Flight Safety Information April 23, 2014 - No. 083 In This Issue Malaysia Approves International Investigation into MH370 'Wake turbulence' led to C-130 J aircraft crash (India) EU launches online air safety checking tool Man arrested having loaded gun at GR airport NTSB to Hold General Aviation Safety Seminar Retraction PRISM SMS For My $300 Million Jet, Whom Do I Make This Check Out To? JetBlue Airways' Pilots Vote to Join Union Embry-Riddle to offer SMS Workshop for Aviation Executives May 20-22 ICAO Loss of Control In-Flight Symposium Upcoming Events Malaysia Approves International Investigation into MH370 Co-pilot and Squadron Leader Brett McKenzie looks from the cockpit of a Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft as they fly over the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysia's Cabinet approved on Wednesday the appointment of an international team to investigate the disappearance of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the country's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said. "The main purpose of the international investigation team is to evaluate, investigate and determine the actual cause of the accident so similar accidents could be avoided in the future," Hishammuddin told reporters in Kuala Lumpur. Hishammuddin added that the government has had talks with Malaysian state oil firm Petronas and other unidentified entities to expand the deep-sea search for the missing plane in the southern Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, the Australian agency coordinating the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 said unidentified material has washed ashore in western Australia and officials are investigating whether it is related to the missing plane. In a statement, the Joint Agency Coordination Center said officials are "examining photographs of the material to determine whether further physical analysis is required and if there is any relevance to the search of missing flight MH370." A massive, multinational search has uncovered no confirmed trace of the plane, nearly seven weeks after the Boeing 777 disappeared mysteriously while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Earlier Wednesday, Australian officials vowed to continue the search, even as a robotic submarine is about to complete the first phase of its, so far, unsuccessful scan of the Indian Ocean seabed. The Joint Agency Coordination Center said the Bluefin-21 underwater drone has completed more than 80 percent of its first full mission without finding any "contacts of interest." Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Wednesday if the drone fails to locate any debris, authorities will "rethink the search." But he said the hunt will not be abandoned. He said the families of the victims deserve to know what happened. Defense Minister David Johnston, meanwhile, told the Associated Press that more powerful, commercial sonar equipment could soon be deployed to help explore the 4.5-kilometer deep search area. The search effort is currently focused on a 10-kilometer radius surrounding the spot where authorities heard a signal they believe came from the locator beacon on the plane's flight data recorder. The batteries on the so-called "black box" recorder have since run out. On the ocean surface, ships continue to search a wider area for debris. But for the second consecutive day Wednesday, Australian authorities suspended the aerial search because of poor weather conditions. Malaysian authorities believe someone intentionally diverted the plane. But they refuse to rule out the possibility that the Malaysia Airlines jet experienced a major mechanical malfunction. http://www.voanews.com/content/australia-vows-to-continue-search-for-malaysian-jet/1899138.html Back to Top 'Wake turbulence' led to C-130 J aircraft crash (India) The aircraft crashed on March 28. Express archive The aircraft crashed on March 28. Express archive 5 officers killed as IAF's new showpiece Super Hercules crashes near Gwalior The shocking crash last month of the IAF's special operations C-130 J aircraft is believed to have been caused by the transporter inadvertently flying into the wake of the lead plane during the tactical training mission, leading to a loss of control at low altitude and the accident that killed all five crew members. Preliminary findings of the detailed inquiry under way point to a "wake turbulence" incident in which the C- 130 J, which was part of a two-aircraft formation practising insertion of paratroopers, stalled at a low level after hitting the wake of the lead aircraft. The findings have ruled out any technical fault and suggested that the aircraft failed to adopt a flight path to avoid the massive wake generated by the four engines of the lead C-130 J. An error of judgement by the pilot could have contributed to the incident, the findings suggest. to help us personalise your reading experience. The probability of such a loss of control is particularly high when heavy aircraft are conducting manoeuvres close to the ground. In this case, both aircraft were flying at 300 feet above ground level and had to climb to 1,000 feet when the accident occurred. While the lead aircraft of the formation successfully climbed to 1,000 feet after the simulated "drop", the second aircraft crashed into a river bed without any warning or distress signal. This, sources said, suggests a sudden, drastic loss of control due to the turbulence generated by the lead C-130 J and is being corroborated by the air crash investigators with data from the flight recorders. Once the inquiry findings are finalised, new safety directives are likely to be generated within the air force to avoid such accidents. The air force had also sought the help of the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, to decipher the voice recorder as well as the flight data recorder. The loss of the air force's most modern special operations C-130 J aircraft on March 28 was particularly shocking given that the plane had been inducted into the air force in 2010 and was commanded by Wing Commander Prashant Joshi, an experienced pilot and the second in command of the 77 'Veiled Vipers' squadron. Hours after taking off as part of a two-aircraft formation from Agra to carry out low-level flying training, the aircraft had apparently grazed a hillock before crashing 116 km west of Gwalior on the Rajasthan- Madhya Pradesh border. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/wake-turbulence-led-to-c-130-j-aircraft-crash/ Back to Top EU launches online air safety checking tool People travelling to and from and in and around Europe can now search online to find out which airlines are subject to bans. The European Commission has launched an online tool to search the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union that are on the EU Air Safety List. EUmap The EU Air Safety List provides informationregarding the airlines that are banned from operating in EU skies because they do not respect international safety standards With the new tool, finding information is easier, fasterand more effective, a spokesman explained. All you have to do is type in a country, an airline name, or an ICAO airline code and you will know whether or not an airline is on the EU Air Safety List. Previously, even though the Commission's EU Air Safety List website is one of the most visited websites in the transport policy area, users had to study the complete list of airlines in order to find the information they needed on one particular airline. 'Effective aviation safety standards in Europe have made the Union the safest region to fly in the world, on par with the United States,' the spokesman explained. 'Whilst the European Union and its Member States are working with safety authorities in other countries to raise safety standards across the world, there are still some airlines operating in conditions below international safety levels,' he said. 'To improve safety in Europe further, the European Commission, in consultation with Member States' aviation safety authorities, is tasked with banning airlines found to be unsafe from operating in European airspace,' he added. The EU Air Safety List provides information regarding the airlines that are banned from operating in EU skies because they do not respect international safety standards. However, users are invited to read an information notice before using the tool. This clarifies the scope of this search tool and of the EU Air Safety List in general. Indeed, despite the efforts made to verify the exact identity of all airlines in the EU Safety List, a complete verification is not always possible. Furthermore, and evidently, the Commission does not necessarily know the details of each airline in the world. The new tool is in English but other versions, one for each official language of the EU, will be launched soon. The EU Air Safety List is established by the European Commission, pursuant to Regulation No 2111/2005 of the European Parliament and the Council of 14 December 2005 on the establishment of a Community list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the Community and on informing air transport passengers of the identity of the operating air carrier and on the basis of the advice of the EU Air Safety Committee. http://www.expatforum.com/general-considerations/eu-launches-online-air-safety-checking-tool.html Back to Top Man arrested having loaded gun at GR airport GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - A Newaygo man was arrested Sunday when a loaded hand gun was discovered in his carry-on luggage at Gerald R. Ford International Airport. A TSA officer noticed the gun while checking the X-ray machine. Officers found a 9-mm Ruger P-95 hand gun, loaded with 15 rounds, with one chambered. The TSA contacted airport police, who confiscated the gun and ammunition and arrested the Kasey Kohlhoff, 27, on state charges. Kohlhoff has been released on bail. Kohlhoff did have a Michigan concealed pistol license and was originally ticketed to fly to San Antonio through Detroit. The TSA reminds everyone that firearms are not permitted in carry-on luggage. Anyone traveling with a firearm needs to check the gun in a hard-sided, locked case and declared with the airlines. Passengers are responsible for the contents of the bags they bring to the security checkpoint. http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/local/kentwood/2014/04/21/man-arrested-loaded-gun- airport/7965611/ Back to Top NTSB to Hold General Aviation Safety Seminar The National Transportation Safety Board will present a seminar on preventing general aviation accidents that involve aerodynamic stalls and loss of control. The seminar will be held on Saturday, May 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, Va. NTSB has partnered with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) to host the event. The event-the fifth in a series of safety seminars focused on preventing aviation accidents-is free to attend and designed for pilots, mechanics, and others in the industry. Registration is limited to 200 attendees. NTSB board member Earl Weener will be a featured presenter at the event, and pilots who participate in the FAA's WINGS program receive credit for attending. http://ohsonline.com/articles/2014/04/20/ntsb-to-hold-may-safety-seminar.aspx Back to Top Retraction: The article "NTSB: Fatal plane crash near Bethel preceded by 'altitude deviations'" that ran in FSI # 080 on 18APR2014; the photo does not represent an aircrcraft belonging to or operated by Hageland Avaition. The DAC aircraft in the photo is in no way associated with Hageland Aviation. Back to Top Back to Top For My $300 Million Jet, Whom Do I Make This Check Out To? When the sticker price for a new Boeing or Airbus jet can top $300 million, rarely does one expect a buyer to fork over the total in cash. Yet that's what has been happening in recent years at Boeing (BA), the largest seller of widebody airplanes, where a quarter of all deliveries this year are forecast to be paid for in cash. Most buyers in the market for a 777-300ER-list price: $320.2 million-or a $212 million 787 Dreamliner pay Boeing cash they have borrowed elsewhere, typically from a bank or a commercial bond issue to support the acquisition. In many cases, the airline has already sold its new jet to a leasing company and plans to rent it for the next decade or more, a common arrangement in the industry. Cash payments peaked at one-third of deliveries (PDF) in 2012, according to Boeing Capital, which helps to finance the company's airplanes and analyzes the market for future financing availability to help the company plan production and ensure adequate liquidity to fund the sales of the new aircraft. Boeing Capital predicts that bank loans and capital markets, often bond issues, will each account for 24 percent of delivery financing. Boeing's commercial airplanes unit reported $53 billion in sales last year due to a record output of 648 aircraft. (Boeing and Airbus receive the bulk of payment for a new plane when a customer takes it.) Airbus (AIR:FP) says cash and commercial debt accounted for 57.5 percent of its delivery financing last year. The company does not specify cash alone. STORY: Boeing's 737 Turns 8,000: The Best-Selling Plane Ever Isn't Slowing The level of cash payment reflects an airline industry that has dramatically slashed its debt load, provoked into a more conservative management by shocks to its business, from the terror attacks to oil prices to pandemic scares, says Kostya Zolutsky, a managing director at Boeing Capital in suburban Seattle. "The biggest impetus was 2001 and they saw how big the shocks can be," Zolutsky says. "Between 2000 and 2010, airlines globally, in essence, halved their leverage. The industry as a whole de-levered. When you look at cash (payments), that's a reflection of that." Zolutsky says in a given year "you can count on one hand, maybe two" the number of airlines that buy a new plane directly from their cash flow. Those that do typically want to reduce the amount of cash on the books, driven by the airline's balance sheet goals. Spending it on a new airplane can make more sense than parking it in a low-yielding investment or using the money elsewhere. Southwest (LUV), for example, has paid cash for some of its 737s, and many of the older, inexpensive McDonnell Douglas aircraft in Delta's (DAL) fleet were bought with cash in the used market. That airline also leases less of its fleet than do rivals, giving Delta the flexibility to park some planes if there's a sharp economic downturn. Airlines that lease face regular payments, requiring them to fly the planes to generate revenue even if a flight isn't making money. If Delta orders new widebody airplanes this year, there has been speculation in the industry that some of those big jets may be purchased with cash, given Delta's goal of becoming a "high- quality industrial transportation" company with low debt, an investment-grade credit rating, and rising dividends. "Cash is fungible," says Henri Courpron, chief executive officer of International Lease Finance Corp., one of the world's largest airplane lessors. "There's no airline in the world that doesn't have borrowings." But at times there are also a few that see wisdom in writing fantastically large checks. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-21/for-my-300-million-jet-who-do-i-make-this-check-out- to Back to Top JetBlue Airways' Pilots Vote to Join Union Most of JetBlue's 2,529 pilots participated in the vote, and 71 percent of them voted to unionize. Credit Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters After twice rejecting bids to unionize since 2009, JetBlue Airways pilots overwhelmingly agreed to be represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, the union said on Tuesday. Most of JetBlue's 2,529 pilots participated in the vote, and 71 percent of them voted to join A.L.P.A., the largest pilots' union in the United States. In a one-sentence statement, JetBlue said it would set up negotiating committees after the National Mediation Board authorizes A.L.P.A. as the representative body for its pilots. The pilots are the first work group at JetBlue to join a union. It most likely means that JetBlue's costs will continue to rise in coming years as the pilots' union seeks better terms for its newest members. Shares of JetBlue fell 1.9 percent on Tuesday, to close at $8.59. Captain Lee Moak, the union's president, said that the addition of the JetBlue pilots would "make our union stronger by adding their unified voices to the association's strong bargaining and advocacy efforts." A.L.P.A., which represents about 50,000 pilots in the United States and Canada, also represents pilots at Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines pilots have independent unions. JetBlue has been a nonunion airline since it was founded in 1998. Pilots there had twice before rejected moves to join the union, in 2009 and 2011. In January, JetBlue struck a new work agreement with its pilots to raise base rates by 20 percent - or $145 million - by 2017. JetBlue said then that the higher pay would be the largest driver behind a projected 3 percent to 5 percent growth in its costs per mile flown. The airline also plans to hire 125 new pilots, partly to comply with changes in federal rules about pilot rest and work limits. The new rules require pilots to have 1,500 hours of flight time, instead of 250 hours previously required of first officers, or co-pilots. New fatigue rules have also taken effect recently, limiting the number of hours pilots can fly. They coincided with a period of exceptionally bad weather in the Northeast, which led to thousands of flight cancellations. JetBlue, for instance, suspended all of its flights for 17 hours at New York's three major airports, as well as Boston, because of a winter storm in January. The airline said then that new duty and rest rules had not caused the cancellations but had complicated its operations. A.L.P.A. said it would now focus on establishing representatives and negotiation committees and on working to negotiate the airline's first collective bargaining agreement. It said JetBlue pilot members would immediately be entitled to A.L.P.A.'s medical advisers and insurance benefits "Today, JetBlue pilots have voted for A.L.P.A. representation so that we have the ability to improve our professional careers," said Captains Gustavo Rivera and Rocky Durham, co-chairmen of the JetBlue Organizing Committee. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/business/pilots-at-jetblue-vote-to-join-a-union.html?_r=0 Back to Top Embry-Riddle to offer SMS Workshop for Aviation Executives May 20-22 Daytona Beach, Fla. - Aviation professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge in Safety Management Systems (SMS) concepts and implementation of SMS within their organization can take advantage of a three day course being offered on the Daytona Beach Campus from May 20-22. Topics will include: safety risk management (hazards, risks, and controls); human factors; reactive, proactive, and predictive safety management tools and methods; positive safety culture; and SMS implementation overview. Attendees will be able to explain the theory, principles and application of SMS and will understand the ICAO requirements for implementation as well as the current FAA guidance for operators and organizations. All participants will receive a signed copy of Safety Management Systems in Aviation, authored in part by Dr. Alan Stolzer, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. For more information, click here or email case@erau.edu About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 60 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry- Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real- world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. Back to Top DO NOT MISS THIS KEY AVIATION EVENT, REGISTER NOW! Although Loss of Control In-flight (LOCI) accidents are rare, they have accounted for one third of all fatalities in scheduled commercial aviation over the last ten years, more than any other category of accident. Addressing LOCI has therefore become a priority for the aviation industry. ICAO will convene a Loss of Control In-flight (LOCI) Symposium on 20-22 May 2014 in Montreal to share information and experiences of professionals from a wide variety of aviation disciplines to address this safety priority. Our List of Speakers includes: - Bertrand de Courville, Consultant to IATA, Co-chair of the European Commercial Aviation Safety Team. - Peggy Gilligan, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, FAA. - Kevin Hiatt, Senior VP for Safety and Flight Operations, IATA. - Jules Kneepkens, Rulemaking Director, European Aviation Safety Authority. - Terry McVenes, Director, Operational Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Boeing. - Harry Nelson, Executive Operational Advisor to Product Safety, Airbus. Click here to see the full list of our confirmed speakers >> Who Should Attend: The Symposium will attract aviation professionals from regulatory authorities, accident investigation bodies, manufacturers, airlines, training schools, international organisations, and members of the research and academic community. Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities: Industry stakeholders with relevant products and services are invited to exhibit and/or sponsor at this event in order to gain visibility with government and aviation industry audiences. For more information please contact: Ms. Enza Brizzi. ENGAGE. SHARE. MAKE A DIFFERENCE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER For more information go to:www.icao.int/meetings/loci Follow us at: Back to Top Upcoming Events: Airport Show Dubai May 11-13, 2014 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) www.theairportshow.com/portal/home.aspx International Humanitarian Aviation Summit 12-14MAY Toledo, Spain wfp.org National Safety Council Aviation Safety Committee Annual Conference Savanah, GA - May 14-15, 2014 Contact: tammy.washington@nsc.org http://cwp.marriott.com/savdt/artexmeeting/ Embry-Riddle to offer Aviation SMS Workshop Daytona Beach, FL May 20-22, 2014 www.erau.edu/case ICAO Loss of Control In-Flight Symposium 20-22 May 2014 - Montreal www.icao.int/meetings/loci Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar 21-22 May 2014, Bangkok, Thailand http://bit.ly/APASS2014 International System Safety Society Annual Symposium 04-08AUG2014 - St. Louis, MO http://issc2014.system-safety.org Curt Lewis