil level at the high side and correcte the oil level. The APU intake cover and aft fuselage were found contaminated with oil, the areas were cleaned and the air recirculation filters were replaced. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA442/history/20191006/1219Z/CYYZ/CYOW http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce6eb3a&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Airbus A330-243 - Ground Collision (China) Date: 25-OCT-2019 Time: Type: Airbus A330-243 Owner/operator: Air China Registration: B-6131 C/n / msn: 941 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport - China Phase: Taxi Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Beijing-Capital International Airport (PEK/ZBAA) Destination airport: Chongqing-Jiangbei International Airport (CKG/ZUCK) Narrative: Air China flight CA1449, an Airbus A330-200 knocked over a light pole with the left- hand wing at Chongqing Airport. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230206 Back to Top Jet goes off runway, hits fence at Boulder City airport An jet flown by a former Hungarian Air Force fighter pilot ran off the runway at the Boulder City Municipal Airport on Friday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration said in an email the aircraft crashed under "unknown circumstances." Preliminary reports indicate that the L-39 airplane crashed after landing at the airport, FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said in an email. The aircraft, which sustained minor damage, ran off the runway and struck a perimeter fence. The FAA said the aircraft is registered to Istvan Kalmar. Reached by phone Friday afternoon, Kalmar said, "The brake overheated ... and it made the runway short." He said the aircraft ran off the runway and "badly pushed a fence over" but that "nobody even had a scratch." Kenitzer said local authorities reported that two people were onboard. The L-39 is a single-engine military aircraft designed and manufactured by Aero Vodochody for the Czechoslovakian Air Force, according to airforce-technology.com. It was the first airplane to be powered by turbofan engines. There are numerous variations of the jet, which is generally used as a training aircraft for military pilots. https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/jet-goes-off-runway-hits-fence-at- boulder-city-airport-1878578/ ************** Date: 25-OCT-2019 Time: Type: Aero L-39 Owner/operator: Private Registration: N49MH C/n / msn: 834558 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Boulder City Municipal Airport (BLD/KBVU), NV - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Destination airport: Boulder City Municipal Airport, NV (BLD/KBVU) Narrative: The aircraft experienced a runway excursion and a subsequent impact with a fence during a landing attempt at Boulder City Municipal Airport (BLD/KBVU), Nevada. The jet sustained minor damage and the two occupants onboard were not injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230210 Back to Top Small airplane with 3 aboard crashes near Red Creek Airstrip in Tonto National Forest A small plane with three people aboard crashed Thursday afternoon at the Red Creek Airstrip, about 35 miles from Deer Valley Airport in north Phoenix, according to officials. A Cessna 205 aircraft went down about 4:30 p.m. under unknown circumstances, according to Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. Red Creek Airstrip is located in Tonto National Forest in Yavapai County. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said a locator beacon alert involving an aircraft on the Red Creek Airstrip was brought to their attention just before 5 p.m. Arizona Department of Public Safety units were sent to the site of the plane crash first due to it being in a remote area. There were three people were aboard the aircraft, Kenitzer said in an email. None of them were injured in the apparent rough landing, and a DPS ranger then flew the three out of the area around 8 p.m., Yavapai County Sheriff officials reported. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the FAA said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the crash. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2019/10/25/small- airplane-crashes-near-red-creek-airstrip-tonto-national-forest-yavapai- county/2454399001/ ************* Date: 24-OCT-2019 Time: 16:30 Type: Cessna 210-5A (205A) Owner/operator: Skyhawks Inc Registration: N8326Z C/n / msn: 205-0326 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Red Creek Airstrip, Payson, AZ - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Destination airport: Red Creek Airstrip, AZ Narrative: The airplane crashed under unknown circumstances at Red Creek Airstrip, Payson, Arizona. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the three occupants onboard were not injured. This Cessna 210 is Horton STOL modified. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230204 Back to Top FAA shuts down Florida repair firm that supplied faulty Lion Air sensor The angle of attack (AOA) vane just below the cockpit windshield on a Boeing 737 MAX 8. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has shut down Xtra Aerospace of Miramar, Fla., the company that supplied a faulty sensor to Lion Air that triggered the deadly 2018 crash of a 737 MAX, killing 189 people. The regulator's revocation of Xtra's aviation repair station certificate, announced Friday, means Xtra is out of business. Late Friday, Xtra issued a statement saying that "we respectfully disagree with the agency's findings." It added that the revocation of its certificate "is not an indication that Xtra was responsible for the accident." The news came the same day that the final investigation report into the Lion Air accident was released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia, known by its Indonesian acronym KNKT. 737 MAX CRISIS A Boeing 737 Max 8 sits behind the Boeing 737 Renton factory waiting for engines. The Angle of attack (AOA) instrument of the 737 MAX, is the bottom piece of equipment below just below the cockpit windshield. In other responses to that report, Boeing said it is "addressing the KNKT's safety recommendations," and in Congress members of both House and Senate vowed to push through legislation to improve regulation of air safety. Xtra repaired and approved for service a secondhand angle of attack sensor that was installed on the Lion Air jet to replace a faulty one. But according to the final KNKT investigation report, the replacement sensor was mis-calibrated so that the angle it registered was 21 degrees too high. The FAA revocation order said Xtra "recklessly and systemically" failed to comply with federal safety requirements. The order was issued on the day that the KNKT report observed that the FAA's oversight of Xtra before the crash had been inadequate. Asked why the FAA had waited until the final investigation report was published to stop the Florida operation, a spokesman for the safety agency said "it typically takes several months to conduct a thorough investigation, review the findings and determine whether an operator or repair station complied with Federal Aviation Regulations." Secondhand part The component that triggered the sequence that led to the Lion Air MAX crash had originally been installed on an older Boeing 737-900ER aircraft in Malaysia and was sent for repair a year earlier to Xtra, where the unit was disassembled and an eroded vane replaced. Xtra calibrated and tested the component and approved it for return to service in November 2017. It was installed on the Lion Air jet on Oct. 28, the day before the fatal flight. On Flight 610, the next day, the replacement sensor was off by 21 degrees from the one on the other side of the plane. After the pilot retracted the flaps, Boeing's new flight control system - MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) - assumed the angle of attack was too high because of the input from that one bad sensor, and began to push the nose of the aircraft down, leading to the crash. The KNKT report states that the sensor "was most likely improperly calibrated at Xtra Aerospace." The company's procedures did not include an extra check required to validate the calibration. The report notes that the FAA missed this, though it is responsible for overseeing quality control at aircraft component suppliers. On Friday, the FAA said an investigation begun after the Lion Air accident "determined that from November 2009 until May 2019, Xtra failed to complete and retain records in accordance with procedures in its repair station manual." It also itemized other failures and said Xtra "did not substantiate that it had adequate facilities, tools, test equipment, technical publications, and trained and qualified employees." Boeing and Congress respond After the official release of the KNKT report, Boeing issued a statement commending the Indonesian safety committee for "its extensive efforts to determine the facts." The statement outlined the upgrade of MCAS that Boeing has completed to address the design flaws identified in the report. "Going forward, MCAS will compare information from both AOA sensors before activating," Boeing said. "In addition, MCAS will now only turn on if both AOA sensors agree, will only activate once in response to erroneous AOA, and will always be subject to a maximum limit that can be overridden with the control column." Finally, Boeing said it "is updating crew manuals and pilot training, designed to ensure every pilot has all of the information they need to fly the 737 MAX safely." In Congress, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell (D- WA) Thursday introduced legislation to implement recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations related to how pilots respond to flight deck alerts and increased automation in aircraft cockpits. Cantwell pledged to review the recommendations from the investigations into both 737 MAX tragedies and to "consider additional legislation to help maintain the industry's strongest safety standards." And in the House, Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rick Larsen (D-WA), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation, issued statements on the Lion Air final report. "I will be introducing legislation at the appropriate time to ensure that unairworthy commercial airliners no longer slip through our regulatory system," said DeFazio. "One thing is abundantly clear: the method by which the FAA certifies aircraft is itself in need of repair," said Larsen. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/faa-shuts-down-revokes- certificate-of-florida-repair-firm-that-supplied-faulty-lion-air-sensor/ Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines earns warning from Air Transport Licensing Authority over financial tailspin * Air Transport Licensing Authority tells city's third-largest airline to take 'immediate and concrete' actions to improve its financial situation * Carrier backed by debt-laden Chinese conglomerate HNA Group saw its finances worsen as city's protests intensified Hong Kong Airlines has warned of a severe cash-flow problem since late August. Photo: K Y ChengHong Kong Airlines has warned of a severe cash-flow problem since late August. Hong Kong's airline licensing body on Friday warned it would take "appropriate action" in the business affairs of Hong Kong Airlines as it publicly criticised the carrier's slumping financial performance. The Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) - a statutory body with the power to shut down carriers and approve new ones - said it told the city's third-largest airline to take "immediate and concrete" steps to "effectively improve its financial situation" after a meeting on Friday with airlines officials. Hong Kong Airlines has been under government scrutiny since December and the company has been the target of regular public statements urging it to repair its financial situation. "Having considered the information recently submitted by [Hong Kong Airlines], the ATLA is of the view that HKA's financial situation has shown no sign of improvement," the independent licensing body said. We will continue to review and adjust our operation to respond to market demand and cater to our changing business needs Hong Kong Airlines spokeswoman The carrier, backed by the debt-laden Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, saw its financial condition worsen as Hong Kong's protest crisis intensified. By late August, the airline warned of a severe cash-flow problem after thousands of customers cancelled trips and fewer made advance bookings. Since that time, senior executives have taken a 20 per cent pay cut, employees have been placed on no-pay leave and the company has slashed its flight schedules. Is Hong Kong Airlines set to bail out of long-haul flights completely? Hong Kong Airlines responded by saying it had implemented cost-saving methods to minimise its cash-flow woes. "We will continue to review and adjust our operations to respond to market demands and cater to our changing business needs," a spokeswoman said. "Hong Kong Airlines remains committed to delivering a safe and smooth service to all our customers. We will continue to cooperate with the ATLA to provide updates as requested." https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3034661/hong-kong-airlines- earns-warning-air-transport-licensing Back to Top Qatar Airways, JAL among suitors for Malaysia Airlines - media KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Three international carriers have put in bids to buy a strategic stake in the ailing Malaysian carrier, Malaysia Airlines, according to a report published on Saturday by business weekly The Edge Malaysia. Malaysia's government said on Tuesday that sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which owns Malaysia Airlines, has shortlisted four potential investors for the deal, after having invited initial proposals from a field of 20. Of the four short-listed, three of them are airlines - Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines Co Ltd and China Southern Airlines - The Edge reported citing sources. Khazanah is expected to decide on its preferred candidate soon, as Malaysia Airlines only has enough cash to sustain its operations till April next year, the report said. The Edge did not mention the identity of the fourth bidder or the value of the deal. Khazanah did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. A person with knowledge of initial discussions on the matter told Reuters a Middle Eastern or Chinese airline could eventually invest in the state carrier. However, any Chinese player would have to overcome anger against Malaysia Airlines over the 2014 disappearance of flight MH370 that was bound for Beijing with 153 Chinese citizens on board, the person said. Khazanah's financial performance took a hit last year, with almost half of its 7.3 billion ringgit ($1.7 billion) impairment stemming from sustaining the airline. https://www.reuters.com/article/malaysia-airlines-ma/qatar-airways-jal-among-suitors- for-malaysia-airlines-media-idUSL3N27B00A Back to Top Stratolaunch, Which Flew the World's Biggest Airplane (Once), Sold to Mystery Owner Stratolaunch's rocket carrier plane, the largest aircraft ever built, takes off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California during its first test flight on April 13, 2019.Stratolaunch's rocket carrier plane, the largest aircraft ever built, takes off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California during its first test flight on April 13, 2019.(Image: © Stratolaunch Systems) The company that operates the world's largest airplane has a new owner - but we don't know who it is. Stratolaunch Systems, the satellite-launching venture established by billionaire Microsoft co-founder and longtime space enthusiast Paul Allen in 2011, has changed hands, the company announced earlier this month. "Stratolaunch LLC has transitioned ownership and is continuing regular operations," Stratolaunch representatives wrote in an Oct. 11 statement. That statement did not identify the new owner, and we remain in the dark today. California-based company Scaled Composites built for Stratolaunch a huge plane with a 385-foot (117 meters) wingspan. This dual-fuselage aircraft, known as Roc, is designed to carry a satellite-toting rocket high in the sky. After being dropped at altitude, the rocket will fire up, carrying its payload to space. This air-launch strategy is not new; it's currently employed by Northrop Grumman's Pegasus rockets and Virgin Galactic's six-passenger SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle, for example. Stratolaunch had been owned by Allen's holding company, Vulcan. But after Allen died in October 2018, his sister Jody - the co-founder and chair of Vulcan, and the executor and trustee of her brother's estate - decided to set an exit strategy, Reuters reported earlier this year. Stratolaunch soon scaled back its operations significantly and laid off a large portion of its workforce, Geekwire reported. And in June, CNBC reported that Vulcan was seeking to sell Roc, for $400 million. Roc has just one flight under its belt, a 2.5-hour-long test jaunt that took place this past April over California's Mojave Desert. It's unclear when the huge plane will lift off again; we'll just have to wait for more news. "Our near-term launch vehicle development strategy focuses on providing customizable, reusable, and affordable rocket-powered testbed vehicles and associated flight services," Vulcan representatives added in the Oct. 11 statement. "As we continue on our mission, Stratolaunch will bring the carrier aircraft test and operations program fully in-house. We thank Vulcan Inc and Scaled Composites for turning an ambitious idea into a flight-proven aircraft." https://www.space.com/stratolaunch-worlds-biggest-airplane-sold-mystery-owner.html Back to Top Ground handling companies fined for aircraft damage (Taiwan) Taipei, Oct. 25 (CNA) Two local ground handling service providers have been fined for incidents in which human negligence or mechanical failure led to damage of aircraft at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Friday. Taoyuan International Airport Services Co. and Evergreen Airline Services Co. were fined NT$300,000 (US$9,826) and NT$60,000 each for poor management that damaged three aircraft and one aircraft respectively, said Deputy Transport Minister Wang Kwo- tsai (???). Wang's remarks came after the ministry conducted an investigation into aircraft damage caused by poor ground handling services, the frequency of which has recently increased at the country's main gateway. In October alone, there were three incidents, Wang said, adding that the phenomenon has raised serious safety concerns and impacted the image of the airport. For example, on Oct. 6, a Japan Airlines flight was delayed nearly eight hours after the aircraft was damaged when being towed to the gate ahead of being boarded. The underside of the aircraft's left engine covering scraped against a passenger gateway as the ground crew from Taoyuan International Airport Services were towing the empty aircraft toward gate D2. The investigation by the ministry also found that out of eight cases so far this year, three were caused by fuel supplier CPC Co., Taiwan during refilling, while the other was caused by FedEx Co. ground staff. As the CPC is not a ground service company subject to the constraints of the Civil Aviation Act, the law on which the penalties were based, the case will be transferred to the Ministry of Economics Affairs and reviewed under the Petroleum Administration Act, Wang said. The incident involving FedEx Co. was minor, so there was no punishment, according to the ministry. To reduce the safety risk posed by such incidents, Wang said the ministry is looking to introduce a surveillance system that monitors flight conditions and ground operations by the end of this year. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201910250015.aspx Back to Top USAF releases light attack RFI for 'limited number' of aircraft The US Air Force (USAF) released its final request for proposal (RFI) for about half a dozen Textron Aviation AT-6 and Sierra Nevada /Embraer A-29 light attack aircraft. The RFI was issued on 24 October. The USAF plans to purchase two to three light attack aircraft from each manufacturer, the service says in a media release. The light attack programme is intended to find aircraft that would boost US allies and foreign military partners' ground attack capabilities, while also developing communications technology that would connect those aircraft with the USA's robust intelligence, surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) network. Embraer A-29 over Afghanistan "Over the last two years, I watched as the Air Force experimented with light attack aircraft to discover alternate, cost-effective options to deliver airpower and build partner capacity around the globe," says secretary of the USAF Barbara Barrett, who was confirmed this month. "I look forward to this next phase." The light attack experiment has evolved over the last several years. Its original intent was in part to find a cheap-to-fly aircraft for the USAF. The hope was that light attack aircraft would be low-cost alternatives for air-to-ground attack missions compared to using expensive aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 or Boeing F-15. The service eventually shifted its focus towards developing communications networks for foreign countries' light attack aircraft. Such communications hardware and software are to connect aircraft, ISR sensors and weapons of foreign military partners and allies to the US military. "If I hear one thing from my international air chiefs, it's 'we need to figure out how to share information both ways,'" says General David L. Goldfein, the USAF's chief of staff. As part of the next phase of the light attack programme, AT-6 Wolverine aircraft will be used by Air Combat Command at Nellis AFB in Nevada, for continued testing and development of operational tactics and standards for new tactical communications and data-sharing networks, says the USAF. That technology is intended to be exported to US allies and foreign military partners. The A-29 Super Tucano aircraft will be sent to Hurlburt Field in Florida, where they will be used by Air Force Special Operations Command to develop an instructor pilot programme for the command's Combat Aviation Advisory mission, says the service. The programme is intended to help train foreign pilots in the use of light attack aircraft. "Our focus is on how a light attack aircraft can help our allies and partners as they confront violent extremism and conduct operations within their borders," says Goldfein. "Continuing this experiment, using the authorities Congress has provided, gives us the opportunity to put a small number of aircraft through the paces and work with partner nations on ways in which smaller, affordable aircraft like these can support their air forces." The USAF expects to issue a contract by the end of the year for A-29 aircraft and another contract in early 2020 for AT-6 aircraft. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usaf-releases-light-attack-rfi-for-limited- number-461808/ Back to Top Bonuses for Boeing workers eliminated for 2019 Boeing continues to build 737 Max jets at its factory in Renton, but cannot deliver them or collect airlines' final payments for the aircraft due to the global grounding, hurting its finances. Boeing has told its engineers and other office workers that its dismal financial results so far in 2019 mean they won't receive any bonuses this year. In a message to employees, Boeing said the company's financial performance has been hurt by the global grounding of the 737 Max and that its inability to deliver airplanes has dramatically reduced revenue. "We know this is disappointing and encourage the team to come together and support each other during this challenging time," senior vice president of human resources Heidi Capozzi said in the message. Boeing said salary increases for employees will not be affected by the troubles of the Renton-made Max - typically the company's top cash-generating machine. The company also has pledged $100 million to the families of the 346 people killed in the two crashes. The loss of the payouts, usually made in February, could ripple through the local economy with curtailed bonus-driven spending of all kinds. Boeing employs 69,830 people in Washington state and employee bonuses have pumped $10.2 billion into the economy over the last two years. Boeing's formula for calculating bonuses emphasizes its "One Boeing" theme across several incentive systems, including one for executives, a second for managers, as well as a third for its union-represented engineers and technical workers. The system is weighted: Revenue and profits per share are weighted 25 percent each and free cash flow is worth 50 percent. Boeing's unionized machinists have their own bonus plan, too, with metrics that include safety, quality and productivity. Boeing urged those workers - which includes thousands at the 737 Renton factory - to watch for "for updates on progress through established communication channels." Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., will question Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg next week about the two deadly Max crashes that led to the plane's grounding, safety practices and senior management's role in rushing the airplane through certification. Boeing has also seen the Air Force withhold tens of millions of dollars in payments for KC-46 refueling tankers that have been delivered but have unresolved technical glitches, and the debut of the 777X has been delayed this year. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/10/25/bonuses-for-boeing-workers- eliminated-for-2019.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo Back to Top Launch date set for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will launch from Kennedy Space Center on its first test flight before the end of the year. Boeing will launch its spacecraft meant to carry astronauts to the International Space Station before the end of the year. The aerospace firm and defense contractor plans to launch its Starliner spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Dec. 17, though launch dates can fluctuate. The uncrewed test flight will be the first for the spacecraft, built by Chicago-based Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) to carry astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Boeing will launch its spacecraft meant to carry astronauts to the International Space Station before the end of the year. The Commercial Crew Program is a collaboration between the space agency and private companies to build spacecraft and launch systems to take astronauts to low-Earth orbit and the space station. Since NASA's Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011, American astronauts traveling to the space station have to ride on Russian spacecraft. The spacecraft will blast off on an Atlas V rocket built by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT). The mission will serve as a testing of the spacecraft and rocket for future crewed missions to the space station. Boeing has delayed the inaugural launch of Starliner multiple times since 2018. Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX produces another spacecraft to be used in the Commercial Crew Program. That vehicle, Crew Dragon, successfully docked with the space station in a test mission in March. Boeing is increasing its presence on Florida's Space Coast, a hub of government and private aerospace entities. The company announced in June it will move its Space and Launch division headquarters to Titusville by the end of 2019. NASA's Kennedy Space Center serves as the launchpad for the satellites SpaceX and Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin want to launch into space. McLean, Virginia-based OneWeb LLC also operates an $85 million satellite production facility on Merritt Island. https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/10/25/launch-date-set-for-boeing-s- starliner-spacecraft.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo 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 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 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