Flight Safety Information October 30, 2019 - No. 222 In This Issue Boeing CEO tells Congress company knew of test pilot's 737 Max concerns Senators grill Boeing CEO over 737 Max jet involved in 2 crashes After Boeing crashes, jet design rules to get tougher for all Incident: Jetblue A320 at Long Beach on Oct 29th 2019, hydraulic problem Incident: SAS B738 at Oslo on Oct 29th 2019, navigation system problem Incident: SAS A333 at Copenhagen on Oct 28th 2019, bird strike Cessna 414A Chancellor - Fatal Accident (New Jersey) Cessna 208B GrandCaravan EX - Runway Excursion (Kenya) 'We know we made mistakes': Boeing CEO to face the Senate Aviation Safety Bill Targets Challenges Posed by Flight Automation China likely to boycott International Air Safety Summit in Taiwan Aviation in Brazil hampered by litigation, taxes, regulation FAA bans drones over more federal facilities China Successfully Flies First 4-Seat Electric Aircraft Are Business Jet Pilots Ready for This Wearable Head up Display? Air Force recognizes drone pilots with new medal PNG AIC WILL HOST THE NINTH ASIA PACIFIC - ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION GROUP (APAC-AIG) MEETING IN 2021 CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Position Available: Audit Production Manager; Air Carrier ERAU Media Relations in Accident Investigation Short-Course MITRE - SMS Course - December 2019 Position: IFR Pilot SAFE SKIES FOR ALL: INTRODUCING SPACEFLIGHT INTO OUR SKIES Boeing CEO tells Congress company knew of test pilot's 737 Max concerns Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told a congressional hearing Tuesday he was aware in early 2019, prior to the second deadly crash of the 737 Max last March, that a test pilot had raised questions about the safety of the jet. But Muilenburg said he was only told in the past few weeks of the details of the pilot's text messages and emails. The messages, which date back to November 2016, were given to Department of Justice investigators in February, but were not released to the Federal Aviation Administration or other regulators until after the second 737 Max crash, months after their discovery. The messages also alluded to Boeing's possible efforts to hide safety concerns from the FAA other other regulators. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican of Texas, questioned why Boeing didn't flag the messages detailing the test pilot's concerns when Congress held meetings on the issue earlier this year. "I was involved in the document collection process, but I relied on my team to get the documents to the appropriate authorities," Muilenburg testified Tuesday. "I didn't get the details of the conversation until recently." Tuesday was the one-year anniversary of the first of two crashes involving Boeing 737 Max jets that killed a total of 346 people. Testifying to the Senate Commerce Committee, Muilenburg was repeatedly questioned about what Boeing knew about the safety issues of the 737 Max and when it knew of them. The CEO told Congress the aircraft company knows it made mistakes and is throwing everything into fixing the jet. Muilenburg apologized numerous times to family members for the crash and said he had called the FAA to explain that the company's disclosure to regulators should have been better. "We have learned and are still learning from these accidents," Muilenburg said. "We know we made mistakes and got some things wrong. We own that, and we are fixing them." Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, said Boeing has not told the truth to Congress. "You knew back in 2016 that this was happening," Duckworth said. Senators also criticized how the FAA regulates aircraft safety. "We are committed to participating in reform efforts," Muilenburg said. About a dozen family members of those lost in the two 737 Max crashes were seated in the third row behind Muilenburg. Prior to the meeting, family members were warned against displaying pictures of those who had died in the crashes. As Muilenburg walked into the hearing, Nadia Milleron, the mother of Samya Stumo, loudly demanded the right to hold up a picture of the crash victims. Capitol police said the family members would be ejected and arrested if they did not comply with the Senate's rules. Standing before reporters shortly before the testimony, Muilenburg was much more reserved than in past statements about the Max crashes. He apologized to family members of the 346 people who died in the two crashes and said that he understood that the crashes happened on his watch. Muilenburg said he didn't have knowledge of any plans by Boeing's board to force him to step aside when the problems with the 737 Max are fixed. But he said he was confident Boeing would be able to get the 737 Max, which has been grounded since mid-March, certified to fly again. Muilenburg has previously said it believes the planes could be ready to fly again by the end of the year. "We have studied both crashes and we know what to fix," he said in a brief statement to reporters before addressing a Senate panel. "Once the Max returns to fly, it will be the safest airplane in the sky." Roland Rehhorn and his wife Joan lost their 24-year-old daughter Angela in the Ethiopian Airlines crash. They told CBS News they didn't believe Muilenburg when he apologized. "If he's sorry, he would have resigned," Rehhorn said. The couple brought their daughter's remains home from Africa just one week ago. "It has torn me apart. Angela and I were so close," Rehhorn said. Muilenburg will testify again on Wednesday before the House Transportation Committee. The appearances in Washington, D.C., come as Boeing faces investigations by the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Transportation Committee as well as a criminal probe by the Justice Department. Boeing is also being sued by families of some of the 346 people who died in the crash of a Max off the coast of Indonesia on October 29, 2018, and another in Ethiopia on March 10, 2019. In an exclusive interview with CBS News in May, Muilenburg apologized to the victims' families. "I do personally apologize to the families, as I've mentioned earlier we feel terrible about these accidents, and we apologize for what happened, we are sorry for the loss of lives in both accidents," he said. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boeing-ceo-testimony-dennis-muilenburg-faces-congress-hearing-today-livestream-2019-10-29/ Back to Top Senators grill Boeing CEO over 737 Max jet involved in 2 crashes Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg speaks at a news conference April 29 after the Boeing Annual General Meeting in Chicago. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg faced tough questioning from senators Tuesday about two crashes of 737 Max jets and whether the company concealed information about a critical flight system from regulators. "We have made mistakes, and we got some things wrong," Muilenburg conceded. Some members of the Senate Commerce Committee clashed with Muilenburg, cutting him off when they believed he was failing to answer their questions about a key flight-control system implicated in both crashes. Boeing successfully lobbied regulators to keep any explanation of the system, called MCAS, from pilot manuals and training. After the crashes, the company tried to blame the pilots, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). "Those pilots never had a chance," Blumenthal said. Passengers "never had a chance. They were in flying coffins as a result of Boeing deciding that it was going to conceal MCAS from the pilots." Muilenburg denied that Boeing had ever blamed the pilots. He added that Boeing has always trained pilots to respond to the same effect caused by an MCAS failure - a condition called runaway trim - which can be caused by other problems. The CEO and Boeing's chief engineer for commercial airplanes, John Hamilton, spent about 80 minutes at the witness table. The committee then heard from two safety officials who helped shape reports about the Boeing plane. The hearing took place exactly one year after a 737 Max crashed off the coast of Indonesia and more than seven months after a second crash in Ethiopia. It was the first congressional testimony by a Boeing executive since the crashes, which together killed 346 people. Indonesian investigators say Boeing's design of MCAS contributed to the crash of a Lion Air Max last October. Ethiopian authorities are continuing to investigate the second crash, involving a plane flown by Ethiopian Airlines, which led to a worldwide grounding of the plane. "Both of these accidents were entirely preventable," said Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). More than a dozen relatives of passengers who died in the accidents attended the hearing. Wicker invited them to stand and hold up large photos of their relatives, which they had carried into the room. Muilenburg turned in his seat to look at them. In Indonesia, the CEO of Lion Air vowed Tuesday to follow recommendations from a probe into the disaster. Relatives of victims scattered flowers on waters where the aircraft went down a year ago. Muilenburg told senators that Boeing is in the final stages of updating flight software to improve safety by adding redundancy - tying MCAS to a second sensor and second computer at all times, and making the system's ability to push a plane's nose down less powerful. Chicago-based Boeing hopes to win Federal Aviation Administration approval by year end to return the plane to flight. The FAA is also coming under scrutiny for relying on Boeing employees to perform some certification tests and inspections. It's an approach FAA has followed for many years. "We need to know if Boeing and the FAA rushed to certify the Max," Wicker said. The committee didn't get an answer to that question. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) indicated he won't wait for one, accusing Boeing of cutting corners on safety. "I would walk before I was to get on a 737 Max," Tester told Muilenburg. "When issues like this happen, it costs your company huge." Other senators seized on internal messages and emails from 2016 by a senior Boeing test pilot, who reported "egregious" problems while testing MCAS on a flight simulator and said he "unknowingly" lied to regulators. Boeing turned over the messages to the Justice Department early this year but didn't tell the FAA or Congress until this month. Muilenburg said Boeing hasn't been able to question the test pilot, who now works for Southwest Airlines, "and we're not quite sure" what he meant in the messages. The CEO noted that the man's lawyer said he was describing problems with a simulator, not MCAS itself. "That could be the case," Muilenburg said. "We don't know." Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) asked why Boeing didn't ground the plane immediately after the first accident, when it knew that MCAS was involved. Why did it take another crash? "We have asked that question over and over," Muilenburg said. "If we knew everything back then that we know now, we would have made a different decision." https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-10-29/boeing-max-jet-ceo-congress Back to Top After Boeing crashes, jet design rules to get tougher for all By Marcelo Rochabrun and Tim Hepher BRASILIA/PARIS, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Planemakers worldwide face tougher scrutiny and changes in the way aircraft are certified in the aftermath of two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 MAX jets, leading regulators have told Reuters. Tuesday marks one year since the deadly crash of a Lion Air jet, which Indonesian investigators linked in part to violent seesaw movements triggered by flawed anti-stall software. The MCAS software, activated by a single faulty sensor and omitted from training manuals, has led to calls for tighter regulation as well as improvements in the training of pilots. "The certification process will change; I think so," the head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Steve Dickson, told Reuters late on Monday at an airlines meeting in Brazil. Boeing BA.N 737 MAX aircraft have been grounded around the world since March following a second fatal crash, this time involving a plane operated by Ethiopian Airlines. Speaking to airlines earlier, Dickson also emphasized a need to raise standards for airplane pilot training globally. A recent report by international regulators, commissioned by the FAA, faulted processes at both the U.S regulator and Boeing. But the impact of the crisis is likely to be felt worldwide, including at Boeing's rival Airbus and new entrants from Russia to China and Japan, as regulators step up efforts to ensure that risks are correctly identified right from the drawing board. "We are going to make it harder," Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), told Reuters when asked about the future of certification in general, without naming countries or companies. "In the future we may ask to have a larger set of data which will be used in the certification case than today," he added. In part, that will involve using new technology to run simulations to spot flaws that may be missed in flight testing. But regulators are also expected to take a close look at one of the key tenets of aviation safety, an obscure piece of regulation known as the "Changed Product Rule". Under this rule, manufacturers revamping an old design like the 737 only need to comply with latest regulations on systems undergoing major changes, which means risks must be understood. For the rest of the aircraft, the original standards still apply, which in the case of the 737 date back to the 1960s. That is no problem when risks are small, officials say. But this month's international regulatory panel report said the rule did not adequately address the cumulative effects of individual changes on small systems. "In general, the analysis was limited to areas that changed, re-using prior certification basis to complete the process," former Boeing engineer Peter Lemme wrote in a blog on Tuesday, citing a series of flawed assumptions used in the design. BIG PICTURE The Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) also found Boeing had missed the big picture by focusing on whether individual systems like MCAS complied with regulations, without also taking a top-down view of the impact on the whole aircraft. Boeing's chief executive was due to tell a Senate committee on Tuesday that it made mistakes over the MAX. It has also said it is committed to working with regulators in reviewing the recommendations in the JATR report. One regulator told Reuters a review of the Changed Product Rule would be among the main changes stemming from the crisis. That could have implications for airplane design after years in which global planemakers have focused on upgrading existing models before tackling costlier clean-sheet designs. "There is nothing wrong with derivatives; it is just (a question of) how we certify with full confidence the way in which modifications are made from an existing type," Ky said. Others say regulators are likely to check each other's homework more actively than in the past, while preserving a convention that allows the home regulator for each planemaker to take the lead, such as the FAA for Boeing or EASA for Airbus. Safety officials don't expect this to lead to meddling by foreign regulators on routine design changes. But post-MAX, agencies are likely to be vigilant when the risks warrant it. The JATR also broke with tradition by suggesting companies should design systems with an over-arching vision of safety in mind, not just ensure their work complied with regulations. Some saw this as a rare rebuff to the decades-old framework of aviation safety, which depends on thousands of rules and regulations with its own United Nations agency to oversee them. One engineer outside the United States voiced concern about the move, saying record-low accident rates demonstrated there was no conflict between compliance and safety. But the JATR said the process as it stood had not managed to identify every risk. (Additional reporting by Jamie Freed, Eric M. Johnson, David Shepardson, Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Mark Potter) Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A320 at Long Beach on Oct 29th 2019, hydraulic problem A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N509JB performing flight B6-280 from Long Beach,CA to Las Vegas,NV (USA), was in the initial climb out of Long Beach's runway 30 when the crew reported a hydraulic problem and decided to divert to Los Angeles,CA (USA). The aircraft landed safely on Los Angeles' runway 25L about 35 minutes after departure. A ground observer at Long Beach reported seeing what appeared to be smoke from the left main wheel well, definitely not the #1 engine (V2527), just after takeoff. When the left main gear door closed the smoke disappeared. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU280/history/20191029/1946Z/KLGB/KLAS http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce9a666&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: SAS B738 at Oslo on Oct 29th 2019, navigation system problem A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration LN-RRJ performing flight SK-4675 from Oslo (Norway) to Alicante,SP (Spain), was climbing out of Oslo when the crew stopped the climb at FL290 and decided to return to Oslo due to a problem with one of the navigation systems. The aircraft entered a hold at FL100 and landed safely back in Oslo about 45 minutes after stopping the climb. The aircraft remained on the ground for about one hour, then departed again and reached Alicante with a delay of about 2 hours. The airline reported a technical problem related to the navigation system prompted the return to Oslo. A part was replaced, the passengers remained seated in the cabin, and the aircraft departed again. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce9a1e3&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: SAS A333 at Copenhagen on Oct 28th 2019, bird strike A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration SE-REH performing flight SK-943 from Copenhagen (Denmark) to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), departed Copenhagen's runway 22R when the aircraft received a bird strike. In the absence of abnormal indications the crew continued the climb. The aircraft was enroute at FL320 about 230nm northwest of Copenhagen when the crew decided to turn around and return to Copenhagen. The aircraft landed safely back on Copenhagen's runway 22L about one hour after the decisition to turn around. Passengers reported the crew indicated the aircraft had flown through a flock of geese. The airline reported the aircraft received a bird strike on departure, for safety reasons the crew decided to return. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Copenhagen about 25 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ce98a99&opt=0 Back to Top Cessna 414A Chancellor - Fatal Accident (New Jersey) Date: 29-OCT-2019 Time: 11:00 Type: Cessna 414A Chancellor Owner/operator: Warbird Associates Inc Registration: N959MJ C/n / msn: 414A0471 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Woodbridge township, Colonia, NJ - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: Leesburg Executive Airport, VA (JYO/KJYO) Destination airport: Linden Airport, NJ (LDJ/KLDJ) Narrative: A Cessna 414A Chancellor (RAM mod.) crashed into houses in Woodbridge township, Colonia, New Jersey. At least three were set on fire and the aircraft was destroyed. The pilot didn't survived the crash. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230281 Back to Top Cessna 208B GrandCaravan EX - Runway Excursion (Kenya) Date: 29-OCT-2019 Time: 18:25 LT Type: Cessna 208B GrandCaravan EX Owner/operator: Safarilink Aviation Registration: 5Y-SLJ C/n / msn: 208B5190 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 11 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL/HKNW) - Kenya Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Lamu Airport (LAU/HKLU) Destination airport: Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL/HKNW) Narrative: A Cessna 208B suffered a runway excursion on landing at Nairobi, Kenya. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230282 Back to Top 'We know we made mistakes': Boeing CEO to face the Senate On Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the crash of Lion Air Flight 610, the first of two fatal crashes of Boeing's 737 Max, Boeing (BA) CEO Dennis Muilenburg is scheduled to testify before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee concerning the company's design, development, and certification of the aircraft. It's one of two scheduled Congressional public hearings this week where Muilenburg will be in the in the hot seat. On Wednesday, members of the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are scheduled to hold a hearing to question the CEO. Muilenburg previously turned down the House Committee's earlier invitation to testify. Boeing Co Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg speaks during a news conference at the annual shareholder meeting in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., April 29, 2019. "We know we made mistakes and got some things wrong. We own that, and we are fixing them. We have developed improvements to the 737 MAX to ensure that accidents like these never happen again," Muilenburg is expected to say, according to remarks prepared ahead of Tuesday's hearing. John Hamilton, Vice President and Chief Engineer for Boeing's Commercial Airplanes, who served as the company's President of Engineering at the time of the crashes, is also slated to testify during both hearings. 'Erroneous signals' Mulienburg will be tasked with balancing testimony that assures global regulators, victims' families, its customers, and the flying public that the company's proposed Max changes are aggressive enough to avoid future risks associated with the aircraft's design, yet insignificant enough to trigger the imposition of additional liability on the company. Lawmakers are reportedly prepared to question whether Boeing was aware of risks associated with the Max's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS system. They will also ask whether employees felt pressure to skirt safety enhancements in efforts to get the plane to market quickly. "We know that both accidents involved the repeated activation of a flight control software function called MCAS, which responded to erroneous signals from a sensor that measures the airplane's angle of attack," Muilenburg's prepared remarks say. Aerial photos showing Boeing 737 Max airplanes parked at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. October 20, 2019. Picture taken October 20, 2019. Lawmakers questioning the executives will be armed with recently released investigative reports issued by U.S. and international regulators. The reports place varying degrees of fault on the plane manufacturer. Indonesian officials who examined the Lion Air crash placed blame on Boeing, the F.A.A., and a Florida-based parts supplier, as well as Lion Air flight and maintenance crews. A group of international regulators from the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, China, Indonesia, and United Arab Emirates, tasked with examining only the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) certification process, concluded the process should ensure fail-safe design principles that minimize reliance on pilot action as a primary means of risk mitigation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the accident pilots' responses to MCAS were inconsistent with Boeing's assumptions, and recommended tools to effectively alert pilots to airplane failures to improve response timeliness. 'A race to the bottom' Former cockpit designer, NTSB investigator, and F.A.A. Human Performance Program Scientist, Dr. Alan Diehl, told Yahoo Finance the certification process started to decline in effectiveness 40 years ago when Congress deregulated the airline industry. "In 1978, the Congress in this country deregulated the airlines, and what that meant was that fairly quickly, people who were going to be in the business, whether it was the airlines or the manufacturers, realized that was going to be a bottom line endeavor," Diehl told Yahoo Finance. "This was a race to the bottom to try to deliver the cheapest products and services that we can." One of the first things that happened under deregulation, Diehl said, was to promote automation systems that would permit the operation of heavier aircraft with two, rather than three, pilots. To save on costs, automation became increasingly important to manufacturers so that cockpits could be designed to eliminate the flight engineer, or third pilot, he said. A commission to study the issue, empaneled by President Ronald Reagan, published findings concluding that two-pilot cockpits were as safe as those with three. "Automation can be very beneficial from a safety standpoint, but you know it's a two edged sword," Diehl said. "You need to be very careful to examine both the system safety issues, and ergonomic issues when we're certifying these aircraft." Founder of Lion Air Group Rusdi Kirana walks with Indonesia's Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and Indonesia's Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution, as they inspect the facilities of Batam Aero Technic (BAT) at Hang Nadim International airport in Batam island, Indonesia, August 14, 2019 As a result of the 737 Max crashes, Boeing agreed to modify all Max planes in order to change the way its MCAS operates. During the two fatal flights the system processed and acted upon errant sensor data, that in turn automatically pushed the nose of the plane down. The system was installed on the Max to prevent engine stalls. In theory, the system would counteract a change in the plane's center of gravity caused by Boeing's decision to design the plane with larger engines placed farther forward on the fuselage than on previous 737s. The system was activated in both the Lion Air crash as well as the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, approximately five months later. Boeing said to date it had flown more than 814 test flights with the updated software, and conducted "numerous" simulator sessions with 545 participants from 99 customers and 41 global regulators. Max planes were grounded by the FAA on March 13 following an Ethiopian Airlines crash. Shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 29, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea. Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10. In a press release on Monday, Boeing said it had made "robust" improvements to the Max flight control software, including a system that will now compare information from two, rather than one sensor, before activating, and activate only once, and only when both sensors agree. In addition, an override of MCAS will occur when a pilot takes control. "These changes will prevent the flight control conditions that occurred on the Lion Air 610 and Ethiopian Airlines 302 flights from ever happening again," the company said in a press release Monday. On its website Tuesday, Boeing recognized the Lion Air crash anniversary and the Ethiopian crash. "We mourn those whose lives were lost on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and offer our deepest sympathies to their families and friends. We will always remember," Boeing stated. Boeing has continued to express its target date for returning the Max to service by the end of the year. However, all U.S. airlines have either pushed their scheduled Max service into 2020, or declined to commit to a date. In its third quarter earnings for the period ending September 30, Boeing reported the accumulation of an additional $900 million in costs due to grounding of the aircraft. The Max has been grounded worldwide since March 13. The added expense brought Boeing's total costs associated with the grounding to $9.2 billion. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/boeing-ceo-dennis-muilenburg-hearing-testimony-130124038.html Back to Top Aviation Safety Bill Targets Challenges Posed by Flight Automation The tails of several of the dozens of grounded Boeing 737 MAX airplanes line the edge of a parking area adjacent to Boeing Field Aug. 15 in Seattle. It comes on the heels of two tragic commercial aircraft crashes that killed 346 in the last year. Two senators penned legislation to directly address challenges around the automated systems that contributed to two separate crashes of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft that occurred over the last year, killing hundreds and grounding Max flights indefinitely. The Aviation Automation and Human Factors Safety Act of 2019, introduced Thursday by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., aims to establish a Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence dedicated to addressing dangers posed by increased automation and pilot response and also implements new and old aviation safety recommendations targeting flight automatics. "As we continue to learn more from the multiple investigations into Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, clear opportunities to improve aviation safety and protect the traveling public have emerged," Duckworth said in a statement. "We have a solemn obligation to the families of the 346 individuals who lost their lives to learn the lessons of these tragedies and prevent such events from ever occurring again." Last October, Lion Air Flight 610 plummeted into the Java Sea, minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia. In March, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 also crashed shortly after takeoff. Everyone on board both flights perished in the crashes. Black box data from both aircraft suggests that the deadly incidents were partially due to a newly introduced automated system, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, which many pilots struggled with or knew little about when the crashes occurred. In September, the National Transportation Safety Board published seven safety recommendations informed by its investigation of both incidents. Cantwell and Duckworth's act would mandate the FAA's implementation of the board's recommendations. The bill would improve safety assessments and incorporate design enhancements to boost pilots' understanding and ability to work with automated systems and components on all Boeing 737 Max aircraft, specifically, as well as other transport-category airplanes. The aim is "to minimize the potential for, and safety impact of, pilot actions that are inconsistent with manufacturer assumptions." The legislation also calls for the development of tools and methods that use insights from industry and human factors experts to improve the validation of pilots' assumptions using the technology, as well as diagnostic tools to help accelerate pilot responses when systems fail. On top of NTSB's suggestions, it also seeks to implement recommendations from the Transportation Department Inspector General's 2016 report aimed at reducing dangers associated with the increased use of flight deck automation. If passed, the aviation safety act would also institute the creation of an FAA Center of Excellence to be "focused on flight automation and human factors in commercial aircraft." The center could receive appropriated funds that the FAA administrator deems necessary. It would be tasked with enhancing collaboration across the government, academia and the commercial aircraft and airline industries and also lay out research goals in areas relating to the increased reliance on automation in commercial aircraft. The bill also mandates the establishment of safety management systems for aircraft manufacturers. Cantwell noted that she'll consider additional legislation, based on her ongoing review of forthcoming recommendations from those investigating the crashes. "As aviation systems become increasingly complex and rely more on automation, our manufacturers and federal regulators need to remain on the cutting edge of innovation to keep travelers safe." Cantwell said. "The flying public deserve nothing less." Cantwell serves as ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, which, on Tuesday is asking Boeing's CEO about the two crashes. https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/10/aviation-safety-bill-targets-challenges-posed-flight-automation/160939/ Back to Top China likely to boycott International Air Safety Summit in Taiwan Chinese delegates have still not registered for Nov. 4-6 event CADF Chairman Kent Wang (right) with Flight Safety Foundation Vice President Mark Millam at last year's summit. TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Representatives of China, Hong Kong and Macau are likely to boycott the International Air Safety Summit to be hosted by Taiwan for the first time ever, media reports said Wednesday (October 30). Taiwan's China Aviation Development Foundation (CADF) Chairman Kent Wang (็Ž‹ๅœ‹ๆ) confirmed that representatives of the three areas had not registered yet for the November 4-6 conference to be held in Taipei, the Liberty Times reported. The 72nd annual summit was still open for registration, but in addition to official delegations, two Chinese citizens working for Boeing and GE Aviation respectively had met with visa problems, Wang said. A further two Hong Kong citizens employed by the private sector were listed to attend the summit, though it was not clear yet whether they would actually attend, the report said. This year marks the first time that Taiwan is hosting the annual air safety summit, which started 71 years ago. At the 2018 edition in Seattle, Wang, who also serves as deputy transportation minister, succeeded in attracting the conference to Taipei. The event expects over 300 guests from 30 countries, while domestic members include government aviation safety bodies and airlines. CADF was planning to hold a news conference Thursday (October 31) to address issues such as the reports of a Chinese boycott, according to the Liberty Times. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3806445 Back to Top Aviation in Brazil hampered by litigation, taxes, regulation A litigious culture, high taxes and regulatory issues are the main obstructions to aviation growth in Brazil, South America's most populous country, and one that is generally considered still severely underserved in terms of air transportation. A panel of two aviation executives, a regulatory official and a government representative speaking at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in Brasilia on 29 October agreed that the number of legal cases being brought to the Brazilian courts by disgruntled, delayed passengers as well as arduous administrative barriers are big drags on the sector. "The cost of this judicial-isation [litigation] is paid by whom? In the end it is the customer," says Gol's chief executive Paulo Kakinoff. Legal costs are passed on to the consumer through higher ticket prices for air travel. "This cost will be reflected in the fares that everyone is going to pay." Aviation is a much criticised industry in Brazil, and suffers from a lack of understanding by the general public, Kakinoff says. "It's complex communication, but we have to recognise that we are not doing a good job on this." Gol is Brazil's leading domestic low-cost carrier. "Passengers need to know that if they take a flight, that flight may not happen for many different reasons," says Ricardo Catanant, superintendent for aviation services at Brazilian regulator ANAC. "Often it is totally beyond the responsibility or control of the airlines." LATAM Airlines Brazil chief executive Jerome Cadier says that while 50% of the airline's operating costs have their origin in Brazil, the country accounts for 99% of its legal costs. He echoes Kakinoff's calls for improving consumer education about the aviation industry, but also that of the judicial officials who decide the cases that are brought against the airline. Ronei Glanzmann, the Brazilian secretary of aviation infrastructure, tells conference participants that Brazilian judges say they are not sufficiently schooled in aviation law and therefore have a minimal understanding of it. The government is making an effort to counter this unfamiliarity by offering courses in the legal framework that governs the sector, in collaboration with the country's association of federal judges. "For them it's a matter of a contract, but they don't have the context for what that means for aviation," he says. "For example, that you cannot control the weather." Supplementary taxes are also deterring more Brazilians from travelling by air within their own country, Gol's Kakinoff complains. The so-called ICMS levy is a tax on sales and services and applies to the movement of goods, transportation and communication services. He gave an example of two aircraft from the same airline which receive fuel from the same tanker truck, with one aircraft going to Buenos Aires, while the other is headed to a domestic destination of equal distance. "The fuel going into the plane to Buenos Aires has zero ICMS and the plane next to it has a 25% ICMS," Kakinoff says. "That tax structure has a very damaging impact, stimulating Brazilians to spend their vacations in Buenos Aires rather than in Brazil." More than half of Brazil's 27 states have begun reducing their fuel taxes, with Sao Paulo state's tax rate down to 12.5% from 25% previously. This has led to an increase of 591 flights per week from Sao Paulo's airport, with another 200 planned, officials say. LATAM's Cadier also calls for industry deregulation to accelerate, which would lead to more competition. "When passengers have two options for a route, companies are going to be extremely aggressive to capture these passengers," he says. "We need to think about how to stimulate these routes where now just one company is running it." Glanzmann says the new government has a very pro-market agenda and supports deregulation. It is now in a position to tackle long-overdue issues and to open up the country to more competition. "We are working on this institutional regulatory environment," Glanzmann says. "It's the first time that we have a highly competent team and all the conditions necessary for this to work." In order for the industry to flourish, Brazil must also factor in competition from abroad, Cadier says. Restrictive labour laws and diverging rules between countries are another differentiator when it comes to the cost of flying. "My crew members are less protected flying to France then a French pilot coming the other way," he says. "We need to think about the impacts about the Brazilian companies' capacity to compete with other companies that are not subject to the same Brazilian labour laws." https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aviation-in-brazil-hampered-by-litigation-taxes-r-461872/ Back to Top FAA bans drones over more federal facilities The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) airspace restrictions over additional national security sensitive locations, effective November 7. In cooperation with its federal partners, the FAA will restrict UAS operations in the airspace over 60 additional Department of Defense and Department of Justice facilities to address concerns about malicious drone activity. An FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), FDC 9/7752, defines these special security instructions. The FAA has published a new NOTAM, FDC 9/1278, which alerts UAS operators and others in the aviation community to this change and points to FDC 9/7752. UAS operators are strongly advised to review these NOTAMs, as well as important supporting information provided by the FAA's UAS Data Delivery System (UDDS) website. This website contains the text of FDC 9/7752. Further down the page is an interactive map ("Map of FAA UAS Data") displaying restricted airspace throughout the U.S. Zooming in will enable viewers to click on each of the 60 new DOD and DOJ locations and see the specific restrictions. Each of the 60 locations are in yellow since the restrictions are pending until the Nov. 7 effective date, at which point they will become red. The restrictions will also be included in the FAA's B4UFLY mobile app. UAS operators who violate these flight restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges. The FAA considers requests by eligible federal security agencies for UAS-specific flight restrictions using its authority under 14 CFR ยง 99.7. The agency will announce any future changes, including additional locations, as appropriate. The 60 locations: * Federal Correctional Institution Aliceville in Aliceville, Alabama * Federal Correctional Institution Ashland in Ashland, Kentucky * Federal Correctional Institution Bastrop in Bastrop, Texas * Federal Correctional Institution Beckley in Beaver, West Virginia * Federal Correctional Institution Bennetsville in Bennetsville, South Carolina * Federal Correctional Institution Berlin in Berlin, New Hampshire * Federal Correctional Institution Big Spring in Big Spring, Texas * Federal Correctional Institution Cumberland in Cumberland, Maryland * Federal Correctional Institution Danbury in Danbury, Connecticut * Federal Correctional Institution Dublin in Dublin, California * Federal Correctional Institution Edgefield in Edgefield, South Carolina * Federal Correctional Institution El Reno in El Reno, Oklahoma * Federal Correctional Institution Elkton in Lisbon, Ohio * Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Littleton, Colorado * Federal Correctional Institution Estill in Estill, South Carolina * Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in Fairton, New Jersey * Federal Correctional Institution Gilmer in Glenville, West Virginia * Federal Correctional Institution Greenville in Greenville, Illinois * Federal Correctional Institution Herlong in Herlong, California * Federal Correctional Institution Jesup in Jesup, Georgia * Federal Correctional Institution La Tuna in Anthony, Texas * Federal Correctional Institution Loretto in Loretto, Pennsylvania * Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc in Lompoc, California * Federal Correctional Institution Manchester in Manchester, Kentucky * Federal Correctional Institution Marianna in Marianna, Florida * Federal Correctional Institution McDowell in Welch, West Virginia * Federal Correctional Institution McKean in Lewis Run, Pennsylvania * Federal Correctional Institution Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee * Federal Correctional Institution Mendota in Mendota, California * Federal Correctional Institution Miami in Miami, Florida * Federal Correctional Institution Milan in Milan, Michigan * Federal Correctional Institution Morgantown in Morgantown, West Virginia * Federal Correctional Institution Otisville in Otisville, New York * Federal Correctional Institution Oxford in Oxford, Wisconsin * Federal Correctional Institution Pekin in Pekin, Illinois * Federal Correctional Institution Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona * Federal Correctional Institution Ray Brook in Ray Brook, New York * Federal Correctional Institution Safford in Safford, Arizona * Federal Correctional Institution Sandstone in Sandstone, Minnesota * Federal Correctional Institution Schuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania * Federal Correctional Institution Seagoville in Seagoville, Texas * Federal Correctional Institution Sheridan in Sheridan, Oregon * Federal Correctional Institution Talladega in Talladega, Alabama * Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee in Tallahassee, Florida * Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island in San Pedro, California * Federal Correctional Institution Texarkana in Texarkana, Texas * Federal Correctional Institution Three Rivers in Three Rivers, Texas * Federal Correctional Institution Waseca in Waseca, Minnesota * Federal Correctional Institution Williamsburg in Salters, South Carolina * Federal Medical Center Devens in Devens, Massachusetts * Federal Medical Center Butner in Butner, North Carolina * Federal Medical Center Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky * Federal Transfer Center Oklahoma City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * United States Penitentiary Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia * United States Penitentiary Leavenworth in Leavenworth, Kansas * Martindale AHP in San Antonio, Texas * Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania * Tobyhanna Army Complex in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania * Military Ocean Terminal Concord in Concord, California * Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in Sunny Point, North Carolina https://www.eturbonews.com/372104/faa-bans-drones-over-more-federal-facilities/ Back to Top China Successfully Flies First 4-Seat Electric Aircraft China successfully flew its first four-seat electric aircraft in the northeastern city of Shenyang, Xinhua News Agency reported. The maiden flight could help the country attain global leadership in battery-powered airplanes. Named the RX4E, the electric airplane features a takeoff weight of 1,200 kilograms and is able to fly as far as 300 kilometers on a single charge. The flight range could be extended as battery technology improves. The flight took place just four days after China completed a test flight of its fifth C919 prototype plane. The electric aircraft is powered by a 70 kWh battery to achieve larger power storage capacity, Xinhua reported. The plane is 77% made of lightweight and corrosion-resistant carbon materials. "The RX4E aircraft has a great market space and prospect and will be used in short-distance transport, pilot training, sightseeing, aerial photography and aerial mapping," said Zhao Tienan, deputy head of Liaoning General Aviation Research Institute, which is developing the electric aircraft. https://www.caixinglobal.com/2019-10-30/china-successfully-flies-first-4-seat-electric-aircraft-101476655.html Back to Top Are Business Jet Pilots Ready for This Wearable Head up Display? Thales believes TopMax could become the first wearable head up display to receive certification and technical standard order for the business jet market. Photo: Thales Thales plans on bringing its experience in providing helmet mounted display technology for military pilots to the business jet market with the newly upgraded version of TopMax, which is on track to become the first wearable head up display (HUD) to receive a technical standard order (TSO) and certification for business jet operations. The initial version of TopMax was first introduced at the 2016 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (BACE), and Thales has kept its capabilities relatively the same. However, the form factor and ergonomics of the design has been significantly improved since then based on pilot feedback. During the NBAA BACE 2019, a group of Thales test pilots and engineers provided Avionics International with a demonstration of the upgraded version of TopMax. It now weighs just over one pound, features an optional visor and the feel of the headset is not as bulky or heavy as the previous version. Here is the type of information the pilot sees on the small display that sits in front of their eye when wearing TopMax. This is what combined synthetic vision system and enhanced vision system camera information looks like fused on the display. Photo: Thales Once the headset is worn, it becomes an intuitive system providing the pilot with effectively all of the same information-such as flight path vector, airspeed, altitude, attitude and waypoints-out ahead as one would see on a head down primary flight display. Thales recommends placing the HUD in front of the pilot's dominant eye, and the information remains fixed-a 360-degree view of unlimited terrain, cueing functions and an extended virtual head down display constantly within the pilot's direct line of vision. Other TopMax features include visualization of cross wind headings, synthetic runway, extended visual centerline and a three-dimensional display of traffic. There is also off-axis symbology, and if the aircraft is equipped to feed ADS-B In traffic to the HUD, the pilot can also see other aircraft in nearby airspace. Synthetic vision system imagery is also visible on the HUD, and it can be coupled with any available enhanced vision system camera as well. "By wearing the device, we move away from the standard limitation of the head up display with a fixed combiner in front of us. We developed a small ship set for it. All you need is the headset and a small computer that is about the size of an iPhone to enable the functionality," Yanik Doyon, Thales' director of sales for TopMax told Avionics International. This is what a pilot would see while looking off axis out of the direct view in front of their line of vision. Photo: Thales One of the unique features of TopMax is also how it will display and raise pilot awareness about important flight environment information, such as how close they are to an upcoming runway or what the aircraft's heading is if they happen to look to their left or right. Doyon said Thales envisions pilots mainly wearing TopMax during the takeoff, approach and landing phases of flight. "Head up displays, have a synthetic runway, but only when you're aligned with the runway, which sort of defeats the purpose," Doyon said. "On TopMax, if the pilot looks to their left or outside the cockpit, they'll still see the runway and be able to start their approach to be straightly aligned with the centerline of the runway." Doyon said over the last year nearly 200 pilots have tried out the TopMax, some in full flight simulators and other in-flight. He admitted that some civilian pilots trying out TopMax were "reluctant to put something on their head," and that the new version is the fourth design iteration of TopMax. However, none said it was too bothersome to wear while flying. Thales will need to work through some regulatory challenges to get TopMax certified and ready to start shipping to customers, as currently the FAA does not actually have a technical standard order (TSO) for wearable HUDs, so the very criteria for that must be developed and met first. The French manufacturer has partnered with StandardAero in an effort to work toward certification of TopMax for the Bombardier Challenger 350, with other aircraft models planned in the future. FAA certification for TopMax is expected by the end of next year, according to Doyon. "Certification is ongoing. We've defined what needs to be done with the FAA. We feel that head up display-like technology is going to become pretty much standard on almost every new business jet. TopMax is more than just a HUD, and we're confident we have something that is ready to disrupt the business jet industry," Doyon said. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/10/29/business-jet-pilots-ready-wearable-head-display/ Back to Top Air Force recognizes drone pilots with new medal The Air Force's new Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal is intended to recognize drone pilots and other airmen who make contributions to combat from a remote location. A new Air Force campaign medal will recognize drone operators and other airmen who directly supported a combat operation from a remote location. The Remote Combat Effects Campaign medal is part of an effort to better recognize the combat contributions of airmen who are not deployed, the Air Force said in a statement announcing the award's criteria Monday. Former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson established the decoration earlier this year. Airmen serving in the following career fields are eligible for the award: remotely piloted aircraft; cyber; space or intelligence; surveillance and reconnaissance. Airmen from other career fields may be considered for the medal on a case-by-case basis, service officials said. To be eligible, an airman's contributions must have occurred on or after Sept. 11, 2001, while assigned or attached to a unit directly in support of a Pentagon combat operation, the criteria states. An airman must have "personally provided" hands-on employment of a weapon system that has a direct and immediate effect on combat operations, the Air Force said. The airman also cannot have been physically exposed to hostile actions or at risk of exposure to hostile action, though that could qualify them for other awards. Qualifying combat operations involve several in the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia: Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Nomad Shadow, Freedom's Sentinel, Inherent Resolve, Odyssey Lightning and Pacific Eagle - Philippines. The Pentagon for years has grappled with how to recognize the contributions of service members who influence a military operation thousands of miles away from the front lines. Drone pilots have played a central role in U.S. efforts targeting extremists, often putting in long hours. The Air Force has struggled to retain drone pilots, with some developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, studies have shown. A Pentagon effort in 2013 to recognize "extraordinary actions" of drone pilots and other off-site troops performing noteworthy deeds far away from the battlefield was scrapped due to criticism. Veterans groups objected because the medal would have outranked some awards for troops serving in harm's way, such as the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star with Valor. The new medal is worn lower - above the Air and Space Campaign Medal and below the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. In 2016, the Pentagon approved a new distinguishing device that can be affixed to previously awarded medals, including one for engaging an enemy through remote actions. https://www.stripes.com/news/air-force-recognizes-drone-pilots-with-new-medal-1.605089 Back to Top PNG AIC WILL HOST THE NINTH ASIA PACIFIC - ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION GROUP (APAC-AIG) MEETING IN 2021. The Chief Commissioner of the PNG Accident Investigation Commission (AIC), Mr. Hubert Namani today announced that PNG will host the Ninth Asia Pacific - Accident Investigation Group (APAC-AIG) Annual Meeting, in Port Moresby, in 2021. The APAC-AIG was established under the Regional Aviation Safety Group - Asia Pacific (RASG-APAC), to assist the States of the Region in the development and improvement of independent no-blame accident and incident investigation. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) report emanating from the 56th Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation Asia and Pacific Region held in Kathmandu, Nepal in August 2019, stated "...out of all the 14 PSIDS (Pacific Small Island Developing States), only Papua New Guinea has established an independent authority for the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents." Mr. Namani explained "ICAO has recognised that the capabilities of the PNG AIC for conducting independent no-blame accident and serious incident investigation have significantly improved over the last 3 years, and was clearly demonstrated in the two 2018 major accident investigations conducted for Pacific States under full delegation to the PNG AIC; the Boeing 737 at Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the ATR 72-500 at Port Vila, Republic of Vanuatu. "These achievements have led Pacific Island States to look to PNG as a State in which safety is paramount and is recognised for excellence, integrity and professionalism in accident and incident investigation." In this context, the APAC-AIG Committee Chairman invited the AIC to host the Ninth APAC-AIG Annual Meeting in Port Moresby in 2021. Mr. Namani said "In accepting the invitation to host the Ninth APAC-AIG Annual Meeting, the AIC Board has embraced this outstanding opportunity for the AIC to not only support and have a key role in this important Regional accident investigation activity, but also to encourage the Pacific Island States to become actively involved in a Regional cooperative framework and to participate in AIG-related activities in the Region. "This also reinforces the AIC's agreements to provide accident investigation support to FSM, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Fiji. "Holding the Ninth APAC-AIG Annual Meeting in Port Moresby will also showcase the AIC to the Asia Pacific States and be a clear demonstration of the PNG Government's support 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 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