Flight Safety Information February 19, 2020 - No. 036 In This Issue Boeing finds debris in wing fuel tanks of undelivered 737 MAXs, orders inspections Incident: Canada A319 at New York and Toronto on Feb 18th 2020, dropped main wheel on departure Incident: GoAir A20N at Ahmedabad on Feb 18th 2020, rejected takeoff due to engine fire Incident: American A321 at Charlotte on Feb 17th 2020, engine shut down in flight Phone stuck in reclined seat catches fire on flight from London to Tampa Cessna 208 Caravan - Runway Excursion Accident (Papua New Guinea) Four people killed in horror Melbourne plane crash Ouch: Etihad Criticizes A380 Pilots For Viral Crosswind Landing TOPS aiming for stronger safety culture across air tour sector Belgium latest to evolve towards remote digital towers Suspect Arrested For Laser Strikes On CHP Aircraft Near Napa Airport Managing Risk In Aircraft Certification Southwest Airlines makes leadership changes within operations department China Considers Cash Injections, Mergers to Bail Out Airlines Global airplane fleet to grow to 39,000 by 2030 Foreign pilots at Chinese airlines return home on unpaid leave as demand plummets New space weather advisories serve aviation Position Available:...Investigator/Senior Investigator, Flight Operations Quality Assurance Boeing finds debris in wing fuel tanks of undelivered 737 MAXs, orders inspections A Boeing 737 MAX, one of 192 stored in November at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times) In the latest of a string of quality control issues, Boeing discovered debris that mechanics left inside the wing fuel tanks of several undelivered 737 MAXs during the aircraft assembly process. Boeing has ordered inspections of all the undelivered MAXs, about 400 of which are stored at various locations. Regarding the additional 385 MAXs that were delivered to customers but have been grounded for almost a year and are parked at airfields around the world, company spokesman Bernard Choi said Boeing is recommending inspections for those airplanes that have been in storage for more than a year. "It's still undecided if we will inspect the rest" of the delivered MAX fleet, he added. "Obviously, we'll do what's right for safety." Mark Jenks, vice president and general manager of the 737 program and its Renton assembly site, sent all 737 employees a message Tuesday outlining a series of actions to deal with the problem of what's referred to in the aviation industry as "Foreign Object Debris," or FOD. "FOD is absolutely unacceptable," his message said. "We need our entire team to make this a priority." Boeing spokesman Chaz Bickers said that although Boeing must now inspect all the stored MAXs for similar debris, "we don't think this changes our timeline for the MAX return to service" by mid-summer. In a statement, the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA) said the agency increased its surveillance based on initial inspection reports and "will take further action based on the findings." Boeing's message to employees did not specify exactly what debris had been found inside the wings, saying only that "a range of Foreign Object Debris (FOD) was recently found in the fuel tanks of several 737 MAX airplanes in storage." The FOD problem on the MAX was first reported Tuesday on Scott Hamilton's Leeham.net aviation site, which said the objects found included left-behind tools and rags. Either would be cause for serious concern. Tools banging around inside a fuel tank could damage sensors or wiring. A rag could block a fuel line. Boeing has had constant trouble with FOD discoveries in the past couple of years, previously on the 767-based KC-46 military tanker built in Everett and on the 787 Dreamliners built in North Charleston, S.C. "There's a systemic issue with Boeing's quality control that hasn't been corralled yet," said Hamilton in an interview. "This is not related to the MAX crashes or exclusively a MAX issue. Boeing has these FOD issues on other airplane programs." A year ago, Boeing was forced to ground its KC-46 tankers after the Air Force expressed concern about loose tools and bits of debris found in various locations inside the completed airplanes. Management in Everett declared a level 3 state of alert on the assembly line over the KC-46 FOD issue, which is a defense contract term just one step away from a complete shutdown of the assembly line. A memo sent to employees at that time urged them to win back the confidence of the Air Force "and show them that we are the number one aircraft builder." 737 MAX CRISIS Grounded 737 MAX passenger planes are parked across East Marginal Way near the south end of Boeing Field. Then last spring, the New York Times published details of shoddy quality control on the 787 assembly lines in South Carolina dating back to 2016. Debris was routinely found dangerously close to wiring beneath cockpits at the assembly plant. Piles of titanium shavings- produced when fasteners were fitted into nuts - accumulated close to electrical equipment underneath the passenger floor. Employees found tubes of sealant and metal nuts inside finished jets. In one instance, a ladder and a string of lights were left inside the tail of a plane. Less than a month after the crash of the second 737 MAX jet, Boeing called North Charleston employees to an urgent meeting about airlines finding random objects in their new airplanes. Yet the issue of FOD keeps reappearing. Last year's lapses in FOD control came as Boeing announced a sweeping transformation of its manufacturing procedures that would result in it cutting almost 1,000 quality inspectors' jobs over two years. Quality inspectors concerned about that move noted that Boeing failed one element of a quality-control audit on the 747, 767 and 777 airplane programs in December 2018. The new FOD discoveries on the MAX are just the latest setback for the airplane that has been grounded since last March following two fatal accidents. The inspections will take two to three days per aircraft. Fuel must be drained from the wings before a mechanic can go in and do a thorough check. Jenks' message to employees states that management has already held a series of meetings in Renton on the factory floor "to share a new process for stopping FOD." That includes updated instructions and required checklists for employees working in the wing fuel areas; additional inspections, audits and checks when the wing tanks are closed and sealed; and new signs posted in the work areas to remind employees of the proper procedures. On Tuesday, Boeing also announced that Mike Fleming, the vice president who was in charge of providing aftermarket services to airline customers, has been appointed vice president of 737 MAX Return to Service and Global Aviation Safety System, a new position. His job will be to ensure all the MAXs are prepared to safely return to service and to provide support to airlines once they are back in the air. He'll also lead Boeing's efforts to engage with airlines, regulators and the industry to strengthen global aviation safety, the company said. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeing-finds-debris-in-wing-fuel-tanks-of-parked-737-maxs-orders-all-to-be-inspected/ Back to Top Incident: Canada A319 at New York and Toronto on Feb 18th 2020, dropped main wheel on departure An Air Canada Airbus A319-100, registration C-GAQL performing flight AC-715 from New York La Guardia,NY (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 120 passengers and 5 crew, departed La Guardia's runway 13, climbed to FL300 enroute to Toronto. On approach to Toronto the crew reported a possible problem with the landing gear and performed a low approach to Toronto's runway 24L to have the landing gear inspected from the ground which revealed the right outboard main wheel was missing. The aircraft subsequently positioned for a landing on runway 23 and landed without further incident and stopped on the runway. The passengers disembarked via mobile stairs onto the runway and were bussed to the terminal. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA715/history/20200218/1920Z/KLGA/CYYZ The gear seen on approach: http://avherald.com/h?article=4d37d5e7&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: GoAir A20N at Ahmedabad on Feb 18th 2020, rejected takeoff due to engine fire A GoAir Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-WGY performing flight G8-802 from Ahmedabad to Bangalore (India), was accelerating for takeoff from Ahmedabad's runway 05 when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed due a right hand engine (PW1127G) failure and fire indication. Emergency services responded and sprayed the right hand engine quickly dousing the fire. The airline reported a borescopic inspection of the engine revealed a bird had been ingested by the engine causing damage to the engine and a small fire. A replacement A320-200 registration VT-GOO reached Bangalore with a delay of 4:20 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d37cfe6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American A321 at Charlotte on Feb 17th 2020, engine shut down in flight An American Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N977UY performing flight AA-1115 from Charlotte,NC to Philadelphia,PA (USA) with 183 passengers and 7 crew, was climbing out of Charlotte's runway 36R when the crew declared emergency advising they were turning right for runway 36R and reporting they had an engine failure, stopped the climb at 8000 feet, secured the engine and returned to Charlotte for a safe landing on runway 36R about 13 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200 registration N184US reached Philadelphia with a delay of 2.5 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1115/history/20200217/2033Z/KCLT/KPHL http://avherald.com/h?article=4d37cdd9&opt=0 Back to Top Phone stuck in reclined seat catches fire on flight from London to Tampa TAMPA, Fla. - A plane bound for Tampa made an unexpected landing in Bermuda last week after one of the seats began to smolder. Passengers on British Airways flight 2167 from London last Thursday afternoon said they were somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean when they noticed smoke coming from the seat. British Airways says it was caused by a cell phone that fell into a fully-reclined seat, causing its lithium battery to overheat and catch fire. Passenger Andrea Vitti sais she expected an uneventful 10-hour flight from London Gatwick to Tampa International Airport, but it wound up being anything but. "An air steward kind of ran to the back of the plane where we were sitting and grabbed what looked like a fire extinguisher," Vitti told FOX 13. "So, I didn't think that was too good." About 8 hours in, as the Boeing 777 soared over the Atlantic Ocean, a passenger's cell phone got stuck inside a seat. Flight attendants will tell you to alert them right away if this happens because this can quickly turn into an emergency. "The guy tried to retrieve it himself which was the issue," Vitti said. "It broke the lithium battery and there was flames and smoke coming from the chair. The smoke was pretty much contained straight away." While flight attendants contained the fire risk, pilots diverted to Bermuda International Airport, where fire crews were waiting. Passengers evacuated and the plane was inspected. "You could start smelling a bit, almost like an electrical fire smoke smell," Vitti said. The FAA is aware of at least 45 lithium battery incidents reported in 2019 and four so far in 2020. The reports include phones catching fire after being dropped, portable chargers overheating and e-cigarette batteries smoking in carry-on luggage. If you bring a device with an approved battery, you have to be extremely careful. "As soon as we got back on the plane, they were like, if anyone drops their phone, do not touch it. Call for our attention," Vitti said. According to Vitti, the entire seat was removed, the mangled phone, retrieved, and the flight went on to Tampa, about two and a half hours behind. "They were giving us drinks and snacks and stuff like that," Vitti said. "Once we realized we were going to get back on a safe plane, everyone was pretty relieved and it didn't take too much time out of our journey." British Airways told FOX 13, "Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and we are very sorry for the delay to our customers' travel plans. We did everything we could to minimize the delay after our flight diverted to Bermuda as a precaution after a mobile got stuck in a seat and overheated. https://tinyurl.com/uxuw4jr Back to Top Back to Top Cessna 208 Caravan - Runway Excursion Accident (Papua New Guinea) Date: Friday 14 February 2020 Time: 14:45 Type: Cessna 208 Caravan I Operator: Mission Aviation Fellowship - MAF Registration: registration unknown C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Miyanmin Airstrip (MPX) ( Papua New Guinea) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Training Departure airport: Telefomin Airstrip (TFM/AYTE), Papua New Guinea Destination airport: Miyanmin Airstrip (MPX), Papua New Guinea Narrative: A Cessna 208 Caravan I sustained damage in an accident on landing at Miyanmin Airstrip, Papua New Guinea. The aircraft was operated by two pilots from Mission Aviation Fellowship as in an instructional flight from Telefomin Airstrip. While the flight crew was performing the landing manoeuvre at Miyanmin Airstrip, the aircraft skidded off the runway. During its runway excursion, the right wing and the propeller blades impacted the ground. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200214-0 Back to Top Four people killed in horror Melbourne plane crash Four people have died after two planes collided mid-air before crashing into a paddock in Melbourne's north this morning. Emergency services, including police and paramedics, were called to two separate crash scenes near Mangalore Airport about 11.30am on Wednesday, finding the aircraft a few kilometres from each other. The crash site was about seven kilometres south from a flight training school at Mangalore, near Seymour. The bodies of all four people, yet to be formally identified, were found in the wreckage. It is understood one man aged in his 30s and another in his 40s were on one of the planes, a privately-owned Beechcraft Travel Air D95A operated by the Peninsula Aero Club at Tyabb. A plane has crashed near Seymour with at least one person on board. (Nine) The two men were qualified as instructors and were conducting a training flight, Peninsula Aero Club president Jack Vevers said. "It's devastating, they are dear people to us, they're friends, they're colleagues. We're all as a community quite devastated by this news," he said. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority said the other plane was a Piper Seminole twin engine registered to Moorabbin Aviation Services, also on a training flight. Mitchell Local Area Commander Inspector Peter Koger said there were witnesses to the planes colliding and one of the aircraft coming down. "One plane almost certainly crashed immediately and the other plane crashed about two kilometres north from here and both were extensively damaged prior to colliding with the ground," Inspector Koger said. "We're not sure why both aircraft were on the same trajectory," he added. "Unfortunately they collided mid-air." The Piper-Seminole aircraft, operated by flying school Moorabbin Aviation Services with a trainee and instructor on board, had just taken off from Mangalore airfield and reached 1200 metres, when it collided with the Beechcraft Travel Air. The second plane had a pilot and instructor on board from Peninsula Aero Club. Workers witnessed the mid-air collision whilst doing electrical cabling in a paddock at a Defence Force secure site. Aerial images of the scene taken from the 9News helicopter show debris from the two planes scattered across grassland. A second plane has also crashed near the same site. (Nine) Victoria Police Leading Senior Constable Kendra Jackson said the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) had been notified. "Police are currently investigating and will prepare a report for the Coroner," she said. Both planes had clearance to be in the airspace, but whether they had radio contact prior to the collision is still unknown. Investigators from the ATSB are set to comb through logbooks and maintenance records as part of the investigation. In a statement, the ATSB said an investigation into the cause of the collision was underway. "Transport safety investigators with experience in human factors, aircraft operations and maintenance from the ATSB's Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane offices are preparing to deploy to the accident site," it read. "On site, investigators will examine the wreckage and site surrounds. "The ATSB will also analyse available recorded data, review weather information, and interview witnesses." "The investigators that are deploying to the accident site have experience in human factors, aircraft operations and maintenance," ATSB Transport Safety executive director Nat Nagy said. "Once they arrive on site the investigators will be looking at the aircrafts' wreckage as well as the site surrounds. The ATSB will also analyse available recorded data, review weather information, and interview witnesses." Mangalore Airport is open to recreational flyers and those learning to fly, and is also used by state and federal government departments. Mangalore Airport and Moorabbin Aviation Services declined to comment. https://www.9news.com.au/national/plane-crashes-near-mangalore-flight-training-school-in-victoria/4b3b5305-2254-4394-a390-581e95f03f5f Back to Top Ouch: Etihad Criticizes A380 Pilots For Viral Crosswind Landing Many of you have probably seen the viral video of an Etihad A380 landing at Heathrow Airport during Storm Dennis, with strong crosswinds. There have been tons of crosswind landing videos that have emerged as a result of the strong winds in the UK, though this one went most viral. Interestingly the video doesn't show that much of a struggle to get to the touchdown point, but what makes this video so "shocking" to people is the angle at which the plane touches down, and the extent to which it makes adjustments after landing. Here's the video for those who haven't seen it: Etihad A380 nails crosswind landing in London Heathrow Almost across the board you see praise for these pilots for the landing. Well, Etihad seems to disagree... Paddle Your Own Kanoo notes the contents of a leaked memo that was sent out by Etihad's pilot training department to pilots following this video going viral. The memo was sent out Etihad's manager of pilot training for the Boeing fleet (which seems odd - the plane in question is an Airbus). The memo references "a video this week of one of our A380s landing in a strong crosswind in London," and states the following with regards to it: "This official view from the Training Department is a simple one - THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. There is a time to give an approach away in the interest of safety. If you see such a thing in the sim (aircraft simulator) that would be a grade 1 for both pilots... Please gentlemen, let's teach our pilots to operate safely even that means changing the mission." Ouch! Beyond that, I also find it inappropriate that he refers to pilots as "gentlemen." C'mon, you should know better than that... Etihad doesn't seem to be alone in criticizing this landing. I enjoy reading PPRuNe, essentially a forum for pilots. Of course anyone can participate and you can't know for sure that everyone is who they say they are, though it has tons of airline pilots. It's interesting that the response to that landing was overwhelmingly negative in the thread there about this landing, while usually the pilots here would be downplaying landings that are sensationalized by the media. https://onemileatatime.com/etihad-a380-crosswind-landing/ Back to Top TOPS aiming for stronger safety culture across air tour sector Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS) is changing its membership program to include a much broader segment of operators than just its traditional part 135 rotorcraft base, in an effort to raise the level of safety among air tour operators. The expansion of the program has been coined the "Rising Tide Program" as a reflection of its inclusive nature. TOPS is changing its membership program to a more inclusive model in an effort to raise the level of safety in the air tour sector. Heath Moffatt Photo "The rising tide raises all ships, which is exactly what TOPS aspires to do for the air tour industry," said TOPS executive director Stan Rose. "We're no longer willing to sit back and just say we're glad it wasn't one of our members that had an accident. We are taking a proactive role in leading this change and delivering a better outcome for everyone." Rose said the general public classifies all air tour operators as one, and the benefits of the TOPS membership have historically been limited to a small subset of part 135 operators. Standards developed within the TOPS organization are designed to go above and beyond what is required by the FAA. With the Rising Tide Program, TOPS is creating provisional membership opportunities for part 135 operators who don't fully meet the TOPS standard, but can demonstrate an equivalent level of safety. Through the program, these operators will receive guidance and mentoring to elevate their operations to the TOPS standard. The program will also extend provisional membership opportunities to part 91 air tour operators that are prepared to fly to a higher safety standard. Rose added that the company hopes these part 91 operators will eventually work toward part 135 certification. "We had a secondary goal for the organization, which was to raise the level of safety for the whole industry," said Rose. "Not all companies can meet the standards, and the standards are high. So we have developed a ladder." Rose used the example of doors-off operations, which are not against FAA regulations but are not permitted in the TOPS program. "Other companies with good operating standards can show that they have training and equipment or policies and procedures to demonstrate that they have an equivalent level of safety." While part 135 operators are required to write an operations manual that demonstrates how they will meet all part 135 requirements, Rose said TOPS is in the process of creating its own manual for part 91 operators that will allow them to demonstrate an acceptable level of safety, eventually to become a TOPS member. "We're going to do an outline, and it's going to include what we think are the important parts of part 135, our standard, and good operating practices - a safety management system [SMS]," said Rose. Under this portion of the program, TOPS will give these part 91 operators 24 months before they will be officially audited. In the first year, the part 91 operators will have a mentor (an existing TOPS member) that they can turn to during the process of writing their own operations manual. At the end of the first year, Rose said an auditor will look at each operator and their manual, and perform a gap analysis that compares what is written in the manual to what the operator is executing. He added: "The second year is where you get things going and start practicing what you preach. So at the end of the second year [the part 91 operator] would be audited to their own manual. And no two of those manuals will be exactly the same, but it still gives them a reference [and] a way of implementing safety practices that we consider basic. "And the goal here . . . is this is a culture change. And culture doesn't change overnight, it changes over generations. Each pilot that comes in [to a company] changes the culture. So we should start influencing a pilot's strong safety culture from their first day in flight school." Rose believes that for consumers, when it comes to choosing a reputable helicopter company for an air tour, "the TOPS membership is a guarantee that [air tour] operators are doing things the right way; they're taking the extra step and doing things as safely as possible." Current TOPS members include Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Coastal Helicopters, TEMSCO Helicopters, Sundance Helicopters, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, NorthStar Helicopters, and Hawaii Helicopters. As part of the Rising Tide Program, TOPS is taking on an initial group of part 91 operators as a beta test group that will help the company write its part 91 operations manual. "We don't want to make assumptions about part 91 operations," said Rose. "We need to learn from them, too, so we want to have them involved in the process. . . . We're actively doing that now. "And then we've got the list of letters of authorization operators and we'll reach out to them about membership, [including] the [part] 135 operators," he added. Safety is at the forefront of the Rising Tide Program, but on the back end, the program is also affected by the eminent labor shortage that the industry is facing. Pilots who have just received their license typically only have about 250 flight hours under their belt after finishing flight school, Rose said. This creates a gap, since most air tour pilot positions require 1,000 hours. "And how do you get from 250 hours to 1,000 hours? Frankly, one of the answers is you work for these [part] 91 operators through the tours." TOPS hopes to achieve two goals in relation to this issue: "First, we want to create a career ladder, so that when [a student] pays for flight school, they have some idea that they might actually get a job, and a positive ladder moving up," said Rose. "And the second part for us is that we're willing to mentor the part 91 operators, and help them with their SMS programs. We want students coming out of flight school to think that SMS is the only way to do business. We want to start that mentoring so we're helping with their training when they're moving up the career ladder; this will reduce the training necessary when they join the larger companies. There are benefits for everybody." He added: "We're trying to create this product where we're all working together for the same reasons - building safety in the industry." https://www.verticalmag.com/news/tops-safety-culture-helicopter-air-tour/ Back to Top Belgium latest to evolve towards remote digital towers Belgium's air navigation service, Skeyes, is to establish digital control towers at six airports in the country, including the main Brussels hub and the secondary Charleroi airport. Skeyes says its board has formally chosen to open a tender procedure which will also cover phased introduction of digital towers at Antwerp, Liege, Ostend and Kortrijk. The measure is the latest evidence of a shift towards increasing air traffic control efficiency by providing remote surveillance of airports - via camera technology - from a centralised location. Skeyes is aiming to issue a tender over the next few weeks to source a partner with which to pursue the programme. "Conditions and planning of implementation will be discussed with the operators of the airport infrastructure, taking into consideration the needs for renovation of the existing towers," it states. Skeyes says the decision is part of a strategic plan agreed last year. "Digital towers are the future of air traffic management at airports and are being deployed all over Europe," it says. "Just like other sectors, air traffic control is in the process of digitalisation. Skeyes wants to invest in the technology of the future to improve the quality of service provided to its customers." https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/belgium-latest-to-evolve-towards-remote-digital-towers/136813.article Back to Top Suspect Arrested For Laser Strikes On CHP Aircraft Near Napa Airport NAPA (CBS SF) - A suspect has been arrested for aiming a laser at a California Highway Patrol aircraft, momentarily blinding the pilot, as the plane neared the Napa County Airport on Monday night. The aircraft was returning to the airport after taking part in a search at 10:50 p.m. when the cockpit was illuminated by the bright flash of a laser. Suspect arrested after allegedly shining laser at CHP helicopter. (CHP) The CHP said the suspect pointed the laser directly at the aircraft, striking our pilot in the eye. Fortunately, the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft due to the auto pilot being engaged. Meanwhile, the flight officer directed the on-board camera towards the direction of the laser strike, recording the continued targeting of the plane. A call was made to the Solano County Sheriff's Office with deputies immediately responding to the source of the blinding light. Deputies located the suspect at the location and found the laser. There have been several reports to the Travis Airforce Base Tower of military and civilian aircraft being struck by a laser over the last few days. Although it is unknown if this is the same suspect in those laser strikes, the Solano Sheriff Office is investigating. The suspect was arrested for two felonies and booked into the Solano County Jail. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/02/18/suspect-arrested-for-laser-strikes-on-chp-aircraft-near-napa-airport/ Back to Top Managing Risk In Aircraft Certification Recent events demonstrate the critical importance of certification standards and processes. Aircraft engineering, design and manufacturing is geared to ensuring operational safety by adherence to certification standards. When that system fails to achieve the desired result, in part because of deception and overzealous attention to the financial bottom line, trusts are betrayed and everyone suffers, directly or indirectly. Most of my articles for Aviation Safety focus on managing the risk of flying piston-powered general aviation aircraft, with examples of good and poor risk management. But risk management is at least equally critical in the world of operating airliners and turbine-powered transport category aircraft. Recent air carrier accidents provide illustration and lessons relevant to operating small general aviation aircraft, especially when designing and certifying them. In fact, and just as during flight operations, the job of managing risk in the design and certification is to identify, assess and mitigate that risk. These procedures apply even more objectively when using rigid design criteria, especially when they involve transport category aircraft. To illustrate this, let's once again refer to the standard risk assessment matrix, below, which is used to assess risk based on the joint impact of an event's likelihood and its severity. In the operations world, using this matrix can be somewhat subjective. When applying the "holy trinity" of risk management-identify, assess, mitigate-assessment can be the most difficult of the three functions to perform effectively. Nevertheless, training and practice can enable the average general aviation pilot to assess risk with some degree of accuracy. In operations, the standard risk assessment matrix is used more subjectively than is ideal, while the aircraft certification process offers more objective risk evaluations and mitigations determined empirically. In any event, the goal always is to minimize either the likelihood and/or the severity of a mishap by adding features or redundancy to place potential outcomes in the green, blue or white boxes. Assigning A Value In the aircraft design and certification world, the measurement of values in this matrix is done empirically and with some precision. Especially for transport category aircraft certificated under FAR Part 25, these values can require design and engineering criteria that can ensure a very low level of overall risk for given hazards. For example, some hazards, such as major structural failures of wings and key airframe components, are obviously catastrophic in nature. To achieve an ultra-low risk level, Part 25 standards require that the probability of such an event occurring must be reduced literally to, at most, one in a billion-commonly termed a "ten to the minus nine" failure. Achieving this means that the overall level of risk for a catastrophic failure would be driven off the bottom end of the first column in our risk assessment matrix to an extremely low level. Design criteria for small airplanes certificated under FAR Part 23 are not as rigid, but they are generally just as precise. This precision achieves even greater importance under the recent major revision to Part 23, which changed this rule into a "performance-based" regulation that sets risk and performance criteria in place of the prescriptive requirements of the previous version. In other words, the FAA now tells manufacturers the performance level they have to achieve, not how to achieve it. Supposedly, this will unleash a torrent of low-cost general aviation aircraft to the market. Don't hold your breath. Aircraft innovation and cost are largely governed by demographics, market decisions, production volume, product liability and other factors besides aircraft certification. In any case, aircraft design is always considered the first line of defense in an integrated system safety approach to aviation, as well as other transportation modes and other endeavors, such as nuclear power plant operation. Under a system safety approach, the following order of precedence is the accepted standard for an integrated safety management system: • Design for minimum risk; • Incorporate safety devices; • Provide warning systems; and • Develop procedures and training. Aircraft manufacturers, airlines and operators, regulators and other interests world-wide have adopted this strategy for maintaining and managing the safety of the commercial aviation system. This approach has served us well as it has grown safer, especially over the last 25 years. At least, that is, until recently. The Boeing 737 MAX The aviation community, indeed the general public, has been bombarded by the media in the aftermath of two Boeing 737 MAX crashes, both of which occurred outside the U.S. And Aviation Safety's July 2019 issue looked briefly at some of the aerodynamic issues Boeing engineers likely dealt with. So I'll keep my recap of those two events to the basics. At the time of this writing, both accidents remain under investigation, but it seems apparent that the aircrafts' maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) was a primary factor in the crash of both Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019. Additionally, both crashes occurred within months of the 737 MAX's certification and entrance into service. It is beyond the scope of this article to fully cover the MCAS's several major flaws. The system was added to the MAX because the airplane's new larger, efficient, higher-thrust engines required Boeing to mount them higher and more forward on the wing, producing undesirable stall characteristics in certain parts of the aircraft's operating envelope. The MCAS was designed to reduce the angle of attack in these situations through an automatic application of nose-down horizontal stabilizer trim. The problems with MCAS apparently began when Boeing drastically redesigned it-after the original design had been submitted to the FAA for approval-to greatly increase the amount of nose-down trim that would be applied when the system activated. Boeing then decided not to completely inform operators about MCAS and how it operated. Oh, and then the system was designed to rely only on one angle of attack (AoA) sensor instead of using both sensors and comparing results. This created a single point of failure in the process. Is that all? Nope. Boeing also charged extra if the operator wanted a warning system that would alert pilots to a disagreement between AoA sensors (Boeing has since changed its policy and the warning system will now be standard equipment). All Boeing 737 models are on a common type rating. When an airline pilot transitions from one 737 variant to another, the airline must provide "differences" training. Airlines, of course, hate providing extra (read "expensive") training and, in any case, were not sufficiently aware of MCAS to know that extra training would be needed. Pilots were similarly in the dark and were never provided training to deal with a malfunctioning MCAS. Both the manufacturer and the airline are keen to minimize this training. The FAA accommodates this by providing five different ascending categories (A through E) of differences training, ranging from merely publishing a manual revision (Level A) to full-blown Level D simulator or aircraft training (Level E). Guess which level of training was involved with MCAS? So, let's catalog the risk management and system safety sins committed with these tragic events, using the four design and procedure categories I earlier enumerated. First, it's clear that Boeing may not have done a complete hazard analysis with respect to MCAS. It is likely it did not anticipate a catastrophic result and/or underrated the likelihood of it occurring. Thus, it bungled the first line of defense: design for minimum risk. Next, it incorporated a safety device, MCAS, that failed to protect against-and even increased the chance of-a loss-of-control event. Third, it failed to provide, as standard equipment, a warning device that would alert pilots to a malfunctioning AOA sensor. Finally, it did not require additional training on the system or even provide any substantial information on MCAS or its potential failure modes. You might wonder where the FAA was while all this was happening. Under great political pressure, the agency delayed grounding the 737 MAX until after other regulatory authorities took this step and left it with no choice. The FAA has since stated that the 737 MAX will not take to the skies again until they have thoroughly reviewed Boeing's ultimate fix. At this writing, that date hasn't been set and recent pronouncements by affected carriers indicate the grounding may extend into 2020. Of course, much of the original FAA certification work done on the MAX was performed by Boeing's own employees, legally delegated to do so by FAR Part 183 as "representatives of the Administrator." There are many people who are critical of this system, as described in the sidebar above. Pilot Risk Factors Are Important Too Since our initial discussion involved transport-category aircraft and airlines, let's start with a discussion of pilot risk factors in airline flying. Huh? How can that be? Aren't airline pilots the cream of the crop? Well, actually, only "maybe." Airline pilots have the unfortunate status of being humans, like the rest of us mere mortal pilots. They are subject to the same pilot-related risk factors, both qualifica tion-related and aeromedical, that affect the rest of us. We have recently seen the unfortunate results of pilot failures. The most tragic example I can cite is the March 2015 crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 on its way from Spain to Germany. The aircraft was deliberately flown into terrain by the co-pilot, after the captain left the flight deck for the rest room. This suicide was brought on by the severe mental illness of the co-pilot, which somehow slipped through the cracks of whatever risk management process existed to screen for such a condition. This tragic outcome was directly related to aeromedical certification while other noteworthy airline accidents such as Colgan Airways Flight 3407 and Air France Flight 447 have their roots in pilot recruitment and certification. As airplanes become more sophisticated, the flight crew will look even more like the weak link in the risk management process. You might ask, well what about Sully and the Miracle on the Hudson? Didn't humans save the day there? Actually, the main miracle wasn't the ditching in the river, which has been done successfully before with transport aircraft including jets, but rather it was the fact that the weather was severe clear. If it had been low IFR, Sully might not have found the river with the relatively primitive moving map on that Airbus A320. In the future, however, and the technology is maturing now, a later Airbus or Boeing model with artificial intelligence will know exactly what must be done and know where to find the Hudson. Lessons For All Of Us The brave new world of autonomous aircraft described in the sidebar above may one day be routine on airliners. However, it's likely to come first to a general aviation aircraft you can actually buy. Its contours already exist in military-grade and consumer drones. It could be a long time, however, before this technology really replaces the current general aviation fleet and minimizes or eliminates the need for some of the training it takes today to become a pilot. In the interim, you'll need to continue to be an effective risk manager. You will still need to identify, assess and mitigate risks. Remember that, while the airlines inhabit the "ten to the minus nine" world, you're stuck in a world that is "ten to the minus five," at best, or one in 100,000. The Fox Guarding The Hen House? On and off over the years, the FAA's delegation of certification responsibility has been controversial. Today's delegation system is well-entrenched, and ranges from designated engineering representatives (DERs) to designated pilot examiners (DPEs), as pictured at right. Under the FAA's organization designation authorization (ODA), companies must establish a certification unit within the company-supposedly independent, even though the employee salaries are paid by the company-which the FAA is supposed to oversee and evaluate. The FAA has testified before Congress that its delegation activities save several billion budget dollars. Indeed, the delegation process extends throughout the aviation world: Almost all general aviation pilots take their knowledge and practical tests from designees such as DPEs. Nevertheless, and in the aftermath of the 737 MAX troubles, the agency's delegation activities will be under outside scrutiny for some time. Autonomous Aircraft? There's a big debate on automation in the cockpit, and it's all the rage. In my view, the human is clearly the weak link in the safety equation and the technology to prevent another Germanwings 9525-or another Air France 447 or Colgan Air 3407-is already here. Envision, if you will, a near-term world in which three entities will replace the two humans in the airline cockpit. There will be a human pilot, avionics incorporating an advanced artificial intelligence and a ground-based control center-any one of which will be able to return the airliner safely to earth no matter what the situation, even if one of the other two modes screws up. Sure, there could be a failure down the road, but I wager there will be a lot fewer than there are today with two humans at the helm. Will this system get to "ten to the minus nine" reliability? I'm betting someday it will. https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/risk-management/managing-risk-in-aircraft-certification/ Back to Top Southwest Airlines makes leadership changes within operations department Alan Kasher was promoted to senior vice president of Air Operations at Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines is making a few changes within the leadership of its operations department, the carrier announced Tuesday. Craig Drew, senior vice president of Air Operations at Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV), told the company late last year he wanted to retire from his role. Drew has been with Dallas-based Southwest since 1990, and will continue working with the company in a consultant role. Alan Kasher was promoted and will take over Drew's role as senior vice president of Air Operations. Previously, Kasher was vice president of Flight Operations. In his new role, Kasher will oversee flight operations, inflight operations, network operations control, and regulatory programs and compliance. Kasher has been with Southwest for nearly 20 years. Bob Waltz will take Kasher's place as vice president of Flight Operations. Waltz was previously Flight Operations senior director of Compliance and Operations and Part 119 Certificate chief pilot. In his new role, Waltz's primary responsibility is working with Southwest's nearly 10,000 flight operations employees, the company said. Operations is one of the most crucial parts of an airline - getting passengers from Point A to Point B on time is vital to a carrier's success. Delta Air Lines has long been the gold standard of airline operations, continually besting other competitors' on-time rates. So far in 2020, Southwest appears to be catching up to its Atlanta-based competitor. Southwest posted an on-time performance of 87.9 percent in January, according to airline analytics firm OAG, just 0.3 percentage points behind Delta's score of 88.2 percent. The other major carriers, United Airlines and American Airlines, posted scores of 83.4 percent and 82 percent, respectively, for the month. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2020/02/18/southwest-airlines-alan-kasher-bob-waltz.html Back to Top China Considers Cash Injections, Mergers to Bail Out Airlines • Moves may include injecting billions of dollars into carriers • Bigger airlines may be allowed to merge with smaller ones An empty baggage claim area at Daxing international airport in Beijing, Feb. 14. China is considering measures such as direct cash infusions and mergers to bail out an airline industry crippled by the coronavirus outbreak, according to people familiar with the matter. One proposal involves allowing some of the nation's biggest carriers -- which are controlled by the state -- to absorb smaller ones suffering the most from the collapse of travel, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information hasn't been discussed publicly. Another option being explored is for the government to inject billions of dollars to bail out the industry, they said. Discussions are ongoing, and no decision has been made on what the final bailout package will look like, they said. The airline industry, particularly in China, has been roiled by the epidemic after the virus was first detected in the city of Wuhan. In an unprecedented move, global carriers stopped about 80% of their China flights and local airlines grounded enough planes to carry 10.4 million passengers. The disruptions have reduced China's aviation market to the size of Portugal's, according to industry researcher OAG Aviation Worldwide. The government measures under consideration also include offering loan repayment waivers and more favorable leasing terms for aircraft, the people said. Last week, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said the government would support measures to help the beleaguered industry recover, including mergers, but the regulator didn't provide details. The government already announced plans to lower taxes and fees for airlines, and has now moved more broadly to protect employment, temporarily waiving social-security premiums for companies across industries. CHINA-HEALTH-VIRUS The press office at State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, which oversees key state enterprises such as major airlines, said it isn't aware of any such bailout being planned. CAAC, the regulator in charge of airlines, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Shares of the biggest Chinese airlines, Air China Ltd., China Eastern Airlines Corp. and China Southern Airlines Co., all closed at least 1.3% higher in Hong Kong and 0.6% higher in Shanghai on the news. Spring Airlines Co. was the best performer of the day, finishing with a 2.9% gain. China's aviation market, projected to overtake the U.S. this decade and become the world's biggest, now ranks 25th, according to OAG. China Southern scrapped about 45% of flights in late January and early February, the highest rate among the nation's top carriers, according to Citigroup Inc. research. The pain has spread to Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., which warned Monday that first-half financial results will be "significantly down" from a year earlier. Sales from Hong Kong and China have accounted for about half of its total revenue. Private Cash The private sector is also mobilizing a response. Three of the biggest global leasing companies, AerCap Holdings NV, Air Lease Corp. and Avolon Holdings Ltd., said last week that they are considering measures such as waiving lease payments and offering jet sale-leasebacks that would provide cash infusions to hard-hit carriers. Avolon will offer as much as $6 billion in financing to help airlines hit by the virus, Chief Executive Officer Domhnal Slattery said in a Feb. 12 interview. The Dublin-based firm will focus on sale-leaseback transactions in China and nearby countries. Air Lease said it's in talks to take narrow-bodies out of China to help out about a dozen European carriers that have been hard-hit by delays with Boeing Co.'s 737 Max and Airbus SE A320 jets. AerCap said it will respond to the government's call for institutions to help Chinese companies work through the crisis. "These airlines have been our partners for decades, and they will be our partners for decades to come," AerCap CEO Aengus Kelly said on a Feb. 13 call. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-19/china-said-to-mull-cash-injections-mergers-to-bail-out-airlines Back to Top Global airplane fleet to grow to 39,000 by 2030 The global plane fleet is expected to grow by a 3.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach 39,000 aircraft by 2030, according to consulting firm Oliver Wyman's annual Global Fleet & MRO Forecast. Despite rising passenger demand, the global aviation industry faces challenges such as slower economic growth, increased air transport congestion, trade issues, and climate change-related pressure. Manufacturers are expected to produce over 21,000 aircraft, at an annual average of 2,100 - 30% more than the average production in the previous decade. Asia is expected to drive most of the growth, as China's fleet is projected to double by 2030. Boeing's 737 MAX and Airbus' A320neo will account for most of the new aircraft deliveries, despite the issues with the 737 MAX. Global fleet forecast by aircraft class, 2020-2030 In last year's report, Oliver Wyman projected 1,400 MAX planes to be in service by 2020, but the 2019 grounding and production halt will reduce that number to between 150 and 700. The plane still has to pass various re-certification requirements, as well as train pilots on new updates. The 737 MAX challenges mean that there will be up to 45% fewer MAXes in service in 2022 than was projected in last year's report. "Even with these challenges, along with some expected slowing in the growth rate of passenger demand as well as changes in the mix of traditional freight and ecommerce freight, the industry should still see solid fleet growth in both passenger and freighter aircraft over the next 10 years," said Tom Cooper, Oliver Wyman vice president and lead author of the report. Of the 21,000 aircraft produced in the next decade, most will continue to be of the narrowbody variety. Narrowbody planes will also see the highest CAGR increase in production, at 5.1%, while turboprops and regional jets will see declines of 1.8% and 2.5% in CAGR, respectively. The report also expects that fleet growth will drive increased demand for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. An aging global fleet will also have a positive effect on MRO services growth, with there currently being 2.5 times more aircraft over the age of 25 in use than in 2010. MRO services are expected to grow to $130 billion in 2030 from $90 billion in 2020, at an average annual growth of 3.7%. The engine category is projected to continue being the driving force in MRO services growth. https://www.consulting.us/news/3775/global-airplane-fleet-to-grow-to-39000-by-2030 Back to Top Foreign pilots at Chinese airlines return home on unpaid leave as demand plummets BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Foreign pilots at some Chinese airlines have returned to their home countries and are considering other jobs after being placed on unpaid leave as demand falls because of the coronavirus, affected flight crew told Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A China Southern Airlines Airbus commercial passenger aircraft is pictured in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, November 26, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo Meanwhile, Chinese pilots with greater job security said their income has been sharply reduced because most of their pay is based on flying hours. Data firm OAG estimates about 80% of scheduled airline capacity to, from and within China has been cut this week because of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that has killed more than 2,000 people. Chinese airlines have been the hardest hit. Major employers of foreign pilots, including China Southern Airlines Co Ltd (600029.SS) and HNA Group's Hainan Airlines Holding Co Ltd (600221.SS), have acted swiftly to cut their losses, according to pilots and industry experts. China Southern did not respond immediately to a request for comment, and HNA declined to comment. "All the foreign pilots are on leave until the virus situation gets better," said an expatriate captain at China Southern who, like all of those who spoke to Reuters, requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with media. "For the moment we are all in our home countries." Expats are typically paid more than local staff and work on contracts, which means they are more expendable in a downturn, industry experts said. "We have seen pilots heading back to Australia in January and February due to the stand down and seeking new roles," said Kirsty Ferguson, the head of Sydney-based airline interview coaching firm Pinstripe Solutions. As China's airline sector ballooned, it imported foreign experience: the number of foreign pilots flying with Chinese airlines more than doubled to over 1,500 between 2010 and 2019, according the Civil Aviation Administration of China. China will need another 124,000 pilots in the next 20 years, according to Boeing, as an expanding middle class drives demand for air travel. But foreign pilots said being put on leave without pay makes it less likely they'll return when demand recovers. A foreign captain at Fuzhou Airlines, part of HNA Group, said he was placed on unpaid leave when the virus hit and was concerned it would be permanent. "They hope people will find other jobs as none can go without pay forever," he said. "This way they 'save their face,' and secondly they don't feel obliged to dismiss you properly according to the contract." The pilot said that he was looking for jobs closer to home, but that so far those options paid less than in China. Foreign pilots can make more than $300,000 a year there, making it one of the best-paying markets in the world. A pilot at Tianjin Airlines, also part of HNA Group, said he was told it would be at least three to four months before the carrier starts recalling expatriate captains. He has found work with another foreign airline, he said. Hainan has also placed more than 200 foreign cabin crew members on 30 days of unpaid leave which could be extended, an affected flight attendant said. HNA declined to comment. A local pilot at China Southern said he was barely flying and as a result was receiving only his base salary, roughly 1/6 to 1/8 of his normal pay. "What we can do now is keep a good mentality and enjoy the company of our family at home," he said. "Eat well, sleep well and exercise well and keep learning. Build up the energy so that we'll be well prepared for whatever comes later." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-airlines-pilots/foreign-pilots-at-chinese-airlines-return-home-on-unpaid-leave-as-demand-plummets-idUSKBN20D07X Back to Top New space weather advisories serve aviation Map of scheduled airline traffic around the world in June 2009. Credit: By Jpatokal/Wikimedia Commons/CC A new international advisory system is working to keep aircraft crew and passengers safe from space weather impacts, thanks in part to the efforts of a team of CIRES and NOAA developers, forecasters, and scientists in Boulder, Colorado. "Thunderstorms or snow can disrupt flights. What we call 'space weather' can be disruptive, too," said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist and forecaster in NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). So when the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization solicited interest from space weather centers around the globe to create a new advisory system for aviation, SWPC offered to help, on behalf of the United States. "Space weather" generally refers to the changing conditions in space and in the Earth's atmosphere that result from activity originating on the Sun. Solar "winds" can ebb and flow, buffeting Earth's magnetic field, and when a coronal mass ejection (CME) passes by Earth, it can seriously shake up that magnetic field. Such "space weather" can temporarily disrupt navigation and communications systems and can even increase radiation levels in the atmosphere. And-much as with a blizzard or looming thunderstorm-airlines can take action, changing an aircraft's flight path to avoid or lessen impacts, said CIRES solar physicist Hazel Bain, who worked on the project for the last year. A moderate radiation advisory, for example, might motivate airlines to divert planes from the polar regions, she said, since flights over the poles are more exposed to radiation than flights at lower latitudes. CIRES is a partnership of NOAA and the University of Colorado Boulder. In late 2018, ICAO chose SWPC to be one of three forecast centers from around the world to begin issuing space weather advisories to the civil aviation community. Just 12 months later, SWPC's system was operational. "This new capability will permit flight crew and flight operations experts to make use of the most updated information possible on any solar events which could potentially impact aircraft systems or passenger health," ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu said in a statement late last year. The project focused on three main types of impact to aviation: Disruptions to satellite-based navigation; disruptions to HF radio communications, and radiation levels. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo. Credit: Katie Palubicki/ CIRES & NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. About 15 CIRES and NOAA scientists, software developers and forecasters spent the last year racing to design a system that would meet ICAO's specs-that organization decided, for example, what levels of radiation would constitute a "moderate" event and what "severe" disruption to global navigation satellite systems means. For each type of impact, the team needed to develop or integrate models of the Sun-Earth environment, to support aviation 24/7. For radiation, for example, they brought in a Federal Aviation Administration model, Bain said. For satellite navigation warnings, they quickly finished a model that had been in the works already (ROTI or Rate of Total-Electron-Content Index). And for high-frequency communications, they leveraged another existing model, the CTIPe, for Coupled Thermosphere Ionosphere Plasmasphere Electrodynamics. That was tricky enough. But the project also demanded careful attention to the user interfaces and e-tools forecasters would need to help them issue advisories on current conditions, and forecast conditions 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours out. "We built intuitive interfaces by working directly with the forecasters," said Ben Rowells, a CIRES developer in SWPC. Forecasters are interested in a space weather phenomenon called ionospheric scintillation, for example, which can impact navigation. "A forecaster can select hotspot regions on an animated data map and rapidly issue an advisory," Rowells said. Since late November, the SWPC team has been taking two-week turns with the other teams-both international consortia that developed independent advisory systems-to issue advisories. "This was revolutionary," said NOAA's Steenburgh. "While there is still more work to be done, the models and user interface were made available to SWPC forecasters through a heroic effort from virtually all parts of SWPC." In the three months since advisories began, no space weather center has issued "moderate" or "severe" warnings in any category, Steenburgh said. This lull won't last, however, as we move towards the next solar cycle maximum, estimated to arrive in about four years. https://phys.org/news/2020-02-space-weather-advisories-aviation.html Back to Top Position Available: Investigator/Senior Investigator, Flight Operations Quality Assurance Date: Feb 7, 2020 Location: Flight Training Academy (DFW-FTRN) Additional Locations: None Requisition ID: 37019 Intro Are you ready to explore a world of possibilities, both at work and during your time off? Join our American Airlines family, and you'll travel the world, grow your expertise and become the best version of you. As you embark on a new journey, you'll tackle challenges with flexibility and grace, learning new skills and advancing your career while having the time of your life. Feel free to enrich both your personal and work life and hop on board! Why you'll love this job • This job is a member of the Investigating team within the Integrated Operations Division. • Responsible for providing analysis of operational flight data as well as producing reports and presentations for the Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) program. What you'll do • Conducts daily work flow processes for the FOQA program • Assesses events and trends, identifies operational hazards, and validates corrective actions • Develops new data analysis products and methodologies for data mining • Coordinates with the Flight Department for data analysis needs • Coordinates regularly with Allied Pilot Association (APA) FOQA gatekeepers • Coordinates with Tech Ops Department regarding support of the FOQA program • Creates flight animations of actual events for use in operational departments • Assists with accident and incident investigations • Participates in FOQA Monitoring Team meetings • Participates and contributes to the American Airlines SMS process • Develops, prepares and presents analysis of flight data • Represents American Airlines at industry FOQA related meetings All you'll need for success Minimum Qualifications- Education & in related field or equivalent experience/training • 3 years related job experience • Experience working with data mining tools such as Tableau, Business Objects, Access, etc. • Experience performing data analysis and building various related reports in MS Office products Preferred Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience • Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Mathematics, Engineering, or Statistics • Basic Programming knowledge/experience • Master's degree in related field • Knowledge of aeronautical theory and aviation operations as applied to commercial aircraft • Must be able to handle multiple projects with changing deadlines • Previous experience within a FOQA program • Familiarity with GE Aviation flight data software (previously Austin Digital) • Experience using CEFA animation software • Private pilot license or higher • Experience at an air carrier Skills, Licenses & Certifications • Knowledge of aeronautical theory and aviation operations as applied to commercial aircraft • Proficient using MS Office software • Must fulfill background checks to qualify for unescorted access privileges to airport security identification display areas (SIDA), if applicable • Must be able to secure appropriate airport authority and/or US Customs security badges, if applicable • Must be able to handle multiple projects with changing deadlines What you'll get Feel free to take advantage of all that American Airlines has to offer: • Travel Perks: Ready to explore the world? You, your family and your friends can reach 365 destinations on more than 6,800 daily flights across our global network. • Health Benefits: On day one, you'll have access to your health, dental, prescription and vision benefits to help you stay well. And that's just the start, we also offer virtual doctor visits, flexible spending accounts and more. • Wellness Programs: We want you to be the best version of yourself - that's why our wellness programs provide you with all the right tools, resources and support you need. • 401(k) Program: Available upon hire and, depending on the workgroup, employer contributions to your 401(k) program are available after one year. • Additional Benefits: Other great benefits include our Employee Assistance Program, pet insurance and discounts on hotels, cars, cruises and more Feel Free to be yourself at American From the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity are the foundation of the dynamic workforce at American Airlines. Our 20+ Employee Business Resource Groups are focused on connecting our team members to our customers, suppliers, communities and shareholders, helping team members reach their full potential and creating an inclusive work environment to meet and exceed the needs of our diverse world. Are you ready to feel a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction as you do your part to keep the largest airline in the world running smoothly as we care for people on life's journey? Feel free to be yourself at American. Additional Locations: None Requisition ID: 37019 Nearest Major Market: Fort Worth Nearest Secondary Market: Dallas Job Segment: Engineer, Quality Assurance, Data Analyst, Operations, Engineering, Technology, Aviation, Data Curt Lewis