Flight Safety Information November 7, 2013 - No. 230 In This Issue Jet Slides Off Tarmac At O'Hare In Chicago, No Injuries Reported Airplane Missing in Idaho Mountains Training on Ensuring Aviation Safety in Africa Kicked Off in Ethiopia MOUNT BULLER: Four survive helicopter crash (Australia) Venezuela downs Mexican aircraft Two men flying from Colorado to Illinois die in crash near Kirksville Regional Airport, Missouri Rockwell Collins developing visual system for chopper pilots. Think ARGUS PROS GE Aviation Pursues Alternative Fuel Sources for its Jet Engine Testing Helicopter pilot graduates in high demand New Winglet Designs From Aviation Partners Will Conserve Even More Fuel For Airlines Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS 2014) Jet Slides Off Tarmac At O'Hare In Chicago, No Injuries Reported CHICAGO -- CHICAGO (AP) - An American Eagle jet that landed safely at a Chicago airport rolled nose-first off the tarmac and onto a grassy area as the pilot tried to taxi to the terminal. Authorities say no one was injured, but the aircraft's 38 passengers and four crew members had to be bused to the terminal at O'Hare International Airport. American spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan says Flight 4332 from New Orleans "landed normally and safely," but that the plane's front-end nose gear rolled onto the grass as it began to taxi. Chicago Fire Department spokesman Will Knight says crews responded but that no one was injured or transported to hospitals. The flight was operated by Republic Airlines. A Republic spokesman didn't immediately respond to a call seeking information. The plane is an Embraer E175. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/jet-slides-off-tarmac-at-_n_4227191.html Back to Top Airplane Missing in Idaho Mountains MCCALL, Idaho (AP) - Three people are aboard an aircraft that went missing in remote central Idaho. Search efforts for the Cessna 206 single-engine airplane that vanished Wednesday morning after taking off from McCall are being hampered by poor weather and high-mountain snow. Idaho Army National Guard helicopters are focusing on an area east of Donnelly, based on the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter signal. The rugged area isn't accessible by vehicles on the ground. The Idaho Transportation Department says a pilot and two passengers were aboard the six-seat aircraft when it took off bound for the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The area, which is dotted with backcountry landing strips, is known for its high mountains, deep valleys and rugged territory. Weather forecasters were calling for sub-freezing temperatures and snow. http://newsradio1310.com/airplane-missing-in-idaho-mountains/ *************** Date: 06-NOV-2013 Time: morning Type: Cessna 206 Owner/operator: Private Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants: 3 Airplane damage: mis Location: Missing a few miles east of Donnelly - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: McCall Airport Destination airport: Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Narrative: Missing a few miles east of Donnelly. The plane has three people on board. Sources: http://www.ktvb.com/news/Single-engine-plane-reported-missing-after-taking-off-from-McCall- 230905941.html http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/11/06/2854939/helicopters-scour-remote-id-area.html www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Training on Ensuring Aviation Safety in Africa Kicked Off in Ethiopia A week long training on ensuring aviation safety in Africa kicked off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, November 4, 2013. Ethiopian Transport State Minister Getachew Mengiste on the event said, the training plays an important role in ensuring aviation safety in Africa. He said stakeholders in Africa must work in cooperation to address challenges related with aviation safety. Singapore Civil Aviation Academy Director General, Tay Tiang Guan on his part said, the training will improve Aviation safety in Singapore and Africa. Ethiopian Airlines, the Ethiopian Airports Enterprise and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority jointly organized the training in collaboration with the Singapore Aviation Academy. Source: Ethiopian News Agency http://www.2merkato.com/news/alerts/2663-training-on-ensuring-aviation-safety-in-africa-kicked-off-in- ethiopia Back to Top MOUNT BULLER: Four survive helicopter crash (Australia) UPDATE: A helicopter carrying four passengers has crashed into the side of a hill at Mount Buller. An Ambulance Victoria spokesman said paramedics were called to the scene at Summit Road about 2.30 pm with reports the chopper had flipped upside down on impact. He said the helicopter was carrying four people, with one person sustaining minor injuries in the crash and the others unharmed. One passenger has been taken to Mansfield hospital with a sore back. The passengers were believed to be involved with the Targa High Country rally to take place in the region over the weekend. A racing car driver was piloting the chopper and his three crew were aboard, ABC reported. The chopper is believed to have crashed while attempting to land. Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are on their way to the scene to investigate the cause of the crash. Witness Mark Woodford told 3AW's Tom Elliot the helicopter was "smashed up". "On Summit Road there's a landing pad ... and it's tried to land there and obviously it hasn't landed," he said. "It looks like it's rolled over about 10 metres from that pad. "It's pretty mangled ... the tail is broken ... she's definitely smashed up." The incident follows a helicopter crash on Saturday in which a female pilot was lucky to escape with only a grazed thumb. The pilot had just dropped off passengers returning from the Derby Day races when her helicopter crashed on take-off at Olympic Park about 6.30pm. The rotor blade of the helicopter flew 30 metres through the air before crashing into a parked car, with the shocked pilot managing to crawl from the wreckage. Paramedic Jason Pitman said the pilot had done well to escape relatively unscathed and was taken to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the cause of the crash. http://www.monashweekly.com.au/story/1792357/mount-buller-four-survive-helicopter-crash/ ************** Date: 06-NOV-2013 Time: 1430 aedt Type: Robinson R44 Clipper II Owner/operator: Private Registration: VH-UGC C/n / msn: 12051 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Mount Buller, Victoria - Australia Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Launceston, TAS Destination airport: Mount Buller, VIC Narrative: Helicopter crashed on landing at Summit Road, Mount Buller. All 4 occupants had exited aircraft by the time services arrived, one had minor injuries. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Venezuela downs Mexican aircraft Caracas: Venezuela shot down a small Mexican-registered airplane in its southwest, the Caracas government said, without providing a reason for taking the action or information about possible casualties. Venezuela's information ministry said yesterday in a statement that the air force late Monday "detected and intercepted a Hawker 125 aircraft with the registration XBMGM" in the southwestern state of Apure, near the Colombian border. The statement quoted the head of Venezuela's strategic Mexico's foreign ministry said it sent a diplomatic note asking Caracas to "explain the incident in strict adherence with international law." The air force released pictures of the wrecked plane, with fire still raging in what remained of the fuselage. Venezuela monitors its border with Colombia to combat drug trafficking. The air force has brought down 13 aircraft linked to drug smuggling this year. http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/venezuela-downs-mexican-aircraft_888431.html ************* Status: Preliminary Date: Monday 4 November 2013 Time: 22:36 Type: Hawker Siddeley DH-125-400A Operator: ? Registration: XB-MGM C/n / msn: 25175/NA713 First flight: 1969 Engines: 2 Garrett TFE731-3-1RH Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: / Occupants: Airplane damage: Written off Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 13 km (8.1 mls) N of Buena vista del Meta, Apure (Venezuela) Phase: Unknown (UNK) Nature: Illegal Flight Departure airport: ? Destination airport: ? Narrative: A Hawker Siddeley DH-125-400A jet was destroyed after being attacked by a Venezuelan fighter plane. The airplane was intercepted after illegally entering Venezuelan air space. The fate of the occupant(s) has not been reported. XB-MGM was offered for sale in January 2013 with 10,681 flying hours and 8,107 landings. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Two men flying from Colorado to Illinois die in crash near Kirksville Regional Airport, Missouri ADAIR COUNTY, Mo. - Two people flying from Colorado to Illinois died Tuesday night when their plane crashed on final approach at the Kirksville Regional airport in Missouri. The FAA told KTVO-TV that the Piper PA-32 left Centennial Airport on Tuesday. A flight tracking website shows the plane was heading for Illinois when it was diverted to Missouri. Adair County Coroner Brian Noe identified the victims Wednesday as 64-year-old Robert Groh and 66-year-old James Quinn, both of Wisconsin. The coroner did not know which one was the pilot. Quinn was a flight instructor at Wisconsin Aviation. Groh was president and CEO of GEO-Synthetics of Waukesha, Wis., according to KTVO. It crashed in a rural area about three miles southeast of Kirksville. Airport Director Glenn Balliew told KTVO- TV that the plane's wreckage was scattered along a 300-yard path through a pasture, a wooded area and a bean field. The victims' bodies were found in a ditch near the cockpit. The plane crashed in the rain, but investigators said they don't yet know if the weather played a role in the crash. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/two-people-flying-from-colorado-to-missouri-die-in- crash-near-kirksville-regional-airport Back to Top Rockwell Collins developing visual system for chopper pilots System will give pilots the ability to see through visual obstructions like dust, fog and snow The U.S. Army awarded Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids the first of three phases in a program to develop a system that will give helicopter pilots the ability to see through visual obstructions like dust, fog and snow when taking off and landing. The goal of the program is to develop and qualify a solution for the U.S. Army special operations aviation regiment helicopters that can be installed and in use by 2018. Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager of airborne solutions for Rockwell Collins, said the Degraded Visual Environment Pilotage System will give pilots enhanced capabilities, "resulting in safer operations and increased probability of mission success and aircraft survivability." Brunk said Rockwell Collins continues to build on its relationship with Special Operations Aviation that has developed over the last 20 years "by working with them to develop a situational awareness solution their pilots can trust." The Degraded Visual Environment Pilotage System is fully compatible with the existing common avionics architecture system featured on the U.S. Army's MH-47G and MH-60M helicopters, as well as many other tactical helicopter avionics systems. The system also will help improve visual cues enabling pilots to maintain correct attitude and speeds during landing in degraded visual environments. "Our approach is to offer a scalable system that will allow affordable reuse by other Department of Defense rotorcraft operators," Brunk said. http://thegazette.com/2013/11/04/rockwell-collins-developing-visual-system-for-chopper- pilots/#sthash.2dVUtSvn.dpuf Back to Top Back to Top GE Aviation Pursues Alternative Fuel Sources for its Jet Engine Testing GE Aviation has signed an agreement to purchase cellulosic synthetic biofuel from The D'Arcinoff Group (DG), based in Washington, D.C., to be used for production and development testing of GE jet engines. EVENDALE, OHIO - November 6, 2013 - GE Aviation, which consumes more than 10 million gallons of jet fuel annually at its engine testing centers, will broaden its fuel source beginning in 2016. GE Aviation has signed an agreement to purchase cellulosic synthetic biofuel from The D'Arcinoff Group (DG), based in Washington, D.C., to be used for production and development testing of GE jet engines. The 10-year agreement calls for GE's baseline commitment of 500,000 gallons annually of the low-emissions jet fuel to be used at the company's main jet engine testing facility in Peebles, Ohio. Options are in place to order up to 10 million gallons annually of the synthetic biofuel. Since 2007, GE Aviation has partnered with several government entities and airlines worldwide in demonstrating various alternative fuels in its engines - either through ground tests or full-fledged aircraft flight demonstrations. The demonstrations have involved several GE engine models from the F414 fighter jet for the Boeing F/A-18 to the GE CF6 commercial engine for such large airliners as the Boeing 767. The agreement with D'Arcinoff Group will enable GE Aviation to mix the cellulosic synthetic biofuel in the same storage tanks as those used for traditional jet fuel. The cost for the biofuel will be comparable to traditional jet fuel. The fuel will be produced at the D'Arcinoff Group Energy Program facility, which will integrate synthetic fuel, power generation and distribution. The facility, to be located in Hudspeth County, Texas, is expected to be operational by early 2016. "Developing alternative sources for jet fuel is fundamentally good for the aviation industry and the environment," said Mike Epstein, chief technologist leading the alternative fuels efforts at GE Aviation. "This collaboration enables GE Aviation to further its experience with alternative biofuels in our engines, and foster the development of a fuel source which has great potential." GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet, turboprop and turboshaft engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation. Follow GE Aviation on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GEAviation and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/GEAviation. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/11224578/ge-aviation-pursues-alternative-fuel-sources-for-its- jet-engine-testing Back to Top Helicopter pilot graduates in high demand A four-seat Robinson R44 Raven helicopter is displayed at a Scott City air show in September. Dodge City Community College uses the aircraft to train students. Graduates of a growing Dodge City Community College helicopter flight instructor program are finding work in the helicopter industry. "All of our graduates are employed," said Anthony Lyons, the college's vice president of community and industry relations. "And that's the way we intend to keep it." Demand for pilots is growing. Many commercial helicopter pilots today were pilots during the Vietnam War. They're now retiring or no longer have medical certificates that allow them to fly, Lyons said. "We're going to place ... more than our share in the industry," Lyons said of the Dodge City graduates. DCCC also operates outreach campuses in Salina, Arizona and Utah. The college provides the academic part of the program and contracts with Universal Helicopters, based in Arizona, to provide the flight training. Students can earn seven pilot ratings during the first two years in the program, Lyons said, including private, instrument, commercial, certified flight instructor, certified flight instructor instrument, turbine transition and night vision goggle ratings. "They are moving at a pretty fast clip," Lyons said. Universal Helicopters hires 100 percent of the graduates as part-time flight instructors in the program while they complete their bachelor degrees at Kansas State University - Salina or Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. As flight instructors, they accumulate the 1,000 hours of flight time needed to be hired as commercial helicopter pilots. They're finding work with oil rigs, medical evacuation operations or with other companies, Lyons said. With a college degree, helicopter training and a recommendation from the school, "we're able to get all our graduates hired out at 1,000 hours," said Gordon Jiroux, president of Universal Helicopters. Lyons said the college is expanding its operation in Provo, Utah, and will soon begin a program in Camarillo, Calif. About 120 students are enrolled in the programs, including 12 at the Dodge City campus. The number is expected to grow to 150 or 160 students in the spring semester. "For helicopters, that's extraordinary," Lyons said. It's an expensive program. Students will spend between $100,000 and $150,000 for the first two years of training, he said. It will cost another $30,000 to $40,000 at K-State to complete a bachelor's degree, Lyons said. Embry-Riddle is more expensive. "A lot of our students have to borrow," Lyons said. But, "our students start out making $60,000 to $65,000 a year. We've got students working for aviation companies out two or three years already in the $80,000 range." http://www.kansas.com/2013/11/07/3101267/helicopter-pilot-graduates-in.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top New Winglet Designs From Aviation Partners Will Conserve Even More Fuel For Airlines Falcon 50 with Spiroid winglet If you've ever spent time staring out the window of your commercial flight, chances are you saw the wing of your airplane and the geometric extension at its end. Called a wingtip, that section is an attachment to help control the flow of air over the wing, producing a smooth, laminar stream and reducing drag on the aircraft. Depending on the design, it can help reduce fuel costs by over 10 percent, which is a huge amount of annual savings for an airline. So you can bet that a lot of research goes into designing and optimizing those wing tips. Leading that charge for Boeing BA +0% is a group called Aviation Partners, which at last month's National Business Aviation Association conference showed off its latest design to be integrated into the commercial market. Called the split scimitar winglet, we earlier wrote about United including the design in their upcoming 737 order and saving $200M each year in the process. At the NBAA conference we talked to Joe Clark, the man in charge of Aviation Partners to get an up close look at the split scimitar winglet, talk about market adoption and the future of the technology. Perhaps most interesting in the discussion was further insight into the group's spiroid winglet that looks like a loop at the end of the wing and that saves even more fuel above the split scimitar. Mr Clark hinted that airlines were initially cool on the design due its lower sex appeal, but now that fuel prices are so high they're ready to revisit the concept. Expect to see more split scimitar winglets on Boeing aircraft around the world as airlines adopt the higher- efficiency designs and more cost savings. Provided this trend continues, the spiroid may be heading to commercial airliners soon as well. http://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2013/11/06/new-winglet-designs-from-aviation-partners-will- conserve-even-more-fuel-for-airlines/ Back to Top Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS 2014) 21-22 May 2014, Bangkok, Thailand As part of our ongoing efforts to establish continuous enhancement in aviation safety in the Asia Pacific region, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) plans to hold the next Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS) on 21-22 May 2014 in Bangkok. The seminar, hosted by THAI Airways International, is organised by the AAPA Flight Operations & Safety Working Group. This seminar is designed to create a common meeting place for all airlines from the Asia Pacific region, airports, aircraft manufacturers, regolators, insurers, ground handlers, MROs, service providers and suppliers to discuss and to be updated on the latest developments in aviation safety. This seminar will provide excellent networking opportunities for all safety stakeholders to exchange ideas on the important fundamentals and applications of aviation safety best practices, in-service experience and lessons-learned with like-minded aviation safety experts from within and outside the region. As in past seminars, topic-specific workshops will be organised to create a more focused environment for participants to exchange views and debate on the practical approaches in managing some of the leading safety issues facing the region. Registration will be opening very soon so mark this key regional event on your calendar! APASS 2014 will focus on solutions to safety challenges that will have a positive impact on aviation operations. Interested parties can submit their papers via the call for papers form below. Abstracts selected will be for individual presentation or for participation in panel discussions. Papers are encouraged to have regional applicability and address current industry and regulatory issues. On behalf of THAI Airways International, the AAPA would like to offer sponsorship opportunities to interested organisations enabling sponsors to present their corporate messages and showcase their company brands to some of the leading airlines in the world based in Asia Pacific. To submit a paper or for sponsorship opportunities, please visit http://www.aapairlines.org For further enquiries, kindly contact CV Thian at cvthian@aapa.org.my or tel: +603 2162 1888 Curt Lewis