Flight Safety Information July 21, 2020 - No. 146 In This Issue Incident: Delta B738 at Cincinnati on Jul 19th 2020, bird strike Accident: American A319 at Houston on Jul 19th 2020, turbulence injures flight attendant Incident: Vietnam A321 near Ho Chi Minh City on Jun 21st 2020, hail strike Incident: United A319 at Orlando on Jul 19th 2020, landing gear issue Incident: PSA CRJ9 near Evansville on Jul 19th 2020, cracked windshield MD Helicopters MD600N - Autorotation Accident (California) Data analysis on downed Ukraine jet starts Tuesday; Canada sceptical about Iran explanation FedEx Express pilots make more fatigue calls amid flight surge AOPA's Air Safety Institute Releases New Accident Case Study U.S. lawmakers probing Boeing 737 MAX seek safety agency's employee survey records Weather forecasts less accurate because of grounded aircraft EASA lists down proposed standards for certification of light drones Korean researchers say airplane fuel made from wood waste can be mass produced More than 2,000 Delta pilots volunteer to take exit packages Southeast Asia budget airline boom turns sour for planemakers, lessors SpaceX launches satellite, breaks turnaround time FAA allows SpaceX to conduct its own environmental review of controversial South Texas facility The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Will Offer Online and In-Person Classes This Fall presage specializing in error prevention through proven scientific psychosocial analytics Leasing Aircraft & Engines, Return Conditions, and Transition - Course Urban Air Mobility and Single-Pilot/Autonomous Airline Operations Research Project AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Delta B738 at Cincinnati on Jul 19th 2020, bird strike A Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N3751B performing flight DL-800 from Cincinnati,KY to Atlanta,GA (USA), was in the initial climb out of Cincinnati's runway 27 when it received a bird strike. The crew continued the flight to Atlanta, where the aircraft landed safely about 65 minutes after departure. The FAA reported the aircraft received minor damage as result of the bird strike. The aircraft resumed service about 14 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL800/history/20200719/2250Z/KCVG/KATL http://avherald.com/h?article=4da34253&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: American A319 at Houston on Jul 19th 2020, turbulence injures flight attendant An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N752US performing flight AA-2276 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Houston Intercontinental,TX (USA), was descending towards Houston when the aircraft encountered moderate to severe turbulence causing injuries to a flight attendant. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Houston. The FAA reported a flight attendant received minor injuries when the aircraft encountered moderate to severe turbulence. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL2276/history/20200719/2140Z/KDFW/KIAH http://avherald.com/h?article=4da340ac&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Vietnam A321 near Ho Chi Minh City on Jun 21st 2020, hail strike A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VN-A605 performing flight VN-7414 from Ho Chi Minh City to Banmethuot (Vietnam), was climbing through FL170 out of Ho Chi Minh's runway 25L with a number of thunderstorm cells more than 20nm away when the aircraft encountered hail for about 7 seconds causing the captain's windshield to crack. The crew decided to return to Ho Chi Minh City for a safe landing on runway 25R about 25 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200 registration VN-A601 reached Banmethuot with a delay of about 2 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 41 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4da31c8d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: United A319 at Orlando on Jul 19th 2020, landing gear issue A United Airbus A319-100, registration N804UA performing flight UA-413 from Houston Intercontintental,TX to Orlando,FL (USA), had departed Houston's runway performed an approach to Orlando's runway 18R but tracked slightly right of the runway and descended to 2300 feet MSL over the grass between runway and apron. The aircraft subsequently went around, positioned for another approach to runway 18R now tracking the runway center line on profile and landed without further incident. A passenger reported they remained unaware of anything unusual until the aircraft went around at Orlando. The captain subsequently announced a landing gear issue. Upon second approach and touchdown there was a sound like a "crunch on landing". Emergency services sprayed the landing, the captain said to cool the landing gear. They remained in position for about 30 minutes, then they taxied or were towed to the terminal with loud thumping. The aircraft is still on the ground in Orlando about 22 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL413/history/20200719/1500Z/KIAH/KMCO http://avherald.com/h?article=4da3112a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: PSA CRJ9 near Evansville on Jul 19th 2020, cracked windshield A PSA Airlines Canadiar CRJ-900 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N586NN performing flight AA-5663 from Charlotte,NC to Cedar Rapids,IA, was enroute at FL360 about 40nm northwest of Evansville,IN (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Evansville due to a left hand cracked windshield. The aircraft landed safely on Evansville's runway 22 about 20 minutes later. A replacement CRJ-900 registration N569NN reached Cedar Rapids with a delay of about 4 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 20 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL5663/history/20200719/1552Z/KCLT/KCID http://avherald.com/h?article=4da30afd&opt=0 Back to Top MD Helicopters MD600N - Autorotation Accident (California) Date: 20-JUL-2020 Time: c. 10:00 Type: MD Helicopters MD600N Owner/operator: contracted by PG&E Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: between Valley Springs and San Andreas, Calaveras County, CA - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Survey Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: An MD Helicopters MD600N experienced an emergency autorotation to open field terrain between Valley Springs and San Andreas, Calaveras County, California, near the PG&E Valley Springs Substation. The helicopter was destroyed by fire and the three occupants onboard received minor injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/238441 Back to Top Data analysis on downed Ukraine jet starts Tuesday; Canada sceptical about Iran explanation PARIS/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Investigators examining the black boxes from the Ukrainian jet accidentally shot down by Iran will begin analyzing recovered voice and flight data on Tuesday, France's BEA accident investigation bureau said on Monday. Iranian forces say they downed the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 jet on Jan. 8 after mistaking it for a missile amid heightened tensions with the United States. All 176 people on board - including 57 Canadians - were killed. BEA said on Twitter that both CVR and FDR data have been "successfully downloaded," in reference to the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. It did not elaborate on the content of the CVR audio, which records pilots' verbal communications and other cockpit sounds. The release of any further information is a matter for Iranian authorities leading the investigation, a BEA spokesman said. Iran agreed in June to send the recorders to the BEA for analysis, ending a long standoff with Canada, Ukraine and France. Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne expressed doubt over an interim report by Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation that blamed a misalignment of a radar system and lack of communication between the air defence operator and his commanders even for the downing of the plane. [nL5N2EJ0GG] "I don't put much credibility into that report. It's not just the result of human error - I think that would be an oversimplification of what really happened," he told Reuters by telephone. "We need to understand who the responsible people are, who gave that order, how could the airspace still be open, how were these missiles fired?" The aircraft was shot down hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi air bases housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the U.S. drone killing of a senior Iranian commander. The data extraction is being carried out with an Iranian investigator and observed by Canadian, U.S., Swedish and British experts and representatives from UIA, Boeing (BA.N) and engine maker Safran (SAF.PA). Kathy Fox, chair of Canada's Transportation Safety Board(TSB), called the data extraction "a big step forward," adding in an interview that the "next step of course would be to validate that data, check its quality." Global rules governing aircraft accident investigations make the country where a crash takes place responsible for the investigation. Fox said Canada wants to revise those rules, known throughout the industry by their legal name "Annex 13," for future accidents in which a country is being asked to investigate its own military. "We think that Annex 13 needs to be reviewed and revised to deal with these very specific situations," said Fox, who did not specify how it should be changed. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-crash-france/voice-data-recovered-from-downed-ukraine-jet-canada-sceptical-about-iran-explanation-idUSKCN24L0XI Back to Top FedEx Express pilots make more fatigue calls amid flight surge FedEx Express pilots have made more fatigue calls as the company "has been operating at or above peak levels" the past few months, according to its pilots union. Pilots have reported duty periods in which they were concerned about being fatigued and not fully alert during flights, the FedEx Express Master Executive Council said in a publication to members last week. The union said it has also seen an increase in duty extensions. The Air Line Pilots Association, which the FedEx pilots union is part of, has asked FedEx management in "a number of instances" to increase duty periods to factor in cargo sort delays, flight plan revisions and COVID-19 testing and screening protocols. "Currently, there are many duty periods where the actual duty time exceeds the planned duty time," the FedEx Express Master Executive Council said in its publication. "In those cases, the onus is on the individual pilot to assess whether or not they are able to safely continue." In a statement Sunday, FedEx said the increase has been slight "based on the current dynamic operating environment," noting its fatigue risk management program and the strict scheduling requirements in its collective bargaining agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association. "This program also allows crew members to call in fatigued or excessively tired without penalty," FedEx said in its statement. "This multi-faceted approach, coupled with a science-based scheduling model and interactive process with ALPA, helps ensure the continued safety and reliability of our operations." Pilot has 'stressful and tiring night' One report, noted in the union message, detailed a pilot who was set to operate a flight to Oakland International Airport (OAK), then had his schedule revised to operate a flight to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) instead. "Initially, I was supposed to operate back to OAK; however, the scheduled block time exceeded 8 hours, making me illegal to operate the OAK leg," the unidentified pilot said. "I was subsequently revised again to operate a delayed flight to LAX. By this time, I had been awake for 16 hours. I informed the scheduler that I was very concerned about fatigue because I would be awake for nearly 22 hours." Another report notes the long string of steps required after landing at Vietnam airports Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN). This included three van rides, filling out a health questionnaire and going through immigration procedures. "Each one of our legs had a late arrival," the pilot said. "Found ourselves behind and trying to catch up. We found ourselves making mistakes, especially on the 3rd leg. That, and constantly dodging thunderstorms made for a stressful and tiring night. The night was capped off with the (long) immigration process in CAN." FedEx pilots 'working around the clock' In its most recently reported quarter, FedEx Express saw a 56% decline in operating income and a 13% drop in package volume from the year-before quarter, as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses worldwide. That doesn't mean FedEx pilots are sitting idle - the air cargo giant saw a surge in transpacific and charter flights, the company disclosed in a June regulatory filing. FedEx pilots played a vital role in the federal government-managed Project Airbridge since it began in March, delivering COVID-19 relief supplies throughout the country. The union said it knows of 47 FedEx pilots who tested positive for COVID-19. Captain Paul Fox died from COVID-19 April 7. FedEx shareholder Trip Miller, managing partner of Memphis-based Gullane Capital Partners, said FedEx pilots who invest with Gullane have told him they're working as many flights as they can get. These pilots "are literally working around the clock" because they aren't sure how long the increased flight demand will last, he said. "(FedEx) mothballed a lot of aging aircraft," Miller said. "Well, because of the demand, they've been pulling planes out of the desert and putting those planes back in the air. It's a great time to be a FedEx pilot if you're willing to work overtime right now." https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/money/industries/logistics/2020/07/20/fedex-express-pilots-fatigue-calls-flight-surge/5467688002/ Back to Top AOPA's Air Safety Institute Releases New Accident Case Study • Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) released a new episode in its popular Accident Case Study video series about a Lake Renegade amphibious aircraft that crashed while attempting to take off from the Oshkosh seaplane base. In Accident Case Study: Lake Renegade, ASI follows the events of the day that led to the ill-fated takeoff. Choppy water conditions, wind direction, and a forgotten flap extension each played a role in the crash. The largest factor, however, was the pilot's decision to depart, despite unfavorable conditions with an experienced CFI passenger on board. "The lessons learned from this accident are valuable to all pilots and CFIs," said ASI SVP Richard McSpadden. "It's a vital reminder of the trust passengers place in their pilots, and can serve as somber reinforcement of our duty to uphold that trust," said McSpadden. Join the AOPA Air Safety Institute as it examines the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Doing so may help us recognize and avoid a similar mistake. Each Accident Case Study video uses actual radio communications recordings and/or on-scene videos combined with animation developed by technical experts to explain the dynamics of the situation and track the accident chain of events. View the accident case study, and you can also view past accident case studies here. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21146752/aircraft-owners-and-pilots-association-aopa-aopas-air-safety-institute-releases-new-accident-case-study Back to Top U.S. lawmakers probing Boeing 737 MAX seek safety agency's employee survey records WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Monday asked the Federal Aviation Administration to disclose details of an employee survey on the agency's safety culture after two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 MAX airplanes raised questions about the agency's actions. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson was asked in a letter to share the outcome of the December 2019 survey that asked employees how they felt about a long-standing agency program called Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) that delegates some new airplane certification tasks to Boeing employees. Peter DeFazio, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rick Larsen, who chairs a subcommittee on aviation, wrote that it was essential that FAA officials had "the authority, resources, willingness and support from FAA's senior management to thoroughly and aggressively manage the ODA program." An FAA spokesman said the agency would respond to the lawmakers. The letter, made public Monday after it was reported earlier by Reuters, noted that the Transportation Committee investigation has already determined that issues surrounding the ODA "played key contributing roles in the regrettable 737 MAX crashes of Lion Air flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302." Reviewing the survey data "will help our committee properly fulfill our congressional role overseeing the FAA and its efforts to help improve the safety culture at the agency," the lawmakers added. The MAX has been grounded since March 2019 after the two crashes in five months killed 346 people. The letter also referenced a Transportation Department Office of Inspector General report that noted the FAA sent two letters of investigation to Boeing in June 2019 and March 2020 "related to potential undue pressure of unit members." The lawmakers encouraged the FAA "to vigorously pursue these investigations and to hold Boeing to account for any violations of FAA's regulations or U.S. law." Boeing said Monday it takes "all allegations of undue pressure very seriously, investigate them carefully, impose corrective action where warranted, and work to resolve them cooperatively with the FAA." Last month, a group of U.S. senators introduced legislation to strengthen FAA oversight of aircraft certification. DeFazio plans to introduce legislation to reform the ODA in September. The Senate measure seeks to eliminate the ability of aircraft makers to unduly influence the certification process. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-737max-congress/us-lawmakers-probing-boeing-737-max-seek-safety-agencys-employee-survey-records-idUSKCN24L2NT Back to Top Weather forecasts less accurate because of grounded aircraft • Weather sensors have been grounded with airplanes during the COVID-19 pandemic. BOULDER, Colo. - Weather forecast models have been less accurate during the COVID-19 pandemic because some weather sensors have been grounded along with the airplanes that carry them. More than 3,500 commercial aircraft normally provide over 250 million observations per year. It's part of a program called the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). The system transmitts flight data along with weather information to the ground. The data gathered by the aircraft sensors gets feed directly into our computer forecast models. The more quality data that gets entered, the more accurate the models will be. Some models, like the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts( ECMWF), get as much as 13% of its observations from the sensors on airplanes. New research published this week in the American Geophysical Union, shows that 50% to 75% of aircraft observations have been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic from March to May of 2020. The paper was written by Ying Chen with the Lancaster Environment Centre, at Lancaster University. Meteorologists in America say the ACARS data is important but it's not the only weather data that is used by computer models. "This is just one tool in the toolbox," said Greg Hanson with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder. "The backbone of these computer models are the weather balloons that we release twice a day." Hanson said that more than 1000 weather balloons are launched daily across the planet. The information they gather combines with ground-based weather stations, weather satellites and the aircraft data to give them the big picture. The study showed that the widest margin of error was with temperature, which was off by as much as 2 degrees Celsius in some parts of the world. One area that might be most impacted would be over the oceans where weather balloons and surface-based weather stations are sparse. With an active hurricane season forecast, that might place further importance on the Hurricane hunter reconnaissance missions this year. Hanson said there will be less impact in places like Europe and the United States. "As far as the day to day weather forecasting that we are doing for Colorado, and especially the life-saving warnings that the Weather Service does, there's no impact there," said Hanson. The study also points out that cruise ships play a role in taking weather measurements, and that industry has also been impacted by the COVID pandemic with almost all trips canceled since March. https://www.9news.com/article/weather/weather-colorado/weather-forecasts-less-accurate-because-of-grounded-aircraft/73-950c90bf-8e1c-4f2d-8293-538dc31454e3 Back to Top EASA lists down proposed standards for certification of light drones July 21, 2020: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published a proposal of airworthiness standards for the certification of the vast majority of light unmanned aircraft. These standards will greatly contribute to the safe operation of drones for a wide variety of services, such as parcel delivery in urban environments, railways and power lines inspection or delivery of essential supplies into crisis zones. The proposed standards, now open for public consultation, are known as Special Condition Light UAS and will be applicable to unmanned aircraft under 600 kilogrammes operated in the specific or certified category in accordance with regulation (EU) 2019 / 947, which enters into force on December 31, 2020. Most drones currently under certification in EASA will adopt this certification basis. "This proposal forms part of EASA's wider initiative to ensure drones can be operated safely and acceptably, particularly in areas which are densely occupied by people and moving or static objects," EASA's executive director Patrick Ky said. "With large parts of the economy looking at ways to use drones to streamline their operations, it is essential that we have strong rules in place to ensure there is no danger to people or property from drone usage, and that noise levels are acceptable. It is our job to ensure that Europe's citizens are kept safe as drone use increases," he added. Setting certification standards for drones presents particular challenges. Design concepts vary hugely, technologies develop rapidly and there is a strong economic pressure to bring new products to market quickly. While committed to ensuring safety, EASA is therefore taking a flexible approach by defining certification requirements which are objective and proportionate to the risk of the operation, an approach well suited for such an innovative product segment. Detailed means of compliance will be addressed in a second phase, but, due to the expected variety of products and operational concepts, a strong link will remain with projects and EASA will continue to assess proposals from applicants. Publishing of the proposal for the future certification basis is expected to stimulate new design and certification initiatives for drones and to contribute to the safe integration into populated environments of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, where the remote pilot cannot actually see his or her drone. The proposal is open for comments until September 30, 2020. https://www.logupdateafrica.com/easa-lists-down-proposed-standards-for-certification-of-light-drones-aviation Back to Top Korean researchers say airplane fuel made from wood waste can be mass produced A Korean research team has developed a key technology for the mass-production of bio-aviation fuels. The team, led by Dr. Jeong-Myeong Ha of the Clean Energy Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), has announced its successful development of a technology that can be used to mass-produce aviation-grade fuels from wood wastes. The ability to produce aviation-grade fuel from oil derived from wood waste--which up until now has been difficult due to the high viscosity of the oil--is expected to help international aviation companies comply with the Korea's upcoming emissions regulations - scheduled to go into effect in 2027. KIST says lignin constitutes 20 to 40 percent of lignocellulose including woods and grass, lignocellulose. Large volumes of lignin are generated as waste in the pulping processes that are used to produce paper. The pyrolysis of lignin produces an oil, which has little industrial utility due to its high viscosity. For this reason, lignin waste is typically used by paper mills as a low-grade boiler fuel, rather than as a high-grade fuel or as a raw material for chemical products. The research team used 'hydrocracking' (a technique used to break down crude oil) to prepare hydrocracked lignin oil, which was mixed at a ratio of (raw lignin oil:hydrocrackd oil =) 7:3 with raw lignin oil to substantially reduce the viscosity of the oil to 1/7 (from 750 cp to 110 cp; e.g. the viscosity of water is 1 cp, and the viscosity of cooking oil is 80 cp), allowing it to be used for industrial purposes. The mixed oil prepared in this manner can be recycled to 'hydrocracking' process for the continuous process to mass-produce the bio-aviation fuels. Further, the final fuel product, similar to the contents of jet fuel, has a low freezing point compared to gasoline and diesel, and has a high energy density, being sutiable to bio-aviation fuels. Dr. Jeong-Myeong Ha of the KIST commented on the team's research, saying, "Despite the digital revolution, a sharp increase in global parcel volumes supports the global paper production. Conventional chemical reaction methods were unable to convert the large volumes of lignin wastes from paper mills into high quality fuels, but our research has opened up the potential for the mass-production of jet fuels from the otherwise useless lignin wastes." He added, "This achievement will allow Korea to proactively meet jet fuel greenhouse emissions regulations, which will go into effect starting from 2027." https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/technology/korean-researchers-say-airplane-fuel-made-wood-waste-can-be-mass-produced Back to Top More than 2,000 Delta pilots volunteer to take exit packages The union representing pilots at Delta Air Lines said Monday that 2,235 pilots volunteered for an early departure package ahead of a Sunday deadline. News of the buyouts comes amid the crushing blow the coronavirus has dealt to the air travel industry in the US and beyond. In May, Delta and the Air Line Pilots Association said they were working to avoid furloughs of roughly 2,300 pilots. On Friday, Delta told pilots it would avoid furloughs if they agreed to reduced guaranteed minimum pay, according to a memo seen by Reuters. As of Friday, more than 1,700 pilots had volunteered, Delta said. Delta shares fell 2.9 percent during late-morning trading, to $26.28. https://nypost.com/2020/07/20/delta-sees-2235-pilots-volunteer-to-take-exit-packages/ Back to Top Southeast Asia budget airline boom turns sour for planemakers, lessors SYDNEY/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Southeast Asian low-cost carriers, a key growth engine for planemakers and leasing companies for a decade before the pandemic, are faltering financially as demand plunges, raising questions over whether they can replace and double their fleets. Auditors for Malaysia's AirAsia Group Bhd and Vietnam's VietJet Aviation JSC are concerned about cashflows and funding, while Indonesia's Lion Air has put the brakes on a planned flotation. Even before the pandemic, bankers and leasing bosses were worried about whether aircraft ordered during a decade-long buying frenzy by Southeast Asian carriers would end up being delivered. The carriers, which have offshoots in multiple countries, have 938 planes on order and lease most of their existing fleets of 476 planes, according to Aviation Week data. To be sure, budget airlines with large domestic operations are well-placed for a post-pandemic recovery, despite having less financial support than state-owned rivals. Their lower cost structure helps reduce the rate at which they burn cash and gives them the flexibility to benefit first from any recovery, analysts say. But with borders shut and economic growth stunted, a return to the low-cost international travel needed for them to afford all of the planes they have on order looks increasingly doubtful - a worrying sign for the companies that make and lease aircraft. "One area that I'm concerned about generally is just those low-cost carriers who ordered too many aircraft," Robert Martin, chief executive of Singapore-based lessor BOC Aviation told Reuters. "I think there will still be work to be done on those during the third quarter," he said, referring to negotiations over current lease contracts. BOOM TIMES Until now, a fast-expanding middle class with disposable income and greater liberalisation have made the region lucrative for planemakers and their suppliers. At the Singapore Airshow in February - before the pandemic spread broadly outside China - Boeing predicted Southeast Asian airlines would need 4,500 airplanes over the next 20 years, with Vietnam topping the traffic growth charts. With that came predictions of jobs for 182,000 new commercial pilots, cabin crew or technicians. Now employees are being laid off and furloughed and dozens of aircraft are undelivered, except for airlines still using financing arranged before the crisis, with manufacturers and leasing companies absorbing losses. Consultancy IBA estimates there will be an oversupply of up to 2,500 planes globally over the next 20 months. Lessors are offering payment deferrals to customers with grounded planes, but a possible cash crunch looms when the payment holiday ends, said Singapore-based aviation analyst Brendan Sobie. "Even with a domestic recovery, you don't have international," Sobie said. "They are carrying too large of a fleet and can't fully utilise the fleet because you can't operate it back of clock on international flights at night." That threatens the delivery pipeline, though VietJet last month told shareholders it plans to add 12 Airbus jets to its fleet this year. Before the crisis, VietJet had ordered planes from both Airbus and Boeing, in part to launch subsidiaries in multiple countries. But so far, it has only set up one offshoot, in Thailand, where it competes against subsidiaries of AirAsia and Lion. AirAsia, which has said it is looking for additional debt and equity financing, expects to reach around 70-75% of normal capacity by the end of the year. But the group has told Airbus it does not expect to take any new planes in 2020, prompting Airbus to put at least six undelivered aircraft up for sale. "Airbus is working closely with all its customers at this most challenging time," a planemaker spokesman said. AirAsia declined to comment. In Indonesia, Lion Air had already threatened to cancel its order for Boeing 737 MAX jets after a 2018 crash. Bankers say the group has sharply cut spending due to the crisis. Lion Air declined to comment on its order plans. Boeing said that although passenger traffic might take a few years to recover, it was confident in long-term demand in Southeast Asia. https://www.yahoo.com/news/southeast-asia-budget-airline-boom-031407397.html Back to Top SpaceX launches satellite, breaks turnaround time The SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lifted off to the skies Monday evening (July 20), marking another milestone journey for space travel. It sets a new record for the fastest turnaround time for reusing a rocket -- one of SpaceX's commercial goals. Just two months ago, the Falcon 9 carried two NASA astronauts on a historic jouney to the International Space Station. That marked the first time commercially developed space vehicles - owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA - carried Americans into orbit. Now its latest mission- to launch a hefty South Korean satellite into orbit. Taking off at 5:30 pm local time from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the ANASIS-II rode into orbit aboard the Falcon 9. After separation,The Falcon 9 successfully landed shortly after On a drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite it helped launch will serve South Korean military needs' https://www.yahoo.com/news/spacex-launches-satellite-breaks-turnaround-060636552.html Back to Top FAA allows SpaceX to conduct its own environmental review of controversial South Texas facility McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) - The Federal Aviation Administration allowed SpaceX to pick the type of environmental review it wanted done on its controversial South Texas launch facility, and the aerospace company chose the quicker and easier route that requires no public hearing or comment period, the FAA told Border Report. This is the same facility where a SpaceX rocket engine exploded on May 29 during a test, sending a fireball into the air near Boca Chica Beach on the border with Mexico. In a letter sent to the head of a South Texas environmental nonprofit organization, an FAA official wrote that "applicants have the right to choose whether to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) under FAA oversight or work with the FAA to initiate the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) process. If an applicant believes the proposed action would have no significant environmental impacts, or that they can mitigate any potential impacts, then the applicant typically chooses an EA. ... SpaceX has begun an EA for the action of issuing experimental permits or launch licenses to SpaceX for Starship/Super Heavy launch operations at the Texas Launch Site." The letter also said that the agency has reached out to three other federal agencies to help monitor the situation. The letter by Howard Searight, deputy manager for the Licensing and Evaluation Division for Commercial Space Transportation for the FAA, was sent to Jim Chapman, president of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor. Chapman was among seven environmental group leaders who earlier this month called on the FAA to launch a full-scale EIS of the SpaceX launch facility, which borders several wildlife preserve areas and is located just feet from where endangered sea turtles nest. On Friday evening, the FAA sent the letter to Border Report, which has repeatedly asked for clarification and explanation on the type of environmental review currently being done on the South Texas facility. Other than the lengthy letter, which several environmental groups tell Border Report is full of policy errors, no other statement was issued. Chapman said the agency is violating federal laws by allowing the applicant to pick its own review. "The FAA letter is way off-base. It is the FAA, not the applicant, who decides whether a proposed project requires an EA or EIS," Chapman said. "If it was the applicant who decided then nobody would ever chose to do an EIS because that's a longer process and more expensive to do." Federal regulations from the FAA stipulate rules that must be followed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): "Chapter 3: Levels of National Environmental Policy Act Review 3-1. Three Levels of National Environmental Policy Act Review. Once the FAA determines that NEPA applies to a proposed action, it needs to decide on the appropriate level of review. The three levels of NEPA review are Categorical Exclusion (CATEX), Environmental Assessment (EA), and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)," according to the FAA's 2015 orders, which states "Under NEPA, the FAA must prepare an EIS for actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment." Border Report last month broke the story that the FAA had ordered an environmental review of the SpaceX facility because the company is now preparing a different space vehicle - the massive, 400-foot-tall Starship - which it wants to one day launch humans to Mars from South Texas. When the company initially requested license and permitting for the facility in 2014, it said it would launch a smaller spaceship, the Falcon Heavy, and received FAA approval based on that information. At the time, SpaceX was granted permission to launch no more than 12 times per year from this site. But local residents say when the company changed plans, it became a multi-testing facility unlike it was initially billed to the South Texas community. Environmental groups are concerned about the harmful effects the testing of Starship, which is being designed to haul over 100 tons of payload, poses to neighbors and wildlife tracts. And it is even suspected that the heat from the test launches could affect the sex of the eggs the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles lay on the sand dunes of Boca Chica Beach, about a half-mile from the launch facility. "It's real clear from the get-go that there will be very significant impacts and given that, they should go straight to the EIS and let the public in," Chapman said. "SpaceX now wants to more than triple the closure of Boca Chica Beach and Highway 4 and you don't think the public should get to weigh in on that decision? Boy I sure do. ... There's all kinds of impact that in my mind scream out that it should be investigated." SpaceX now wants to more than triple the closure of Boca Chica Beach and Highway 4 and you don't think the public should get to weigh in on that decision? Boy I sure do." Border Report has reached out to SpaceX officials for comment and will update this story if information is received. Concerns about environmental impacts became more pronounced after Border Report on May 29 captured the explosion of a test of a raptor rocket engine at the South Texas facility. Watch the explosion on this exclusive Border Report video. After it was learned that an environmental review was being done, Chapman and others sent the FAA a letter demanding an EIS. Among the groups was the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, whose Texas representative, Paul Sanchez-Navarro, told Border Report on Monday that the FAA should not allow the applicant to select what type of review it wants done. "Jim (Chapman) is correct, it is not a question of choice, the business must follow federal regulations. From what I understand, a Supplemental or new EIS should be done," Sanchez-Navarro said. "There is no room for arbitrary choices." "In the meantime, the FAA should make sure that SpaceX complies with the mitigation work outlined in the permit and any new work to expand the project beyond the original EIS should be put on hold until a new EIS is approved," he said. There is no room for arbitrary choices." In the letter, the FAA did stipulate that the agency still might conduct an EIS, writing: "All applicants run the potential risk that further review may uncover significant impacts that cannot be mitigated. In those cases, the FAA must conduct an EIS." The FAA said it "has invited the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Parks, Service, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to participate as cooperating agencies." and to "actively participate" in project meetings and provide input on "potential impacts." But Chapman claims that because the FAA promotes space travel, regulating it, in this case, shows a conflict of interest. "The FAA regulates and promotes the U.S. space program so it appears they don't want to put any significant hurdles at SpaceX," Chapman said. And current laws, it seems, do not allow for another agency to step in and take over, he said. FAA officials responded to the charges Monday telling Border Report: "The Federal Aviation Administration's continuing mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation manages licensing and regulatory work as well as encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and reentries by the private sector; and facilitate the strengthening and expansion of the United States space transportation infrastructure. The agency's uncompromising focus is on public safety." https://www.borderreport.com/regions/texas/exclusive-faa-allows-spacex-to-conduct-its-own-environmental-review-of-controversial-south-texas-facility/ Back to Top TheUSC Aviation Safety & Security ProgramWill Offer Online and In-Person Classes This Fall The following upcoming courses, including NEW Safety Performance Indicators course, will take place in Los Angeles and in our virtual Webex classrooms. Software Safety Philosophies and methods of developing software, analyzing software, and managing a software safety program. Online Course August 17-20, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems Managing and implementing aviation security measures at medium to small size aircraft operators, all airports, and Indirect Air Carriers, with emphasis on risk assessment and cyber security. Online and In-Person Course August 17-21, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Accident/Incident Response Preparedness This course is designed for individuals who are involved in either preparing emergency response plans or responding to incidents and accidents as a representative of their organization. This updated course has been extended to four full days to integrate communications in the digital age. Online and In-Person Course August 24-27, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 Human Factors in Aviation Safety This course presents human factors in a manner that can be readily understood and applied by aviation practitioners in all phases of aviation operations. Emphasis is placed on identifying the causes of human error, predicting how human error can affect performance, and applying countermeasures to reduce or eliminate its effects. Online and In-Person Course August 24-28, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Aviation Law & Aviation Dispute Resolution This course provides information on the legal risks inherent in aviation operations and an overview of the legal system as it relates to aviation safety. The course also provides an understanding of the various legal processes relating to aviation and discusses ways to engage aviation authorities in a responsible and successful manner. The judicial process, current litigation trends, legal definitions, and procedures are also covered. Online Course August 31-September 3, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance This course provides supervisors with aviation safety principles and practices needed to manage the problems associated with aircraft maintenance operations. In addition, it prepares attendees to assume safety responsibilities in their areas of operation. Online and In-Person Course August 31-September 4, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Threat and Error Managment This course provides students with sufficient knowledge to develop a TEM program and a LOSA program within their organizations. Online and In-Person Course September 9-11, 2020 2.5 Days Tuition: $1375 Digital Photography for Aircraft Accident Investigation This specialized course in accident investigation is designed to assist the investigator to improve photographic documentation of an accident site. Course participants will take photographs of components and critique them as a class. This course assumes that the investigator is not a professional photographer. In-Person Course September 10-11, 2020 2 Days Tuition: $1200 Aviation Safety Management Systems Providing the skills and practical methods to plan, manage, and maintain an effective Aviation Safety Management System. Special emphasis for safety managers, training, flight department and maintenance managers and supervisors, pilots, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, and schedulers. Online and In-Person Course September 14-25, 2020 9.5 Days Tuition: $3750 Hazard Effects and Control Strategies This course focuses on underlying physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and effects, and hazard control strategies. The following hazards are specifically addressed: electrical hazards, electrostatic discharge, toxicity, kinetic hazards, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, thermal hazards, noise, fire and explosion, high pressure, etc. Online and In-Person Course September 14-15, 2020 2 Days Tuition: $1200 Damage Assessment for System Safety Sophisticated mathematical models and methods have been developed to estimate the level of impact of a hazardous condition. This course provides an overall understanding of these methods to help managers and system safety analysis reviewers understand the analysis conducted and results obtained by the experts in the field. Specifically, methods for modeling the impact of fire and explosion, debris distribution from an explosion, and toxic gas dispersion are discussed. Online and In-Person Course September 16-18, 2020 3 Days Tuition: $1625 Safety Management Systems for Ground Operation Safety This course provides airport, air carrier and ground service company supervisors and managers with practices that will reduce ground operation mishaps to personnel and equipment. It provides an understanding of how ground operations safety management is an essential part or an airport's or air carrier's SMS. Online and In-Person Course September 21-23, 2020 2.5 Days Tuition: $1375 Safety Performance Indicators This course teaches how SPI's are developed, monitored, analyzed and modified in order for an organization to correctly know its safety performance. The course utilizes guidance provided in ICAO Annex 19 and the ICAO Safety Management Manual Doc. 9859. Online and In-Person Course September 24-25, 2020 2 Days Tuition: $1200 Earn Credit for FlightSafety International Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn elective credits towards FlightSafety International's Master Technician-Management Program • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Gas Turbine Accident Investigation • Helicopter Accident Investigation • Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance • Safety Management for Ground Operations Safety • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness Earn Credit for National Business Aviation Association Certified Aviation Manager Exam Students taking the following USC courses will earn two points toward completing the application for the National Business Aviation Association Certified Aviation Manager Exam. • Aviation Safety Management Systems • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Aircraft Accident Investigation • SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Leasing Aircraft & Engines, Return Conditions, and Transition - Course Date(s): Tuesday & Wednesday, 4 & 5 August 2020 Register: Email registration form to training@aais.org.sg Time: 9.30am - 1pm Closing Date: One week before course date. Venue: Virtual training via MS Team Fees: AAIS Member: S$763/pax Public: S$913/pax (excl. prevailing GST) About the Course: Whether you are a lessor/lessee or in a lease management company, this unique and interesting course is designed for personnel wanting to enhance their understanding of the complicated maintenance aspects for aircraft lessors and lessee. The attendees will be more knowledgeable of what lease clauses require, what banking and financial institutions should know, what airlines/MROs and lessors must know when managing or returning the aircraft, and what regulators really require in order to issue import/export and airworthiness certificates. Handling of the transition of aircraft from one lessee and regulatory authority to another, including contract negotiation, modification implementation and new aircraft lease initiation will also be discussed. In 1980, airlines leased three percent of all aircraft and owned 97 percent. By 2014, airlines leased approximately 40 percent of all aircraft (by operating lease). This number is projected to increase to 50 percent in the next few years (Reed Business Information Ltd, 2014). Learn the best ways to manage aircraft lease return so there is no disruption in airline operation and no penalties. Aircraft lessors usually require that the aircraft undergo heavy maintenance at an EASA or FAA certified MRO.What are the consequences to look out for, especially in terms of clauses pertaining to maintenance and lease return conditions? At the conclusion of this course, participants will: * Determine the specific regulations, directives, advisory circulars, orders, and/or technical information needed for companies seeking a better understanding of Aircraft Leasing processes in an international context. * Be able to apply ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices * Have a much deeper understanding of aircraft leasing clauses in particular the do's and don'ts Who Should Attend? Persons involved with aircraft/engine leasing or leasing management, MROs involved with aircraft leasing, Industry, finance institutions, and airline personnel involved with contract negotiations and development would significantly benefit. Course Content: This packed one-day training will include a focus on the following key topics: * Role of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) * Basic Principles of International Aviation Airworthiness Standards * Aircraft Registration - the state of registration * Aircraft Operation - the state of the operator * National Regulatory Bodies * Review of various Aircraft Lease/Maintenance Agreements * 3 Most Relevant clauses: Delivery, Redelivery and Maintenance. * Aircraft Configuration and Control * Airline Reliability Programs and MPD Adjustments * Contract Maintenance Management and Supply Chain Preparation * Maintenance and Airworthiness, including Skin mapping, Dents and Buckles Reports - Modifications and Alterations - Aircraft Records Documentation - Major and Minor Repairs/Alterations, Modifications Including STCs Repair Data * Instruction for Continued Airworthiness, Ageing Aircraft and EWIS Requirements * Successful Lease Returns and Transitions and Avoiding Delays - Top 10 Tips About the Instructor: Mr Michael Daniel, Member, AAIS Panel of Experts Mike is an International Aviation Safety consultant with over 33 years with the FAA as a Senior Manager, ISO 9001 / AS 9100 / AS 9110 Principal / Lead and Internal Auditor, Credentialed Supervisory Safety Inspector and Accident Investigator, and FAA Academy Instructor. With several FAA overseas postings, he project managed the first FAA Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASA MIP) with Germany and France. He has also considerable experience with managing various regulatory requirements, FAA & EASA Certification and Maintenance (MRO & AMO), Part 121 Air Operators, Part 135 Business Aviation Air Operators, and Aircraft Certification. Mike graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (B.Sc. Aeronautics), a holder of FAA Maintenance Licenses with Inspection Authorization, and is a licensed pilot. He is a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI), Flight Safety Foundation, SAE International, Chartered Quality Institute, and the Project Management Institute as an accredited Project Management Professional. He had previously served in the United States Marine Corps. *Note: AAIS reserves the right to adjust the course pricing and to re-schedule or cancel any course due to unforeseen circumstances, course commencement is subject to minimum class size requirements. https://aais.org.sg/virtual_leasing_ac_engines/ Back to Top As part of our Swinburne Bachelor of Aviation undergraduate research project, we have constructed a survey for members of the aviation industry and those who have not worked in aviation to provide feedback on their attitudes and opinions about Urban Air Mobility and single-pilot and/or autonomous airline operations. If you are an active participant in the aviation industry as a passenger or through employment, we invite you to take part in this survey to help give the industry a better understanding of the general sentiment towards these emerging technologies and operational concepts. To participate please follow the link below to our online survey: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zRhPPbCfnsHH3T It should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Participants who complete the survey will be eligible to enter the draw to WIN AN iPad. Thank you very much for your time. This research project is being supervised by Peter Renshaw at the Department of Aviation, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. If you have any questions, please contact Peter at prenshaw@swin.edu.au Back to Top 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