MH-370 aftermath: will the new tracking standard really save lives?

It has been over a year since the MH-370 flight disappearance. Despite the endless discussions among civil aviation authorities and numerous investigators, there is still no clear evidence pointing towards the reasons behind it. Nevertheless, based on theoretical assumptions only, Member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization are heatedly debating the adoption of a new 15-minute aircraft tracking standard, which would pave the way for universal tracking of jetliners. However, many experts question whether the new tracking standard would actually offer viable means for a quicker recovery of a missing aircraft, arguing that it is just a populist move to cease the public disputes after the MH-370.

Without doubt, the loss of the MH370 last March emphasized the need for a system that would make it possible to track the exact route of an aircraft. Calls for action expressed by the industry representatives were loud and clear. As the air-safety regulators feel public pressure to deal with the consequences of the MH-370 disappearance, a new proposed standard is set to be adopted by ICAO Council this fall. It will require all commercial aircraft to report their position every 15 minutes.

Urging to weigh the associated costs against the projected benefits, some member airlines still object to the initiative, but ICAO continues to press for the actual testing. “Once ICAO initiates a safety standard, all Member States must automatically adopt that standard in their own aviation laws and regulations. This is their most essential responsibility as the signatories to the Chicago Convention, which qualifies a state to be an ICAO Member State,” says IATA’s Head of Corporate Communications.

According to ICAO, the majority of aircraft already have the systems on board that can transmit their position every quarter of an hour, though the specific numbers are yet to be released. While IATA states that it has no information about the estimated cost of implementing the proposed 15 minute tracking standard, ICAO explains that each operator can decide on the specific technologies or procedures to use for reporting their aircraft locations.

“This means, essentially, a no-cost to very low-cost first step in the establishment of a global tracking system. ICAO does not stipulate the alternatives which can be considered, only the performance requirement the solution must achieve,” adds the Secretary General Chief of ICAO.

“IATA welcomes the ICAO recommendation to move towards the adoption of a performance-based standard for the global tracking of commercial aircraft. The performance-based standards allow airlines to choose the best option for their aircraft & operations—not all airlines are alike,” continues the Head of Corporate Communications at IATA.

The Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF), an initiative launched by IATA and closely aligned with ICAO, found that most airlines track their fleets using a variety of methods. The immediate focus should remain on leveraging the equipment already installed on aircraft. However, the equipment is also dependent on satellites, as there are gaps in the coverage over the ocean or on remote polar routes.  Adjusting the satellite coverage areas, tracking 100 000 flights per day and upgrading the existing avionics to suit new regulations would be too expensive for many industry players, especially those from the developing nations. According to Globalstar, the implementation of a space-base satellite aircraft tracking (ADS-B) system is estimated to cost in the range of $25 000 per plane. And there are multiple other issues to consider. For instance, large areas in Africa lack radar coverage or even normal communications whilst most narrow-body aircraft operating in the region do not have the capability for satellite communications.

Moreover, the critically minded industry delegates argue that the MH370 case was not representative to the proposed worldwide tracking changes at all, since the plane’s transponder (a device that emits an identifying signal) was turned off.

There is another reason why some industry players are reluctant to have transponders always turned on. Intensive status updating would add up to $13 per minute for data records analysis, depending on the amount of information retrieved or sent. Uploading every aircraft parameter is rather pricey. The entire travel span of 8 hours per several hundred thousand flights would require enormous investment upfront, which, unfortunately, contradicts with the associated “low-cost” implications.

In the meantime, according to ICAO, the importance of the 15-minute requirement lies in making the first step towards a more comprehensive tracking safety system. So will it actually help to save lives?

Firstly, the initiative will require sizable investment, rather than being a “no-cost” regulation. Secondly, the proposals, according to the industry officials, are less ambitious than many of the tracking concepts proposed before. Moreover, there are few examples in which additional tracking would have actually helped in locating the wreckage. For instance, in 2009 an Air France plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean just 5 minutes after the last report, while the long-range had been already programmed to report about its location every 10 (!) minutes. Nevertheless, the search area was still too far and vast for timely rescue and 228 passengers were killed. The Air France aircraft took two years to find.

The latest UN gathering at the High Level Safety Conference in Montreal once again reflects the pressure to demonstrate progress in time for the anniversary of MH370. In the meantime, although the technology — both in the form of on-board systems and satellite capabilities — to track flights around the globe does exist, not all airlines are in a position to implement the processes needed in order to use it. If every airliner in the sky started sending updates in 15-minute intervals today, the quantity of information could overwhelm carriers. Finally, even with the best technology, there is one issue that tracking will never be able to address and that issue is accidents.

FAA proposes two civil penalties against Southwest Airlines

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes two civil penalties totaling $328,550 against Southwest Airlines for allegedly violating Federal Aviation Regulations.

In the first case, the FAA alleges Southwest failed to properly inspect an aircraft that experienced a cabin depressurization. On May 13, 2013, a Southwest Boeing737 lost cabin pressure during a flight from Boston Logan International Airport to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The cabin’s oxygen masks deployed and the aircraft made an emergency landing in Baltimore.

The FAA alleges that after the event, Southwest mechanics failed to complete a mandatory inspection to check whether the change in cabin pressure damaged the aircraft and to ensure used oxygen bottles were replaced. The airline allegedly operated the plane on 123 flights before completing the inspection on June 3.

Additionally, the airline allegedly operated the aircraft on May 14 and 15 flights with two of the four portable oxygen units unserviceable. A minimum of three were required under the conditions of Southwest’s Minimum Equipment List (MEL). The MEL specifies what equipment may be inoperable during a flight, and a carrier cannot fly an aircraft with inoperable equipment unless it complies with the MEL.

Further, the agency alleges the airline operated the aircraft on approximately 120 additional flights with a portable oxygen unit that did not comply with the conditions of the MEL. The FAA proposes a $265,800 civil penalty in this case.

In the second case, the FAA alleges Southwest failed to comply with Federal Aviation Regulations for accurately recording repairs in an aircraft’s logbook. On March 18, 2013, the pilot of a Boeing 717 operated by Southwest Airlines under the Air Tran Airways livery reported seeing ice and water coming from the jetliner’s galley vent. Over the next few weeks, maintenance technicians replaced several components in an attempt to correct the problem, which was traced to a faulty component in one of the aircraft’s air-conditioning systems.

The FAA alleges that the airline failed to fully comply with its FAA-approved maintenance procedures, which describe in detail how to make repairs and then accurately account for them in the aircraft’s logbooks. The FAA further alleges that during the troubleshooting process, mechanics deferred making the repairs by improperly applying an MEL exemption to this particular situation. The aircraft was flown on several passenger-carrying flights before the issue was resolved. The FAA proposes a $62,750 civil penalty in this case.

Southwest Airlines has requested to meet with the FAA to discuss each case.

Global Aerospace Announces 2015 Loss-of-Control-In-Flight Program

Parsippany, New Jersey – Global Aerospace, Inc., a leading provider of aerospace insurance, is pleased to announce the 2015 Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) training program provided by SM4 safety program partner Calspan Corporation. All Global Aerospace customers who are interested in enhancing their current training curriculum to include Calspan’s Advanced Maneuvering & Upset Recovery Training (AM-URT) course will now be eligible.

Global Aerospace and Calspan launched their training partnership in October 2013 to a select group of qualified Global customers. Calspan’s unique AM-URT course includes training in actual in-flight simulators to provide business jet pilots with genuine and technically advanced upset training. Feedback regarding the 2014 training program was outstanding and customers applauded the top-notch instructors and the relevant, unique capabilities of the modified Learjet simulations. Recognizing the value and importance of this training, Global will be subsidizing 25% of the cost per pilot to those customers who complete this training in 2015.

Global Aerospace recognizes that pilots in our industry have become increasingly dependent upon automated systems and many do not have the opportunity to regularly practice and develop their airmanship skills. Marilena Sharpell, Senior Vice President, Underwriting Executive stated, “Expanding this training benefit to our entire customer base is yet another demonstration of our commitment to safety in our industry. This value added benefit will be another way to assist with the economics of the training for flight departments.”

“Loss of control in-flight is the single biggest killer in commercial jet aviation,” said Calspan President, CEO, and Test Pilot, Lou Knotts. “Calspan’s unique in-flight, upset recovery training addresses both prevention and recovery of loss of control incidents.  We are very proud to partner with Global and the SM4 program to bring this important program to a significant number of commercial jet pilots.”

To find out more about Calspan’s LOC-I training program, please contact your local Global Aerospace underwriter.

Lightspeed's Sierra Headset Adds Full Bluetooth Capability

Lightspeed Aviation's entry-level headset now comes with full Bluetooth audio capability, the company announced Thursday. The upgrade to the Sierra headset now makes all three Lightspeed headsets capable of connecting to cellphones, music, and audio alerts. Each headset can connect to an iPad or iPhone with Lightspeed's FlightLink app.

"Sierra already enabled pilots to use a cellphone via Bluetooth. By adding the music functionality, we are also responding to the growing number of pilots that are accessing audio alerts from popular navigation apps," said Teresa De Mers, executive vice president of sales, marketing, and customer support at Lightspeed.

 The Sierra, which retails for $650, is marketed as a value-priced active noise-cancelling headset compared to the Zulu.2 and Zulu PFX, which retail for $900 and $1175, respectively.

HondaJet Nears Final Type Certification

The HondaJet has received provisional type certification from the FAA, Honda Aircraft announced Friday. Honda has four HA-420 jets in its test fleet with more than 2500 hours to date and is planning for final type certification in the next few months. The twin-engine business jet, the company’s first commercial aircraft design, is being manufactured at Honda Aircraft’s headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina and preparations for customer deliveries are under way. There are now a dozen jets in the final assembly line with another five under production, Honda said. The first production jet flew in June 2014. The aircraft features an over-the-wing mount design with two GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines and can seat up to six passengers.
“Provisional type certification for the HondaJet is a tremendous milestone for the program, and we are pleased to reach this significant step toward customer deliveries and entry into service,” said Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. “Honda Aircraft has completed nearly all of the testing and reports required by the FAA, and we are very close to achieving final type certification.” Melvin Taylor, manager of the FAA’s Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office, said, “It is a pleasure for the Atlanta ACO to issue Honda Aircraft Company a provisional type certificate for the Model HA-420,” said “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Honda as we move to final completion of their HA-420 approval.”

Airliners To Require Two Crew Members In Cockpits

Airlines around the world said Thursday they’ll start requiring two crew members in the cockpit at all times. The change comes after details emerged that the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 deliberately locked the captain outside the cockpit and crashed the jet into the French Alps on Tuesday, killing all aboard. Norwegian Air Shuttle announced it has been considering the change and now is “speeding up the process.”

The low-cost European carrier said the new rule will take effect upon approval from Norway’s aviation authority. The Associated Press reported that other carriers, including Britain's EasyJet and Air Canada, also will adopt the procedure. The policy has been in place among U.S. airlines following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, requiring that a flight attendant sit in the cockpit if one pilot leaves. Some European airlines, such as Finland’s Finnair, already have a similar policy, the AP reported.

The Airbus crashed about 47 minutes into the mid-morning flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, killing all 144 passengers and six crew members. The search continues for the flight data recorder, but the cockpit voice recorder revealed that the German co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, deliberately began a descent from 38,000 feet while the captain was away from the cockpit. 

The captain could be heard on the recording banging on the door with no response from Lubitz, then the sounds of screaming in the final moments before the Airbus 320 slammed into a mountain, CNN reported Thursday. The A320 cockpit door can be opened from the outside with a code, but it’s not certain whether Lubitz activated a lock from inside the cockpit that would have prevented the captain from opening it, according to the CNN report.

Air Canada Landing Accident (Updated)

Authorities at Halifax's Stanfield International Airport reported early Sunday morning that about 20 people were injured when an Air Canada Airbus A320 landed hard and skidded off a snowy runway just after midnight. The injuries weren't believed to be life threatening. The flight had departed from Toronto with 133 passengers and five crew aboard, authorities said early Sunday morning.

Peter Spurway, a spokesman for the airport, reported that the aircraft "took a very hard landing and skidded off the runway," CBC News reported. At the time of the accident, heavy snow was reported, but the condition of the runway isn't known. The flight may have struck powerlines on the approach as power was briefly cut to the airport and terminal, but was restored during the rescue effort.

"Right now, we have some minor injuries. Nothing that is deemed to be life-threatening," Spurway told CBC. For the time being, authorities aren't considering the accident a crash because airplane was believed to be under control until it contacted the runway. There's no indication yet of whether the airplane simply skidded off a snowy runway or if the crew touched down too hard or too fast. Avweb will update the story as more information becomes available.






and the incident may have cut power to the airport. Various reports early Sunday suggest the aircraft, on a flight from Toronto "crashed on the runway" but there are apparently no serious injuries. It was reported to be snowing at the time. FlightAware has not shown the aircraft at the gate and Twitter is lighting up with reports of the incident. Several Tweets say there are 138 passengers, no serious injuries but rescue is hampered by powerlines on the runway. Full story in the morning.

Bombardier CEO suggests new CSeries delay possible

Bombardier’s new chief executive appeared to disclose a new delay for first delivery of the CS100 at a press conference in Montreal on 27 March, but a company spokeswoman says there has been no change.
In comments reported by the Bloomberg news service, Bombardier CEO Alain Bellemare says that first delivery is scheduled in 2016, while certification is scheduled for the “end” of this year.
That timeline conflicts with repeated previous Bombardier statements, including by Bellemare, that type certification and entry into service remain “on track” for the second half of 2015, a window that begins in July.
By using the term “delivery” in the press conference, Bellemare appeared to refer to a distinct milestone that often occurs quickly after type certification and weeks or months before entry into service. The delivery event is also significant for the manufacturer’s shareholders, as it represents a milestone usually tied to a customer payment.
Bombardier spokeswoman Isabelle Gauthier confirms that Bellemare made the remarks at the press conference, but maintains that the company’s internal schedule has not changed.
That means type certification and entry into service remain internally scheduled for the second half of 2015, she says. The entry into service milestone could be delayed to 2016 based on the customer’s readiness to operate the aircraft, she says, but that has not been confirmed.
Asked to clarify the internal schedule for the first delivery milestone based on Bellemare’s recent comments, Gauthier replied that Bombardier is only discussing the timeline for type certification and entry into service.
The first CS100 aircraft entered flight testing in September 2013. Four more CS100 test vehicles and the first CS300 test vehicle have since joined the certification campaign, accumulating more than 1,100h through the end of February.
The flight testing has continued after being disrupted for 100 days last year due to an engine malfunction that required a minor redesign of an oil system. Shortly after flight testing resumed last September, Bombardier activated the normal mode flight envelope protections in the fly-by-wire system for the first time.Bombardier has confirmed orders for 243 CSeries aircraft, with about three-fourths of the sales claimed by the larger CS300 variant. Lufthansa’s Swiss International Air Lines became the launch customer for the CS100 in 2008, but Bombardier has not identified which airline will become the first operator.

Would two-crew cockpit rule prevent another Germanwings tragedy?

Among the many repercussions of the shocking revelation that Germanwings flight 9525 was deliberately crashed by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz while alone at the controls, the most immediate has been a move to require that there be two crew members in a cockpit at all times.
US regulations have long required this two-crew protocol. After the 24 March tragedy that claimed 150 lives in the French Alps, European low-cost carrier Norwegian moved quickly to change its procedures. "This means that if one of the pilots leaves the cockpit, one crew member must replace him/her during this time," Norwegian says. "Our passengers’ and crew’s safety always comes first, which is why we have decided to change our procedures, in line with US regulations."
Canadian transport authorities quickly followed the Lubitz revelations with an interim rule to ensure that two crew members are at the flight deck at all times, “to ensure the security of Canadian passengers". Early reports indicate that Air Canada and WestJet have implemented the new rule.
EASA followed suit on 27 March, with a temporary recommendation that airlines ensure at least two crew - including at least one qualified pilot - occupy the flight crew compartment at all times. Airlines, says EASA, "should re-assess the safety and security risks associated with a flight crew leaving the cockpit due to operational or physiological needs".
In Europe, national aviation safety authorities have no power to make a binding rule, which would have to come from EASA. As the UK’s CAA observes, though, individual airlines are free to modify their own operating procedures. Norwegian's adoption of a two-crew rule was followed by Germanwings parent, Lufthansa group.
The US requirement to have two crew members up front at all times was just one response to 9/11. After the attacks on New York and the Pentagon, regulations requiring that cockpit doors be sealed – and reinforced against breakage by weapons or battering devices like trolleys or fire extinguishers – were devised to prevent terrorists from taking control.
Those protocols, well-illustrated by this 2002 Airbus video, provide for an override to permit a crew member outside the cockpit to gain access should both pilots be incapacitated. However, the post-9/11 protocols also – understandably – permit the occupants of the cockpit to actively block that override. Alone in the cockpit of Germanwings 9525, Lubitz apparently employed that safeguard to keep the pilot out and ensure the success of his murderous scheme.