Flight Safety Information March 6, 2020 - No. 048 In This Issue FAA BOSS SAYS MAX CERTIFICATION FLIGHT COULD BE WITHIN WEEKS Incident: Aeroflot A333 at Moscow on Mar 5th 2020, navigation equipment failure Incident: American A333 at Philadelphia on Mar 4th 2020, odour in cabin Incident: American B738 at Miami on Mar 3rd 2020, gear indication on arrival Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster - Landing Accident (Wisconsin) NTSB, Safety Experts ID Charter Safety Issues EAA to FAA: Remote ID Rule Threatens Model Flying FAA Steps Up Illegal Charter Clampdown ERAU Short-Course in Aviation Regulation with FL CLEs ISASI 2020 - Call for Papers WAI, ERAU Join Efforts on Girls Aviation Course Texas company plans first private space station flight "Kent State College of Aeronautics and Engineering UAS Symposium" "Human Factors in Flight Safety" training course Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation...Mourns The Passing of Clifford E. Barbour, Jr. FAA BOSS SAYS MAX CERTIFICATION FLIGHT COULD BE WITHIN WEEKS US Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson says a long-awaited certification flight for the Boeing 737 MAX could take place in the next few weeks. Dickson also told reporters in London he believed international air safety regulators were likely to agree on the design fixes needed to return the plane to service. "On the design approval, from everything that I have seen I think we'll have very solid alignment," Reuters reported him as saying. However, The FAA boss would not put a timeframe on when the plane would enter commercial service again. He said there were still issues with a warning light and flight deck displays but these were not expected to cause significant delays in the recertification process. According to Reuters, the warning light issue involves an indicator light for the stabilizer trim system that incorrectly illuminated in the flight deck during testing. The FAA boss said Boeing had yet to respond to concerns that two wiring bundles are too close and could potentially cause a short circuit. Boeing has been reviewing the issue but has indicated its analysis may indicate there is no need for a design change. The global 737 MAX fleet of about 370 aircraft has now been on the ground for almost a year after flight control software was implicated in two crashes that killed 346 people. Airlines had been clamoring for its return to service but that has likely changed given the significant fall in passenger demand caused by COVID-19. Assuming the certification flight goes smoothly, it will still take time to get the grounded planes back in the air as regulators approve pilot training requirements and they are implemented by airlines. The grounded aircraft will also have to be prepared for a return to service after the marathon grounding. US carriers have taken the aircraft out of their schedule until August and American Airlines says it expects to gradually phase in the MAX over a month, increasing flying throughout August and into September. Boeing has suspended production of the MAX but it already has about 400 planes in storage it will need to update and prepare for delivery. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/faa-boss-says-max-certification-flight-could-be-a- matter-of-weeks/ Back to Top "Incident: Aeroflot A333 at Moscow on Mar 5th 2020, navigation equipment failure An Aeroflot Airbus A330-300, registration VQ-BMX performing flight SU-520 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), was climbing out of Sheremetyevo's runway 06R when the crew stopped the climb at FL080 due to a navigation equipment failure, possibly a failed sensor. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew was working the checklists to no avail, then returned to Sheremetyevo for a safe landing on runway 06L about 40 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A330-300 registration VQ-BPJ reached Dubai with a delay of 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 12 hours after landing back." http://avherald.com/h?article=4d42487d&opt=0 Back to Top "Incident: American A333 at Philadelphia on Mar 4th 2020, odour in cabin An American Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration N273AY performing flight AA-1496 from Philadelphia,PA (USA) to San Juan (Puerto Rico), was climbing through 11,000 feet out of Philadelphia when the crew reported an unusual odour in the cabin, stopped the climb and returned to Philadelphia for a safe landing on runway 27L about 30 minutes after departure. There were no injuries. A replacement Airbus A330-200 registration N283AY reached San Juan with a delay of 10.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Philadelphia about 30 hours after landing back. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1496/history/20200304/1414Z/KPHL/TJSJ" http://avherald.com/h?article=4d424630&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top "Incident: American B738 at Miami on Mar 3rd 2020, gear indication on arrival An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N843NN performing flight AA-1128 from Medellin (Colombia) to Miami,FL (USA), was on approach to Miami's runway 09 when the crew initiated a go around reporting a gear indication. The aircraft climbed to 4000 feet and entered a hold while the crew worked the checklists. The crew declared emergency and positioned for another approach to runway 09, where the aircraft landed safely about 30 minutes after the go around. A passenger reported there had been problems with the landing gear prior to departure from Medellin already, the aircraft departed nonetheless. On approach to Miami the gear problem resurfaced. They landed safely in Miami with many emergency vehicles around with a delay of about one hour. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1128/history/20200303/2055Z/SKRG/KMIA" http://avherald.com/h?article=4d41cade&opt=0 Back to Top Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster - Landing Accident (Wisconsin) "Date: Thursday 5 March 2020 Time: 08:03 Type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster Operated by: CSA Air On behalf of: FedEx Express Registration: N706FX C/n / msn: 208B0426 First flight: 1995 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport, WI (RHI) ( United States of America) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Milwaukee-General Mitchell Airport, WI (MKE/KMKE), United States of America Destination airport: Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport, WI (RHI/KRHI), United States of America Flightnumber: 8312 Narrative: A Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster, operated by CSA Air, flipped over and came to a rest between a taxiway and a runway during an attempted landing on runway 27 at Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport, Wisconisin, USA. The pilot suffered minor injuries. Visibility at the time of the accident was limited to due snowfall and fog." https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200305- Back to Top NTSB, Safety Experts ID Charter Safety Issues Scenario-based training, enrolling in the Aviation Safety Action Program, adopting a scalable safety management system (SMS), and establishing a safety manager certification standard were among the suggestions offered this week by six safety experts at an NTSB panel on improving the safety of Part 135 operations, a key item on the agency's "Most Wanted" list of priorities. The FAA has declined to act on the Safety Board's recommendation to require all Part 135 operators to have an SMS, flight data monitoring, and controlled flight into terrain avoidance equipment, all of which most operators lack, according to the NTSB. The panel focused on ways charter operators can enhance safety and on identifying stumbling blocks in that effort. Jeff Baum, president and CEO of Wisconsin Aviation, labeled "the declining quality of upcoming pilots" as one of the impediments, while Janine Schwahn, Summit Aviation's director of operations, noted that operators cannot freely share information on problem pilots without fearing legal repercussions. Several said that SMS will become mandatory and urged operators to develop their own programs now. "SMS has long not been a requirement to us," concluded NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt. "We deserve it." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-03-05/ntsb-safety- experts-id-charter-safety-issues Back to Top EAA to FAA: Remote ID Rule Threatens Model Flying The FAA's proposed rule for unmanned aerial system (UAS) aircraft to have remote identification is an "overreaching answer" to integrating UAS aircraft into the National Airspace System and "threatens traditional pathways into manned aviation," as well as model aircraft flying, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). In comments submitted to the FAA, EAA said that, in an attempt for regulations to keep pace with UAS technology, the rule will harm the "freedoms and longstanding safe operations maintained by the traditional model aviation community. That community has little in common with UAS operations that the FAA seeks to regulate, especially in such areas as non-line-of-sight operations and within controlled airspace." Under the proposed rule, model aircraft would be permitted to operate without remote identification equipment if they are operated within visual line of sight and within an FAA-recognized identification area. EAA offered alternatives it said would fully regulate UAS operations, while acknowledging the safety and compliance record of traditional model aviation. These solutions include allowing multiple model aircraft owned by one operator to remain a single registration; creation of a notification system not reliant on on-site internet connectivity; and establishment of FAA-recognized identification areas, such as model aircraft flying fields, via the FAA's online operations safety system. More than 44,000 comments on the proposal were submitted to the FAA by the March 2 deadline. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-03-04/eaa-faa- remote-id-rule-threatens-model-flying Back to Top FAA Steps Up Illegal Charter Clampdown The FAA, working collaboratively with industry stakeholders, has significantly stepped up its campaign to stamp out illegal air charter, but Randy DeBerry, manager of the South Carolina Flight Standards District Office, warns that much more needs to be done and what he has seen in the field is "frightening." DeBerry gave an overview of ongoing efforts yesterday during the Air Charter Safety Foundation's 2020 Air Charter Safety Symposium, crediting the efforts of his team and of industry stakeholders, including the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), in spreading the word to educate about what constitutes legal and illegal activity. His interest piqued when, after first taking the manager's role as the South Carolina FSDO, he found the leading complaint from operators was their inability to compete against local illegal operations. "One thing I found alarming was what I didn't know," he said. When he began looking into activity, he found that in South Carolina illegal activity was fairly rampant. He discovered some airplanes with anywhere between 40 to 100 dry leases-a clear indicator that "something is not right." When asked what he has seen that is frightening, DeBerry responded that John Deere tractor equipment does not belong on airplanes. He has also heard stories about pilots being pressured to fly planes even though there was an equipment failure. And, he added there is no way with illegal operators to assure they are meeting flight and duty or drug testing regulations. He began to hold industry meetings on the subject and further has worked with stakeholders on an educational campaign to help inform operators that might have unwittingly strayed into illegal territory, as well as the traveling public who might not know any better. "If you know better, you can do better," he said. In addition, this has led to a number of investigations and several enforcements. DeBerry said he reached out to airport and FBO managers throughout the state-"anyone who would listen"-in this educational campaign and has been distributing posters on the subject. Those meetings, initially in South Carolina, have begun to spread throughout the country and DeBerry stressed that the FSDO managers are now talking to each other. A slate of future meetings on the issue is being organized throughout the U.S. "I can assure you it is being addressed across the U.S.," he said, telling the operators at the safety symposium. "I get that you have to earn a living. I get that you have to pay insurers...[Part] 135 is in jeopardy because people don't want to do it right." Paul D'Allura, assistant manager for the FAA's Special Emphasis Investigations Team (SEIC), urged the audience to reach out with as much information as possible to enable the FAA investigators to track down illegal activity. DeBerry agreed, saying one of the problems is the reticence of operators to provide much information. But he said his office takes every tip seriously; one of the first it received included only a tail number and that is still an active investigation. Don Riley, operations safety inspector with the FAA's SEIC, cautioned that these investigations take time because the FAA needs to gather evidence such as statements from passengers, invoices, and proof of payment. "I know people get frustrated. It takes a long time because it is due process. We've got to get it right." The FAA has to be very careful that any precedents it sets in enforcement action "will be in our favor down the road," added D'Allura. But, he said, more is going to come out publicly in the effort. One area the agency is paying particular attention is online: social media solicitations and apps, D'Allura said, noting some operators hid behind the app. "We're watching them." Ryan Waguespack, NATA's v-p of aircraft management for air charter services and MROs, said he has seen a difference with the FAA activity. However, he added that with the "Uber-ization" cultural shift, there will always be the draw for potential illegal activity. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-03-05/faa-steps- illegal-charter-clampdown Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top WAI, ERAU Join Efforts on Girls Aviation Course Women in Aviation International and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have rolled out an online course designed to ignite the interest of girls in aviation and aerospace careers. Open to girls ages eight to 17, the free, self-paced Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) provides an overview into aviation and aerospace, covering topics such as the major parts of an airplane, flight characteristics of a helicopter, and goals of space exploration. Built through the expertise at Embry-Riddle, the curriculum also includes engaging activities such as teaching students to make a paper helicopter, testing knowledge in module quizzes, and showing girls how they can be scientists. Participants earn digital badges and a personalized electronic certificate. Plans call to offer the course several times a year to students globally. Registration is currently open. "Partnering with Embry-Riddle, a longtime WAI supporter, on this free online course for youth interested in aviation is another tool to expand our reach of our annual international Girls in Aviation Day all year round," said WAI CEO Allison McKay. "Future aviation professionals will be inspired, and we are thrilled to use technology to reach girls in every part of the world and encourage their dreams of pursuing aviation careers." "We believe in the mission of WAI and look forward to a partnership that helps young ladies go further-faster," added Bettina Mrusek, assistant professor with the College of Aeronautics at Embry-Riddle. "Aerospace career paths often start with a spark from an air show, a rocket launch, or a role model. We hope this course can be an element that inspires young ladies to join us on an exciting trajectory towards awesome." WAI and Embry-Riddle unveiled the course in advance of the 2020 International Women in Aviation Conference, which opened today. Mrusek also discussed workforce issues today at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 19th Annual Aviation Summit. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-03-05/wai-erau-join- efforts-girls-aviation-course Back to Top Texas company plans first private space station flight A Houston company with deep NASA experience announced plans Thursday to launch a company-trained commander and three during an unpiloted test fight of its CST-100 Starliner capsule last December before pressing ahead with either another unpiloted test or a crewed test flight. In a departure from past practice, NASA will not own the Crew Dragon or Starliner capsules when testing is complete. Both companies are free to launch private, non- space station missions as well as flights to the NASA outpost that might include one or more space tourists or privately-funded researchers, assuming safety criteria are met. Space Adventures, a company that brokered trips to the International Space Station for seven private citizens between 2001 and 2009, announced an agreement with SpaceX last month to launch up to four space tourists or other non professionals aboard the Crew Dragon capsule by mid 2022. That crew will not visit the space station. Instead, the privately funded space tourists will enjoy views from a record-high orbit before returning to Earth. Space Adventures signed an agreement with Boeing in 2010 to offer unused Starliner seats to private citizens for visits to the space station, although no schedules have been announced. The Axiom flight announced Thursday would be the first non-government piloted space flight to orbit the Earth. "Since 2012, SpaceX has been delivering cargo to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA and later this year, we will fly NASA astronauts for the first time," said SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell. "Now, thanks to Axiom and their support from NASA, privately crewed missions will have unprecedented access to the space station, furthering the commercialization of space and helping usher in a new era of human exploration." https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-company-plans-first-private-115542550.html Back to Top "Kent State College of Aeronautics and Engineering UAS Symposium" Topic: Kent States College of Aeronautics and Engineering 'UAS Symposium' On Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 19:00 Eastern Daylight Time Location: Kent State University KIVA Auditorium 1075 Risman Drive Kent, OH 44242 The Spring UAS Symposium is an event where the current state of UAS Regulations and Operations will be discussed and explored. Future technologies will also be discussed. The focus of this Symposium will be UAS Operations for First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, Municipal and Local Governments. This year's Keynote Speaker will be Darrell Clay, a partner at the law firm of Walter Haverfield, a commerical instrument-rated pilot and Part 107 Pilot. The Panel will consist of Dr. Blake Stringer, Associate Professor and engineering coordinator; Rui Liu, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Engineering; Tao Shen, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Engineering; Robert Kraus, Ph.d. Associate Dean of Flight Operations; and Jason Lorenzon, Coordinator of Aeronautics, who will be the Moderator of this Panel. This event is open to all aeronautics students, enthusiasts, and professionals, pilots, crew members, flight instructors, mechanics, air traffic controllers, aviation managers, aerospace engineers, dispatchers, professors, and the general public. If you enjoy Drones and want to learn about using them and future possibilities, this is the place to be! To view further details and registration information for this seminar, click here. Back to Top "Human Factors in Flight Safety" training course, Lisbon, Portugal, 11-15 May 2020: Registrations now open Registrations are now open for the EAAP-recognised "Human Factors in Flight Safety" training course to be held in Lisbon from 11-15 May 2020. NetJets Europe will kindly host the course at their European HQ in Lisbon. Full details are provided in the course Information and Registration Brochure, available from the EAAP (European Association for Aviation Psychology) website: https://www.eaap.net/read/6055/initial-human-factors-in-flight-safety.html The experienced team of Brent Hayward and Dr Alan Hobbs will conduct the 27th iteration of this popular training course on behalf of EAAP. This year's course will also feature special guest speakers. The first of these courses was conducted by at Ispra, Italy in 1999, and since then the course has been continually updated and held regularly in locations including Luxembourg, Stockholm, Madrid, Lisbon, Interlaken, Dublin, Dubai and Barcelona, with a total of more than 480 participants attending to date. As detailed in the Information and Registration Brochure, there is a significant "Early Bird" discount for those who register by April 10th. EAAP members are offered further reduced registration fees. Please note that completion of this training course is recognised by EAAP as contributing towards requirements for those wishing to become an EAAP-certified Aviation Psychologist or Human Factors Specialist. Course participant numbers are limited, so those wishing to attend are encouraged to register and make hotel bookings as soon as possible. Those with any questions about the course, please email Brent Hayward: bhayward@dedale.net Back to Top Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation Mourns The Passing of Clifford E. Barbour, Jr. ALEXANDRIA, Va.--Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., whose mother's death in an airline accident in 1945 helped inspire a lifetime of promoting safer civil aviation through our organization, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation, passed away Feb. 6 at age 92. "Everyone here at the Foundation expresses our deepest sympathies to the Barbour family," said Craig Hoskins, Chair of the Foundation. "As those who were closest to him know, Cliff was always a very private man. But he did not shy away from shining a spotlight on those in aviation who worked tirelessly on making the industry safer. Inspired by the accident that took his mother, Laura Taber Barbour, as well as by his father's desire to ensure she and the other victims did not die in vain, Cliff helped hold the Foundation's torch high for decades. We at the Foundation are honored to take it from his hands and continue the legacy, started by his father, to honor Laura." On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Mrs. Barbour was aboard Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 142, a Douglas DC-3, that crashed into Cheat Mountain, near Morgantown, West Virginia. All 17 passengers and three crew onboard were killed. In 1956, husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Cliff, and the Flight Safety Foundation worked together to establish the Laura Taber Barbour Award in her honor. For more than 60 years, this long-distinguished award, awarded every year by the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation Board, has recognized those responsible for crowning achievements in aviation safety worldwide. Cliff was an active member of the Foundation from its inception, and was Chairman Emeritus of the Foundation's Board of Directors at the time of his passing. In addition to honoring aviation safety pioneers, the Foundation also provides annual scholarships for individuals pursuing professional careers in aviation. The scholarships are 100% funded by donations via the Foundation. In lieu of flowers, the Barbour family requests donations be made to The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation. Donations to the Foundation can be mailed to: LTB Foundation, 35911 Tarpon Drive, Lewes, DE 19958-5057. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Award was established through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. For more information on the foundation, the award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org Curt Lewis