Flight Safety Information February 18, 2014 - No. 035 In This Issue Flight Attendant Critically Hurt as United Jet Hits Turbulence National pilot shortage has local impact (Utah) Woman killed in fall from aircraft ladder in Saudi Nepal Plane Crash Emblematic Of Dismal Aviation Safety Record More Training Needed as Air Travel Grows in Asia, Says U.N. Official FAA report: 71 evacuation slide problems in two years PRISM SMS Chinese aircraft attract attention at Singapore airshow Why Professional Is Required As Aviation Minister (Nigeria) FAA: 'NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY' FOR AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL Flight Attendant Critically Hurt as United Jet Hits Turbulence Five people were taken to hospital - one of them in a critical condition - after a United Airlines jet ran into severe turbulence on a flight from Denver to Billings, Montana, on Monday. A passenger said one woman hit the cabin ceiling so hard that she cracked a panel during the incident, which happened as the Flight 1676 was making its descent for a scheduled landing at 1:23 p.m. local time (3:23 p.m. ET). Three flight attendants and two passengers went to hospital, the airline said in a statement. All were released except for one flight attendant. A United plane at the Billings Loan International Airport in Montana after it made an emergency landing. St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings said the remaining patient was in a critical condition. Joe Frank, 20, a passenger on board on the Boeing 737-700 told The Denver Post in an e-mail that the aircraft dropped suddenly and with such force that an infant flew from a parent's arms and landed, unharmed, in another seat nearby. "The sudden drop pulled everyone out of their seats, and I mean hard," Frank told the newspaper. Another passenger, Bill Dahlin, told local station KTVQ that one woman hit the ceiling so hard it cracked the panel above her head. "There was a lot of screaming, a lot of hollering," Dahlin told KTVQ. In a statement, United Airlines said there had been 114 passengers and five crew members on board the flight. "The flight encountered severe turbulence upon descent into Billings, Montana," the statement said. "Three crew members and a number of passengers were injured. Our primary focus is assisting our employees and passengers who were injured, and our flight safety team will review what happened. " http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/flight-attendant-critically-hurt-united-jet-hits- turbulence-n32506 Back to Top National pilot shortage has local impact (Utah) SALT LAKE CITY - A national shortage of airline pilots is hitting Utah close to home. The number of people going through training and entering the field of aviation nationally is declining, and has been on a steady downfall since the mid-1980s. A recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek cited lower starting salaries for new pilots and tighter government regulations as major factors in the decline. Jim Green worked as a Navy and commercial pilot for more than 30 years before he retired to teach in Utah Valley University's Aviation Science program, where he currently works as a flight instructor. He said he's seen the effects of the pilots shortfall at all levels in the industry. "Boeing is predicting a worldwide shortage of nearly 500,000 pilots over the next 20 years," Green said. "We have no idea how we are going to get those numbers." Green echoed the factors listed in Bloomberg for the shortfall, but said there are some deeper reasons fewer people are entering the world of flying. "The reason starting salaries have been low is because of pure supply and demand," Green said. "There always seemed to be enough young pilots who were willing to work for starvation wages at first in order to get the experience and hours necessary to secure a job with a major airline where the pay is much better." Green said today students looking to come into the industry have higher college debts to pay off and can't afford to work in a sort of apprenticeship for a few years to get their careers started. This drives many out of the industry that would otherwise be interested. "The idea of paying a lot for an education in aviation with the prospect of having student loans to pay off at the same time as making low wages doesn't equate as a smart decision," Green said. The idea of paying a lot for an education in aviation with the prospect of having student loans to pay off at the same time as making low wages doesn't equate as a smart decision. -Jim Green In recent years, the national government has passed a few new laws that Green said have also hindered pilot enrollment. Public Law 111-216, which took effect last August, requires all pilots, including first officers, to log at least 1,500 hours to receive their Airline Transport Rating (ATR). An ATR was traditionally only held by captains. "That (law) is a serious problem, because there aren't enough young co-pilots with those hours to qualify for the right seat of any airline," Green said. "This absurd law couldn't have come at a worse time as we start to face a serious pilot shortage." If not corrected, Green said the current decline in pilots will create a domino effect throughout the entire aviation industry. "The significant pilot shortage," Green said, "is expected to last for the next 20 years, and exacerbated by PL 111-216, will cause most of the regional airlines to go out of business completely. Small cities across the nation are already seeing their air service cut, with the prospect that all air service will cease to cities smaller than 150,000 population." While the new law may have been passed with public safety in mind, Green said it failed to factor in the long-term consequences tighter pilot regulations would have on every area of transportation. "The intent of Congress was to increase safety for passengers," Green said, "but now because people will need to drive long distances to get to a major city to fly, there will actually be more deaths, because driving on our highways is more dangerous than flying." Green said UVU is taking strong measures to encourage prospective students to enter its aviation program and become pilots. "Our newly updated online program is so good we are attracting students from all over the world, in fact," Green said. "Students who take the online classes can fly locally wherever they are, and receive the FAA certification required to be licensed." Green said the program's numbers are down from previous years, but the teachers and staff have been able to boost enrollment by offering a quicker route to ATR qualifications. Currently 160 students are enrolled in UVU's aviation science program, with an additional 1,600 signed up online. Green said he would encourage anyone interested in a career as a pilot to investigate all options and not let tougher restrictions scare them away. "There's never been a better time to prepare to fly for a career," Green said. "The need is great, the technology wonderful, the conditions safer than ever and the pay is only going to go up." He said he wouldn't trade his lifetime in the air for anything, and would love to see eager young pilot-hopefuls experience the thrill of a career in aviation. "I tell young people all the time, 'You have two choices to make concerning your future career. You can either choose to work a job for a living, or you can fly.' " Green said. "In my opinion, there is no choice. It's the only way to go!" http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=28741972#C0Acw3mrJKySWt68.99 Back to Top Woman killed in fall from aircraft ladder in Saudi A female passenger was killed when she fell off the ladder (Stairs) of an aircraft at an airport in Saudi Arabia, press reports said on Tuesday. The 45-year-old woman stumbled and fell down to the ground at the airport in the central Saudi province of Al Qasseem, Sharq Arabic language daily said. "She was rushed to hospital but died later. "Airport authorities are investigating the incident," it said without identifying the woman or giving further details. http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/woman-killed-in-fall-from-aircraft-ladder-in- saudi-2014-02-17-1.538604 Back to Top Nepal Plane Crash Emblematic Of Dismal Aviation Safety Record All 18 people on board the 40-year-old Twin Otter aircraft are believed to have died in the crash, though it took a search and rescue team 20 hours to locate the plane. Among the deceased were three crew members, one child and a Danish national. Investigators say it will take some time to determine the cause of the crash, though Nepal is notorious for its spurious inquiries. The Netherlands-based Aviation Safety Network gives Nepal a score of just two out of 10 for accident investigation. It also receives a score of two for aviation safety legislation, implying that insufficient investigation leads to minimal action thereafter. Perhaps that is why this Himalayan nation has witnessed 32 crashes and 700 fatalities since the 1950s. In fact, there were two fatal crashes each year between 2010 and 2012, signifying that, if anything, the problem is growing alongside passenger demand. Kathmandu-based aviation expert Hemant Arjyal of the Nepal National Aviation Council told the AFP that it was "pretty clear that our safety has not been up to the standards." "There is a tendency to investigate only if all people on board have died in the crash," he said. "This makes the job of the investigating officials easy. Now you can blame the dead crew." Indeed, officials have attributed the majority of incidents in recent years to inexperienced pilots, though inadequate maintenance of old fleets and poor overall management also play a role. Arjyal said investigators needed to probe the non-fatal accidents to better understand the myriad reasons behind the nation's appalling safety record. The European Union may provide a catalyst for change. It banned all of Nepal's airlines from flying into or within the EU in December, noting that the country's safety record "does not leave us any other choice." "We do hope that this ban will help the aviation authorities to improve aviation safety," EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said at the time, adding: "I have already asked the European Aviation Safety Agency to prepare an aviation safety assistance project for Nepal." While the United States doesn't blacklist individual airlines, it does issue a public list of nations that it judges to fall short of international aviation safety standards. This list includes Indonesia, Serbia and the Philippines, among others, but not Nepal as none of its carriers fly to the U.S. Timeline Of Recent Plane Crashes In Nepal October 2013: A Chinese tourist and Nepali pilot were killed when a small plane crashed into a hill near Pokhara. May 2013: A Nepal Airlines plane skidded off the runway at Jomsom Airport and plunged into a river, injuring 21 people, including eight Japanese tourists. September 2012: An Everest-bound Sita Air flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu killing 19 people, including five Chinese and seven Britons. May 2012: Fifteen of the 21 passengers and crew aboard an Agni Air flight from Pokhara to Jomsom died when the plane crashed into the mountains. Though 13 Indian pilgrims perished, three others survived, along with two Danish tourists and the flight attendant. September 2011: A Buddha Air sightseeing flight out of Kathmandu crashed at Kotdada Hill, killing 19 people, including 10 Indians, two Americans and one Japanese. December 2010: A Tara Air flight crashed five minutes after taking off from Lamidanda Airport en route to Kathmandu, killing 19 passengers and three crew members. Among the fatalities were 18 Bhutanese pilgrims and one American. August 2010: An Agni Air flight between Kathmandu and Lukla crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 14 people aboard, including four Americans, one Japanese and one Briton. http://www.ibtimes.com/nepal-plane-crash-emblematic-dismal-aviation-safety-record- 1556221 Back to Top More Training Needed as Air Travel Grows in Asia, Says U.N. Official An Air India passenger jet takes off from Ahmedabad, India, last year. U.S. authorities last month downgraded India's aviation-safety rating. Training and capacity-building will be key for many countries' aviation sectors amid the rapid growth of air traffic in the Asian-Pacific region in coming years, a United Nations aviation official said. "We understand this region will need more and more training," said Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, president of the council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nations body that oversees global aviation. Mr. Aliu was speaking during an interview on Tuesday with The Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow. His comments come less than two weeks after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration downgraded India's aviation-safety ranking, citing inadequate oversight by local regulators. By emphasizing India's shortage of independent and adequately trained inspectors, the FAA also appeared to be delivering a warning to other countries in Asia and the Middle East, aviation analysts said. The FAA had downgraded Indonesia and the Philippines years ago after after determining that regulators in those countries didn't meet international safety standards. Both countries are still seeking upgrades. The downgrades mean the countries' carriers are effectively barred from increasing services to U.S. cities. Mr. Aliu acknowledged that the growth of air traffic in Asia is putting pressure on safety infrastructure, but said there is no cause for alarm. "The Asia-Pacific region is doing okay," he said. "If there are deficiencies, we encourage states to put in place a productive action plan." The ICAO independently audits the safety-oversight capabilities of individual countries, but it doesn't comment on audits done by countries' aviation authorities, Mr. Aliu said. The agency has recently revised its global aviation-safety plan, calling for countries to meet the ICAO's minimum protocols by 2017, he said. The ICAO has also implemented more frequent audits to ensure that it can quickly identify any concerns and ask regulators to remedy any problems. "Traffic growth in any region can create safety issues if it is not managed properly. It's a global concern and by no means restricted to Asia and Africa," he said. http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2014/02/12/more-training-needed-as-air-travel- grows-in-asia-says-u-n-official/ Back to Top FAA report: 71 evacuation slide problems in two years 10 Fastest Aircraft Evacuation Slides.wmv WASHINGTON D.C. - Vallie Collins survived the "Miracle on the Hudson" five years ago, US Airways flight 1549. She, along with a mother and two children, clung to an evacuation slide serving as a raft until rescuers arrived. "It was a very scary, traumatic experience," said Collins. It takes less than 10 seconds for an evacuation slide to deploy. Those slides are one of the biggest factors in people getting off a plane alive. However, what happens when that slide doesn't open? It's a problem that happens more than you might think. When Asiana Airlines 214 crashed on a San Francisco runway in July, only two slides properly deployed. The other two inflated inside the burning plane, pinning flight attendants to the floor. Using the Freedom of Information Act, Channel 9 obtained maintenance logs submitted to the FAA. They reveal 71 reports of evacuation slide problems in the past two years. The documents expose trouble on a variety of airplanes and airlines. The National Transportation Safety Board, which first cast light on faulty slides back in 2000, found a failure rate of 37 percent. The chairman said two investigative panels are again looking into why slides malfunction so often. The NTSB is expected to release the cause of the Asiana crash, as well as any new slide recommendations this summer. http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/faa-report-71-evacuation-slide-problems-two- years/ndQzs/ Back to Top Back to Top Chinese aircraft attract attention at Singapore airshow China is working hard to sell its aircraft overseas. At the just concluded 2014 Singapore Airshow, the state-owned China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation, or CATIC, had one of the show's largest stands. Models on display include the L-15 advanced jet trainer and an unmanned combat areial vehicle, the Wing Loong. The jet was co-designed by China and Pakistan and attracted more than 100 orders in the last two years. On the civilian aircraft side, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China announced its plan to assemble its first C919 aircraft this year and has so far received more than 400 orders. The Singapore Airshow is Asia's largest and attracted nearly 140,000 visitors over the six-day show this year. http://english.cntv.cn/program/bizasia/20140217/103821.shtml Back to Top Why Professional Is Required As Aviation Minister (Nigeria) Aviation Experts and unions for the first time came together to demand that an aviation expert be appointed as minister of aviation following the sack of the former minister of aviation, Stella Oduah, by president Goodluck Jonathan. This follows what they identified as the mistakes of the past which they said the government should make efforts to correct as its takes a long period for an outsider to understand the language of the industry as well as its myriad of problems. The experts, under the aegis of Aviation Round Table (ART), Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), took the position after an an emergency meeting of the groups on Saturday. They specifically cited instances with the Ministry of Agriculture which has repositioned itself following the appointment of a technocrat as its minister. President of Aviation Round Table (ART), Captain Dele Ore, who spoke during the meeting, said the industry is sick and needs someone who understands the problem to come on board to tackle its myriads of problem. He feared that the tampering of the autonomy of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) might cause the industry its Category one certification by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). AON chairman, Captain Noggie Meggison, expressed fear over the growth of the airlines, stressing that the numerous accidents in the industry has resulted in a 30 per cent reduction in passengers' traffic. He lamented the plight of airlines which he said could do better if the price of aviation fuel is reduced. He said, "Since the last crash we have lost more than 30 per cent of the passenger figure in aviation. Nigerian aviation is safe. We should realise that a local trained Nigerian is now running the global regulator of aviation (ie International Civil Aviation Organisation). Aviation is the pivot for economic development. We need investors to develop Nigeria. We don't want aviation to be a training ground anymore. We want a technocrat to be appointed as aviation minister. He stressed that the industry has the manpower and resources, adding that one mistake in the industry could cause many lives unlike in the health sector where a doctor's mistake could only claim one victim at a time. Also, the President of the NAAPE, Isaac Balami, stated that it is right to 'put a round peg in a round hole'; a situation he said would help the sector to grow. http://leadership.ng/business/346203/professional-required-aviation-minister Back to Top FAA: 'NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY' FOR AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL Job openings list requirements for critical positions No experience? No problem. You, too, can be an air-traffic controller, guiding hundreds or thousands of flights from airport to airport across the country. The Federal Aviation Administration says the position offers an "exciting, challenging and rewarding aviation career." The qualifications include being a U.S. citizen; starting training no later than age 31; passing medical, security and pre-employment tests; and earning either a bachelor's degree or three years of progressive work experience. And be able to speak English "clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment." But not necessarily any experience. In fact, the agency specifically addresses that concern, stating: "Members of the general public can apply for FAA air traffic control specialist positions through specific job vacancies announced on USAJOBS that do not require previous air traffic control experience." Forbes' aviation transportation contributor John Goglia has reported that the FAA is set to hire some 10,000 controllers over the next decade, with a front-loaded 6,000 needed in just five years. The positions would be in one of the 315 at FAA offices around the nation. He reported that trainees in 2012 started at $17,803 with salaries jumping to $37,070 after training. However, that is just the beginning. He reported the median air-traffic controller salary was $122,530 with a small percentage taking in more than $171,340. Only about 10 percent were below $64,930. The actual pay depends on "career path, facility location, facility complexity, job performance, training and certifications." The FAA explains: "Every day of the year, and especially on holidays, more than 15,000 federal controllers at 315 FAA air traffic facilities are on the job, guiding more than 87,000 flights every day across our national airspace system. "Do you have what it takes to help us control the skies?" Tanita Gaither at Cleveland's WOIO-TV said job postings used to ask for applicants with military or prior aviation experience. Goglia said under the FAA hiring plan, the Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan 2013- 2022, the jobs are open in locations ranging from the national Command Center to airport towers that do not even have radar. "Of particular important to interested applicants, the FAA is opening its hiring to the general public," he reported. "This is not always the case as sometimes the FAA recruits exclusively from the military or students who have completed an FAA-approved air traffic course of study at the collegiate level. "This year the FAA will be opening a general recruiting announcement seeking applicants from the general public who have no air-traffic control experience," he said. The goal? "More depth and diversity" among controllers. http://www.wnd.com/2014/02/faa-no-experience-necessary-for-air-traffic- control/#YLCRGSVC3dqj1lf6.99 Curt Lewis