Flight Safety Information - May 11, 2021 No. 094 In This Issue : Incident: Endeavor CRJ2 at Rapid City on May 9th 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Copa B738 at Maracaibo on May 9th 2021, bird strike : Incident: Azul A20N at Rio de Janeiro on May 10th 2021, engine problems : Incident: ANZ DH8C at Tauranga on May 10th 2021, cargo smoke indication : Incident: Jazz DH8D enroute on May 1st 2021, unidentified smell on board : Incident: Cargolux B744 near Novosibirsk on May 10th 2021, flight level deviation triggers TCAS resolution : ATR 72-600 (72-212A) - Tires damaged on Takeoff (Taiwan) : Delta flight returns to Atlanta after birds hit windshield : US, Canadian pilots unions clash over Cargojet and fatigue rules : Boutique Airlines Fires 2 pilots, pulls out of Gogebic Iron Co. Airport : NTSB final report blames pilots for 2019 incident at Richmond airport : How safety data affects airline insurance pricing : Etihad launches home check-in for passengers departing from Abu Dhabi Airport : Symposium examines safety trends in the helicopter industry : MERCY MEDICAL ANGELS VIRTUAL EVENT TO HONOR PILOTS, RAISE FUNDS : Airbus puts supply chain executive at helm of loss-making A220 : NASA and Axiom Space's first private ISS mission could happen as soon as January : Royal Aeronautical Society - Maintaining Wellbeing: Opening up in the maintenance environment: 17 May 2021 - 18 May 2021 - Virtual Conference : ESASI Annual Seminar : Graduate Survey Incident: Endeavor CRJ2 at Rapid City on May 9th 2021, engine shut down in flight An Endeavor Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N832AY performing flight DL-5057 from Minneapolis,MN to Rapid City,SD (USA), was descending towards Rapid City when the crew needed to shut one of the engines (CF34). The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 32 about 20 minutes later. A passenger reported the crew announced they had shut one of the engines down due to some issue with the oil. They were going to land on single engine. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Rapid City about 16 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e73396b&opt=0 Incident: Copa B738 at Maracaibo on May 9th 2021, bird strike A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration HP-1522CMP performing flight CM-713 from Maracaibo (Venezuela) to Panama City (Panama), was climbing out of Maracaibo's runway 03L when the aircraft suffered a bird strike into one of the engines (CFM56). The aircraft stopped the climb at FL100 initially, subsequently climbed to FL140, stopped again and returned to Maracaibo for a safe landing on runway 03L about 35 minutes after departure. Venezuela's INAC (Civil Aviation Authority) reported one of the engines ingested a bird as soon as the aircraft became airborne and needed to return to Maracaibo. The aircraft is still on the ground in Maracaibo about 24 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7336a2&opt=0 Incident: Azul A20N at Rio de Janeiro on May 10th 2021, engine problems An Azul Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200N, registration PR-YRY performing flight AD-4800 from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont,RJ to Brasilia,DF (Brazil), was in the initial climb out of Santos Dumont's runway 02R when the crew declared emergency reporting compressor stalls of the left hand engine (LEAP). The aircraft stopped the climb at 7000 feet and diverted to Rio de Janeiro's Galeao International Airport for a safe landing on runway 15 about 35 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft encountered technical problems after suffering bird strikes on departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7331fa&opt=0 Incident: ANZ DH8C at Tauranga on May 10th 2021, cargo smoke indication An ANZ Air New Zealand de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration ZK-NEZ performing flight NZ-8807 from Tauranga to Christchurch (New Zealand), was backtracking runway 07 turning around to line up the runway for takeoff when the crew received a cargo smoke indication, stopped the aircraft, shut it down and initiated an emergency evacuation. Emergency services responded and checked the aircraft, however, did not find any evidence of fire, heat or smoke. The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the next flight NZ-8809. The occurrence aircraft was subsequently able to perform flight NZ-8809 and reached Christchurch with a delay of about 10:45 hours (compared to schedule of NZ-8807) and about 40 minutes (compared to schedule of NZ-8809). https://avherald.com/h?article=4e730920&opt=0 Incident: Jazz DH8D enroute on May 1st 2021, unidentified smell on board A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GGMU performing flight QK-8563 from Smithers,BC to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 15 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute at FL250 about 150nm southeast of Smithers, when the flight crew observed a chemical/fumes/exhaust odour of unidentified origin. Cabin crew confirmed the odour was noticable until seat row 4. The crew performed the relevant checklists, donned their oxygen masks, advised ATC and continued the flight to Vancouver, about 200nm from their position. The aircraft landed safely in Vancouver. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found the #1 engine (PW150A) intake had disbonded and distressed. The engine intake adapter heater was replaced. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e730e35&opt=0 Incident: Cargolux B744 near Novosibirsk on May 10th 2021, flight level deviation triggers TCAS resolution A Cargolux Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration LX-LCL performing flight CV-7986 from Novosibirsk (Russia) to Shanghai Pudong (China), was cleared to climb to FL310 out of Novosibirsk but climbed beyond FL310. When the aircraft climbed through FL312 TCAS activated with a resolution advisory due to conflicting traffic in opposite direction. A SF ShunFeng Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration B-2423 performing flight O3-7201 from Wuhan (China) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL320 in opposite direction about 4.5nm from the Cargolux aircraft, when the crew also received a TCAS resolution advisory. The Cargolux descended back to FL310 which resolved the TCAS resolution. Both aircraft continued to their destinations without further incident. Rosaviatsia reported Cargolux did not report their TCAS resolution advisory. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e72e794&opt=0 ATR 72-600 (72-212A) - Tires damaged on Takeoff (Taiwan) Date: 10-MAY-2021 Time: 11:08 Type: ATR 72-600 (72-212A) Owner/operator: UNI Air Registration: B-17010 MSN: 1150 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 74 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Category: Incident Location: Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA/RCSS) - Taiwan Phase: Take off Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Taipei-Songshan Airport (TSA/RCSS) Destination airport: Nangang Island-Matsu Nangan Airport (LZN/RCFG) Narrative: UNI Air flight B7-9091, an ATR 72-600 (72-212A), registration B-17010, operating a passenger flight from Taipei Songshan (Taiwan) to Nangan (China), was departing runway 10 when both right main tyres were damaged. The crew safely returned to Songshan. There were no injuries among the 74 people onboard. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/259501 Delta flight returns to Atlanta after birds hit windshield ATLANTA (AP) — A flight from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., made an unscheduled landing after being struck by birds, a Delta Air Lines spokesman said. It happened Sunday during takeoff, as Flight 2281 left Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said. The plane returned to Atlanta and the gate, so that passengers could board another flight to Washington late Sunday night, he said. WJLA-TV Managing Editor Paul Gourley, who was on the flight, said the plane made an emergency landing after the jet's cockpit windshield was struck. He posted a picture on Twitter of the bird's remains on the windshield. In the Twitter post, he congratulated the crew members for their calmness and professionalism in getting the plane back safely. Wildlife strikes have been on the rise in recent years, partly due to increasing wildlife populations and faster and quieter aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. There have been more than 50 wildlife strikes so far this year associated with Atlanta’s airport, the FAA’s Wildlife Strike Database shows. Those that could be identified involved a red-tailed hawk and multiple robins, sparrows and blackbirds. https://www.yahoo.com/news/delta-flight-returns-atlanta-birds-162925467.html US, Canadian pilots unions clash over Cargojet and fatigue rules Air Line Pilots Association says Unifor complicit in airline’s attempt to water down new safety regulations A union representing Canadian cargo pilots slammed a U.S. counterpart for criticism of employer Cargojet (TSX: CJT) over alleged efforts to undermine stricter duty-time regulations aimed at reducing fatigue, saying the remarks constitute interference in ongoing bargaining and a self-serving attempt to peel away its members. The Air Line Pilots Association on Friday sent letters to the management of Cargojet and Unifor, Canada’s large private sector union, challenging them to stop what it claimed were attempts to weaken new Canadian hours-of-service rules that went into effect in December. “To have the president of ALPA preach from Virginia to our pilots on the bargaining committee about fatigue rules and safety is condescending, arrogant and disrespectful,” said Jerry Dias in a written response to ALPA’s public statement and letters. ALPA’s president “knows full well that 130 Canadian pilots stand to lose their jobs, and he is standing by to take their dues if operations move to the U.S., where Congress has exempted cargo airline operators from some fatigue rules, giving them a competitive advantage over Canadian operators.” Cargojet CEO Ajay Virmani last week said the all-cargo airline is exploring ways to establish a foothold in the U.S., possibly by making a minority investment in an asset-light airline that needs an established player to operate aircraft. Cargojet operates a domestic overnight network for Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), DHL (DXE: DPW) and Purolator, with its airplanes also carrying interline traffic from international airlines. It also offers aircraft leasing and international charter service. It has more than two dozen widebody aircraft in its fleet. Unifor Local 7378 said its pilots are in the process of voting on a tentative agreement with Cargojet and have no intention of allowing unsafe flight and duty time regulations. “To suggest that our committee would agree to any exemption not based on safety and fatigue science is another example of an American association trying to interfere with our democratic collective bargaining process,” said Local 7378 Chairperson Mike Powers. The new work rules increase rest time for all commercial pilots in Canada, bringing the nation in line with international standards. Annual flying time is now capped at 1,000 hours instead of 1,200 and pilots must rest 12 hours, up from eight, between shifts. ALPA said it learned that Cargojet is seeking exemptions from the rules and alleged it is engaging in intimidating tactics to influence pilots to support the request. “I am deeply troubled that Cargojet may be using the threat of layoffs and downgrades to convince pilots to support this plan that would weaken safety and put pilots at risk, this coming at a time when your airline has reported significant profits,” President Joe DePete said in his letter to Virmani. “The regulations in place today are the culmination of years of work and collaboration among all stakeholders in our industry.” Cargojet reported a net profit of US$68.4 million in the first quarter. It benefited from a tight supply of aircraft and rising demand for e-commerce shipments. ALPA, which represents Air Transat at several other Canadian air carriers, also chided Unifor for allegedly going along with Cargojet’s scheme. “With four months of operating experience, we can say that our members have reported that these science-based rules, while not perfect, represent a significant improvement over the previous set of regulations in Canada. Any exemption, waiver or weakening of them would undermine safety and be a slap in the face to those who fought so hard to have them enacted in the first place,” DePete wrote to Dias. “The debate over whether pilots should be protected from management abuse and forced to work when it’s unsafe to do so is over, and it’s time to move forward. No one – especially a trade unionist – should be trying to make it easier for management to put workers in harm’s way, particularly when that management has reported significant profits during the most recent quarter of operations,” DePete said. The outspoken Dias, whose union also represents autoworkers in Canada, fired back over the weekend. “ALPA is today raiding our pilots at Flair Air and this smells like a poorly disguised attempt to raid our pilots by an association that for decades had no interest in smaller operations such as Cargojet or Flair, deemed too small for their corporate model, and now that the pandemic caused mass layoffs, ALPA is hitting new lows. It’s clearly an association and not a union,” said Dias. Unifor has been extremely active in pressing the Canadian government for a national plan to reopen air travel and support the aviation industry, while ALPA has been mostly absent from the debate, he added. Cargojet has said the anti-fatigue rules will increase costs, but concerns about a pilot shortage have receded with the COVID pandemic amid severe downsizing by struggling passenger airlines. Cargojet began recruiting and training additional pilots, in anticipation of the new rule, during the second half of 2019. It entered into a new five-year contract with its pilots in July 2018 that raises compensation by about 20% and commits both parties not to strike or implement a lockout. A year later, the Canadian carrier introduced a retention bonus to all pilots and extended the Unifor contract by 36 months to mid-2026 in an effort to reduce attrition and meet its staffing requirements under the law. In late 2019, Cargojet began applying a surcharge to transportation invoices to cover the additional cost of recruiting, training and retaining pilots because of the government’s action. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-canadian-pilots-unions-clash-over-cargojet-and-fatigue-rules Boutique Airlines Fires 2 pilots, pulls out of Gogebic Iron Co. Airport Ironwood, MI-- The Gogebic Iron County Airport's only commercial airline, Boutique Airlines, will stop serving their region after an emergency exit door flew off moments before take-off last week. The incident happened on a flight from Minneapolis to Ironwood, MI Wednesday, May 5. "We're not trying to hide or deny anything," said Shawn Simpson, CEO of Boutique Airlines during a Gogebic Iron County Airport board meeting Monday. Several Boutique Airline representatives listened to the passenger's frightening experiences onboard the aircraft at the meeting. "It happened so fast, and it was so unusual," said Mike Parra, a Colorado resident who was on board the flight. "We're all looking at each other like did that just really happen." "I'm sitting there looking at my daughter hanging out this door. Except for the safety strap, she would've been on the floor," said another gentleman at the meeting. Company representatives responded saying the two pilots on board that flight failed to complete a pre-flight checklist, causing the door to open moments before take-off. Simpson said both pilots were put on leave until an investigation was complete, and both pilots' employment with the airline was terminated on Sunday. During the meeting, passengers and county board members expressed frustration over the airlines' lack of immediate response. "The fact that they can't just call your company or that your company doesn't step up to the line and say this is the right thing to do, we need to take care of these people," said County Board member Brandon Snyder. On Monday, Boutique Airline reps they plan to resign from their contract with the Gogebic Iron County airport; but did not give an exact reason why. They will, however, continue to provide services until the airport finds another option. The San Fransico-based airline claimed Monday they've never had any issues like this before. According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, on January 26, 2021, a wheel fell off a Boutique Airlines flight headed from Ironwood to Chicago. No one was hurt in either of these incidents. Boutique Air also flies out of about three dozen other airports around the country. https://kbjr6.com/2021/05/10/boutique-airlines-fires-2-pilots-pulls-out-of-gogebic-iron-co-airport/ NTSB final report blames pilots for 2019 incident at Richmond airport RICHMOND, Ind. — The crew of a corporate airplane should have abandoned its attempt to land on a snow-covered Richmond Municipal Airport runway, according to investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday published its final report on the investigation into the Feb. 11, 2019, incident that saw the Beech 400 roll about 750 feet beyond runway 6/24, crossing a field and Ind. 227 before striking a farm fence. Neither the pilot, co-pilot nor the passenger was injured in the crash. The NTSB said the plane landed about 3,100 feet along the 5,502-foot runway, leaving it inadequate distance to stop, especially on a runway covered with snow. After the crash, the pilot checked online resources and discovered the airport was closed, the report said. That report states the probable cause of the incident: “The flight crew’s decision to continue an unstable approach under conditions that exceeded the airplane’s landing performance capabilities, which resulted in a runway overrun and impact with terrain.” It also noted environmental issues of a tailwind and the snow-covered runway. The pilot and co-pilot, who worked for Stein’s Aircraft Services in Wisconsin, have not been identified. The pilot was at that time a 62-year-old man who had 11,915 hours of flight time in all aircraft, and the co-pilot was at that time a 53-year-old man with 4,082 hours of flight time. A chartered airplane skidded on a snow-covered, Richmond Municipal Airport runway Monday. It plowed off the runway, through a field, across Indiana 227 and into a fence. The flight left Waukesha County Airport about 9:17 a.m. Feb. 11, 2019. The pilot said the flight crew checked weather conditions multiple times prior to takeoff and saw no notices regarding the Richmond airport’s runways. However, the airport twice issued notices prior to 9 a.m. that there was 2 inches of wet snow on all runways, taxiways and aprons, then issued a notice that the airport would be closed from 10:25 a.m. Feb. 11, 2019, to 10:25 a.m. Feb. 12, 2019, the report said. During approach in foggy conditions at Richmond, the co-pilot advised that the airplane was high on final approach. The pilot saw the coating of snow on the runway, but he elected to land anyway, the report said. The touchdown at 10:06 p.m. was more than halfway down the runway, and use of thrust reversers and braking did not stop the airplane. The report’s analysis said the pilots’ decision to continue “the unstable approach” and landing on a snow-covered runway despite the inadequate length of runway remaining resulted in the overrun. It also said the runway length likely would have been inadequate even if it were dry. https://www.pal-item.com/story/news/local/2021/05/07/ntsb-report-pilots-blamed-2019-incident-richmond-airport/4995668001/ How safety data affects airline insurance pricing With premiums rising across the airline insurance market, safety performance will become a key factor to mitigate increasing insurance costs, write John Rooley, CEO, and Simon Knechtli, Managing Director, Global Aerospace, Willis Towers Watson. By any measure, 2020 was a bad year for aviation. IATA calculated airlines’ total losses reached $126 billion, with passenger demand having fallen almost 66% compared with 2019. For the industry’s insurers, who have had to return substantial amounts of premium to the commercial airline operators whose fleets largely sat idle during the current pandemic, it wasn’t much better. In 2021, insurers intend to again increase insurance rates. The degree of increase will depend on whether airlines can provide evidence of the kind of risk management that gives insurers the confidence to differentiate specific clients from the pack. Insurers and their clients often talk about price differentiation come renewal season, but it is not often established. Why? Because, without evidence that documents elite safety practices, underwriters make fundamental assumptions based on intuition or common market perceptions. These assumptions can be misinformed and do not benefit airlines that invest in advanced quality and safety practices. With insurers trying to raise the premium base across the board this year, it is becoming increasingly clear that airlines will have to give enquiring underwriters the evidence they require to show that individual carriers deserve to be considered ‘a better risk’ than their peers. This will inevitably require greater transparency into the detail of each client’s investment in safety, risk mitigation, and quality-assurance programs. The days of leveraging corporate size or the airline’s brand to drive home the best deal are gradually being replaced. Airlines must show the insurance market that the financial relationship between the buyer and insurer is as a direct consequence of significant investments concerning safety and risk. Any number of events faced by airlines during their day-to-day operations can increase the carrier’s risk, and/or result in claims. Common causes of claims from aircraft owner/operators include pilot error; damage from foreign objects; bird strikes; weather events; ground-handling incidents; and geopolitical instability. The list goes on. With the cost of aircraft repairs on the rise—and global claims stubbornly exceeding historic premiums—any evidence that an airline understands those risks and has strategies in place to mitigate them will be critical to build insurer confidence and their appetite for risk. It is the key marker to differentiation. At a foundational level, the standard indicators for safety performance come from programs, such as the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). But because these offer standard safety indicators, when insurers are considering which airlines merit discounts on market premiums, they look for evidence that their clients are driven to exceed higher-than-average performance standards. Unveiling a safety culture There is a saying among auditors in the management systems community that measurement is at the heart of management—that is, you cannot manage what you do not measure. The big data era has given the aviation sector the tools required to do both. Though technology gave the airline industry the ability to capitalize on the vast amounts of data it generates, it is a strong safety culture that will ensure that lessons learned are put into action. Insurers are looking for evidence of extensive data capture that suggests a strong culture of hazard and event reporting, practices that also allow airlines to build understanding of their own risk environment. Beyond data collection, brokers will warm to any evidence that the intelligence generated from the data was used to inform the company’s broader risk management strategy, highlighting the path from data collection to the adoption of advanced practices. Revealing performance trends not only gives insurers the confidence to insure an airline’s risks, but also builds market appetite for an airline’s insurance business. This creates competition and expands the carrier’s options of potential underwriters across the insurance market. Ultimately, a culture of data diligence and transparency gives the insurer the ability and incentive to positively differentiate the client from the pack when the time comes to renew the program and a degree of justification should a future accident bring into focus the insurer’s judgement. An area where a culture of strong safety practices will make insurers pay attention is unstable approaches. These are relatively common causes of incidents and, as such, they are a concern for airlines and insurers alike. Insurers will expect to see a safety culture, supported by data and training, that encourages pilots to go around for another, safer attempt at landing. For example, any airline whose fuel-saving policy clashes with their weather-avoidance policy is clearly going to be of interest to an insurer. Training for these events should emphasize that any decision to execute a go-around is not an indication of poor performance from the flight crew. It is prudent decision-making, as it errs on the side of safety. Of equal importance is an open and just culture within an airline. Hierarchy in the cockpit (and within the organization) as well as a punitive culture are high on the list of threats to a safe operation. The ability of each employee to report voluntarily and confidentially, without fear of reprisal, any act or omission that could jeopardize the safety of the airline is a critical element of an airline’s safety best practice. Technology can unveil what did go wrong, but, sometimes, only a human can report what could go wrong. The former is reactive and the latter predictive. This is a fundamental differentiator that insurers consider as they look to avoid potential claims or at least charge sufficient premiums to counter their effects. Company-wide awareness of risks Senior executives at airlines are well acquainted with the risks and opportunities within their area of operational responsibility. But the full theatre of risks can be less obvious. In fact, many companies do not measure total business risk. Understanding corporate risks is often compartmentalized within divisional silos such as legal, operations, human resources, IT, finance, and management. Come renewal season, insurers would look positively at any evidence that departmental risks are being shared across corporate divisions and are also understood and managed by upstream partners in the supply chain. What tends to destroy the ability of the company to understand its risks—and how best to manage them—is a procurement-based strategy. Risk is not a commodity to be traded, so insurers give little discount consideration to those buyers who treat it as such. Without evidence to the contrary, airlines can be held captive to common market preconceptions, especially if they operate in a more challenging region of the world. Misconceptions can be reversed by sharing safety performance indicators that support positive trends, demonstrate best practice, and reveal a company to be on a path to continuous improvement. The dramatic change in an insured’s risk exposures, both negative and positive, caused by the coronavirus crisis has given insurers the opportunity to re-apportion their portfolio premium. Quality metrics and sharing evidence of safety leadership will be a critical foundation on which strong relationships with the insurance community increasingly will be built. https://airlines.iata.org/analysis/how-safety-data-affects-airline-insurance-pricing Etihad launches home check-in for passengers departing from Abu Dhabi Airport The new service allows passengers departing from Abu Dhabi International Airport to request for their baggage to be collected and checked in from their home or office, Etihad Airways has launched a new at-home baggage check-in service, making it easier for passengers to check in their bags, pick their seat and collect their boarding pass and luggage tags from their home. The service, which has been launched in partnership with off-airport solutions provider Dubz, powered by dnata, allows passengers departing from Abu Dhabi International Airport to request for their baggage to be collected and checked in from their home or office, using the etihad.com/homecheckin website. The service is available between 8am and 8pm and an agent will check travel documents, complete the check in process and collect the customers’ bags. Seat selection can also be made at the same time and extra baggage allowance can be purchased if required. Guests who want to board their flight early and receive their luggage first can add priority boarding and priority bag tags for an additional fee. Once at Abu Dhabi International Airport, all non-transit passengers that used the home check-in service can skip the queues at the airport, making the airport journey more seamless. John Wright, Vice President Global Airport, Network & Cargo Operations, Etihad Airways said: “Etihad is continuously looking to enhance the travel experience and with this latest initiative, the airline is giving guests more convenient travel options. “Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the home check-in service also limits human interaction at the airport as guests are able to head straight to immigration and avoid long lines at the airport.” Omar Abou Faraj, Chief Executive Officer, DUBZ powered by dnata, added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Etihad to offer travellers our popular home check-in services in Abu Dhabi. Our innovative service will provide complete peace of mind and more mobility to Etihad customers, helping them enjoy a smooth and safe travel experience during and after the pandemic.” Home check-in packages start from AED 220 (around £42) for up to four bags, with additional bags costing AED 40 (£8) per piece. Bag disinfection can also be added on for an extra fee. Additionally, as part of the service customers can purchase an at-home PCR test, with a certified nurse from LifeDx conducting the test, and results being sent by email and SMS between 24 and 48 hours. https://www.futuretravelexperience.com/2021/05/etihad-launches-home-check-in-for-passengers-departing-from-abu-dhabi-airport/ Symposium examines safety trends in the helicopter industry A recent HAI@Work webinar focused on the value of a strong safety culture in preventing accidents in the US In January 2019, a Survival Flight air ambulance Bell 407 crashed four miles northeast of Zaleski, Ohio, after entering inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC), killing three crewmembers. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ultimately cited the operator’s ‘inadequate management of safety’ as the primary probable cause. The factors contributing to the accident are eye-opening and offer a great deal of insight into the importance of maintaining a strong safety culture and how to develop one. At the HAI@Work webinar on 6 May, experts from NTSB and other safety-focused organizations, including HAI, analyzed the accident as part of the annual HAI Safety Symposium. Typically held at HAI HELI-EXPO® and jointly produced by HAI, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the NTSB, the symposium examines safety trends in the helicopter industry. The panelists at last week’s webinar included: • Matt Cabak, Team Lead, Office of Accident Investigation and Prevention, FAA • Clint Johnson, Chief, Alaska Region, NTSB • Rick Kenin, Chief Operating Officer—Transport, Boston MedFlight, and Chair, HAI Safety Working Group • Matt Rigsby, Air Safety Investigator, Office of Accident Investigation and Prevention, FAA • Shaun Williams, Senior Aviation Accident Investigator, Central Region, NTSB. • Analyzing safety culture and helicopter accidents Williams began the symposium with a very frank, step-by-step analysis of the accident and the clear breakdown in safety that began long before the flight took off. At the center of this failure of safety culture was an overwhelming company culture of pressure to fly, no matter what. “This accident was entirely preventable,” Williams told the attendees. “Pressures will be put on you, sometimes by yourself and sometimes from outside. A solid and healthy safety culture where risks are mitigated for you aids in reducing this pressure and increases safety.” Williams walked through several points of evidence the NTSB gathered that highlighted the operator’s poor safety culture and how that culture contributed to the accident. These points include accepting flights when other operators turn them down, failing to complete preflight risk assessments, and experiencing pressure from superiors to fly. The second half of the symposium focused on what operators and pilots can do to develop a strong safety culture, as well as tips on how to avoid IIMC and what to do if you do encounter it. The panelists also took considerable time to answer many thought-provoking questions from webinar participants. Recently, the NTSB selected the items for the agency’s 2021–2022 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/news/symposium-examines-safety-trends-helicopter-industry MERCY MEDICAL ANGELS VIRTUAL EVENT TO HONOR PILOTS, RAISE FUNDS Pilots who have helped provide free transportation for medical care to low-income children, adults, cancer patients, and veterans will be recognized May 22 during a Mercy Medical Angels Angel Wings and Wheels Virtual Celebration. “For the past 49 years, Mercy Medical Angels has provided more than 250,000 patient trips using transportation on the ground with gas cards, bus and train tickets and in the air with commercial airlines and volunteer pilots,” according to the group. Transportation is also included for patients’ caregivers. In 2020, Mercy Medical Angels provided 24,520 trips for patients nationwide. The event will not only honor pilots, but also those who have helped support ground transportation, and will serve as a fundraiser for the organization. “Our goal is to raise funds to continue our mission of removing the barrier to medical care with transportation on the ground and in the air,” the group said. The Angel Wings and Wheels Virtual Celebration will stream starting at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Register for the event on the Mercy Medical Angels website. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/may/10/mercy-medical-angels-virtual-event-to-honor-pilots-raise-funds Airbus puts supply chain executive at helm of loss-making A220 PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus has appointed a senior internal supply chain executive to run its Canadian operation, with responsibility for trimming losses on the A220 jetliner series, in the latest in a series of management changes at the European aerospace group. Benoit Schultz, 48, will take over on Sept. 1 from Philippe Balducchi, a former finance executive who became the first head of the Canadian venture when Airbus bought the CSeries jet programme from Bombardier in 2018 and renamed it A220. Schultz, who was part of the team that ran a ruler over Bombardier's supplier relationships when Airbus rescued it from cash shortages, is currently a senior vice president in the Airbus procurement office, which runs its global supply chain. He steps up as Balducchi plans to "pursue opportunities" outside the group after integrating the former Bombardier plants into Airbus and opening a new U.S. assembly line, Airbus said. The Canadian-designed A220, with 110-130 seats and a modern lightweight design, has seen a boost in sales under Airbus after its development took a heavy financial toll that triggered Bombardier's near-total exit from the aerospace market. It has notched up more net orders so far this year than any other Airbus model as airlines seek to reduce fuel costs and favour smaller aircraft in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. But while sales have benefited from the stronger Airbus marketing machine, industry sources say the European group has yet to secure low enough prices for many of the plane's components to push the A220 project convincingly into the black. That creates a growing dilemma for Airbus as although new sales are good for the order book, producing those extra planes at costs that remain too high could simply deepen the losses. Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury has been seeking cuts of 20% in the cost of major components, industry sources say. One source said Airbus had obtained solid cuts from dominant suppliers Raytheon Technologies - which makes engines and avionics - and wingmaker Spirit Aero Systems but was still struggling to make a significant dent in most other costs. Airbus could further reduce costs by redesigning parts and overhauling the production system for the A220, which competes with Embraer regional jets and smaller Boeing 737s, but such spending is seen unlikely during the pandemic. Airbus had no immediate comment on cost-cutting efforts. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airbus-puts-supply-chain-executive-124250486.html NASA and Axiom Space's first private ISS mission could happen as soon as January Space tourism will ramp up in the coming months, with both Blue Origin and SpaceX looking to take civilians into orbit this year. Looking a little further ahead, more private astronaut missions to the International Space Station are in the pipeline, and NASA's first one could take place as early as January. NASA and Axiom Space have agreed to take civilans to the ISS. Axiom Mission 1 will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida "no earlier than January 2022," according to NASA. The four astronauts, who will travel on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, are scheduled to spend eight days aboard the ISS. They'll bring back scientific samples for NASA that have to be kept in cold storage. NASA and its international partner agencies have to approve Axiom's proposed crew, which includes a former NASA astronaut and three businessmen. Training should start this summer. “We are excited to see more people have access to spaceflight through this first private astronaut mission to the space station,” Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at NASA Headquarters, said in a statement. “One of our original goals with the Commercial Crew Program, and again with our Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program, is that our providers have customers other than NASA to grow a commercial economy in low-Earth orbit.” Meanwhile, NASA has recruited Axiom to build at least one commercial habitable module that will be attached to the ISS in late 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/nasa-international-space-station-private-astronaut-mission-2022-axiom-space-172956093.html Maintaining Wellbeing: Opening up in the maintenance environment 17 May 2021 - 18 May 2021 Virtual Conference 13:30 - 17:00 BST Ever since the tragic Germanwings accident in 2015 there has been growing interest in the mental health and wellbeing of pilots, even to the extent that EASA has recently introduced new rules on the mental fitness of aircrew. Of course, pilots are not the only aerospace professionals whose wellbeing has a direct impact on safety. There are many humans in the chain equally vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life, and not least aircraft maintainers. However, are their needs being recognised, never mind being addressed? Following a successful recovery from an airborne incident the passengers and crew are rightly given every assistance to get over the traumatic experience, but what about the engineers worried that something they might have done was the cause of the incident? They are frequently the ones who have to immediately recover the aircraft, perhaps without a thought by anyone as to how they might feel about it and the impact this could have on their performance. This Conference takes a unique look at wellbeing and mental health from the maintainers point of view. What are the specific challenges faced by aircraft engineers and the business case for addressing these challenges? How widespread is the problem? Individual and organisational coping mechanisms will be discussed and we will hear thoughts from the CAA. This is a significant opportunity to shine a light on the challenges faced by maintainers who can often be taken for granted. Your attendance would help us to start a new conversation at a time when arguably the need is at its greatest. Please do see the full programme below using the blue button. Delegate fees: RAeS Member: £40+VAT Non Member Engineers special offer 50% off £40+VAT Non Member: £80+VAT RAeS Corporate Partner: £60+VAT RAeS Student/Apprentice Affiliate Member: £20+VAT BOOK NOW View the full programme now Call for Nominations For 2021 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award is scheduled to be presented during Flight Safety Foundation’s annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS). Presented annually since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and/or a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition for their achievement. Nominations that were not selected as past winners may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us identify and honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-to-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 4th, 2021. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 75 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956 her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., in close association with The Flight Safety Foundation, established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. For the past 65 years, this long distinguished award recognizing crowning achievements in aviation safety worldwide has been presented at Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Summit. In 2013, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed as an independent, non-profit, charitable organization composed of members of the Award Board, the aviation community, and the Barbour family. In addition to annual presentation of the Award, in 2019 the Foundation initiated a scholarship program that provides tuition support to worthy students pursuing professional aviation studies leading to a career. As the Foundation broadens the scope of its intent, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. For more information on the Foundation, the Award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org ESASI Annual Seminar Dear ESASI Members and Friends, The ESASI Committee has decided to convert the ESASI Annual Seminar into a webinar. The dates remain the same. It will be held on Zoom on the afternoons of the 1st and 2nd of July 2021. The ESASI Committee has been working with our hosts in Hungary to organize ESASI 2022 in Budapest in Spring 2022. CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS • Challenges faced by air safety investigators. • The environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in. • Practical experience of applying investigation techniques. • New techniques to aid the investigation. • Investigating UAVs. • Investigating accidents involving manned spacecraft. • Topical cases studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to Thorkell Agustsson and Brian McDermid by the 14th May 2021 at presentations@esasi.eu Best regards Steve Hull - ESASI Secretary Graduate Survey My name is Pierre DION, I am an airline Captain and student at City, University of London doing an MSc in Air Safety Management. Department of Mathematics of City, University of London We are looking for volunteers to participate in a study of "Artificial Intelligence in Safety Management System". As a participant in this study, you would be asked to answer 18 questions for an anonymous questionnaire. Your participation would involve one session of approximately 10 minutes of your time. Please follow the link below. Thank you. Survey Link: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UCz8cT2NDRdIxg Thank you. Pierre DION Curt Lewis