Flight Safety Information November 2, 2015 - No. 219 In This Issue Probe of Russian Plane Crash in Egypt's Sinai Points to Breakup in Flight Russian Plane Broke Up At High Altitude, Official Says Russian official says jet broke up at high altitude over Egypt British pilots were warned to stop low flying over Egypt THREE MONTHS ago Russian Crash Mars Kremlin's Efforts to Improve Air Safety Global Airline Pilots on Metrojet flight 9268 United Airlines Plane Returns To LAX After Reporting 'Engine Issue' AW609 Prototype Crashes in Italy, Killing Both Pilots Here's when fatal airplane accidents happen Torqued: Is Gulfstream IV Crash Corporate Aviation's Wakeup Call? United Airlines Halts Job-Outsourcing Plan Fuel spills into Potomac River near Reagan National Airport PROS 2015 TRAINING Stop By and Visit At NBAA - Booth N812 China to take on Boeing, Airbus with homegrown C919 passenger jet Taking flight at CWU: Aviation Department training new pilots for future Airbus tackles pilot shortage Help sought restoring Stewart's old airplane Report Card - Airbus A380 After 8 Years in Service $1.25B Boeing-Dreamliner Deal 2015: El Al Israel Airlines Places Biggest Order To Date Government-owned Air India mulling setting up aviation university Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Probe of Russian Plane Crash in Egypt's Sinai Points to Breakup in Flight The Russian passenger jet that crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula with 224 people on board broke apart in flight and debris from the tail section was found separate from the rest of the fuselage, suggesting that section may have split off in the air, according to people familiar with the investigation. Russian authorities suggested the cause of Saturday's crash was likely mechanical failure, though it was too early to draw a firm conclusion. The midair breakup left debris scattered over approximately eight square miles, the head of the Russian- led Interstate Aviation Committee, Viktor Sorochenko, said Sunday. The plane had suffered substantial damage in 2001 when the tail struck the runway on landing in Cairo, according to the Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network. That event has captured the attention of safety experts and investigators given that the tail-section debris was located apart from the rest of the plane, according to two people knowledgeable about early steps of the investigation. After climbing gradually to more than 33,000 feet, the jet dropped some 6,000 feet in about 22 seconds, according to preliminary radar data posted Saturday by a commercial website. In roughly 60 seconds, the data show the plane's speed dropping to about 100 miles per hour, slower than the forward speed needed to continue safe flight. According to the data, which hasn't been confirmed by investigators, the plane had been cruising at roughly 460 miles per hour. Investigators of Saturday's crash focused on a wide debris field and a tail section found distant from the rest. Both of the plane's black boxes, which record flight data, were recovered on Saturday, said Mohamed Rahma, a spokesman for Egypt's civil aviation ministry. "It's too early to speak of conclusions," Mr. Sorochenko told journalists in Cairo after inspecting the crash site, according to Russian state news agencies. "The breakup happened in the air." The Airbus A321, operated by Russian carrier Kogalymavia, was flying to St. Petersburg, Russia, from the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh in Sinai, a popular destination for Russian tourists. Several airlines suspended flights over Sinai until more is known about the cause of the crash. United Arab Emirates budget carriers flydubai and Air Arabia said Sunday they were rerouting flights after Air France-KLM, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Emirates Airline said they were avoiding the Sinai region. A Russian passenger jet carrying 224 people crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula after losing contact with aviation authorities on Saturday morning. Photo: European Press Photo Agency The Egyptian affiliate of Islamic State, which is known as Sinai Province and is active in the restive peninsula, claimed responsibility for downing the plane and said it was in response to Russia's intervention in the Syrian war on the side of the regime. Syria's Shiite-linked regime, which is backed by Iran, is fighting the Sunni extremists of Islamic State among other foes. Islamic State and its affiliates have frequently made exaggerated claims, and Russian officials said they doubted whether the group has the capabilities to carry out such an attack. U.S. and European air safety officials, who had previously warned airliners about the threat of antiaircraft weapons in the region, believe flying above 26,000 feet is safe. The Russian plane was above 30,000 feet when it appears to have broken up. Conflicting reports about the extent of the debris field-and how far some tail sections actually landed from other portions of the fuselage-made many safety experts cautious about drawing firm conclusions on Sunday. But the relatively large size of some pieces of wreckage appeared to buttress the notion that the plane hit the ground at a relatively slow forward speed. If wreckage is dispersed over 20 square kilometers or so, that strongly suggests an in-flight breakup, according to industry consultant John Cox, a former airline captain and senior crash investigator for the county's largest pilots union. "It's very hard to believe the airplane would have come apart without some major structural or maintenance problem," he said Sunday. An Egyptian team was searching for evidence and victims. Of the 224 people believed to have died in the crash, 163 bodies had been recovered so far from the site and sent to a morgue as of Sunday. "We are coordinating with the Russians to secure their transportation back home," said Mr. Rahma, the Egyptian civil aviation ministry spokesman. Russia observed a day of mourning for the victims on Sunday. More than half of the victims were from St. Petersburg, Russia's former imperial capital and its second city. A memorial service was held Sunday at the historic Kazan Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox Church on the city's central boulevard, where the names of the victims were read out. At St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, where the plane had been scheduled to land Saturday, mourners laid bouquets of carnations and lit candles outside the arrivals hall. Pavel Bylinin, a resident of the St. Petersburg municipality of Sestroretsk, said he knew two of the crash victims. "You don't know what to feel in this kind of situation," he said. "Such mixed feelings. You want to understand why this all happened." A Russian team has begun working with the Egyptian government's investigative committee. Officials from Russia's emergency, civil-aviation and transport ministries, accompanied by experts from the country's civil-aviation ministry, arrived in Cairo late on Saturday. "Investigations are under way and the government committee is currently at the crash scene," said Mr. Rahma, The plane was built in 1997 making it one of the oldest A321s in service. It had logged almost 21,000 flights and 56,000 flight hours, Airbus said Saturday. In 2003, it was sold to Onur Air and flown by the Turkish carrier as well as leased, at times, to Saudi Arabian Airlines and Syria's Cham Wings, before being sold to Kogalymavia, which operates as Metrojet. The aircraft was registered in Ireland to Willmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd. That company owned the plane and leased it to Kogalymavia, which operated it under its Russian airline license, the Irish Aviation Authority said. Financial investors owning aircraft and leasing them isn't unusual. The plane's owner couldn't immediately be reached for comment. The aircraft had undergone all the required maintenance checks, Kogalymavia has said. When an accident or incident prompts significant structural or bulkhead repairs to a jetliner, the carrier typically consults the manufacturer and often wants it to sign off on how the work is slated to be done. It isn't clear what occurred when the A321 was repaired years ago after the 2001 tail strike, or whether the work involved bulkhead repairs. But safety experts have been aware of the hazards of incorrectly repaired bulkheads for more than a decade. In 2002, a China Airlines jumbo jet en route to Hong Kong from Taiwan broke apart shortly after takeoff, killing all 225 people aboard. Investigators determined the in-flight rupture was caused by improper bulkhead repairs many years earlier. Even before detailed downloads of the recorders are completed to create a precise accident timeline, the debris may provide important clues. The pattern and type of metal fractures, according to safety experts, frequently can indicate how the plane came apart. In previous crash probes, such analysis helped point to everything from fuel-tank explosions to missile strikes. This time, according to these experts, most pieces of the plane are relatively easy to access and therefore may help investigators quickly eliminate theories that don't fit the physical evidence. Egypt has in recent years built up its technical capacity to handle air-crash probes, including the ability to extract information from cockpit voice and flight-data recorders quickly, according to an aviation-safety expert familiar with the country's efforts. Authorities could have useful information available in a few days or even hours once they start extracting data from the black boxes. Egypt is leading the probe, as per international rules, and will be assisted by experts from plane maker Airbus Group SE as well as the French and German air-crash investigation offices. With Russian authorities also stepping up their investigative efforts, Irish crash investigators are joining the growing global effort, people familiar with the matter said. The plane was registered by a leasing company in Ireland, which safety experts said means regulators in that country had some oversight responsibility for the jetliner. Moscow sent aircraft with first responders and forensic investigators to Egypt on Saturday to assist in the recovery. The Russian Embassy in Cairo said an additional two aircraft from Russia's emergency situations ministry arrived in Egypt on Sunday. A team of more than 100 Russian first-responders were on the ground by Sunday. Egypt's top prosecutor, Nabil Sadeq, has ordered restricted access to the crash site. Journalists haven't been allowed to visit the scene, as part of an overall restriction in Sinai because of continuing military operations against militants in the northern part of the peninsula. http://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-egyptian-teams-search-for-evidence-at-sinai-crash-site-1446383507 Back to Top Russian Plane Broke Up At High Altitude, Official Says The large area over which fragments were found indicates that the jet disintegrated while flying high, said the head of Russia's federal aviation agency. SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) -- The Russian jetliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from an Egyptian resort city broke up at high altitude, scattering fragments of wreckage over a wide area in the Sinai Peninsula, Russia's top aviation official said Sunday as search teams raced to recover the bodies of the 224 people who died. Meanwhile in Russia, an outpouring of grief gripped the historic city of St. Petersburg, home of many of the victims. President Vladimir Putin declared a nationwide day of mourning, and flags flew at half-staff. Aviation experts joined the searchers in a remote part of the Sinai, seeking any clues to what caused the Metrojet Airbus A321-200 to plummet abruptly from 31,000 feet just 23 minutes after it departed from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh bound for St. Petersburg. Aviation experts and the search teams were combing an area of 16 square kilometers (more than 6 square miles) to find bodies and pieces of the jet. By midday, 163 bodies had been recovered, according to the Egyptian government. Some of the dead were expected to be flown to Russia later Sunday. In St. Petersburg, hundreds of mourners brought flowers, pictures of the victims, stuffed animals and paper planes to the city's airport. Others went to churches and lit candles in memory of the dead. Elena Vikhareva had no relatives aboard the flight, but she went with her son to lay flowers, saying that pain was "piercing" her heart. Vladimir Povarov and a friend did the same, explaining that they couldn't "remain indifferent." The large area over which fragments were found indicates that the jet disintegrated while flying high, said Alexander Neradko, head of Russia's federal aviation agency. He would not comment on any possible reason for the crash, citing the ongoing investigation. Neradko was in Egypt to inspect the crash site along with Russia's ministers of emergencies and transport. Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov thanked Egyptian authorities for their help and said work on analyzing the data and cockpit voice recorders had not yet begun. An Egyptian ground service official who carried out a preflight inspection of the plane said the aircraft appeared to be in good shape. Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, he said he was a member of a technical inspection team that included two Russians. "We are all shocked. It was a good plane. Everything checked out in 35 minutes," the official told The Associated Press on Sunday. The closest the plane came to being in trouble, he said, was three months ago when the pilot aborted takeoff halfway through because of a system error. "That's almost routine though," he said. However, a Russian TV channel late Saturday quoted the wife of the co-pilot as saying her husband had complained about the plane's condition. Natalya Trukhacheva, identified as the wife of Sergei Trukhachev, said a daughter "called him up before he flew out. He complained before the flight that the technical condition of the aircraft left much to be desired." An Egyptian official had previously said that before the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers, the pilot radioed that the aircraft was experiencing technical problems and that he intended to try to land at the nearest airport. Alexander Fridlyand, an expert who leads a Moscow-based aviation research center, said in televised remarks that a quick plunge from high altitude may indicate that a plane was hit by a bomb explosion in its luggage compartment. Another possibility is a malfunction of the plane's power system, which could have triggered a fire or the shutdown of both engines, he added. Alexander Smirnov, Metrojet's deputy director, said an engine failure would not have caused the plane to crash. "An engine failure doesn't lead to catastrophe," he said on television. Smirnov described the A321 as a reliable aircraft that would not fall into a spin even if the pilots made a grave error because automatic systems correct crew mistakes. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi cautioned that the cause of the crash may not be known for months. "It's very important that this issue is left alone and its causes are not speculated on," he told a gathering of top government officials, members of the military and security forces. The investigation "will take a long time" and "needs very advanced technologies." A local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group claimed it "brought down" the aircraft, which crashed in the same general area of northern Sinai where the Egyptian military and security forces have battled militants for years. The claim, in a statement posted on social media, provided no supporting evidence. The militants are not known to be capable of downing an aircraft at cruising altitude, although there have been persistent media reports that they have acquired Russian shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft missiles that are effective against low- flying warplanes or helicopters. Lufthansa, Air France, Dubai-based Emirates and Qatar Airways said they would suspend flights over the Sinai until the reason for the crash is known. British Airways, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic said they were operating as usual in the region and would not comment on flight paths. Germany's transport ministry warned the country's airlines on Sunday not to follow the same route taken by the Russian plane before it crashed. A ministry spokesman, who did not give his name in keeping with department policy, said an existing flight warning for northern Sinai because of the Islamic insurgency would be kept in place. Russia's air-safety regulator on Sunday ordered Moscow-based Metrojet to temporarily suspend flights. Russia's transport safety watchdog, known as Rostransnadzor, said Metrojet needed to thoroughly analyze the situation and weigh all risks before authorities decide on Monday whether to lift the suspension. Despite the order, Metrojet continued operating its six remaining A321s, saying the regulator order meant that planes would be checked one by one and continue flying if they passed inspections. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/russian-plane-broke-up-at-high-altitude-official- says_56367253e4b00aa54a4e8548 Back to Top Russian official says jet broke up at high altitude over Egypt A Russian plane that crashed in Egypt over the weekend broke up in midair, a senior Russian aviation official said after visiting the crash site in the Sinai Peninsula on Sunday. All 224 people aboard were killed. Modern planes don't usually fall apart in flight, barring an explosion caused by a bomb or missile, but Viktor Sorochenko, an official with the Interstate Aviation Committee, said it is too early to tell what caused the crash, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. A pilot on the flight complained to his wife about the condition of the Airbus 321-200 shortly before takeoff, a Russian TV station reported, and Russian and Egyptian officials denied claims by the Islamic State militant group that it had downed the plane. Sorochenko said the debris field was spread out over seven square miles in a remote area of central Sinai, where Islamist militants have waged a violent anti-government insurgency. The crash occurred just weeks after Russian warplanes began targeting rebel positions in Syria, and the Islamic State's Sinai affiliate was quick to seize the opportunity to declare that it had shot down the plane in retaliation. But Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said on Sunday it was unclear why the plane suddenly and rapidly fell from roughly 31,000 feet shortly after takeoff Saturday from Egypt's Sharm al-Sheikh resort town. Sokolov arrived in Egypt with a team of experts to help with the investigation but said "little information" had been gathered so far, the Reuters news agency reported. Egyptian officials said the Civil Aviation Ministry was analyzing data from two recovered flight recorders now at the ministry headquarters in Cairo. Four major international airlines and a regional carrier announced they would avoid flying over Sinai until investigators know what caused the crash. The move by Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, Qatar Airways and the Dubai-based Emirates and FlyDubai airlines to divert flights from Sinai's airspace underscored growing international concerns about the jihadists' reach in the region. The only U.S. airline that flies in the region, United, does "not see a need" to change its routes at this time, a spokesman said Sunday. Germany's Transportation Ministry urged the country's airlines not to use the route the Russian plane was flying when it crashed, according to the Associated Press. Before the crash, the ministry had issued a warning to airlines about flying over the northern part of the peninsula, which is a militant stronghold. The Islamic State's local affiliate is believed by security experts to possess shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft missiles that can hit low-flying aircraft in the area. But those weapons systems are not capable of hitting aircraft at over 10,000 feet, analysts say. In July 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a warhead fired from a Russian-built Buk missile system, Dutch investigators said. That plane was flying at 33,000 feet after its departure from the airport in Amsterdam. If militants in the Sinai were in fact responsible for the destruction of the Russian airliner Saturday, they could only have done so with the acquisition of a similar sophisticated weapons system - or through the placement of a bomb while the plane was still on the ground. The Egyptian government said Sunday that 163 bodies had been recovered and transferred to three facilities outside Sinai. Some of the bodies would be repatriated to the Russian city of St. Petersburg, the flight's destination, on Sunday, officials said. Hundreds of mourners bearing flowers and stuffed animals gathered at the city's Pulkovo Airport, The charter flight operated by the Russian carrier Metrojet disappeared from controllers' radar 23 minutes after takeoff from Sharm al-Sheikh, a popular destination for Russian tourists, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said. It was carrying 217 passengers and seven crew members, the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry said. Among the passengers killed were four Ukrainian nationals and one Belarusan. The remaining passengers were Russian citizens, including 17 children, authorities said. A terrorist attack on a plane full of Russian vacationers could dampen the enthusiasm of the Russian public for the Kremlin's intervention in the Syrian civil war, although past terror attacks within Russia itself have generally led to increased support for the government. Russian officials announced Saturday that they had opened an investigation into potential safety violations by the airline. The Investigative Committee launched an immediate search of the airline's offices in Moscow and its facilities at Domodedovo International Airport, southwest of the capital. Over the past few decades, there have been a handful of cases of catastrophic failure while planes were in flight. In 2002, a Boeing 747 flown by China Airlines broke up in mid-air, killing 225, and metal fatigue was blamed. In 1985, a Japan Airlines plane, also a 747, crashed when a rear bulkhead blew out. Investigators pointed to a faulty repair job. In that accident, 520 were killed. The Metrojet Airbus was built in 1997 and had more than 56,000 hours of flight time, according to the Airbus company. The southern Sinai, far from militant activity near the Gaza Strip, has long been a favorite destination of Russians on package tours, with its warm waters, attractive beaches and low prices. Winter is the peak tourist season, but according to reports, several thousand Russian vacationers are there now. Russia has not announced any restrictions on flights to or from the Sinai. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-russia-plane-crash-egypt-20151101-story.html Back to Top British pilots were warned to stop low flying over Egypt THREE MONTHS ago due to fears of anti-aircraft missile attacks * Pilots were warned on September 9 to avoid flying low over the crash zone * British aircraft warned not fly below 25,000 feet in a 14,000 square mile area * US aircraft ordered against dropping below 26,000 feet in the danger zone * Pilots warned they face threats from 'dedicated anti-aviation weaponry' British pilots were warned three months ago against flying at a low level in Egyptian airspace in northern Sinai because of the threat from 'dedicated anti-aviation weaponry'. The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) warning was issued on September 9 at 8.50am and will remain in force until December 12 when the situation will be reviewed. According to the warning, aircraft are told not to descend below 25,000 feet in a 14,000 square mile of northern Sinai when flying into Sharm el-Sheikh. Both Russian and Egyptian officials have ruled out terrorism and are currently looking to explain why the aircraft broke up in mid air, scattering bodies over at least a five-mile area The aircraft was completely destroyed minutes after it disappeared from radar yesterday morning British airlines were warned in September against flying through the shaded area below 25,000 feet The danger zone includes the entire Egyptian-Israeli border to the east and a line from the Gulf of Suez to an area east of Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea. The advice warned: 'Hazardous situation in Egyptian airspace in northern Sinai... Potential risk to aviation overflying this area at less than 25,000 feet from dedicated anti-aviation weaponry. 'Operators are strongly advised to take this potential risk into account in their risk assessments and routing decisions.' Airlines are advised to contact the Department for Transport for further information. The US Federal Aviation Authority has also warned American carriers from flying in the region. It has ordered its aircraft not to drop below 26,000 feet. It warning states: 'Exercise extreme caution during flight operations due to ongoing violence, unrest, security operations and the risk to safety from small-arms, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, anti- aircraft fire and shoulder-fired, man portable air defense systems (MANPADS).' The US warning will remain in force until March, 2016. Emirates, Air France and Lufthansa have said that they have suspended flight operations through the northern Sinai area and will re-route into Sharm el-Sheikh. However, British Airways has said it will continue flying over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula after the Russian plane crash which killed all 224 people on board. The company made the announcement after major airlines Emirates, Lufthansa and Air France said they had stopped flying over the area until more is known about the crash. A local affiliate of ISIS claimed it 'brought down' the aircraft, but Russia's transport minister has dismissed the claim. Following the crash, BA said it had no plans to alter its route to and from the popular Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Emirates airlines said it has stopped flying over Egypt's Sinai peninsula after yesterday's disaster A BA spokeswoman said: 'The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so. 'Our safety team continually liaises with the appropriate authorities around the world, and we conduct very detailed risk assessments into every route we operate.' The cause of Saturday's crash is not yet known. The Russian plane bound for St Petersburg went down in a remote mountainous area 23 minutes after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh. It is in an area of northern Sinai where Egyptian security forces have for years fought local Islamic militants who in recent months claimed allegiance to IS. Almost everyone on board the Airbus-A321-200 was Russian, with just three Ukrainians among the passengers. Twenty five children were on board the plane and there were seven crew members. Emirates airlines said Sunday it has stopped flying over the area after yesterday's disaster: 'Emirates is currently avoiding flying over the Sinai peninsula until more information is available. We are currently monitoring the situation.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3298904/British-pilots-warned-stop-low-flying-Egypt-THREE- MONTHS-ago-fears-anti-aircraft-missile-attacks.html#ixzz3qKNUC2H4 Back to Top Russian Crash Mars Kremlin's Efforts to Improve Air Safety Russian airlines didn't have any major accidents in 2014 Investigators uncovered inadequate pilot training in the crash of a Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737 trying to land in Kazan in bad weather in November 2013, shown here in a photo provided by Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. All 50 people on board the plane were killed. By ANDY PASZTOR Saturday's fatal Russian jetliner crash comes after years of pledges by the Kremlin to improve the country's blemished air-safety record, historically among the worst in the world and replete with egregious pilot mistakes. While it isn't yet clear what caused Kogalymavia's Airbus A321 jetliner to crash in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, the accident undercuts a more recent and hopeful trend, which saw 2014 pass without the loss of a single major Russian passenger jet. The country's carriers suffered a series of high-profile commercial jet crashes from 2010 to 2013, raising Russia's accident rate far above the global average and prompting top-level government efforts to upgrade oversight. With an array of legacy and startup carriers serving sometimes poorly equipped fields, Russian safety regulators have faced immense challenges. By some measures, only Africa had a higher accident rate than the combined safety record of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States during the first three years of this decade. After 43 people - including members of an elite Russian ice hockey team - died in September 2011 during a botched takeoff from the northern city of Yaroslavl, investigators determined that ill-trained pilots continued to accelerate using engine thrust even as they inadvertently applied the brakes. In September 2008, 86 people died in a nighttime landing approach to Perm, due to pilot confusion in poor visibility and his unfamiliarity with the Western-style cockpit instrument he was relying on in the Boeing Co. 737 jet. In another crash that ended with a jet slamming down on a fog-shrouded runway, one member of the cockpit crew was found to be drunk. The November 2013 crash of a Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737 trying to land in Kazan in bad weather killed all 50 aboard, highlighting continuing problems. In that accident and others, investigators uncovered inadequate pilot training. Each time, Russian authorities pledged to upgrade crew preparation and licensing, along with enhanced oversight of carriers. They also mandated fewer airlines and mothballed some Soviet-era planes. The leading global airline trade group, the International Air Transport Association, also got involved, assisting in developing a safety strategy. Those regulatory and industry changes appeared to produce results last year when, according to several Western safety databases, Russia didn't have a single major passenger jetliner crash. Despite the excellent record, however, IATA said in its annual global safety report that it continued "to implement a safety enhancement strategy" for Russia and the CIS. Aviation safety experts not involved in the investigation of Saturday's crash said it was markedly different from previous fatal accidents in Asia and Africa, which also involved jetliners diving out of the sky quickly from cruise altitude. In most of those earlier events, thunderstorms, bad weather or pilots reacting to nearby storm systems turned out to be contributing factors. Preliminary reports don't suggest that was the case over the Sinai, though experts cautioned it was too early for definitive statements. According to one international expert monitoring the probe, investigators are looking into whether the Russian A321 may have been damaged during a landing accident years ago, when it was operated by a Middle Eastern airline. Though the initial focus is downloading information from the plane's black boxes, the international team of investigators - including experts from Russia, Europe and the plane's manufacturer - also are expected to start dissecting details of the A321's maintenance and repair history. Write to Andy Pasztor at andy.pasztor@wsj.com http://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-crash-mars-kremlins-efforts-to-improve-air-safety-1446339125 Back to Top Global Airline Pilots on Metrojet flight 9268 MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) would like to express its most sincere condolences to the families of the passengers and crew of Metrojet flight 9268 who lost their loved ones in today's accident in the Sinai Peninsula. In order to learn from such event and prevent any repetition, IFALPA stresses the need for the technical investigation into the circumstances of this accident to be conducted according to the principles laid out in ICAO Annex 13. Its only objective should be to find the accident's contributing factors and make the necessary safety recommendations. Whilst the search and rescue efforts are taking place, IFALPA emphasizes the need to avoid speculation as to what happened to the aircraft. The Federation has reached out to the Egyptian Air Line Pilots' Associations and will offer its technical expertise to the Egyptian Accident Investigation Agency in order to help gather facts and any other information which may be pertinent to this tragic event. Note to Editors: The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations represents in excess of 100,000 pilots in more than 100 countries world-wide. IFALPA's mission is to be the global voice of airline pilots, promoting the highest level of aviation safety and security world-wide and providing services, support and representation to all of its Member Associations. See the Federation website www.ifalpa.org Contacts Anna Lou, +1 514 419 1191 IFALPA Communications & Marketing Coordinator annalou@ifalpa.org Back to Top United Airlines Plane Returns To LAX After Reporting 'Engine Issue' A United Airlines jet passes the air traffic control tower at Los Angles International Airport (LAX) LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CBSLA.com) - A United Airlines Boeing 757 returned to LAX on Sunday afternoon after experiencing an "engine issue," according to L..A. City Fire Department radio dispatches. The plane departed LAX for Newark, NJ at around 2 p.m. About 45 minutes into the flight the jet experienced an "engine issue," according to a Los Angeles Fire Department Dispatcher and the plane turned around returned to LAX "heavy," which means it was still carrying most of its fuel. The plane touched down around 3:30 p.m. United spokeswoman Mary Clark told City News Service that"the flight returned to LAX as a precaution due to an indication of a mechanical issue and landed without incident." The airline had not disclosed the nature of the engine issue as of Sunday evening. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/11/01/united-jetliner-returns-to-lax-after-reporting-engine-issue/ Back to Top AW609 Prototype Crashes in Italy, Killing Both Pilots An AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor prototype crashed in Italy this morning while on a routine test flight, killing both crewmembers. The aircraft went down outside Santhia in Vercelli province. Italy's National Agency for Flight Safety (ANSV) is investigating. Unconfirmed Italian press reports indicate that one of the engines was on fire before the crash. In a written statement from Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland, the manufacturer confirmed the loss of an AW609 prototype with the loss of both pilots. It expressed sympathy for the families and said that it is working with the investigating authorities. The destroyed aircraft, Prototype 2, had been flying since 2006. Lately it had been used to test new installations, such as validation of a new pitot-static system, and making marketing flights for the company throughout Europe. AgustaWestland is not releasing the names of the pilots at this time. AgustaWestland had hoped to gain FAA certification for the AW609 in 2017 and begin customer deliveries in 2018. Last month, Prototype 2 set a speed record on a trip of 627 nm from the UK to Italy, covering the distance in two hours 18 minutes. AgustaWestland is currently building test ships 3 and 4. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-10-30/aw609-prototype-crashes-italy- killing-both-pilots Back to Top Here's when fatal airplane accidents happen Kogalymavia flight 9268 from the Egyptian town of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, Russia, crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. The flight, an Airbus A321 flying under the brand name Metrojet, reportedly broke up in the air. "The destruction happened in the air, and fragments were scattered over a large area of around 20 square kilometers," said Viktor Sorochenko, director of the Intergovernmental Aviation Committee. While commercial-airliner accidents represent extremely rare tragedies in air travel, they are nevertheless reminders of the risks people take when traveling by plane. Reuters put together this graphic illustrating when during the flight accidents occurred for commercial airliners since 2005. Forty-eight percent of them occurred during the final approach and landing stages of the flight. http://www.businessinsider.com/stage-of-flight-when-airplane-accidents-happened-2015-11 Back to Top Torqued: Is Gulfstream IV Crash Corporate Aviation's Wakeup Call? by John Goglia I first wrote about the crash of the Gulfstream IV that took the lives of seven people (among them David Katz, owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer) in August last year. The NTSB had issued a very preliminary report that raised questions about whether the crew had performed a routine pre-takeoff check of the flight controls and whether the failure to perform that routine check could have led to the accident. At the time, it was too early to reach any conclusions about what the crew had or had not done. But it led me to consider the implications of a possible lackadaisical attitude toward checklists and the dangers that poses to aviation safety, and I wrote about guarding against a culture of complacency. On May 31, 2014, at about 9:40 p.m., the GIV crashed after a rejected takeoff at Hanscom Field (KBED) in Bedford, Mass. The aircraft was unable to stop and overran the runway, hitting approach lights and a localizer antenna, finally stopping in a ravine outside the airport perimeter fence. The post-impact fire killed all seven people on board: the two pilots, a flight attendant and four passengers. The aircraft was operated as a corporate flight under Part 91 and was returning to Atlantic City. Now the NTSB report has been completed and the Board has issued its determination of probable cause. The NTSB concluded that the probable cause of this accident "was the flight crewmembers' failure to perform the flight control check before takeoff, their attempt to take off with the gust lock system engaged, and their delayed execution of a rejected takeoff after they became aware that the controls were locked." While this probable-cause finding was not unexpected given the preliminary report, what was shocking was one of the contributing factors: "the flight crew's habitual noncompliance with checklists." (The other contributing factors are also significant: "Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation's failure to ensure that the GIV gust lock/throttle lever interlock system would prevent an attempted takeoff with the gust lock engaged, and the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to detect this inadequacy during the GIV's certification.") This was not a low-time crew perhaps inexperienced with the significance of checklist compliance. This was a senior and seasoned crew. The pilot-in-command, 44 years old, held an ATP certificate with single and multi-engine airplane ratings and type ratings for the BE-400, GII/III, Learjet and MU-300, as well as the GIV. At his last medical, about a month before the crash, he reported 11,250 hours. According to information in the NTSB accident file, the captain was "associated with the accident airplane owners for approximately 12 years, about 8.5 years in the GIV." The copilot, 61 years old, was an even more senior and experienced airman, reportedly with the airplane owners for 27 years. He held an ATP with single and multi-engine airplane ratings and type ratings for the GII/III, JetStar and GV, as well as the GIV. He also held a flight instructor certificate with single and multi- engine airplane, and instrument airplane ratings and an A&P mechanic certificate. HABITUAL NONCOMPLIANCE According to the report, the accident crew were familiar with flying together, they normally flew together, trading seats between flights as they were both qualified in the aircraft. The copilot on the accident flight served as the chief pilot and director of maintenance. He was not only a crewmember but also had management responsibilities for the operation and maintenance of the aircraft. So how does this incredibly experienced, long-time crew end up with a habitual failure to comply with checklists? How does that happen? Checklists are the foundation of the standardization that preserves safety in aviation. They are particularly critical during taxi, takeoff and other high-stress activity when attention to detail is especially critical. It's hard to imagine that a crew this senior was unaware of this. And yet the Board determined that during the accident flight, the crew failed to discuss checklists and failed to perform a flight control check. It further determined that the crew failed to perform complete flight control checks on almost all of their last 175 flights. According to the NTSB: "The flight crewmembers' total lack of discussion of checklists during the accident flight and the routine omission of complete flight control checks before 98 percent of their last 175 flights indicate that the flight crew did not routinely use the normal checklists or the optimal challenge- verification-response format. This lack of adherence to industry best practices involving the execution of normal checklists and other deficiencies in crew resource management eliminated the opportunity for the flight crewmembers to recognize that the gust lock handle was in the on position and delayed their detection of this error." It seems that not only was this accident fully preventable by use of a routine checklist, but that the crew likely never used checklists, since the investigators found that the crew did not perform complete flight control checks on 171 earlier flights. I can't imagine how heartbreaking that must be for the families and friends of the victims. Or what a sense of betrayal the aircraft owner's family must feel for the complete dereliction of duty of their long-time crew. A number of aircraft owners have taken this finding to heart, wondering whether they and their families are vulnerable to pilots who don't perform their jobs properly, especially when it comes to critical items such as checking the flight controls. I know you can't cite one accident to generalize about the professionalism of thousands of other corporate pilots. But that's not what aircraft owners want to hear when they entrust their own lives and the lives of their families and friends to these pilots. They want to know how they can be absolutely assured that their pilots are complying with industry best practices when it comes to checklists in general and, crucially, pretakeoff control checks. The Board makes two recommendations regarding requirements for flight control checks. First, it recommends the International Business Aviation Council "amend International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations auditing standards to include verifying that operators are complying with best practices for checklist execution, including the use of the challenge-verification-response format whenever possible." And to NBAA it recommends: "Work with existing business aviation flight operational quality assurance groups, such as the Corporate Flight Operational Quality Assurance Centerline Steering Committee, to analyze existing data for non-compliance with manufacturer-required routine flight control checks before takeoff and provide the results of this analysis to your members as part of your data-driven safety agenda for business aviation." These are certainly excellent recommendations but I would make one more: install video cameras in the cockpits of corporate aircraft that can be regularly reviewed to ensure that crews are properly complying with safety protocols, including checklists and flight control checks. While video cameras in the cockpits of airliners have been controversial with pilot unions, the NTSB has recommended their installation to aid in accident investigations. The same union issues do not apply to most corporate operations and are probably the most cost-effective way of assuring owners that their pilots are conforming to professional standards on their flights. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/blogs/torqued-gulfstream-iv-crash-corporate-aviations-wakeup- call Back to Top United Airlines Halts Job-Outsourcing Plan The program has cost approximately 2,300 employees their jobs since 2013 United Continental Holdings announced on Friday that it would suspend at least through the end of 2016 its program of outsourcing baggage-handling, check-in and other customer-service jobs at some of its airports. The program at the world's third-largest airline company had cost approximately 2,300 employees their jobs since it was implemented in 2013, according to the Wall Street Journal. The move is a response to employee feedback solicited by new CEO Oscar Munoz, who took over for the embattled Jeff Smisek in September. Smisek and two deputies resigned after a federal probe and an internal investigations raised questions about United's dealings with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Munoz, who was previously president and chief operating officer of railroad giant CSX Corporation, launched a charm offensive upon his appointment, trying to win over both disgruntled flyers and employees. (He is currently on medical leave after a heart attack earlier this month.) Employees cited job security as one of their major concerns, and so United decided accordingly that outsourcing would go off the table until the company's union contracts come up for renegotiation. A company spokeswoman told the Journal that it would also protect other jobs, such as de-icing and other on-the-ground labor, at its hub airports for the near future. http://time.com/4095482/united-airlines-outsourcing/ Back to Top Fuel spills into Potomac River near Reagan National Airport Containment booms were deployed to contain a fuel spill that may have dumped as much as 7,500 to 9,000 gallons of aviation fuel into the Potomac River. The spill has not been observed in the main channel of the river. Officials on Friday were working to contain a fuel spill at Reagan National Airport that may have dumped 7,500 to 9,000 gallons of aviation fuel into the Potomac River. The cause of the spill has not yet been determined, but National officials were looking into whether it was linked to an earlier incident on airport grounds. On Thursday, about 2 a.m., a spill occurred at the airport's fuel farm, where the material is stored before being discharged into airplanes. Crews were alerted to the problem and a valve was closed, stopping the flow of fuel. Officials thought the problem had been contained. But National officials now think that fuel from the early-morning spill remained trapped in the airport's storm-water overflow drains and was flushed into the surrounding water following a higher-than-usual tide. About 9:15 p.m. Thursday, workers began reporting a fuel smell in the area. At 10:25 p.m., personnel who responded to the call identified a fuel sheen on the Potomac River. Airport Operations and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Fire and Rescue, in coordination with D.C. Harbor Patrol, then placed barriers in the river to contain the observed spill. Some of the fuel reached the mouth of Four Mile Run, which is immediately next to the south end of the airport via storm-water overflow drains. Crews were able to keep the spilled fuel largely contained, National officials said. By 4 p.m. Friday, crews were able to remove all recoverable fuel from the drains on airport property. Absorbent materials were deployed to soak up any remaining fuel. The cleanup is expected to be completed by early Saturday morning. On Friday, National officials issued a statement saying, in part, that "the Airports Authority and its partners will undertake a full examination of the cause of the initial fuel discharge." Airport officials said they have consulted with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and believe that there will be minimal impact on the environment from the spill. John Lisle, spokesman for D.C. Water, said there is no impact on drinking water in the city. Rob Yingling, spokesman for National, said the spill had no effect on flight operations. The Coast Guard had adjusted an initial safety zone on the Potomac River to cover an area within a 1,500- yard radius of the emanation point from the airport. A team from Miller Environmental, which contracts with Allied Aviation Fueling, the fuel contractor for the airlines at National, had been brought in to lead cleanup efforts. The Transportation Security Administration reduced staffing at its facility on the south side of the airport. The reduction was not expected to affect security screening operations at National. MWAA personnel - including Airport Operations and MWAA Fire and Rescue - Coast Guard, D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and D.C. Harbor Patrol were among the agencies responding to the spill. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/fuel-spills-into-potomac-river-at-area-south- of-reagan-national-airport/2015/10/30/e5180c96-7f12-11e5-afce-2afd1d3eb896_story.html Back to Top Back to Top Stop By and Visit At NBAA DATE Nov. 17 - 19, 2015 LOCATION Booth N812 Las Vegas Convention Center 3150 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 Back to Top China to take on Boeing, Airbus with homegrown C919 passenger jet * China wants to challenge Boeing and Airbus duopoly * C919 has received 517 orders, mostly from Chinese carriers, leasing firms * FAA, U.S. aviation body, hasn't certified the plane, limiting global sales Beijing (CNN)Amid much fanfare on live national television, China on Monday rolled its first homegrown large passenger jet off the production line in Shanghai, vowing to challenge the dominance of Airbus and Boeing in the global commercial aviation market. At the ceremony, a shiny C919 -- sporting a largely white fuselage with a blue wavy stripe and a green tail -- was towed beneath a banner with the phrase "a dream takes off" and past a huge Chinese national flag. The C919 -- a twin-engine, narrow-body aircraft seating up to 174 people -- is similar in size to the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 series of jets, long the workhorses for airlines around the world. With a flying range of up to 5,555 kilometers (3,451 miles), it is designed to compete head-to-head with its Airbus and Boeing rivals, and said to easily cover popular business and leisure routes from China such as Shanghai to Singapore and Beijing to Bangkok. Launched in 2008, the C919 project marks China's return to the business of making large passenger jetliners, after a failed attempt in the 1980s. Homegrown? Although the C919's maiden flight is at least a year away, its manufacturer, the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), has already made no secret of its future plans to make another, wide-body airliner. The Communist government also wants to use the C919 as a springboard to develop a nationwide aviation industry, boasting the involvement of more than 200 companies, 36 universities and hundreds of thousands of personnel in the plane's development. State media are touting the "advanced technologies" used throughout the plane, from new avionics to an airframe partially made of light composite materials, as Boeing has done on its 787 Dreamliner. However, some aviation enthusiasts in China are not so sure about the state media's claim that the C919 is a product of "complete Chinese intellectual property." Explosive growth One thing not in dispute is China's hunger for new passenger jets as its aviation market continues its explosive growth. Already the world's second largest air travel market after the United States, China will need more than 6,300 new planes over the next two decades, according to a recent Boeing forecast. Airbus holds a similarly bullish view and has been assembling its popular A320 family aircraft in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin since 2008. During President Xi Jinping's recent state visit to the United States, China signed a deal with Boeing to purchase 300 airliners worth $38 billion at list prices. When German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Beijing last week, China also announced that it would buy 130 Airbus jets valued at $17 billion. End of duopoly? Small wonder that state media are channeling Comac's confidence about the C919's bright future. The company expects to sell 2,000 aircraft in the coming 20 years and some Chinese commentators even predict an A-B-C (Airbus-Boeing-Comac) three-way fight for market share in the long run. So far, the C919 has received 517 orders, mostly from state-owned Chinese carriers and domestic aircraft leasing companies. The lack of certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is seen as a major hindrance for international sales. And Chinese public reactions have seemed mixed online. While many express pride and support in an indigenous jetliner, others sound skeptical about the safety of an entirely made-in-China plane. Some Internet users have made a point of saying they will feel comfortable flying the C919 when it is used as China's "Air Force One." For now and in the foreseeable future, though, it's a safe bet that President Xi will continue to ride a specially configured Boeing 747 jumbo jet when he travels abroad. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/02/asia/china-new-c919-passenger-jet/ Back to Top Taking flight at CWU: Aviation Department training new pilots for future Central Washington University aviation students Gage Geist, left, and Clayton Davis train in a flight simulator, practicing a flight from Yakima to Moses Lake Oct. 29, 2015. Instructor Pat Deveny acts as the airport tower operator, giving the students flight information and directions. CWU has one of the larger aviation training programs in the West and is ramping up efforts to recruit future pilots. Spencer Martin is only in his second week as a full-time flight instructor in Central Washington University's aviation department. In fact, Martin, 22, was a CWU student as recently as this spring; he graduated in June. His goal is to one day be a captain for a major airline. But everyone has to start somewhere: He teaches 10 students in order to log more flight hours and learn even more about flying the skies. "I already have some students where the stuff I've taught them clicked and they're already applying it and using it on their flights," Martin said. "It's rewarding, it's fun." Young pilots like Martin are what the aviation industry needs if reports of a pilot shortage are real for both major and regional airlines. The Ellensburg university - which has one of the few public university aviation programs on the West Coast - is ramping up efforts to recruit more future students. Talks of a pilot shortage vary; while a 2014 Government Accountability Office report suggests pilots are not in short supply, 11 of 12 regional airlines said they had trouble filling openings last year. Meanwhile, Boeing this year said 558,000 new commercial airline pilots will be needed worldwide over the next 20 years - and an estimated 95,000 new pilots will be needed in North America in that time span. The retirement of baby boomer pilots is adding to the problem. A number of factors complicate hiring. As the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics points out, most entry-level pilots earn about $20,000 a year and can take years or decades to move up to a major airline captain and a six-figure salary. Add the fact that the cost of flight instruction can go into six figures, and the career can become unappealing. Furthermore, there is a high barrier of entry that simultaneously improves pilot quality but prolongs entry into the profession, said CWU assistant professor Jason Underhill. Newer requirements from the Federal Aviation Administration mandate 1,500 flight hours and an airline transport pilot license in order to apply for a regional airline, up from 250 flight hours in 2010. A Central Washington student will graduate with about 250 flight hours; most students find jobs as flight instructors to log flight hours more quickly. CWU students, however, only need 1,000 flight hours for consideration from regional airlines because they attend a four-year program, said Underhill. The shortage is felt in Ellensburg. As Underhill put it, "I could go through my email list and show you probably half a dozen requests that came in the summer and through the fall from airlines we haven't worked with in the past who have inquired about our programs, our graduates, are interested to come and see us." Department officials said they are finding ways to recruit more students. The current enrollment of 150, for instance, is one of its highest in years. Underhill and aviation department chairman Sundaram Nataraja both say the goal for next school year is 180 students. Nataraja, in his first full school year as department head, said they are pushing greater industry and alumni partnerships to present more opportunities to students, such as networking, mentorships and internships. The department already has established relationships with airlines such as Alaska Air Group to streamline the job search for both parties. And possibly as early as next year, CWU will offer a master's degree in aviation administration. Master's degrees in aviation are coveted among airlines, as some view the diploma as an additional 1,000 flight hours, Underhill said. The prospects in aviation careers are encouraging for students like Martin. "My professors and instructors would tell me I'm getting into the industry at the right time because there's a lot of job openings for us," said Martin. "A lot of people ahead of me, like former flight instructors and classmates, they're all reporting good things from the industry." http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/business/taking-flight-at-cwu-aviation-department-training-new- pilots-for/article_84fd16e0-80f1-11e5-bae9-93cba75b705d.html Back to Top Airbus tackles pilot shortage Joint venture sets up $100m training centre Airbus Asia Training Centre general manager Yann Lardet demonstrates the A350 full-flight simulator Singapore: AsiaPacific's burgeoning aviation market means that some 160,000 pilots will be required in 20 years' time, over twice the current size. A sufficient supply of flight crew is a critical point of concern for the region if it is to cope with its soaring air transport movement. In its latest projection, the European aeroplane maker Airbus points out that AsiaPacific's passenger traffic will grow at 5.7% per annum, above the global average of 4.7%, over the next 20 years. Such a rapid growth means that the region is expected to require 12,470 new passenger and freight aircraft (worth US$2 trillion), representing 40% of total worldwide demand in the period. Furthermore, 47% of global demand for widebody aircraft, or 4,400, will come from the region. Its requirement for singleaisle aircraft is projected to represent 36%, or 8,070, of global demand. The backdrop of a looming shortage of pilots adds urgency to the Airbusled joint venture's construction of a stateoftheart pilot school in Singapore. The $100 million facility, set to open in the first quarter of next year, will play a key role in partially addressing the issue of pilot availability in the region. Located at Seletar Aerospace Park, the Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC), 55% owned by Airbus with Singapore Airlines (SIA) owning 45%, will be able to offer courses for more than 10,000 trainees per year. Construction of the 9,250squaremetre facility is at an advanced stage, with the main buildings complete and finishing touches being added to the roof and access areas. The next stage will be the installation of interior fittings, which will include preparation of the simulator bays and classroom facilities, as well as office space, said AATC general manager Yann Lardet. When fully operational, the centre will feature eight fullflight simulators, including one for the A380 super jumbo, two for widebody A330s, two singleaisle A320s and three A350 XWBs, the latest midsized widebody aircraft which went into service at the end of last year. The AATC will be the fourth Airbus flight training centre in the European concern's global network, joining those in Toulouse, Miami and Beijing. Instructors will initially be drawn from Airbus and SIA's pool of retired captains, with additional recruitment ongoing. In total, the centre expects to provide employment for some 50 instructors and 20 support staff. The AATC is primarily aimed at flight crew piloting Airbus jets and serving Airbus customers in the region where the European planemaker expects to capture half the future jet market. The creation of the AATC joint venture, concluded last year, comes as airlines are looking more towards outsourcing to avoid high startup and running costs of inhouse facilities. Capt Lardet said airlines in the region will be to realise savings on training costs through outsourcing and at the AATC, which is close to their home bases. The AATC already offers courses at SIA's training centre near Changi airport and will shift to its new premises to begin courses in April next year. The temporary site houses the world's second A350 simulator in service, with the other at Airbus's headquarters in Toulouse. SIA plans to start pilot training for the A350 from next month, ahead of the delivery of its first aircraft in January. Up to 100 pilots will be trained within the first three to four months, said SIA, which has ordered 67 A 350s, including seven of the ultralongrange variant that will fly nonstop from Singapore to the US. Many of the AsiaPacific airlines that ordered A350s, including Thai Airways International, Cathay Pacific and Asiana, are likely to send their pilots for training at AATC. Thai Airways is scheduled to take delivery of the first of four A350s in mid2016. About a third of all A350s ordered from Airbus worldwide, which stood at 783 at the end of September, are from Asia Pacific. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/750988/airbus-tackles-pilot-shortage Back to Top Help sought restoring Stewart's old airplane The team restoring actor Jimmy Stewart's private airplane for future display at the airport named after him is looking for a little detective help. The Cessna C-310 twin-engine plane Stewart owned from 1961 to 1966 had languished unused and was eventually abandoned years ago at the Dallas Executive Airport, in Texas. Its engines and some other parts had been scavenged, possibly as training aids for aircraft mechanics, and the remainder of the craft likely was doomed for a scrap yard. What was left of the plane was acquired and disassembled and in April was trucked to the Indiana County/Jimmy Stewart Airport by volunteers of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 993 at the airport. The EAA is an international association of aviation enthusiasts, some of whom have built their own planes. Harold Wood, secretary of the EAA chapter, said members since the spring have reassembled the plane, added missing parts and stripped off the old paint. They are trying to restore the Cessna as closely as possible to its original appearance. And that's where their efforts have run into a complication. Wood said the team has only an old black-and-white photo of the Cessna for reference and the plane apparently was repainted twice. Using a paint tag code found in the plane they determined the primary exterior colors were patina white, matador red and sandstone beige. But they have not been able to determine the original paint color of the wings. Wood said the whereabouts of the plane's log book is unknown, but the team understands Stewart made a couple of trips to Indiana in the Cessna while he owned it, and the EAA volunteers hope someone may have taken some color photos of the movie star and his plane during one of those visits to his hometown. Color photographs could reveal the original paint scheme and color of the wings. Anyone who has photos of the old Cessna is asked to contact Wood at (724) 388-2912. Wood said the restored Cessna will be displayed on a pedestal near the airport terminal's front entrance. It's also anticipated the restoration will cost about $50,000. Donations to help buy missing parts and materials for the plane may be sent to EAA Chapter 993, P.O. Box 202, Indiana, PA 15701, with the reference "Jimmy Stewart." https://www.indianagazette.com/news/indiana-news/help-sought-restoring-stewarts-old- airplane,23023411/ Back to Top Report Card - Airbus A380 After 8 Years in Service. When Singapore Airlines Flight SQ380 took off on Oct. 25, 2007, the airline opened a new chapter in the history of commercial air transport. Finally, after more than 37 years, an aircraft significantly larger than the Boeing 747entered service-the Airbus A380. But unlike the case of its famous predecessor as the world's largest aircraft, even after eight years in service it is still unclear whether or not it has a bright future. While the aircraft has won praise from both operators and passengers for having raised the bar in terms of passenger comfort and is now meeting its service reliability targets, the recent lack of orders is a significant medium-term threat for the program. Production appears to be secured in the short term, albeit at lower levels than Airbus had planned. Airbus is pondering what changes- whether these are fine-tuning or more substantial-might make the aircraft attractive to more operators. Among the things being considered are, most prominently, re- engineering the aircraft to launch the A380neo, as well as less spectacular modifications to the cabin that would allow airlines to carry more passengers with the existing aircraft, thus reducing unit costs. Until the market knows where Airbus is headed with the A380, decisions about major new orders appear to have been shelved by the relatively small group of large international airlines that could be considering them. Airbus nonetheless claims it expects to add to the A380 customer list before the year-end. One forum to do so would be the upcoming Dubai Air Show in November, although Emirates' lobbying for the A380neo appears to have been unsuccessful so far. Airlines have placed orders for a total of 317 aircraft, leaving the manufacturer with a backlog of 146 aircraft yet to be delivered (as of September 2015). The orders have to be put into perspective with the 42 firm commitments for Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental, the only other large four-engine wide-body on offer. Airbus has delivered 171 A380s since October 2007. However, the most serious and costly longer-term disturbance has been the extensive modification program for 122 A380s that needed to have wing rib-feet and ribs strengthened following the discovery of cracks in the original design parts. There were several causes for the wing-component cracking problem. One was the use of a specific aluminium alloy (7449) and its heat-treatment process. The alloy saved weight, but the processing rendered the component more brittle, causing cracking. Another was in the process of attaching the wing skin to the ribs, where excessive loads were placed on components during assembly. The situation was compounded by failing to account properly for temperature-induced material expansion and contraction during operations. Operationally, the issue is still causing some disruption. Aircraft need to be taken out of service for eight weeks at a time or for several shorter periods in case airlines decide to make the modifications in several steps. And a set of checks and, if needed, interim repairs, is currently required after as few as 500 cycles for aircraft that have not yet received the retrofit. According to Airbus, 90% of the affected aircraft have by now undergone the rework. The manufacturer has targeted completion of the task by the end of 2015. New aircraft have been delivered to airlines since early 2014 with the modified wings. Emirates, by far the aircraft's largest customer with 140 on firm order, will take another 21 units next year. Airbus also is working on higher-density layouts to make the aircraft more attractive and competitive with newer- generation twin-engine wide bodies such as the 787 andA350. The latest initiative is possible changes to the arrangement of the rear staircase. The new staircase would use up less space ahead of the rear pressure bulkhead, allowing filling in the freed-up space with parts of the galley. Airlines could add 14 more economy seats on the main deck, Mark Pearman-Wright, Airbus's head of corporate and investor marketing says. The potential reconfiguration is still only a project in the study phase and no decision has been made about moving forward with it. The idea is, however, being discussed with customers. The decision Airbus is facing could not be more difficult. It will already take decades for the investment to be recovered, at best. From a financial point of view, an A380neo would only make sense if management can be reasonably certain that the aircraft will easily recover the additional investment in an acceptable time. The market trends are not working in favour of big aircraft. Airlines have been risk-averse in terms of long-haul capacity planning for some time, and the arrival of ultra-efficient long-haul twins has "put pressure on bigger airplanes." Malaysia Airlines is trying to dispose of at least some of the six aircraft it has already taken delivery of. And lease renewals for the first five of Singapore Airlines' 19 A380s become due by 2017. The airline says it has not made a decision yet and could well extend the contracts, even though it has another five on firm order and would therefore opt for significant fleet growth if it extends the leases. If it does not, the second-hand market for A380s would be opened in earnest. http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/report-card-airbus-a380-after-eight-years-service Back to Top $1.25B Boeing-Dreamliner Deal 2015: El Al Israel Airlines Places Biggest Order To Date El Al Israel Airlines purchased or leased 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger planes, similar to the one pictured at an air show in June, in a deal completed late last week. AFP/Getty Images El Al Israel Airlines bought nine new Boeing passenger planes and leased six more in a deal made late last week, Haaretz reported Sunday. The purchase was the largest in El Al's history, and the planes are set to go into service in 2017. Leadership from the company said the new planes would not affect ticket prices for customers. "El Al fares are lower than they were in 2013 and there's no reason El Al should change its policy because of the new planes," said El Al CEO David Maimon, as reported by Haaretz, adding "Nothing will be passed on to the customers." The company cited a desire to modernize its technology while purchasing fuel-efficient planes that would save money in the long-term. El Al airlines had been deciding between the U.S.-based Boeing and French aircraft maker Airbus, settling on Boeing for its advanced technology and lower prices, according to Maimon. Tourism to Israel has been down since the Gaza War of 2014, and experts said escalating conflict over the past few months will likely continue to affect tourism negatively. A series of stabbings and murders throughout the past few months may ward off tourists for the holiday season, experts told International Business Times. Tourism could see a boon from a 2013 "Open Skies" pact between Israel and the European Union, however. The pact, set to come into effect gradually by 2018, will guarantee that customers can fly directly from any EU member state to Israel. "Israel is a key partner for the EU and today's agreement is very important for further strengthening the overall economic, trade and tourism relations between Israel and the EU," said former European commissioner for transport Siim Kallas at the time of the deal, the Jerusalem Post reported. "We expect to see more direct flights to and from Israel, lower prices, more jobs and economic benefits on both sides," Kallas said after the deal's passage. http://www.ibtimes.com/125b-boeing-dreamliner-deal-2015-el-al-israel-airlines-places-biggest-order- date-2164224 Back to Top Government-owned Air India mulling setting up aviation university NEW DELHI: Government-owned Air India is mulling setting up of an aviation university to cater to the increasing demand for aviation courses particularly for pilots and cabin crew. Air India already has a near-ready infrastructure and required faculty at its Centre Training Establishment (CTE) in Hyderabad, which can be converted into a full-fledged aviation university by upgrading the existing facility on minimum investment, airline sources told PTI. Spread over 20 acres of land, the nearly 60-year old premium aviation training institute currently offers courses in all aspects of aviation including for pilots, cabin crew, engineers, aviation security and ground handling among others. "The demand for aviation professionals in the country is rapidly growing but market is unable to cater to this demand as there are not many facilities, offering such courses under one roof. "Moreover, most of courses offered by the existing institutes are generally basic training courses and not at the graduation or post-graduation level.We already have a set up at Hyderabad, which can be upgraded into a full-fledged university," Air India sources said. Air India has set-up a three-member committee to explore the prospects, they said, adding chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani is very keen to see CTE converting into an aviation university. Significantly, country's first aviation academy, Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, is coming up at Fursat Gunj near Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. "Air India being the oldest airline in the country has no dearth of experienced aviation professionals, whose services can be availed as faculty at the proposed university," they said. Moreover, most of the courses offered by CTE are approved by aviation regulatory agencies such as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) besides the domestic regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, they said. "Besides, meeting internal demand, the institute also caters to the external demand as we get professionals from the neighbouring countries for various type of courses.So we expect to attract a lot of students from the sub-continent, joining graduation and PG level courses at the proposed university," the sources said. CTE also offers courses in commercial management, aviation medicine, ramp handling besides some customised courses. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/government-owned-air- india-mulling-setting-up-aviation-university/articleshow/49617043.cms Back to Top Upcoming Events: Air Cargo Safety and Security Symposium ALPA Washington, DC November 5, 2015 http://aircargoconference.alpa.org Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) Seminar (ERAU) Nov. 17-19, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/sms Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Seminar (ERAU) Dec. 8-10, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/uas New HFACS workshop Las Vegas December 15 & 16 www.hfacs.com 2016 DTI SMS/QA Symposium January 3, 4, & 5 2016 Disney World, FL 1-866-870-5490 www.dtiatlanta.com BARS Auditor Training Washington DC? Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Interdisciplinary Engineer (Mechanical or Aerospace Engineer) NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/419032300 Human Performance Investigator NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/413256600 Curt Lewis