Flight Safety Information May 1, 2019 - No. 088 In This Issue Boeing says optional 737 MAX alert was 'not activated as intended' Boeing says making progress to certify grounded MAX jets with software fix A critical sensor linked to the 2 fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes had been flagged to the FAA more than times Incident: Calm AT72 at Thompson on Apr 16th 2019, too calm an engine Incident: Westjet B737 at Saskatoon on Apr 7th 2019, temporary runway excursion on landing Incident: Volotea B712 and HOP! CRJ7 at Strasbourg on Apr 12th 2019, near collision between go around Boeing 737-33A (WL) - Ground Collision - (UK) Pilot lands aircraft without landing gear at Jack Garland Airport FAA issues flight restrictions over Venezuela Pilots Reported 'AC Voltage' Issue before Fatal Crash Qantas seeks backing from pilots, regulator for record-long routes NBAA Encourages Members to Participate in Safety Data Sharing Putting executives on the hook can bolster airplane safety Airbus Worries Max Crisis Could Affect FAA-EASA Alignment UK airport Heathrow set for a third runway after court blocks legal challenge Textron to hire 1,000 aircraft workers this year as Cessna, Beechcraft brands rebound Pikes Peak Aviation Remodeling FedEx Hangar Complex to Handle More Aircraft Vistara to hire 100 pilots, 400 cabin crew Air Arabia to meet Airbus and Boeing ahead of imminent 100-jet order Last Chance to Take HOT-STOP Survey - Win $100 Gift Card Position Available: Regulatory Compliance Manager - Maintenance Program Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Position: Deputy Director of Safety Boeing says optional 737 MAX alert was 'not activated as intended' FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington, U.S. March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Boeing Co said an alert for angle-of-attack (AOA) sensors on its 737 MAX jets was "not activated as intended" for some customers, responding to reports it failed to tell Southwest Airlines Co and the U.S regulator that the optional feature was deactivated before a crash in Indonesia in October. Erroneous AOA sensor readings that led to aggressive nose-down inputs by a computer have been linked to deadly 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, according to preliminary reports from investigators. Boeing offered customers two optional paid features relating to AOA. The first was an AOA DISAGREE alert when the two sensors disagreed and the second was an indicator giving pilots a gauge of the actual angle. Southwest, the largest 737 MAX customer, in November told Reuters the alert was installed and it planned to add the indicator as well following the Lion Air crash in Indonesia. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday reported that unbeknown to Southwest and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the alerts were not activated on the carrier's 737 MAX jets. "After the Lion Air event, Southwest was notified by Boeing that the AOA disagree lights were inoperable without the optional AOA indicators on the MAX aircraft," a Southwest spokesman said on Tuesday. Boeing said on Monday that the disagree alert had been intended to be a standalone feature on the 737 MAX, but it was "not operable on all airplanes because the feature was not activated as intended". "The disagree alert was tied or linked into the angle-of-attack indicator, which is an optional feature on the MAX," the manufacturer said in a statement. "Unless an airline opted for the angle-of-attack indicator, the disagree alert was not operable...Boeing did not intentionally or otherwise deactivate the disagree alert on its MAX airplanes." When Reuters contacted several 737 MAX operators about the optional features in November, only American Airlines and Singapore Airlines Ltd offshoot SilkAir confirmed they had installed both the alert and the indicator. Canada's WestJet Airlines Ltd and Dubai's flydubai said they had installed the alert. An Air Canada spokeswoman said on Tuesday that since November the alert and indicator had been installed on its fleet. Boeing said the disagree alert was not considered a safety feature and was not necessary for the safe operation of the plane. However, the company said following software modifications all new 737 MAX aircraft would have an activated and operable disagree alert and an optional angle-of-attack indicator, while current 737 MAX planes would have the ability to activate the disagree alert. Boeing CEO and Chairman Dennis Muilenburg promised on Monday to win back the public's trust after facing tough questions following the two crashes. A FAA spokeswoman declined to comment. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-says-optional-737-max-alert-not- activated-002223296--finance.html Back to Top Boeing says making progress to certify grounded MAX jets with software fix FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington, U.S. March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Monday it was making steady progress to certify its grounded 737 MAX jets with a software update and completed a final flight test prior to the certification flight. "Test pilots have made 146 737 MAX flights totaling roughly 246 hours of air time with the updated software, and nearly 90 percent of our 50-plus MAX operators around the globe have experienced the software update themselves during one of our simulator sessions," Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said. Muilenburg will face shareholders on Monday for the first time since two fatal crashes that led to the 737 MAX's grounding worldwide and triggered investigations, lawsuits and a sharp loss in share value. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-says-making-progress-certify-grounded-max- jets-123258025--finance.html Back to Top A critical sensor linked to the 2 fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes had been flagged to the FAA more than 200 times, report claims A Boeing 737 Max plane. Boeing * A widely-used sensor that malfunctioned in two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes has been flagged to the FAA more than 200 times since 2004, a CNN analysis found. * 216 incident reports outlined cases where the angle of attack sensor - which measures a plane's orientation in the sky - failed or had to be replaced or fixed. * About one fifth of those incidents involved Boeing aircraft, CNN reported. * Boeing received instructions about the sensor from the FAA and may have been aware of the issue but did not run a test flight with a malfunctioning sensor, according to CNN. * Experts also criticized the design of the 737 Max for relying on just one sensor, though Boeing said it was "considered acceptable in such cases by our industry." A sensor linked to two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes was flagged with the Federal Aviation Administration more than 200 times between 2004 and the crashes, according to an analysis by CNN. The angle of attack (AOA) sensor, which measures a plane's angle in the sky, was flagged in 216 incident reports to the FAA. These reports outlined cases where the sensor failed or had to be replaced or fixed, and in some cases the planes had to make emergency landings. The more than 200 reports included incidents where the sensors were "frozen, improperly installed, struck by lightning or even hit by flying birds," CNN said. Around one fifth of these cases involved Boeing planes, the report said, adding that Boeing did not do a test flight to trial a case where the sensor was acting in error. Read more: Boeing's CEO explains why the company didn't tell 737 Max pilots about the software system that contributed to 2 fatal crashes Boeing also may have been aware of the "potential for the sensors to cause problems in its planes" after the FAA sent instructions about some of its planes that had the sensor before the 737 Max was released, according to CNN. The preliminary reports into two fatal crashes involving the Boeing planes - a Lion Air crash in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March 2019 - found that the angle of attack sensor gave erroneous data. Boeing confirmed in April that an erroneous AOA sensor reading triggered the plane's automated Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) anti-stall software. The system is designed to prevent the aircraft from stalling by automatically pointing the nose down if it detects the plane is climbing too sharply, but the pilots in both crashes were unable to stop the nose from pointing down, and the planes ultimately crashed. While it has defend its design, Boeing is currently working on an update for the 737 Max that will make the MCAS software less intrusive, and will take a reading from more than one sensor. The planes will not be allowed to return to the skies until this update is approved by the FAA and other regulators around the world. The 737 Max relied on a single sensor Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told CNN that the sensor is "a fairly simple external device that can get damaged on a regular basis." "That's important because Boeing made the decision to rely on them as single sources for streams of data," he said. Peter Lemme, a former Boeing flight-controls engineer, told CNN that the plane should have had "a fail-safe design" that "relied on two inputs to make sure that you weren't sensitive to one failure." Lemme previously told Bloomberg that relying on a single sensor can cause a number of problems because it ends up informing multiple systems on a plane. But a Boeing spokesperson defended the decision to use a single sensor to CNN: "Single sources of data are considered acceptable in such cases by our industry." Peter DeFazio, the chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told CNN that his committee's investigation into the 737 Max will look at how its software relied on a single sensor. Boeing's spokesperson also repeated the company's assertion that the 737 Max and its software were certified with all of the FAA's requirements and that Boeing had concluded from its work on the plane that pilots would be able to control the plane if the sensor malfunctioned and they followed Boeing's emergency procedures. Boeing and Ethiopian investigations, which had help from the US, have presented contrasting views of the pilots' actions. Ethiopia's transport minister said that the preliminary report showed the crew "repeatedly" followed Boeing's procedures and still couldn't control the plane. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, however, said pilots did not "completely" follow emergency procedures. Muilenburg defended the plane's design on Monday at Boeing's annual meeting, where he said that there was not a "technical slip or gap" in the plane. He pledged to make the plane safer, and said it would be one of the world's safest aircraft when it returns to the skies. https://www.businessinsider.com/737-max-sensor-linked-to-crash-flagged-to-faa-over- 200-times-report-2019-5 Back to Top Incident: Calm AT72 at Thompson on Apr 16th 2019, too calm an engine A Calm Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-200, registration C-FJCQ performing flight MO-111 from Thompson,MB to Winnipeg,MB (Canada) with 41 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing out of Thompson when the crew observed an unexpectedly high fuel flow for the right hand engine. A company employee travelling as passenger observed fuel leaking from the right hand engine and notified the flight crew. The crew decided to return to Thompson. Descending through about 5000 feet the right hand engine lost power prompting the crew to declare "a Mayday" to ATC reporting they had lost engine #2. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Thompson. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found and replaced a defective fuel transfer tube. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c75c12f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Westjet B737 at Saskatoon on Apr 7th 2019, temporary runway excursion on landing A Westjet Boeing 737-700, registration C-FXWJ performing flight WS-602 from Calgary,AB to Saskatoon,SK (Canada) with 131 passengers and 5 crew, was on an ILS approach to runway 09. During the flare the aircraft descended into a layer of fog, the crew lost sight of the runway surface, however maintained sight with the runway edge lights. The aircraft drifted to the right, the right main gear contacted and damaged three right runway edge lights before the crew corrected the drift, returned onto the runway center line and rolled out without further incident. The Canadian TSB reported the visibility was reported 0.5 miles in fog, the RVR was 1800 feet. Maintenance discovered damage to the right hand tyres, replaced the right hand wheel assemblies, while airport staff replaced the runway edge lights. Metars: CYXE 080700Z 04004KT 330V060 1/4SM R09/2600FT/N FG VV002 01/01 A2981 RMK FG8 SLP113= CYXE 080600Z 04007KT 1/4SM R09/1800FT/N FG VV002 01/01 A2978 RMK FG8 PRESRR SLP106= CYXE 080537Z 05012KT 1/4SM R09/1400V2000FT/N FG VV002 01/01 A2976 RMK FG8 SLP098= CYXE 080529Z 05012KT 1/2SM R09/3000VP6000FT/D FG VV002 01/01 A2975 RMK FG8 SLP097= CYXE 080522Z 05010KT 3/4SM R09/P6000FT/D BR VV002 01/01 A2975 RMK FG8 SLP097= CYXE 080516Z 04010G16KT 2SM BR BKN002 OVC130 01/01 A2975 RMK ST7AC1 SLP096= CYXE 080500Z 04011KT 15SM SCT130 BKN240 02/01 A2974 RMK AC4CI2 SLP093= CYXE 080400Z 10005KT 15SM FEW130 BKN240 04/01 A2972 RMK AC2CI3 SLP086= CYXE 080300Z 02004KT 350V050 15SM VCSH SCT130 BKN240 08/01 A2970 RMK AC4CI3 SLP078= CYXE 080200Z 02007KT 15SM VCSH BKN120 BKN240 09/03 A2968 RMK AC5CI2 SLP071= CYXE 080100Z 35003KT 290V060 15SM VCSH SCT130 BKN240 12/M01 A2966 RMK AC4CI2 SLP063 DENSITY ALT 2000FT= https://flightaware.com/live/flight/CFXWJ/history/20190408/0500Z/CYYC/CYXE http://avherald.com/h?article=4c75bf40&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Volotea B712 and HOP! CRJ7 at Strasbourg on Apr 12th 2019, near collision between go around and takeoff A Volotea Boeing 717-200, registration EI-EXB performing flight V7-2506 from Montpellier to Strasbourg (France), was on final approach to Strasbourg's runway 05. A HOP! Canadair CRJ-700, registration F-GRZG performing flight A5-3526 from Strasbourg to Marseille (France), was cleared for takeoff from runway 05. When the Boeing 717 reached about 1.5nm before the runway threshold the crew initiated a go around due to the CRJ-700 still in the takeoff run. Subsequently both aicraft climbed out and lost separation. The French BEA reported the separation reduced to 100 feet vertical at 0.4nm horizontal distance. The occurrence was rated a serious incident (category near collision) and is being investigated. TCAS resolution advisories activated in both aircraft, the CRJ-700 was instructed to climb and the B712 to level off at about 2300 feet. After being clear of conflict the CRJ-700 continued to Marseille for a landing without further incident, the B712 positioned for another approach to runway 05 and landed safely. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c75a81a&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing 737-33A (WL) - Ground Collision - (UK) Date: 30-APR-2019 Time: Type: Boeing 737-33A (WL) Owner/operator: Jet2 Registration: G-GDFB C/n / msn: 25743 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: East Midlands Airport (EMA/EGNX) - United Kingdom Phase: Standing Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: East Midlands Airport (EMA/EGNX) Destination airport: Narrative: The right-hand wing tip of a Ryanair Boeing 737-700 (EI-SEV) contacted the tail of a parked Jet2 Boeing 737-300 (G-GDFB) as it was taxiing on the apron after landing. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=224506 Back to Top Pilot lands aircraft without landing gear at Jack Garland Airport A pilot of a dual-engine Piper Navajo was able to safely land the aircraft on the belly of the fuselage after the landing gear failed. The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. The plane is from Toronto and the pilot was delivering packages for Purolator. There were two people on board. North Bay Fire Department responded to the airport following notification of an aircraft in distress. Firefighters from Station 2 and Station 1 responded with the department's Aircraft Rescue Firefighting vehicles (ARFF). "Thankfully firefighting crews were on-scene conducting training on the ARFF vehicles so North Bay firefighting personnel had time to prepare for the emergency landing," said Deputy Fire Chief Greg Saunders. Saunders said the pilot notified emergency crews that there was a failure in the plane's landing gear and that the plane would have to land on the belly of the fuselage. "The pilot informed us that the plane was at a critical fuel level and needed to land immediately." Saunders said the pilot did a terrific job safely landing the plane without its landing gear. He said firefighting personnel safely evacuated the two people on board and extinguished the fire and smoke that had come into the cab of the plane during the landing. Neither individual sustained injuries in the incident. Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) is a special category of firefighting that involves the response, hazard mitigation, evacuation and possible rescue of passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in (typically) an airport ground emergency. https://www.nugget.ca/news/local-news/pilot-lands-aircraft-without-landing-gear-at- jack-garland-airport Back to Top FAA issues flight restrictions over Venezuela 1 May 2019 The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has issued flight restrictions for U.S. aircraft in Venezuelan airspace due to 'increasing political instability'. The FAA prohibits flights below FL260. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2019/05/01/faa-issues-flight-restrictions-over- venezuela/ Back to Top Pilots Reported 'AC Voltage' Issue before Fatal Crash Eight minutes after taking off from University-Oxford Airport and seconds before the April 13 crash of a Rockwell Sabreliner near New Albany, Mississippi, the crew reported an electrical malfunction, according to a preliminary NTSB report. The twinjet was on a Part 91 IFR personal flight in IMC to Alabama's Hamilton-Marion County Airport when it went down in remote wooded terrain, killing the two pilots and passenger. According to ATC recordings, at 3:06 p.m., after the jet took off and was climbing through 1,300 feet, controllers advised of moderate to severe precipitation in the area and provided a clearance to 11,000 feet. At 3:08 p.m., ATC asked the pilots for their altitude (the transponder was not emitting Mode 3A information) and informed them of moderate to heavy precipitation along their route. The crew acknowledged the radio call and told ATC they were climbing through 9,000 feet for 11,000 feet. The airplane maintained an approximate heading of 080 degrees from 3:06 p.m. until about 3:10 p.m., when it turned right to about 120 degrees. Two minutes later, the airplane made a left turn to about 040 degrees and ATC asked the crew if they were having navigation issues or if they were deviating. The flight crew responded they were deviating but that they also were having "AC voltage problems." The last radio call received from the aircraft was an acknowledgment of a heading assignment to 095 degrees at 3:13 p.m. However, the airplane began a right turn to about 270 degrees when radar and radio contact was lost. At the crash site, the NTSB said broken trees indicated the airplane attitude at impact was about 50 degrees right bank and 20 degrees nose low. "The wreckage was highly fragmented and spread over an area about 800 feet wide and 1,500 feet long." The CVR was recovered. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-04-30/pilots- reported-ac-voltage-issue-fatal-crash Back to Top Qantas seeks backing from pilots, regulator for record-long routes KEY POINTS * Airlines around the world are planning longer flights to compete with one-stop rivals and collect a fare premium of about 20 percent on non-stop routes, which are especially popular with corporate travelers. * Airbus and Boeing say their aircraft are ready, with only details like seat configuration left to hammer out, said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. Alan Joyce, chief executive officer of Qantas Airways, speaks during a news conference in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019. Qantas Airways, which hopes to buy planes this year for record-breaking 21-hour flights between Sydney and London has two hurdles left to overcome: getting pilots and Australia's aviation regulator to agree to unprecedented duty times. Airlines around the world are planning longer flights to compete with one-stop rivals and collect a fare premium of about 20 percent on non-stop routes, which are especially popular with corporate travelers. Airbus and Boeing say their aircraft are ready, with only details like seat configuration left to hammer out, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said. But there is a human cost to flying from Sydney to London or New York that must be resolved before tickets are sold, Joyce added. "We don't have the ability to do that length of duty today so you do need to negotiate that and get the regulator comfortable with it," Joyce told Reuters in a phone interview. "If the business case works ... (we can) put an order in by the end of this year and have aircraft arriving in 2022." Qantas pilots say the unprecedented length of the new flights means the airline needs do more research, consider more training, use more experienced pilots and change what they say is a flawed fatigue-reporting system. The maximum pilot duty time on the Sydney-London flights is expected to be around 23 hours, more than the current limit of 20 hours. "Duty" includes time on the ground before and after flights during which the flight crew is working. Qantas already has 17-hour non-stop journeys between Perth and London with four pilots onboard. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will evaluate the proposed longer duty time based partly on a study of pilot fatigue on the Perth-London route, agency spokesman Peter Gibson said. It could approve longer hours, reject the proposal, approve a shorter duty time or require new measures like a more experienced crew or extended rest periods. "The technological change is obviously there but the human physiological side hasn't changed since the Wright brothers flew," said Mark Sedgwick, the head of the Qantas pilots union, The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA). "We really need to understand the effects on human performance on the flight deck of these ultra-long range flights." Reporting fatigue The Australian Transport Safety Bureau in January released a study on pilot fatigue that found 60 percent of long-haul pilots had experienced moderate to severe fatigue on their most recent flight. One issue: take-off times that work best for passengers on long flights are not ideal for easing pilot fatigue. "From a passenger's point of view, a night flight at the end of the day makes it easier to adjust to the time," former Qantas head of safety Ron Bartsch said. "Obviously being up the front end, (the pilots) are doing some work." Managing fatigue is a serious issue for airlines globally, and CASA is overseeing a new data-driven fatigue risk-management system at Qantas. The agency says the new system, which also takes into account fatigue reports from pilots, will create a flexible framework for duty times rather than prescriptive rules. CASA and AIPA are also sponsoring a detailed fatigue study by Monash University that monitors sleep patterns of pilots on the Perth-London route. Measures to fight fatigue could include putting more flight crew onboard; adding crew beds; requiring more rest before and after flights; providing transport home; and reducing subsequent duty periods, Gibson said. According to Qantas, pilots who feel too fatigued must complete a report. The time off is then treated as sick leave, the airline said, but Brad Hodson, a Qantas captain and union official who has flown from Perth to London, said the policy could lead to under-reporting. "It is easier just to go sick because you don't have to fill in reports," he said. How pilots are paid when they take time off because of fatigue is an "industrial issue" outside CASA's jurisdiction, Gibson said. Qantas and AIPA are negotiating a new union contract for long-haul pilots. Joyce said he hoped for an agreement this year. "AIPA is supportive of the commercial benefits that may flow to Qantas in being able to operate these long premium routes with minimal competition," Sedgwick said. "We want to make sure the safety and fatigue management issues are adequately addressed in the process of enabling these flights." Experience levels Crew experience on long-haul flights also will be part of contract negotiations, Sedgwick said. The world's longest flight is Singapore Airlines' almost 19-hour journey from Singapore to New York. Singapore's aviation regulator said in a statement that it requires the airline to have two captains and two first officers on shifts of more than 18 hours, including time before and after takeoff, to "optimise their alertness throughout the flight." Qantas, which has a maximum duty period of around 20 hours on its Perth-London flights, also has four pilots. Crew can rest in bunks. But the Australian airline uses one captain, one first officer and two second officers. Second officers are paid less, can fly only at cruising altitudes and cannot take off or land. Hodson said Qantas did not necessarily need to put two captains and two first officers on each flight. More training for second officers or adding a first officer in place of one second officer were options, he added. "I think having another qualified pilot who could sit in the seat for take-off and landing would ameliorate a lot of the issues there," Hodson said. "But Qantas won't like that because it costs money." Joyce said the final crew mix and training had not been decided. "We will need to work through the safety case and our requirements and then talk to pilots and regulators," he said. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/01/qantas-seeks-backing-from-pilots-regulator-for- record-long-routes.html Back to Top NBAA Encourages Members to Participate in Safety Data Sharing Evolving system uses data to identify risks and evaluate solutions. Cessna Citation CJ1+ Eight-eight business aviation operators, 47 airlines and 12 universities already participate in ASIAS. The FAA's Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) Program has over the past 11 years used an open exchange of operational data to continuously improve safety. The General Aviation Joint Steering committee, for example, uses operations data to identify risks, develop recommended risk mitigation measures and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented solutions. The NBAA says eighty-eight business aircraft operators, 47 Part 121 airlines, 12 universities, five manufacturers and two maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations participate in the program. The FAA plans to phase in more business aviation and light general aviation operators, as well as the helicopter industry. The association's Safety Committee recognized the importance of safety data sharing by including it in its Top Safety Focus Areas of 2019. ASIAS is a data repository of more than a dozen public and proprietary data sources, including, but not limited to, ASAP (Aviation Safety Action Program) and ASRS (Aviation Safety Reporting System through NASA), as well as proprietary system narrative safety reports. There's also FOQA (Flight Operational Quality Assurance) and FOQA-like flight operations data, NMAC (Near Mid-Air Collision reports) and other ATC narrative safety reports, followed by SDR (Service Difficulty Reports) and aeronautical facility (airport and heliport) information. The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) and airline-oriented corollary Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) are also integral components to ASIAS. NBAA believes, "Data sharing is an important way to benefit the community broadly and to learn lessons from other aviation organizations and encourages members to participate in safety data sharing programs, whether through providing narrative safety reports, FOQA or FOQA-like data, or other means." https://www.flyingmag.com/nbaa-encourages-members-to-participate-in-safety-data- sharing Back to Top Putting executives on the hook can bolster airplane safety The aviation industry has a stellar safety record. Yet, tucked into a report filed with the federal government in 2015, the Boeing Corporation acknowledged the existence of "significant risks" related to its ability to "satisfy performance and reliability standards" in rolling out the MAX version of its popular 737 airplane. Since then, the crashes of two 737 MAXs in Indonesia and Ethiopia have resulted in the deaths of 346 passengers and crew members. Policymakers and the public are questioning the oversight provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), especially as further New York Times reporting raised the issue of safety lapses at Boeing. Ultimately, the key challenge is to find ways to instill an even stronger commitment to safety at companies like Boeing. To that end, Congress should consider borrowing a tool from an entirely different domain: securities regulation. Under the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, CEOs of publicly traded corporations must personally certify the accuracy of their companies' accounting statements and the adequacy of their internal financial controls. Backed by a criminal penalty provision, which authorizes up to $5 million in fines and 20 years in jail, this certification requirement makes it crystal clear that top leadership will bear personal liability for knowingly signing false accounting statements. Studies indicate that Sarbanes-Oxley's certification requirement has achieved its end of preventing fraud. In a 2006 survey of auditors, for example, 68 percent reported that the requirement improved the integrity of financial reporting. One of the auditors noted that previously "it was very easy for people to say ... I wasn't involved in that, I didn't know anything about that." A similar survey of corporate directors indicated that the requirement heightened CEO diligence. One director said that "now the CEO also wants a good audit," while "previously it used to be like ... [a] passing the buck kind of mentality." That is because, under Sarbanes-Oxley, the CEO is clearly "on the hook." CEOs of aircraft manufacturers have no such requirement to sign off on safety certifications or their companies' internal safety control systems, however. In its 2015 report, Boeing admitted that "the introduction of new aircraft programs ... such as the ... 737 MAX ... involves increased risks associated with meeting development, testing, production and certification schedules." At the same time, the company acknowledged that its managers would "continue to seek opportunities to reduce the costs of building our aircraft." Whether cost considerations and intense competition with Europe's Airbus were decisive factors in the production of its cutting-edge 737 MAX aircraft - not as a new plane, but as a derivative of a design originally approved in 1967 - is not known at this point. Under current FAA rules, only lower-level engineers and managers at the company participated in certifying the safety of the 737 MAX. These employees could, of course, face criminal charges for any false reporting to the government - but prosecutions of lower-level employees would do nothing to assure the public that incentives at the very top of the organization align with passenger safety. It's true that, if found negligent, Boeing could have to compensate the victims' families. But tort liability only arises after an accident occurs, and it does not come out of the CEO's pocket. Ex post liability may never do enough to promote safety in advance. Given that aircraft CEOs already sign off on financial reporting - under threat of potential criminal sanction - would it be too much to ask them to sign off on safety reporting, too? Surely the accuracy of aircraft safety testing is as important as the accuracy of financial statements. Of course, some might object that CEOs lack the expertise and time to review the hundreds of complex, technical tests that go into building aircraft. But that is also true with respect to financial reporting. CEOs cannot know firsthand every bookkeeping entry that underlies a complex financial statement for a major public corporation. And in Boeing's case, its CEO holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and a master's in aeronautics. Presumably, he has greater expertise in aviation safety than in financial accounting. Even when CEOs lack technical expertise, they still have the responsibility to select capable people who carry out detailed safety work, to oversee the management of internal controls and, most importantly, to set the right tone about their organizations' values. If an aircraft manufacturer fails to properly balance the pressures of a highly competitive global marketplace with paramount safety imperatives, its passengers and crew members bear the ultimate risk. It is the responsibility of policymakers to ensure that top corporate leaders share some of that risk. https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/441216-putting-ceos-on-the-hook-can-boost- airplane-safety Back to Top Airbus Worries Max Crisis Could Affect FAA-EASA Alignment While cautioning that it remains too early to draw conclusions and characterizing Airbus as an observer more than anything else, Airbus's new CEO expressed concern about the possible effect of the Boeing Max grounding and the ongoing investigation into the relationship between Boeing and the FAA during the certification of the model. Speaking Tuesday during a first-quarter Airbus earnings presentation with analysts, Guillaume Faury conceded that the Max events have created "a lot of tensions, questions, and we see growing concerns on many topics." "[We see] more scrutiny coming from all over the place. That is a fact of life we have to face," he said. Any "de-alignment" of the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) represents a particular concern, he added. "The alignment of the FAA and EASA is a strong basis of our industry," noted Faury. "And we hope that these events will not create a mid-term or long-term dealignment between two main [certification] authorities in this industry." Asked whether customers have spoken with Airbus about potentially switching over from the Max to the A320, Faury quipped "the A320 is the A320 and the Max is the Max." The Toulouse-based company, he noted, is talking with its customers based on their current fleets, their backlogs, and the delivery of the A320s. "We are limited by [our] production [capacity] for the next years and therefore there is not much more I can say," he explained. "There is strong demand for the A320; that was the case before the [Max] events and it continues to be the case, linked to the growth of the market in general, linked to the appetite for the A320 product itself, which is very well perceived with the neo, the ACF, the LR, and more. We see a good case for continuous growth and performance of the A320 family." The demand environment for narrowbody jets remains "pretty active," he said, though Faury described the overall market situation in the first quarter as "volatile and competitive" as several airlines face financial trouble and changing fleet plans. "We had to record cancellations," he conceded. "We are not the only ones in the industry." In the first three months of the year, Airbus inked orders for 62 aircraft but it registered 120 cancellations, leaving it with negative net order tally of 58 aircraft for the period. Airbus will not accelerate A320 production rates beyond the 60 aircraft per month by the middle of this year and 63 in 2021 as previously planned because it continues to recover from the supply chain and production problems it faced last year. "2019 still is a backloaded year," said Faury. "We want to use 2019, 2020, and 2021 to significantly rebalance the year" and better distribute deliveries and cash flow execution over the quarters. Airbus hasn't decided rates for beyond 2021, as much will depend on in-house ability and appetite to accelerate production and the capacity of the supply chain. In fact, the OEM plans to run a supply chain assessment later this year, he added. "Now, we want to focus on on-time and quality delivery to our customers," said Faury. Regarding the threat of Boeing's proposed NMA, Faury emphasized Airbus does have the right product to address the middle of the market. "We are moving forward with what we think is appropriate for the A320/A321 product, trying to anticipate and answer the customers' expectations and the market needs," he said. "We have as well the A330neo, with the -8 in its certification phase and -9 on the market. We think that on the Airbus side we have the right product to address the middle of the market. I do not see changes on that." Airbus plans to release details of further versions of the A321LR later this year, possibly at June's Paris Air Show. "We think the space for Boeing to launch an NMA is rather small," said Faury. "And it's on them to decide if and when the product [is unveiled] and what it will look like. We are moving on with two strong products." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-04-30/airbus-worries- max-crisis-could-affect-faa-easa-alignment Back to Top UK airport Heathrow set for a third runway after court blocks legal challenge * The High Court In London has ruled that Heathrow Airport can build a third runway. * Judges ruled in favor of the U.K. government after legal challenges from local councils, environmental groups and the Mayor of London. The High Court in London has ruled that a third runway at Heathrow should go ahead. Construction of the third runway at one of the world's busiest airports is scheduled to begin within two years, with completion set for 2026. Judges had heard five separate challenges to the proposed expansion from a group of local councils, residents, environmental charities and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. But on Wednesday, three High Court judges ruled in favor of the plan. The U.K. government said in 2018 that additional capacity at the airport is "in the national interest and based on detailed evidence." A majority of 296 lawmakers in the U.K. Parliament backed the plan last year. But campaigners have argued that the U.K. government's decision to build the additional runway failed to address the impact on air quality, noise, and local traffic congestion. One claimant, an environmental action group called Plan B, had also argued in its case documentation that by building an extra runway the U.K. government was contradicting its commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change. This agreement, signed by a number of countries in 2016, offers a commitment to mitigate greenhouse-gas emissions. In 2017, President Donald Trump said he will withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. Tim Crosland, Director of Plan B and a legal adviser to another climate action group Extinction Rebellion, called the judgement "disappointing" and it was hard to see how lawmakers could proceed. "Following the recent Extinction Rebellion protests there is widespread recognition that we are in a state of climate and ecological emergency," he said in a statement. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/01/uk-airport-heathrow-set-for-a-third-runway-after- court-blocks-legal-challenge.html Back to Top Textron to hire 1,000 aircraft workers this year as Cessna, Beechcraft brands rebound The president and CEO of Textron Aviation told customers and suppliers Tuesday that the company plans to hire 1,000 people this year, to fill new jobs and replace retirees, a spokeswoman has confirmed. Ron Draper, chief of the company that manufactures Cessna, Hawker and Beechcraft planes, announced the hiring push in a speech at a customer conference at the company's Wichita headquarters. About 600 customers and vendors attended the annual event. The trade journal Aviation International News quoted Draper as saying "We hired 1,000 people last year and we're probably going to have to hire another 1,000 this year, and that's great. "Some of that is replacing retirements, but most of that is growth. It makes our employees feel like we're winning again after a number of difficult years." Draper attributed the growth to an improving market for its Cessna and Beechcraft product lines. Rachel Williams, communications manager for Textron, confirmed the comments reported by AIN. She said it was not yet known how the jobs would be distributed between Textron plants. But the bulk of the company's workforce is based in Wichita - 9,500 of the company's total 12,000 employees - so it is likely that much of the job growth will take place here, she said. https://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article229868329.html Back to Top Pikes Peak Aviation Remodeling FedEx Hangar Complex to Handle More Aircraft April 30--Pikes Peak Aviation is remodeling FedEx Corp.'s hangar complex at the Colorado Springs Airport to handle more and larger aircraft as the shipping giant prepares to serve new facilities for online retailer Amazon. The Colorado Springs-based company will spend $4.5 million over six months to remove and replace more than 220,000 square feet of concrete ramp with pavement twice as thick that can support Boeing 757s and ground equipment to load and unload the jets, said Richard Janitell, chairman of Janitell Enterprises, which owns the aviation firm. "These upgrades are due to increased demand from FedEx shipping," Janitell said Monday. "This facility can accommodate up to three (Boeing) 757 and 767 aircraft at a time. This project has been in the planning stages for nearly two years, and we need to complete it by Oct. 1 to be ready for the busy holiday shipping season." FedEx had operated one flight a day to Colorado Springs, added a second aircraft last year and plans to add a third this fall, Janitell said. The company has expanded quickly as Amazon opened a temporary delivery station in November in a tent-like structure near the airport's passenger terminal. FedEx also began construction last week on a much larger permanent facility in the airport's Peak Innovation Park. Pikes Peak Aviation also is remodeling a 13,000-square-foot office and 30,000-square- foot hangar that are part of the ramp complex. It will replace windows, install energy- efficient lighting and new floor coverings, upgrade the employee locker room and improve the hangar space used to sort packages. FedEx began leasing the complex in 1991 after using a temporary facility for several years and considering a move to the Pueblo airport. Pikes Peak Aviation is discussing doubling or tripling the hangar size for FedEx, a project that could take up to five years. The 5.5-acre ramp site also can be expanded to accommodate two more aircraft, Janitell said. Janitell Enterprises also owns a complex of 61 hangars at the airport as well as shopping centers and ranches elsewhere in Colorado. https://www.aviationpros.com/home/news/21078533/pikes-peak-aviation-remodeling- fedex-hangar-complex-to-handle-more-aircraft Back to Top Vistara to hire 100 pilots, 400 cabin crew In one of its largest hiring exercise since it began operations over three years back, the premium carrier Vistara is hiring around 100 pilots and 400 cabin crew--mostly from the grounded Jet Airways, say industry and airline sources. The grounding of Jet has come as an opportunity for the market to hire readily-available skilled workforce from the licenced categories- pilots, engineers and cabin crew, and deploy them directly into specifics roles, thereby saving time and money on training them, they said. Aer unsuccessfully looking for an investor or fresh bank loans for months, Jet Airways had finally on April 17 stopped operations, leaving over 22,000 employees in the lurch. Of these, around 1,300 are pilots and over 2,000 are cabin crew. Tuesday was the last day of the two-day recruitment drive for the cabin crew at the Tatas-Singapore Airline-run Vistara, which took place simultaneously in Mumbai and Gurugram, they said. "Vistara, which is likely to begin international operations soon, is in the process of inducting 100 pilots besides 400 cabin crew. Most of the new workforce is expected to come from the grounded carrier Jet," said a source. A Vistara spokesperson was not available to comment. Earlier, budget carrier SpiceJet said it would hire 500 from Jet, including 100 pilots. Air India Express has also inducted around 25 commanders from the grounded airline's and plans to induct 20-25 more pilots. Its parent Air India has been discussing an internal proposal to lease five of the 10 Boeing 777s of Jet to expand its international footprint. https://www.deccanherald.com/business/business-news/vistara-to-hire-100-pilots-400- cabin-crew-from-jet-731458.html Back to Top Air Arabia to meet Airbus and Boeing ahead of imminent 100-jet order - CEO Budget airline Air Arabia, the only listed carrier in the UAE, has long been looking to update and expand its fleet of 54 Airbus A320 jets. (Photo courtesy: Air Arabia) Budget airline Air Arabia is likely to order 100 or more Airbus or Boeing jets within the next three to four months, its chief executive said on Tuesday. The United Arab Emirates' only listed carrier has long been looking to update and expand its fleet of 54 Airbus A320 jets. "We need to put an order in. That is overdue," Adel Ali said at the Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai. The airline will hold talks with both planemakers this week, he said. The talks come against the backdrop one of the biggest crises in Boeing's 103-year history after two of its 737 MAX jets were in fatal crashes. The 737 MAX has been grounded since an Ethiopian Airlines MAX crashed in March, killing 157 people. Some airlines are rethinking orders for the MAX jets, though Ali said he hopes Boeing, the world's largest planemaker, will resolve any issues by the time Air Arabia makes its decision. Boeing has said it is developing a software fix and new pilot training for regulatory approval to get the company's best-selling plane recertified. Air Arabia, which has only operated Airbus jets, could switch to Boeing aircraft, Ali said. "Whoever comes up with a better option we will go for," he said. The order would replace aircraft at Air Arabia's main base in Sharjah, UAE, and hubs in Egypt and Morocco. Air Arabia is also considering ordering smaller, regional jets for domestic flights in Egypt and Morocco, Ali said. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/economy/2019/05/01/Air-Arabia-to-meet- Airbus-and-Boeing-ahead-of-imminent-100-jet-order-CEO.html Back to Top Back to Top Regulatory Compliance Manager - Maintenance Program POSITION PURPOSE: Continuously reviews Republic Airways policies and procedures for regulatory compliance and system safety, working with local FAA to satisfy compliance questions and issues. ESSENTIAL DUTIES : To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 1. Collaborates with appropriate management to ensure compliance or implement global improvement correction action when instances of non-compliance or identification of needed improvement areas. 2. Develops and maintains database for tracking compliance with regulations. 3. Analyzes airline industry regulations in anticipation of changes that may affect policies and procedures. 4. Uses independent judgment to evaluate revisions to policies and procedures for regulatory compliance and system safety prior to submittal to the FAA for acceptance/approval. 5. Researches Code of Federal Regulations for the Company to ensure that any new operations are FAA compliant. 6. Works closely with the FAA and participate in teamed inspections. 7. Assists and conducts internal audits as needed. 8. Travels to all maintenance bases and contract vendor facilities to conduct audits as needed. 9. Provides administrative assistance maintaining legal filings by assisting regulatory agencies. 10. Provides assistance during inspections conducted by outside agencies (IOSA, DoD, etc.) 11. Acts as liaison with the FAA to investigate, correct and finalize regulatory issues. 12. Participates in Maintenance ASAP ERC meetings as needed. 13. Fosters the Company's core values and culture throughout the work environment. 14. Performs various other duties as required. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE. * Bachelor's degree or equivalent with at least 3 years of previous Internal Evaluation or Quality Assurance experience. * A&P Certificate * Knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations and FAA Advisory circulars. * Strong experience in Microsoft Office applications is a must. PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE * Bachelor's degree in Aviation or related field with at least 5 years of previous experience. Previous supervisory experience. * Dispatcher License and/or Pilot Certificate. * Auditor Certification and Training; CQA, ISO, CASE and IOSA Auditor. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. REASONING/PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. DECISION MAKING Makes decisions daily use of resources, performance and budgets. Decisions could require additional expenditure of resources if not sound decisions. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Able to move about the work environment. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Outdoor weather conditions up to 35% of the time. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, including overnight and weekend travel APPLY HERE Back to Top Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award will be presented during the 72nd Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov 4-6 in Taipei, Taiwan. 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 74 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 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 May 10, 2019. 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 non-profit 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. CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Back to Top Helicopter Association International (HAI) is dedicated to providing its members with services that directly benefit their operations, and to advancing the international helicopter community by providing programs that enhance safety, encourage professionalism and economic viability while promoting the unique contributions vertical flight offers society. HAI has more than 3,800 member organizations and annually produces HAI HELI-EXPOŽ, the world's largest trade show and exposition dedicated to helicopters. Position: Deputy Director of Safety Overview: The Deputy Director of Safety is responsible for supporting the association's existing aviation safety programs and developing new safety initiatives to benefit HAI's membership. Essential Functions of the Position Include, but Are Not Limited To: * Providing auxiliary support to the Director of Safety * Serving as the HAI safety representative on various industry, government, and international boards, task forces, and meetings * Providing feedback for the association's response to proposed safety-related regulations and legislative initiatives * Collecting, researching, and analyzing safety and accident data for subsequent statistical reporting * Developing and implementing new HAI industry safety initiatives * Routinely interacting with aviation related agencies and organizations in support of the rotorcraft industry * Supporting all aspects of HAI's accreditation programs (IS-BAO & HAI APS) that assist helicopter operators in reducing incidents and accidents, while improving industry safety culture * Providing safety supervision for flight activities at the association's annual trade show and exposition, HAI HELI-EXPOŽ * Responding to requests for rotorcraft safety assistance from HAI members and the general public * Serving as staff liaison for assigned HAI committees * Contributing content for use in HAI's printed and electronic publications * Making safety presentations on behalf of HAI as necessary * Other duties as assigned The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Desired Qualifications for the Position Include: * College or advanced degree related to aviation safety and/or management * Five or more years of related helicopter safety background, training, and experience * Certificated helicopter pilot and/or maintenance technician * Previous experience with helicopter or other aviation-related organization * Prior international experience preferred * Experience with auditing protocols and accreditation programs * A passionate commitment to the promotion of helicopter safety * Highly motivated, able to work independently and in a team environment * Excellent written and verbal communication skills with prior experience in creating and delivering written proposals and public presentations * Research, data analysis, and report writing experience * Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite * Detail oriented, self-starter, with strong organizational and time management skills * Ability to travel The above qualifications are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. APPLY HERE Curt Lewis