Flight Safety Information June 15, 2020 - No. 119 In This Issue Incident: American B788 near Chicago on Jun 14th 2020, flight control problems Incident: Vietjet A321 at Ho Chi Minh City on Jun 14th 2020, runway excursion on landing Incident: British Airways A319 at London on Feb 16th 2020, chemical odour on board Airbus A320-271N - Ground Collision (Russia) McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle - Crash into sea (U.K.) U.S. Air Force pilot missing after F-15C fighter jet crashes into sea off U.K. coast Two VietJet Pilots Suspended After Runway Mishap Safety Agency Warns of Tail Strikes, Off-Course Flying by Near-Empty Airplanes Pilot claims AirAsia India suspended him for flagging safety issues Hawaii airline pilots report pair of mid-air near misses with drones Book Author Finds Automation the Enemy of Aviation Safety VIRGIN ATLANTIC AND EASYJET SUSPEND IN-FLIGHT ALCOHOL SERVICE GKN obtains FAA certification for Malaysia repair facility Mitsubishi Aircraft reiterates commitment to M90 certification IndiGo to raise Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000 crore by leasing out aircraft, engines RTCA's free Aviation Technology Connect Webinar series kicks off Wednesday, June 17 Ship-based Helicopter Management Aviation Safety Survey GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: American B788 near Chicago on Jun 14th 2020, flight control problems An American Airlines Boeing 787-8, registration N816AA performing flight AA-70 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL390 about 50nm north of Albany,NY (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) reporting flight control issues. The crew advised no assistance was needed and neither requested urgency nor declared emergency. The aircraft was cleared to Chicago, about 650nm west of their position, and landed safely on O'Hare's runway 10L at a normal speed about 100 minutes later and taxied to the apron. A replacement Boeing 787-8 registration N815AA flown by a new crew departed about 2:50 hours after landing and is estimated to reach Frankfurt with a delay of one hour. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL70/history/20200614/2110Z/KDFW/EDDF http://avherald.com/h?article=4d8b7c0b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Vietjet A321 at Ho Chi Minh City on Jun 14th 2020, runway excursion on landing A Vietjet Air Airbus A321-200, registration VN-A657 performing flight VJ-322 from Phu Quoc to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), landed on HO Chi Minh City's runway 25L at 12:22L (05:22Z) but veered right off the runway and came to a stop with all gear on soft ground. There were no injuries, the aircraft received minor damage. The passengers disembarked via mobile stairs. The aircraft's wheels sank partly into the soft ground and needed to be dug out before the aircraft could be towed to the apron. The airport needed to be closed for about 2 hours. Runway 25R is currently closed due to works in progress. The airline confirmed the occurrence reporting heavy rain caused the aircraft to skid off the runway. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d8ab7df&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: British Airways A319 at London on Feb 16th 2020, chemical odour on board A British Airways Airbus A319-100, registration G-EUPL performing flight BA-466 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Madrid,SP (Spain), rotated for takeoff from Heathrow's runway 27R when a strong chemical odour developed in cockpit and cabin. The crew completed the initial climb, then ran the relevant checklist, the odour dissipated, cabin crew also confirmed the odour was dissipating, the whole event lasted for about 2 minutes, due to the short duration neither flight crew had donned their oxygen masks or cabin crew their protective equipment. As the odour had subsided the crew decided to continue the flight. Enroute while nearing Spain both flight crew realized they felt dizzy, had difficulties in concentrating and were feeling increasingly tired and exhausted. Some cabin crew in the meantime inexplicably poured water onto the galley top instead of into the sink. The aircraft managed a safe landing on Madrid's runway 32L about 2 hours after departure. Medlink instructed the crew to use portable oxygen for 20 minutes each. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 3 hours, then departed for the return flight to London. After the return to London the aircraft remained on the ground for 4.5 hours, then resumed service. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW466/history/20200216/0845Z/EGLL/LEMD http://avherald.com/h?article=4d8997b9&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Airbus A320-271N - Ground Collision (Russia) Date: Sunday 14 June 2020 Time: 12:49 Type: Airbus A320-271N Operator: S7 Airlines Registration: VP-BWC C/n / msn: 8787 First flight: 2019-05-20 (1 year ) Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney PW1127G Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED) ( Russia) Phase: Taxi (TXI) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI), Russia Destination airport: Irkutsk Airport (IKT/UIII), Russia Flightnumber: S76378 Narrative: S7 Airlines flight S76378, an Airbus A320neo (VP-BWC), struck an Ural Airlines Airbus A320-232 (VP-BDL) while taxiing for takeoff at Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport, Russia. The A320neo was following main taxiway A to the beginning of runway 10R. As is passed taxiway A4, the left-hand winglet struck the APU of the Ural Airlines A320 which was standing on taxiway A4. The APU separated and fell to the ground. The winglet subsequently sliced into the right-hand elevator, which was when the A320neo stopped. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200614-0 Back to Top McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle - Crash into sea (U.K.) Date: 15-JUN-2020 Time: c 09:40 LT Type: McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle Owner/operator: USAF - 493rd FS, 48th FW Registration: 86-0176 C/n / msn: 1027/C404 Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: North Sea, 74 nm off Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire - United Kingdom Phase: En route Nature: Training Departure airport: Lakenheath RAF Station (LKZ/EGUL) Destination airport: Lakenheath RAF Station (LKZ/EGUL) Narrative: A US Air Force F-15C Eagle, callsign "Chosen 4", part of a for ship, crashed into the North Sea. Search and rescue operations are underway. The HM Coastguard helicopter from Humberside has been sent along with Bridlington and Scarborough RNLI lifeboats. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/236999 Back to Top U.S. Air Force pilot missing after F-15C fighter jet crashes into sea off U.K. coast A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter jet crashed into the North Sea off the coast of England on Monday, the Air Forces' 48th Fighter Wing confirmed. The jet, deployed from Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath in eastern England, northeast of London, crashed at about 4:40 a.m. Eastern. "At the time of the accident, the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board," the 48th Fighter Wing said in a brief statement, adding that the cause of the crash remained unclear. In a video statement provided by the U.S. military, Colonel Will Marshall of the 48th Fighter Wing said later Monday that the pilot was "still missing." "We will provide updates as they become available, while prioritizing respect and consideration for the pilot's family," Marshall said. The Air Force said a British search and rescue team had been called to support the efforts to find the pilot. BBC News quoted a spokesperson with the U.K. Coastguard as saying one helicopter and two lifeboats had been sent to the area, about 90 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire, to help with the search. The Coastguard said other vessels were heading to the area to help, too, after hearing the agency's mayday call. Hours before the crash, RAF Lakenheath posted a photo to the base's twitter account showing F-15s in flight, saying the 48th Fighter Wing was ready to "take on Monday." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-air-force-f-15c-fighter-jet-crashes-in-north-sea-off-coast-of-england-raf-lakenheath-today-2020-06-15/ Back to Top Two VietJet Pilots Suspended After Runway Mishap: Tuoi Tre Vietnam's aviation authority suspended two VietJet Aviation JSC pilots and six crew members operating a plane that skidded off a runway at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Sunday during bad weather, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. There were no injuries, according to the newspaper. The pilots had their licenses temporarily suspended, reported the newspaper, which citied the country's aviation authority. The aircraft touched down shortly after noon on Sunday after departing from Phu Quoc Island. VietJet attributed the accident to rain and strong winds, according to the newspaper, which cited an airline representative. Airport operations had returned to normal Monday morning after the runway was closed, affecting hundreds of flights, the aviation authority said on its website. The airline did not have an immediate comment on the suspensions, a VietJet representative said by phone. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-15/two-vietjet-pilots-suspended-after-runway-mishap-tuoi-tre Back to Top Safety Agency Warns of Tail Strikes, Off-Course Flying by Near-Empty Airplanes By Alan Levin One nearly empty passenger jet "climbed like a rocket," prompting the pilots to exceed their assigned altitude. Others have scraped their tails on takeoff, gone off course or strayed close enough to other aircraft to prompt mid-air collision alerts. The common thread: the massive disruptions to the U.S. airline industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. While the plunge in travel has in many ways eased pressure on roads and the aviation system, it has at times had the opposite effect on safety. The rate of highway deaths has actually risen as motorists speed on empty roads. And the drop in airline passengers has triggered an unusual spate of incidents that are challenging flight safety, according to publicly available reports as well as government, industry and union officials. Moreover, the slow rise in air traffic is creating its own demands as parked aircraft are restored to service and pilots who may have missed training sessions are recalled. The Commercial Aviation Safety Team, comprised of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, unions and airline officials, last month issued more than 50 warnings to carriers on the unusual factors they need to monitor more closely during the recent industry disruptions, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg. They include tracking safety data related to unusually light aircraft, the stresses from employees fearing they could become infected by Covid-19 and possible fuel contamination on planes that were parked. "These dynamic changes are creating stress points on our systems and processes," the group said in one of the documents. Incidents Reporting Details of incidents have begun to trickle out through NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, which posts anonymous field reports after validating their authenticity. They include pilots reporting that unusually light airliners behaved unexpectedly, such as climbing so fast that they exceeded assigned altitudes or couldn't maintain cabin air pressure. Others said the boarding process went so fast they forgot to finish safety paperwork. Thousands of airliners are parked, some of them on runways at major airports. Normal flight routines are being disrupted. Training is being postponed. And airline crews face the looming threat of infection and a loss of job security. "There is certainly a concern that all of these things could be a distraction to crews and could result in an undesirable situation," said Hassan Shahidi, president of the nonprofit Flight Safety Foundation. There have been no significant incidents, said Shahidi and others familiar with data collected by airlines. "Despite the challenging circumstances, the agency continues to provide the same high level of safety oversight of airlines and other operators that the public expects and deserves," the FAA said in a statement. "We are closely monitoring the data we receive from voluntary reporting systems and have increased the number of information-sharing meetings we're holding with operators." Indeed, the reason that concerns are being raised at the agency and the safety team is that the industry's early warning system - which tracks flight data, thousands of reports from individual employees and internal airline audits - has been adept at spotting issues before they become serious, according to FAA and industry officials. Increased Oversight Ali Bahrami, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety, said during a recent online panel that the agency has increased its interactions and oversight of airlines as a result of data it has seen and the threat of financial disruption to the industry. Among the incidents raising concern, Bahrami said, were so-called "tail strikes," in which a jet on takeoff or landing hits its tail on the runway. These impacts, which may be associated with a lighter-than-usual aircraft, can severely damage a plane and lead to costly repairs. The air-traffic control system has faced similar stresses, said Teri Bristol, the chief of FAA's Air Traffic Organization, speaking at another webinar. Scores of controllers, who operate in close quarters and can't work from home, have tested positive for the virus. That has prompted the temporary closing of facilities and rerouting of flights. "Change and unpredictability is not a good thing in our system," Bristol said. With so many aircraft parked - airlines took more than half of their fleets out of service before beginning to return some planes in recent weeks - the FAA has been paying close attention to safety incidents on the ground, such as the threat of collisions on runways. "We are seeing surface issues where we just wouldn't expect to see them," Bristol said. NASA's repository of reports from pilots, air-traffic controllers and others reflect what Bahrami and Bristol have said. Reports of incidents in March have only become public in recent days: An airline captain landing at Pittsburgh International Airport complained that planes were "parked all over" one of the runways, but it had not been marked as closed with lighted signs. A captain reported that an automated warning system ordered them to "climb" to avoid colliding with another plane. The pilot blamed it on another jet that was climbing faster than usual with a lightly loaded plane. An airline crew said they got a warning that the cabin wasn't properly pressurized. They had been climbing so quickly with an unusually light load at high altitudes that the plane's pressurization system couldn't keep up, they said. Confusion over a missed radio call allowed two planes to fly too close to each other. A controller said that a nearby sector had been shut after another employee tested positive for the virus. "We were working abnormally complex traffic at a very high volume," the controller said. After aborting a landing due to gusty winds, an airliner at takeoff power climbed so quickly that it exceeded its maximum assigned altitude. "To say I was rattled would be an understatement," a pilot on the plane said. "I am concerned that we are flying these aircraft too light." Virus Concerns More than a dozen additional reports raised concern about personal safety from the virus, as a result of lack of disinfection kits or people working closely together. Such anonymous reports from NASA's system should be viewed cautiously because they can't be verified, said Roger Cox, a former airline pilot who also served as an accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. Previous crises in the airline industry, such as the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the 2008 financial crisis, didn't lead to demonstrable increases in accidents, Cox said. Nevertheless, pilot distractions repeatedly show up as a factor in crashes around the world and should be watched closely, he said. While passenger counts have rebounded since since early April, when they were at less than 5% of last year, they still averaged only 16% over the past week, according to Transportation Security Administration data. Financial assistance to carriers required no job cuts, but only through Sept. 30. Many carriers are saying they will have to trim employees in the fall. "We have all kinds of people who are worried about their carriers, their mortgage, their family, all kinds of things," said Russ Leighton, vice president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations who participates in FAA-industry safety work. Air-cargo operations have been up during the crisis, but that creates its own stresses, Leighton said. Cargo crews aren't protected by the same pilot-fatigue regulations as passenger pilots, for example, he said. Pilot unions have been emphasizing that it's better for crews to leave discussions about seniority lists and job security behind when they enter the cockpit, said Steve Jangelis, aviation safety chair at the Air Line Pilots Association. "Everyone is stressing the same point," Jangelis said. "This is not a normal situation. We're going to see our way through it. We need to make sure we're slow, methodical and safe." https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2020/06/15/297628.htm Back to Top Pilot claims AirAsia India suspended him for flagging safety issues • An AirAsia India official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the pilot was suspended due to disciplinary issues • A senior DGCA official said the regulator is looking into the incident NEW DELHI: An AirAsia India pilot on Monday accused the airline of suspending him for flagging serious safety-related violations at the company. In his tweets, Gaurav Taneja, an Airbus A320 captain with AirAsia India alleged that the airline violated several safety protocols, which endanger the lives of passengers on board of the company's aircraft. However, he didn't elaborate on most of the accusations he labeled against his employers. The pilot's tweets led to #BoycottAirAsiaIndia trending on Twitter with about 26,000 tweets on Monday afternoon. A spokesperson at AirAsia India -- a joint venture between AirAsia Berhad (49%) and Tata Sons (51%) -- didn't offer comments stating that the issue is being internally investigated. An AirAsia India official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the pilot was suspended due to disciplinary issues and his suspension was not related to reporting safety lapses at the airline. "There are some disciplinary issues due to which he has been suspended. This issue is being dealt with internally," he said. When contacted, a senior DGCA official, without elaborating further, said the regulator is looking into the incident. Taneja has accused AirAsia India management for asking him to work during his day-off during 9 June as he had taken a sick leave on 7 June. "When I started protesting against this, the chief of flight safety said in an email that I report sick and fatigue frequently. They (management) also suggested undergoing lifestyle counselling and medical," Taneja said in a video message on Twitter on Monday. "Sick report or fatigue report is a non-punitive policy which is documented by the regulator. This is not followed at the airline," he added. Taneja also alleged that AirAsia India was not following certain DGCA-mandated safety-related guidelines after the breakout of covid-19 pandemic. He, however, didn't elaborate further. "On 22-23 March, I delayed my flight for about 40 minutes as safety-related guidelines were not being followed by the airline," he said. "I gave feedback that certain regulations were not being followed up by the airline. But, the airline took no action. There were several lapses," he added. Taneja said that he decided not to fly on 24 March as the airline was still not observing certain safety measures that were repeatedly flagged by him. "On 4 May, I was shown a show cause notice which stated that the company incurred losses because of my actions. It was clear administration issues were labelled on me. It was clear that they are unhappy with me for pointing out safety lapses," he added. Gaurav Taneja, a former IIT-Kharagpur graduate, and a former IndiGo captain, joined AirAsia India in May 2019, as one of its captains on its Airbus A320 fleet. He's also a fitness blogger and a digital influencer with over 200,000 twitter followers. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/pilot-claims-airasia-india-suspended-him-for-flagging-safety-issues-11592218898600.html Back to Top Hawaii airline pilots report pair of mid-air near misses with drones HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two near misses with drones have rattled Hawaii airline pilots in recent weeks, and the Federal Aviation Administration confirms they're concerned with the increased number of reported drone sightings nationwide. In 2015, the number of reported sightings was about 1,200. That number grew to about 1,800 in 2016, then increased again to about 2,200 in 2017. Just last week in Hawaii, there were two close encounters on the same day: Mokulele Airlines pilots filed reports with the FAA after two near misses with a drone during their approach into the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The pilots say they were flying at around 2,000 feet when a drone passed over their aircraft, within 200 to 400 feet. "I think the users are trying to get some up close and personal pictures of the airplanes from their drones, and what they really don't realize is this is not a game. This is putting people's lives at risk," said Stephen Fredrick, a Mokulele Airlines captain and the company's director of safety. The two incidents took place over Punchbowl and the freeway near the University of Hawaii at Manoa, while the planes were traveling at approximately 300 feet per second - much too fast, Frederick says, to spot something and avoid a collision. "The bottom line is that whether you are a model aircraft pilot or a Part 107 drone pilot, you have to operate safely and not fly in a way that poses a danger to manned aircraft," said Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesperson. "It's imperative that all drone operators must get authorization to fly in controlled airspace." Pilots are afraid viral videos, like a recent one that captured a drone flying within feet of an aiplane landing at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, are promoting bad behavior. "This might be a growing trend, and it's something that we're very concerned about because a drone hitting an airplane that's moving at 180 miles an hour can do an awful lot of damage," said Frederick. "It can come through the wind screen, it can impact the leading edge or the tail and do some significant damage and cause some significant problems for the pilot." FAA officials say they believe most drone operators want to fly safely, but have little to no prior aviation experience and may not be aware of what they can and cannot do. That's why they've launched an education initiative with a free app called: "B4UFly". The program shows drone users whether it's safe to fly in their current or planned location and explains that they need to contact air traffic control before flying in controlled airspace. "Drone operators have to understand that as soon as they start flying outside, they are pilots with the responsibility to operate safely, just like pilots of manned aircraft," said Gregor. There are serious consequences if federal officials believe a drone operator is purposefully flying unsafe. For individuals, it's a fine of up to $1,400 or for businesses that's more than $32,000 per violation. However, federal criminal penalties could also include fines of up to $250,000 and three years in prison. As for the reported collision between a drone and a tour helicopter on Kaua'i earlier this year, FAA officials say that while they do believe the pilot's account, they say they have not been able to find any conclusive evidence that it was a drone strike. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37861846/local-airline-pilots-report-pair-of-mid-air-near-misses-with-drones/ Back to Top Book Author Finds Automation the Enemy of Aviation Safety Tom Dieusaert is a worried man. He sees a future where the current pilot-copilot system is replaced by a single pilot who will serve as the sole human agent to take control should an automated system fail. He fears that commercial carriers will eventually seek to eliminate even these human backstops. The airlines will tell us that pilotless planes offer the ultimate in aviation safety. The journalist is alarmed that the current duopoly - Boeing and Airbus - that manufactures the majority of the planes flown by the world's airlines are more focused on the bottom line than on safety. And he sees air travelers increasingly flocking to ultra-low fare airlines, apparently willing to sacrifice not only their comfort but possibly their safety for a lower fare. That's the basic premise of his book Computer Crashes: When Aircraft Systems Fail, first published in 2017 and updated in 2020 follow the crash of two Boeing 737MAX aircrafts. In a telephone interview from his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Belgium journalist, who is not himself a pilot, said he has spent the better part of six years researching the topic of automation and aviation. Dieusaert doesn't suggest that flying today is unsafe. "I agree that flying today is the safest it's ever been," he said. "But I have to add a caveat: they have to maintain the same two pilot system they have today. I think if they take one pilot away, they will lose air safety." His interest in the issue of automation and air safety was first piqued by the crash in the South Atlantic of Air France flight 447, an Airbus A330 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1, 2009. All 228 passengers and crew were killed. He writes that, as he and his daughter were scheduled to take the same flight later that month, he followed the subsequent investigation of the crash with great interest. How could such a technologically advanced aircraft mysteriously fall from the sky, he wondered. A formal report on the accident, issued three years later, determined that the aircraft crashed after temporary inconsistencies between the airspeed measurements -likely due to the aircraft's pitot tubes being obstructed by ice crystals- caused the autopilot to disconnect. The crew then reacted incorrectly and ultimately caused the aircraft to enter an aerodynamic stall, from which it did not recover. But as it turned out, his own investigation was just beginning. As he put it, "you learn something and it leads you to something else." That "something else" included other incidents involving the failure of automated systems, including: • The crash of AirAsia flight Q8501 on Dec. 28, 2014, traveling from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore, killing all 162 people on board the Airbus 321. Authorities determined that the non-standard reset of the flight control system led to the loss of control of the aircraft; • Lufthansa flight 1929 traveling from Bilbao, Spain to Munich, Germany with 109 people on board on Nov. 5, 2014. Pilots successfully regained control of the aircraft after the autopilot unexpectedly lowered the nose and entered a decent reaching 4000 feet per minute. No injuries were reported and the aircraft landed safely. • Qantas flight 72, an Airbus 330 traveling from Singapore to Perth, Australia on Oct. 7, 2008. Pilots were forced to make an emergency landing after a pair of uncommanded pitch-down maneuvers caused several injuries. One crew member and 11 passengers suffered serious injuries, while eight crew and 99 passengers suffered minor injuries. • While not all the incidents led to fatal crashes, each involved pilots unable to overcome faulty automated systems. Through his research and conversations with local pilots, he came to believe that the real cause of these incidents was the increasing reliance on automated systems in aviation. Dieusaert's premise is that automated systems aboard aircraft today - such as the fly-by-wire system pioneered by Airbus that allows aircraft computers to perform tasks without pilot input - have made it increasingly difficult for pilots to intervene should a mechanical, electronic or computer failure occur. Following the initial publication of his book in 2017, he heard from numerous pilots confirming his hypothesis. Then came the twin crashes of Lion Air flight JT610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 301, both Boeing 737MAX aircraft. The Lion Air domestic flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Panghal Pinang crashed on Oct. 29, 2018, killing all 189 people on board. The Ethiopian Airlines flight was traveling from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya. It crashed on March 10, 2019, killing all 157 people on board. In both cases, it appears that the pilots were unable to counter faulty automatic controls that led both planes to pitch down and plunge into the ground. That and other problems subsequently discovered regarding the design of the aircraft led to its worldwide grounding, an order that remains in effect. Those incidents prompted Dieusaert to release an updated version of his book earlier this year. "The reason I originally wrote the book in 2017 was to point out that the manufacturers of the planes admitted there were flaws with their aircraft," he said. Of course, pilots also made mistakes, he said, but added: "Let's focus not on what the pilot did wrong, but what was wrong with the mechanical situation." Dieusaert sees a host of reasons why aviation safety may be under increasing threat. "Everybody plays a role in the current problem," he said, including aircraft manufacturers, airlines, regulatory authorities and even passengers. "It's a multiple problem, but of course, it's ultimately a business question," he said. "We have hundreds of thousands of planes in the air every day, so safety [currently] is actually at a very high point," he said. "But the problem for me is that there's a duopoly. There are two plane makers controlling the whole airline business. It's not a good situation." Manufacturers are walking a financial tightrope in the planes they design. "If you go over to the safety side, you're flirting with bankruptcy; if you go over to the profit side, you're flirting with accidents," he said. Dieusaert also fears that increase automation in the cockpit will reduce the skill level of younger pilots. "As you get more automation, you begin to rely more on automation and you get lazy as an operator," he said. "It's just like today's generation of young drivers who don't know how to read a roadmap." It becomes a vicious circle, with fewer competent pilots leading to calls for increased automation. "[Aircraft] manufacturers have no confidence today in pilots," he said, adding that "a pilot contacted me to tell me that he worries about the capabilities of the younger generation of pilots." Meanwhile, airlines, especially low-fare carriers, see increasing automation as a way to reduce staffing and cut costs. Some ultra-low-fare airlines are already pressing to be allowed to operate with only one pilot on board, he said. "The passenger who wants a flight as cheap as possible has to know that he is contributing to more automation and pilots with less flying skill," he said. "He will probably in a number of years be flying in a jet without a pilot in it." He asked, "Do you want to put your life in the hands of inexperienced pilots? That's what's happening now." At some point in the future, when air travel returns to a more normal level following the covid 19 pandemic, manufacturers, airlines and passengers will all have to face a new reality, Dieusaert said. "I think in the future we're going to have to start flying less and paying more, not only because of the impact flying has on climate change but also to maintain flight safety, he predicted. https://aviationtribune.com/ceo-interviews/book-author-finds-automation-the-enemy-of-aviation-safety/ Back to Top VIRGIN ATLANTIC AND EASYJET SUSPEND IN-FLIGHT ALCOHOL SERVICE Virgin Atlantic has removed alcohol onboard flights as part of a wider overhaul of its catering service it hopes will reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading between passengers. Virgin Atlantic will temporarily remove alcohol from flights (Photo: Virgin Atlantic) A spokesperson for the airline told the drinks business it will remove alcohol sales when some flights restart on 20 June, and will also offer onboard meals in a way that they "come straight from a controlled catering environment to our customer's seat, reducing interaction." Virgin Atlantic told db the alcohol ban is a temporary measure and will be kept under review. Virgin Atlantic will reopen five core flight routes on 20 and 21 June, months after the airline was forced to go into hibernation as coronavirus lockdowns brought international travel to a halt. It will reopen routes from London Heathrow to New York, LA, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Orlando. Passengers will all be supplied with their own PPE kit with medical grade masks, surface wipes and hand sanitiser. All customers and crew will be asked to wear their masks for the duration of the flight. Dedicated isolation areas will also be put in place on each flight for any customers or crew who may present symptoms while onboard. Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer, Virgin Atlantic, said: "As the Covid-19 crisis stabilises and demand slowly returns, we are looking forward to welcoming our customers back onboard and flying them safely to their favourite destinations. To ensure the health and safety of our customers and our people, we're introducing new measures at every point in the journey to offer peace of mind when taking to the skies with us." Budget airline Easyjet, which is resuming flights today (15 June), has also cut alcohol from its in-flight catering. Passengers will be limited to a glass of water, with food service also suspended. Customers, cabin and ground crew will be required to wear masks throughout their journey. A spokesperson for Easyjet said the new measures "have been implemented in consultation with aviation authorities ICAO and EASA, and in line with relevant national authorities and medical advice through the airline's chief medical adviser." British Airways will not suspend alcohol sales, according to a spokesperson, but is also reworking its food and drink offer to reduce contact between passengers and crew. The airline will roll out an "enhanced temporary catering proposition" from tomorrow (16 June), the spokesperson told db. Customers travelling to a long haul destination will be offered pre-prepared meal boxes including dishes such as a salad, hot entrée or sandwich, and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Snacks will also be available between meals. Customers travelling in Club or Business class will also be able to enjoy a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with a pre-prepared meal, and those travelling in economy will receive a complimentary snack and a bottle of water. BA's hot towel service will not be available while the new measures are in place. A BA spokesperson said: "As we navigate our way through these unprecedented times, we will continue to take advice from relevant authorities and incorporate this into the development of our on board experience." https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2020/06/airlines-suspend-in-flight-alcohol-sales/ Back to Top GKN obtains FAA certification for Malaysia repair facility The FAA has issued the base certification to GKN Aerospace's Johor facility in Malaysia for the repair of CFM56 aero-engine parts. The site will focus on servicing engine low pressure compressor (LPC) components for CFM56-5B, CFM56-7 and V2500. The facility will complement GKN Aerospace's existing component repair facility in El Cajon, California. In addition, the Johor site, in collaboration with other GKN Aerospace sites and local universities, will research the application of additive manufacturing technology into engine parts repair. Around 70 employees are currently on site in Malaysia to support the initial phase of the business. Strong growth in capabilities and people is expected over the coming years. GKN Aerospace has invested $30 million in both the facility and its state of the art equipment and technologies. The expansion to Asia is an important part of GKN Aerospace's long-term growth strategy and global operating model. Fergus Lopez, site director said: "We are really proud of this fantastic achievement which occurred during very difficult times for our industry. I am extremely proud of our team, both Malaysian and global, who worked very hard to overcome challenging circumstances, with great skill and dedication. We have strongly invested in the site and we have injected the latest automated manufacturing technology. "The FAA certification is an important international recognition of our capability to support our customers in the Asian Pacific Region. Everyone on-site is looking forward to starting to support our world-leading customers in the coming months." https://www.aero-mag.com/gkn-aerospace-faa-certification-malaysia-repair-15062020/ Back to Top Mitsubishi Aircraft reiterates commitment to M90 certification Mitsubishi Aircraft has reorganised its senior management, as it reiterates it commitment in getting its SpaceJet regional jet programme certificated. The Japanese airframer will be promoting company veteran Yasuhiko Kawaguchi to the role of executive chief engineer. Kawaguchi, who has 35 years of experience in Mitsubishi Aircraft and parent company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), will oversee aircraft design and type certification. Mitsubishi Aircraft adds that Kawaguchi also "played a central role" in flight tests in the USA. This fiscal year, Mitsubishi Aircraft will focus on "reorganising, improving the current design at aircraft level, and validating [flight test] data". It adds that the coronavirus outbreak has forced it to shift its priorities from global development to "perseverance and determination to achieve type certification" on its M90 variant. FlightGlobal reported in late May that Mitsubishi will be closing all non-Japan locations and moving all SpaceJet activities back to its headquarters in Nagoya, in response to cost pressure. It also suspended development of the 76-seat M100 variant, and will halt all flight testing of the M90 variant. "This new, harsh business environment also necessitated the development of a new operating plan for this fiscal year that included resizing its organisation so that Mitsubishi Aircraft may endure and emerge from this crisis. The company's priority will be on obtaining type certification for the SpaceJet M90," the airframer says. MHI announced in April that it would halving the SpaceJet's budget for the year ending 31 March 2021, as full-year losses on the programme widened. On 1 June, it closed the acquisition of Bombardier's CRJ programme, a deal first announced in 2019. https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/mitsubishi-aircraft-reiterates-commitment-to-m90-certification/138829.article Back to Top IndiGo to raise Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000 crore by leasing out aircraft, engines IndiGo will take delivery of around 120 fuel-efficient neo aircraft over the next 2 years and will simultaneously retire nearly 120 A320ceos. IndiGo can raise Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000 crore by leasing its owned assets including aircraft and engines, Chief Executive Officer Rono Dutta told CNBC-TV18 in an exclusive interview. "We own some aircraft, some ATRs, a lot of engines, some A320s. We are putting them back on lease. That will give us Rs 3,000-5000 crore of funding. I am quite optimistic about prospects od IndiGo," Dutta said. The airline believes that the biggest opportunity to save costs lies in the fleet and hence has planned to focus on the efficiency of aircraft in use, lowering maintenance costs and is renegotiating contracts with suppliers for lower costs. "Our relationship with lessors is a key success factor. We are working with lessors. We are paying all our bills. We are trying to reach an amicable solution with lessors. We are negotiating terms of new planes with lessors," Dutta added. It is important to note that Dutta revealed that IndiGo will take delivery of around 120 fuel-efficient neo aircraft over the next 2 years and will simultaneously retire nearly 120 A320ceos. "We have lots of new planes coming. The terms of new planes are for discussion...(in case of) the old planes, we have obligations and we are meeting them. We are returning 120 old planes, getting 120 or so new planes coming over 2 years. Those are under discussion," Dutta said. This means that the capacity is expected to remain stable for the next two years at India's largest airline, IndiGo, and indicates a more cautious approach at the market amid COVID-19 pandemic. It is also important to remember here that the airline has decided to cut employees' expenses by 25 percent. In that regard, it has already implemented salary cuts in the range of 5-25 percent in March, and leave without pay program was also announced in May. "Right-sizing means don't grow too much but make the fleet more efficient. Our focus on employees is very sharp. The environment is hostile, we are doing 30 percent of capacity, demand is not there...we want to keep our focus on cost because if we don't do the necessary cost-cutting, the whole company will go down. We are taking baby steps at this time, we don't want to take big bold plunges into this," Dutta explained. The airline, currently operating at 30 percent capacity, is desperate to scale up to 50 percent and further in a graded manner and remains optimistic about the demand to travel by air in India. "We are at 30 percent, urging the government to take us to 50 percent. As soon as we get there, we will urge the government to take us to 70 percent. We see a stepped up-graduation in terms of demand. Our best forecast that it will be an 85 percent capacity by next year," Dutta added. Having recently converted 10 passenger aircraft into freighters, the airline is now bullish on the cargo segment. Recently, the company's management had told analysts in a post-earnings conference call that the IndiGo has planned to raise Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 crore additional funding over a period of nine months. The savings were expected to be a result of various measures including the freezing of supplementary rentals, arrangements with suppliers, and a modified delivery schedule. In addition, the airline has also decided to not pay any dividend this year due to the prevailing situation. Meanwhile, the airline is flying A320neos over A320ceos to reduce cost amid a reduced scale of operations. The country's largest airline has also put on hold all discretionary expenses and has deferred certain CAPEX projects as well. https://www.cnbctv18.com/aviation/indigo-to-raise-rs-3000-rs-5000-crore-by-leasing-out-aircraft-engines-6139031.htm Back to Top RTCA's free Aviation Technology Connect Webinar series kicks off Wednesday, June 17. Featured speakers include: Wayne Monteith, FAA's Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation and Gregg Leone, The MITRE Corporation's VP Director Center for Advanced Aviation System Development. More details: https://www.rtca.org/content/agenda Back to Top Back to Top New Insomnia Treatment Developed for Pilots Set To Shake Up The Billion Dollar Sleep Industry Blenheim, New Zealand-May 25th, 2020 For Immediate Release Today, Allan Baker, well known aviation psychologist, has announced the release of his new book, "BLIS™ For Insomniacs", which provides details on the new treatment he has developed which helps insomniacs and others with sleep problems to actively bring on sleep when they need it, rather than waiting passively for sleep to 'happen to them'. This is a breakthrough How-To-Get-To-Sleep technique and guide for anyone who doesn't get enough sleep. Working with long haul airline pilots over the past 15 years, Allan has had to help them cope with the effects of too little sleep due to the nature of their work-changing time zones, flying at night, frequent layovers in new cities and hotels. Finding that existing insomnia treatments simply did not provide adequate results, and knowing that pilots could not resort to using sleeping pills and other medications which would impair their performance, he set about trying to find a better solution. "The problem is," he says, "most sleep therapies are simply rehashes of things that sleep professionals have been expounding for years, with limited success-until now there's been no significant breakthrough technique that addresses all the body's prerequisite conditions for sleep to occur, as a whole." Extensive research through the relevant scientific literature, particularly that around the effective treatment of PTSD, and an ability to think outside the box, has meant that Allan has been able to join-the-dots and make a discovery that appears to have eluded other sleep researchers. Simply put, the two main existing treatment paradigms, 'sleep hygiene' and cognitive behavioural treatment, as just two legs of the sleep stool, deal only with some of the conditions that must be met for sleep to occur. Allan's new technique, coined BLIS - for bilateral induced sleep - completes what he refers to as the third leg of the Sleep Stool, by providing an easy to learn and use method which helps the brain make the shift from emitting the high frequency Alpha waves of wakefulness, to the lower frequency Delta waves seen when we sleep. "I've discovered from knowledge of other areas of therapy, that it's possible to easily train your brain to shift from emitting alpha waves to delta waves, and when the brain emits delta waves, it basically brings on sleep." Allan notes that the sleep industry worldwide is worth tens of billions of dollars, primarily because so many people struggle to get the sleep they need. "The downstream effects of disturbed sleep on health are massive," he says. "If you're getting a couple of hours less sleep a night than you should, on average you're shortening your life by seven and a half years. Sleep is very important in keeping your immune system working well." "The breakthrough came from treating getting to sleep as a skill that can be trained. My new technique has been very effective with many of the pilots I've worked with, and I'm hoping that by releasing this book, I'll now be in a position to help many other sleep deprived people get the rest that they need and crave." BLIS™ For Insomniacs (ISBN: 978-0-473-52117-2) is available as a downloadable PDF eBook for US$14.99 from the mySleepSwitch website at: www.mysleepswitch.com. A sample chapter of the book is available for free download. About Allan Baker Trained as a military pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and is a registered psychologist. Allan has had a psychology career spanning over 45 years, and for the past fifteen years has worked exclusively in the field of Aviation Psychology. This has led to his deep understanding and interest in the area of sleep, which is so critical for commercial pilots and air crew. He is the current holder of the Jim Collins Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Aviation Safety. Allan was presented with this award in 2017 for his significant contribution to the development of the New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association (NZALPA) Peer Assistance Program, and in particular his furthering of a better industry understanding in the specialist area of pilots' mental health. Press Contact: Golden Micro Solutions Ltd, Box 590, Blenheim, New Zealand, publisher of the book. For more information: E: admin@mysleepswitch.com T: +64 21 900 461 TO ALL PROFESSIONAL PILOTS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, members of their Management, Regulators and related organizations (airplane, helicopter, civil or military) WE REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR A JOINT AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY (JASS) ON: "AERONAUTICAL DECISION-MAKING, INCL. MONITORING & INTERVENTION IN PRACTICE" Dear aviation colleague, you are invited to participate in a research project conducted by the department of Psychology at City, University of London, which aims to elicit your views and thoughts on Aeronautical Decision-Making, including Monitoring and Intervention in normal operation,by which we mean routine line flights without any incidents or technical malfunctions. The questions deal with teamwork and decision-making issues in various Pilot-roles, e.g. the role of the Pilot Monitoring (PM), Pilot Flying (PF), Pilot in Command (PIC) and Co-Pilot, and respectively in the Air Traffic Controller (ATCO)-roles of the coordinating and radioing/radar ATCO as well as pilot's and controller's training and occupational picture. This survey is completely anonymous - no identifying information will be requested or collected - and all responses will be treated as strictly confidential. The survey is approved by City's research and ethics committee (Approval Code: ETH 1920-1414). The introductory section of the survey will provide you with further information and the informed consent. Please click here to access the survey or copy the survey-link below into your browser. https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6n7cxeunMyfy0fz By completing the questionnaire, you can - in addition to supporting aviation safety research - even do more good as we will donate a minimum of €2 for the first 1000 fully completed responses to the UNICEF COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund which helps to care for vulnerable children and communities all over the world. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email: aviationsafety@city.ac.uk or tom.becker.1@city.ac.uk or via phone: +49 172 7178780. We thank you very much in advance. Your support is truly appreciated. Best regards, Capt. Tom Becker Prof. Peter Ayton Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions and attitudes about stress and mental health. This research started almost two years ago. The purpose of this study is to examine mental health issues in aviation, specifically Part 121 airline pilots. During this study, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about your opinions on various life circumstances, stress, and mental health topics. This study is expected to take approximately 15 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must possess an FAA issued Airline Transport Certificate (ATP) and you must also be currently working as a pilot for a Part 121 air carrier that is headquartered within the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary and data will be collected anonymously, stored confidentially, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study, as it is another small but important step towards increasing safety in aviation. Please click on the link below to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZG6M6L For more information, please contact: Tanya Gatlin - Student Researcher Gatlint1@my.erau.edu 281-924-1336 Dr. Scott Winter - Faculty Advisor winte25e@erau.edu 386-226-6491 Curt Lewis