Flight Safety Information October 29, 2019 - No. 221 In This Issue FAA admin. on Boeing 737 Max: We're still deciding 'when, whether' plane will fly again Pilots Assoc: After Boeing 737 Max crashes, pilots need voice in new aircraft approval What Boeing and CEO Dennis Muilenburg need to answer about twin 737 Max jet crashes Incident: Frontier A20N at Colorado Springs on Oct 28th 2019, overran runway on landing Incident: Silverstone DH8C at Lodwar on Oct 28th 2019, dropped wheel on departure Incident: Tibet A332 near Guiyang on Oct 27th 2019, cracked windshield Airbus A330-343 - Bird Strike (Denmark) India Threatens to Ground Airbus Jets After String of Engine Failures Canada issues Emergency AD to limit Airbus A220 engine power settings after recent incidents Qeshm Air passes IATA safety audit Pilot in LeRoy plane crash was flying without required medical certification 3 Boeing jetliners hit by lasers while approaching Sea-Tac Helicopter Association International Opposes Proposed "Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2019" Trent blade limit 'insufficient' before Norwegian 787 failure U.S. FAA sees need to raise standards for airplane pilot training around the world HOW AN NTSB DRONE DOCUMENTED A B-17 CRASH Conference dedicated to electric aircraft development to be held in Cologne next month India's IndiGo close to mammoth 300-plane Airbus deal CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT MITRE - SMS Course - December 2019 IFR Pilot FAA admin. on Boeing 737 Max: We're still deciding 'when, whether' plane will fly again It has never been safer to travel on a scheduled air carrier in the U.S. Statistics show that time and again. But the loss of 346 lives aboard Lion Air & Ethiopian Airlines show work isn't done. Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the fatal accident of Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia. It's a time of somber reflection at the Federal Aviation Administration, and we express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. As FAA administrator, I assure the traveling public that the dedicated professionals at this agency will never rest in their unending mission to improve air safety. It has never been safer to travel on a scheduled air carrier in the United States. The statistics show that time and again. Nevertheless, the tragic loss of 346 lives aboard Lion Air Flight 610 last year and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March underscore that the work of safety is never done. Recent reports on Lion Air Flight 610 from the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee and the international Joint Authorities Technical Review panel, however, highlighted areas for improvement by regulators and industry in certification, maintenance, training and procedures. The world's aviation community must maintain its focus on deepening its understanding of how human interaction affects the safety of the machines we fly. This will require regulators to work closely together to understand different viewpoints, reexamine long-held assumptions and agree on changes to achieve the next level of safety. With very few exceptions, accidents occur as the result of a chain of events. Modern data sharing and safety management systems help identify and mitigate risks to break the accident chain before a safety incident occurs. But we must enhance the use of modern data sharing and safety management systems throughout the industry to generate actionable data that will enable even more proactive steps to mitigate risks. It won't be easy, but I am nonetheless encouraged. In the months since the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents, the world's aviation regulators have come together like never before to understand what went wrong and how to prevent tragedies like these in the future. The FAA is fully committed to address all of the recommendations raised by investigators, including those that pertain to when, whether or how the 737 Max will return to service. As we have said repeatedly, the aircraft will fly only after we determine it is safe. The FAA is committed to raising the bar for safety both in the United States and around the world. The traveling public - and the memory of those so recently lost - demands it. Steve Dickson is the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/10/29/faa-admin-boeing-737-max-will-it-fly-again-column/2487912001/ Back to Top Pilots Assoc: After Boeing 737 Max crashes, pilots need voice in new aircraft approval Failures that caused Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines crashes must be thoroughly identified, and all necessary corrective actions implemented. While we cannot know the depth of grief that the families and loved ones of the 346 victims of the Ethiopian Airlines and Indonesian Lion Air accidents are experiencing, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) shares in the determination to leave a legacy of safety improvements in their honor. For airline pilots, ensuring the highest standards of safety has always been at the forefront of our flying careers. This week, Congress will examine the events that led to these two terrible tragedies and call on the aviation industry and regulatory authorities to make the changes necessary to safeguard the system. It is imperative that the failures that caused these accidents are thoroughly identified and all necessary corrective actions are implemented. This includes improvements in aircraft design, certification and pilot training. ALPA advises aviation regulators to make modifications to the certification process, including the rules that govern certification of "derivative models" on existing type certificates. The experience of line pilots who operate these aircraft every day must not be overlooked, and ALPA experts must have the opportunity to review both new aircraft and iterative designs to provide our valuable input. Finally, a minimum of two well-trained, highly qualified pilots in the cockpit for every flight must be the global standard for aviation safety. ALPA is committed to ensuring North America's aviation system remains the safest in the world, and we will be vital to the Max's safe return to service. The responsibility airline pilots shoulder on every flight is the reason we must be fully informed and involved in bringing the Max back. As we have for more than 88 years, ALPA will continue to help identify improvements not only during these investigations but also in the long term through the industry's risk-predictive, data-driven approach to enhancing safety. We will never stop fighting against those who put profits before the safety of passengers and crews. Whether it's the decision on the return of the 737 Max to service or the decision to take off on every flight, it's only safe to fly when your pilots say it is. Capt. Joe DePete is the president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/10/29/boeing-737-max-crashes-pilots-alpa-lion-air-ethiopian-column/2488248001/ Back to Top What Boeing and CEO Dennis Muilenburg need to answer about twin 737 Max jet crashes When Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg goes before congressional committees this week, it might be the closest thing to a reckoning for the embattled corporation since two of its new 737 Max aircraft fell out of the sky in the past year, killing 346 people. Lawmakers will undoubtedly ask Muilenburg to answer for a corporate culture that served as a backdrop for the tragedies - one where federal regulators were too chummy with airline designers, competition with rival Airbus led to shortcuts, and complex systems imposed on poorly trained foreign pilots were a recipe for disaster. The world now knows what fundamentally went wrong, thanks to investigations by Indonesia, Ethiopia and a Federal Aviation Administration panel of experts. In both the crash of Indonesian Lion Air Flight 610 last October and the loss of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 five month later, the linchpin in fatal cascades of errors was a sensor failure linked to a new automated flight control system designed by Boeing. Loss of pilot control Created to prevent the plane from stalling, the system was errantly triggered in each accident to repeatedly push the nose of the aircraft down, causing pilots to lose control. Muilenburg testifies at a moment of crisis for his company. One of its hottest selling aircraft remains grounded, profits are sinking, Airbus is outstripping it in aircraft orders and the Justice Department is probing both crashes. "We at Boeing are sorry for the loss of life in these tragedies," he said in April, a refrain he is expect to repeat this week. In the months since hundreds died, Muilenburg and Boeing must have learned lessons. Assuming as much, here are five pertinent questions: Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg on April 29, 2019. ►Did competition with Airbus prove fatal? In a rush to compete with a new Airbus model providing better fuel efficiency, range and payload, Boeing recast the design of its top-selling 737, called it the Max, and avoided a more rigorous reclassification and retraining process by labeling it merely a newer version of the older 737. But the aircraft had new design features, including the problematic anti-stall software, that significantly differed from the older versions. ►Was the FAA too cozy with Boeing? For too long, the FAA has saved money by delegating regulatory authority to Boeing. The result in this case, according to the report by a panel of aviation experts, was that regulators learned about anti-stall software in "fragmented" fashion and couldn't make an independent assessment of its safety, even as Boeing was rendering the software even more powerful. Boeing has an opportunity ►Does Boeing have more of a duty, before selling its planes, to ensure that poorly trained pilots of cut-rate airlines in developing nations can fly them? Boeing failed to brief commercials pilots about its anti-stall software. This was particularly crucial in poorer countries rife with corruption, where pilot training and experience are lacking. When Boeing sold Lion Air billions of dollars worth of Max 737s, it could have taken steps to make certain they understood the new aircraft's intricacies. ►What's up with former Boeing chief technical pilot Mark Forkner? The FAA was furious this month to learn that Boeing withheld text messages by Forkner from 2016 in which he appears concerned about the anti-stall software. It turns out he might have been referencing concerns with a flight simulator. But he has declined to turn over documents to a grand jury, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. ►How do you win back the public's trust? Boeing historically has been slow to admit errors and quick to deflect blame. But this reticence must give way to an aggressive, Tylenol-style marketing campaign to educate and reassure the public that Boeing has learned lessons and is committed to regaining customer confidence. Airline crashes remain extraordinarily rare, which is why back-to-back crashes of brand new airliners were such a stunning system failure. Boeing has an opportunity this week to demonstrate that the system has changed, with short-term profits taking a back seat to a renewed commitment to safety. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-ceo-dennis-muilenburg-answer-215928181.html Back to Top Incident: Frontier A20N at Colorado Springs on Oct 28th 2019, overran runway on landing A Frontier Airbus A320-200N, registration N304FR performing flight F9-2822 from Phoenix,AZ to Colorado Springs,CO (USA), landed on Colorado Springs' runway 17L but overran the end of the runway and came to a stop with all gear on the paved surface of the runway end safety area about 40 meters past the end of the runway. There were no injuries and no damage. The runway was closed for two hours until the aircraft had been towed to the apron. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce91019&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Silverstone DH8C at Lodwar on Oct 28th 2019, dropped wheel on departure A Silverstone Air Services de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration 5Y-BWG performing flight K5-626 from Lodwar to Nairobi Wilson (Kenya) with 4 passengers and 5 crew, was departing Lodwar when the #3 wheel (inboard right hand main wheel) separated from the airframe. The aircraft diverted to Eldoret International Airport, located about 150nm south of Lodwar, for a safe landing. The airline confirmed the #3 wheel assembly was lost during departure from Lodwar. Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority opened an investigation into the occurrence. The right main gear strut minus its inboard wheel: http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce907f9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Tibet A332 near Guiyang on Oct 27th 2019, cracked windshield A Tibet Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration B-8420 performing flight TV-9822 from Sanya to Chengdu (China), was enroute at 11,000 meters (FL361) near Guiyang (China) when the right hand windshield cracked prompting the crew to divert to Guiyang. The aircraft landed safely in Guiyang about 20 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Guiyang about 36 hours after landing. The cracked windshield: http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce90608&opt=0 Back to Top Airbus A330-343 - Bird Strike (Denmark) Date: 28-OCT-2019 Time: 15:05 UTC Type: Airbus A330-343 Owner/operator: SAS Registration: SE-REH C/n / msn: 1928 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: near Copenhagen - Denmark Phase: Initial climb Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: København-Kastrup Airport (CPH/EKCH) Destination airport: Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD/KORD) Narrative: SAS flight SK943, an Airbus A330-343, suffered a bird strike on departure from Copenhagen. According to a passenger on Twitter, the aircraft hit a flock of geese. The flight climbed to FL320 and turned back forty minutes after takeoff. A safe landing was made back at Copenhagen at 16:40 UTC. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230269 Back to Top India Threatens to Ground Airbus Jets After String of Engine Failures More than a dozen Airbus SE A320neo jets operated by IndiGo could be grounded if the Indian budget carrier doesn't update some Pratt & Whitney engines within two weeks, the nation's aviation safety regulator said. IndiGo won't be allowed to fly A320neo jets fitted with two 1100 production series engines that have been in operation more than 3,000 hours, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement following three in-flight engine shutdowns on three IndiGo planes last week. Failing that, as many as 16 jets could be grounded, the DGCA said. IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., had 89 A320neos as of Sept. 30. United Technologies Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney has seen delivery delays and groundings in India after spending $10 billion to develop fuel-efficient engines for single-aisle jets. IndiGo, the world's biggest A320neo customer, decided in June to order $20 billion-worth of engines from a joint venture of General Electric Co. and France's Safran SA, which competes with Pratt & Whitney. Indian aviation officials held a meeting with IndiGo executives Monday after visiting the airline's premises to review maintenance and safety data in the wake of the in-flight failures, the DGCA said. In August, the regulator ordered IndiGo and smaller rival Go Airlines India Ltd. to not accept engines without a modified version of the 1100-series turbines. On the recent failures, pilots had to shut down engines mid-flight, the DGCA said, without detailing their routes. The glitches follow 15 in-flight shutdowns, turnarounds or rejected takeoffs Indian carriers experienced due to failure of the low-pressure turbines in the past three years through August, according to the DGCA. A Pratt & Whitney representative declined to comment, while an IndiGo spokeswoman said the airline continues to work with authorities and will take required action. Airbus is supporting its customer in its daily operations along with the engine maker, a company spokesman said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-29/airbus-jets-face-grounding-threat-in-india-after-engine-failures Back to Top Canada issues Emergency AD to limit Airbus A220 engine power settings after recent incidents Regulator Transport Canada issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) to limit certain engine power settings on Airbus A220 aircraft following three recent failures. Three inflight shutdowns occurred within three months time: July 25, 2019, September 16, 2019, and October 15, 2019. In all cases, the aircraft involved was a Swiss International Air Lines Airbus A220-300 (formerly named Bombardier CSeries 300) with Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 engines. These inflight shutdowns were due to failure of the low-pressure compressor (LPC) stage 1 rotor, which resulted in the rotor disk releasing from the LPC case and damaging the engine. Investigations are ongoing to determine the root cause., but preliminary investigation results indicate high altitude climbs at higher thrust settings for engines with certain thrust ratings may be a contributor. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to an uncontained failure of the engine and damage to the aeroplane. Transport Canada issued the AD on October 26, introducing a new Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) limitation and normal procedure to limit the engine N1 setting to 94% while above 29000 feet. This AD is considered an interim action and further AD action may follow. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2019/10/28/canada-issues-emergency-ad-to-limit-airbus-a220-engine-power-settings-after-recent-incidents/ Back to Top Qeshm Air passes IATA safety audit 28 October 2019 Qeshm Air passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Qeshm Air is an Iranian airline. It started operating flights in 1996 and currently operates four Airbus A300B4-605Rs; three Airbus A320-200s; four Avro RJs; four Fokker 100s and four Fokker 50s. The IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a standardised and consistent manner. It was created in 2003 by IATA. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2019/10/28/qeshm-air-passes-iata-safety-audit/ Back to Top Pilot in LeRoy plane crash was flying without required medical certification LEROY, N.Y. (WROC) - A six-passenger plane crashed in Genesee County Sunday, and the pilot was flying without the required medical certification. John Yates, 48, was taking off at the LeRoy Airport Sunday night when his plane crashed. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with a flying license, all pilots must be cleared by a doctor to fly an airplane - something Yates failed to renew. The FAA website shows Yates' last medical clearance was in December 2016, and FAA rules state that pilots over 40 years old must recertify every two years - his clearance expired last December. Monday morning, the FAA, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) we're back at the scene of the crash investigating. Their jobs are to find out if the pilot and airplane was in compliance with the regulations. The Beechcraft A-36 passenger plane crashed into an embankment and ended up in the grass along the runway. The FAA and the NTSB are expected to release their preliminary report within 10-14 business days. On board with Yates was his wife, and two children. They were all taken to Strong Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/regional-news-news/pilot-in-leroy-plane-crash-was-flying-without-required-medical-certification/ Back to Top 3 Boeing jetliners hit by lasers while approaching Sea-Tac SEATAC, Wash. - Three Boeing jetliners were hit by laser beams while approaching Sea-Tac Airport over the past few days, the FAA reports. The first incident unfolded at around 8 p.m. Friday as a Boeing 737 enroute from Kauai, Hawaii, to Seattle was struck by a green-and-white laser while traveling north northeast 18 miles south of Olympia, said FAA spokesperson Allen Kenitzer. The second incident took place about 3 1/2 hours later, when a a Boeing 737-800 traveling from Salt Lake City to Seattle was illuminated by a blue laser on the right side of the aircraft. The final incident happened around 7:30 p.m. Sunday when a Boeing 737-900 was hit by a blue laser while heading northeast about about 16 miles southeast of Sea-Tac Airport. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents and the appropriate authorities were notified, Kenitzer said. https://komonews.com/news/local/3-boeing-jets-hit-by-lasers-while-approaching-sea-tac Back to Top Helicopter Association International Opposes Proposed "Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2019" The perceived threat of commuter, charter and tourism helicopter flights that forms the rationale behind the Proposal relies on data that had to reach back decades to gather. New York City airspace is one of several highly complex and congested airspace regions in the United States. To ensure that operations are as safe and efficient as possible requires the expertise of regulatory and technical safety experts as well as industry professionals. Helicopter Association International (HAI) strongly opposes today's announced "Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2019" over the concern that measures within the act will have no positive effect on aviation safety over New York City, but will threaten the viability of the helicopter industry. The perceived threat of commuter, charter and tourism helicopter flights that forms the rationale behind the Proposal relies on data that Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velazquez of New York had to reach back nearly four decades to gather. The crashes and resulting fatalities cited in the Proposal, are disingenuously positioned. The crashes and resulting fatalities cited in the Proposal are disingenuously positioned. Statistically, citizens on the ground are in far greater danger of being hit by a bicycle or motor vehicle. In 2018 alone, the New York City Department of Transportation reported 60,652 injuries and 203 fatalities involving motor vehicles. HAI's top priority is and always has been safety, and along with our operators, we continue to work towards a zero-accident goal. Furthermore, the claim that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "does not have any regulations, policies or procedures to account for New York City's uniquely crowded airspace" is false. Updated every 56 days, or as needed, the FAA publishes Helicopter Route Charts for several "uniquely crowded" airspaces -including Baltimore-Washington, Los Angeles and New York City- to further enhance operational safety. These charts consider the unique aspects of each operating area and provide guidance on standard routes, specific altitude limitations when appropriate, standard frequencies and mandatory reporting points. The latest Helicopter Route Chart for New York City was updated on April 25. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/rotorcraft/press-release/21112036/helicopter-association-international-hai-helicopter-association-international-opposes-proposed-improving-helicopter-safety-act-of-2019 Back to Top Trent blade limit 'insufficient' before Norwegian 787 failure Italian investigators have disclosed that there was no engine de-pairing requirement in place for the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s fitted to a Norwegian Boeing 787 before one of its powerplants failed after take-off from Rome. The engines were subject to a modification - under a service bulletin designated 72-H818 - which introduced an intermediate-pressure turbine blade with a different parent material and coating, to protect against corrosion and fatigue due to sulphidation. A separate service bulletin had set out a de-pairing life to protect against the risk of dual engine failure. Italian investigation authority ANSV says Rolls-Royce used statistical models, based on blade sampling and fleet data analysis, to derive a blade life limit for different groups of serial numbers. This enabled a further bulletin to set a blade hard life which was significantly lower than that at which certain in-service engines - those which had yet to receive the newly-developed blades - would have to be de-paired. As a result, says ANSV, Rolls-Royce agreed with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to remove the de-pairing requirement. But the failure of the left-hand engine on the Norwegian 787-8, on 10 August, occurred 1,210 cycles after the installation of its intermediate-pressure turbine module - failing 200 cycles before its hard life limit of 1,410 cycles. The aircraft's other engine had performed more cycles - a total of 1,337 - and was even closer, just 103 cycles, to its own limit of 1,440. ANSV says this showed the hard life limit was "not sufficient" to avoid a detrimental effect on safety, and left the aircraft vulnerable to dual engine failure, particularly given that a remaining operative engine "undergoes overall higher solicitations". It has recommended that EASA evaluate de-pairing criteria for engines yet to receive new blades, in order to avoid two such engines being installed on the same aircraft. ANSV acknowledges that Rolls-Royce, on 19 September, revised the service bulletin for managing these engines, reducing the blade life limit for specific engine serial numbers. EASA endorsed this revision through an airworthiness directive on 18 October, which takes effect from 1 November. Norwegian's 787 sustained damage not only to the engine exhaust cone but also the left wing, flap fairing, horizontal stabiliser, fuselage and main landing-gear tyres. Debris shed from the powerplant damaged a total of 28 cars and three building awnings. The inquiry into the Norwegian incident is continuing, says ANSV, with teardown of the engine and its intermediate-pressure turbine blades, a failure analysis of the blades and other engine parts, and examination of certification and airworthiness criteria. But ANSV also points out that the new blades developed by Rolls-Royce have generated "satisfactory results" against premature failure during tests, although it cautions that testing is a "continuous process involving sampling from the in-service fleet". https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/trent-blade-limit-insufficient-before-norwegian-78-461853/ Back to Top U.S. FAA sees need to raise standards for airplane pilot training around the world BRASILIA, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday there was a need to raise standards for airplane pilot training around the world. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson is in Brasilia to participate in an airline industry conference. His remarks come after two deadly crashes involving Boeing 737 MAX aircraft have prompted safety reviews across the industry. https://www.reuters.com/article/boeing-safety/us-faa-sees-need-to-raise-standards-for-airplane-pilot-training-around-the-world-idUSE6N24X009 Back to Top HOW AN NTSB DRONE DOCUMENTED A B-17 CRASH AGENCY INNOVATES WITH COMMON TOOLS NTSB investigators flew a popular consumer quadcopter to document the recent Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash in Connecticut, providing the first aerial views of the tragic scene. The detailed data gathered in a series of flights at the state's busiest airport may provide insight not achievable a few years ago. NTSB investigator and drone pilot Mike Bauer flies at the scene of an October 2 crash of a vintage warbird at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. Photo courtesy of the NTSB via YouTube. Mike Bauer, a systems analyst and aerospace engineer, and member of the NTSB team that arrived at Bradley International Airport within hours of the October 2 crash, described the unmanned aircraft operations in detail in a telephone interview. A certificated private pilot and one of a handful of certificated remote pilots staffing an agency drone program assembled by senior investigator Bill English, Bauer has flown unmanned aircraft for many kinds of investigations. Stitching still photographs into a map is the "bread-and-butter" of the NTSB drone program, but Bauer, English, and others at NTSB have found new ways to document key data that goes beyond those basics. "I think in a way we're still scratching the surface in terms of everything that can be done with them," Bauer said. "Every accident we go to we learn a new thing that could be helpful." A brief clip taken by the DJI Phantom that Bauer flew was relayed to the agency's media relations team for inclusion in a package of video released for public consumption on October 3, but that was a small fraction of the data Bauer collected. His flights began before investigators first approached the wreckage. (People, including investigators, stay clear of the area while the drone does its work for safety.) By the time that footage was posted on YouTube, Bauer's drone had already collected enough still images to create an accurate 3D model of the wreckage, and a detailed digital map covering thousands of feet between the first approach light struck by the stricken warbird and its final resting place, along with video that will allow investigators to view and replay as many times as they need to the fateful final approach from the cockpit perspective. Bauer said footage distributed for media use may also prove valuable to the investigation in the months to come. While on scene, the investigator-pilots can never be sure what detail might prove useful, so they work to digitize the scene as thoroughly as possible. "Any bit of data I have is useful," Bauer said. "While the video might be primarily for the media, or for the media folks to keep our message going, there's things in that video that might give you a perspective that you didn't think of, or, coupled with the map or the 3D model that you made ... it might give you that one angle that you might not have captured." Bauer said photos were captured using automated flight plans created in Pix4D Capture, which has become a standard first step. "Once we ensured we had the data captured over the actual the wreckage site, we were then able to give the wreckage site back to the accident investigative team," Bauer said. "Then I moved from the accident site all the way back to first contact." A new perspective The vintage bomber had struggled to gain more than a few hundred feet of altitude, and struck approach lights about 1,000 feet short of the threshold of Runway 6, from which the crew had departed and was attempting to return, according to the agency's preliminary report. While the images and footage captured by the drone will not alone solve the mystery, they provide investigators with "situational awareness," Bauer said, a context for the accident that begins to impose order on chaotically scattered pieces of metal. A view of the main wreckage site captured by an NTSB drone. Photo courtesy of the NTSB via YouTube. Bauer's mission plan at Bradley included a new wrinkle, capturing a set of nadir images (taken with the camera pointing straight down) that could be quickly assembled into a digital map using a new tool, Pix4Dreact. That software is designed to minimize the processing time required to construct, using a laptop computer, a reasonably accurate overview of the area. This was the first time this particular software program had been used, and Bauer said the results were encouraging. "It was very positive ... being able to get that orthomosaic and start building a wreckage model." As investigators began combing through the main wreckage site, Bauer repositioned for additional mapping flights to include the damaged approach lights and other "witness marks" left by the stricken bomber as it careened across the grass, onto the runway, and then veered toward deicing fluid storage tanks about 1,100 feet from the center of the runway threshold. By the end of the first day, Bauer had enough images on his laptop, along with ground control point data collected with the aid of a high-precision Trimble Geo 7X GPS, to create a richly detailed orthomosaic map. While that particular model is not quite as precise as some used in the survey industry, it fits neatly in a backpack and "we can get within a couple of inches relative (accuracy) on the model, which is so much better than the old way of dragging a tape measure or using a wheel," Bauer said. Bauer said he, English, and the other drone-flying investigators of the NTSB decided early on that their drone kit had to fit in a backpack. "We don't know where the accident site may be, or how to get there. Half our thing is trying to be mobile." The ground control points (reference points captured in the photos that allow the software to correct GPS errors when assembling the maps and digital models) are generally marked with spray paint, a can of which also fits neatly in the backpack. He brought marked cards into the Grand Canyon to document the scene of a helicopter crash, because painting inside the national park is prohibited, but generally the paint works best. The backpack also carries the drone, controller, a laptop, and six batteries. Flying a drone in the airspace of a busy Class C airport requires coordination, and Bauer said the FAA waiver request was initiated before the first investigators arrived on scene, with a Part 107 waiver approved by the FAA within hours. On the first day, Runway 6 was closed to traffic, making drone deconfliction a little easier. Bauer coordinated additional flights October 3 with the tower and airport manager, utilizing the aid of a visual observer and monitoring the tower frequency with a handheld radio. "They ended up closing that runway for about 30 minutes" on October 3, Bauer said. "They just thought that was going to be easier." After a brief delay to allow a helicopter to depart, "NTSB Drone" took off. (The agency does not use a fancy call sign, though Bauer does name agency drones after racing airplanes flown at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, and the drone flown at Bradley is Strega in the paperwork.) The next mission was to capture video that re-creates the cockpit perspective by programming the flight path for the drone based on recorded radar data of the accident flight. While this video of the final approach cannot perfectly replicate variations in pitch, roll, and yaw to exactly match the pilots' perspective, it offers investigators another layer of situational awareness that would be difficult or impossible to capture and digitize by other means. NTSB investigator Mike Bauer documented a helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon with a drone. Photo courtesy of Mike Bauer/NTSB. Bauer said another popular drone app, Litchi, is the flight control program of choice for that task, partly because it allows the user to focus the camera on the touchdown point, or another point of interest to investigators. Bauer parsed the approach into sections, flying a portion in each to maintain visual contact with the drone at all times. Aided by the visual observer and two-way communication with the tower, the flights were wrapped up with minimal delay to air traffic and a rich harvest of data for the rest of the investigation team. "It worked out perfectly," Bauer said. "No issues, everything was smooth as silk with the airport, with ATC. It was great." Flying over airports and inside controlled airspace has become relatively routine for the NTSB drone team, but every mission is conducted with great care. Bauer said the agency uses checklists adapted from generic checklists created and published by drone services company Kittyhawk, with a few items added that are specific to NTSB operations. "You show up at the scene of an accident, there's a lot of moving parts, there's a lot of things going on, there's a lot of people doing a lot of stuff. That checklist becomes invaluable," Bauer said. "Your mind is racing." The data sets collected can vary, depending on the specifics of the accident. Bauer recalled one case where a drone helped create a 3D model of a hangar that allowed a computer simulation (based on computational fluid dynamics) of the airflow around a hangar, offering insight how wind affected a parked aircraft and damaged the elevator, leading to an accident. (A white paper documenting that case was published by the International Society of Air Safety Investigators.) In another case, a helicopter's collision with power lines was modeled and re-created in digital form. Insights from the B-17 investigation may emerge in the coming weeks or months that are unexpected, or particularly useful. Bauer can envision new tools coming to bear on the data already collected. It's possible that investigators in the future may be able to take a virtual reality walk around the scene, examining details preserved by images taken long before. "Now, you have a 3D world, a virtual world, to look at," Bauer said. While far from the only tool that will be brought to bear, the off-the-shelf consumer drone Bauer flew, one of the most popular models in the world, may one day help save lives. That, Bauer said, remains the overarching mission of everything the NTSB does: learning the lessons of past tragedies to prevent future ones. "The overall goal is to make aviation safer," Bauer said. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/october/28/ntsb-drone-documents-crash Back to Top Conference dedicated to electric aircraft development to be held in Cologne next month A two-day event in Cologne, Germany, is set to cover the electrification of all aspects of aerospace activity, from general aviation and smaller regional aircraft, to larger commercial airliners. The Electric and Hybrid Aerospace Technology Symposium, which is in its fifth year, will highlight the fast-paced development of hybrid propulsion and electrical subsystem architecture and examine research into the increased electrification of aircraft. The symposium will host more than 45 speakers and 200 attendees, while the exhibitor zone will house more than 20 industry partners and technology suppliers The speakers include representatives from CleanSky2, the European Commission, the FAA, GE, GKN Aerospace, Honeywell and Rolls-Royce, who will present their views and current findings to delegates from around the world. Topics to be covered include: the possibilities created by aircraft hybridisation; commercial aircraft application possibilities and research; battery technologies; environmental impact; solar possibilities; the possibilities of pure electric-only commercial and military flight; safety and legislative considerations; and best design practices. Rolls-Royce's ACCEL technical manager Matheu Parr will provide insight into the ACCEL (accelerating the electrification of flight) project and how it seeks to pioneer a third wave of aviation through a highly specialised goal of building the world's fastest all-electric aircraft. Evgeni Ganev, chief engineer at Honeywell Aerospace USA, will deliver a presentation that discusses the challenging propulsion needs of electric drive systems applicable to electric and hybrid aircraft. As part of this presentation, Evgeni will reveal the results from recent trade studies. The first day of the symposium will close with a panel discussion, entitled: 'Identifying the major hurdles on the path to all-electric flight'. https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/news/industry-news/conference-dedicated-to-electric-aircraft-development-to-be-held-in-cologne-germany-next-month.html Back to Top India's IndiGo close to mammoth 300-plane Airbus deal - sources FILE PHOTO: An IndiGo Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft is pictured parked at a gate at Mumbai's Chhatrapathi Shivaji International Airport NEW DELHI/PARIS (Reuters) - Indian budget airline IndiGo is close to placing a near-record order for more than 300 Airbus A320neo-family jets worth at least $33 billion at recent catalog prices to cement its position as India's largest carrier by market share. People familiar with the matter told Reuters that IndiGo, part of InterGlobe Aviation , was putting the finishing touches on an order that would include Airbus's newest jet, a long-range version of the single-aisle A320 type called the A321XLR. IndiGo did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. On Monday, a spokeswoman said there were no plans on the order front "as of now". Airbus declined to comment. The expected deal caps a contest between Airbus and Boeing, which seeks a new endorsement for its grounded 737 MAX after British Airways owner IAG tentatively agreed in June to drop Airbus as its medium-haul supplier and commit to 200 MAX. It comes days after IndiGo's biggest quarterly loss hurt by engine issues on its earlier A320neo jets. A new deal for 300 A320neo-family aircraft would be worth $33 billion at the most recent list prices, published in 2018, but a deal of this scale would come in well below half that after discounts, according to aircraft valuation experts. Airbus stopped publishing list prices earlier this year. IndiGo was among the first carriers to buy the re-engined A320neo in early 2011. Two years ago, an unrelated U.S. private equity company called Indigo Partners placed a record order for 430 jets spread between four airlines, but the expected new IndiGo order could be Airbus's largest ever from a single airline. In 1997, U.S. Airways placed an order for up to 400 Airbus A320 jets including options, but many were not delivered. IndiGo has expanded rapidly to claim almost half the Indian market as rivals such as bankrupt Jet Airways fall by the wayside. Its closest competitor is SpiceJet, a Boeing operator. However its two co-founders, Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia, have been embroiled in a dispute about corporate governance of the airline that shows no signs of easing. In June, IndiGo dropped its original engine supplier, United Technologies unit Pratt & Whitney , in favor of French-U.S. engine venture CFM by agreeing a record $20 billion deal for more than 600 engines to power Airbus jets already on order. CFM is jointly owned by France's Safran and General Electric of the United States. Indian regulators on Monday ordered IndiGo to modify its 16 earlier Airbus A320neo aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, which have been linked to in-flight shutdowns, to avoid their grounding. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/exclusive-indias-indigo-close-mammoth-092131681.html 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 Back to Top IFR Pilot: The Pilot is responsible for the safety and efficient conduct of the flight assignment. Education * High school diploma or equivalent (GED) * Hold the airman certifications and ratings necessary to serve as a pilot in command under FAR 135. * FAA airline transport pilot or commercial pilot. Experience * 1500 hours helicopter or 2000 hours total with 1200 hours helicopter required. * 500 hours cross country flight experience. * 100 hours instrument experience (50 hours in actual flight). * 250 hours turbine time. Licensure * FAA airline transport pilot or commercial pilot licensed with helicopter and instrument rating (helicopter) * Must pass an FAA Class II medical exam on an annual basis * Must pass drug and alcohol testing at initial hiring and then on a random testing basis * Valid Class D Driver's license in the state of residency with an acceptable driving record 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