Flight Safety Information December 3, 2019 - No. 248 In This Issue India weighs tougher rules for Boeing 737 MAX on return to flying: source New FAA Chief to Testify Before Congress on 737 Max Crashes Incident: Algerie B738 near Cairo on Dec 2nd 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: JAL B738 near Osaka on Dec 2nd 2019, engine problem Camair-Co Xian MA60 hit by gunfire on approach to Bamenda Airport, Cameroon Pilot in the South Dakota plane crash was given the OK to fly in limited visibility, NTSB says US cargo airlines face another legal push for tighter pilot work and rest rules Pilot Forced to Turn Plane Around after Passenger Faked Illness to Get a Better Seat IndiGo asks pilots to stop pushing Airbus engines to limit after shutdowns Crackdown on passengers who get unruly on international flights starts Jan. 1 Man restrained after trying to open door of BA aircraft in midair Embry-Riddle Safety Science Program Receives Donated Aircraft from Honeywell FAA calls Lufthansa skirting of operating approvals "blatant" Airbus considering production of hybrid airplane by 2035 The clock is ticking on Hong Kong Airlines' demise Indian Navy welcomes its first woman pilot in major milestone for armed forces WTO panel: EU fails to end illegal subsidies for Airbus After ups and downs, Boeing and Kitty Hawk reboot flying-car venture as Wisk IATA Safety and Flight Ops Conference - Baku, Azerbaijan 31 March - 2 April, 2020 USC Aviation Safety & Security Program India weighs tougher rules for Boeing 737 MAX on return to flying: source MUMBAI (Reuters) - India is considering setting an experience threshold for pilots who fly Boeing's (BA.N) 737 MAX planes, as it moves to ensure safety once the aircraft returns to service, a senior official of the air safety regulator told Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Dozens of grounded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are seen parked in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson The 737 MAX, the fastest-selling plane in the history of Boeing, has been grounded worldwide since March, after 346 people were killed in two crashes in five months. Boeing is making software changes, readying a new pilot training plan and must run a key certification test flight to get approval from the U.S. regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), before the planes can resume flying. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) may consider mandating a minimum number of flying hours for pilots of the 737 MAX, the source said, adding a decision would be made once it is clear when the planes are fit to return to the air. "Pilot training is a serious matter for the DGCA and the airlines will also need to work on building pilot confidence," said the source, who sought anonymity, as the discussions were private. The regulator will also make it mandatory for Boeing to set up simulators in India and for airlines to carry out comprehensive pilot training before it allows the planes to start flying, the source added. Reuters could not immediately reach the DGCA to seek comment. In a statement, Boeing said it was working closely with global regulators on a training program to help enhance pilots' understanding of the updated 737 MAX flight control systems. "Boeing will continue its commitment to developing training that supports safe, efficient operations and meets regulatory requirements," it said in the emailed statement. India's DGCA is one of several regulators that have indicated they will perform independent inspections of the grounded planes once the U.S. FAA clears them to fly. Indian carrier SpiceJet (SPJT.BO) has about a dozen Boeing 737 MAX planes in its fleet and 155 on order - among the largest single orders for the narrow-body plane. Boeing had delivered close to 400 of the 737 MAX globally before the March grounding, and it has nearly 5,000 orders for the aircraft, a more fuel-efficient version of its best- selling single-aisle 737 series. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-boeing-airplane/india-weighs-tougher-rules- for-boeing-737-max-on-return-to-flying-source-idUSKBN1Y70ZK Back to Top New FAA Chief to Testify Before Congress on 737 Max Crashes (Bloomberg) -- The top U.S. aviation regulator is being called to testify before Congress for the first time to address safety issues with the Boeing Co. 737 Max, which was grounded last March after the second fatal crash that killed a total of 346 people. Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson, who took over the agency after the crashes, is being called before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Dec. 11, the committee said in a press release. The hearing will examine the FAA's role in certifying the plane. The hearing will be the first at which Dickson, who was sworn in Aug. 12, has testified on the 737 Max situation. House and Senate committees have held hearings on the plane. Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg appeared Oct. 29 and 30 before transportation panels in both chambers. https://www.yahoo.com/news/faa-chief-testify-congress-737-175233867.html Back to Top Incident: Algerie B738 near Cairo on Dec 2nd 2019, engine shut down in flight An Air Algerie Boeing 737-800, registration 7T-VKH performing flight AH-4411 from Madinah (Saudi Arabia) to Annaba (Algeria), was enroute at FL340 about 30nm northwest of Cairo (Egypt) when the right hand engine (CFM56) flamed out and needed to be shut down. The aircraft diverted to Cairo, descended to FL090 to burn off fuel and landed safely on Cairo's runway 05C about 2:50 hours later. The passengers were rebooked onto regular flight AH-4038 performed by Airbus A330-200 registration 7T- VJV from Cairo to Algier (Algeria), which made an intermediate stop in Annaba delivering the passengers to their destination with a delay of about 12 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d010fc1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: JAL B738 near Osaka on Dec 2nd 2019, engine problem A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration JA337J performing flight JL-434 from Matsuyama to Tokyo Haneda (Japan), departed Matsuyama's runway 32 when the left hand engine (CFM56) ingested a bird. The crew initially continued the climb, but stopped the climb at FL190 due to abnormal engine indications and diverted Osaka's Itami Airport (Japan) for a safe landing on runway 32L about 50 minutes after departure. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the left hand engine ingested a bird immediately after the aircraft became airborne, the engine received damage. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d010660&opt=0 Back to Top Camair-Co Xian MA60 hit by gunfire on approach to Bamenda Airport, Cameroon Date: 01-DEC-2019 Time: 10:40 Type: Xian MA60 Owner/operator: Camair-Co Registration: TJ-QDB C/n / msn: 0901 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: near Bamenda - Cameroon Phase: Approach Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Douala Airport (DLA/FKKD) Destination airport: Bamenda Airport (BPC/FKKV) Narrative: Camair-Co flight QC272 was shot at with firearms during the approach to Bamenda Airport in Cameroon. The aircraft landed safely. The aircraft sustained damage as several bullets had punctured the fuselage. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/231020 Back to Top Pilot in the South Dakota plane crash was given the OK to fly in limited visibility, NTSB says (CNN)The pilot of the plane that crashed and left nine dead in South Dakota was given the OK to fly by the Federal Aviation Administration, despite limited visibility in the air, according to a press release from the National Transportation Safety Administration. The pilot initially filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) -- which describes how an aircraft operates when a pilot is unable to navigate with visual references -- with the FAA. The single-engine Pilatus PC-12 was cleared on Saturday to fly from Chamberlain Municipal Airport to Idaho Falls, Idaho, the NTSB said. The visibility that day was about half a mile with snow and ice along with overcast skies, the NTSB said. When the pilot didn't activate his flight plan, the FAA issued an alert for a missing plane, the NTSB said. The plane crashed one mile north of the Chamberlain Airport. Investigators arrived at the Chamberlain, South Dakota, crash site on Monday, December 2, 2019. Investigators arrived at the Chamberlain, South Dakota, crash site on Monday, December 2, 2019. Twelve people were on the flight and three survived, the NTSB said. The three survivors were taken to Sioux Falls for treatment. For the Elsen sisters, wealth became more than money when they opened their pie shop, Four and Twenty Blackbirds. Watch to see how they are reimagining wealth. Four generations of an Idaho Falls family were killed in the crash while traveling on a hunting trip. Brothers Jim and Kirk Hansen, founders of health and wellness company Kyäni Inc. were on the plane with their father, Jim Hansen Sr., Kyäni president Travis Garza said in a statement. Also killed in the crash were Jim Hansen Jr.'s son, Jake Hansen, and Jake's son, Houston. Kirk Hansen's sons, Stockton and Logan, and his sons-in-law, Kyle Naylor and Tyson Dennert, died in the crash. Three NTSB investigators arrived at the crash site Monday after being delayed by inclement weather, the agency said. They're expected to complete their work in Chamberlain by the weekend. A preliminary report on the crash is expected to be published in two weeks, the NTSB said. The entire investigation to determine the cause of the crash is expected to be completed within one to two years, the NTSB said. https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/02/us/south-dakota-plane-crash-instrument-flight- rules-plan/index.html Back to Top US cargo airlines face another legal push for tighter pilot work and rest rules Tired female airline pilot US lawmakers have introduced a bill that proposes stricter rules on work and rest periods for air cargo pilots. Four congressmen - from both sides of the political divide - have tabled proposed legislation that calls for the rules for cargo pilots to be brought in line with the regime governing passenger airline pilots. In 2014, the US tightened rules for pilots employed by passenger carriers in response to the investigation into the crash of a commuter aircraft in 2009, which claimed the lives of 50 people. Fatigue was identified as one of the reasons for the tragedy and the new rules reduced the maximum work day for flight crews from 16 hours to 14 and imposed a 10-hour break before a pilot can fly again, including eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. The requirements were not extended to cargo pilots, as the authorities followed the operators' argument that they would be hit disproportionately hard by the proposed rules, since most of their flying occurs during the night. Cargo pilots have remained subject to the guidelines in place for all flight crew before 2014. When the congressmen tabled their Safe Skies Act, they were joined by pilot union representatives of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. All have been vocal advocates of aligning cargo and passenger airline pilot work and rest rules. "Airline pilots are affected by fatigue, regardless of whether we fly passengers or freight. It is time for Congress to pass the Safe Skies Act and ensure one level of safety for all airline operations," said Capt Joe DePete, ALPA president. "Based on statistics, if the accident rate of all-cargo operations was applied to passenger operations, there would be an additional 277 accidents within 10 years. That is not acceptable." Cargo airline executives disagree. Stan Bernstein, president of the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association, said: "RACCA sees no need to make any changes to the current regulations." The Safe Skies Act resumes a battle going on since the dual regime came into being in 2014. That year, the National Transportation Safety Board barred UPS and the International Pilots Association from the investigation into the causes of the crash of UPS flight 1354 the year before, after the union had issued a statement giving its own analysis of the likely causes, which prompted the integrator to post a response on a website. Steve Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Association (CAA), jokingly referred to the issue as "the zombie of the apocalypse" that he "could never slay", as it keeps coming back. There has been no change in the issue that would suggest a different reading, he said. He stressed that incidents where fatigue was a factor were not due to violations of rest and work rules. "No instance we know of where fatigue was involved was caused by scheduling issues," he said. If pilots were fatigued for other reasons, they would have a choice not to fly, he added. "All of our carriers have non-punitive policies. It's not in our interest to see a crash because of fatigue," he stated. For operators, the imposition of the current rules for passenger airline pilots could be painful. The FAA published an analysis in 2014 which estimated that this would cost the industry about $452m over 10 years. "It could be $452m, it could be as low as $110m. This is not the issue," commented Mr Alterman. "This is not a safety issue." The CAA and other carrier organisations have argued that work patterns in the cargo industry are fundamentally different from the passenger side. For some, the legislative drive seems but another front in a confrontation between pilot unions and airline management. Atlas Air and its pilots have been locked in a bitter dispute over a joint labour agreement in the wake of the takeover of Southern Air that has been dragging on through the courts. Atlas Air pilots' work-to-rule stance has been blamed for Amazon's decision to contract some freighter operations to a different provider. Previous attempts to usher in legislation that would extend the current work and rest regime for passenger airline pilots to the cargo sector have failed, but Mr Alterman does not take this outcome for granted in the latest push. "This is a whacky year in terms of legislation," he said, noting that 2020 would be an election year. Atlas Air and UPS did not respond to requests for comment. No doubt they are working furiously behind the scenes to advance their cause. Would the extension of flying from five days a week to daily service in the wake of the e-commerce push for next-day service change the equation? Mr Alterman does not think so. "It does not change the picture. It's irrelevant to work hours and rest," he said. "It means you need more pilots. It's an issue of recruiting pilots, not of rest and fatigue." https://theloadstar.com/us-cargo-airlines-face-another-legal-push-for-tighter-pilot- work-and-rest-rules/ Back to Top Pilot Forced to Turn Plane Around after Passenger Faked Illness to Get a Better Seat A recent American Eagle flight bound for Miami, Fl. was forced to return to Pensacola, Fl. after a passenger faked a medical emergency to get a better seat. When a woman claimed to have trouble breathing, the pilot declared an emergency and returned to the origin airport. American Eagle flight 3508 landed back in Pensacola around 6:30 a.m. on November 29 and was grounded for over an hour due to the incident. "Once they got on the ground, she made it clear that she was faking the medical condition to get a bigger seat," Mike Wood, Pensacola Police Department public information officer, told NBC Miami. On the ground, the passenger refused to get off the plane, which forced an evacuation of the entire cabin. "All passengers deplaned normally at the gate through the main boarding door and onto the jet bridge," a spokesperson for American Airlines, the airline's parent company, said in a statement to the network. "The passenger was subsequently removed by law enforcement and medical personnel, and the flight took off again at 7:41 a.m." The passenger was held by police under the Baker Act, which allows officials to detain those suffering from mental illness who may pose a danger to themselves or others. She was then transported to a mental health facility. The woman has not yet been charged but could face criminal charges. https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/fake-emergency-diversion- american-eagle Back to Top IndiGo asks pilots to stop pushing Airbus engines to limit after shutdowns IndiGo is the world's top A320neo customer. It has 730 of the latest model on order and wants to expand its network. The Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM jet engine of an Airbus A320neo. (Photo: Bloomberg) IndiGo has told its pilots to stop pushing engines on its new Airbus SE jets to the limit when the planes are climbing, after India's aviation regulator said the practice may have contributed to turbines failing in the air. All the budget airline's A320neo aircraft now use a lower thrust setting following take off, according to a spokeswoman from IndiGo, which has suffered 13 engine shutdowns during ascents this year. The decision was taken "in order to make every possible effort to minimize exposure of engines," she wrote in an email, adding that manufacturer Pratt & Whitney stated there's no evidence of a connection between climbing procedure and engine incidents. Ascending at maximum power can help burn less fuel as it takes less time to reach cruising altitude. IndiGo made the switch only after India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation found in a probe-first reported by Bloomberg on Friday-that full-thrust climbs could wear down the engines and probably contributed to the shutdowns, people familiar with the matter said earlier. IndiGo instructed pilots of the A320neo-family of jets last month to use no more than 93% thrust on the Pratt engines until they reach 25,000 feet (7,622 meters), the people said. They asked not to be identified because the change hadn't been made public. The airline spokeswoman said the change had "hardly any difference" in day to day operations, beyond taking two to three minutes longer for aircraft to reach optimum flight level due to lower thrust settings. "Difference in fuel consumption is marginal," she said. IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., is among the world's fastest-growing carriers. Smaller rival Go Airlines India Ltd., which uses the same Pratt engine, typically uses the more gentle alt-climb approach now employed by IndiGo and hasn't faced similar engines failures, people familiar with the matter have said. Pratt representatives didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, while the DGCA declined to comment on what it described as an internal issue for IndiGo. Airbus declined to comment on its customers' operations. Holding back expansion IndiGo's mid-flight dramas have been a headache for the airline. The DGCA has said every time a new plane joins IndiGo's fleet, it must ground one A320neo that hasn't had its engines fixed. That essentially prevents Asia's biggest budget airline by market value from adding new flights until the issue is addressed. IndiGo is the world's top A320neo customer. It has 730 of the latest model on order and wants to expand its network beyond cities such as Istanbul to destinations including London. IndiGo told pilots, engineers and training crew in mid November about the "alternate max climb rating option" on its A320neo-family of jets, the people said. Such a practice is also known as a "derated takeoff." The airline's new guidelines say the Pratt engines on the A320neo cannot return to full thrust before 31,000 feet, while the bigger A321neo needs to gain a further 2,000 feet before maximum power is applied, they said. That process will reduce wear and tear on the engines, and will be applicable to all new engines as well, one of the people said. Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp., invested $10 billion to develop its fuel- efficient geared-turbofan engine for single-aisle jets like the A320neo, but it has suffered repeated setbacks since its commercial introduction in 2016, including a cooling problem, durability issues and delivery delays. IndiGo shifted away from the engines in June with a $20 billion order to CFM International Inc., a joint venture between General Electric Co. and France's Safran SA, although those deliveries have yet to start. https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/indigo-asks-pilots-to-stop- pushing-airbus-engines-to-limit-after-shutdowns-119120300132_1.html Back to Top Crackdown on passengers who get unruly on international flights starts Jan. 1 Crew members of Korean Air receive training in handling unruly passengers in a mock cabin in Seoul in 2016.(STR / AFP / Getty Images) Passengers who make trouble on international flights beware. An amendment to a global treaty will soon make it easier for countries to prosecute passengers on international flights who cause disruptions, delays or threaten the safety of the flight by tussling with other passengers or flight attendants. Incidents involving unruly passengers had become less frequent but the offenses had become more serious, according to a study by an international airline trade group two years ago. But about 60% of the onboard crimes have gone unpunished, the study found. The problem stems from a 1963 agreement among 186 countries, known as the Tokyo Convention, that gave jurisdiction over prosecuting an unruly passenger to the nation where the plane is registered. That means that fliers who gets drunk and belligerent on an American Airlines flight to France can be prosecuted only in the U.S., where American Airlines is registered, not in France, where the plane lands. Last week, Nigeria joined with 21 other countries to ratify an amendment to the Tokyo Convention, giving the amendment the necessary support for the change to go into effect Jan. 1. The amendment allows countries where the plane lands to prosecute a troublemaker on an international flight. "Everybody on board is entitled to enjoy a journey free from abusive or other unacceptable behavior," Alexandre de Juniac, director general and chief executive of the International Air Transport Assn., a trade group for the world's airlines, said in a statement. "But the deterrent to unruly behavior is weak." The necessary 22nd nation to ratify the amendment came on Nov. 26 when the secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Fang Liu, accepted the endorsement of the amendment from Nigeria. "The protocol addresses the issue of rising incidents of unruly and disruptive behavior on board aircraft by significantly improving the ability of [countries] to expand jurisdiction over relevant offenses and acts to the [countries] of landing and the [country] of the operator," Liu said in a statement. "The protocol will also serve to enhance global aviation security provisions by expressly extending legal recognition and protections to in-flight security officers." Unruly passenger statistics Statistics on unruly passengers on flights between 2007 and 2017.(International Air Transport Assn.) In 2017, there were 8,731 incidents of unruly passengers on flights operated by airlines that are members of IATA, the airline trade group, compared with 9,837 in the previous year. A vast majority of the incidents involve excessive drinking, according to an IATA study. But the number of serious incidents on planes increased. The cases in which passengers brandished weapons or threatened the lives of passengers or crew members jumped to 279 in 2017 from 66 in 2016, according to IATA. Extremely serious incidents - defined as a breach of the flight deck, an act of sabotage or a credible threat of seizing the aircraft - rose to 50 in 2017 from 20 in 2016, IATA said. The cost of diverting a plane due to an unruly passenger can range from $10,000 to $200,000, depending on the circumstances, the trade group estimated. In the U.S., the FAA said it recorded 90 incidents of unruly passengers in 2017, down from 101 incidents the previous year. In 2000, the agency increased the fine for causing a disturbance on a plane from $1,100 to as much as $25,000. "The safety and well-being of every traveler is and will remain the highest priority for U.S. airlines," said Katherine Estep, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, a trade group for the biggest air carriers in the U.S. "Our members take these matters seriously, and inappropriate behavior toward crew or passengers is not tolerated." A man who was accused of sexually assaulting a seatmate on a 2017 flight from Los Angeles to Panama may have escaped prosecution because of confusion over who has jurisdiction over pursuing crimes on international flights. The problem of unruly fliers has prompted some airlines to take unusual measures. In 2016, a passenger began attacking other fliers and flight attendants on a Korean Air flight from Vietnam to South Korea. In response, Korean Air began to beef up its security measures, including improved training of flight attendants in the use of stun guns. Airlines representatives also said the carrier was considering assigning at least one male flight attendant on each flight to help subdue disorderly fliers. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-12-02/crack-down-on-passengers-who- get-unruly-on-international-flights-starts-jan-1 Back to Top Man restrained after trying to open door of BA aircraft in midair Exclusive: passengers step in as man having panic attack pulls door lever on flight to Riyadh In a statement, British Airways said it was impossible for an aircraft door to open in flight. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images A man suffering a panic attack tried to open the door of a British Airways flight to Saudi Arabia in midair but was stopped by fellow passengers, including the brother of the boxer Dillian Whyte. The incident occurred on Monday night about an hour before BA flight 263 from Heathrow to Riyadh was due to land in the Saudi capital. Without warning a clearly agitated man started trying to pull the lever on the door at the back of the plane while screaming "I want to get out" in broken English. Another passenger, Ian McNally, quickly spotted what was happening and tried to intervene. Shortly afterwards the 6ft 7in Dean Whyte, who was sat in a nearby seat in economy, was alerted to the commotion and rushed down the aisle to assist - along with other members of the fighter's entourage and an air steward. Whyte was able to grab the man in a bearhug and pull him away from the door, while repeatedly telling him: "Calm down, bruv." Dean Whyte, the brother of boxer Dillian Whyte, helped pull the man away from the aircraft's door. Photograph: Youtube / SecondsOut At that point half a dozen more air stewards, one carrying handcuffs, rushed down the plane to help. Finally after a few minutes of angry pointing and shouting from the passenger, he calmed down and was brought back to his seat. Whyte was travelling to Saudi Arabia to support his brother, who is fighting on the undercard of the Andy Ruiz Jr v Anthony Joshua heavyweight title fight on Saturday night. Joshua's mother Yeta Odusanya was also on the plane, along with several members of staff for Matchroom Sport, who are promoting the fight. A clearly shaken McNally later confirmed to the Guardian that he had given a statement to the flight crew, and praised the efforts of Whyte. "I was mightily relieved when I saw him rushing to help," he added. Another who witnessed the incident but did not want to be named said he was frozen in panic as the incident unfolded. "I thought that was it," he said. "Everyone who intervened were heroes." Whyte told the Guardian: "It was like something out of a movie. When I got there he was shouting 'I want to get out' in broken English. I managed to grab him and was preparing to slam him hard if necessary but myself and the steward could see he wasn't quite right in the head so I held him and tried to calm him down. Eventually it worked." A British Airways flight attendant confirmed to the Guardian that the incident had been reported to the authorities. "I have never seen anything like that before," he added. The airline said it was impossible for an aircraft door to open in flight. A spokesperson said: "Our cabin crew cared for a customer who suffered from a panic attack during the flight. We are sorry for any concern this caused our customers." https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/dec/03/man-restrained-after-trying-to- open-door-of-ba-aircraft-in-midair Back to Top Embry-Riddle Safety Science Program Receives Donated Aircraft from Honeywell The newest member of the Robertson Aircraft Accident Investigation Lab (i.e., Crash Lab), a 1976 Beechcraft Baron, arrived on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's main campus on Monday, Nov. 25. The aircraft was donated by Honeywell in Phoenix and will be studied and used by students in Embry-Riddle's Safety Science program. Prior to arriving at Embry-Riddle, the Baron had been used for research, development, certification and demonstration of Bendix King products for the past 40 years. When Honeywell recently reevaluated its current fleet, the company found the 40-year-old aircraft was no longer needed and it approached Embry-Riddle about donating the aircraft. "We are extremely grateful to Honeywell for this donation," said Ed Coleman, Embry- Riddle Safety Science Department Chair. "This donation will enable us to expand our lab and is part of an ongoing effort to increase the exhibits available for our students." Initial plans are to keep the aircraft intact and remove some of the panels to allow students to study aircraft components on a complete aircraft prior to examining accident aircraft in undergraduate and graduate accident investigation courses. It will also be utilized to study human factors design. For example, the Baron does not have engine controls in the typical configuration seen in most other aircraft and thus will allow students to examine how this minor change could affect pilots who move between different aircraft types. There are other idiosyncrasies that will also be studied as part of the human factors curriculum. Additionally, students will also be able to study the aircraft as part of the aircraft survivability course. Interior design, seats, restraints and exits will all be used to demonstrate survivability aspects of small aircraft. Embry-Riddle's Robertson Safety Institute will also take advantage of the aircraft for use in professional education courses offered to industry. These courses are designed for current industry personnel to increase their knowledge base and expose them to actual aircraft in the crash lab. The addition of the Baron will elevate this hands-on experience. "Embry-Riddle has a long-standing, robust relationship with Honeywell," said Steve Bobinsky, Executive Director of Development. "More than 250 employees are among those that call Embry-Riddle their alma mater. Over the years, Honeywell has provided Industry Advisory Board (IAB) members, and worked with faculty and students on capstone and other research/hands-on design and development projects." For more information on Embry-Riddle's Safety Science program, go to: https://erau.edu/degrees/master/safety-science To learn more about Honeywell, visit: https://www.honeywell.com/ http://news.erau.edu/headlines/embry-riddle-safety-science-program-receives- donated-aircraft-from-honeywell Back to Top FAA calls Lufthansa skirting of operating approvals "blatant" Proposes $6.4 million civil penalty Deutsche Lufthansa AG's disregard for conduct flights at unauthorized airports is the worst case the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has seen involving an airline operating outside its specified authority, according to an agency spokesman. Last week, the FAA announced its intent to fine the German carrier $6.4 million for allegedly conducting almost 900 flights in and out of San Diego International and Philadelphia International airports between March 22, 2018, and May 27 of this year, even though Lufthansa knew it lacked FAA authorization to do so. Under FAA regulations, foreign airlines operating in the U.S. must create detailed operating specifications and follow any procedures contained in them. Lufthansa's operating rights didn't permit it to fly to San Diego and Philadelphia at the time, but the FAA charges that the airline knowingly did so anyway. Foreign airlines can only conduct scheduled flights through airports that are listed in their FAA-issued Operations Specifications, and the FAA alleges neither airport was in Lufthansa's Operations Specifications. "We are not aware of any previous case where an air carrier allegedly violated this aspect of their Ops Spec in such a blatant manner," an FAA spokesman told FreightWaves in a Dec. 2 email. Following operating specifications is important to ensure that a carrier's fleet is capable of landing at and taking off from a particular airport, and having approved airports listed in an airline's profile enables the FAA to perform scheduled ramp inspections of aircraft, he said. However, a ramp inspection is less likely to occur if the aircraft is flying into or out of an airport that is not designated in the carrier's operations specifications for scheduled flights, the spokesman said. Lufthansa likely was caught because of a random inspection or because it experienced an incident at one of the locations that was brought to the attention of authorities. The FAA said Lufthansa conducted about 600 unauthorized flights with Airbus A340 aircraft from Frankfurt to San Diego and about 292 flights to Philadelphia with Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft without pre-approval. "Lufthansa is fully cooperating with the FAA on this matter and will be addressing the regulatory issues involved with the Agency," the company said in a statement. "Lufthansa is globally committed to compliance with all laws and regulations. There are no allegations raised by the FAA that the security or safety of any flights was compromised in any respect. The safety and security of our passengers remains the highest priority of the Lufthansa Group." Lufthansa's cargo subsidiary handles 5,000-7,000 tons of cargo per year in Philadelphia, airport authority spokeswoman Heather Redfern said. Lufthansa has hauled 2,754 tons of cargo through San Diego since it began service there in March 2018, according to statistics provided by the airport. Lufthansa Cargo is the seventh largest air cargo carrier as measured by revenue ton kilometers, according to the International Air Transport Association, and the fifth largest if express carriers FedEx Express and UPS are not included. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/faa-calls-lufthansa-skirting-of-operating- approvals-blatant Back to Top Airbus considering production of hybrid airplane by 2035 FILE PHOTO: The Airbus logo is pictured at Airbus headquarters in Blagnac near Toulouse, France, March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo HAMBURG (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) (AIRG.DE) is considering producing a hybrid plane by 2035 as it strives for a low emission aircraft, its chief executive said. CEO Guillaume Faury, speaking to journalists on Thursday evening in comments embargoed for Friday, said that the plans were at an early stage. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-airbus-emissions/airbus-considering-production-of- hybrid-airplane-by-2035-idUSKBN1Y30PJ Back to Top The clock is ticking on Hong Kong Airlines' demise A Hong Kong Airlines A350 at HKG via CC BY-SA/Flickr For Hong Kong Airlines the death watch clock is officially running. The beleaguered company has just five days to raise significant fresh capital. Failure to reach that goal will likely see the airline's operating certificate revoked. Hong Kong's Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) issued an update on Monday, requiring that the carrier find new cash by 7 December 2019. After careful consideration of the financial position of HKA at present, ATLA must take immediate and resolute action to prevent further deterioration of HKA's situation in order to protect public interests. In accordance with the two new license conditions attached by ATLA, HKA must, by a deadline set, ensure cash injection at a level determined by ATLA (or provide an alternative to the satisfaction of ATLA), and raise and maintain its cash and cash equivalent level as stipulated by ATLA. If HKA fails to improve its financial situation as required by ATLA by the deadline, ATLA will take further action under Regulation 15E of the Regulations, which provides for revocation or suspension of license. ATLA would announce its decision by December 7, 2019. Multiple regulators concerned with Hong Kong Airlines' finances Just 20 minutes after ATLA issued its notice Hong Kong's Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) followed with a statement of its own. The THB notes it "has been gradually scaling down HKA's operation in the hope that HKA's situation would be under better control," and reminds Hong Kong Airlines of its obligations to passengers and crew. Moreover, the THB endorses ATLA's decision to impose further restrictions on the airline. The THB concurs with ATLA's decision and considers that HKA must face up to its problems seriously and use its best endeavours to meet ATLA's requirements by the deadline in order to prevent its situation from further deteriorating and to protect public interests. The THB has also reminded HKA that before any further decision of ATLA is made, it must continue to provide services to its passengers in accordance with the terms and conditions of air tickets concerned. Just three minutes after that the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) added its views on the issue. It calls attention to CAD's role in ensuring that the "Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) holder is competent, having regard to his equipment, organisation, staffing, maintenance and other arrangements, to secure the proper and safe operation of his aircraft registered in Hong Kong for the purpose of public transport." The CAD also points out that it can revoke the AOC, separate from ATLA's ability to revoke the operating license. Can Hong Kong Airlines find the cash to remain in business? The carrier has been on the brink since December 2018 and its main shareholder, HNA Group, has thus far declined to pump more cash into the operation. Whether that changes now as the airline truly faces its demise remains to be seen. But given HNA's overall cashflow challenges it seems an unlikely outcome. And given the softening demand for services to or via Hong Kong, as well as the carrier's shrinking route network, even a fresh cash supply might not be enough to right the operations. The THB's note that it required the airline to shrink in hopes of salvaging the operation is also telling in many ways. That approach rarely works for airlines, especially when they're already relatively small. https://paxex.aero/2019/12/hong-kong-airlines-collapse/ Back to Top Indian Navy welcomes its first woman pilot in major milestone for armed forces Sub Lieutenant Shivangi is India's first woman navy pilot. India's navy welcomes its first woman pilot (CNN)The Indian Navy has welcomed its first woman pilot, with Sub Lieutenant Shivangi taking control of an aircraft in another significant milestone for the country's armed forces. Shivangi, 24, who goes by one name, will be given her wings and join naval operations in a ceremony on Monday. "It's a very big thing," Shivangi told CNN. "It's a big responsibility for all of us and I know that I have to do well." Shivangi completed her basic training in 2018 at the Indian Naval Academy and was brought to Kochi, in southwest India's Kerala state, to train with the Indian naval air squadron, the INAS 550. Until 1992, India's naval forces only permitted women to serve in medical services. Shivangi will be tasked with flying Dornier aircraft, which are used by the navy for transport and maritime reconnaissance, taking off and landing on the shore, rather than from an aircraft carrier. "We also use it for certain rescue missions, and according to the requirement, medical evacuation and all those things, so I'll be a part of all those missions," Shivangi said. According to Cmdr. Sridhar Warrier, defense press relations officer for the navy, the class of aircraft Shivangi will be flying "cover large distances over the sea and provide information to the ship at sea of any suspicious or interesting activity happening." The Indian Navy has positions for 735 pilots, with about 644 currently filled, according to Indian Ministry of Defense figures. More than 200 aircraft make up its naval air wing, including MIG 29-K fighter jets, Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft, several classes of helicopters and reconnaissance aircraft. Dreams of becoming a pilot Shivangi, who grew up in Muzaffarpur in India's eastern Bihar state, said she had wanted to become a pilot since she was a young girl. "I was about 10 years old and I was at my grandfather's place and there was some minister who had come to meet people," she said. "I had gone with my grandfather to see it and I saw a man who was flying a helicopter. It was very inspiring for me. In my mind I thought that maybe some day I'll also fly something like this." After completing a mechanical engineering degree at the Sikkim Manipal University of Technology, Shivangi began further studies at the Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur. It was here that the navy beckoned when a recruitment officer came to the college. "They had shown a presentation in which there were the various aspects of life in the navy, all those things, and that kind of motivated me," she said, adding that she then dropped out of college to join up. Shivangi said the training had not been easy but she had received "massive support" from her naval squadron in Kochi. "People were very supportive, I never felt like I am the only lady here, so that was because of my squadron and my instructors and all the people here," she said. Other women pilots set join Lieutenant Shivangi said she has received "massive support" from her navy squadron. Shivangi is not the first woman pilot to join India's armed forces. In 2016, the Indian Air Force enlisted women pilots for the first time and in May 2019, Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot to qualify to undertake combat missions on a fighter jet. There are also two other women who are set to become navy pilots on December 21. For now, Shivangi and the other two women will fly transport planes but will not go aboard ships. "The navy is not yet ready to be able to take ladies onboard ships because it requires certain infrastructure changes to ship design and that takes time," Warrier said. "When the ships are women-ready, probably the navy will cross that bridge, and then you know we may have some women in other streams also." Air India's all-female crew makes history with round-the-world flight Air India's all-female crew makes history with round-the-world flight The Indian Navy has accepted women into its ranks for decades in the medical field, Warrier said. And since July 1992, women have been able to take up various additional roles within the navy, including in air traffic control, education and training, in the meteorological branch, law, logistics and in observer units. "They would be going to the battlefield but they were not in the driving seat, that means they were not in the cockpit. They would be the one who would be controlling the tactics, who would be controlling the weapons, who would be the eyes and ears for the aircraft and for the pilot," Warrier said. "It's now that the glass ceiling has been broken in so far as getting into the naval cockpit is concerned," he added. Shivangi said that the pressure is now on to perform. "You know every time somebody is doing something for the first time there is a lot of pressure, there is a lot of expectation so obviously the pressure will be there," she said. https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/02/asia/indian-navy-first-woman-pilot-intk-hnk- scli/index.html Back to Top WTO panel: EU fails to end illegal subsidies for Airbus FILE - In this June 18, 2015, file photo, an Airbus A380 takes off for its demonstration flight at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget airport, north of Paris. A World Trade Organization panel ruled Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, that the European Union has not complied with an order to end illegal subsidies for plane-maker Airbus, which prompted the Trump administration to impose tariffs on nearly $7.5 billion worth of EU goods in October. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File) GENEVA (AP) - A World Trade Organization panel ruled Monday that the European Union has not complied with an order to end illegal subsidies for plane-maker Airbus, which prompted the Trump administration to impose tariffs on nearly $7.5 billion worth of EU goods in October. In its ruling, a WTO compliance panel found that the EU had not taken sufficient steps to end harm to Boeing, the major rival to Europe's Airbus. The EU is expected to appeal, though the United States is on the cusp of preventing the WTO's appeals court - the Appellate Body - from ruling on any new appeals. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Monday welcomed the WTO ruling. "Strong action is needed to convince the EU that its interests lie in eliminating these market-distorting subsidies now and in the future, so that our industries can compete on a level playing field,'' Lighthizer said in a statement. Responding to Monday's ruling, the EU's executive commission faulted the panel for making a "number of serious legal errors in its assessment of EU compliance," and said its recommended ways of compliance would be "very problematic for a larger part of the WTO membership." "The European Commission will decide on its course of action in light of this assessment, including the possibility of bringing an appeal in order to have these legal errors corrected," it said in a statement. The commission also alluded to a decision expected next year by a WTO arbitrator in a case of illegal U.S. government support for Chicago-based Boeing, which could give the EU authorization to slap tariffs on U.S. goods. The Airbus case centers on so-called launch aid from the EU that WTO judges ruled had impeded sales for aircraft from Boeing in the twin-aisle and very large aircraft markets. In May last year, the Appellate Body agreed that the EU and four of its member states - Britain, France, Germany and Spain - had failed to abide by an earlier compliance panel ruling. The EU insisted in subsequent arguments that the subsidies had been lifted, and that proper steps were taken to remove the subsidies' harmful impact on Boeing. The panel found that the EU had failed to show that it had succeeded in withdrawing French, German, Spanish and British subsidies for the A380 superjumbo, or German and British subsidies for the A350XWB widebody jet. A final resolution could be made more difficult because the WTO's appellate body, which has final say in trade dispute cases, is set to become unable to hear new cases starting next week. Under WTO rules, the Appellate Body must have at least three members, and the terms of two of its three members are set to expire Dec. 11. The United States has singlehandedly blocked any new appointments, alleging that the body's members have overstepped WTO rules and draw excessive salaries and perks, among other things. It is unclear whether the Appellate Body's three members will continue to work on outstanding cases after the two terms expire. Sometimes, its judges work on pending cases even after their terms expire. In a statement, Airbus called on the United States to "immediately reduce" the $7.5 billion in tariffs "by around $2 billion," arguing that it was directly linked to finding that loans for the development of Airbus' A380 superjumbo "no longer have an impact on Boeing sales and that therefore the value of the lost sales no longer exists." Airbus didn't explain how it reached that estimate either in its statement or follow-up email messages. Lighthizer's office said that "nothing in today's report'' from the WTO suggests that "U.S. countermeasures should be reduced by $2 billion.'' Boeing called Monday's ruling "a complete loss for Airbus and its government sponsors." In a statement, Boeing said the decision confirmed that "billions of euros of illegal government subsidies to Airbus continue to harm the U.S. aerospace industry." The WTO's dispute settlement understanding, a sort of rulebook for resolving disputes, said that parties in dispute cases need to ensure full implementation of rulings before any WTO go-ahead for lifting of authorized tariffs, and that there can be no "second arbitration" such as in the case of the $7.5 billion arbitration award given to the United States. In its ruling, the compliance panel said the EU and four member states "failed to implement the recommendations and rulings" of a lower WTO panel to conform with the trade body's rules. https://www.yahoo.com/news/wto-panel-eu-fails-end-151242194.html Back to Top After ups and downs, Boeing and Kitty Hawk reboot flying-car venture as Wisk The Boeing-Kitty Hawk joint venture known as Wisk will focus on development of an electric-powered air taxi known as Cora. (Wisk Photo) The partnership that Boeing and Google co-founder Larry Page's Kitty Hawk venture forged to develop personal air vehicles has been reorganized and rebranded as a joint venture with a new name: Wisk. Kitty Hawk's first electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle, known as Flyer, was more like a flying raft than a flying car. It's designed to be flown over fresh water in uncongested areas. As reported by Forbes' Jeremy Bogaisky, Flyer ran into troublesome snags that led Kitty Hawk to rethink how the project will proceed. Another type of eVTOL, dubbed Cora, has been undergoing flight tests in New Zealand. "The Cora team is now the foundation of Wisk," the joint venture announced on its freshly minted website. Wisk is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with locations in Atlanta as well as New Zealand. Its CEO is Gary Gysin, who previously headed Liquid Robotics, a Boeing subsidiary. The Boeing influence can be seen in the composition of Wisk's board, which includes executives from Boeing NeXt and Boeing HorizonX. It remains to be seen how Wisk will mesh with Boeing's other efforts on the frontiers of air mobility - including its Aurora Flight Sciences subsidiary, its flying-car partnership with Porsche and its SkyGrid joint venture with SparkCognition. Kitty Hawk, meanwhile, has yet another flying-car project up its sleeve: Heaviside, a high-performance eVTOL. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ups-downs-boeing-kitty-hawk-025209126.html 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 Curt Lewis