Flight Safety Information - February 28, 2022 No.041 In This Issue : Incident: Malta Air B38M at Milan on Feb 25th 2022, bird strike : Incident: Sunstate DH8D near Brisbane on Feb 27th 2022, lightning strike : Incident: Baltic BCS3 at Amsterdam on Feb 24th 2022, hard landing : Accident: Southwest B737 at Kansas City on Feb 24th 2022, bird strikes damage both engines : Antonov An-225 - Destroyed (Ukrainge) : Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX - Fatal Accident (Comoros) : NTSB: Plane climbed quickly before crashing off the Outer Banks, killing all on board : More Countries Ban Russian Flights From Their Airspace : REPORT - 6 times Unsuccessful Go Around - Jet Airways Boeing 737 Nearly Crash Story : It's time to rethink the pilot training rules : Why Are So Many Airlines Registered In Malta? : Position Available: Safety Evaluator Incident: Malta Air B38M at Milan on Feb 25th 2022, bird strike A Malta Air Boeing 737-8 MAX on behalf of Ryanair, registration 9H-VUN performing flight FR-1444 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Valencia,SP (Spain), was climbing out of Malpensa's runway 35L when the crew stopped the climb at FL230 due to a bird strike. The aircraft returned to Malpensa for a safe landing on runway 35L about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-8 MAX registration 9H-VUU reached Valencia with a delay of 1:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 44 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f548134&opt=0 Incident: Sunstate DH8D near Brisbane on Feb 27th 2022, lightning strike A Sunstate de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Qantas, registration VH-QOM performing flight QF-2534 from Brisbane,QL to Longreach,QL (Australia), was climbing from FL180 to FL200 when the crew advised they needed to return to Brisbane due to receiving a lightning strike. The aircraft landed safely back on runway 01L about 45 minutes after departure. A replacement Dash 8-400 registration VH-LQM reached Longreach with a delay of 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Brisbane about 15 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f547ef8&opt=0 Incident: Baltic BCS3 at Amsterdam on Feb 24th 2022, hard landing An Air Baltic Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration YL-CSL performing flight BT-619 from Riga (Latvia) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), landed on Amsterdam's runway 27 in strong gusting winds at 18:04L (17:04Z), about 60 seconds prior to touchdown the crew requested a wind check, the tower responded "250 at 22 maximum 35". The aircraft touched down, rolled out and taxied to the apron maintaining routine communication. Tower provided a wind check "280 at 31 maximum 39" to the next arrival. The aircraft was unable to continue its schedule, the return flight BT-620 was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam 49 hours after landing. A ground observer reported the aircraft was on approach to runway 27 and flared near the threshold of the runway, slowed and seemed to fall down from about 30 feet AGL, bounced back and touched down a second time nose gear dropping down. According to ADS-B data transmitted by the aircraft's transponder the approach was stabilized until less than 100 feet AGL, when the vertical rate of descent increased from about 400 fpm to above 1200 fpm (averaged over 4 seconds) just before touchdown. The aircraft touched down at 93 knots over ground. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f53b9d5&opt=0 Accident: Southwest B737 at Kansas City on Feb 24th 2022, bird strikes damage both engines A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N967WN performing flight WN-350 from Kansas City,MO to Dallas Love,TX (USA) with 142 people on board, was rotating for takeoff from Kansas City's runway 01L when the aircraft received a number of bird strikes onto nose and both engines (CFM56). The aircraft stopped the climb at 9000 feet reporting engine vibrations, advised they did want to remain close to the airport, needed emergency equipment on stand by and returned to Kansas City for a safe landing on runway 01L about 22 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N7881A reached Dallas with a delay of 5 hours. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AND STRUCK BIRDS DAMAGING BOTH ENGINES, KANSAS CITY, MO.", the aircraft sustained "UNKNOWN" damage. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f52e8fc&opt=0 Antonov An-225 - Destroyed (Ukrainge) Date: Sunday 27 February 2022 Type: Antonov An-225 Operator: Antonov Airlines Registration: UR-82060 MSN: 19530503763 First flight: 1988-12-21 (33 years 3 months) Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Kyiv-Gostomel Airport (GML) ( Ukraine) Phase: Standing (STD) Nature: - Departure airport: - Destination airport: - Narrative: The sole Antonov An-225, the world’s largest cargo aircraft, was destroyed by fire at Gostomel Airport during the Russian attack on Ukraine. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20220227-0 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX - Fatal Accident (Comoros) Date: Saturday 26 February 2022 Time: ca 12:30 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX Operator: AB Aviation Registration: 5H-MZA MSN: 208B.. First flight: 2016 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12 Total: Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 2,5 km (1.6 mls) NW off Mohéli-Bandar es Eslam Airport (NWA) ( Comoros) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Moroni-Prince Said Ibrahim In Airport (HAH/FMCH), Comoros Destination airport: Mohéli-Bandar es Eslam Airport (NWA/FMCI), Comoros Flightnumber: Y61103 Narrative: AB Aviation flight 1103, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, crashed into the water off Mohéli, Comoros. The aircraft had departed Moroni Airport at 11:55. Last contact with the flight was at 12:30, some 2,5 km off Mohéli Airport. Debris was found at sea. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20220226-0 4 more flights from India to Ukraine amid safety concerns The development comes amid concerns over safety of more than 20,000 Indians who live in different parts of Ukraine. An Air India special ferry flight – a Dreamliner B-787 aircraft – left for the Boryspil International Airport in Ukraine on Tuesday morning. Four more flights are operating from India to Ukraine amid heightened tensions with Russia, the Indian High Commission in Ukraine has said in a tweet, amid concerns over the safety of over 20,000 citizens. Apart from these, three special Air India flights are flying between Tuesday and Saturday - the first one left on Tuesday morning. The development comes after the embassy last week advised Indian students and other citizens whose stay is not essential to leave Kyiv temporarily amid growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia. “In view of the continued high level of tensions and uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, additional flights are being organised,” read the latest notification by the Indian Embassy. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/4-more-flights-from-india-to-ukraine-amid-safety-concerns-101645511236867.html NTSB: Plane climbed quickly before crashing off the Outer Banks, killing all on board The pilot of a plane that crashed off the Outer Banks this month, killing all eight people on board, did not report any problems before an air traffic controller lost contact, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The last the controller heard from the pilot was an acknowledgment that he needed to maintain an altitude of 1,900 feet as he approached Cape Lookout National Seashore at about 2 p.m. Feb. 13. The plane was about 200 feet too low, according to a preliminary NTSB report released late Friday. Less than three minutes later, the controller tried to reach the pilot again, because the plane was now at 4,700 feet and “climbing quickly,” according to the report. A minute later, radar contact was lost with the plane, which crashed in about 60 feet of water three miles off shore. “Throughout the communication with air traffic control, there was no distress calls or a declaration of emergency from the airplane,” according to the report. The four-page NTSB report lays out the federal agency’s initial findings but does not make any conclusions about what might have caused the crash. A final report identifying a likely cause will take a year or more to complete. The pilot was Ernest Durwood Rawls, 67, of Greenville, who was certified as a commercial pilot. He had taken off from Hyde County Airport near Englehard with seven passengers, including four high school students, after an annual youth duck-hunting trip. The other adults were Rawls’ son, Jeffrey Worthington Rawls, 28, and Stephanie Ann McInnis Fulcher, 42, and her boyfriend, Douglas Hunter Parks, 45, both of Sea Level. Parks owned the plane, a single-engine Pilatus PC-12. The teens were McInnis’ son, Jonathan Kole McInnis, 15, of Sea Level; Noah Lee Styron, 15, of Cedar Island; Michael Daily Shepard, 15, and Jacob Nolan Taylor, 16, both of Atlantic. As the plane departed Hyde County, Rawls requested clearance to land at Michael J. Smith Field Airport in Beaufort. The air traffic controller told him he was nearing airspace that was restricted because of military activity and directed him to fly east, according to the NTSB. That heading took the plane out over the Atlantic Ocean. When the military aircraft cleared the area, the air traffic controller gave Rawls new instructions for approaching Smith Field. The NTSB report said Rawls had more than 3,000 hours of flight experience at the time of his most recent medical certification last summer. It said the passenger seated next to him held a student pilot certificate, with about 20 hours of flight experience as of last summer. The report does not identify the student pilot by name or indicate if he was involved with the flight. Dive crews recovered an emergency locator transmitter and a flight data recorder from the Pilatus. The recorder was sent to an NTSB lab for data recovery. The NTSB report said examination of the wreckage is “pending recovery.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/ntsb-plane-climbed-quickly-crashing-232446141.html More Countries Ban Russian Flights From Their Airspace A growing number of countries announced Sunday that they were closing their airspace to Russian planes in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain joined at least a dozen European countries that had made similar announcements. “There is no room in Dutch airspace for a regime that applies unnecessary and brutal violence,” the infrastructure minister for the Netherlands, Mark Harbers, said on Twitter. Denmark’s minister of foreign affairs, Jeppe Kofod, said he would push for Russian aircraft to be banned from the entirety of the European Union’s airspace at a meeting of the bloc’s ministers of foreign affairs Sunday. Low-cost, Hungary-based airline Wizz Air also said Sunday that it would cancel its flights to Russia for at least a week. The airline said that, because of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union and the United States, it would not be able to access spare parts for its planes in Russia. Britain has banned all flights by Russia’s flagship carrier, Aeroflot, from its airspace, and German airline Lufthansa said Saturday that it would not use Russian airspace for the next week. Germany banned Russian aircraft, with the exception of humanitarian flights, from its airspace starting Sunday for the next three months. In response to the measures, the Russian government has banned flights from several European countries, and S7, Russia’s second-largest airline, suspended its flights to Europe. https://www.yahoo.com/news/more-countries-ban-russian-flights-163043999.html REPORT: 6 times Unsuccessful Go Around - Jet Airways Boeing 737 Nearly Crash Story 6 TIMES UNSUCCESSFUL GO AROUND – JET AIRWAYS BOEING 737 NEARLY On 18th August 2015, a Jet Airways 737-800 performed an unprecedented six go-arounds before landing safely on the seventh approach, albeit with insufficient fuel. Flight Details Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 - registered VT-JFA - took off around midnight from Doha, Qatar, destined for Cochin, India, as flight 9W555. However, the crew had to make three go-arounds in Cochin before diverting to Trivandrum Airport due to bad weather. The pilots were cleared to land at runway 27 with an ILS approach at Cochin International Airport, allowing them to descend until it was 200 feet over the ground, something very useful in situations like this. The initial visibility was 3500m, and there were some clouds at 1500 feet, but when the pilots approached, they discovered that the weather was a lot worse. The crew couldn't see the runway or lights even at 320 feet. So they performed a go-around. This was the first go-around for the day. The Boeing 737 was left with 4,699 kg of fuel, so the situation wasn't intense. They had two options: Divert to a different airport or attempt to land here at Cochin again. Bangalore was an option, which was 200 nautical miles away from their location, and the weather was very good there with a visibility of 8,000m. Another alternate airport was in Trivandrum, which was 100 nautical miles away. However, only a VOR approach could be made at Trivandrum airport. They got information that the visibility at Trivandrum was 3,000m which is just enough. The crew decided to begin the second ILS approach at Cochin, which eventually didn't go as planned, and the aircraft performed go around for a second time. The fact that other aircraft also had trouble landing at Cochin was communicated to flight 555. However, instead of flying to Bangalore, the captain decided to perform a third approach in Cochin. But, the weather was getting worse every minute. The ATC even warned them about clouds, but the crew performed an unsuccessful third approach. The Boeing 737 had 4,844kg of fuel when it entered Cochin Airspace, and it went down to 4,699 kg on the first go-around, 3,919 kg on the second and 2,644 kg on the third attempt. Diversion to Trivandrum Airport - 3 More Go-Around! After three unsuccessful attempts in Cochin, they only had 2,644 kg of fuel, which was insufficient to reach Bangalore. The crew then diverted to Trivandrum. However, the weather in Trivandrum wasn't so great either. This was informed to ATC at Cochin, but they never forwarded this message to flight 555. When they contacted Trivandrum, they were told that visibility was just 1500m. The landing became tougher as the ILS approach wasn't available. As a result, the crew performed their fourth go-around. The aircraft was left with less than 1,324 kg of fuel onboard, which is the fuel reserve equivalent to 30 minutes of flight that can take them to the nearest airport. This much fuel should always be present in the aircraft, and if the number drops below this, they have to declare "May Day" and must land as soon as possible. The crew then declared a "May Day" and requested a visual approach to runway 14. The Boeing 737 lined up using navigation displays only, without instrument guidance. However, this approach was also unsuccessful, and the crew performed go around for the fifth time. The crew performed a very similar approach again, but it was not successful, and the aircraft performed go around for the sixth time. The Final Approach After the sixth go-around, only 662 kg of fuel was left. At last, the pilot decided to approach runway 32, the runway at a different side. The aircraft was flying just 700 feet above the ground, so low that the ground proximity warning system started to ring, which warned repeatedly, ‘Terrain, terrain pull up'. But the crew couldn't follow these warnings as they were incredibly low on fuel. The captain made a "blind landing", risking the lives of those on board, ignoring all warnings and no visual contact of the runway, as bad weather prevented them from seeing the runway, as found by the investigation. It could have had disastrous consequences. Thankfully, nobody was injured, and the aircraft didn't sustain any damage. As recorded in the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), during the seventh approach, the first officer was heard asking, “Do you know where it (runway) is?” "Just going blindly," the captain replied. They were left with only 349 kg of fuel when it eventually landed. Had the pilots gone for another go-around, they would have crashed due to insufficient fuel, officials said. AAIB Investigation Following this critical incident, an investigation was launched as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) classified this as a serious incident. Various aspects were considered, such as the state of the aircraft, weather, fuel planning, decision making etc. The plane was in a good state, and its condition wasn't a reason for this incident. The initial fuel planning was also on the point. Fuel policy of Jet airways, weather, expected delays were also considered, and adequate planning was done. The critical factor this incident revolved around was the weather. They were unable to land in Cochin due to poor weather and low-hanging clouds, and the same occurred in Trivandrum as well. The weather was getting worse every minute. Although the visibility was about 3000m in the initial approach, it dropped to 2500, and by the time they were approaching Trivandrum, it was just 2000m. The decision made by the crew could have resulted in this as well. The pilot in command dropped the idea of Bangalore to attempt a landing at Cochin one more time, and the selection of Trivandrum as an alternate airport where the VOR approach should be made are the highlighted points. Had the crew made better decisions early on, this incident wouldn't have occurred, as pointed out in the findings. The tape from Cochin ATC that wasn't recorded couldn't be used in the investigation. The Trivandrum ATC inquired if the new weather conditions were informed to the diverting flight. But, there is no record of Cochin ATC relaying the information. There was no accurate transmission of information that the weather was getting worse, which Cochin ATC should have done. One other fault mentioned for the pilot in command is that the first officer had told about the VOR approach in Trivandrum, but the PIC ignored it. There wasn't any company policy for multiple go-arounds. So the decision to go around without diverting to Bangalore could have been stopped if a company policy existed. The crew also ignored several warnings from the aircraft, which put the safety of passengers and aircraft at risk. In conclusion, the lack of company policy for missed approaches in inclement weather was considered the main reason for the incident. The safety of passengers and aircraft was also at stake as the aircraft had to ignore several warnings due to this. Also, the lack of policies that assisted them with designating new destinations could have been the reason, according to the final report. Following the incident, new guidelines were added to Jet airways. Also, new decision-making skills in such a scenario were taught. The pilots of flight 555 were grounded after the incident. Jet Airways Statement Jet Airways stated that the diversion to Trivandrum was a precautionary measure due to low visibility in Cochin, and the flight was operated following standard operating safety procedures. “This is as per standard operating safety procedure. The flight landing with 141 guests was uneventful. At Jet Airways, safety is of paramount importance, and to this end, planning of flight operations are conducted with a very high level of safety. This includes a fuel uplift that not only meets all regulatory requirements, it has additional buffers to cater to unexpected scenarios including poor weather at the alternate airport." https://samchui.com/2022/02/27/6-times-unsuccessful-go-around-jet-airways-boeing-737-nearly-crash-story/ It's time to rethink the pilot training rules In recent months, some regional airline CEOs have been forcefully speaking out about the need to change the 1,500-hour pilot training rule. With an ongoing pilot shortage forcing substantial cutbacks in air service to small U.S. communities, I hope more politicians will begin to listen. When the 1,500-hour rule went into effect in 2013, it increased by sixfold the legal minimum number of flying hours required to become a pilot at a U.S. commercial airline. The rule, imposed pursuant to congressional legislation, was a response to the 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, which killed all 49 passengers and crew as well as one person on the ground. But though the 1,500-hour rule continues to enjoy political support, there has never been empirical evidence to back its utility. No other country in the world requires incoming pilots to attain a similar number of flight hours. And over the course of five years of reporting on the subject, every flight instructor I've spoken with about the rule has argued that shorter, tightly tailored training programs are far more effective in preparing pilots to fly commercial aircraft than simply requiring them to accrue lots of undefined flying hours. Furthermore, multiple university studies have shown that trainees with less than 1,500 hours of logged flight time actually perform better in regional airline pilot training than those with more than 1,500 hours, a difference that most likely is attributable to the substantial lag time between when aspiring pilots complete flight school and when they reach the 1,500-hour threshold. But while there is no evidence-based reason to believe 1,500 hours of flight time is some sort of magic safety elixir, there's no doubt that the 1,500-hour rule slows the U.S. pilot pipeline, substantially increases training costs and serves as a barrier to entry for practically anyone who doesn't come from a wealthy background. These concerns, while prevalent among many industry insiders for several years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, have become more pressing in recent months as sharp increases in pilot recruitment by mainline carriers has created an acute pilot shortfall in the regional airline ranks. As a result, SkyWest, which as the nation's largest regional carrier operates flights under the American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express and Alaska brands, expects to fly 10% to 15% less capacity this year than last year despite no drop-off in demand. Meanwhile, United has already cut service to 20 small U.S. communities in the past few months, with more cuts expected. The immediate pilot shortage is expected to diminish somewhat next year, once mainline carriers have replaced the approximately 6,000 pilots that they let go in 2020 via early retirement packages. But the structural shortage, driven in large part by the 1,500-hour rule and high entry barriers, will remain. During a recent earnings call, Mesa Airlines CEO Jonathan Ornstein said the 1,500-hour rule had "by far, the biggest impact on the current pilot shortage." He called on politicians in Washington to act on the matter. According to SkyWest CEO Chip Childs, there are at least green shoots of hope on that front. Lawmakers, Childs said, are more willing to listen now than has been the case over the carrier's previous decade of lobbying on the matter. I hope that engagement leads somewhere. Replacing the 1,500-hour minimum with less costly, more tailored pilot training requirements would both bolster safety and be a practical step toward resolving the pilot shortage long-term. https://www.travelweekly.com/Robert-Silk/Its-time-to-rethink-the-pilot-training-rules Why Are So Many Airlines Registered In Malta? For a tiny island, this country off the coast of Sicily has many more aircraft registered with it than its international airport could ever handle... Pre-pandemic, Malta International Airport saw over seven million passenger movements. Handling some 97.5% of all inbound tourists arriving in Malta, this is clearly the primary facility for the tiny island nation of 525,000 inhabitants. However, despite the country's small size, Malta's aircraft registry lists far more airplanes than its relatively small international airport could handle on a regular basis- jets from Austria's Lauda and Portugal's Hi Fly are included. But is this the case? A reputable registry Listing an aircraft under a certain country's aircraft register means that those planes are held to that country's air regulations. So, while a Russian Aeroflot Airbus A350 might mainly operate in and out of Moscow, its place on the aircraft registry of Bermuda holds it to Bermudan standards and regulations. According to charter and aircraft management firm Air CM, "the Maltese aircraft register holds its operators to some of the highest levels of regulation in the world," as it falls under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) jurisdiction. This, the firm says, offers aircraft owners peace of mind, with its ICAO rating as a "testament to the stringent standards of safety and security." Of course, if you know anything about international business, you'll know that's not the primary reason some non-Maltese airlines register some or all of their fleets in Malta... All about the taxes (and subsequent cost-savings) In addition to competitive aviation registration costs, KPMG Malta highlight's the Maltese authority's "practical understanding of the aviation sector and favorable corporate structures." In summarizing Malta's aircraft registry as a financially beneficial destination, let's examine a few of KPMG Malta's reasons for registering an aircraft in the country: Aircraft temporarily not being operated or managed can be registered here: • Malta's aircraft registry recognizes fractional ownership interests of aircraft - "Innovative aviation arrangements" - including the possibility to register aircraft under construction; • An extensive Maltese tax treaty network with over 70 jurisdictions, including the United States; • No withholding tax on lease payments where the lessor is not a tax resident of Malta; • Attractive direct and indirect aviation tax opportunities for leasing of aircraft, including tax depreciation, and partial shareholder tax refunds; • Competitive tax depreciation rates for aviation purposes, and partial shareholder tax refunds; • No restrictions on the nationality of shareholders and directors of Maltese aviation companies. A final reason cited by a number of sources is that Malta is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and its Aircraft Protocol. A mechanism to set international standards for leases, security interests, and registration of contracts, this offers creditors a higher degree of protection and more effective remedies, while, at the same time, allowing lower borrowing costs. Which airlines register aircraft in Malta? Some of the more notable commercial operators we currently see registering their aircraft in Malta are Hi Fly, Corendon, SmartLynx, as well as Ryanair subsidiaries Lauda Europe and Malta Air. Although Malta Air does obviously operate service to Malta, this is only a small portion of its 140+ aircraft. Lufthansa Group subsidiary Eurowings soon hopes to take advantage of Malta's aircraft registry too. According to Malta Independent, the move will include the application for an Air Operator Certificate in the country. However, a Eurowings spokesperson was clear about the tax implications associated with the business decision, telling Malta Independent the following: “The complex double taxation in Austria has been a disadvantage for Eurowings Europe crews for years. Currently, regardless of the individual's place of residence and country of employment, most of the wage taxation falls to the country in which the airline's legal domicile is located - in our case, Austria. However, the majority of our Eurowings Europe employees live in Spain, the Czech Republic, Sweden, etc. The problem of double tax returns and complex accounting processes would increase with each new base opening (Prague, Stockholm, etc.). Eurowings Europe must eliminate these disadvantages in competition (also in recruiting)...It is therefore explicitly"not about tax avoidance, but about taxation in the respective country of employment.” https://simpleflying.com/why-are-so-many-airlines-registered-in-malta/ Position Available: Safety Evaluator Job Description At Republic Airways, our vision is to be America’s regional airline of choice, and our 6,000 associates work together each day to achieve that by providing a safe, clean and reliable flying experience. Whether the role is on the aircraft or in the office, every person at Republic contributes to our success and our family-oriented work environment. Since our founding in 1974, we’ve grown to become the world’s largest operator of the Embraer 170/175 jet, flying more than 1000 flights daily for our partners, American Airline, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Beyond our operations, we’re focused on sharing our time, talents and treasures with our community—both locally and globally. Join Republic Airways where you will find opportunities, reach new heights and be part of something bigger than yourself. Republic Airways, opportunity elevated. #WhyRepublic POSITION PURPOSE Conducts internal evaluations of operational divisions to ensure adherence to federal regulations, company policies and procedures. Conducts aircraft damage investigations, tracks regulatory correspondence and completes special projects as assigned. ESSENTIAL DUTIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Conducts internal evaluations of operational divisions to ensure compliance with federal regulations as well as company policies and procedures. Communicates company policies/procedures, Federal Aviation Regulations and other Standards including but limited to International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) standards, Department of Defense Standards etc. facilitating fair resolutions and imparting quality expertise to all operational departments. Coordinates Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - Safety Assurance System (SAS) inspections conducted by the FAA Coordinates IOSA conducted by appointed Audit Organization Coordinates DOD inspections conducted by the DOD Communicates with external audit organizations, the FAA and DOD Identifies, tracks, and solves quality and safety concerns, issues or hazards (this includes, but not limited to, interviews, reviews of past evaluation/audit records and compliance data for trends) Reviews changes to applicable regulations in order to recommend appropriate actions to ensure company compliance. Ensure adherence to all Safety and Security regulations Develops and maintains Data Analysis Group key performance indicators, and continuous improvement initiatives for data analysis and visualization. Provides technical leadership to team and department members. Leads through example; monitors, influences and trains others. OTHER DUTIES Performs data analysis on aircraft ground damage to identify trends & systemic causes of aircraft damage. Participates in investigations of aircraft ground damage. Leads investigations into company controllable damage and participates in conference calls for codeshare partner damages. Contributes to the development of SMS training modules for all company associates covered under SMS. Responsible for the continuous improvement of Republic’s Safety Management System Assists with development of SMS structured risk assessment and safety assurance processes, including facilitating Data Analysis Groups Participates in special projects including but not limited to: special request audits, Codeshare meetings and initiatives, Safety Management System (SMS) implementation, monthly safety newsletter and manual reviews using SAS tools. Performs various other duties as assigned. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE. Bachelor’s degree with at least 2 years of Aviation experience required. Knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations for Title 14 and 49 and associated regulatory materials. Knowledge in aviation safety systems including, but not limited to: Safety Management System (SMS), System Safety, Safety Assurance System (SAS) and IOSA. Skills in Microsoft Office applications is a must. PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree in an aviation or safety related discipline is preferred. At least 3 years of previous experience in aviation. Airframe and Powerplant, Dispatch License or Pilot’s License is preferred. Previous auditing and evaluating experience. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. REASONING/PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. DECISION MAKING Makes decisions and determines best methods to solve problems by referring to established precedents and policies. Decisions tend to be medium range and of medium significance with moderate consequences. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Able to move about the work environment. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically not exposed to extreme environmental conditions. Work in an open air hangar and outdoor weather conditions occasionally. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Travel up to 15% of the time, including overnight stays. Equal Opportunity Employment and Disability Accommodations Republic Airways is committed to achieving a diverse workforce by providing equal employment opportunities to all Associates and applicants, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type with regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We are committed to providing applicants and Associates reasonable accommodation to enable the individual to perform the essential duties of the job. If you require accommodation, please contact Human Resources. Curt Lewis