Flight Safety Information December 13, 2018 - No. 252 In This Issue Incident: Bulgaria E190 near Vienna on Dec 11th 2018, cracked windshield Incident: Mesa E175 at Toronto on Nov 14th 2018, runway incursion Hawker Hunter Mk 58 - Accident (Hawaii) Canada introduces new regulations on flight crew fatigue management Two surviving Army pilots are suing Sikorsky over a helicopter crash that killed their crew chief Air India pilots' body decides to not accept last minute duties as part of its 'flight safety week' IATA Sees Role for the Association in Accident Investigations 181 pilots tested positive for alcohol during 2015-2018 (India) Kirk Shaffer appointed as the Associate Administrator for Airports at US FAA Iran airlines need 500 planes, official mulls Sukhoi: reports In airline-business rarity, Air France picks a woman CEO 2019 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Flyer ERAU Expand Aviation Short-Courses for 2019 Incident: Bulgaria E190 near Vienna on Dec 11th 2018, cracked windshield A Bulgaria Air Embraer ERJ-190, registration LZ-SOF performing flight FB-408 from Brussels (Belgium) to Sofia (Bulgaria), was enroute at FL370 about 140nm west of Vienna (Austria) when the crew descended the aircraft to FL150 due to cracks in a windshield. The aircraft diverted to Vienna for a safe landing on runway 29 about 45 minutes after leaving FL370. Bulgarian media report members of Bulgaria's goverment including the deputy Prime Minister were on board of the aircraft. A replacement Embraer ERJ-190 registration LZ-VAR positioned from Sofia to Vienna landing at 01:30L and departed at 03:00L reaching Sofia with a delay of 5:20 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for 22.5 hours, then positioned to Sofia. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c17adc8&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Mesa E175 at Toronto on Nov 14th 2018, runway incursion A Mesa Airlines Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of United, registration N89313 performing flight YV-6196/UA- 6196 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada), had landed on Toronto's runway 06R and was instructed to vacate via high speed turn off D5 and hold short of runway 06L. The crew did not read back, Tower repeated the instruction, the crew now read the instruction back correctly. An Air Canada Airbus A320-200, registration C-FFWJ pêrforming flight AC-722 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to New York La Guardia,NY (USA), was subsequently cleared for takeoff from runway 06L and was accelerating for takeoff when tower observed the Embraer approach the hold short line at high speed and issued "STOP! STOP! STOP!" The Embraer came to a stop past the hold short line but before the runway edge, the A320 rotated well ahead of D5, between D1 and D3. The Embraer taxied to the apron without further incident, the A320 landed safely in New York. The Canadian TSB reported the Embraer crew mistook the hold short line runway 06L for the exit line of runway 06R. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASH6196/history/20181114/2225Z/KIAD/CYYZ http://avherald.com/h?article=4c17a7c7&opt=0 Back to Top Hawker Hunter Mk 58 - Accident (Hawaii) Date: 12-DEC-2018 Time: 14:25 Type: Hawker Hunter Mk 58 Owner/operator: Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Pacific Ocean, near Sand Island, Honolulu, Oahu, HI - United States of America Phase: Initial climb Nature: Demo/Airshow/Display Departure airport: Daniel K Inouye Int'l (PHNL) Destination airport: Daniel K Inouye Int'l (PHNL) Narrative: Operating as a participant in the Sentry Aloha military exercise, the civilian aircraft impacted the waters of the Pacific Ocean shortly after takeoff from Daniel K Inouye International Airport (PHNL), Honolulu, Hawaii. The airplane submerged, sustaining unreported damage, and the sole pilot onboard ejected and received serious injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=219404 Back to Top Canada introduces new regulations on flight crew fatigue management 12 December 2018 Transport Canada announced changes to flight crew fatigue management as laid down in the Canadian Aviation Regulations. The changes introduce: 1. Prescribed flight and duty time limits that respect modern fatigue science and international standards to limit the amount of time a crew member can be on the job; and 2. Fatigue Risk Management Systems that will allow operators the flexibility to set flight hours based on their unique operations if they can demonstrate that alertness and safety will not be affected. The new regulations apply to commercial transport services in Canada, which include major Canadian airline operators (subpart 705 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations) and smaller and regional operators (subparts 703 and 704 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations). One example of the old vs. new regulations: Previous regulations (1996) * 1,200 hours in any 365 consecutive days * 300 hours in any 90 consecutive days * 120 hours in any 30 consecutive days * 40-60 hours in any 7 consecutive days New regulations * 1,000 hours in any 365 consecutive days * 300 hours in any 90 consecutive days * 112 hours in any 28 consecutive days More information and additional details on various changes: * Overview of the new regulations on flight crew fatigue management https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/12/12/canada-introduces-new-regulations-on- flight-crew-fatigue-management/ Back to Top Back to Top Two surviving Army pilots are suing Sikorsky over a helicopter crash that killed their crew chief Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Nicholas, left, and Capt. Terikazu Onoda recover after a 2017 helicopter crash that killed their crew chief, Spc. Jeremy Tomlin. (Courtesy photo) They were in the middle of a routine training flight when the tail rotor of their UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter started to shake. Within minutes, Capt. Terikazu Onoda had completely lost control of the helicopter, and it crashed into a Maryland golf course, severely injuring him and co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Nicholas and killing crew chief Spc. Jeremy Tomlin, 22. A 270-page command investigation pointed to a defect with the Black Hawk, prompting the pilots and Tomlin's widow to seek a lawsuit against Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, according to attorney Timothy Loranger. The suit was filed Monday in Connecticut. "The type of failure that occurred is not something that is caused by normal wear and tear," Loranger told Army Times in a Tuesday phone interview. "It appears that there was a defect in the manufacturing process." It might have been a design issue, he added, or a faulty part that managed to pass quality assurance tests. "We knew from looking at this info that someone didn't do their job correctly," he said. Spc. Jeremy Tomlin, a UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief, was killed April 17, 2017, in a helicopter crash. (Courtesy photo) The three soldiers were based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia's 12th Aviation Battalion, an aviation support unit for the Washington, D.C., area. They were on an air assault formation training flight on April 17, 2017, when the helicopter began to vibrate, according to the investigation. Onoda navigated the crew toward a small private airport in Maryland, intending to set the Black Hawk down for an emergency landing. But then he noticed something very wrong with the tail rotor. "... 43 seconds before impact, the tail rotor gearbox separated from the aircraft," the investigating officer wrote, sending the helicopter lurching and spinning before it hit a tree and crashed at the Breton Bay Golf Course in Leonardtown, Maryland. Tomlin was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel, while Onoda and Nicholas were sent to a Baltimore trauma center in critical condition. Amid the latest spike in aviation deaths, a newly published Military Times Crash Database shows manned warplane accidents have jumped 39 percent since the 2013 budget cuts. "Captain Onoda and Chief Nicholas both suffered catastrophic and permanent physical injuries and devastating psychological damage," according to a press release from their attorneys. "Their injuries have required significant past and future medical and psychological care and treatment, for which they will incur past and future medical costs, not to mention loss of income and work life expectancy, among other things." The investigation found that the tail rotor's blade wasn't properly bonded to the Black Hawk's tail rotor section, which caused the rear section of the airframe to break off. "My initial look at this makes me think that this was not an issue that could have been detected by the Army maintainers, that this was something that occurred at the manufacturing level, and that couldn't be detected until the failure occurred," said Loranger, a former fixed-wing mechanic in the Marine Corps. There might be other instances where this spontaneous vibration came on, but the pilots were able to land, he said, adding that Sikorsky could have been aware of such an issue. "We want to make sure that there isn't a hidden defect in helicopters somewhere else," Loranger said. The lawsuit does not seek specific damages for pain and suffering, he added, but it would be up to a jury to decide if monetary compensation is appropriate. "They care very much about their brothers and sisters in the Army - they don't want this to happen again," Loranger said. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/12/12/two-surviving-army-pilots- are-suing-sikorsky-over-a-helicopter-crash-that-killed-their-crew-chief/ Back to Top Air India pilots' body decides to not accept last minute duties as part of its 'flight safety week' Air India's aircraft pilots' body has decided to not accept last minute duties as part of its "flight safety week" and protest the delay in payment of the flying allowance Air India's narrow-body aircraft pilots' body has decided to resort to "work-to-rule" and not accept last minute duties as part of its "flight safety week" and also protest the delay in payment of the flying allowance. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), which claims to represent over 700 pilots in the government-run airline, Wednesday issued directives to its members on a range of issues. "No last minute pullouts for flights is to be accepted. A minimum of 12 hours or more as applicable to be followed for pullouts from the time of communication for change," the ICPA said in the directives to its members. Earlier, the ICPA had written a letter to AI chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola, saying the airline was delaying payment of flying allowance which constitutes 80 per cent of their total monthly salary. In view of this, the ICPA said it would observe "Flight Safety Week" in the interest of the safety of crew and passengers. The association has also asked its members not to give consent for any exemption in their DGCA-mandated duty hours and rest period norms and also not to perform visual approaches. "Pilots are advised to report sick if they are fatigued or stressed and follow laid down sick report and fit report procedure," it said in the directives. Members should "strictly" follow stabilised approaches, it said, adding pilot defect report (PDR or flight report book) will be signed only after all cargo doors are closed and ensuring proper closure of doors by personally carrying out external walk around. "All defects to be positively written in PDR and cleared on MEL (minimum equipment list). The defect is to be mentioned in the PDR and accept the aircraft only if it is a go item as per MEL," the directives stated. In its letter to Kharola, the ICPA had said a majority of its members were defaulting on bank EMIs due to the salary delays which was also putting them under a lot of "stress". "There is already a backlog of one-month flying allowance. This unspecified delay has impaired our financial planning, especially (pilots are) defaulting on loan EMI.. majority of us have defaulted on bank loans and credit card payments while the rest had to arrange funds by taking further loans," the ICPA said in the letter. This financial problem has made it extremely difficult for the pilots to work "stress-free", it added. "Stress jeopardises decision-making relevance and cognitive functioning which is fatal to flight safety," the ICPA said in the letter. Air India spokesperson was, however, not available for comments. https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story/air-india-pilots-body-decides-to-not-accept- last-minute-duties-as-part-of-its-flight-safety-week/story/300168.html Back to Top IATA Sees Role for the Association in Accident Investigations The International Air Transport Association has approached the International Civil Aviation Organization and the European Aviation Safety Agency with a suggestion that it assumes a role in accident investigations, IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac revealed Wednesday. "I believe we can bring extensive operational expertise and we have an independent view," he told reporters at the IATA global media day in Geneva. IATA has not yet formally requested an investigatory role with ICAO, but, said de Juniac, it is "exploring the idea." "The OEMs are always involved and have built know how, but often it is the first time for an airline. The expertise from IATA could be useful," de Juniac said while pointing to the experience he gained in his former role as CEO of Air France-KLM. The company launched two internal safety audits following the crash into the Atlantic Ocean of Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330-200 carrying 228 people, on June 1, 2009. "We learned a lot from it to improve our safety culture," he told AIN. IATA also believes not all accidents and incidents undergo proper investigation because of a lack of funds, said Gilberto Lopez Meyer, IATA's senior vice president for safety and flight operations. The idea comes on the heels of a disappointing year for aviation safety. Data from the Accident Classification Technical Group (ACTG)-a group consisting of airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and other industry experts-show 32 accidents during the first six months of 2018, including five hull losses involving two jet aircraft and three turboprops. Five fatal accidents accounted for 301 fatalities. IATA member airlines accounted for nine accidents. Of eight IATA regions, four-North America, Europe, the Middle East/ North Africa, and Latin America/Caribbean-saw an increase in accident rates compared with 2017. Sub- Saharan Africa, in contrast, continued to show strong progress on safety with zero hull losses and zero fatal accidents in the first half. Figures for the second half remain approximate. "We know there were six fatal accidents [in the second half], which accounted for 216 fatalities, bringing the total number of fatalities for this year to 517," noted Lopez Meyer. The Lion Air crash that occurred in late October accounted for a big number of the deaths. The safety performance in the first half of 2018 worsened compared with the previous year, when the industry registered no fatalities on passenger jets. "But there have been major improvements compared to ten years ago," Lopez Meyer said, emphasizing that one must consider safety trends over years, not a single 12-month view. Still, he said, this year's performance shows that safety is "a marathon with no finish line." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-12-12/iata-sees-role- association-accident-investigations Back to Top 181 pilots tested positive for alcohol during 2015-2018 (India) A total of 181 pilots of scheduled and non-scheduled operators tested positive for alcohol during 2015-2018, the Civil Aviation Ministry informed Parliament on Thursday. Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said that in 2015, as many as 43 pilots tested positive for alcohol, followed by 44 in 2016. In 2017, the number stood at 45 and 49 such cases have come to the fore till November 2018, he said. In November this year, Air India Captain Arvind Kathpalia, in charge of Director Operations, was sacked a day after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation suspended his license for three years for failing the breath analyser test. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/181- pilots-tested-positive-for-alcohol-during-2015-2018-aviation- min/articleshow/67075356.cms Back to Top Kirk Shaffer appointed as the Associate Administrator for Airports at US FAA Dec 13, 2018: Yesterday US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the appointment of US army veteran D Kirk Shaffer as the FAA Associate Administrator for Airports, effective December 17. In this position, Shaffer will oversee the annual Airport Improvement Programme (AIP). Since 2017 through the AIP programme, the US Department of Transportation has announced nearly $7 billion in investments in the nation's airports. Shaffer also will be responsible for national airport planning, airport safety, standards, airport design engineering, and regulatory compliance. Shaffer returns to the FAA from service as the principal for D. Kirk Shaffer, PLLC where he provided strategic policy planning, expert testimony, and consensus building among a variety of aviation stakeholders and clients. Prior to that, he worked as senior counsel with Crowell & Moring, LLP to airports, air carriers, and aviation trade associations nationwide. Shaffer served as executive assistant to the president, director of properties, and general counsel to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority from 1986 to 2004. Later in 1998, he also served as chairperson and vice chair of the legal committee for Airports Council International-North America for a year. He is also a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Shaffer's previous federal government service included leading the operations of the FAA's airports organization from 2007-2009. He ensured that airports around the country met all regulatory and statutory guidelines relating to safety, capacity, and security at the nation's airports. Shaffer is a Ranger, airborne, jumpmaster, and air assault qualified. https://www.stattimes.com/kirk-shaffer-appointed-as-the-associate-administrator-for- airports-at-us-faa-aviation Back to Top Iran airlines need 500 planes, official mulls Sukhoi: reports A Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet is seen on the tarmac at the MAKS 2017 air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran needs some 500 planes and would likely back buying the Sukhoi Superjet 100 if Russia is willing to sell them to its airlines, Iranian news agencies reported the country's top civil aviation official as saying on Wednesday. Iran needs to upgrade its ageing passenger fleet and is seeking to avert U.S. sanctions on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury has revoked licences for Boeing Co (BA.N) and Airbus (AIR.PA) to sell passenger jets to Iran after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in May and reimposed sanctions. Most modern commercial planes have more than 10 percent in U.S. parts, the threshold for needing U.S. Treasury approval. But Russian officials have been reported as saying Sukhoi is working on reducing the number of U.S. parts in the hopes of winning an Iranian order for up to 100 aircraft. "If the Iranian airlines want to use this aircraft (Superjet 100 ) and the seller is willing to sell it to Iran, the Civil Aviation Organization is ready to issue its final comment on this aircraft," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Ali Abedzadeh, head of the Civil Aviation Organization, as saying. "But this aircraft has adhered to world standards and is flying currently, therefore there is no reason for us to reject it," Abedzadeh told Fars. Flag-carrier IranAir had ordered 200 passenger aircraft - 100 from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 from Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR (LDOF.MI) before U.S. licences were revoked. "The airlines have proposals for plane purchases and we are trying to devise regulations that will ease their aircraft imports. Considering Iran's very large market, we need 500 planes now," Abedzadeh was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-airlines-russia-sukhoi/iran-airlines-need-500- planes-official-mulls-sukhoi-reports-idUSKBN1OB1JT Back to Top In airline-business rarity, Air France picks a woman CEO When the leaders of global airlines posed for a photo in June, there were 25 men in dark suits and a lone woman in the last seat on the far right. That could be changing, but very slowly. Air France announced Wednesday that Anne Rigail will take over as CEO next week. Rigail, a 27-year company veteran and currently an executive vice president, will be the first woman to lead the French carrier, which was formed in 1933. Parent company Air France-KLM Group will continue to be led by a man, however. Few women have run large airlines. Carolyn McCall was CEO of British low-cost carrier EasyJet for seven years until leaving this year to run British broadcaster ITV. Christine Ourmieres-Widener, the woman in the June photo of CEOs, leads Flybe, a European regional airline that has fewer than 100 planes. In the United States, Air Wisconsin, a regional airline that operates United Express flights, is led by CEO Christine Deister, and another regional, Cape Air, has a female president, Linda Markham. But no major U.S. carrier has ever had a female CEO, and only a few women hold other top jobs. In May, JetBlue Airways named Joanna Geraghty president and chief operating officer - the No. 2 job. Tammy Romo has been chief financial officer at Southwest Airlines since 2012, succeeding another woman. Elise Eberwein is an executive vice president at American Airlines. As of June, there were just 18 women holding down jobs of CEO, president or managing director at airlines around the world, according to the Centre for Aviation, an Australia- based airline industry research group. That is unchanged from a 2010 survey. Women in the industry have said airlines need to do more to recruit and promote women, provide better mentoring, and encourage those who take maternity leave to return to their careers. The International Air Transport Association - that's the group whose leaders were pictured in June - has declared gender equality a priority. The group reported in March that only 3 percent of aviation CEOs are women, compared with 12 percent in other industries. It didn't help, however, that the association's new president, Akbar Al Baker, the CEO of Qatar Airways, suggested that women aren't up to the job of running an airline. "Of course it has to be led by a man, because it is a very challenging position," he said at a news conference. He later apologized. As the new CEO at Air France, Rigail will certainly have her challenges. The airline faces contentious wage negotiations with pilots and flight attendants and has been hit by a series of damaging strikes. The last CEO quit after union employees rejected his offer of small pay raises for the next four years. In a statement issued by Air France, Rigail said she is extremely honored by the promotion. Benjamin Smith, the CEO of parent Air France-KLM Group, said Rigail has always paid special attention to employees, and he expressed confidence that the airline can meet its challenges. https://www.ajc.com/business/airline-business-rarity-air-france-picks-woman- ceo/bTsKV6OOGyiJRtgnDNMMdN/ Curt Lewis