Flight Safety Information November 21, 2019 - No. 241 In This Issue Incident: Cargolux B744 near Menorca on Nov 19th 2019, failure of weather radar Incident: Westjet B737 at San Diego on Nov 19th 2019, bird strike Incident: Indigo A320 at Chennai on Nov 20th 2019, cargo smoke indication Delta flight evacuated after smoke fills cabin Incident: Canada B789 near Anchorage on Nov 9th 2019, navigation system failure Incident: Skywest E175 at Sacramento on Nov 19th 2019, bird strike East Midlands Airport: Fog led to taxiing plane hitting parked aircraft Crew encountered situation not in training manuals on fatal Southwest flight American flight attendants union changes course, considers suing Boeing Whistleblower raises safety alarm about air traffic control Aviation Organizations Oppose Foreign Maintenance Oversight Bill FAA approves Boeing 737 distress tracking device Trans States Airlines and Frontier Airlines Announce Flow Program for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Student Duo Shines at International Safety Conference Supersonic Jets Could Return To Inland Northwest Skies Boeing 747 Nears End of the Line as Storied Factory Shuts Down Two of a Space Kind: Apollo 12 and Mars 2020 CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT IATA Safety and Flight Ops Conference - Baku, Azerbaijan 31 March - 2 April, 2020 USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Position Available:...Aircraft Accident Investigator BlazeTech Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course - May 26-28, 2020 in Woburn MA, USA Incident: Cargolux B744 near Menorca on Nov 19th 2019, failure of weather radar A Cargolux Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration LX-TCV performing flight CV-7142 from Luxembourg (Luxembourg) to Johannesburg (South Africa), was enroute at FL310 about 100nm southeast of Menorca,SP (Spain) when the crew decided to turn around and return to Luxembourg due to the failure of the weather radar systems. The aircraft dumped fuel and landed safely back about 5 hours after departure. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 17 hours, then departed again to Johannesburg. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf8a35b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Westjet B737 at San Diego on Nov 19th 2019, bird strike A Westjet Boeing 737-700, registration C-GWJT performing flight WS-1564 from Calgary,AB (Canada) to San Diego,CA (USA), was on approach to San Diego's runway 27 when the aircraft flew through a flock of birds and received a number of bird strikes. The crew continued for a safe landing on San Diego's runway 27 maintaining routine communication. A post flight inspection revealed damage to the aircraft disabling it to carry out the return flight. The return flight was postponed to the following day. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in San Diego for about 18.5 hours, then departed for the return flight as WS-4265. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/WJA1564/history/20191119/1725Z/CYYC/KSAN http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf8a187&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Indigo A320 at Chennai on Nov 20th 2019, cargo smoke indication An Indigo Airbus A320-200, registration VT-IKI performing flight 6E-892 from Coimbatore to Chennai (India) with 168 people on board, was descending towards Chennai when the crew received a cargo smoke indication. The crew declared emergency and continued to Chennai for a safe landing. A replacement A320-200 registration VT-IHB performed the remaining sectors of flight 6E-892 with a delay of about one hour. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 18 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf89e98&opt=0 Back to Top Delta flight evacuated after smoke fills cabin: 'There was smoke everywhere' A Delta Air Lines flight out of Madrid was evacuated prior to takeoff on Tuesday after smoke began filling the cabin. The plane, which was bound for New York, was reportedly delayed for two hours following the evacuation, per Flight Aware. The smoke was believed to have been caused by oil dripping on an auxiliary power unit. After video of the incident was posted to Twitter, Delta confirmed its maintenance teams were looking into the incident. "The @delta plane got on fire in the back," one passenger claimed in a Twitter post that contained footage of the incident. "There was smoke everywhere." The @delta plane got on fire in the back. There was smoke everywhere. They waited to see what it was until they let us out of the plane. I have not stopped coughing. Don't understand why they didn't let us get off the plane right away. The Twitter user, who identified himself as Paz, also claimed that passengers were not immediately allowed off the plane once the smoke was detected, and that he had "not stopped coughing" as of posting the tweet on Tuesday. Delta has since released a statement confirming that all customers safely exited the plane. "We apologize to customers of flight 127 from Madrid to New York-JFK, as the crew elected to deplane the aircraft due to a smoky odor detected in the cockpit and cabin," a spokesperson said in a statement provided to Fox News. "Customers safely exited the aircraft, which was still at the gate and were then reaccommodated to their final destinations. We are working to reach out to these customers individually as we extend our apologies." Delta also confirmed on social media that its maintenance teams were investigating the incident. Delta said the plane has since reentered service. The airline is also reaching out to passengers to provide compensation. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/delta-flight-evacuated-smoke Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Canada B789 near Anchorage on Nov 9th 2019, navigation system failure An Air Canada Boeing 787-9, registration C-FNOG performing flight AC-25 from Vancouver,BC (Canada) to Shanghai Pudong (China) with 304 people on board, was enroute about 450nm southeast of Anchorage,AK (USA) when the crew received an EICAS message "FMC Verify Position" shortly followed by "NAV unable RNP". The crew consulted with dispatch and maintenance and decided to return to Vancouver, where the aircraft landed safely about 5 hours after departure. The Canadian TSB reported the crew declared PAN PAN, dumped fuel and landed safely back in Vancouver. A passenger reported the captain announced a complete failure of the GPS system. A replacement Boeing 787-9 reached Shanghai with a delay of 8 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA25/history/20191109/2000Z/CYVR/ZSPD http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf89bde&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Skywest E175 at Sacramento on Nov 19th 2019, bird strike A Skywest Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N285SY performing flight OO-3565/DL-3565 from Sacramento,CA to Salt Lake City,UT (USA) with 65 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Sacramento's runway 16R when a bird impacted the aircraft. The crew stopped the climb at 4000 feet and returned to Sacramento for a safe landing on runway 16R about 15 minutes after departure. The FAA reported the aircraft sustained minor damage when the aircraft struck a bird on takeoff. Passengers reported there was a really loud thud followed by vibrations, the smell of smoke developed on board. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKW3565/history/20191120/0254Z/KSMF/KSLC http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf86ac7&opt=0 Back to Top East Midlands Airport: Fog led to taxiing plane hitting parked aircraft The tip of one plane's wing - known in the trade as a winglet - struck the other aircraft's "right horizontal stabiliser" Thick fog blinded air traffic controllers causing a taxiing plane to hit a parked aircraft at East Midlands Airport, a report has found. The wing tip of a Ryanair plane scraped a Jet2 aircraft as it moved to park early on 30 April. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said low visibility procedures were in place but controllers could not see that a space was already occupied. Neither plane was carrying passengers at the time and no crew were hurt. The AAIB said the Ryanair plane, a Boeing 737 with two crew on board, was taxiing towards the airport's main parking area, having arrived from Stansted Airport, when it struck the Jet2 aircraft, also a Boeing 737. 'Seduced the crew' "Due to the poor weather and their elevated position in the control tower, air traffic controllers could not see the aircraft, taxiway or apron," the report said. The fog had made stand 22, where the Jet2 plane was parked, "invisible" to the controllers and the Ryanair plane was given an "unachievable taxi clearance". In addition, the report said the airport's Surface Movement Radar - meant to be "the eyes" of air traffic controllers when visibility is poor - was not designed to show stationary vehicles. The report concluded: "The fallibility of the human eye in accurately judging relative distance at range seduced the crew into thinking that safe separation had been achieved." East Midlands Airport (EMA) closed stand 22 while it carried out a safety review following the crash. An EMA spokesman said: "Immediately following [the collision] an internal team was assigned to review relevant procedures and changes have been made to our operating procedures that control the movement and parking of aircraft on the apron. "Going forward, the airport is looking at how new technology could further improve procedures. " https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-50460363 Back to Top Crew encountered situation not in training manuals on fatal Southwest flight, investigators say This NTSB photo-illustration shows the damaged left fan cowl from the engine failure and depressurization of the April 17, 2018 accident involving Southwest Airlines Flight 1380. During the chaotic scene inside Southwest Flight 1380, flight attendants had to deal with a situation not covered in the training manual. The left engine had just suffered severe damage, causing debris to pierce the side of the plane and blow out a window. The woman sitting in seat 14A, Jennifer Riordan, was partially sucked out of the plane and died from her injuries. The death of Riordan, a New Mexico businesswoman, marked the first passenger fatality in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) history. On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board released its final report on the April 17, 2018 accident. The NTSB is the government agency charged with investigating transportation accidents. As part of the investigation process, the NTSB makes recommendations to other parties about how to prevent similar events from happening again. The NTSB issued seven recommendations in the Southwest Flight 1380 report with most pointed toward the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency made one recommendation to Southwest. "Include the lessons learned from the accident involving Southwest Airlines flight 1380 in initial and recurrent flight attendant training, emphasizing the importance of being secured in a jumpseat during emergency landings," the NTSB said. Southwest Flight 1380 When the engine failed, the cabin experienced rapid depressurization. It was apparent something had gone wrong. As a flight attendant made her way through the cabin checking on passengers, she saw Riordan partially out the window. Two flight attendants unsuccessfully tried to pull her back in. Eventually, two passengers were able to get Riordan back in the aircraft. The passengers sitting in seats 14B and 14C moved from their seats while Riordan received medical attention. While helping see to Riordan, flight attendants were also preparing other passengers for what could be a bumpy landing. Communication was difficult. In the 19 seconds prior to landing in Philadelphia, flight attendants shouted for passengers to brace themselves. No seating Flight attendants encountered a unique situation - the entire plane was full. All 143 seats were filled with passengers. They had to find places for the two passengers who were in 14B and 14C. As the plane landed, crew members and passengers were scattered throughout the cabin. One flight attendant sat on the floor by aisles four and five with passengers holding her down. The two other flight attendants sat on the floor of the back galley. One of the displaced passengers sat in a flight attendant jump seat. The other was on the floor. The NTSB reviewed training materials and found that no such scenario was covered by either Southwest or the FAA. The agency recommended the FAA develop guidance to aid airlines in future scenarios where seating capacity becomes constrained and there are no other seats to reaccommodate passengers in an emergency situation. "We support the actions of our crews, and we remain forever grateful for their professional and heroic actions," said Southwest spokesperson Chris Mainz. Jumpseats The NTSB said the flight attendants should have been in their jumpseats for landing, but acknowledged that no guidance exists for the scenario encountered on Flight 1380. Jason Fedok, NTSB investigator, said the manual stated "during a planned emergency landing, flight attendants were required to occupy their jumpseat in order to be prepared for a possible evacuation after landing." "Staff recognizes that the emergency descent was challenging for all of the crew members because of the conditions inside the airplane," Fedok added. "However, being fully prepared for an evacuation is a flight attendant's most critical responsibility in an emergency situation." A spokesperson for the FAA said the agency will review and respond to the NTSB's recommendations. A Southwest spokesperson did not say what the carrier would do to take the NTSB's recommendation into account. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/11/20/southwest-airlines-flight-1380-flight-attendants.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo Back to Top American flight attendants union changes course, considers suing Boeing Lori Bassani, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said that the voting board has expressed interest in filing a lawsuit against Boeing. The union which represents American Airlines flight attendants is considering suing Boeing after the union's leader said less than a week ago it wouldn't pursue litigation. Lori Bassani, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said in a prepared statement Tuesday night that the voting board has expressed interest in filing a lawsuit against Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) as the 737 Max remains grounded. The APFA represents approximately 28,000 American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL) flight attendants. More than 6,000 American flight attendants live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This latest statement by Bassani comes just days after she told the Dallas Business Journal on Nov. 14 the union would not pursue litigation against Boeing because "it's not our only aircraft, so our people didn't really lose wages." The declaration was a source of discord within the union. One board member called on Bassani to resign, according to emails sent within the union's leadership ranks that were obtained by the Business Journal. In Tuesday's statement, Bassani said other board members expressed their concerns last week after the APFA's position was compared to the TWU Local 556, which represents Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) flight attendants, which has said it will consider suing Boeing. "Although the union negotiated pay protections in March covering flight attendants whose schedules and pay were impacted by the grounding of the Max in a Letter of Agreement with the company," Bassani said, "the grounds for a suit will be researched and determined by the APFA Board this week." Unions representing both American and Southwest flight attendants will attend a three-day meeting with Boeing in Washington state early next month. Boeing will give those attending the meeting an overview of how the company plans to ensure the plane's return to service. Both American and Southwest have the plane off its schedule until early March 2020. "The meeting in early December affords us the opportunity to acquire critical information directly from the source - Boeing Executives - in a direct, open manner," said TWU Local 556 spokesperson Chad Kleibscheidel. Kleibscheidel added Boeing has been in contact with the union before, as some executives flew to Dallas to meet with the union's executive board in August to discuss the issues surrounding the 737 Max. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2019/11/20/american-airlines-flight-attendants-boeing.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo Back to Top Whistleblower raises safety alarm about air traffic control A whistleblower says managers at an air traffic control center in Florida increased risk of a mid-air collision by changing procedures for handing off planes A whistle-blowing flight controller says changes in air traffic control procedures at a major center in Florida raise the risk of a midair collision, but the Federal Aviation Administration disputes the claim. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel said Wednesday that it notified the White House and Congress of the controller's allegations. The whistleblower's complaint focuses on changes made early last year by managers at a center near Jacksonville, Florida, that controls flights over parts of five states - Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina - and the Gulf of Mexico. The whistleblower said new procedures for moving planes from one controller's airspace to another's could put planes going opposite directions at the same altitude dangerously close together. Controllers might have only one or two minutes to sort things out if planes were headed get too close, according to the special counsel. "Despite being alerted to these troubling findings, FAA management has failed to take appropriate corrective action," Special Counsel Henry Kerner said. Kerner said FAA officials interviewed several controllers and supervisors and all of them considered the change hazardous or to have introduced risk. He said an FAA investigation found that controllers in Jacksonville sometimes broke rules regarding working together when handing off planes - a "culture of noncompliance" - that management failed to correct. Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said in a statement, "It is critical that the FAA takes immediate action and makes the necessary procedural modifications to ensure America's airspace is safe." The FAA said the procedures adopted at the Florida facility are consistent with those used in FAA facilities throughout the country and comply with its standards for maintaining altitude separation among planes. An FAA safety panel that reviewed the new procedures said in August that it did not identify any new hazards https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/whistleblower-raises-safety-alarm-air-traffic-control-67182345 Back to Top Aviation Organizations Oppose Foreign Maintenance Oversight Bill The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) and ten other aviation organizations have come out in opposition of a recently introduced bill aimed at increasing FAA oversight of repair stations located outside of the United States. The Safe Aircraft Maintenance Standards Act (H.R. 5119) was introduced by U.S. House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., last Friday. Provisions laid out in H.R. 5119 (PDF) include annual unannounced FAA inspections for foreign repair stations, requiring certain air carriers to provide detailed monthly maintenance reports for FAA analysis and requiring supervisors and mechanics to be certified under FAA regulations regardless of location. The bill would also put a moratorium on FAA certification of new foreign repair stations if the FAA does not implement the new requirements, including issuing a rule to require security assessments of foreign repair station employees, within one year of the bill being enacted. "For years I've pressed FAA officials to heed the warnings from its own Inspector General and to do more to close the gap between our safety standards and those of foreign repair stations," said DeFazio. "The bill I'm introducing ... does just that by establishing one standard of safety regardless of where the aircraft is maintained." According to a letter (PDF) sent by the ARSA-led coalition to the chairman and ranking members of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and Aviation Subcommittee, the groups believe the new record-keeping and reporting requirements the bill suggests "do nothing to help focus regulators on safety critical information and will simply overwhelm them with irrelevant data." In addition, the letter states that H.R. 5119 "puts in place regulatory requirements that would be likely impossible to implement" and runs the risk of impacting cooperation with international aviation authorities "including key bilateral aviation safety partners." Along with ARSA, the letter was signed by organizations including the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and National Air Carrier Association (NACA). https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/faa-regs/aviation-organizations-oppose-foreign-maintenance-oversight-bill/ Back to Top FAA approves Boeing 737 distress tracking device HawkEye ADT unit. Blue Sky Network Aircraft tracking system provider Blue Sky Network on Nov. 20 announced FAA certification of its autonomous distress tracking (ADT) device on Boeing 737 airliners. Blue Sky Network said its HawkEye ADT, granted approved model list supplemental type certificate (AML-STC) authorization for the 737 type, is the first device to comply with an upcoming international recommended standard for autonomous distress tracking. The ICAO's Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) construct requires that an aircraft in distress transmit position information once every minute. The standard is applicable to new production aircraft with a takeoff weight greater than 27,000 kg. (59,525 lbs.) as of January 2021. The HawkEye ADT automatically reports aircraft 4D Global Navigation Satellite System position data via Iridium modem for normal operations and defined distress anomalies. The unit incorporates an attitude and heading reference system module that can autonomously determine a possible distress condition. Position report messages are routed to an airline operations center using Blue Sky Network's SkyRouter aircraft tracking software platform. The HawkEye ADT derives power from the aircraft's electrical bus and contains a battery in the event of a power failure. "We integrated advanced sensors and processors to allow independent determination of possible distress scenarios without the exclusive reliance on onboard aircraft systems-we made it autonomous," said Jon Gilbert of Aircraft Tracking Solutions, a Blue Sky Network partner. "This stand-alone intelligent product will set a higher expectation level in commercial aviation for aircraft normal and distress tracking in alignment with GADSS compliance." https://atwonline.com/connected-aerospace/faa-approves-boeing-737-distress-tracking-device Back to Top Trans States Airlines and Frontier Airlines Announce Flow Program for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Program launches the first regional-to-major airline flow program for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians ST. LOUIS, Nov. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) at Trans States Airlines now have a defined pathway to a guaranteed job at Frontier Airlines. A new program launched by the two airlines guarantees AMTs at Trans States an AMT position at Frontier after as little as three years of service with Trans States. AMTs, who are also known as Aircraft Mechanics, are critical to an airline's safety and performance. This program comes amid an industry-wide shortage of qualified AMTs, with not enough new AMTs entering the field to meet increased demand and replace forecasted retirements. While the nationwide pilot shortage gave rise to numerous programs for regional airline pilots that facilitate the transition to major airlines, this program is the first of its kind for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians. "While the pilot shortage may get the most press, the AMT shortage is real and it is here," said Brian Randow, Chief Operating Officer at Trans States Airlines. "In this competitive hiring environment, we must find ways to attract talented AMTs to our airline. A guaranteed job with a top airline like Frontier is a tremendous incentive to join our team, and it's something that no other airline can offer." "As an industry, we must continue to find creative opportunities to meet current demand, but also ensure that the next generation of aviators is stronger and more robust than it is today," added Matt Wright, Director of Maintenance at Trans States. "This program, in conjunction with the Trans States Apprentice program for aspiring AMTs, provides a clear and defined career path from high school to retirement, and will be instrumental in achieving those goals." "With the limited number of Aircraft Mechanics currently entering the field, this new program, the first in the industry, will allow us to hire experienced AMT's through a more streamlined process. As we [Frontier Airlines] continue to grow and expand our network, there's never been a better time to join Frontier, America's fastest-growing and Greenest Airline," said Trevor Stedke, Senior Vice President of Operations for Frontier Airlines. Other recent Trans States initiatives to attract qualified AMTs include a new program targeted at military aircraft mechanics that funds the costs of civilian licensing requirements, as well as a signing bonus of up to $15,000. Hourly pay for Trans States AMTs is among the highest in the regional airline industry and includes up to $5,000 in annual retention benefits. Trans States was also the first regional airline to launch a paid apprentice program for aspiring AMTs. To learn more about AMT career opportunities at Trans States, please visit transstates.net. About Trans States Airlines Trans States serves over 3.4 million passengers a year, with approximately 243 daily flights providing service to over 60 cities in North America. Trans States operates the Embraer 145 on behalf of United Airlines (as United Express). Headquartered in St. Louis, Trans States has crew and maintenance bases in DEN, and STL as well as additional maintenance base locations in SDF, SGF, LNK and MLI. About Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines is committed to offering 'Low Fares Done Right to more than 110 destinations in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic and Mexico on more than 400 daily flights. Headquartered in Denver, Frontier's hard-working aviation professionals pride themselves in delivering the company's signature Low Fares Done Right service to customers. Frontier Airlines is the proud recipient of the Federal Aviation Administration's 2018 Diamond Award for maintenance excellence and was recently named the industry's most fuel-efficient airline by The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) as a result of superior technology and operational efficiencies. SOURCE Trans States Airlines https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trans-states-airlines-and-frontier-airlines-announce-flow-program-for-aircraft-maintenance-technicians-300962176.html Back to Top Student Duo Shines at International Safety Conference Associate professor of Aerospace & Occupational Safety Anthony Brickhouse poses with student Andrew Hall at the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) conference in the Hague. Understanding aircraft accidents is key to ensuring they don't happen again -- and that pursuit has become a passion for two Embry-Riddle students. Stacey Jackson and Alexander Hall were among just four students from around the world selected to present papers at the recent conference of the prestigious International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) in The Hague, located on the North Sea coast of the western Netherlands. "It was a phenomenal experience," said Jackson, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics degree through the Embry-Riddle Worldwide Campus and is now pursuing her master's in Human Factors. "It was a global symposium of experts in accident investigation and it was a thrill to be part of it." Embry-Riddle was granted a student chapter of ISASI in 1993 and Anthony Brickhouse, a veteran air safety investigator and an associate professor in Embry-Riddle's College of Aviation, said that "thanks to ISASI, students have literally traveled around the world" attending air safety events and networking with professionals. Jackson and Hall researched two trending topics in the world of aviation safety and accident prevention, he said. "They did good research to support their positions and did outstanding jobs presenting their topics to a room of close to 300 international safety professionals," Brickhouse said. "Many students would be nervous and intimidated by this, but they were poised and commanded the stage." STACEY'S STORY Stacey Jackson's love affair with flight started early. By the time she was 26, the Canadian native now living in Fort Worth, Texas, was among the only female captains flying the Dash-7, an iconic plane made by Canada's de Havilland company, now part of The Boeing Company. Student Stacey Jackson, Anthony Brickhouse and ISASI Treasurer/retired National Transportation Safety Board investigator Robert Macintosh She flew in the Caribbean, Afghanistan and Africa, where she began taking online courses through Embry-Riddle, aiming for her bachelor's degree in Aeronautics. She finished one homework assignment with a gunfight going on outside her room in the South Sudan because a coup was taking place. "Everyone thought I was crazy, but we were locked in our rooms, in our compound, and there was nowhere else we could go. The assignment was due and I wanted to finish it. It was a great distraction," said Jackson, who is now a pilot with WestJet and an elected member of the Air Line Pilot Association's Accident Investigative Board (AIB) and head of Toronto's Women in Aviation chapter. Jackson's ISASI paper was called "Future Safety: Apply Lessons Learned in Human Factors to Commercial Space Operations," and it focuses on the 2014 accident during the testing of Virgin Galactic's Spaceship Two. She also looked at the role human factors have played in aircraft crashes and how lessons learned from those tragedies can be applied to commercial space flight. "It's about why and how, and the role human factors plays," she said. "We have to learn from mistakes so they aren't repeated." Jackson, whose husband, Paul, is also pursuing his master's in Aeronautics at Embry-Riddle, says the university's online delivery format - especially combined with the support of her academic advisor, Andrea Hill - has made the biggest difference. "It allows both traditional and non-traditional students to achieve their academic goals," she said. "It removes the barriers to education that some people might be experiencing, if they were already in the workforce, had a family or had other responsibilities. It also allows individuals who are already developing their careers to further their knowledge by completing their degree, which results in a more robust workforce." ALEX'S STORY Alex Hall learned to fly in high school and decided to apply to Embry-Riddle after meeting some students at an aviation conference. Once he started classes, he developed an interest in accident investigation and safety. "It really turned into a passion," he said. Hall, 22, cites help from Embry-Riddle instructors Brickhouse, with his vast experience in air safety, and Elizabeth Matthews, a linguistics expert, for the successful submission of his paper, titled "The Challenges of Investigating Language in Aviation Accidents: How Applied Linguistics Can Reveal Subtle Communication Errors." Hall looked at the horrific 1977 collision of two 747s - a crash that left 583 people dead - and other accidents where communication and language issues played a significant role. "Latent language errors are an issue that can be overlooked," said Hall. "Because I love aviation, I want to do what I can to be sure we have the safest industry possible." His experience at the conference was special, he said. "It was just incredible," said Hall, a senior in Aerospace and Occupational Safety Program at the Daytona Beach Campus. "Presenting in front of that group, with all those investigators and pilots, was really intense." Hall credits Embry-Riddle with helping him secure internships at Delta Air Lines and Textron Systems. He is considering staying at the school, where he hopes to find a job and pursue his master's degree in Data Science, looking to use that discipline to bolster his accident investigation skills. Whatever path he ends up on, Hall is glad to have the Embry-Riddle name behind him. "I never appreciated the value of networking until I came here," he said. "The Embry-Riddle name opens doors all around the world." http://news.erau.edu/headlines/student-duo-shines-at-international-safety-conference Back to Top Supersonic Jets Could Return To Inland Northwest Skies It's been more than 15 years since a British Airways Concorde made its final landing in Seattle. The needle-nosed supersonic jet was added to the collection of the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. Now, new companies are poised to bring back supersonic commercial flying. A recently-formed industry group wants to designate airspace over the inland Northwest for the flight testing. Engineering and flight testing contractor AeroTEC leads the new Supersonic Flight Alliance. It aims to attract new business to Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. The trick will be to get the Federal Aviation Administration to approve a high-altitude flight test corridor for a new wave of civilian supersonic jets now in development elsewhere. Rendering of 55-75 passenger supersonic airliner under development by Boom Supersonic. Boom Supersonic AeroTEC President and CEO Lee Human said the new designs could make a barely noticeable thump when passing overhead - not a startling, window-rattling, car alarm-triggering sonic boom like from a fighter aircraft. "Some equate it to slamming a car door outside of your house where you might perceive it, but it certainly is not going to bother you," Human said during a Friday interview in Seattle. "This is not something that someone is going to believe without data ... We want to prove that." Human's company, in partnership with the Port of Moses Lake and the Seattle-based industry lobbying group Aerospace Futures Alliance, has sketched out what is basically a 300-mile long autobahn in the sky. The long, skinny rectangle stretches from the east slopes of the Cascades to western Montana, a little bit south of and parallel to the Canadian border. The advantages of this location include low population density on the ground, good flying weather most of the year and minimal interference with other air traffic. Human said supersonic flight testing could draw hundreds of jobs to Washington state. "It's a simple metric to say that for each flight test aircraft, you easily need 100 people to support that flight test airplane," he said. The Supersonic Flight Alliance has just started its outreach to local civic leaders. It may launch a public relations campaign next year to reassure communities under the potential flight test path. "I hadn't heard of this yet," state Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, said when asked about it Thursday. "My first reaction is to be supportive of industry and new technology so long as it doesn't adversely impact the quality of life of my constituents enjoying their rural living." Okanogan County Commissioner Jim DeTro said that he had only heard rumors about the civilian supersonic flight testing possibility, but would keep an open mind given the potential economic benefits to eastern Washington. The switchboard at the county administration has received many citizen complaints over the years about the noise and disturbance that military planes create while training over north-central Washington. The proposal for a supersonic flight corridor came as a surprise to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Rodney Cawston, chairman of the Colville Business Council, said his initial reaction was one of concern about potential impacts to fish and wildlife as well as to people such as vulnerable elders. "We're not opposed to bringing jobs to rural Washington, but at the same time, we need to look out for our communities and our environment," Cawston said. Civilian supersonic flight over land has been banned by the FAA since the early 1970s. Boom Supersonic At least three American companies have supersonic passenger planes in advanced phases of development: Boeing has invested in Reno-based Aerion Supersonic, which is aiming for a 2024 first flight of its Mach 1.4 business jet. Aerion describes its aircraft as being capable of "boomless cruise." Rival Spike Aerospace in Boston has an 18-passenger, Mach 1.6 business jet on its drawing board. It is projected to leave a "quiet boom" in its wake. Denver-based Boom Supersonic is aiming bigger. It designed an all-business-class, ultra-fast (Mach 2.2) airliner for 55-75 passengers. The design, named Overture, is slated to begin service in the mid-2020s. Boom has signed up Japan Airlines as an investor and potential customer as well as Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Another potential test range customer could be NASA, which has contracted with Lockheed Martin to build a commercial supersonic demonstration plane. The X-59 QueSST is slated to make its maiden flight in 2021 at Edwards Air Force Base in California. NASA said it wants to measure public acceptance of "low boom" noise in other places during later phases of testing. Current U.S. rules prohibit commercial and business jets from breaking the sound barrier over land to prevent loud, disturbing booms on the ground. The supersonic flight ban, which does not apply to the military, dates from the days of the noisy Concorde. Under prodding from Congress, the FAA has begun a rules revision process to open American skies to the new generation of quieter civilian supersonic aircraft. New noise regulations are expected next year. An FAA spokesperson on Monday said the agency deemed it inappropriate to comment right now on the pending proposal for a civilian supersonic test corridor over the inland Northwest. AeroTEC's Human acknowledged that supersonic flight testing could happen over the ocean or at a military test range. But he noted that civilian manufacturers chafe at the restrictions that come with operating in military airspace. Human said a civil supersonic corridor over land would be preferable because in the case of an inflight problem there would be a nearby airport to which to divert and land a prototype. The Concorde flew for British Airways and Air France from 1976 to 2003. The sleek planes could cruise at supersonic speeds only while over an ocean or Arctic lands. Noise restrictions, poor fuel efficiency and increasing safety and maintenance concerns combined to force the early retirement of the fleet. The similar-looking, Russian-built Tupolev TU-144 made its maiden flight the year before the Concorde, but saw very limited commercial usage. The last of its kind was retired in 1999. https://www.opb.org/news/article/supersonic-jets-flights-northwest-test/ Back to Top Boeing 747 Nears End of the Line as Storied Factory Shuts Down (Bloomberg) -- The Southern California factory that has churned out fuselages for every Boeing Co. 747 jumbo jetliner is being sold for parts, potentially hastening the demise of the iconic aircraft. Triumph Group Inc., the largest supplier to the 747-8 program, is starting to clear out a storied plant with an online auction of manufacturing gear that begins Wednesday afternoon. Located on Jack Northrop Avenue in Hawthorne, the factory was commissioned to build frames for the hump-backed aircraft after Pan American World Airways placed the initial order in 1966. Barring a surprise sales bonanza of freighters, Triumph's decision to wind down work on the 747 after years of losses will force Boeing to consider pulling the plug on its most recognizable jet. While it has enough orders to continue building jumbos for now, the cash-strapped aerospace giant will eventually face a tough call: whether to invest in making fuselages, aluminum skins and other parts itself -- or finally end 747 output after half a century. On the block at the Triumph plant is everything from band saws for as little as $5 to an automated press used to punch rivets into curved fuselage sections. Bidding for that starts at $100,000, according to RAAR Group USA Inc, which is handling the liquidation sale. Production Decisions If the Hawthorne factory closing marks the beginning of the end for the aircraft dubbed the "Queen of the Skies," Boeing isn't saying. The Chicago-based planemaker earlier explored plans to take over manufacturing of the 172-foot-long fuselage sections, then scrapped the idea in 2016 amid tepid sales. "We are continuing to build 747-8s to meet the backlog of orders for the airplane and will continue to make the right decisions to keep the production line healthy," Boeing spokesman Paul Bergman said in an email. "With production slots filled for the next several years, we are working closely with our suppliers to deliver on our customer commitments." The jumbo opened international travel to the mass consumer market when it was introduced in 1970, but four-engine jets have fallen from favor as airlines switched to more efficient twin-engine models such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus SE's A350. A freighter version has greater appeal since a hinged nose flips up to allow cargo haulers to front-load bulky loads like oil-drilling equipment. Unfilled Orders Boeing has just 18 unfilled orders in its backlog -- most of them bound for United Parcel Service Inc. -- and failed to win any 747 sales this year as trade tensions sapped demand for air cargo. Still, the orders are the equivalent of three years of production, buying time for the U.S. manufacturer in case the market revives. Triumph is working ahead to provide fuselages for those remaining aircraft, Bergman said. Along with the Hawthorne plant, which is slated to close in December, the supplier will also shutter a Dallas-area factory over the next year or so that makes tail sections, floor beams and other parts. The 747 can't be written off just yet, said Stephen Perry, an investment banker who specializes in aerospace and defense deals. Boeing's mid-sized 767, once on life support, has enjoyed a miraculous recovery as a freighter thanks in part to a large military contract and sales to UPS and FedEx Corp. "If there's demand, they will find a new home for it," Perry, managing director with Janes Capital Partners, said of the fuselage-panel manufacturing. "If there isn't, the 747 will quietly disappear." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-747-nears-end-line-182131797.html Back to Top Two of a Space Kind: Apollo 12 and Mars 2020 (Left) Apollo 12 astronaut Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. stands beside NASA's Surveyor 3 spacecraft; the lunar module Intrepid can be seen in the distance. Apollo 12 landed on the Moon's Ocean of Storms on Nov. 20, 1969. (Right) Mars 2020 rover, seen here in an artist's concept, will make history's most accurate landing on a planetary body when it lands at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. Fifty years ago today, during their second moonwalk, Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. and Alan Bean became the first humans to reach out and touch a spacecraft that had previously landed on another celestial body. NASA's 1969 Apollo 12 Moon mission and the upcoming Mars 2020 mission to the Red Planet may be separated by half a century and targets that are 100 million miles apart, but they share several mission goals unique in the annals of space exploration. "We on the Mars 2020 project feel a special kinship with the crew of Apollo 12," said John McNamee, Mars 2020 project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "They achieved the first precision landing, deployed the most advanced suite of science instruments of the time, and were the first to interact with another spacecraft that put down on another world. That's all part of the Mars 2020 playbook as well." NASA needed Apollo 12 to prove a precision landing was possible because future Apollo missions would target locations in the lunar highlands, where mountains, massive craters, boulder fields and rilles could ruin their day if the lunar modules strayed from their prescribed landing path. And while the previous mission, Apollo 11, was a monumental success, it overshot its intended landing site in the Sea of Tranquility by about 4 miles (6 kilometers). To demonstrate a precision landing, Apollo 12 mission planners could have chosen just about anywhere on the nearside of the Moon by targeting any of literally millions of known geologic features. In the end, they chose for Pete and Al a relatively nondescript crater in the Ocean of Storms because JPL had plunked down a spacecraft there two-and-a-half years earlier. "When Pete and Al put the lunar module Intrepid down within about 520 feet [160 meters] of Surveyor 3, it gave NASA the confidence to later send Apollo 15 to Hadley Rille, Apollo 16 to go to the Descartes Highlands and Apollo 17 to land at Taurus Littrow," said McNamee. "We also have to be precise with our landing on Mars - not only to pave the way for future precision landings on the Red Planet for both robotic and human-crewed missions, but also because Mars 2020's scientifically appealing landing site at Jezero Crater has all sorts of cliffsides, sand dunes, boulders and craters that can adversely affect us during landing." Mars 2020 will be history's first planetary mission to include terrain relative navigation, a computerized autopilot that utilizes optical imagers and computers to help Mars 2020 avoid landing hazards and make the most accurate landing on a planetary body in history. Sweet Suite Science There are other similarities. During their first moonwalk, Conrad and Bean deployed the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments package (ALSEP). Powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, the five science instruments (seismometer, atmospheric sensor, solar wind spectrometer, lunar dust collector and magnetic field sensor) were the most advanced ever to be carried to another celestial body, and they sent back groundbreaking data on the lunar environment from November 1969 to September 1977. When Mars 2020 alights at Jezero Crater, it also will be equipped with the most advanced science instruments ever to travel to another world. "The science instruments we carry benefit not only from advances in technology, but the hard lessons learned by those missions of exploration, including Apollo, that preceded us," said Ken Farley, project scientist for Mars 2020 from Caltech in Pasadena. "Our seven state-of-the-art science tools will help us acquire the most information possible about Martian geology, atmosphere, environmental conditions, and potential biosignatures, giving us insight into the Red Planet like never before." Return to Sender During their second moonwalk, Conrad and Bean reached the Surveyor 3 lander - one of the robotic missions that explored the Moon in advance of astronauts. They not only collected images and samples of the lunar surface surrounding the spacecraft, but cut, sawed and hacked parts off the three-legged spacecraft, including Surveyor's TV camera and its surface-soil sampling scoop. "NASA wanted to see what happened to materials that were exposed to the lunar environment for an extended period," said McNamee. "To this day, the samples of Surveyor 3, which endured 31 months at the Ocean of Storms, are our best and only demonstrations of the natural processes that can affect spacecraft components left on the Moon." One of Mars 2020's major mission goals is to seek signs of past microscopic life, collecting the most compelling rock core and Martian dust samples. Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA, would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. To help engineers design spacesuits to shield astronauts from the elements, NASA is sending five samples of spacesuit material along with one of Mars 2020's science instruments, called Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC). A piece of an astronaut's helmet and four kinds of fabric are mounted on the calibration targetfor this instrument. Scientists will use SHERLOC, as well as a camera that photographs visible light, to study how the materials degrade in ultraviolet radiation. It will mark the first time spacesuit material has been sent to Mars for testing and will provide a vital comparison for ongoing testing at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Robots First, Astronauts Later Just as NASA's Surveyor missions helped blaze a trail for Neil and Buzz on Apollo 11, Pete and Al on 12, as well as Al and Ed (Apollo 14), Dave and Jim (Apollo 15), John and Charlie (Apollo 16), and Gene and Harrison (Apollo 17), Mars 2020 is helping set the tone for future crewed missions to Mars. Mars 2020's landing system includes a suite of sensors that will document the descent to the surface in never-seen-before detail so that future robotic and crewed missions factor those details into their landings. When on the surface, the rover's MOXIE instrument is designed to demonstrate that converting Martian carbon dioxide to pure oxygen is possible, and RIMFAX could teach us how to use ground-penetrating radar so that future missions can use it to find sources of fresh water. "Isaac Newton once wrote, 'If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants,'" said McNamee. "When Mars 2020 flies, it will allow us to see farther into the geologic history of the Red Planet than ever before - and that is happening because we too are standing on the shoulders of giants - giants like the crew of Apollo 12." The launch period for Mars 2020 opens on July 17, 2020. It will land at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. For more information about the mission, visit: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7545 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 USC Aviation Safety & Security Program On-Site and Custom Courses To meet the diverse needs of all elements of the aviation community, the USC Aviation Safety & Security Program offers our courses to be conducted at your facility. Whether you are a small, medium or large organization; a private company, government agency, or the military...we can work with you to bring the right training to your facility. Choose from any of our courses. All of our courses can be customized to fit the specific needs of your organization. Don't see the exact course or subject you want? We have created courses, seminars, and presentations for companies - such as Safety Performance Indicators for Korean Air and Safety Auditing for Quanta Services. To bring USC Aviation Safety & Security Education to your organization, please contact us at hinaba@usc.edu or +1 (310) 342-1352. Earn Credit for FlightSafety Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn elective credits towards FlightSafety International's Master Technician-Management Program • Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Gas Turbine Accident Investigation • Helicopter Accident Investigation • Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance • Safety Management for Ground Operations Safety • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness Earn Points Toward NBAA Certified Aviation Manager Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn two points toward completing the application for the National Business Aviation Certified Aviation Manager Exam. • Aviation Safety Management Systems • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Aircraft Accident Investigation • SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Back to Top Position Available: Aircraft Accident Investigator The position is for a very seasoned person in the field of aircraft accident investigation, fixed wing and helicopter. The requirements include previous experience in some/all of the following areas: Piloting, Aircraft Maintenance, Federal Aviation Regulations, Engineering (Aeronautical, Mechanical, Aerospace, Forensic, Design), Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Human Factors, Accident Reconstruction, Impact Kinematics, Manufacturing, Aviation Weather, Technical Report Writing, Piston and Turbine engine operation and failure, Fire Investigation, Material Science. The position requires a minimum of a 4-year degree from an accredited college or university. Post graduate education and degrees are preferred. The position will involve some level of very short-term travel on a bi-weekly to monthly basis. Previous expert witness deposition and trial testimony experience is preferred although not required as long as credentials will qualify the applicant in an expert capacity. Physical capabilities to travel to primarily US destinations for aircraft wreckage and crash site inspections will be necessary. Compensation will be based on experience and industry marketability directly proportional to industry billing rates and standards. The listing company has been in the business of investigating aircraft accidents for over 40 years. The company has consistently and is currently one of the industry leaders in forensic aircraft accident investigation and has been recognized for exemplary performance by countless State and Federal Courts as well as Law Journals, The American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice. The company offers longstanding excellence in the field of Aircraft Accident Investigation and is looking for new and motivated staff members to help assist its rapidly expanding client base. Please contact us at aeroinvestigator@gmail.com Back to Top Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course presented by N. Albert Moussa, PhD, PE May 26 to 28, 2020 BlazeTech Corporation 29 B Montvale Ave, Woburn MA 01801 USA. Dear Colleague, While commercial air transport is very safe, the advent of new technologies poses fire safety challenges that will be treated in this course. This offering draws upon Dr. Moussa's work in this area since 1971 as well as related courses that BlazeTech has been teaching since 1998. Lectures will include an update on Li and Li-ion battery fires, flammability of carbon fiber and glass fiber composites, emerging aviation fluids, engine fires, fuel tank fire/explosion, fire extinguishment methods, protection methods, aircraft accident investigation, and fire/explosion pattern recognition. Recent requirements and accidents are continuously added to the course. For each type of fire, this course will provide a cohesive integrated presentation of fundamentals, small- and large-scale testing, computer modeling, standards and specifications, and real accident investigation - as outlined in the course brochure. This integrated approach will enable you to address safety issues related to current and new systems and circumstances, and to investigate one of a kind fire and explosion accidents. The course will benefit professionals who are responsible for commercial aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles including design, equipment selection, test, operation, maintenance, safety management system, hazard/risk assessment, and accident investigation. View Brochure for course content and registration form (also embedded below). View Testmonials of previous attendees and their Companies. View some of the technical references discussed in this course. We also offer this course at the client site as well as customized courses on fire and explosion in other areas. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Albert Moussa, Ph.D., P.E. BlazeTech Corporation 29B Montvale Ave. Woburn, MA 01801-7021 781-759-0700 x200 781-759-0703 fax www.blazetech.com firecourse@blazetech.com LinkedIn Curt Lewis,