Flight Safety Information - July 27, 2022 No.144 In This Issue : Incident: Canada BCS3 near Denver on Jul 18th 2022, right elevator failed in flight : Incident: France B773 at Washington on Jul 25th 2022, pungent odour on board : Incident: CemAir DH8C at Johannesburg on Jul 17th 2022, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Easyjet A319 at London on Jul 24th 2022, hydraulic leak : Incident: PIA B772 and PIA A320 over Iran on Jul 24th 2022, TCAS saves the day : Congressional bid to raise pilot retirement age would only 'help somewhat,’ Sioux Falls airport director says : Myrtle Beach International Airport to host flight school for commercial pilots : NSF-funded Surface Engineering Research to Contribute to Air Safety : How airline safety ranked in first half of 2022 : Flight attendants fear for their safety while in uniform as cases of unruly fliers spike: report : Federal Aviation Administration Issues Safety Directive for Some Boeing 777 Planes : This Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Just Flew a Record 1,135 Miles Across the US : EMAS: How Crushable Surfaces Help Slow Aircraft During Runway Excursions : POSITION AVAILABLE: Manager, Emergency Response : Position - Safety Manager Incident: Canada BCS3 near Denver on Jul 18th 2022, right elevator failed in flight An Air Canada Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration C-GUAC performing flight AC-1037 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Denver,CO (USA), was in the initial descent towards Denver when the crew received a "RH Elevator Fail" caution message. The flight crew worked the related checklists and continued for a safe landing on Denver's runway 35R. The Canadian TSB reported the crew felt nothing unusual in handling the aircraft. Maintenance replaced the aft remote electronic unit REU4. The aircraft had suffered a similiar occurrence 7 months ago, see Incident: Canada BCS3 near Santa Ana on Dec 18th 2021, right elevator failed in flight. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fc27064&opt=0 Incident: France B773 at Washington on Jul 25th 2022, pungent odour on board An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GSQG performing flight AF-55 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France), was climbing out of Washington when the crew stopped the climb at FL230 and requested to return to Washington's runway 19L reporting a pungent odour on board. The aircraft landed safely on runway 19L about 35 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Washington about 23 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fc26e1a&opt=0 Incident: CemAir DH8C at Johannesburg on Jul 17th 2022, engine shut down in flight A CemAir de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration ZS-DSH performing flight KEM-602 from Johannesburg to Margate (South Africa), was enroute about 30 minutes into the flight when the crew observed a low oil pressure indication for the left hand engine (PW123), shut the engine down and returned to Johannesburg for a safe landing about 60 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then resumed service. Passengers reported the left hand propeller stopped in flight. On approach to Johannesburg they were told to brace. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fc25eeb&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet A319 at London on Jul 24th 2022, hydraulic leak An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration G-EZDR performing flight U2-8941 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Tirana (Albania), was climbing out of Gatwick's runway 26L when the crew stopped the climb at FL070 reporting hydraulic problems. The crew decided to return to Gatwick, performed an alternate gear extension and landed safely on runway 26L about 25 minutes after departure, vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway. The crew subsequently advised they had lost all green hydraulic fluid and queried emergency service whether any fluids were visible on gear or fuselage. A replacement A319-100 registration G-EZDH reached Tirana with a delay of about 3:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 45 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fc25ae5&opt=0 Incident: PIA B772 and PIA A320 over Iran on Jul 24th 2022, TCAS saves the day A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration AP-BGJ performing flight PK-211 from Islamabad (Pakistan) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), was enroute at FL360 about 170nm northeast of Dubai (United Arab Emirates) in Iranian Airspace when ATC cleared the aircraft to descend to FL200. A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BLW performing flight PK-286 from Doha (Qatar) to Peshawar (Pakistan), was enroute at FL350 about 160nm northeast of Dubai. PIA reported both aircraft received TCAS resolution advisories, PK-211 to climb (ADSB Data show the aircraft climbed to FL363 due to the TCAS RA) and PK-286 to descend (ADSB Data show the aircraft temporarily descended to FL346) after Air Traffic Control had cleared PK-211 flying at FL360 to descend to FL200 directly into the flight trajectory of PK-286. PIA is talking to Iranian Authorities to investigate the occurrence. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fc2571d&opt=0 Congressional bid to raise pilot retirement age would only 'help somewhat,’ Sioux Falls airport director says Rep. Dusty Johnson estimated that by 2023, the airline industry would be experiencing a shortage of roughly 12,000 pilots, to be exacerbated by another 14,000 soon to be forced to retire at age 65 over the next five years. SIOUX FALLS — A federal bill aimed to address a commercial airline pilot shortage plaguing the United States’ travel industry is a step in the right direction, but won’t be a catch-all solution, according to an airport official in Sioux Falls. Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson this week announced their support for the “Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act,” a bill introduced to the United States Senate that would raise the mandatory retirement age of commercial airline pilots from 65 to 67. Beyond adding two years of eligibility for commercial pilots’ to fly, the act, formally introduced by Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., aims to require pilots over 65 continue using training and qualification programs approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and requires semiannual first-class medical certifications. It does not seek to change or amend any other qualification for commercial airline pilots. The bill comes as the commercial airline industry is suffering a crippling shortage of pilots, subjecting travelers across the nation to delays, cancellations and overall disruptions. Citing studies and industry analysts, Johnson said that the pilot shortage in North America is expected to reach over 12,000 pilots by 2023. In addition, nearly 14,000 qualified U.S. pilots will be forced to retire over the next five years due to the federal mandatory pilot retirement age. By increasing the retirement age, aviation officials could spare 5,000 forced retirements over the next two years, Thune said, giving more time for young aviators to complete their training. “Airline staffing challenges continue to result in cancellations and delays across the aviation system,” Thune said. “Providing an opportunity for highly qualified, experienced pilots to continue flying past age 65 is a sensible way to alleviate these challenges while training programs recover from the effects of the pandemic.” Why is there a pilot shortage? According to Johnson, the United States hasn’t yet seen the peak of impacts that are a result of the shortage. “We haven’t even begun to see the worst of the pilot shortage. COVID-19 forced a lot of early retirements, and pilot recruitment is tough,” Johnson said. “I’ve heard horror stories of South Dakotans missing family weddings due to canceled flights — Americans need reliable travel options. Raising the mandatory retirement age by two years is a safe and effective way to mitigate this shortage.” Though Sioux Falls’ Joe Foss Field sees less air traffic than other popular alternatives for South Dakotans looking to catch a flight — such as Eppley Airfield in Omaha or the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport — it doesn’t mean the smaller regional hub is immune to the effects. DanLetellier.jpg Dan Letellier According to Dan Letellier, executive director of the Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD), the main factor of the present-day shortage can be traced back to 2013, when the FAA updated their training requirements for commercial pilots. “The biggest driver [of today’s shortage] was back in 2013, the FAA increased the minimum flight hours requirement to be a commercial pilot,” Letellier said. “It’s true still that, in most of the developed countries in the world, the captain is still required to have 1,500-plus flight hours, but a first officer used to be able to get hired and brought in at 250 hours and kinda learn and grow with the job. Back in 2013, the FAA changed that to 1,500 hours, so that’s a huge difference.” Letellier explained that prospective pilots can get their license at a variety of institutions, but racking up flight hours can be an expensive and time consuming process. “You can get your pilot's license anywhere, but you have to accumulate 1,500 to even apply. That’s really expensive. How do you get those hours?” Letellier asked, rhetorically. “It takes a significant amount of time. A four-year school can train you to be a pilot, and you can accumulate some of those hours by being a flight instructor, but you're going to have a tuition bill of $120,000 to $150,000.” Though major airlines have doubled or even tripled their salaries in recent years, according to Letellier, the cost could be a turn-off to some interested in flying. To combat this, some organizations, including the Regional Airline Association, have discussed lobbying for the FAA to allow what’s described as a “restricted license.” Similar to a young South Dakotan’s license to drive a vehicle during certain hours of the day, a commercial pilot could begin flying with only 750 flight hours on the condition they continue working toward their 1,500 flight hours through other training and flight simulations. South Dakota only has five airports with commercial service, in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Pierre and Watertown.Map data courtesy of Google 2022 Letellier indicated he’s uncertain how much interest federal officials or lawmakers have in researching that suggestion, adding he would like to see more loan and scholarship options available to prospective pilots. Beyond the multiple challenges associated with new pilot training, Letellier added that a lack of reserve pilot and flight crews only accelerates the snowball effect of a delay or cancellation. “You may have seen on Memorial Day or spring break how thunderstorms can impact Florida, for example, and a lot of flights in Florida have to cancel,” Letellier said. “That creates a domino effect through the industry because pilots aren't where they’re supposed to be.” Without as many flight crews on standby at a given airport, one delay or cancellation could result in multiple delays or cancellations at a flight crew’s destination, as they won’t make it in time for their next flight. “You start throwing in cancellations and pilots not being in cities when they’re supposed to be … and airlines just have to start canceling. That could start in Florida but will ripple through the country in a couple days time,” Letellier said. “A pilot makes up a flight schedule. If that flight is delayed, that flight crew may be [delaying] three different flights [at their destination]. In the past, you’d have reserves. Well, those crews aren't there, they don't have the extra pilots sitting around anymore.” Finally, Letellier noted that struggles to recruit pilots to the U.S. Air Force and Navy has cut off a valuable pipeline, as many pilots who leave the service tend to transition toward commercial airlines. “When they're struggling to get someone to join the military to become a pilot, they cant afford to have those trained pilots leave after a few years, so they’re offering huge incentives to stay on,” Letellier said. “You’re not seeing that migration from the military to commercial service, then, so you’re losing a valuable pipeline.” Age-related legislation is ‘one component' Though there are many causes contributing to the status quo, Letellier said he supports legislation to increase the mandatory retirement age, though it won’t help much. “There’s just not that many pilots that will even fly that long. It would help somewhat, but really something needs to be addressed with the 1,500 flight hours [requirement],” Letellier said. “I think everything we can do to try to help with the supply of pilots, we have to look at. And age is certainly one component of it.” One point of optimism for Letellier is increasing numbers of students declaring as aviation majors at South Dakota State University. Though there’s no guarantee that those students will end up as commercial pilots — as the major encompasses more than strictly one avenue — Kendra Kattelman, director of SDSU’s School of Health and Consumer Sciences, said enrollment numbers for aviation students has increased more than 80% between 2017 and 2021. Kattelmann said every student who graduates the program gets some kind of position in the aviation industry. “All of our students are getting positions. Many are certified flight instructors for (the university) until they get their 1,000 hours,” Kattelmann said. “They’re finding positions all over. Sanford has a medical plane, some work for freight airlines, others work as charters or with regional outlets, and we have had some that have chosen to move on to major airlines like United and Delta.” While hearing of increased interest in SDSU’s aviation program piqued Letellier’s interest, he cautiously warned it still might not be enough. “It’s encouraging that there's interest there,” he said. “It’s just that throughout the whole industry, the number of pilots we need far outpaces what the industry has been able to produce.” The mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots has been set at 65 since 2007, when Congress upped the age from 60 after a study found that age had an “insignificant impact” on performance in the cockpit. https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/south-dakota/congressional-bid-to-raise-pilot-retirement-age-would-only-help-somewhat-sioux-falls-airport-director-says Myrtle Beach International Airport to host flight school for commercial pilots The flight school plans to start its Myrtle Beach operation this fall. Myrtle Beach International Airport on Sunday, May 23, 2021. Photo by Janet Morgan/janet.morgan@myhorrynews.com An Indiana flight school will begin hosting flight training operations at the Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). The Indianapolis-based Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy, launched by Republic Airways in 2018, instructs aeronaut hopefuls to pass and exceed the expectations set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for commercial pilots, training up to 300 students each year. “We’ve experienced rapid growth of the LIFT program due to the quantity and quality of students we’ve attracted from all over the country, so we know there is demand to expand our operations outside of the Midwest. South Carolina, and in particular Myrtle Beach, is an ideal location with favorable weather for flying and strong investments being made to its airport infrastructure and surrounding area,” said Ed Bagden, LIFT Director of Operations and Academic Programs. Negotiations are currently underway between LIFT, MYR, the City of Myrtle Beach and the state for a suitable long-term facility for the flight training program. LIFT plans to begin operations in Myrtle Beach as early as October 2022, sending flight training students from its Indianapolis branch to Myrtle Beach. The airline plans to use a temporary hangar location here for its winter operations. Republic Airways doesn't currently operate out of MYR. “We are thrilled that Republic Airways has selected Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) as its next location for expansion of LIFT Academy,” said Scott Van Moppes, Director of Airports. “Through LIFT, MYR will welcome pilots in training from all areas of the country, looking to take advantage of the ideal flying weather and our close proximity to other Horry County airports. We look forward to building a great partnership with LIFT Academy and offer a warm welcome to the Grand Strand.” Myrtle Beach airport officials share details on $100M expansion project Myrtle Beach International Airport officials detailed a near $100 million expansion project Thursday that features new parking lots, TSA checkpoints and terminal. The LIFT flight training program lasts 12 months and lets students operate a fleet of Diamond DA40-NG single-engine aircraft and Diamond DA42-VI twin-engine aircraft with advanced Garmin G1000 avionics. LIFT plans to expand its aircraft fleet to support the new location in Myrtle Beach. The announcement comes amidst a pilot shortage across the world. In the next 20 years, airlines in North America are expected to need up to 130,000 new pilots, according to market and consumer data firm Statista. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on Monday introduced the “Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act” that would raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots from 65 to 67. “There is a severe and growing pilot shortage in the United States. Every air traveler sees and feels the impact when they go to the airport,” Graham said in a news release. “One of the biggest causes of air delays is a lack of available crews. This summer, if your plane actually leaves on time, you feel like you won the lottery. My legislation extends the mandatory retirement age by two years and will make an immediate and appreciable difference in keeping highly-trained pilots on the job. The traveling public deserves better than what they are currently getting. Our bill moves the needle in the right direction to address the critical pilot shortage.” The act would require pilots over the age of 65 to maintain a first-class medical certification that would need to be renewed every six months. The retirement age for commercial pilots in the United States was last raised from 60 to 65 by the passing of the “Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act” in 2007. https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/local/horry_county/myrtle-beach-international-airport-to-host-flight-school-for-commercial-pilots/article_d1ebfc50-0d08-11ed-a232-87a40b9d34a4.html NSF-funded Surface Engineering Research to Contribute to Air Safety Julius Schoop is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award. Alicia Gregory and Ben Corwin | Research Communications LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 26, 2022) — Did you know, in 2019, the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) reported nearly 30% of uncontained engine failures are caused by machining and finishing process-induced abnormalities? That’s where Julius Schoop, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kentucky, and his groundbreaking research comes in. “Now, we can look at this as sort of a preventative paradigm — where we can actually proactively engineer surface properties and increase the performance, the sustainability, the ability to make repairs more efficiently and the ability to use them longer.” For his project titled “Thermomechanical Response and Fatigue Performance of Surface Layers Engineered by Finish Machining,” Schoop is the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. The honor is one of the “most prestigious awards in support of the early career-development activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate education and research within the context of their organization’s mission,” according to the NSF. The program will provide Schoop with $500,000 over five years to conduct research using artificial intelligence (AI) and high-speed microscopy to understand the impact of machining on material failure — like those responsible for plane crashes. “I like to think about it kind of like LEGOs. It’s a modular approach, and we take the best from each world, and we try to sort of fuse them in a way that's more than the sum of the parts,” Schoop explained. “We tend to look at very small objects at the micron scale, so a millionth of a meter, moving at about a meter per second. We need frame rates on the order of 100,000 to close to a million some of these events at very high magnification. Because we are working to understand the mechanical and thermal response of a material.” Schoops research has been funded by the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. But with the award from the NSF, he will be able to support a student researcher — ultimately, enhancing his team and the work they do. “It will allow my team and I to construct new experimental apparatus,” he explained. “It will also allow us to really investigate some key questions that hopefully can solve problems that people have been dealing with for more than 100 years now.” Schoops and his team are up for the challenge. And on their quest for answers, they hope to put UK and the Commonwealth in the national spotlight. “I have a vision for the University of Kentucky really being a key contributor to the aerospace industry, in particular, to really provide the talent that can drive the next generation of advancements in industry.” Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Science Foundation under Award Number 2143806. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Julius Schoop is the recipient of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. Ben Corwin | Research Communications The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers." We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky. http://uknow.uky.edu/research/nsf-funded-surface-engineering-research-contribute-air-safety How airline safety ranked in first half of 2022 With just six fatal accidents recorded during the year’s first half, the airline industry appears to have returned to its pre-pandemic high level of safety – despite the effect of apparent deliberate action. The first six months of 2022 involved more fatal airline accidents (six) and resulting fatalities (186) worldwide than during the same period in each of the two previous years. The difference, however, is not remarkable – and the amount of flying taking place this year so far has increased significantly compared with the corresponding periods in 2020 and 2021, during which operations were severely curtailed by the pandemic. The figures for the first six months of each year in the last decade suggest that the commercial air transport industry’s safety performance remains at a high standard. For the first time in 20 years, however, one of China’s major national carriers – China Eastern Airlines – suffered a fatal accident (see listings download at foot of article). Indeed, this was the only fatal jet accident in the six months under study. China Eastern 737 wreckage Source: Xinhua/Shutterstock China Eastern lost a Boeing 737-800 on 21 March, with 132 passengers and crew An initial factual report on the China Eastern Boeing 737-800 loss of 21 March released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China is rather sparse. It confirms – but fails to explain – the steep, high-speed descent profile adopted suddenly from an apparently uneventful cruising phase of flight, with no radio communication of any kind from the crew. The fact that the flight and the unusual descent profile were reminiscent to the shocking Germanwings Airbus A320 crash in France in 2015 has raised speculation that it may have resulted from the same cause. A French inquiry found that the Germanwings co-pilot, who had been receiving treatment for psychosomatic illness, had deliberately crashed the aircraft. No such firm information on the China Eastern loss has been put forward. The fact remains that China’s mainline carrier accident rate has been low for the past two decades, having reduced dramatically since the country’s poor performance in the 1980s and earlier. The accident was the first loss of a Chinese mainline jet since an Air China 767 crashed in a controlled-flight-into-terrain disaster in 2002. Airlines are increasingly faced with having to engage in new and less familiar areas of risk management. Pilot mental health is one, most recently highlighted by the Germanwings loss – but there have been others before it. SAFETY RISK Airspace security is another risk that can no longer be ignored since Malaysia Airlines lost its flight MH17 to a Russian-built surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, and similarly Ukraine International Airlines lost a 737-800 on a scheduled international flight to a missile attack over Iran in 2020. And now, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, eastern Europe has become a war zone once more. Carriers cannot avoid their responsibility for assessing the risk of flying near conflict zones or within the airspace of unstable regimes. MH17 wreckage Source: Alexander Chizhenok/Shutterstock Airspace security is again a concern over eastern Ukraine, where Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed in 2014 Meanwhile, monitoring the mental as well as physical health of their safety-critical employees is not going to be simple for airlines, although the industry is looking for sensible and sensitive ways of doing it. In the Germanwings case, the co-pilot had been receiving treatment privately, and by German law his doctor was not permitted to speak to his employer without the patient’s permission. Every nation has different rules. Meanwhile, apart from the China Eastern 737 crash, all the other five fatal accidents in the first half of 2022 involved small or medium-sized turboprop aircraft, most of which were operating routes within countries with unsophisticated infrastructure, whether air traffic control (ATC) or airports/airfields. This included a Tara Air-operated De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter which crashed into high ground in Nepal on 29 March, killing all 22 people on board. Tara Air Twin Otter crash Source: AP/Shutterstock Tara Air Twin Otter crashed in Nepal on 29 March, killing all 22 people on board Accident rates worldwide among airlines operating large jet aircraft remain tantalisingly close to the holy grail of zero. Among the non-fatal accidents and incidents listed in our review, the most worrying single event involved a TAP Air Portugal A320 that carried out a go-around from the approach to Copenhagen’s runway 30 on 8 April. During the attempt to climb the crew had to deal with partially deployed thrust reverser doors on the left engine, causing the aircraft to swing left and inhibiting its climb. The crew declared an emergency and followed ATC vectors to land on runway 22L. They did well to land safely. The industry as a whole still appears to be alert to potential post-pandemic risks, like the lack of flying recency for many crews after lay-off. But there could be other effects. The UK Flight Safety Committee (FSC) has noted a drop in voluntary safety incident reporting, even in an environment where a “just reporting culture” had previously been successfully established. JOB SECURITY The FSC believes this decline to be the result of post-Covid nervousness about individual job security in an industry damaged by the pandemic. European colleagues, the FSC says, suggest that even mandatory occurrence reports now lack the degree of detail normally expected in them. FSC chairman Dai Whittingham remarks that this situation, undesirable at any time, is particularly unwelcome when – post-pandemic – a higher than normal proportion of flightcrew and maintenance employees are more likely to be out of practice, thus the risk of unintentional errors of omission increases. Until job insecurity can be consigned to history by a more confident industry, such incidents are more likely to go unreported. In recent months, out of the corporate soul-searching at Boeing driven by lessons learned from the 2018 and 2019 fatal 737 Max crashes, real change has taken place at the company. This matters because when a manufacturer as influential as Boeing effectively admits it had lost focus – and has now identified how and why that happened – others will have the opportunity to use the lessons learned to reflect on their own practices. In May, Boeing held a briefing on its global safety update programme. Alongside the company’s self-examination, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has looked at its relationship with the company and distanced itself somewhat. The FAA has also become more demanding about the demonstration of product and systems design and safety. As if to emphasise an acceptance at US government level that design and manufacturing quality control and oversight were flawed, the US Department of Transportation has announced that it is setting up an audit of the FAA’s oversight of the 737 and 787 programmes, both of which have suffered issues with quality control. Its action has been prompted by a request from the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. SAFETY OFFICER Boeing has restructured its corporate safety management system (SMS), a process which has included the creation of a new safety oversight post: chief aerospace safety officer. Mike Delaney, previously vice-president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes digital transformation, has been appointed to that office. Boeing also has set up an office of “product and services safety” to oversee regulatory compliance and product safety worldwide. The objective is to create greater transparency of process within the company, and to implement a ”just culture” reporting system designed to encourage individuals to report anything that warrants attention without fear of retribution. Delaney admits that although most of Boeing’s management have accepted that the Max crashes were the result of bad decisions on system design, a few remain in denial, so the new oversight system has to be open, self-analysing and self-correcting. From the time David Calhoun became Boeing’s chief executive officer in January 2020, he has made it clear that the company’s assumptions about pilot reactions to aircraft systems faults were going to have to be completely reviewed, because aircraft have become so much more technically complex since existing pilot performance assumptions were originally drawn up. Delaney agrees with Calhoun. Regarding Boeing’s assumptions for pilots flying the Max, the company assumed that they would recognise the symptoms of a runaway horizontal stabiliser within three seconds, and act to correct it. That assumption allowed the company to approve the sensor hardware associated with its ill-fated Maneuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). The MCAS, designed to adjust the pitch of the horizontal stabiliser automatically in particular circumstances, could be triggered by input from only one external sensor (an angle-of-attack vane), instead of using two or more to provide back-up and comparison in the event of component damage or failure. DANGEROUS DEMANDS At the time, Boeing argued the system would rarely be triggered anyway, because it only applied in a very limited phase of flight – and maintained that if the sensor was damaged or faulty and thus sent dangerous pitch demands to the horizontal stabiliser, the pilots would react fast and correctly because the initial symptoms of excessive MCAS input were the same as for a runaway stabiliser, and the actions to remedy it were the same. In the fatal Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents, both of which flights suffered erroneous angle-of-attack sensor inputs to the MCAS, the pilots did not react as predicted, with disastrous results. The painstakingly redesigned MCAS software and hardware has been scrutinised by national aviation authorities all over the world and accepted. Although the country’s regulator has cleared the changes to the 737 Max, Chinese carriers have yet to return the type to service or resume taking deliveries of new examples. Hopefully not just Boeing and the FAA, but all aircraft manufacturers and national aviation authorities worldwide, have been reminded that complacency can bring down the best. Following Boeing’s creation of a more thorough corporate SMS, and having been through a humbling public review of its own systemic errors, aircraft design and manufacturing culture should be more robust not just in the USA, but globally. Data comes from Flight International’s research, in association with Ascend by Cirium https://www.flightglobal.com/flight-international/how-airline-safety-ranked-in-first-half-of-2022/149577.article Flight attendants fear for their safety while in uniform as cases of unruly fliers spike: report • Airlines Call For Nationwide No-Fly List To Ban Unruly Passengers An anonymous international airline flight attendant expressed in a recent op-ed that she takes off her uniform as soon as she can because she fears for her personal safety. The flight attendant, who went by the pseudonym Meryl Love in the opinion piece she wrote for The Guardian, a British publication, is apparently not alone in her sentiment. Worries about travel safety and security have emerged in the last year as flight crew face unruly and disrespectful passengers, violence and staffing issues, according to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO (AFA) — the nation’s leading flight attendant union. Fox News Digital reached out to the AFA for comment about the accuracy of the op-ed among its 50,000-member union. In response, Fox News Digital received a copy of materials from a Homeland Security transportation hearing from Nov. 16, 2021; the union’s president Sara Nelson spoke during that event about flight attendant safety concerns. “Flight Attendants wonder every morning they put on their uniform whether [they will have] a sign of leadership and authority in the cabin to keep everyone safe, or a target for a violent attack,” Nelson said at the time. One anonymous airline attendant issues her concerns for her, and other flight attendants, personal safety. Unruly passengers are nothing new, but should flight attendants have to deal with possible hostile and violent situations? Nelson noted that in the year 2021, flight attendants saw an increase of disruptive behavior among passengers that the organization hadn’t seen in aviation history before. In an internal survey of 5,000 flight attendants, the AFA says that 85% of respondents had dealt with “unruly passengers” in the first half of 2021. “While the number of bad actors is relatively small, the incidents of disruptions have been so pervasive,” Nelson said. “The frequency of events [has] led some in the media to refer to the disruptive outbursts and violent behavior as a ‘new normal.’ That is something we simply cannot accept for our safety and security.” Some of these in-flight disruptions were fueled by alcohol consumption among passengers — plus a failure in communicating the “rules and penalties” against unruly behavior, according to Nelson. Nelson testified that disruptive passengers increase the chance that a flight attendant, whom she considers a first responder of the skies, will miss out on cues of a coordinated attack. To ease the plight that flight attendants have been facing, Nelson suggested that addressing violence and disrespect toward flight crew on the ground can help reduce incidents on flights, along with stronger government actions, keeping a centralized list of violators, addressing staffing shortages and providing self-defense training. Nelson made her list of suggestions eight months ago — and it appears that flight attendants are still having a hard time. In the op-ed published in The Guardian, author “Meryl Love” wrote that summer is a stressful time for travel because there’s an increase in passengers. As travel starts to pick up again as we come out of the pandemic, the growing fear for safety in the air lingers on flight attendants’ minds. “Passengers are particularly tense in this summer of travel chaos, and in my cabin crew uniform, I am the physical embodiment of all their flying woes,” Love wrote. “The frustration of lost bags, delays and canceled flights is heightened by the holidays lost to [COVID-19].” She added that travelers “forget that people in uniforms are real people.” Love went on to say that she tries to show sympathy to “irate” flight passengers who turn to her to vent their frustrations. “If you show one ounce of sass, you’re done for,” she also wrote. “I say sorry. I’m very, very sorry. I’ve been saying it so much lately.” Love said she used to wear her flight attendant uniform whenever she’d go home after a shift. Today, however, she removes it and changes into her civilian clothes whenever she exits an airport security turnstile. “If you’re anywhere in the vicinity of the airport, you’re an unofficial public relations rep for the whole airline industry,” Love concluded. “I sit on the tube [the subway] and hope no one recognizes me from the flight.” An ongoing “unruly passenger” investigation from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shows that the number of disruptive incidents in the U.S. are down at the time of publication. Still, there were 2.4 incidents documented for every 10,000 flights for the week ending July 3, 2022. https://nypost.com/2022/07/25/flight-attendants-worry-for-safety-while-in-uniform/ Federal Aviation Administration Issues Safety Directive for Some Boeing 777 Planes The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has uncovered a safety issue with more Boeing 777 aircraft and issued an airworthiness directive to address the 'unsafe condition.' In the directive released today, the FAA outlined in an email concerns about the potential of electrical discharge in the fuel tanks of certain Boeing 777 aircraft in the event of a lightning strike or short circuit. In addition to performing detailed inspections, Boeing and operators are to take corrective action by installing a Teflon sleeve on certain wire bundles in close proximity to fuel sources that may become chafed and increase an incident potential. While the thought of the potential for sparks near a fuel source sounds rather scary, the risk is not seen as that high. The original general directive dates back to 2001, when the administration wanted to ensure airlines and aircraft manufacturers had systems in place to minimize sparks near fuel systems. Boeing and airlines have 60 months to comply with the latest directive thought to involve up to 1,700 777 aircraft in service. The Teflon sleeve corrective measure was mandated in a 2017 directive by the FAA for installation on some 777 models. Boeing reported in late 2021 that additional 777's could use Teflon sleeves. The administration followed Boeing's recommendation and issued the directive. The news comes as Boeing is celebrating a successful run at last week's Farnborough air show while nervously awaiting some good news, especially regarding the government's certification of their new 737 MAX 10. There is a December deadline to meet for certification before modifications to the cockpit's systems take effect in 2023. The wiring is not the only corrective action the FAA has taken on the 777. Back in December of 2021, they issued a directive addressing problems with Boeing 777-200 aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines. The FAA investigated an engine failure on a 777-200 Hawaii-bound plane taking off from Denver and found fan blade failure to be the cause. The December 2021 directive called for the strengthening of the engine cowlings, enhanced engine fan-blade inspection, and examination of other systems and components. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/federal-aviation-administration-issues-safety-directive-for-some-boeing-777-planes-194457.html This Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Just Flew a Record 1,135 Miles Across the US It's the longest nonstop flight ever achieved by hybrid-electric aircraft. Ampaire EEL Hybrid-Electric AircraftAmpaire Ampaire may be one of aviation’s newest players, but it has just set a new benchmark for the industry. The California company, which was formed in 2016 with a mission to make electric air travel a reality ASAP, claims it recently executed the longest nonstop flight by a hybrid-electric aircraft. The feat was achieved last Thursday with Ampaire’s EEL demonstrator plane. It’s a retrofit six-seat Cessna 337 Skymaster with a conventional-combustion engine plus an electric-motor/battery-pack drivetrain. Ampaire test pilot Elliot Seguin flew the electric EEL (get it?) 1,880 miles from Los Angeles, California, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The journey began on Wednesday with a short 85-mile repositioning flight to Mojave, then continued on Thursday with a 1,135-mile jaunt to Kansas before wrapping up on Friday with a 660-mile trip to Oshkosh. Ampaire Electric EEL Cessna 337 Skymaster Ampaire’s Electric EEL is a refit Cessna 337 Skymaster. Ampaire says Thursday’s leg is a new record for the class and further illustrated the plane’s eco-friendly nature. The EEL reportedly demonstrated fuel savings of up to 40 percent compared to a standard Cessna Skymaster. Less fuel means fewer emissions, of course. “By the time the EEL returns to California it will have flown more miles than any hybrid-electric aircraft, over 15,000, including airline demonstration flights in Hawaii and the UK,” Ampaire’s SVP of global partnerships Dr. Susan Ying said in a statement. “It is flying with great reliability and demonstrating the workhorse nature of hybrid-electric aircraft.” Ampaire Eco Caravan Ampaire This is not the only milestone Ampaire has reached in recent months. Back in April, the company began ground-power runs with the Eco Caravan regional aircraft. It’s a hybrid-electric version of the nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan that promises fuel savings of up to 70 percent and emissions reductions of up to 100 percent when using sustainable aviation fuel. It’s already garnered a lot of attention, too. Earlier this week, Ampaire announced that WingTips had placed an order for five Eco Caravans. The charter airline, which operates flights across the southwestern states of the US, says it will position the aircraft as a quicker, more sustainable alternative to cars. The Eco Caravan is expected to hit the skies for the first time later this year and enter service in 2024. While the Eco Caravan is intended for commercial use, the EEL is designed for general-aviation pilots. Clients can choose from two different propulsion systems and opt for either four or six seats. Decisions, decisions. https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/ampaire-eel-hybrid-electric-aircraft-record-1234730374/ EMAS: How Crushable Surfaces Help Slow Aircraft During Runway Excursions The technology is generally found in the US. A runway excursion is defined as any situation in which a plane exits the runway in an inappropriate manner. This can take several different forms, but one of the most dangerous can be runway overruns. Indeed, if an aircraft can't stop after overrunning the runway, the consequences can be severe. However, a crushable surface known as EMAS helps to mitigate this risk, and is used all over the world. What is EMAS? The term EMAS refers to Engineered Materials Arrestor/Arresting Systems, otherwise known, in short, as Arrester Beds. The technology comprises a bed of crushable material placed at the end of certain runways, with the aim of slowing down aircraft that suffer runway excursions. New York JFK was the first airport to receive such technology, with its installation occurring 26 years ago, back in 1996. According to the FAA, installing these beds, which slow aircraft by collapsing under their weight, is particularly important at airports where there isn't sufficient space for runway safety areas. RSAs typically extend 300 meters beyond the end of a runway to accommodate excursions; where this isn't possible, the installation of an engineered materials arrestor system provides a compact alternative. The overrun of Southwest Airlines flight 1248 in 2005 led to the installation of EMAS at Chicago Midway Airport. The FAA generally recommends that the installation as a whole stretches for 180 meters beyond the end of the runway, with 120 of these consisting of the crushable material. Functioning like a gravel trap at a motor racing circuit, EMAS technology typically has the ability to bring an aircraft traveling at 70 knots to a stop. Where can EMAS be found? As previously alluded to, New York JFK was the first airport to have EMAS installed, with many more having since followed suit. The technology is primarily located at American airports, with the FAA stating that "EMAS is at 117 runway ends at 69 airports in the US, with plans for three more systems at two additional airports." Away from the US, there are also a limited number of EMAS installations located elsewhere in the world. The companies involved in making these a reality include Hankge, RunwaySafe, and Zodiac Arresting Systems. EMAS plays a particularly important role in the French overseas territories of Mayotte and Réunion, as runway excursions there could result in aircraft falling into the sea. With the runway in Mayotte extending into the sea, EMAS is crucial in preventing watery excursions. Photo: mwanasimba via Wikimedia Commons The airline industry is always full of new developments! What aviation news will you check out next? Simple but effective Since the installation of EMAS technology at airports around the world began, it has been credited with preventing several runway excursions from becoming larger disasters. According to the FAA, in the US alone, it has safely brought 18 aircraft to a stop with a collective total of 419 passengers and crew onboard them. In recent years, one of the most significant instances of EMAS stopping a runway excursion involved a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 with 117 people onboard. This took place in 2018 in Burbank, California, where EMAS had been installed following a similar excursion involving another Southwest Airlines flight in 2000. https://simpleflying.com/emas-how-crushable-surfaces-help-slow-aircraft-during-runway-excursions/ POSITION AVAILABLE: Manager, Emergency Response Indianapolis, IN US ID JR-003658 Category Manager, Emergency Response Schedule Full time POSITION PURPOSE Maintains regulatory compliance of air carriers under NTSB, FAA and ICAO Annex 19 regulations. Maintains an emergency response readiness to respond to aircraft incidents, accidents and company business continuity issues. Develops and implements a Corporate Emergency and Response Plan for code-share partner and charter operations. 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. Manages the effective implementation of policies, procedures and programs to ensure compliance with corporate and governmental safety standards and regulations (14 CFR FAA, NTSB, 49 USC 41113: Domestic Air Carrier Responsibilities). Maintains an effective system to identify, investigate, determine root causes, recommend appropriate risk control measures, and perform trend analysis. (14 CFR FAA, 14 CFR FAA Part 5 Safety Management System, 49 CFR NTSB Part 830, 831 Reporting and Investigation). Confirms applicable Planning, Preparedness and Training for Transportation Accidents and other regulatory training is properly conducted and documented. Provides management, functional training departments, and other training personnel with educational, training materials and tools. (14 CFR FAA, NTSB Family Assistance Plan for Aviation Disasters, etc.). Interfaces with all Codeshare partners, federal agencies and governing bodies regarding Emergency Response planning. Ensures company compliance with corporate and governmental regulations and standards pertaining to emergency planning and response issues (49 CFR NTSB, 49 USC 41113, etc.). Serves as a humanitarian Go-Team leader during all National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident and incident investigations. Oversees the production and timely dissemination of Safety Department deliverables i.e. newsletters, safety bulletins, etc. Provides business continuity planning to include facility drills addressing fire, bomb threat, workplace violence, severe weather, natural disaster and power outages. Fosters the Company’s core values and culture throughout the work environment. Develops and maintains relationships with service providers and the contract administration for required services to meet the performance expectations of responding to Emergency Response scenarios. Performs various other duties as assigned. 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 (B.A. /B.S.) or equivalent in Safety with at least 5 years of experience. PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Master’s degree (M.A. /M.S.) or equivalent in Environmental studies with a minimum of 8 years of experience. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. 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 on 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 associate 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. Occasionally required to climb, stoop or kneel, possibly on uneven ground WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Able to work in outdoor adverse weather conditions in response to emergency situations. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Must be available 24/7/365 to respond in a moment’s notice to emergency situations. Able to travel up to 25% of the time, including international travel requiring a passport APPLY HERE American Robotics Full Time Position: Title: Safety Manager American Robotics goal is to be an industry leader in Safety, Risk, and Resilience in highly automated and autonomous UAS aviation. About the role: American Robotics is looking for a dynamic and motivated full-time safety manager to provide front line support to our flight operations and safety departments. The safety manager will be responsible for assisting in every aspect of development, operationalization, and maintenance of the American Robotics corporate safety program and Advanced Safety Management System. This role reports to the Vice President of Operations, and influences all aspects of technology, culture, operations to champion safety and responsibility across the company. Location: This role is a full-time position based in Boston, MA. Minimum Requirements for Application: · Experience with development, implementation, management and maintenance of aviation and industrial safety management safety systems. · FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate [required] · Experience with developing and implementing aviation safety training [Crew Resource Management, Non-Technical Skills, Risk Management processes]. · FAA Part 61 Private Pilot Certificate [required. CPL, ATPL certificate holders preferred] · Sound knowledge of FAA Civil Aviation Regulations for Safety Management Systems, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems; BVLOS operations, data recording and reporting practices,. · Knowledge and experience with Aviation and Industry Safety Standards and Best Practices (ASTM, ANSI, , OSHA, DOT). Additional Experience/Qualifications an Advantage: · University/College Degree in Aviation Safety, Human Factors, Accident Investigation. · Aviation Safety Auditing qualifications and experience (certified lead auditor in SMS/QMS), and the overlap with OSHA standards, is an advantage. · Candidates with SMS/Training and Certification programs will have an advantage. · Candidates with experience in front line customer relations regarding aviation safety will have an advantage. APPLY HERE Curt Lewis