Aviation Human Factors Related Industry News

NTSB Reminds Pilots to Report Weather

It might seem that in an age of instant online weather, the need for pilot reports, or pireps, would be a thing of the past, but that’s far from true, according to a recent NTSB forum.

“Pireps done right have enormous untapped potential to make aviation safer for pilots, passengers, and people on the ground,” said board member Robert Sumwalt, in opening remarks. The 2-day forum (June 21–22, 2016) gathered a panel of experts to explore the status of the FAA’s pireps system and share ideas for improving it.

“We at the NTSB have investigated numerous accidents that illustrate a complex set of relationships in the pirep system as it presently – or doesn’t function,” Sumwalt said. “And I don’t think any of us think our pirep system is functioning optimally.” Pilot reports can be the best source of information about critical weather such as icing, but they also can be inaccurate, and the pilots who need them may not get them on a timely basis. Matthew Tucker, an air traffic controller in Atlanta, said some controllers have been taking action on their own to solicit pireps and improve the system. “Fort Worth Center has been emphasizing pireps and their numbers have gone way up … [they] are pushing to double or better the numbers,” he said in his presentation.

Mike Glasgow, of Lockheed Martin, said it’s possible for pilots to electronically submit pireps, but many pilots are unaware of the service and it’s underutilized. Presentations from the forum are online, and a full webcast of the 2-day event can be accessed online for the next 90 days.

All information about the event are available at http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/2016_pirep_FRM_agenda.aspx

Critical Decision Making in an Emergency

Do you set personal minimums and have a plan for dealing with emergencies?

Accident Case Study: Emergency Management reveals how flawed decision making and lack of a conservative approach to an in-flight emergency contributed to the unfortunate outcome of this flight.

ATC audio and radar data reconstruct the mistakes, miscommunications, and missed opportunities that eventually led to the pilot’s spatial disorientation.

Watch the video, brought to you by AOPA Insurance at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF_x4IU8Ig4&app=desktop

Report: TransAsia ATR-72 Stalled After Engine Failure

The crew of the TransAsia Airways turboprop that crashed in Taiwan in February 2015 failed to follow procedures for an engine malfunction and then stalled the aircraft, investigators found. The Taiwan Aviation Safety Council’s report (see below) also confirmed previous reports that the captain of the ATR 72-600 shut down the working engine when the other failed just after departing the Taipei airport.

Forty-three of the 58 people on board were killed when the ATR struck a bridge and crashed into the river below.The council’s report said an inconsistent electrical signal in the No. 2 engine’s auto-feather unit likely caused an uncommanded feathering, which started the accident sequence. The captain then reduced power to the other engine. The aircraft’s stick shaker and pusher activated before the crash. If the crew had responded correctly to the engine failure and stabilized the aircraft, “the occurrence could have been prevented,” the report said. Investigators also reported it found inconsistencies and gaps in training procedures at the airline, including those for the captain. He had failed a simulator check and passed a second before his promotion to captain, but was found to need more emergency training, with “engine flame out at take off and single engine operations” specified in the report.

For further information on this accident, please visit

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Investigators-ATR-Pilot-Shut-Down-Wrong-Engine-224370-1.html

http://www.asc.gov.tw/main_en/docaccident.aspx?uid=343&pid=296&acd_no=191

FAA Assessing Runway Status Lights Program

The FAA is seeking input on its runway status lights (RWSL) program as the agency looks to expand the advisory system to more airports. RWSL, operational at 15 of the nation’s busiest airports, alerts pilots and vehicle operators when it is unsafe to enter a runway or taxiway. RWSL taps into the airport’s surface surveillance system to monitor current and future traffic on runways and taxiways.

Red lights embedded in runway and taxiway pavement illuminate when other traffic makes it dangerous to enter or cross a runway, or begin takeoff, the FAA said. In 2013, the FAA announced plans to expand the scope of the program to 17 airports. All 17 are to be operational next year. The agency said it is considering installing the system at more airports.

The FAA has developed a survey to assess whether the program is meeting expectations about cost, performance, schedule and benefits, according to NBAA, which noted that the findings will be compiled in a report accompanied by any potential recommendations for changes to the program.

“NBAA fully supports the FAA’s effort to gather this information to improve the RWSL program in support of airport safety,” said Bob Lamond, NBAA director of air traffic services and infrastructure. “The RWSL program represents an important positive step in improving runway safety and avoiding runway incursions.”

Please further information on this program at http://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/dulles_iad/

The FAA Announces a New Center of Excellence

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta recently announced that the agency has selected the University of Oklahoma and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University teams to lead the new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Technical Training and Human Performance (COE TTHP). The COE will conduct research and development on technical training for air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, pilots and technicians.

“This world-class, public-private partnership will help us focus on the challenges and opportunities of this cutting-edge field of research,” Administrator Huerta said. “We expect this team will help us educate and train aviation professionals well into the future.”The academic team members all have nationally-recognized collegiate aviation-related education programs and core members also own and operate their own aircraft and airports. A partnership of principal investigators from the different universities will perform the research projects. The universities will engage senior faculty as well as graduate-level and undergraduate students in their research activities.

The FAA expects the COE will be fully operational and engaged in a robust research agenda within the next few months. The FAA will take advantage of advancements in teaching, such as part-task training, modeling, immersive human-in-the-loop simulation, and adaptive learning technologies that are standard in other technical workforces. The COE will examine human factors issues such as changes in learner expectations and academic best practices for training a new generation of learners. The center also will research innovative training methods for this new generation. This includes new technologies such as mobile learning as well as new ways of collecting and managing training data.

The FAA’s Center of Excellence program is a long-term, cost-sharing partnership between academia, industry and government. Congress authorized Air Transportation Centers of Excellence under the Federal Aviation Administration Research, Engineering and Development Authorization Act of 1990. This legislation enables the FAA to work with center members and affiliates to conduct research in airspace and airport planning and design, environment and aviation safety, as well as to engage in other activities to assure a safe and efficient air transportation system.

The FAA has established 12 Centers of Excellence in critical topic areas focusing on: unmanned aircraft systems, alternative jet fuels and environment, general aviation safety, commercial space transportation, airliner cabin environment, aircraft noise and aviation emissions mitigation, advanced materials, general aviation research, airworthiness assurance, operations research, airport pavement and technology, and computational modeling of aircraft structures.

For more information about the FAA Centers of Excellence program, visit the COE web page at http://www.faa.gov/go/coe

The Crash Detectives: Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Disasters

A fascinating exploration of how humans and machines fail – leading to air disasters from Amelia Earhart to MH370 – and how the lessons learned from these accidents have made flying safer.

Capt. Chesley Sully Sullenberger calls Christine Negroni “a talented aviation journalist.”

The Crash Detectives, Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Disasters will be published by Penguin and Penguin Random House Audio in September 2016 (ISBN-13: 978-0143127321). See what the critics are saying.

Please find more information about this book at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_g6F3aXmlg&feature=youtu.be

http://christinenegroni.com/books/the-crash-detectives/

Laxity of Ground Staff Behind Increasing Accidents at Airports Apron Area

When a private airline shuttle bus plowed into a parked aircraft at the Kolkata airport last year, it triggered an alarm. While pilots are subjected to intense scrutiny and have to strictly adhere to duty hour norms, the incident highlighted the laxity in monitoring of other staff, including those that ply passenger coaches in the crucial apron area where aircraft are parked.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India have woken up to this security concern and asked airlines to take a stock of its staff practices and behavior. They also want the carriers to look at the high attrition rates.

“Ground incidents are becoming a big issue at airports. While the number of incidents in the air has nosedived, there are still too many incidents on the ground,” said DGCA director (air safety) Maneesh Kumar. Several of these incidents have been attributed to lack of adequate training of ground staff or fatigue due to overwork. The driver of the bus that damaged the Air India ATR aircraft beyond repair had fallen asleep at the wheel.

In 2013, there were 44 ground accidents at airports in India which came down to 35 the following year. But in 2015, it has again shot up to 43. While 79% accidents were on the ramp in 2013, the figure went up to 85% in 2014. In 2015 ramp accident stayed high at 83%. “The growth in airlines is creating jobs. But the people who are being inducted into the industry need to be properly trained and looked after,” said Ashok Srivastava, deputy airport director of the NSCBI airport.

At Kolkata airport, the Airlines Operators' Committee (AOC) comprising representatives of various carriers that operate out of Kolkata have taken it upon themselves to regularly train staff.

AAI executive director (aviation safety) SV Satish said bird hazard was also emerging as a major safety challenge at airports like Kolkata and Mumbai. “Kolkata has a bird problem. There were similar problems at Mumbai airport but they managed to overcome it by taking help of the community. Slaughter houses and waste disposal system were taken care of and the problem was contained to a large extent,” said Satish.

The issue has figured in coordination meetings for several years now with AAI urging adjoining municipalities to remove garbage dumps and keep the area clean to prevent the flocking of birds. “Bird incidents have reduced. But we cannot lower the guard. Cleanliness has to worked on continuously,” said Sarvesh Gupta, chairman of the AOC, Kolkata.

Reprinted with permission from Aviation Logbook. Original story published August 20, 2016 by Andrew Woan at https://www.aviationlogbook.eu/blogs/laxity-of-ground-staff-behind-increasing-accidents-at-airports-apron-area