Flight Safety Information January 13, 2020 - No. 009 In This Issue Ukraine knew Flight 752 had been shot down, but it was careful not to antagonize Iran Incident: Delta B752 at New York on Jan 10th 2020, runway incursion Incident: Ethiopian B737 at Dire Dawa on Jan 9th 2020, swarm of grasshoppers Incident: Delta B772 near Wabush on Jan 9th 2020, loud noise, vibrations Incident: Spirit A319 near Atlantic City on Jan 10th 2020, burning odour in cockpit Incident: El Al B772 near Halifax on Jan 9th 2020, smell of smoke from aft galley Incident: Network Australia F100 at Newman on Jan 9th 2020, overran runway on landing Southwest Airlines faces $3.92 million fine from FAA for miscalculating aircraft weights Helicopter pilot fined over mid-air rant at air traffic controller MH370 FAMILIES LOSE US COURT APPEAL FAA-EASA to test Boeing 737 Max from 15 Jan; India to take a call later Ethiopian Airlines Eyes New Destinations In China Aircraft and Helicopter Accident Investigation from SCSI DTI Training Canada Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship RESEARCH SURVEY Laura Taber Barbour Aviation Scholarship Fund Ukraine knew Flight 752 had been shot down, but it was careful not to antagonize Iran KYIV - Within hours of Iran's stunning admission Saturday that its missile mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, Ukraine made a big reveal of its own. The country put out photos, taken a day earlier, showing wreckage riddled with small holes, suggesting damage from shrapnel. Well before Iran admitted shooting down Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 outside Tehran on Wednesday, Ukraine realized the plane had been destroyed by a missile. But the country's leaders tread a careful diplomatic path. "The argument already didn't exist for them to deny all this," Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told The Washington Post. Soon after the plane went down, killing all 176 on board, U.S. officials and the leaders of Canada and Britain told the world they believed the plane was likely shot down by Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked them to share their information with him, but held off announcing any of Ukraine's conclusions - a strategic decision, Danilov said. "We came to this conclusion before the Americans and Canadians," he said. Iran admits to downing airliner amid calls for justice, transparency Ukraine wanted its investigators to gather hard evidence of their own, Danilov said. Officials were careful to avoid sharp criticism of Iran during this time to ensure its cooperation in the probe. Zelensky, caught between the United States and Iran after a U.S. drone strike killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, had the difficult task of securing the "cooperation of Western backers and Iran without being drawn into either side's narrative of the Iran-U. S. conflict," said Katharine Quinn-Judge, a Kyiv-based analyst for International Crisis Group. Four days after the plane went down, Zelensky announced that he and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had "agreed on full legal and technical cooperation, including compensation issues." "Once again, Zelensky walked a thin diplomatic balance beam and came out without falling flat on his face," said Nina Jankowicz, a scholar at the Wilson Center. "For a political novice, he seems to have a keen sense of exactly how to appease opposing factions in order to protect Ukraine's interests." After Iran air disaster, Ukraine's president is again unwittingly entangled in an international rift Ukraine has the kind of closure from Iran it still hasn't received from Russia for the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. That plane was shot down by a missile launched from rebel territory in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board. A team of investigators from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine identified a Russian military unit in charge of the antiaircraft missile system and has pursued prosecution of the Russian and Ukrainian citizens allegedly involved. Russia continues to deny any part in the incident. "When an airplane departed from a European capital five-plus years ago, Europe still hasn't finished its investigation into this catastrophe and can't say who's guilty," Danilov said. "In our case, a lot less time has passed in order to understand what happened." A Ukrainian team of 45 experts and search-and-rescue personnel, including some who worked on the Malaysia Airlines case, arrived in Tehran early Thursday to investigate the cause of the Ukrainian International Airlines crash and identify the bodies. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told reporters Friday that "as it happens with these cases, the investigation team is not happy." "They want to have more access, they want to have more rapid access," Prystaiko said. "They want to have more info, and so and so forth. Whether this is justified as the requests, that is very difficult to tell." Photos purported to be from the crash site posted on social media showed remnants of a missile from the Russian-made Tor air defense system, known in NATO parlance as the SA-15 Gauntlet. Russia has exported the surface-to-air missile system to several countries, including Iran in 2005. It's designed to hit targets in the short to medium range. Danilov wrote on his Facebook page Thursday that he wanted investigators to scour the crash site for that. What is SA-15, the air defense system that may have shot down a Ukrainian plane? But among the challenges investigators faced was that the crash site was quickly cleared and bulldozed. Parts of the plane were taken to a nearby hangar. Ukraine didn't get access to the black box until Friday. Prystaiko said investigators were examining pieces of the plane and the chemical residue on it, and were also at a hospital "analyzing the bodies of the people who perished in the crash." Ukrainian airline involved in Iran crash says plane was 'one of its best' Ukraine International Airlines's president offered his condolences to relatives of the 176 people killed when one of its planes crashed on Jan. 8 near Tehran. (Reuters) Zelensky said DNA samples from relatives of the 11 Ukrainians who were on the plane were collected to help identify their bodies. "Modern technology, the rapid exchange of information, the work with the information resources that we have today in the world - they give the ability to find answers to very difficult questions," Danilov said. "We believe that they already understood that the option that it wasn't them didn't exist anymore. "The analysis of the information that we had here - not in Tehran but in Ukraine - already pointed to fact that they had nothing to stand on." Avoiding a larger international rift is a significant hurdle cleared for Zelensky, a 41-year-old comedian who received overwhelming support in Ukraine's election last spring. He has been pulled into the impeachment proceedings against President Trump, and has been negotiating with Russia, France and Germany on ending the conflict in a swath of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine. In a video address to Ukrainians on Sunday, Zelensky was solemn but triumphant. "We worked systematically, without hysteria, for one thing: to achieve results, to find out the truth about the circumstances of the crash," he said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraine-knew-flight-752-had-been-shot-down-but-it-was-careful-not-to-antagonize-iran/2020/01/12/0b8770ce-34a9-11ea-971b-43bec3ff9860_story.html Back to Top Incident: Delta B752 at New York on Jan 10th 2020, runway incursion A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N6710E performing flight DL-300 from Sint Maarten (Sint Maarten) to New York JFK,NY (USA), had landed on runway 22L and was taxiing towards the apron, gate 22. Tower instructed the crew to hold short of runway 22R on taxiway J (about 2230 meters/7310 feet down the runway 22R), the crew properly acknowledged the instruction, however went past the hold short line prompting an energetic call by tower to stop and at the same time querying the gate number, the crew reported gate 22, but did not stop. Tower issued another upset call telling the crew they were instructed to hold short of 22R, the crew replied they thought they were cleared to cross and were asked for the gate number, they read the cleared to cross back. Tower clarified they were instructed to stop and asked for the gate number. "It's my fault then", the crew replied and were given a phone number. A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N6705Y performing flight DL-253 from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Bogota (Colombia), was cleared for takeoff from runway 22R and was accelerating when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed due to the crossing aircraft. The crew slowed the aircraft and vacated the runway via taxiway G (about 1400 meters/4600 feet) down the runway. The crew advised, they got all sorts of stuff to deal with. The aircraft was able to depart about 30 minutes after the rejected takeoff. The FAA reported a close call developed on runway 22R at about 6:30pm (22:30Z). https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL300/history/20200110/1915Z/TNCM/KJFK http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1df145&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Ethiopian B737 at Dire Dawa on Jan 9th 2020, swarm of grasshoppers An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration ET-ALN performing flight ET-363 from Djibouti (Djibouti) to Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), was on final approach to Dire Dawa when the aircraft flew through a swarm of grasshoppers and received a huge number of insect impacts into engines, windshield and nose of the aircraft. The crew went around, attempted a second approach but again needed to go around and diverted to their ultimate destination Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), where the aircraft landed safely about 90 minutes after departure from Djibouti. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 11.5 hours for cleaning and a thorough inspection, which found no damage. The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported on Jan 6th 2020: "The Desert Locust situation remains extremely serious in the Horn of Africa where it threatens pastures and crops in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Numerous swarms have formed in eastern Ethiopia and adjacent areas of northern Somalia. A number of large immature swarms moved south in the Ogaden of eastern Ethiopia and adjacent areas of central Somalia and reached southern Somalia, southeast Ethiopia and, on 28 December, northeast Kenya." The FAO warns a dangerous situation arises at the Horn of Africa and on both sides of the Red Sea. The aircraft with "measles" (Photos: On the Wings of Aviation): http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1de8cc&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B772 near Wabush on Jan 9th 2020, loud noise, vibrations, aft cargo heating runaway A Delta Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N864DA performing flight DL-148 from Las Vegas,NV (USA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France), was enroute at FL370 about 100nm southwest of Wabush,NL (Canada) when loud noise and vibrations occurred. The crew set course to divert to New York JFK (USA) at first, later to Boston,MA (USA), descended the aircraft to FL350 and FL300 and landed safely on Boston's runway 33L about 90 minutes later with emergency services on standby. After landing the crew advised they did have an aft cargo runaway with the temperature dropping in the back, the aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency services in trail. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N860DA reached Paris with a delay of 7 hours. The FAA reported the aircraft diverted after the crew reported vibrations and declared emergency. The airline reported a mechanical issue prompted the diversion. Passengers reported there was a sudden piercing sound followed by loud noise and vibrations resulting in an emergency landing in Boston. The crew moved a number of passengers out of their seats. After landing they were told, it may have been a burst air conditioning pipe, not yet really clear. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Boston about 44 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL148/history/20200109/2037Z/KLAS/LFPG http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1d40d9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Spirit A319 near Atlantic City on Jan 10th 2020, burning odour in cockpit A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N529NK performing flight NK-1035 from Newark,NJ (USA) to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) with 149 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 210nm southsoutheast of Newark and about 150nm southsoutheast of Atlantic City,NJ (USA) when the crew donned their oxygen masks and decided to divert to Atlantic City reporting an electrical burning odour in the cockpit, the source apparently being some fan. The aircraft turned around and descended towards Atlantic City, the crew advised the odour was still present, however, no evacuation was to be expected. The aircraft landed safely on Atlantic City's runway 31. The aircraft stopped briefly on the runway, then taxied to the apron with the emergency services in trail. The aircraft remained on the ground in Atlantic City for about 4 hours, then continued the journey and reached Santo Domingo with a delay of 4.5 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/NKS1035/history/20200110/0535Z/KEWR/MDSD http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1c8e5e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: El Al B772 near Halifax on Jan 9th 2020, smell of smoke from aft galley An El Al Boeing 777-200, registration 4X-ECC performing flight LY-26 from Newark,NJ (USA) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was enroute at FL360 about 260nm southsoutheast of Halifax,NS (Canada) when the crew decided to divert to Halifax due to the smell of smoke from the aft galley. The aircraft landed safely on Halifax's runway 05 about 50 minutes later. The airline reported the aircraft needed to land in Halifax due to the smell of smoke from the kitchen area in the rear of the aircraft. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ELY26/history/20200110/0110Z/KEWR/LLBG http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1c7759&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Network Australia F100 at Newman on Jan 9th 2020, overran runway on landing A Network Aviation Australia Fokker 100 on behalf of Qantas, registration VH-NHY performing flight QF-2650 from Perth,WA to Newman,WA (Australia), landed on Newman's runway 05 at 07:12L (23:12Z Jan 8th) but overran the end of the runway and came to stop on soft ground (gravel) about 100 meters past the end of the runway. There were no injuries, the damage to the aircraft is being assessed. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Newman about 42 hours after landing. The ATSB have opened a short investigation estimated to finish in quarter 3 of 2020. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1c74d1&opt=0 Back to Top Southwest Airlines faces $3.92 million fine from FAA for miscalculating aircraft weights The fine comes after a year-plus investigation into how Southwest calculates luggage weights Southwest Airlines employee Frank Alfano unloads luggage from a plane at Dallas Love Field Airport Thursday, October 2, 2014 in Dallas. (G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News) 10122014xBIZ The Federal Aviation Administration says Southwest Airlines should pay a $3.92 million penalty for errors it made calculating the weight of dozens of planes in 2018. Southwest Airlines spokesman Brian Parrish said the proposed fine is for "data processing issues that occurred while transferring aircraft weight information from one Southwest computer system to other computer systems." The fine, which Dallas-based Southwest can appeal, comes after a yearlong investigation into the way the airline counts bags and loads them onto planes. The FAA says Southwest Airlines flew 44 planes and a total of 21,505 flights using the system in question between May 1, 2018, and Aug. 9, 2018. "This weight-related information is used along with other data in determining how many passengers and how much fuel can be safely carried, as well as where cargo must be located," the FAA said in a statement. "Since discovering the data discrepancy in 2018, in coordination with the FAA, Southwest has enhanced its weight and balance program by implementing additional controls to strengthen the process of managing aircraft weight data in our systems," Parrish said in a statement. "We continue to monitor the performance of our weight and balance program closely to support our unwavering commitment to safety, compliance and continuous improvement." Southwest flies with a total fleet of about 750 planes. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines told The Associated Press that it voluntarily reported the issue to federal safety officials last year, and isn't facing any enforcement action. The data processing error pertained to incorrect weights for empty aircraft and not for luggage loading practices, Parrish said. Unlike other airlines, Southwest has historically counted luggage manually on the tarmac and used average weights collected during check-in to load the plane. Other airlines weigh luggage as they load their planes. Airlines carefully calculate how much planes weigh and how they are balanced to help pilots fly, ensure proper handling and figure out how much fuel is necessary for a flight. In June, the FAA reassigned three managers in charge of the investigation into Southwest's luggage loading practices. The Wall Street Journal reported that the managers, who worked in a regional office near Southwest Airlines' headquarters, were reassigned for retaliating against safety inspectors who reported the issue. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2020/01/10/southwest-airlines-faces-392-million-fine-from-faa-for-miscalculating-weights/ Back to Top Helicopter pilot fined over mid-air rant at air traffic controller A private helicopter pilot has been fined £1,600 after he subjected a female air traffic controller to a mid-air rant while attempting to land. Businessman Joel Tobias, 52, was flying his family to Lytham St Annes in his chopper when he demanded to be able to land at Blackpool Airport. Mr Tobias, from Whitefield, Greater Manchester, threatened to report Andrea Tolley when she asked him to wait. He began berating her, claiming she had failed to return earlier messages. During an angry exchange on 31 July, Mr Tobias told Miss Tolley he wanted her name and said: ''I'll be putting a complaint in," Manchester Magistrates' Court heard. ''Your job is actually to take calls from aircraft and not have two-way chats with other aircraft asking how their day's going and how fun it is," he told her. ''I'm in a helicopter here that costs £550 an hour and I've waited 10 minutes for you to answer the call - it's absolutely appalling.'' The cyber security businessman pleaded guilty to an offence under the Air Navigation Order 2016. He was fined and also ordered to pay £870 in costs and surcharges. Alison Slater, prosecuting for the CAA said: ''He gave Miss Tolley no time to ask him to pass his message as protocol requires. ''He did not give his location, altitude, destination or request permission to enter the aerodrome traffic zone. Potentially it caused a serious risk to other air traffic in the area.'' His licence was provisionally suspended following the incident and he will be subject to a regulatory interview by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to see if it will be reinstated. Miss Tolley had been dealing with various aircraft and had been helping guide a pilot who was lost when Mr Tobias contacted her. When another pilot thanked the controller, Mr Tobias said sarcastically: ''If that's the service you expect from an airport like Blackpool then I feel sorry for you.'' The businessman did not take the matter further when he landed but was later reported by another pilot to the CAA over his conduct. Miss Tolley said a colleague had to relieve her of duty following the row as she so upset and barely slept that evening. She added: ''I had never experienced anything like this in my entire career.'' Tobias later apologised. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-51063010 Back to Top MH370 FAMILIES LOSE US COURT APPEAL MH370 The families of victims of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 crash have lost an appeal against a court ruling that lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines, insurer Allianz and manufacturer Boeing do not belong in the US. Lawyers for the families had appealed a 2018 ruling by a US District Court judge that 40 wrongful death and product liability lawsuits should be heard in Malaysia. New Boeing CEO takes reins amid renewed public firestorm. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared in March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board and is believed to have crashed in the Southern Indian Ocean. Extensive searches failed to find the wreckage and a final report on the disappearance was unable to determine a cause for the crash, although a widely held belief is that it was a murder-suicide involving the plane's captain. A three-judge panel with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that a lower court did not abuse its discretion when it decided the case should be tried in Malaysia. The ruling is a setback the families of more than 100 MH370 victims from countries such as Australia, China, India and Malaysia. The district court found Malaysia's public interest in hearing claims arising from the MH370 disappearance "far outweighed" that of the United States, even when it came to claims made against Boeing. It also found that private interest factors tilted strongly in favor of trying the cases in Malaysia, given the overwhelming amount of evidence located in the South-East Asian nation and the "potentially insurmountable challenges" of making that evidence available in a US court. Lawyers for the victims' families had argued the court refused to afford any deference to the decision to sue in the US or to specify the precise degree of deference it had applied. The Court of Appeals backed the lower court's decision, describing it as a well-reasoned opinion and noting it had did not abuse its discretion that the balance of public and private interests weighed heavily in favor of trying the case in Malaysia. It said the district court's analysis reflected a careful consideration of the foreign families' interests and a thoughtful balancing of the public and private interest factors" with respect to individuals. The lower court also correctly recognized that Thomas Wood, a US citizen and resident suing on behalf of his dead brother, was entitled to the greatest degree of deference. "We find no reversible error in the district court's reasoning regarding the appropriate levels of deference afforded to appellants' claims,'' it said. The issue was further complicated when Malaysia decided to renationalize the airline in late 2014 and restructure it by creating a new, separate entity, Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB). The assets of Malaysia Airlines System were transferred to MAB and the original company was placed under administration. MAB did not assume the liabilities related to MH370. Lawyers for the families were critical of the district court's analysis of issues related to the MAS/MAB restructure and its immunity claims. The panel found it was entirely proper for the district court to recognize that serious jurisdictional questions existed and weigh that as a factor in favor of dismissal. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/mh370-families-lose-us-court-appeal/ Back to Top FAA-EASA to test Boeing 737 Max from 15 Jan; India to take a call later • The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct its own assessment tests, once the FAA-EASA test results are declared • The Federal Aviation Administration-European Aviation Safety Agency joint tests are expected to take place in the US NEW DELHI : As Boeing 737 Max recertification process enters the last phase, the civil aviation regulators of the US and Europe have decided to jointly conduct safety test flights from January 15. The Indian civil aviation regulator will conduct its own tests before re-certifying them. According to industry insiders, the Federal Aviation Administration-European Aviation Safety Agency joint tests are expected to take place in the US and will use their combined expertise to vet the aircraft. Boeing 737Max has been grounded around the world after two crashes, since last year. In terms of India's safety regulations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct its own assessment tests, once the FAA-EASA test results are declared. "We are aware of the joint tests. We will wait for the certification process to fructify," a DGCA official told IANS. In terms of India's aviation scenario, the tests are crucial for SpiceJet, which has a fleet of thirteen 737Max aircraft. The airline's international expansion plans are heavily dependent on the early return of the aircraft. At present, SpiceJet's fleet stands at 119. Once re-certified, the airline will be able to get 30 or more aircraft for operations. Additionally, the 737Maxs will allow the airline to retire some old fuel guzzlers, leading to higher saving margins. SpiceJet had placed an order for 225 Maxs in 2017, while it has a firm order of more than 150 of these aircraft. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/faa-easa-to-test-boeing-737-max-from-15-jan-india-to-take-a-call-later-11578799704853.html Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines Eyes New Destinations In China Ethiopian Airlines is a well-known African giant. With an incredible route network, Ethiopian is a tough airline to beat in Africa. However, now, the airline is not showing any signs of slowing down. It appears that Ethiopian is looking at launching flights to three new destinations in China. Ethiopian Airlines is eyeing some more destinations in China. Photo: Boeing Ethiopian Airlines eyes three new destinations in China Xinhuanet reports that Ethiopian Airlines is eyeing flights to three new destinations in China. These three are Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Zhengzhou. Ethiopian has not officially announced these three routes. However, it appears that the airline is going through the bureaucratic process before officially launching these flights. In addition, it appears that Ethiopian is looking at increasing some frequencies on current flights to key destinations like Guangzhou. These flights could largely draw on a mixed crowd. Most likely, passengers would not connect out of Ethiopian to another carrier in either Chongqing, Shenzhen, or Zhengzhou. Instead, Ethiopian would likely bring these passengers out of Africa and perhaps other destinations via a connection in Addis Ababa. How could Ethiopian launch these flights? These cities are easily within range for either Dreamliner or Airbus A350 flights. With both types on order, expansion is not out of line for Ethiopian. Both of these latest-generation aircraft will be a comfortable way to make the trek from Addis Ababa to China. But, Ethiopian could add a little twist on these flights. The airline is a fan of fifth-freedom routes. This includes a recent launch of flights to Houston from Addis Ababa via Lome. Although, that stop is largely due to Addis Ababa being a hot and dry airport that limits some aircraft performance. Nevertheless, Ethiopian could find a way to add even more destinations to its already expansive network through fifth-freedom flights. Most likely, in this case, Ethiopian would fly onwards out of these destinations to other East Asian cities. Ethiopia's flag-carrier already flies to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai from Addis Ababa. In addition, Ethiopian also operates a flight to Hong Kong. All of these destinations are sources of huge tourist and business travel. With these three new routes, Ethiopian would fly to an impressive total of seven destinations in China. Ethiopian Airlines would fly to an impressive seven destinations in China. Rendering created at Great Circle Mapper Overall These new routes would be a huge bonus for travelers looking for one-stop flights across a host of destinations in Africa. While Ethiopian Airlines has not confirmed the launch of any of these routes, it would not be out of line for the carrier to expand and inaugurate three new flights to China. https://simpleflying.com/ethiopian-china-future-routes/ Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of aviation researchers, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (https://ral.ucar.edu/opportunity/halaby-fellowship). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2020 or early 2021) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at mitigation of weather sensitivities (e.g., weather impact avoidance) on aviation. We particularly encourage applicants interested in weather impacts on emerging modes of transportation, like unmanned aerial system operations and urban air mobility. The Fellowship will provide: • a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses • round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO • travel to a conference to present results • page charges (if necessary) for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: • Curriculum vitae • Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) • Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2020 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY SMS for small operators: does it make sense? As part of an independent research project at Lund University, we'd like to hear from small business/private aviation operators about their experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS). Does your organisation have an SMS, and a workforce of 20 or less? Does the SMS generate value? Do you think there might be a disconnect between the SMS requirements and t he capabilities of your organisation? Considering the current lack of scientific research and peer-reviewed literature for this particular sector of aviation, this is a rather unique opportunity to share feedback in complete anonymity and to help identify any issue requiring focused attention. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey now, but also to share the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RYDPYYT Any assistance to advance the industry's understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the SMS framework will be greatly appreciated! For any question or comment, please do not hesitate to contact st1830de-s@student.lu.se. Many thanks, and best wishes for 2020! Stéphane De Wolf MSc student, Human Factors & System Safety Lund University Curt Lewis