Flight Safety Information April 13, 2012 - No. 075 In This Issue Pilot training 'dangerously outdated', warns FSF chief Bill Voss Lightning forces United jetliner to return to San Francisco airport St. Maarten airport to boost security after jet blast injures woman PRISM ANNUAL SMS AUDIT RESULTS Delta Air passengers unexposed to rabies from bat on board Qantas makes its first flight on refined cooking oil 'Helicopter hijack code' triggered sonic boom Pilot training 'dangerously outdated', warns FSF chief Bill voss THE influential Flight Safety Foundation has called for a revision of proposed US rules requiring commercial pilots to have at least 1500 hours of flight experience. FSF chief executive Bill Voss warned a US senate sub-committee on aviation operations, safety and security against requirements that placed an undue focus on the quantity, rather than quality, of flight training. The sub-committee was hearing evidence on the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, also known as HR5900. The independent, non-profit safety group acknowledges that training rules have been relatively static for decades and Mr Voss told the committee that changes in technology and industry restructuring had caused training requirements to become "dangerously outdated". He said the problem was not unique to the US and the world would be watching how the FAA addressed it. "Our position has been that if a flight crew needs to know, understand or have a specific skill set in order to protect the lives of their passengers, steps should be taken to ensure the knowledge is obtained through training or previous experience," he said. "Mandating an arbitrary number of hours experience required to be in a cockpit makes the dangerous assumption that specific knowledge will be obtained simply due to hours in the air. This leaves too much to chance. "There are countless examples of pilots with many thousands of hours, who lacked the critical knowledge to avert a tragedy. " The FSF boss cited an Air Florida crash in Washington, where experienced pilots lacked critical knowledge of cold weather and de-icing operations. "While the purpose of a 1500-hour rule is understood, the Flight Safety Foundation strongly supports the notion that a structured training program can allow this requirement to be reduced, since that training program would reduce risk by leaving less to chance," he said. "The foundation believes the real effectiveness of the new rule will be more a result of mandating critical training that targets risk in the real world, rather than simply increasing the number of hours." Requirements that did make sense included the need for 50 hours multi-engine experience for a second-in-command and 1000 hours of airline operational experience for captains. He said the latter amounted to one or two years of line flying as a first officer before assuming command and many responsible airlines had a similar requirement. Mr Voss also raised concerns about the new rules on international carriers. He said an FAA proposal to require an Airline Transport Pilot certificate for an airline second-in-command would have significant international implications that could affect the FAA's role as a regulatory standard-bearer. "For the first time, the FAA will promulgate a rule that the rest of the world will have to universally dismiss," he said. "Given the structure of the global airline industry and the demand for aviation professionals around the world, it will be impossible for foreign regulators to follow the FAA's lead and implement an ATP requirement for the second-in-command of an air carrier." Mr Voss welcomed changes to fatigue rules, which he described as "historic" after 20 years of political gridlock. "What we have today are a set of rules that reflect our modern understanding of fatigue and operational risks based on science rather than just political horse-trading," he said. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/pilot-training-dangerously-outdated- warns-fsf-chief-bill-voss/story-e6frg95x-1226325153411 Back to Top Lightning forces United jetliner to return to San Francisco airport, no injuries SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - An official at San Francisco International Airport says lightning hit a United Airlines flight, forcing the plane to return to the airport. Duty Manager John Ginty says the plane landed safely Thursday night and there were no injuries to anyone on the jet. United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy says the Boeing 777 carrying 258 passengers was en route to London. United Airlines is a part of United Continental Holdings Inc. She says the plane landed about 9 p.m., shortly after it had taken off. Maintenance workers were inspecting the aircraft. McCarthy says the passengers will fly to London Friday. Back to Top St. Maarten airport to boost security after jet blast injures woman Girl blown by a plane But officials say they'll boost security even further after a recent YouTube video showed one particularly clueless thrill seeker losing her grip on the airport's chain link fence and being slammed into a concrete barrier during a JetBlue takeoff. The video clip - among many taken at Maho over the years - has generated more than 4 million views since it was posted last week. "We acknowledge the obvious attraction by visitors of planes landing so close to the beach, which has added to making the destination quite popular," noted an airport press release. (Indeed, the adjacent Sunset Bar & Grill broadcasts air traffic control conversations in lieu of music, and asks would-be patrons, "Where else can you enjoy an ice cold beer as a huge KLM Jumbo Jet soars right over your head?") "Nevertheless," the airport press release added, "no amount of excitement or thrill can justify putting one's life in danger. Measures currently in place include double fencing, warning signs, and brightly-painted guardrails. Incidents such as this unfortunate one emphasize the need for all our visitors to heed the clear warnings, (and) the airport is considering heightened security in that area." http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2012/04/st-maarten-airport-to- boost-security-after-jet-blast-injures-woman/670865/1 Back to Top Back to Top Delta Air passengers unexposed to rabies from bat on board ATLANTA (Reuters) - A bat swooping around the passenger cabin during a U.S. commercial airline flight last August may have been unnerving for passengers, but there is no evidence anyone was exposed to rabies, a federal health agency said on Thursday. The bat in question flew into the cabin of a Delta Airlines flight from Madison, Wisconsin, to Atlanta that had 50 passengers and three crew members aboard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in report. When the bat flew into the airplane lavatory, a passenger closed the door, trapping it, CDC veterinarian Danielle Buttke told Reuters. The pilots then returned to Madison and passengers disembarked. Maintenance crew members tried to capture the bat so it could be tested for rabies, but it flew out of the lavatory when the door was opened and then out the airplane's cabin door. It eventually left the airport terminal through automatic doors, Buttke said. Because the bat had not been tested for rabies, the CDC interviewed 45 of the passengers and all three crew members. None had any physical contact with the bat or exposure to its saliva, the CDC said. Five passengers were never located for interviews. "I would say there is no evidence (of rabies exposure)," Buttke said. But he added, "I don't think we can be certain." She said that most of the passengers were "very good natured" about the incident. "As a whole, I was very impressed with everyone's behavior and how calm they were," Buttke said, saying the flight's delay and possibly missed connections might have caused more passenger ire. In 2010, about 6 percent of bats captured for testing were infected with rabies, the CDC said. A bat seen active during daylight or in an area bats are not normally found, such as an aircraft cabin, should be tested for rabies as a precaution. Back to Top Qantas makes its first flight on refined cooking oil, to reduce reliance on traditional jet fuel (AAP) Qantas CEO Alan Joyce holds the type of biofuel that will fuel one engine of flight QF1211, Australia's first commercial flight powered by aviation biofuel. Picture: Damian Shaw Source: News Limited QANTAS has launched the nation's first commercial flight using a mixture of refined cooking oil, saying it would not survive if it relied solely on traditional jet fuel. The Airbus A330 left Sydney for Adelaide using a 50-50 blend derived from recycled cooking oil and regular jet fuel in what the airline hopes will be the first step towards a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia. "We need to get ready for a future that is not based on traditional jet fuel or frankly we don't have a future," Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said. "And it's not just the price of oil that's the issue -- it's also the price of carbon. "From July, Qantas will be the only airline in the world to face liabilities in three jurisdictions, so our sense of urgency is justified." Europe already imposes a controversial carbon tax on airlines, while New Zealand has a carbon tax that applies to flights within that country by Qantas' budget carrier Jetstar. Australia's tax on carbon emissions comes into force on July 1. Qantas said the biofuel, which has been certified for use in commercial aviation, has a "life cycle" carbon footprint about 60 percent smaller than that of conventional jet fuel. Jet fuel is the largest operational expense for the Australian carrier, which in February announced it would slash at least 500 jobs and cut costs after an 83 per cent slump in first-half net profits. In March it hiked its fuel surcharge for the second time in two months, saying its fuel costs were expected to rise by $300 million in the six months to June 30 to $2.25 billion. The Australian government said it would help Qantas fund a study into the sustainable production and commercialisation of aviation biofuels. Under the $500,000 Emerging Renewables Program grant, Qantas will partner with Shell Australia to undertake a feasibility study into the long-term viability of biofuel feedstock and the production of low carbon aviation fuels. "Today's flight, together with the feasibility study, represents an important step towards an Australian aviation industry powered by our own biofuels," Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said. "This could be the beginning of Qantas becoming 'Flying Bio-Roo'. Back to Top 'Helicopter hijack code' triggered sonic boom Typhoons Four typhoon aircraft are constantly on standby for any emergencies in the UK (BBC) - A data entry error by a helicopter pilot led to two Typhoon aircraft being scrambled in an emergency response. A loud bang was heard across parts of England at about 18:10 BST on Thursday. The MoD revealed it was a boom from a Typhoon authorised to go at supersonic speed while responding to an emergency call from a helicopter. It confirmed that the helicopter pilot had transmitted the wrong signal by mistake. A flight instructor said the signal may have suggested a hijacking. Emergency services in the West Midlands and south-west England received numerous calls about the sonic boom. The helicopter was flying over the Cotswolds near Bath when it was intercepted. MoD spokesman Martin Tinworth said: "There's a thing on each aircraft called a transponder. "You select numbers on it and that transmits to the ground air traffic controllers who you are and where you are. "If you mis-select a certain series of numbers, you can send the wrong signal out. "If someone starts transmitting an emergency signal by mistake or intentionally, it will be picked up by air traffic controllers. "That would be passed to national authorities... assessed, and if they can't get in touch with the guy quick enough - which happened in this case - a Quick Reaction Alert will be launched." Hijack number Mr Tinworth said there were four Typhoons on alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. "The only time anyone hears about it is when it's over land and when there's noise made - which happened yesterday. "Pilots need authorisation to go supersonic because it makes noise and upsets people," he said. This sequence of events was backed up by a helicopter instructor, who did not wish to be named. He said: "The transponder is a box on the dashboard and it just identifies which green blip you are on the screen for air traffic control. "The number that you put in the transponder if you're just flying around is 7000. "But if you've been hijacked, you put in 7500. "So it's possible he might have entered the hijack code instead - and in the current climate, that well might trigger Typhoons. "And maybe people are getting twitchy with the Olympics around the corner. "I have to admit, I did raise an eyebrow when I saw the news. It is certainly unusual for Typhoons to be scrambled." The identity of the helicopter pilot is still unknown. "Where he was flying to and what he was doing is none of our business," said Mr Tinworth. "People are allowed to fly in the UK because we're a free country." It is the second time this year that a sonic boom has been created by a Typhoon aircraft. In January, the MoD confirmed that a loud noise heard by people across the north of England was caused by an RAF fighter jet breaking the sound barrier. Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC