Flight Safety Information February 12, 2018 - No. 031 In This Issue Russia: Plane with 71 aboard crashes near Moscow Flight data recorder presumably found at An-148 crash site 3 dead, 4 injured after helicopter crashes in Grand Canyon National Park Accident: Lufthansa A320 at Munich on Feb 10th 2018, odour on board Incident: JAL B763 at Okinawa on Feb 9th 2018, white smoke in cabin Accident: Jetblue A320 near Charleston on Feb 8th 2018, fumes on board Incident: British Airways B772 near Shannon on Feb 9th 2018, smoke on the aircraft EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Ryanair B738 at Bucharest on Feb 9th 2018, suspected tail strike Incident: France B772 at Paris on Feb 9th 2018, dropped parts on departure Southwest Airlines runs out of de-icer, cancels all flights from Midway Mid-air collision of Air India plane with Vistara flight averted, aircraft just '100 feet' apart EASA issues EAD regarding A320 Neo and A321 Neo engines, withdraws ETOPS with immediate effect The Jet Engine is a Futuristic Technology Stuck in the Past SpaceX aims to make history 3 more times in 2018 Graduate Survey Request SASS 2018..The Singapore Aviation Safety Seminar (SASS) BASS 2018...The Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) 2018 MU-2 Pilot's Review of Proficiency Seminar (PROP 2018) - April 19-20, 2018 Position Available: General Manager / Senior Flight Data Analyst NTSB Event - SAVE THE DATE for GA Loss of Control Roundtable (April 24, 2018) MRO Americas University European Society of Air Safety Investigators (ESASI) - 2018 - Call for Presentations Russia: Plane with 71 aboard crashes near Moscow An An-148 regional twin-jet passenger aircraft during its first flight from the Antonov aircraft factory in Kiev, Ukraine. (Myshko Markiv/AP) MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia's Emergencies Ministry says a passenger plane has crashed near Moscow and fragments of it have been found. The An-148 regional jet disappeared from radar screens shortly after takeoff from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport on Sunday afternoon. News reports said 71 people - 65 passengers and six crew - were aboard the plane heading for the city of Orsk, about 1,500 kilometers (1,000 miles) southeast of Moscow. The Tass news agency says the plane fragments were found in the Ramenskoye area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the airport. Russian media said the jet belonged to Saratov Airlines. https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-media-plane-71-aboard-crashes-near-moscow-124531021--finance.html *************** Status: Preliminary Date: Sunday 11 February 2018 Time: 14:27 Type: Antonov An-148-100 Operator: Saratov Airlines Registration: RA-61704 C/n / msn: 27015040004 First flight: 2010 Engines: 2 Progress D-436-148 Crew: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 Passengers: Fatalities: 65 / Occupants: 65 Total: Fatalities: 71 / Occupants: 71 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Argunovo ( Russia) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Moskva-Domodedovo Airport (DME/UUDD), Russia Destination airport: Orsk Airport (OSW/UWOR), Russia Flightnumber: 6W703 Narrative: An Antonov An-148, operated by Saratov Airlines, is reported missing after takeoff from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, Russia. Flight 6W703 took off from runway 14R at Domodedovo Airport at 14:21 hours local time (11:21 UTC). Last contact on flight tracking website Flightradar24 was 14:27 hours. RT reports that, according to preliminary information, there are no survivors. Weather about the time of departure at Domodedovo Airport included limited visibility (2100m) during light snowfall. Temperature was -5°C, overcast cloud deck at 2600 feet AGL. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180211-0 Back to Top Flight data recorder presumably found at An-148 crash site MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. Rescue workers have presumably found the flight data recorder at the crash site of the An-148 passenger plane in the Moscow Region during the search operation, head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry's regional directorate Sergey Poletykin said on Monday. "The flight data recorder was found in the 18th sector [of the search operation]. The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) is working to confirm and identify the device," the said at a meeting of a working group of the government emergency response commission. According to Poletykin, nine aircraft are used to inspect and clarify the boundaries of wreckage dispersal. "The search area is divided into 29 sectors, with a senior officer assigned to each of them," he noted, adding that "the main efforts now focus on searching for the remains of the victims and collecting the plane's wreckage." http://tass.com/world/989564 Back to Top 3 dead, 4 injured after helicopter crashes in Grand Canyon National Park PHOTO: The scene where a helicopter crashed in Grand Canyon National Park on Feb. 10, 2018. A helicopter touring through the Grand Canyon crashed late Saturday afternoon, killing three people and injuring another four, officials told ABC News. A Papillion Airways Eurocopter EC130 "sustained substantial damage" when a crash was caused "under unknown circumstances" in the Grand Canyon," FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer told ABC News. Kenitzer added that the location of the crash is 3 miles east of the Grand Canyon West Airport, which is located in Peach Springs, Arizona. Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley told ABC News that the crash occurred at 5:20 p.m. local time, with 6 passengers and 1 pilot on board the helicopter. It is unclear if the pilot is injured or deceased. As of 9 p.m. local time, the four injured people -- all of whom were Level 1 trauma patients -- were still at the scene, because of the difficulty of getting to the site due to high winds, darkness and hard terrain. Helicopters were to be used to evacuate the injured. According to Papillion Airway's website, the carrier flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours. http://abcnews.go.com/US/dead-injured-helicopter-crash-grand-canyon/story?id=52992784 *************** Date: 10-FEB-2018 Time: 17:31 LT Type: Airbus H130 (EC130) Owner/operator: Papillon Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 7 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Grand Canyon, AZ - United States of America Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The tour aircraft impacted Grand Canyon terrain in Arizona. The helicopter was partially consumed by the post-impact fire and three of the seven occupants onboard were fatally injured. The remaining occupants onboard the helicopter received unspecified injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=205965 Back to Top Accident: Lufthansa A320 at Munich on Feb 10th 2018, odour on board A Lufthansa Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIZB performing flight LH-1730 from Munich (Germany) to Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), was in the initial climb out of Munich's runway 26L when the crew reported a flight attendant was suffering from dizziness and nausea due to an odour on board, they wanted to return to Munich. While positioning for the approach to crew declared Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. The aircraft landed overweight but safely on runway 26L about 14 minutes after departure, the crew advised they were able to taxi to the apron, tower advised emergency services were in attendance. A replacement A320-200 registration D-AIZA reached Sarajevo with a delay of 3:15 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4c10a9&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: JAL B763 at Okinawa on Feb 9th 2018, white smoke in cabin A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration JA8988 performing flight JL-912 from Okinawa to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 262 people on board, was climbing out of Okinawa when a flight attendant observed white smoke or vapour in the aft cabin prompting the flight crew to return to Okinawa for a safe landing. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration JA603J reached Tokyo with a delay of 6 hours. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported a flight attendant observed white smoke similiar to water vapour near the air conditioning in the aft cabin immediately after takeoff. The smoke dissipated after about 5 minutes, the aircraft returned to Okinawa nonetheless. The cause is being investigated. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4b8e0d&opt=256 Back to Top Accident: Jetblue A320 near Charleston on Feb 8th 2018, fumes on board A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N519JB performing flight Fort Lauderdale,FL to Boston,MA (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 120nm northeast of Charleston,SC (USA) when the crew reported fumes on board causing a flight attendant to become sick and decided to divert to Charleston, where the aircraft landed about 25 minutes later. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Charleston as a precaution following an odour on board. A replacement aircraft was dispatched to Charleston. Passengers reported there was an odour like fuel on board immediately after takeoff. The crew indicated they were checking. About one hour later the captain announced they were diverting to Charleston after a flight attendant had become sick. A replacement A320-200 registration N537JT reached Boston with a delay of 7:20 hours. The occurence aircraft returned to service about 19 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU170/history/20180208/2110Z/KFLL/KBOS http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4b8aa9&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: British Airways B772 near Shannon on Feb 9th 2018, smoke on the aircraft A British Airways Boeing 777-200, registration G-VIIG performing flight BA-213 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Boston,MA (USA) with 224 passenges and 15 crew, was enroute at FL350 about 230nm southwest of Shannon (Ireland) about to enter the Atlantic Crossing when the crew donned their oxygen masks and declared PAN, PAN, PAN reporting they had "smoke on the aircraft". The crew dumped fuel while on the way to Shannon and requested vectors for an ILS approach to runway 24. The aircraft landed safely on runway 24, after landing the crew advised, still on oxygen masks, that operations were now normal, the smoke in cockpit and cabin had dissipated. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped for an inspection by emergency services who reported detecting no anomalies. The aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency services in trail. The aircraft taxiing in (Photo: PF/AVH): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4b6a36&opt=256 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Ryanair B738 at Bucharest on Feb 9th 2018, suspected tail strike A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EBA performing flight FR-7347 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Dublin (Ireland), departed Bucharest's runway 08L when the crew declared PAN advising they needed to return to Bucharest, first they needed to sort some things out. The crew later advised they suspected they had either suffered a tail strike or hit the runway end lights and requested a runway inspection. They needed to burn off fuel for the return. The aircraft entered a hold. Air Traffic Control subsequently advised that a runway inspection had not found any damage, not to the runway surface, not to the runway lights nor in a search beyond the runway end. After the aircraft had burned off sufficent fuel, the aircraft landed safely on Otopeni's runway 26L about 55 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about one hour for maintenance checks and refueling, then departed again and reached Dublin with a delay of 2.5 hours. Passengers reported they were not given any information at all. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4bf61b&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: France B772 at Paris on Feb 9th 2018, dropped parts on departure An Air France Boeing 777-200, registration F-GSPB performing flight AF-32 from Paris Orly (France) to New York JFK,NY (USA), departed Orly's runway 06, climbed to cruise level and was enroute at FL340 about 180nm west of Paris when the crew was informed pieces of carbon had been found on the departure runway. The crew decided to return to Paris advising ATC it was the right hand engine (GE90). The aircraft landed safely on Orly's runway 24 about 70 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4b9911&opt=256 Back to Top Southwest Airlines runs out of de-icer, cancels all flights from Midway Southwest Airlines cancels almost all flights at Midway Airport on Feb. 11, 2018, in Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) For at least the second time this winter, Southwest Airlines had trouble de-icing planes at Midway Airport, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. On Sunday, the Chicago Department of Aviation's website showed cancellations of all Southwest Airlines flights departing Midway. A Southwest Airlines representative sent a written statement in response to inquiries regarding the flights. "Throughout the storms, we've actively worked to manage our glycol levels (used to de-ice aircraft) but due to the severity of the winter weather Southwest has proactively canceled about 220 flights as of midday Sunday," the representative wrote. Additionally, in a response to a passenger question on Twitter about Midway, a Southwest representative wrote: "Due to having to de-ice many of our aircraft because of the weather, we are running low on de-icing fluid." "Flights have been cancelled due to Operational challenges due to the lack of deicing fluid in Midway," the company also said on Twitter. Orland Park resident Jim DeYoung, his wife, her sister and the DeYoungs' brother-in-law were meant to have landed in Orlando, Fla., by the afternoon. They arrived at Midway around 11 a.m. for a 1:45 p.m. flight to Florida, DeYoung said. "At 10:50 a.m. it showed the plane was on time, and by the time we got to the airport shortly after 11 it had been canceled," DeYoung said. "Everyone who had reservations on the airline, there are no flights going out today." DeYoung was told the flights were canceled because of weather, but he said if it had only been weather, it likely would have affected more than a single airline. The Twitter account for Midway reported that more than 250 flights were canceled Sunday, which means 30 flights with different airlines also were canceled. "It ended up what we heard from multiple sources was they did not get their supply of de-icer and didn't have enough to de-ice the planes," DeYoung said. Having arrived well in advance of their flight, the DeYoungs were able to change their departure date to Monday afternoon, he said. The family was toward the front of the line to get their plans rescheduled, he said, and expressed concern that not everyone was going to have such a smooth process. The family plans to spend two weeks in the Orlando area. "We're down by a day. There's other people -everybody has a story, you know, of where they're trying to go," DeYoung said. A few days after Christmas, 90 Southwest Airlines flights were canceled because of delays caused by the de-icing of planes, according to a statement from the airline at the time. The airline blamed freezing conditions at the airport for slowing down crews in charge of de-icing the planes, the statement said. Temperatures in Chicago on Sunday were in the mid-20s, according to the National Weather Service. "It would be nice if Southwest could do something for us, but that probably comes under the heading of 'weather problems,' " DeYoung said. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-metro-southwest-airlines-runs-out-of-deicer-again-20180211-story.html Back to Top Mid-air collision of Air India plane with Vistara flight averted, aircraft just '100 feet' apart • The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has launched a probe • The two planes were just a 100 feet apart: AI flight captain • The incident took place in the Mumbai airspace Amid-air disaster was averted in the Mumbai air space when a Vistara aircraft came perilously close to an Air India plane, prompting the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to launch a probe. On February 7, Vistara's UK 997 Pune-bound aircraft from Delhi, carrying 152 passengers, was just 100 feet away from Air India's AI 631 flight for Bhopal which had 109 passengers on board. The AI flight captain has written in her resolution advisory report that the aircraft was just 100 feet away when it was taken to a safer distance. The collision was averted after an automatic warning alerted the pilots of the two planes of being in close proximity to each other, an official said. The commander of the Air India flight acted swiftly on the instrument warning and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, a senior official of the airline said. The two pilots of the Vistara flight have been grounded, pending investigation, while the Air India pilots have been cleared for flying by the AAIB for not being at fault, the official added. Vistara confirmed the incident and said both its pilots have been taken off flying duty, pending investigation. "In this particular incident, the resolution advisory (by the Traffic Collision Avoidance System or TCAS) got triggered due to conflicting traffic. Our pilot followed the standard operating procedure to avoid it and carried out an uneventful landing. The matter is under investigation by the relevant authority," a spokesperson of the Vistara said. TCAS is an on-board equipment that advises pilots regarding the traffic in the proximity of the aircraft and also prescribes what action a pilot can take to maintain the desired separation between the aircraft. AIR INDIA'S EXPLANATION "The Air India aircraft was going as per the ATC instructions. There was no confusion. But it seems that something had gone wrong between the Vistara pilot and the ATC as the Vistara aircraft kept descending while the ATC was giving different instructions. There was some kind of an argument between them," the Air India official said. "The Vistara aircraft continued descending. So, finally, when our pilot saw the warning (the Vistara aircraft breaching the mandatory separation) on board, she just took the corrective action and turned the aircraft from the collision point," the airline said. The Air India pilot's action was perfect as she followed the resolution advisory and steered the aircraft to a safer distance, it added. "The AAIB has cleared our pilot for flying," the Air India official said, while lauding her timely action. "It was a close shave," he said. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mid-air-collision-of-air-india-plane-with-vistara-flight-averted-pilots-of-latter-grounded-1167354-2018-02-11 Back to Top EASA issues EAD regarding A320 Neo and A321 Neo engines, withdraws ETOPS with immediate effect The European Aviation Safety Agency issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) 2018-0041-E concerning all PW1127, PW1130 and PW1133 engines with high pressure compressor aft hub modification embodied from ESN P770450. The EAD effectively withdraws ETOPS certification for all affected engines with immediate effect and prohibits operation of A320 Neo and A321 Neo aircraft with two affected engines installed. EASA argues: Several occurrences of engine in-flight shut-down (IFSD) and Rejected Take-Off (RTO) have been reported on certain Airbus A320neo family aeroplanes. While investigation is ongoing to determine the root cause, preliminary findings indicate that the affected engines, which have high pressure compressor aft hub modification embodied from ESN P770450, are more susceptible to IFSD. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to dual engine IFSD. EASA imposes following restrictions with the EAD: (1) Within 3 flight cycles (FC) from the effective date of this AD, do not operate an aeroplane having two affected engines installed. (2) Within 1 FC from the effective date of this AD, for an aeroplane having at least one affected engine(s) installed, ETOPS operations are not allowed. (3) Inserting a copy of this AD in the ETOPS Configuration, Maintenance and Procedures (CMP) of concerned aeroplane models and, thereafter, operating that aeroplane on ETOPS accordingly, is acceptable to comply with paragraph (2) of this AD. On Feb 11th 2018 The Aviation Herald received information about a Communication to All Operators transmitted by Pratt & Whitney (PW) on Feb 7th 2018 obviously detailing an event leading to the EAD. The letter states: On February 05, 2018, an Airbus A320-200 with PW1127G-JM engines was operating a scheduled flight when during cruise the crew was alerted to high engine vibration. 'ENG 2 HIGH VIBRATION' was annunciated on ECAM, and reported greater than 10 CUs on VIB N1. Initial inspection of the engine showed one fan blade with a missing blade body cover, along with damage to the fan case, ice liner panel and several exit guide vanes. This fan blade had the condition described in Reference 2 and 3, commonly described as a Population A fan blade, however the blade was not listed in Table 3 of the reference 2 and 3 Service Bulletins. Pratt & Whitney is currently reviewing the manufacturing records of all Fan Blades to determine if any other Population A fan blades were not listed in Table 3 of the reference 2 and 3 Service Bulletins. As a precaution, Pratt & Whitney will require a once through the fleet inspection of all fan blades with more than 750 cycles. The details for this inspection will be published in a Special Instruction (SI). ... The FAA has been notified of this event by P&W in accordance with FAR part 21.3 According to the FAA database Spirit Airlines' A320 Neo N902NK is equipped with PW1127G-JM engines and was involved in an engine severe vibration occurrence on Feb 4th 2018 local time, Feb 5th 2018 UTC, see Incident: Spirit A20N at Las Vegas on Feb 4th 2018, engine vibrations. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4c4509&opt=256 Back to Top The Jet Engine is a Futuristic Technology Stuck in the Past Rockets and turbofans have promised to realize dreams of transportation progress-for decades. An Object Lesson. A turbofan on a Boeing 787 "Falcon Heavy, in a Roar of Thunder, Carries SpaceX's Ambition Into Orbit." So reads a New York Times headline on the biggest spectacle of the week. Elon Musk's latest rocket blasted into the atmosphere with David Bowie's iconic "Space Oddity" playing on auto-repeat, listened to by no one. Crowds cheered as the rocket roared upon takeoff-carrying a Tesla Roadster as payload, no less-and roared again as the boosters delivered themselves safely back to Earth. The sound of jet propulsion can be both mesmerizing and forgettable. On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I became distinctly aware of a succession of rumbles in the sky early each morning: the steady sounds of the first banks of commercial airliners taking off from Reagan National Airport, across the Potomac. This is nothing out of the ordinary: just the groan of turbofans churning the outside air into propellant thrust so an airliner can ascend after takeoff. It might seem silly to even remark on it. This happens to me more often than I'd like to admit: I'll hear a jet rumbling above, and gaze up and say, "Wow!"-and whoever I'm with stares at me like I'm some sort of Neanderthal. But this dull roar denotes a truly astonishing feat happening each and every day, on regular and tight schedules. These are the workhorses of the sky, transporting people and cargo around the planet for labor and leisure, the grinds of work and duty commingling with the fantasies of vacation and pleasure. Turbofans propel both bodies and boxes around the globe. Yet here's what's weird: The same technologies that quite literally thrust people and things into space and the future are also the very things that might be holding humans back from truly radical, forward-looking innovations. Lately there has been some buzz about new developments in electric turbofan engines. An advancement would result in a quieter, more fuel-efficient mode of jet propulsion-and thereby a cheaper and less polluting form of air travel. Promotional spots for the products often show energy diagrams with bold green arrows and lines, or sleek aircraft soaring above verdant, rolling landscapes. Rolls-Royce, for instance, is collaborating with Siemens and Airbus to develop a hybrid aircraft on which one of the four gas-turbine engines-a turbofan painted green-will be powered solely by electric energy. The plane will have three normal gas turbofans as backup as the companies test the green engine for stress, safety, and reliability. The goal is to fly this test plane by 2020, suggesting that the technology could conceivably be put into use within the next couple decades. The aircraft model for this particular test plane is a British Aerospace 146, or BAe-146. It's a smallish, short- to mid-range aircraft with 70 to 112 seats, most commonly used for regional routes. It's a distinctive plane, resembling a miniature cargo jet with a high-wing cantilever design and four comparatively small engines. This is a rather old plane, first flown in 1981 and no longer in commercial service in the United States. Only 144 of the 387 aircraft built are still in operation around the world. In other words, the green-engine testing is not being conducted on a wide-body, mainline carrier-the type of aircraft where the real money is for airlines as well as aircraft and turbofan manufacturers. Instead, an obsolescing aircraft is being used to test out new propulsion technology. It's an investment in green energy, then, but perhaps more symbolic than realistic in terms of widespread, cost-effective use. Of course, larger-scale equipment is also undergoing renewal and innovation. Rolls-Royce is developing a new Power Gearbox that will result in 25 percent greater fuel efficiency in their large turbofans by 2025, relative to the 20-year-old Trent 700 model. Regarding their newer Trent 7000 turbofans, designed for the wide-body Airbus A330neo (250 to 440 passengers), Rolls-Royce confidently claims that these engines are "future-proofed on noise and emissions, with plenty of margin against both current and future environmental targets/legislation." Rolls-Royce confirmed that this turbofan has been designed to meet guidance for projected regulations of emissions and noise, which have not yet increased in stringency. This both assumes a worsening state of affairs (more air-traffic congestion, greater ecological urgency, etc.) and assures buyers that these things have already been planned for and built into the engine. It amounts to copping to the tragedy of what's coming, and then congratulating oneself for being so ready for it. It is a curious way to think about the future, if you pause to contemplate it. And certainly, even as turbofan and aircraft manufacturers alike make appeals to cleaner technology, their goal is not to reduce human air travel. Regarding its A330 model, Airbus charts 1,694 orders for these planes, of which only 1,373 are fulfilled. The implicit message: Demand has not been met, which means building more planes, and faster. And this is presented as an ongoing condition. An airline manufacturer would never aim to satisfy the needs of all airlines once and for all, but rather to keep producing new jets ad infinitum. So even if the planes to come are powered by relatively cleaner Trent 7000 turbofans, the assumption-the goal-is to put ever more A330s in the sky. That somewhat complicates the straightforward aim of hitting "environmental targets," as Rolls-Royce puts it. Individually, sure-but collectively, if more planes are in the sky? Aviation futurists might argue that as old planes are retired, the newer, more efficient aircraft will simply replace these, and that consolidation will reduce overall flights and eliminate unnecessary routes. Yet it is clear that Airbus and Boeing are hardly going to turn away new business, or slow down production. Consider how Airbus boldly claims that their A320 family is the "world's best-selling aircraft of all time"; and then look at how Boeing shows off their cornucopia of customers for their comparable next-generation 737. This is obviously a race for growth, not just efficiency. Turbofan engines offer an audible reminder of the paradox of progress. As much as people may want to experience new things, they have to use old tools and means to do so. Sometimes those tools and means can function as blinders. People are tied to existing patterns, infrastructure, and systems even as they might want or need to do something different and truly innovative. Leaving Washington a few days later, I was struck by the beauty of Eero Saarinen's Dulles International Airport at dawn. The way it sweeps up from the ground, how it architecturally announces the grand project of flight. It feels like a paean to the jet age, a living monument of sorts. As I plodded through the security-checkpoint slog to my gate, however, it occurred to me how stuck travelers are in this bizarre moment of the past, this mid-20th-century endeavor that is jet travel. Innovations in turbofan-engine design and technology may be well-intentioned and forward-thinking, at least in some sense. And the actual work that turbofans do day in and day out, hour after hour of nonstop chugging across the sky-it's nothing less than incredible, from a technical standpoint. But, at the same time, the din of flight really can't help but remind people of something that had its heyday several decades ago. The bitter truth is that human air travel probably won't get much better in the years to come. It might have reached certain limits in terms of speed, economy, and comfort. There are any number of signs that this is the case: climate change, limited resources, land-use constraints, wealth inequality, and so on. Recently, news broke about problems in the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines that power the Boeing 787, which was first introduced in 2011: The turbine blades on two separate aircraft broke down during flight, resulting in severe vibrations and causing the aircraft to abort their journeys. Concerning these recent incidents, Warren East, the chief executive at Rolls-Royce, admitted an obvious but uncomfortable truth about turbofan parts: "They wear out." For all of Elon Musk's bluster, and even granting the incredible engineering brilliance behind SpaceX's accomplishments, an odd detail slipped into one of Musk's presentations on "making life multiplanetary": The pressurized area of the payload section of his planned Mars spaceship is described as being "greater than the cabin of an Airbus A380." The fact is meant to be impressive, but it doesn't quite square with the expected duration of the trip to Mars. Three to six months traveling in a super jumbo jet? No thanks. Sixteen hours in an A380 can already drive one to the point of insanity, no matter how luxurious the accommodations. In a similar rhetorical move, the mass of this week's star rocket, the Falcon Heavy, was explained by comparison to a 737-one of the most recognizable Boeing commercial airliners in service today. To envision a reusable space rocket as little more than a vertically aligned Southwest plane brings the stars down to earth indeed. The ambitions and technological marvels of Musk's rockets are weighed down by the 20th-century baggage of commercial flight. For now, the goal of human air travel seems to be to keep it going at any cost-as if humanity is still headed somewhere else, somewhere new. Rolls-Royce plans to "power the aircraft of the future," as a company statement boldly puts it. And SpaceX is certainly working hard to produce another aspect of this future. But is the future in play here truly something revolutionary? Whether encapsulated in the dreams of a billionaire technologist or nestled in the gear teeth of a next-generation turbofan, the roar of the future gets awkwardly dampened. It sounds a lot like the present, or maybe even more like the past. Understood this way, it makes perverse sense why Musk sent a car into outer space, going nowhere, as if to consecrate once and for all the 20th century as a final frontier. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/engine-failure/552959/ Back to Top SpaceX aims to make history 3 more times in 2018 Tuesday's Falcon Heavy launch made history, not only becoming the highest-capacity rocket platform since the Saturn V but accomplishing the first double autonomous booster landing. And that's just the start of what could prove to be an epic year for SpaceX - if Elon Musk's ambitious timeline isn't delayed, say by high winds. There are three major events in the works for 2018 - two likely in the summer and one at the end of the year. First there's the next Falcon Heavy launch, which after multiple delays will hopefully be taking off in June with a handful of satellites both military and private. This could set a couple of records - heaviest commercial payload, for instance, and if things go well it might even get that triple autonomous booster landing that was hoped for yesterday. The June launch, by the way, will carry a couple interesting payloads. You may remember the test flight of Lightsail, a prototype solar sailing spacecraft that launched in 2015. The new version should launch this year, built by the Planetary Society; Bill Nye is one of the project's most outspoken advocates. And there's also the Deep Space Atomic Clock, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, keeping hyper-accurate time that spacecraft can check with for navigational purposes. SpaceX may also attempt the first water landing of its fairing, Musk hinted in the press conference following the Falcon Heavy launch. We can expect it in the next six months, he said, but the problem is that it's not a guided landing and the fairing tends to drift on its way down. "Fairing recovery has proven surprisingly difficult. You pop the parachute and you've got this giant awkward thing - it tends to interfere with the air flow on the parachute," he said. "My guess is next six months we'll figure out fairing recovery. We have a special boat to catch the fairing; it's like a giant catcher's mitt in boat form." That would be the "Large Barge," though it hasn't been put into play yet. Catching a falling fairing before it hits the water would be another historic feat, further reducing the cost of launch and recovery. (Clearly they're saving the capsule catch record for another year.) "I think we might be able to do something similar for Dragon," he added, half-jokingly. SpaceX's Crew Dragon The last major item planned for this year is a crewed flight of the new Dragon capsule. Musk said at the press conference that "After Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy Block 5 [the next revision of the platform], it's all hands on deck for Crew Dragon. We're aspiring to fly a crew orbit by the end of this year. I think the hardware will be ready." Commercial crewed missions are the next major area of interest of commercial space industry, and SpaceX is competing with Boeing for the glory of it and, as a secondary consideration, the lucrative government contracts. But sending actual humans up in rockets that still occasionally explode isn't an option - the reliability of the launch platform has to be rock-solid and any issues causing failures need to be addressed. SpaceX's record has been clear for over a year; the last real failure was in 2016, when on September 1 a Falcon 9 exploded on the pad during launch prep, apparently caused by a pressure vessel failure. In late 2017 a Merlin engine exploded during testing, but that's kind of what testing is for. And the mysterious Zuma payload from Northrop Grumman didn't go right just last month, but it wasn't actually SpaceX's fault. Again, though, actual humans will be on this. As they say, "Failure is not an option." Nevertheless, Musk seemed confident that they would be ready for a crewed Dragon orbit by the end of the year. Less clear timing-wise are early tests for the spaceship section of SpaceX's BFR project. Musk gave a few hints about this at the press conference following the Falcon Heavy launch. "I think we might also be able to do short hopper flights with the spaceship part of the BFR, maybe next year," he said. "By hopper tests I mean go up several miles and come down. We'll do flights of increasing complexity. We want to fly out, turn around, accelerate back real hard, and come in hot to test the heat shield." "The ship is capable of single-stage orbit if you want to fully load the tanks," he added, but real test flights probably won't happen for three or four years. How that all will play out is very much in flux right now. And who knows when Starlink, or whatever it's called, will happen. Whether the company will accomplish these three feats in the next year depends on quite a lot, but after Tuesday's launch I'm feeling optimistic. https://www.yahoo.com/news/spacex-aims-history-3-more-193528860.html Back to Top Graduate Survey Request My name is Carlos Enriquez and i am working on a thesis for my Masters in Aviation Science from Everglades University. My research is centered on the use of autopilot in helicopter operations. More specifically, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services accident rates due to flights into inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their Safety Recommendation dated September 24, 2009 included the use of a second pilot or an autopilot. I created a survey with specific questions for helicopter pilots. Please find below, link to the survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6C3N9CL Thank you, Carlos Enriquez Back to Top SASS 2018 Building on the success of previous years, the Singapore Aviation Safety Seminar (SASS) will be held March 26-29, 2018, and will feature presentations from local and international speakers. The theme for SASS 2018 is "Stepping Up Safety: Enabling Growth, Embracing New Technologies." The program focuses on topics relating to recent safety challenges, human factors issues, organizational safety issues, lessons learned from recent accidents and the latest technological improvements for safety. Registration and program agenda can be found on the SASS event website. Back to Top BASS 2018 The Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) is a forum for the industry to meet in a collaborative environment to identify safety concerns, devise approaches to reduce risk and implement initiatives to improve safety. The summit, in its 63rd year, is organized by Flight Safety Foundation in partnership with the National Business Aviation Association. Content covers safety, training, practical solutions, management, human factors and other issues for every segment of the business aviation industry. The program agenda and registration information can be found on our event website. Back to Top Back to Top Job Title: General Manager / Senior Flight Data Analyst This position is open to all aviation safety professionals keen to manage a business at the forefront of safety technology. Desirable qualifications include: • flight deck experience • an aviation or business-related degree • experience in voluntary safety programs • commercial experience Job Description This position combines the freedom to run and develop a business in the US with potential to make a real impact on aviation safety. It will suit a pilot who is keen on aviation but tired of hotels. The office is based in Phoenix, Arizona and customers are based from Canada to Venezuela. You will also be supporting operators around the world as a part of the Flight Data Services group of companies. Location: The job holder must be based Monday to Friday on site at our Phoenix office. Supervision: 4 current staff members (3 in office, 1 remote) Salary: The range for this role is $50,000 to $70,000 per annum dependent on skills and experience. There is also a comprehensive benefits package. IMPORTANT NOTES: • Resume and Cover Letter must be received by midnight March 31st 2018 at hr@flightdataservices.com • Successful candidates will be required to complete testing prior to scheduling for interview. • Interviews will be scheduled April 9th thru 11th and must be attended IN PERSON at the Phoenix, Arizona office. Main Purpose of Job: As General Manager you will have overall charge of the business of Flight Data Services Inc, including: 1. Management of the Company's affairs and administration. 2. Management of the staff of FDS Inc. 3. Management of customer interfaces, including annual visits, monthly reports and ad hoc communications. 4. Promotion of the Company within the continents of North and South America. 5. Responsible for Company compliance with state and federal law. As Senior Flight Data Analyst you will promote aviation safety through: 1. Providing leadership for US analysts by: a. Providing training and guidance as needed. b. Task distribution & workload management. 2. Routine analysis of downloaded data. a. Review of abnormal operations and determine the cause. b. Report on findings to airlines. c. Compilation of monthly customer reports. d. Occasional emergency customer support and call-out on a roster basis. e. Responding to ad hoc requests for analysis or supply of data. 3. Contributing to the Safety Seminar and Training Courses a. Preparation and delivery of presentations. b. Attendance at the seminar. c. Ad hoc training of attendees. 4. Depending upon specialization, one or more of the following: a. Preparation of new Analysis Specifications. b. Amending analysis procedures to change thresholds etc. in consultation with the customer and Analysis Manager c. Customer training d. Support to Marketing 5. Liaise with IT Support on software maintenance. 6. Liaise with Software Development team on the POLARIS project. The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organization and the overall business objectives of the organization. ************** About Flight Data Services Flight Data Services is an industry-leader in flight safety innovation. Our expert knowledge of flight data, aviation safety, and information technology is delivered to aircraft operators globally. We are the largest dedicated provider of flight data analysis services and our qualified and experienced flight safety specialists include the highest ratio of analysts to aircraft in the aviation industry. Flight Data Services are proud to be a global, independent and private company. In 2015 we were accredited with the 'Investors in People' award and in 2017 we earned ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. Curt Lewis