Flight Safety Information June 8, 2018 - No. 116 In This Issue Incident: KLM A332 at Amsterdam on Jun 7th 2018, hydraulic failure Incident: Canada B789 near Moscow on Jun 4th 2018, engine flamed out and was restarted Eurocopter AS350B3 Écureuil Accident (Japan) IAF Jaguar aircraft develops technical snag during landing in Gujarat, pilot ejects safely First-time flyer deploys emergency slide of Air India aircraft to get fresh air Delta flight forced to return to Atlanta airport after nose steering problems TWO BLACK BOXES RECOVERED FROM CUBAN AIRLINE CRASH BEING INVESTIGATED BY NTSB VIDEO: NTSB gives details of 2017 Shorts crash as video surfaces LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. PNG AIC releases Preliminary Accident Investigation Report Lockheed Hercules wing struck Boeing 737 winglet PNG ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION COMMISSION COOPERATING WITH REGIONAL NEIGHBOURS Widow of man killed in plane-jet collision sues jet's pilot GARUDA, LION AIR AND BATIK AIR TOP SAFETY RANKINGS US Government Probes Airplane Vulnerabilities, Says Airline Hack Is 'Only a Matter of Time' FAA Halts Flight Testing Of 100LL Replacements Bob Hoover Foundation Funds $150,000 in Aviation Scholarships Emirates looks to windowless planes Drone pilots don't have their own air traffic controllers - GE wants to change that As It Was: Pilots of Homebuilt Airplanes Become "Oregon Outlaws" ERAU Faculty Member Invited to NTSB Safety Roundtable Upcoming Cranfield short courses Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation, Course, Oct 31-Nov 1, Woburn MA USA 2018 SERC of ISASI HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - New Online Course - Fall 2018 Human Factors in Accident Investigation from SCSI Flight Safety Officer Course from SCSI Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 Incident: KLM A332 at Amsterdam on Jun 7th 2018, hydraulic failure A KLM Airbus A330-200, registration PH-AOA performing flight KL-656 from Minneapolis,MN (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was on final approach to Amsterdam's runway 06 just after being handed off to tower when the crew reported they suddenly had lost/depleted a hydraulic system and queried whether they were cleared to land, which tower affirmed. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 06. After landing the crew advised they had no nose wheel steering and would vacate via a high speed turn off. Tower advised while the aircraft was turning off the runway that there was smoke from the right hand main gear and recommended to hold position, emergency services were on their way already. The crew suspected hydraulic fluid dripping onto the hot brakes and stopped the aircraft while still on the high speed turn off. Emergency services arrived at the aircraft and checked the right main gear. The crew requested to be towed to the apron and advised a runway inspection might be needed, they probably leaked hydraulic fluid from low altitude until after landing. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 17.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b998b22&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Canada B789 near Moscow on Jun 4th 2018, engine flamed out and was restarted An Air Canada Boeing 787-900, registration C-FNOE performing flight AC-43 from Delhi (India) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 297 passengers and 14 crew, was enroute at FL310 about 830nm eastnortheast of Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) when the left hand engine (GEnx) flamed out. The crew successfully restarted the engine, declared emergency and diverted to Moscow Domodedovo for a safe landing about 2 hours later. The Canadian TSB reported Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency decided to not open an investigation. Maintenance found a loose connector on the fuel metering unit. The connector was tightened and an engine run successfully performed. The aircraft remained on the ground in Moscow for about 38 hours, then positioned to Toronto as flight AC-7070. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA43/history/20180603/1840Z/VIDP/CYYZ https://avherald.com/h?article=4b997d46&opt=0 Back to Top Eurocopter AS350B3 Écureuil Accident (Japan) Date: 07-JUN-2018 Time: 15:28 LT Type: Eurocopter AS350B3 Écureuil Owner/operator: Excel Air Service Registration: JA350D C/n / msn: 3467 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 10 nm southeast of Aguni Airport (AGJ/RORA) - Japan Phase: En route Nature: Ferry/positioning Departure airport: Naha Airport (OKA/ROAH) Destination airport: Aguni Airport (AGJ/RORA) Narrative: A Eurocopter AS350B3 crashed over East China sea, 10 nm southeast of Agni Airport, or 40 km nothwest of Naha, Okinawa prefecture, Japan. The Écureuil took off from Naha at 15:12 LT to pick up (a) passenger(s) at Aguni. A distress signal was received by Japan Air Self-Defense Force at 15:28 LT. A search and rescue helicopter of Japan Air Self-Defense Force found the pilot and parts of wreckage at 15:50 LT. The sole pilot was rescued and sent to the hospital. The pilot states a pain on chest, however apparently had no major injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=211914 Back to Top IAF Jaguar aircraft develops technical snag during landing in Gujarat, pilot ejects safely; probe ordered (India) An Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar aircraft developed a technical snag during the landing phase in Gujarat on Friday morning. It was on a routine training mission from Jamnagar in Gujarat when when the incident took place, reports said. The pilot ejected safely, reported ANI. The incident reportedly occurred at 9.20 am on Friday. A Court of Inquiry has also been ordered to probe the cause. News18 quoted a defence spokesperson as saying that the aircraft did not crash land but only developed a technical snag, with minor damage to the aircraft. The Indian Air Force has rejected the induction of the next generation Tejas LCA has failed to . ReutersRepresentational image. Reuters This comes three days after another IAF Jaguar jet crashed in Gujarat's Kutch district soon after it took off from the Jamnagar air base, killing a senior officer who was piloting the aircraft. Air Commodore Sanjai Chauhan, the Air Officer Commanding Air Force Station Jamnagar, who was flying the deep penetration Jaguar fighter jet died when the plane crashed in a field in Bareja village. A Court of Inquiry was also ordered (by the air headquarters) to investigate the cause of the accident. Some cows grazing in the field were killed after being hit by the jet's debris, locals had said. The plane's debris were strewn far and wide on the outskirts of the village and carcasses of the killed animals were seen lying in the field, they said. In February, an IAF helicopter crashed in Assam's Majuli island, killing two pilots, minutes after their microlight aircraft took off on a routine sortie. The aircraft crashed in the river island, soon after taking off from the Jorhat air base. https://www.firstpost.com/india/iaf-jaguar-aircraft-develops-technical-snag-during-landing-in-gujarat- pilot-ejects-safely-probe-ordered-4502171.html Back to Top First-time flyer deploys emergency slide of Air India aircraft to get fresh air, left with warning (India) A passenger on board an Air India flight at Goa airport deployed the emergency landing gear to get some fresh air as he was feeling suffocated has been left with a warning. According to a report by TOI, the man was a first-time flyer and has been let off. An Air India official was quoted as saying in the report that he has been left with a warning and is not being treated as an unruly passenger. The flight which was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai (AI 985) was one of the 20-odd flights which could not approach Mumbai due to bad weather and was diverted to Goa. The flight reportedly took off from Ahmedabad at around 7.30 pm on Monday and after flying for half an hour, the crew was informed of bad weather in Mumbai after which they circled for some time to see if things improve. As there was no change in conditions, the plane was diverted to Goa where it landed at around 9:40 PM. While waiting in Goa, this passenger deployed the slide leading to another delay of 10 hours. The aircraft finally took off at around 5:33 AM after reinstallation and landed in Mumbai at around 6:33 PM. Rain in Mumbai has also affected normal life. With the IMD predicting "heavy to very heavy" rainfall along the Maharashtra coast, including Mumbai, over this weekend, the Mumbai civic body is preparing itself to prevent and tackle monsoon-related disasters. "Leaves of all the senior officials, including Deputy Municipal commissioners (DMCs), Assistant Commissioners (AMCs) and heads of departments have been cancelled and they have been directed to be available in their headquarters on June 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday)," it said. Earlier this week, another Air India flight going from Delhi to Durgapur in West Bengal with 128 passengers on board had to return shortly after it took off due to a hydraulic problem, a spokesperson of the airline said. Flight number AI 755 returned to Delhi 40 minutes after it took off, when the problem was detected, he added. The passengers were boarded on an alternative flight, the spokesperson said. https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/first-time-flyer-deploys-emergency-slide-of-air-india- aircraft-to-get-fresh-air-left-with-warning/1197116/ Back to Top Delta flight forced to return to Atlanta airport after nose steering problems ATLANTA - Federal officials say a Delta plane making an international flight was forced to turn back to Atlanta after experiencing issues mid-flight. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, flight 369 headed to Managua, Nicaragua safely landed back at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport around 8:15 p.m. after the crew reported a nose wheel steering problem. Information from flight-tracking website Flight Aware shows that the plane took off from Gate E31 at the airport around 6:30 p.m. It was about two hours into the flight when the issue became apparent and pilots turned the plane around. A spokesperson for the FAA said the agency would be looking into the incident. 11Alive has reached out to Delta for further information. The company said the are re-accommodating customers on another aircraft. "The safety of our customers and crews is always our top priority," a spokesperson said. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/faa-delta-flight-forced-to-return-to-atlanta-airport-after- nose-steering-problems/85-562422469 Back to Top TWO BLACK BOXES RECOVERED FROM CUBAN AIRLINE CRASH BEING INVESTIGATED BY NTSB The two black boxes that were found at the scene of the Cuba airplane crash last month are being investigated and analyzed in Washington, D.C., by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Miami Herald reported Thursday. Flight 0972 crashed on May 18 and killed 112 people en route to Holguín in Cuba after taking off from Havana's José Martí International Airport. ss. Emergency personnel work at the site of the accident after a Boeing 737 aircraft with more than 100 passengers aboard crashed shortly after take off from the Jose Marti International airport in Havana, Cuba on May 18, 2018. The black boxes found at the scene are being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. There is only one survivor left, 19-year-old Mailén Díaz Almaguer. It could take months to figure out what exactly caused the crash. One of the black boxes was the plane's flight data recorder, which was discovered a week after the crash, the Miami Herald reported. The second black box, which was recovered right after the plane crash, reportedly recorded voices from the cockpit and is in good condition. Vice President of Cuba's Civil Aeronautics Institute (IACC) Carlos Radamés Pérez Andino, along with two Cuban investigators, took the two black boxes to the NTSB lab to download the information. "All information about the investigation will be released by IACC, who leads the accident investigation," the NTSB said in a statement to the Miami Herald. The nearly 40-year-old aircraft was leased to Cuba by Aerolíneas Damoh, a Mexican airline. The same plane was stopped from being used in Guyana after authorities found the crew kept overloading luggage onto flights in Cuba, Captain Egbert Field previously told the Associated Press. Marco Aurelio Hernandez, a pilot who used to work for Damoh, told Mexican newspaper Milenio that he had complained to the airline about the inadequate maintenance of the aircraft. "I experienced several incidents at this company, like engine failure or the electrical system went when we took off from Mexico on one occasion," Hernandez told the publication. http://www.newsweek.com/cuba-plane-crash-black-boxes-ntsb-965475 Back to Top VIDEO: NTSB gives details of 2017 Shorts crash as video surfaces Newly-released video shows the moment an Air Cargo Carriers Shorts turboprop crashed at Charleston's Yeager airport in West Virginia last year, shedding light on an incident that killed both pilots. Documents released by the National Transportation Safety Board in recent days also prompt questions about safety culture and reveal that the aircraft's first officer had expressed concern about captain. Those concerns involved sleeping in the cockpit, steep turns and descent rates at low altitude, and trouble with instrument flying, NTSB documents show. However, those specific concerns involved earlier flights, and the NTSB has not yet determined the cause of the accident. The Shorts 330 freighter, registration N334AC, was operating UPS-contracted flight 1260 from Louisville when it crashed at 06:51 local time while landing on Runway 5 at Charleston on 5 May 2017. The aircraft was manufactured in 1979 and did not carry a flight data or cockpit voice recorder. Newly-posted video shows the aircraft approaching the airport in an unusually-steep dose-down angle and then turning left, which the NTSB says was an effort to align with Runway 5. The video, which the Charleston airport confirms came from its cameras, also shows the aircraft slam into the runway and slide left off the runway. "The airplane struck the runway with the left wing followed by the left side of the fuselage; it slipped off the left side of the runway into the grass and down a hill through trees," says the NTSB. The aircraft impacted the runway at a 42° left bank, a 14° nose-down pitch and a speed of between 88kt and 96kt (163-178km/h), according to the NTSB. Steven Altnau, president of Milwaukee-based Air Cargo Carriers, declines to comment about the accident to FlightGlobal, saying the company is waiting until the NTSB issues a final report. The company now operates 19 Shorts 330s, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer. The main wreckage of the crashed Shorts 330 at Charleston. NTSB documents disclose that the first officer, a new pilot and former flight attendant, had expressed concern about the captain, who was at the controls of the Shorts at the time of the accident, according to flight logs and voice communications. The 47-year-old captain joined the company in July 2015, and earlier worked as a "bush" pilot for Alaska companies like Grant Aviation, Alaska Seaplanes and Lliamna Air Taxi, says the NTSB. "Just had the biggest scare of my life. Thought I was going to die," the 33-year-old first officer texted a friend December 2016. She was describing a flight during which she and the captain returned to the airport following a landing gear problem after takeoff. "He was making really, really steep turns, like 60° of bank and descending at like 800ft/min," she wrote of the captain. "The whole time I'm like, we're gonna hit the hills." They landed in a strong crosswind. "We were only a few feet from hitting that bank on the side on the runway when he was able to turn it back," she wrote. The first officer, who was sending the texts while in flight, noted that the captain was at that moment "sleeping". "She described a series of flights in February 2017 where the captain asked her to fly every leg for four days in addition to handling radios while he slept," says the NTSB. Some former Air Cargo Carriers pilots described "a culture where senior pilots with experience as captains felt like they could bend boundaries of [standard operating procedures], and the [first officers] may not be taken seriously." "Former pilots interviewed stated that they had witnessed instances of [standard operating procedures] being disregarded when they were flying at [Air Cargo Carriers]," documents say. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/video-ntsb-gives-details-of-2017-shorts-crash-as-vi-449298/ Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Widow of man killed in plane-jet collision sues jet's pilot MARION, Ind. (AP) - The widow of a firefighter killed when a small plane collided with a business jet in northeastern Indiana is suing the jet's pilot and his employer. Autumn Wittkamper contends Richard Darlington and Avis Industrial Corp. are responsible in the April 2 collision that killed 31-year-old David Wittkamper. The Chronicle-Tribune reports the suit alleges Darlington didn't announce his approach to Marion Municipal Airport. She's seeking damages for lost "love and affection," funeral and burial expenses. A message was left Thursday seeking comment from Darlington and Upland-based Avis Industrial. A small plane carrying 31-year-old pilot Kyle Hibst and fellow firefighter Wittkamper had taken off from the airport when it clipped the business jet Darlington was landing. Hibst's plane crashed and caught fire, killing him and Wittkamper. Darlington and his passengers weren't injured. http://www.wane.com/news/local-news/widow-of-man-killed-in-plane-jet-collision-sues-jet-s-pilot/1224822932 Back to Top GARUDA, LION AIR AND BATIK AIR TOP SAFETY RANKINGS Garuda tops safety ranking Three major Indonesian airlines, including Garuda Indonesia, have had their safety ranking upgraded to the highest level after Indonesia passed a key international audit. Garuda Indonesia, Batik Air, and Lion Air have all been upgraded to top the top tier - seven stars - for safety by global rating agency AirlineRatings.com. The upgrade is the result of a new audit of Indonesia's compliance with the eight categories in the International Civil Aviation Organization Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). These include Operations, Airworthiness, Accident Investigation, Aerodromes, Organization, Legislation, Air Navigation Services and Licensing. ICAO is the governing body of commercial aviation. All three airlines have also completed the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) which is conducted every two years. Airlineratings.com safety rating system, however, does not audit pilot training as this is covered to an extent under the IOSA audit. In 2017, the all accident rate for airlines on the IOSA registry was nearly four times better than that of non-IOSA airlines (0.56 vs. 2.17) and it was nearly three times better over the 2012-16 period. All IATA member airlines are required to maintain their IOSA registration. There are currently 423 airlines on the IOSA Registry of which 142 are non-IATA Members. Over the next few years, IOSA will undergo a digital transformation that will enable IOSA airlines to compare and benchmark their performance. In the long run, the digital transformation will help to focus auditing on areas with the highest level of safety risk. Garuda Indonesia completed the IOSA audit in 2008 and has not had an accident or serious incident since. After completing its audit, the European Union lifted its ban on Garuda Indonesia flying to Europe. The audit is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. Many countries have now adopted the audit as the guiding principle for their aviation system. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/garuda-lion-air-batik-air-top-safety-rankings/ Back to Top US Government Probes Airplane Vulnerabilities, Says Airline Hack Is 'Only a Matter of Time' According to DHS and other US government documents obtained by Motherboard, the DHS is continuing to investigate how insecure commercial aircraft are to cyber attacks, with one research lab saying hacking a plane may lead to a "catastrophic disaster." US government researchers believe it is only a matter of time before a cybersecurity breach on an airline occurs, according to government documents obtained by Motherboard. The comment was included in a recent presentation talking about efforts to uncover vulnerabilities in widely used commercial aircraft, building on research in which a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) team successfully remotely hacked a Boeing 737. The documents, which include internal presentations and risk assessments, indicate researchers working on behalf of the DHS may have already conducted another test against an aircraft. They also show what the US government anticipates would happen after an aircraft hack, and how planes still in use have little or no cybersecurity protections in place. "Potential of catastrophic disaster is inherently greater in an airborne vehicle," a section of a presentation dated this year from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a Department of Energy government research laboratory, reads. Those particular slides are focused on PNNL's findings around aviation cybersecurity. "A matter of time before a cyber security breach on an airline occurs," the document adds. Caption: A section of a PNNL presentation obtained by Motherboard. Image: Motherboard A separate 2017 document obtained by Motherboard says "early testing indicates that viable attack vectors exist that could impact flight operations." Motherboard obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information Act request to the DHS Science & Technology Directorate (S&T). In 2016, the DHS S&T established a multi-agency group to carry out cybersecurity vulnerability evaluations of airplanes. That same year, the team of government, industry, and academic officials demonstrated how to remotely hack a commercial aircraft in a non-laboratory setting, trade publication Avionics reported last year. Robert Hickey, the DHS S&T's aviation program manager, said the details of that hack are classified, but added that the team accessed the aircraft's systems through radio frequency (RF) communications and equipment that could be passed through airport security, according to the original Avionics report. The documents obtained by Motherboard suggest the DHS-backed team may have already conducted another test against an aircraft. Listed in a 2016 DHS presentation are several planned tests, including "external RF," seemingly referring to the previously reported test. The document then mentions another test, this time focused on Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment systems, and designated to the PNNL researchers. Caption: A section of a PNNL presentation obtained by Motherboard. Image: Motherboard PNNL's own presentation, dated January 10, 2018, indicates it attempted to hack the aircraft via "Wi-Fi internet & information distribution system." One line in the presentation adds "Validated: establish actionable and unauthorized presence on one or more onboard systems." However, another line reads "Disproved (partial): unable to penetrate via selected access vector," making exactly what PNNL achieved unclear. PNNL directed a request for comment to the DHS' National Protection & Programs Directorate (NPPD). The DHS told Motherboard in a statement that it "takes aviation cybersecurity seriously and works with both researchers and vendors to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in the aviation sector. The aviation industry, including manufacturers and airlines, has invested heavily in cybersecurity and built robust testing and maintenance procedures to manage risks." In a 2015 application for a search warrant, an FBI agent wrote that security researcher Chris Roberts said in an interview he had hacked the in-flight entertainment system of an aircraft, overwritten code on the plane's Thrust Management Computer while on the flight, and caused the plane to briefly change course. A report from the US Government Accountability Office released that same year said some Boeing and Airbus planes have Wi-Fi networks for passengers that are connected to the avionic systems of the aircraft themselves. The DHS has withheld large sections of the files under exemptions dealing with, among other things, protecting trade secrets and information intended for law enforcement purposes. But other sections of the documents obtained by Motherboard indicate some of the issues researchers may have encountered while probing aircraft for vulnerabilities. "Today's commercial aviation backbone is built upon a network of trust; most commercial aircraft currently in use have little to no cyber protections in place," a 2016 DHS presentation says. Boeing estimates a 20 year plus service life for its current aircraft which means "15-20 years of higher cyber vulnerability," the DHS document adds. In a statement, Paul Bergman, media relations lead for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told Motherboard "Boeing is confident in the cyber-security measures of its airplanes. Multiple layers of protection, including software, hardware, network architecture features, and governance are designed to ensure the security of all critical flight systems from intrusion." The documents also spell out various impacts the DHS sees could stem from a hack of an aircraft, including "create conditions where public perceives there is risk to aircraft operations"; a disruption to air cargo for both commercial and military operations, and effects on a competitor if a single airline is targeted. "Due to the nature of this testing, any potential vulnerabilities discovered could have wide-ranging and significant economic impact to industry stakeholders [and] to the aviation transportation community," another 2017 risk assessment document reads. Indeed, the 2016 DHS presentation says the agency anticipates "significant reluctance by the commercial world to expend resources to prevent penetration & attack." (Boeing's statement to Motherboard added "The Boeing Company has worked closely for many years with DHS, the FAA, other government agencies, our suppliers and customers to ensure the cybersecurity of our aircraft and will continue to do so.") According to one of the documents, last year the DHS team planned to begin moving from penetration testing to mitigation development. John Hultquist, director of intelligence analysis at cybersecurity firm FireEye, told Motherboard that "In the instances where we have seen targeting of airports, the targeting was done by actors who we believe were carrying out reconnaissance for attack. Airlines have been targeted as well. The information they have could be valuable to an actor seeking to identify and track persons of interest." Hultquist recently tweeted "The actors who shut off the lights twice in Ukraine and caused over a billion dollars in economic damage with NotPetya have probed airports," referring to a likely Russian hacking group. "We have no information suggesting there has been any attempt by nation state actors to hijack or manipulate airplanes. Even if such a thing were possible, the repercussions from such an operation would probably dissuade the most sophisticated nation states," he told Motherboard. A slide from one of DHS' Hickey's public talks, also included in the document cache, reads, "Some things are too important NOT to share." https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/d3kwzx/documents-us-government-hacking-planes-dhs Back to Top FAA Halts Flight Testing Of 100LL Replacements The FAA has temporarily halted flight testing for its Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI) unleaded 100LL replacement fuels program while issues related to the differences between the two PAFI fuels and 100LL are being assessed, according to a progress update issued by the FAA on Monday. "Both fuel producers, Shell and Swift, are currently evaluating options to mitigate the impacts that these differences will present in fuel production, distribution, and operation in the GA fleet," said the FAA. Some engine testing of PAFI fuels has also been stopped and the FAA has said it is interested in pursuing alternative high-octane unleaded fuels developed outside of the PAFI program while the assessment is taking place. If other potentially workable 100LL replacement fuels are found, the FAA will invite developers "to participate in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the FAA, which will be conducted on a non-interference basis with the PAFI program." The flight testing part of the PAFI program is currently about one-third complete and the engine testing is about halfway done, according to the update. With the additional evaluations needed, the end date for the PAFI program has been pushed from December 2018 to December 2019. "The overall goal of the PAFI initiative remains to authorize a fleetwide replacement fuel, and the best and brightest are working to realize that goal," said AOPA's David Oord, who is part of the PAFI steering group. PAFI began in 2014, with the Shell and Swift fuels being selected for Phase Two testing in March 2016. Before this most recent development, the FAA's last program update was issued at AirVenture 2017. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FAA-Halts-Flight-Testing-of-100LL-Replacements-230945- 1.html Back to Top Bob Hoover Foundation Funds $150,000 in Aviation Scholarships The Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation, has so far funded aviation scholarships totaling $150,000.00, according to Tracy Forrest, its president. According to Forrest, "These scholarships are a core element of fulfilling the mission Bob Hoover laid out for the Legacy Foundation, prior to his passing. Bob wanted his legacy to be an on-going, dynamic commitment to excellence in aviation, especially on the part of tomorrow's aviation leaders." The scholarships are given to full-time, undergraduate students enrolled at either the Prescott, AZ or Daytona Beach, FL campuses of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Recipients must be enrolled in the College of Aviation, majoring in Aeronautical Science with the intention of becoming a professional pilot. Recipients must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. "Everybody in aviation is aware of the professional pilot shortage," said Michael Herman, Chairman of the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation. "But Bob recognized that it should not be just about more pilots. He knew our professional pilots also have to be our best pilots. That is why he charged us with supporting excellent programs like those of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and why he insisted that a stated commitment to the highest standards of professionalism and safety be written into the criteria of receiving the scholarship." The Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation is a 501C3 not-for-profit foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy of R.A. "Bob" Hoover - "The greatest stick and rudder man who ever lived" - by supporting programs that are working to advance and enhance the future of aviation. The Foundation was conceived and formed by Bob Hoover prior to his death in October of 2016. It has three primary areas of emphasis: 1. Providing academic scholarships. 2. Forming partnerships to provide financial, tactical and branding support (The Legacy Foundation maintains the rights to Bob's name, image, aviation artifacts and memorabilia) to existing organizations and programs working to improve aviation's future. 3. Maintaining Bob's presence at major aviation venues where so many thousands of aviators and aspiring aviators first met him personally. For More Information: Visit The Foundation's website, www.bobhooverlegacyfoundation.org or Jon Tennyson at info@BobHooverLegacyFoundation.org or 920-294-6401. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12415963/bob-hoover-foundation-funds-150000-in-aviation- scholarships Back to Top Emirates looks to windowless planes Windows could vanish on passenger planes in the future Emirates Airline has unveiled a new first class suite on board its latest aircraft that features virtual windows. Instead of being able to see directly outside, passengers view images projected in from outside the aircraft using fibre-optic cameras. The airline says it paves the way for removing all windows from future planes, making them lighter and faster. Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said the images were "so good, it's better than with the natural eye". The virtual windows can be found in the first class cabin of Emirates' newest Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Sir Tim told the BBC that the ultimate aim was to have planes with no windows at all. "Imagine now a fuselage as you're boarding with no windows, but when you get inside, there are windows," he said. "Now you have one fuselage which has no structural weaknesses because of windows. The aircraft are lighter, the aircraft could fly faster, they'll burn far less fuel and fly higher." Safety concerns Cabin crew need to be able to see outside the aircraft if there is an emergency, aviation safety expert Professor Graham Braithwaite of Cranfield University said. "Being able to see outside the aircraft in an emergency is important, especially if an emergency evacuation has to take place," he said. "Flight attendants would need to check outside the aircraft in an emergency, for example for fire, before opening a door and commencing an evacuation - and anything that needed power to do this may not be easy to get certified by an aviation safety regulator," he added. However, aviation regulator the European Aviation Safety Agency said: "We do not see any specific challenge that could not be overcome to ensure a level of safety equivalent to the one of an aircraft fitted with cabin windows." Prof Braithwaite said the main obstacle in a windowless aircraft would be passenger perceptions of the technology. "An aircraft could be very claustrophobic and for many, air travel is anxiety inducing already. "The refresh rate of screen technology may also have some undesirable side effects - will they flicker? What is the lag? How will it affect someone on a long haul flight?" he asked. 'No substitute' Aviation expert John Strickland said having no windows would make aircraft more structurally sound. The move could also improve fuel efficiency if the fuselage were lighter than the windows it replaced. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44383220 Back to Top Drone pilots don't have their own air traffic controllers - GE wants to change that (CNN Money) - General Electric, the company that brought you the light bulb and the toaster oven, wants to be a traffic cop for drones. GE formally launched a company on Thursday that plans to reinvent air traffic management for unmanned aircraft. The venture, called AiRXOS, was created by GE about a year and a half ago and had been in stealth mode until now. GE is a pioneer in aviation: It developed autopilot in 1943 and eight years later introduced the first American jet engine. Even today, GE engines are among the most popular in commercial aircraft. Now GE is trying to solve problems created by the explosion of drone use in recent years. AiRXOS is supposed to help government agencies and private companies navigate the safety challenges posed by autonomous vehicles in the already crowded skies. "We're excited for AiRXOS to help set the standard for autonomous and manned aerial vehicles to share the sky safely," Alan Caslavka, president of avionics at GE Aviation, said in a statement. GE may be known for making light bulbs and locomotives, but it's struggling as a conglomerate. It plans to exit those century-old businesses and focus on power, health care and aviation. This isn't GE's first foray into drones. Last year, GE launched Avitas Systems, a venture that uses drones, autonomous underwater vehicles and robots to inspect factories, refineries and power facilities. GE said that AiRXOS has been selected to provide services for several Transportation Department programs that focus on how drones are used in cities, at night and at long distance. AiRXOS is also partnering with programs run by NASA, the state of Ohio, and a regional drone research program in the Northeast. http://wqad.com/2018/06/07/drone-pilots-dont-have-their-own-air-traffic-controllers-ge-wants-to- change-that/ Back to Top As It Was: Pilots of Homebuilt Airplanes Become "Oregon Outlaws" In 1921, Oregon became the first U.S. state through its State Board of Aeronautics to begin licensing pilots and certifying handmade aircraft. Five years later the federal Air Commerce Act declared the aircraft "unsafe and illegal," and those who continued to build and fly them became known as "Oregon Outlaws." Things changed in 1947 when George Bogardus assembled and flew a modified Long-Wimpy aircraft from Troutdale, Ore., to Washington, D.C., under a special license. Finally convinced that homebuilt airplanes were safe and reliable, the Civil Aviation Authority created an "Experimental Aircraft" category. For the first time, pilots could legally fly aircraft they had built themselves, and Bogardus eventually joined the Oregon Aviation Hall of Fame. An aviation museum at Cottage Grove, Ore., houses artifacts for display and seeks to preserve the state's aviation history. The museum is in the Jim Wright Field Hanger at 2475 Jim Wright Way. Among the six pre-war homebuilt aircraft collected or being restored is a 1931 Springfield Cadet model, designed and built in Springfield, Ore., by Jim McManiman. The aircraft is destined to be a static display and never fly again. http://ijpr.org/post/it-was-pilots-homebuilt-airplanes-become-oregon-outlaws#stream/0 Back to Top ERAU Faculty Member Invited to NTSB Safety Roundtable Faculty member Carolina Anderson recently took a break from her favorite pastime - flying an aircraft upside down - to participate in a high-level National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) discussion on how best to prevent aircraft accidents caused by in-flight loss of control. Anderson, an associate professor of aeronautical science - whose many achievements include being the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in aviation - was invited to join the roundtable event at the NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C. The roundtable included the Hon. Robert Sumwalt, chair of the NTSB, as well as an astronaut and representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, aerobatic champion pilot Patty Wagstaff and others. "Loss of control in flight kills more general aviation pilots than any other factor," Sumwalt said in opening the April 24 event, which can be viewed online. The event focused in particular on fixed-wing aircraft flown by pilots with visual flight restricted licenses. Discussion encompassed training and mentoring options for general aviation pilots, common pilot errors, safety culture and professionalism, new flight deck technologies to improve situational awareness, flight-data monitoring technology, potential challenges to reducing loss-of-control accidents and more. Combating a Deadly Problem Over the past ten years, said John DeLisi, director of the NTSB's Office of Aviation Safety, 978 pilots have lost control of aircraft, resulting in 1,672 lives lost. Within the next five years, DeLisi said, he hopes many deaths can be prevented through innovations such as, for example, extra hours of slow-flight practice with an instructor skilled at preventing stalls and low-cost angle-of-attack indicators to help pilots safely execute turns. Anderson, who also earned her M.B.A. degree in aviation business administration from Embry-Riddle, said there were two primary topics of discussion at the NTSB event - "how can we train pilots more effectively to avoid loss of control, and how can we provide them with newer safety technologies?" Many privately owned general aviation aircraft tend to be older, she explained. Aircraft certification requirements can complicate or prevent the installation of autopilot technology and other safety equipment into older airplanes. Moreover, the cost to retrofit an older aircraft can exceed the plane's value. Anderson, an aerobatic pilot who has developed a course on "upset recovery," or swiftly regaining control of an aircraft, discussed the importance of fundamental "stick and rudder skills" as well as an understanding of basic aerodynamics. General aviation pilots also need energy-management skills to ensure safe landings and knowledge of aircraft slips, in which a plane slides into a turn, versus more dangerous skids, in which the aircraft yaws into a turn. An industry-directed incentive program might be developed to reward general aviation pilots who pursue additional training, she said. Alan Stolzer, dean of the university's College of Aviation on the Daytona Beach Campus, said Anderson's unique expertise and focus on safety are a winning combination for Embry-Riddle. "Carolina's experience as a teacher, a pilot, and a researcher is invaluable to our students' education," he said. "She lives and breathes aviation and is a wonderful asset to the college. We were honored that she represented Embry-Riddle on the NTSB's prestigious panel on safety in general aviation." Drawing Youth into Aviation Anderson's love for aviation was encouraged by her late father, a pilot for Avianca in Colombia, where she grew up. She flew gliders at age 14 and she soloed at 16, towed by her father in a Super Cub. Today, she has more than 4,000 hours of flight time and has provided more than 3,500 hours of flight instruction. She holds Airline Transport Pilot and commercial pilot certificates in single-engine, multi- engine, instrument airplanes, gliders and seaplanes. In addition to her teaching and research, Anderson works to share her love of aviation with young people. Anderson and her husband, Richard "Pat" Anderson, an Embry-Riddle professor and director of the Eagle Flight Research Center, founded the Eagle Sport Aviation Club. She is the Vice President of the International Aerobatic Club chapter and president of the Daytona Chapter of the 99s. She has also served in official coaching and mentoring roles for women aviators through the Air Race Classic and the Women Soar initiative. "We need to be reaching young people, and especially girls, at a much younger age, well before middle school," Anderson said. "Gliders are a very good way to get children into aviation and STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics]." Over the years, Pat and Carolina have initiated several programs to put youth into gliders, which don't have an engine and therefore require a tow. "Flying a glider is more of a community effort," she said. "Glider-pilots can solo at 14 instead of 16. You see how it has changed lives and how some kids who otherwise might be lost can gain a sense of belonging as well as discipline." The Andersons have two daughters, Caroline, 3, and Sidney Piper, 9. Both girls are already well immersed in aviation. They live in a fly-in community and their mother's passion for aviation is a constant. "I might take off on a Saturday morning in my pajamas, fly upside down a couple of times, come back and have breakfast with my family," she said. "I love helping young people enjoy that same freedom, but I want them to do so safely." https://news.erau.edu/headlines/faculty-member-invited-to-ntsb-safety-roundtable/ Back to Top Upcoming Cranfield short courses The Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Centre (CSAIC) is helping to improve safety and shape the future of the transport industry. We offer an extensive range of continuing professional development (CPD) short courses in accident investigation, safety management, human factors and airworthiness. Our upcoming short courses for 18/19 include: * Safety Management Systems in Aviation: 03 - 07 Sep 2018 * Fundamentals of Accident Investigation: 10 - 28 Sep 2018 * Airworthiness Fundamentals: 10 - 14 Sep 2018 * Flight Data Monitoring and Flight Operational Quality Assurance in Commercial Aviation: 17 - 20 Sep 2018 * Applied Marine Accident Investigation: 01 - 19 Oct 2018 * Practical Reliability: 15 - 19 Oct 2018 * Human Performance and Error: 22 - 26 Oct 2018 * Safety Assessment of Aircraft Systems: 12 - 16 Nov 2018 Have you heard about our new blog? At the start of this year, we launched our Safety and Accident Investigation blog, providing information, insights and thought leadership from the CSAIC team. Read the Safety and Accident Investigation blog Please take a look and subscribe, to ensure you're the first to receive our latest content. We'd love to hear your feedback too. Contact us on: E: shortcourse@cranfield.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1234 754189 ACM122 Back to Top Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course presented by N. Albert Moussa, PhD, PE October 30-November 1, 2018 BlazeTech Corporation 29 B Montvale Ave, Woburn MA 01801 USA. Dear Colleague, While commercial air transport is very safe, the advent of new technologies poses fire safety challenges that will be treated in this course. This offering draws upon Dr. Moussa's work in this area since 1971 as well as related courses that BlazeTech has been teaching since 1998. Lectures will include Li and Li-ion battery fires, flammability of carbon fiber and glass fiber composites, emerging aviation fluids, engine fires, fuel tank fire/explosion, fire extinguishment methods, protection methods, aircraft accident investigation, and fire/explosion pattern recognition. Recent accidents are continuously added to the course. For each type of fire, this course will provide a cohesive integrated presentation of fundamentals, small- and large-scale testing, computer modeling, standards and specifications, and real accident investigation - as outlined in the course brochure. This integrated approach will enable you to address safety issues related to current and new systems and circumstances, and to investigate one of a kind fire and explosion accidents. The course will benefit professionals who are responsible for commercial aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles including design, equipment selection, test, operation, maintenance, safety management system, hazard/risk assessment, and accident investigation. View Brochure for course content and registration form (also embedded below). View Testmonials of previous attendees and their Companies. View some of the technical references discussed in this course. We also offer this course at the client site as well as customized courses on fire and explosion in other areas. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Albert Moussa, Ph.D., P.E. Sign Up For Our Course Announcement BlazeTech Corporation 29B Montvale Ave. Woburn, MA 01801-7021 781-759-0700 x200 781-759-0703 fax www.blazetech.com firecourse@blazetech.com LinkedIn Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2018 CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The award will be presented during the 71st Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov. 12-15 in Seattle, Wash. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 70 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets in June of each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the- award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 14, 2018. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Dear Aviation Colleague, My name is Nicoletta Fala, and I am a Ph.D. candidate working with Prof. Karen Marais at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. We are seeking your input on post-flight debrief feedback in this survey. The motivation behind this research is the unacceptably high number of general aviation accidents. Our overall goal is to use flight data of various sources to help improve general aviation safety. We are trying to understand how different kinds of safety feedback affect risk perception among general aviation pilots. During the survey, you will be asked to review flight data from four flights and answer specific questions on the safety of each flight. We will then ask you a few demographic questions. The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. During the survey, you will not be able to go back to the previous flight safety questions. You will, however, have the opportunity to review and change the demographic questions as you wish. You may choose to not answer some questions and you may stop the survey at any time without any repercussion to you. If you do not wish to complete the survey in one sitting, you may save your progress and return where you left off if you use the same computer to re-access the link. No personally identifiable information is being asked, analyzed or reported. All responses will be anonymous and in aggregate at the end of the study. Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You must be at least 18 years old to participate in this research. Thank you for your time and your cooperation. Your responses are greatly appreciated and will hopefully enable the general aviation community to improve their safety record. If you have any questions regarding the survey or the information contained within, please feel free to contact the researchers directly either at nfala@purdue.edu or kmarais@purdue.edu. Survey Link: www.nicolettafala.com/survey Nicoletta Fala Purdue Pilots, Inc. President Ph.D. Candidate School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Purdue University || College of Engineering http://nicolettafala.com/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Dear pilots, My name is Koen Scheers, First Officer and postgraduate student 'Air Transport Management' at City, University of London. Currently, I am working on my research project, which is the final part of my studies at City to gain a Master of Science (MSc) degree. My research project, entitled 'A sustainable model for pilot retention', aims to establish a model of organisational practices to keep pilots in the airline they are working for. To support my research project with data I have created a web survey for pilots, and via this way, I kindly ask your help by participating in the survey. The survey is not affiliated with any airline, training organisation, or any other. Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous. The survey will take about 10 minutes of your time to complete and is open for participation until 15 July 2018. Also, I would be very grateful if you could forward this message to other pilots in your contact list or spread the word in the airline you are working for. Please click the link below to enter the survey: SURVEY WEB LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/pilotretention Your participation is highly appreciated, kind regards, Koen Scheers +32 486 85 07 91 Koen.scheers@city.ac.uk Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 Dear fellow professional pilots, As part of my Masters Degree in Aviation Management, I am conducting a survey on 'Operator Conversion Courses' (A Course taken by pilots in a new airline when moving from one airline to another but remaining on the same aircraft type) May I ask that commercial pilots amongst you take just 5 minutes to answer this short survey; it is only 10 questions. I would also ask that you pass on the link to as many of your professional pilot colleagues around the world who might also be able to provide valuable data to the survey. The survey is open until the 15th June 2016 and all data is de-identied and shall only be used for the purposes of this paper. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJFHRSK If you have any questions, please feel free to email me on guy.farnfield.1@city.ac.uk Thank you Guy Farnfield Curt Lewis