Flight Safety Information March 30, 2016 - No. 063 In This Issue F-16 fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan during takeoff from Bagram Airfield Early Probe Finds No Technical Fault in FlyDubai Jet Crash Turbulence forces unscheduled landing of American Airlines jet in Seattle Pilots report 'near miss' with model plane near Columbus airport Govt adds flight inspectors, expects safety upgrades (Indonesia) Flier mistakes emergency exit for bathroom door while airplane sits on runway FAA raises altitude limit for commercial drones MU-2B Accident (Canada) Hangar Rash Research Request (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Meeting/Dinner - 05MAY F-16 fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan during takeoff from Bagram Airfield A Pentagon spokesman says a U.S. Air Force pilot is safe after an F-16 plane crashed during takeoff near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The pilot was able to safely eject from the plane. (Reuters) An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet crashed Tuesday night in Afghanistan shortly after taking off north of Kabul at Bagram Airfield, but the pilot ejected and has been safely recovered, military officials said. The incident occurred about 8:30 p.m. in Afghanistan, said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook. Coalition troops responded and retrieved the pilot and were securing the crash site north of the airfield, said Capt. Bryan Bouchard, an Air Force spokesman on the base. The pilot was under evaluation Tuesday evening at Craig Joint Theater Hospital on the base. [What happens when the most advanced fighter jets in the U.S., France and Britain prepare for war] It is not believed that the plane was hit with any kind of enemy fire, Bouchard said. The cause of the crash is under investigation, but it is not believed that there were any casualties on the ground as a result of the downed aircraft, he said. The single-man jets typically fly in pairs, providing close air support and aerial reconnaissance for ground troops. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/03/29/f-16-fighter-jet-crashes-in- afghanistan-during-takeoff-from-bagram-airfield/ Back to Top Early Probe Finds No Technical Fault in FlyDubai Jet Crash A task force investigating the crash of a FlyDubai jet in southern Russia says an early probe did not find any technical faults in the plane. The Boeing 737-800 crashed on landing in Russia's Rostov-on-Don early March 19, killing all 62 people on board. The Inter-State Aviation Committee investigating the crash said in a statement Tuesday that the readout from the plane's flight recorders showed no technical faults in the engine or other elements of the plane. The investigators, however, stopped short of citing a cause of the crash at this stage. Several planes had trouble landing at the airport due to strong winds at the time of the crash. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/early-probe-finds-technical-fault-flydubai-jet-crash- 38001520 Back to Top Turbulence forces unscheduled landing of American Airlines jet in Seattle American Airlines Flight 61 made an unscheduled landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday afternoon after encountering "moderate turbulence" on a flight that originated at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The Boeing 777-200 was en route to Narita International Airport in Tokyo when it encountered rough air. After an uneventful landing at 5:50 p.m. CT, one flight attendant was removed from the plane for medical treatment. The airline said she is expected to be OK. After a 90-minute delay, the aircraft resumed its flight to Japan following a mechanical inspection. http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/turbulance-forces-unscheduled-landing-of-american-airlines-jet-in- seattle/109041962 Back to Top Pilots report 'near miss' with model plane near Columbus airport Two pilots reported seeing a model airplane in their flight path Tuesday night at Port Columbus International Airport. COLUMBUS (WCMH) - Federal authorities were called after two airline pilots on approach to Port Columbus reported seeing a model plane in their flight path. It happened around 11pm Tuesday at the Brentnell Community Center, which is near Port Columbus International Airport. According to Columbus police, two pilots saw the remote controlled plane flying dangerously close. One of those pilots described it as a 'near miss,' according to police. Columbus police and Port Columbus police responded to the initial report. Officers interviewed the pilot and took pictures of the model plane. The model plane appeared to be a Horizon Hobby Apprentice S. According to the manufacturer, the electric plane weighs about three pounds and has a wingspan of 59 inches. Planes on approach to the airport continued to fly overhead while police were on the scene. Officers told NBC4 the investigation would be turned over to the FAA and FBI. No charges were immediately filed and no arrests have been made. The FAA asks anyone flying model planes or drones within 5 miles of an airport to notify the airport control tower prior to flying. The Brentnell Community Center is less than two miles from the end of the Port Columbus runway and sits directly under the approach path. The FAA encourages hobby and recreational unmanned aircraft operators to follow the following safety guidelines: * Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles * Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times * Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations * Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying * Don't fly near people or stadiums * Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs * Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft - you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft For more information about safely flying drones, model planes, or other unmanned aerial systems, visit Know Before You Fly. http://nbc4i.com/2016/03/30/pilots-report-near-miss-with-model-plane-near-port-columbus/ Back to Top Govt adds flight inspectors, expects safety upgrades (Indonesia) The government is confident the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the EU will upgrade their assessments of the country's aviation safety and open their airspaces after it has taken corrective action by recruiting a number of senior flight inspectors. A senior official with the Transportation Ministry said the ministry had recruited 72 new flight operations inspectors from various aircraft operators to help oversee aircraft in the country. It is one of the seven requirements in the FAA audit on International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA). "They require the number of flight operations inspectors to be at least 100 people. We previously had 38 flight inspectors and with this we have fulfilled their requirement," the ministry's airworthiness and aircraft operation director Muhammad Alwi said on Tuesday. The ministry also added 11 new aircraft dispatch inspectors and 19 new cabin safety inspectors to strengthen aviation oversight. The FAA audit consisted of 283 items concerning the country's safety parameters. The government claims to have met 97.5 percent of the requirements. The government has been working to fulfill the remaining seven items. Aside from the aviation oversight issue, other problems include a lack of recurrent training for flight operations inspectors and technical personnel not completing required courses. The ministry said it was in the process of resolving both problems. The FAA representatives visited Indonesia to do the audit and to verify the implementation of the parameters from Feb. 29 to March 4. The seven items and the corrective actions will be verified in May by the FAA team. They are slated to announce the results in that same month. "They will also give written notes on April 4 through the US Embassy in Indonesia," Alwi added. The FAA downgraded Indonesia's aviation safety to Category 2 in 2007 because of repeated accidents that indicated that the country lacked the regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards. The ministry attempted to upgrade the country's status from Category 2 to Category 1 this year. The ministry is also bracing for an EU verification audit in April. The ministry met with the European Commission, the regulatory arm of the EU, in October and November last year in Brussels, Belgium, to request the removal of Indonesia from the EU Air Safety List. The EU has banned airlines from Indonesia from entering Europe since 2007, but 10 airlines, including Garuda Indonesia and Indonesia AirAsia, were removed from the ban this year. "We also proposed three airlines, Citilink, Batik and Lion Air, be removed from the EU ban," he said. The ministry also aimed to jack up the Universal Safety Oversight Audity Program (USOAP) score by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which currently stood at 45.33 percent of 1,060 protocol items to 70 percent this year, surpassing the passing grade of 65 percent. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/30/govt-adds-flight-inspectors-expects-safety- upgrades.html#sthash.NaUhbjVj.dpuf Back to Top Flier mistakes emergency exit for bathroom door while airplane sits on runway A woman in China trying to avoid a long line for the bathroom on a plane opened the emergency exit instead, causing the emergency slide to inflate. The website Shanghaiist reported on Tuesday that the woman was confused and thought the door lead to another bathroom. The plane, thankfully, was still parked at the gate waiting to pull back. The 50-year-old woman said it was her first time to ever fly on an airplane. Shanghaiist talked to a passenger who said the plane was getting ready for take off when they heard a loud hissing noise and realize the evacuation slide had just inflated. All the passengers were taken off the plane for more than two hours while maintenance crews fixed the problem. Reportedly, the woman had her ticket and passport taken away by the crew and, once back inside the terminal, was taken away by police for questioning. http://www.waaytv.com/appnews/flier-mistakes-emergency-exit-for-bathroom-door-while-airplane- sits/article_e16f9f6c-f60b-11e5-b512-5baffc3064c4.html Back to Top FAA raises altitude limit for commercial drones Certain small commercial drones will be permitted to fly up to 400 feet under a new policy announced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday. The new policy doubles the authorized altitude from 200 feet, except in restricted airspace and other areas where operation may be prohibited. The regulation applies to commercial and governmental unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operators with a Section 333 exemption and an aircraft that weighs less than 55 pounds. Pilots still need to register their drones and have the proper certification, as well as operate under daytime visual flight rules and keep the aircraft within their line of sight, the agency said. The FAA estimates that the move could reduce the workload for the Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) applications and even reduce the need for individual COAs by about 30 to 40 percent. "This is another milestone in our effort to change the traditional speed of government," said Michael Huerta, FAA administrator, in a statement. "Expanding the authorized airspace for these operations means government and industry can carry out unmanned aircraft missions more quickly and with less red tape." Groups supporting the use of unmanned aircrafts applauded FAA for raising the altitude limits for small commercial drones but said they wanted quicker action from the agency on future regulation. "The FAA's decision ... provides greater flexibility to those receiving FAA exemptions and makes it easier for more commercial UAS operators to access the skies," said Brian Wynne, president and chief executive officer of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. "However, the FAA still needs to finalize its small UAS rule as quickly as possible to allow anyone who follows the rule to fly. The new blanket COA altitude remains lower than the operating ceiling of 500 feet proposed in the small UAS rule." The agency was supposed to develop a broad plan for the "safe integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system" by September 2015. The FAA has made incremental steps toward that goal, such as by requiring all small drone users to register on an FAA website and by proposing a rule to allow the routine use of small commercial drones in the aviation system. The final rule for commercial UAS that weigh less than 55 pounds is expected to be finalized this spring. The public comment period closed on April 24, 2015. http://thehill.com/regulation/transportation/274589-faa-raises-altitude-limit-for-commercial-drones Back to Top MU-2B Accident (Canada) Date: 29-MAR-2016 Time: 11:43 LT Type: Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 Owner/operator: Marquise Aviation Corp Trustee (owner) Registration: N246W C/n / msn: 1552SA Fatalities: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 4km from Īles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, QC (YGR/CYGR) - Canada Phase: Approach Nature: Private Departure airport: Montreal-St. Hubert Airport, QC (YHU/CYHU) Destination airport: Īles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, QC (YGR/CYGR) Narrative: A Mitsubishi Mu-2B-60 aircraft crashed while on approach to Īles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, Quebec, Canada killing former federal Liberal cabinet minister Jean Lapierre, four members of his family and the two pilots. Weather at CYGR about the accident time (11:40 LT / 15:40 Z): CYGR 291500Z 05018G29KT 2 1/2SM -RA BR BKN002 OVC008 00/M00 A2883 RMK FG2SF5SC1 SLP765 CYGR 291517Z 05017G27KT 2SM -RA BR BKN002 OVC008 00/M00 A2884 RMK FG2SF5SC1 SLP768 CYGR 291548Z 04020G27KT 2SM -RA BR OVC002 00/M00 A2884 RMK FG2SF6 SLP768 CYGR 291600Z 04020G28KT 2SM -RA BR OVC002 00/M00 A2884 RMK FG2SF6 SLP769 CYGR 291626Z 04024G30KT 1 1/2SM -RA BR OVC002 00/M00 A2884 RMK FG2SF6 SLP770 CYGR 291700Z 03024G32KT 1 3/4SM -RA BR OVC002 00/M00 A2886 RMK FG2SF6 SLP776 https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=185997 Back to Top Hangar Rash Research Request Hello, my name is Mary Popko and I am a student as San Diego State University currently working towards a B.S. in Statistics. I would like to request your participation in my survey regarding 'hangar rash', a term commonly used to describe the unecessary damage that many aircraft sustain on the ground, while being maneuvered in the airport environment. The survey takes less than thirty seconds to complete. I hope to shed some light on this subject and would be happy to share my paper with anyone who is interested. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TLW5KZ6 Back to Top The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Cordially invites you to attendour spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Location: Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel Herndon, Virginia, 20170. Date/Time: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 - 9:30 pm Guest Speaker Honorable T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, Vice Chair, National Transportation Safety Board To: ISASI Members, Associates, and Guests: Please plan to attend this important annual event. We anticipate a large turnout for this event because our distinguished guest speaker. Please make your reservations early; as space will be limited and I must confirm the dinner numbers with the hotel by Thursday, April 21st. Don't forget that companions and other guests are most welcome. From: Ron Schleede President, MARC; Vice President, ISASI (H) 1-703-455-3766; (Cell) 571-212-4255; Email: RonSchleede@aol.com Date: Thursday, May 5, 2016 Times: 6:00 pm-Reception with cash bar 7:00 to 8:00 pm-Full buffet dinner ********************************************************** RESERVATION FORM The International Society of Air Safety Investigators Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 pm Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel There will be a "networking" cash bar beginning at 6:00 pm, followed by a full buffet dinner beginning at 7:00 pm. The program will begin about 8:00 pm. Adjournment anticipated about 9:30 pm. Yes, I will be attending: Name__________________________ Telephone___________________ Email Yes, I will be bringing a guest (s): Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Payment Method: Check, or Credit Card. Badge Name Company Name______________________________________ If paying by check, please make checks payable to ISASI-MARC, in the amount of $50.00 per person, if paid before April 21, 2016. The cost after April 21, 2016, will be $55.00, if space is available. This includes dinner, taxes, gratuity, and routine function expenses. Please mail checks to: Ms. Ann Schull, ISASI International Office, 107 E. Holly Avenue, Suite 11, Sterling, VA, 20164. (Telephone: 703-430-9668; FAX: 703-430-4970) If paying by credit card, please provide your reservation information, along with the following credit card information directly to Ms. Ann Schull by telephone, FAX, email, or regular mail. Curt Lewis