Flight Safety Information [November 4, 2020] [No. 223] In This Issue : Pilots say FAA proposal for Boeing Max training needs work : ProSafeT - SMS, Quality & Audit Management Software : Bill targets aviation health emergency preparedness : Coronavirus: Top airlines have already lost $110bn in 2020 : Emirates airline asks some pilots to take 12 months unpaid leave : Taiwan to phase out ageing F-5 fighter jets after pilot’s fatal crash : TSI - Are you managing your aviation risk effectively? Bowtie Visualization - Online Course : Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation & Fatigue Survey (Round 1) : PIREP SURVEY Pilots say FAA proposal for Boeing Max training needs work WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. pilot unions say the Federal Aviation Administration should improve its proposal for training pilots how to handle a nose-down pitch of the Boeing 737 Max, which was grounded after two deadly crashes. The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots said Monday that the FAA should reduce the number of steps pilots must remember and carry out in the type of emergency that occurred before both Max crashes. The union said “error rates increase exponentially” with long checklists, and pilots in a simulator “found it difficult to recall the steps in order.” Pilots at American Airlines said that Max pilots should train for such an emergency every two years, not every three years as the FAA proposes. Monday was the deadline for comments about the FAA's training proposal. The agency could publish a final rule within weeks, clearing one of the last obstacles for airlines to resume using the plane. Boeing expects FAA approval before the end of the year. Chicago-based Boeing has spent two years making changes to an automated flight-control system that has been implicated in the crashes. The system, called MCAS, pushed the noses of planes down based on faulty sensor readings, and pilots were unable to regain control. The FAA proposed new training in how pilots respond to an unexpected nose-down pitch, including practicing recovery techniques in flight simulators. However, families of the victims of a March 2019 crash in Ethiopia said the FAA’s changes are inadequate. They urged the agency to publish “a comprehensive, detailed pilot training outline” covering MCAS and to require that Max jets include a new alert telling pilots when MCAS turns on. Regulators around the world grounded the Max after the Ethiopia crash, which came less than five months after a previous crash in Indonesia. In all, 346 people died. https://komonews.com/news/local/pilots-say-faa-proposal-for-boeing-max-training-needs-work Welcome to the New NTSB Report Access Site = CAROL The NTSB has upgraded its search query tool for reports and recommendations. The new CAROL system (Case Analysis and Reporting OnLine) is a sweet “nod” to former NTSB analyst Carol Floyd, who retired in 2017. The link to the new database search tool with keyword search option is here: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/keyword-search We recommend using the “basic search” features to find monthly reports. Search for “Investigations” and it will allow you to enter the dates you would like to search (after 2010); For prior reports, the NTSB website is still required. The reports can also be searched by location and other keywords. Where docket information is available, the NTSB has provided a link; If a Preliminary Report or Factual Report is available, there is a PDF icon to click on. The + icon on the right also allows a quick view of additional information about the item, such as the type of aircraft involved. The guide to using the query search tools is here: https://www.ntsb.gov/Documents/CAROL-Guide.pdf It appears to be a more robust option for our search of the reports, including searching for keywords in the narratives and recommendations, which may prove quite useful in aviation accident cases. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/welcome-to-the-new-ntsb-report-access-52847/ Coronavirus: Top airlines have already lost $110bn in 2020 The world’s top airlines have lost a whopping $110bn (£84bn, €94bn) in revenue so far this year, including British Airways parent International Airlines Group (IAG.L), Air France (AF.PA) and American Airlines (AAL), due to travel restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, financial educational firm StockApps said. “Massive cancellations of flights to control the spread of the virus led to huge drops in airline passenger revenues and caused staggering losses to the world's largest airline companies,” the firm said. The figure includes Delta Air Lines (DAL), American Airlines, Lufthansa Group (LHA.DE), United Airlines (UAL), Air France and IAG, as the world's largest public airline companies based on sales. IAG witnessed a $14.9bn revenue loss between January and September. The financial report of the airline holding company showed passenger capacity in Q3 plunged 78.6% year-on-year, and 64.3% for the period of nine months. Lufthansa reported a $10.6bn revenue loss in the first half of 2020. After laying off 8,300 employees between January and March, its H1 2020 financial statement confirmed that 22,000 more are to follow. Air France suffered a $20.4bn year-to-date revenue loss. July and August were relatively strong in terms of traffic compared to a disappointing September affected by restrictive travel measures. Statistics indicate the combined revenues of the three largest European airlines crashed by $45.9bn since the beginning of the year. US airlines were hit even worse. Between January and March, Delta Air Lines, as the world's largest airline based on sales, lost $1.8bn. Its Q2 revenue plunged by 88% year-over-year to $1.4bn. The negative trend continued between June and September, with the company losing another $9.5bn after the pandemic ruined what is typically a peak summer travel period. Delta's net loss was $5.4bn in Q3, compared with a profit of $1.5bn in the year-earlier period. Statistics show it lost $22.4bn in year-to-date revenue, StockApps said. American Airlines, the second-largest airline on the list and the leading airline by flown passenger kilometers, lost $21.1bn in revenue since the beginning of the year. Statistics show the company reported the most significant loss in Q2 2020, with revenues plunging by 86.4% year-over-year to $1.6bn, compared to $11.9bn in the same period a year ago. Third-quarter revenue was down 73% year-on-year to $3.1bn. United Airlines reported a $20.4bn loss in the three quarters of 2020, a 63% decrease year-over-year. Statistics show the combined revenues of the three largest US airline companies crashed by $63.9bn since the beginning of 2020, StockApps said. Last month, IAG said it expects its flight capacity from October to December to be no more than 30% of what it was over the same period in 2019. This was down from previous guidance. IAG said the reduction is due to recent bookings being lower than expected due to “additional measures implemented by many European governments in response to a second wave of COVID-19 infections”. Meanwhile, initiatives to reduce quarantine periods and boost customer confidence to book and travel – such as pre-departure testing and air corridors – have “not been adopted by governments as quickly as anticipated,” IAG said. As a result, the group “no longer expects to reach breakeven in terms of net cash flows from operating activities” between October and December. The aviation sector has taken a major hit due to the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns. Ryanair (RYA.L) posted its first losses over the summer in decades, as passenger numbers plummeted. Charlie Cornish, CEO of Manchester Airports Group, slammed the government for neglecting aviation. Cornish urged for an aid package that includes relief from “business rates, policing costs and other pressures we have no way of mitigating.” https://sports.yahoo.com/coronavirus-worlds-top-airlines-have-already-lost-110-bn-in-2020-114107103.html Emirates airline asks some pilots to take 12 months unpaid leave The aviation industry is enduring its worst crisis after the pandemic crippled most flights, forcing airlines around the world to layoff employees. Emirates would continue to provide accommodation, medical cover and other allowances to those on unpaid leave, the spokeswoman said. Dubai's Emirates airline is asking some pilots to take a year of unpaid leave as it seeks to cut costs due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The aviation industry is enduring its worst crisis after the pandemic crippled most flights, forcing airlines around the world to layoff employees. "We can confirm that we’ve offered some of our pilots unpaid leave for 12 months, with the possibility of an early recall back to duty depending on how quickly demand rebounds and our operational requirements," an Emirates spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Most Emirates' employees are foreigners, meaning they are not eligible for government benefits in the United Arab Emirates where the airline is headquartered and operates from. Emirates would continue to provide accommodation, medical cover and other allowances to those on unpaid leave, the spokeswoman said. Emirates has cut thousands of jobs this year, including pilots and flight attendants, while also cutting salaries and asking staff to take unpaid leave. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/uae/emirates-airline-asks-some-pilots-to-take-12-months-unpaid-leave/articleshow/79042336.cms Taiwan to phase out ageing F-5 fighter jets after pilot’s fatal crash • All of the planes will be decommissioned in 2024 and replaced by Yung Yin (Brave Eagle) advanced trainer jets • Pilot was killed last week after reporting a mechanical problem in an engine during a training exercise Taiwan has decided to phase out all 46 of its ageing F-5 fighter jets in four years’ time, days after a crash that killed one of its pilots. The warplanes will be replaced in 2024 by the domestically produced Yung Yin (Brave Eagle) advanced trainer jets, which Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) will begin production of next year, according to the Taiwanese defence ministry. The island’s air force will begin decommissioning its single-seated F-5Es and twin-seated F-5Fs from early 2024 and phase them all out by the end of that year, the ministry said in a report to Taiwan’s legislature. The 46 F-5s are deployed from Taiwan’s east coast, 39 from Chihang airbase in the county of Taitung and seven from an airbase in the county of Hualien. The air force has ordered a total of 66 supersonic Yung Yins, which could be converted to fighter jets in wartime. Mass production will begin next November, with AIDC expected to deliver 45 of the advanced trainer jets to the air force by the end of 2024 – of which the air force will commission 33 at Chihang and 12 at Kangshan, in the southern country of Kaohsiung. AIDC is expected to deliver a further 21 by 2026, to be deployed at other airbases, including in Hualien, the ministry said. Replacements for the F-5s became an urgent matter following last week’s fatal crash. The single-seater F-5E had just taken off from Chihang on Thursday morning when the pilot reported a mechanical problem. According to the Taiwanese air force’s chief of staff Huang Chih-wei, the pilot, identified as 29-year-old Chu Kuan-meng, was taking part in routine air combat and defence training. He managed to eject from the jet in the air but rescuers found no vital signs before taking him to hospital by helicopter. According to Taiwanese media reports, Chu was apparently hit on the head by the falling plane before impact with the sea. The air force is investigating the cause of the crash and has grounded all F-5E/Fs since Thursday. Its F-5E/Fs were last grounded in 2011, after a fatal crash in Hualien. Taiwan started assembling F-5E/F fighter jets domestically in 1973, with all necessary technologies and key engines provided by US-based Northrop Corporation. At one time, the Taiwanese air force had 242 F-5Es and 66 F-5Fs. The F-5E/F series was downgraded to be the air force’s second line of fighters after the introduction of 150 F-16s, 60 Mirage 2000-5s and 130 F-CK-1s in the 1990s, and the jets have been mostly withdrawn from service as squadrons converted to the newer aircraft. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3108283/taiwan-phase-out-ageing-f-5-fighter-jets-after-pilots-fatal Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation & Fatigue Survey (Round 1) As a longitudinal survey, we will send you links to shorter follow-up surveys each month as the industry adapts to changes in regulations and public demand. For more information about the survey, please contact Dr. Cassie Hilditch at cassie.j.hilditch@nasa.gov or see below for FAQs. We thank you for your time and support of this survey addressing the effects of this unprecedented time in aviation history. All the best, Cassie Hilditch FAQs Overall purpose of the survey To assess the impact of operational changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic on fatigue in US commercial pilots. Any additional background on the study Discussions with airline representatives and pilots have highlighted several unique changes to operations as the industry attempts to adapt to reduced demand and travel restrictions. Many of these changes are unprecedented, therefore, understanding how they impact crew fatigue is important in order to manage the impact of such changes and potentially recommend safeguards to their implementation. Who will have access to the raw data? Only staff from NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Research Laboratory approved by the Institutional Research Board will have access to the raw data. All data will be stored anonymously, with a unique ID code assigned to each participant to track responses over time. Who will make the final conclusions? NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Research Laboratory staff will summarize and analyze the survey responses. Where will the information be published? We hope to publish the results as a NASA Technical Memorandum, and also in safety-focused peer-reviewed journals and industry newsletters to reach a wide range of audiences to maximize the learning opportunities from this survey. We also aim to present the results at relevant scientific and industry conferences where possible. Cassie J. Hilditch, PhD Senior Research Associate Fatigue Countermeasures Lab SJSU Research Foundation NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035 PIREP SURVEY Greetings, Please consider participating in our online survey on PIREPs available at this link, https://fit.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6y8tcXQXgr1Q6lT. The survey will take approximately 10-minutes. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Florida Institute of Technology & Purdue University Dr. Debbie S. Carstens, PMP Graduate Program Chair & Professor, Aviation Human Factors College of Aeronautics|321.674.8820 Faculty Profile: https://www.fit.edu/faculty-profiles/2/debbie-carstens/ Curt Lewis