Fixed Wing

Aeroplanes

Metro III: Propulsion System Malfunction + Inappropriate Crew Response

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

Metro III: Propulsion System Malfunction + Inappropriate Crew Response (PSM+ICR) The Transportation Board of Canada (TSB) recently issued a report into the fatal loss on 10 November 2013 of a Fairchild SA-227 Metro III at Red Lake, Ontario.  The aircraft, C-FFVN, was operated by Bearskin Airlines.  Both pilots and three of the five passengers were killed in the accident.  The accident […]

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1950’s Aerial Firefighting and Smokey Bear

Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Safety Culture, Special Mission Aircraft

1950’s Aerial Firefighting and Smokey Bear A look at aerial firefighting 60+ years ago: However, as per the background poster: If you really feel the need to sing along to Smokey Bear we are happy to oblige: https://youtu.be/sfgWbhPYFGI But while in the song it is Smokey THE Bear (to scan better), the Smokey Bear Act of 1952 (16 U.S.C.

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De-Iced Drama: 737 in Scandinavia

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

De-Iced Drama : 737 in Scandinavia During the approach to the Finnish airport of Kittilä on 26 December 2012, Norwegian Air Shuttle‘s Boeing 737-800 LN-DYM came close to stalling as a result of a blocked elevator.  The elevator system worked at only 1/250th of the expected effectiveness according to investigators. The Investigation The Accident Investigation Board

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FOD Damages 737 Flying Controls

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Safety Management

Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Damages 737 Flying Controls Accident investigators in New Zealand report on damage to the flying controls of a 737 due to a trapped cleaning cloth. The Incident During routine maintenance of a Boeing 737-838, engineers found metal filings next to the stabilizer trim cable drum in the forward electronics and equipment compartment (located

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A320 Unstabilised Approaches: Descent Below MSA and a Runway Excursion at Lyon

Accidents & Incidents, Air Traffic Management / Airspace, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Regulation, Safety Culture, Safety Management

A320 Unstabilised Approaches: A Descent Below Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) and a Runway Excursion at Lyon An airline introducing a new type suffers a serious incident while training a new captain, highlighting the importance of Management of Change, Risk Assessment and good Training.  UPDATE: Then within a year they have a runway excursion after an unstabilised approach at

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Operator & FAA Shortcomings in Alaskan B1900 Accident

Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Culture, Safety Management

Operator & FAA Shortcomings in Alaskan B1900 Accident UPDATE 10 April 2018: with details below of further NTSB recommendations after a 2016 C208B accident The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has reported on a Beechcraft 1900C accident on the North Slope of Alaska on 23 Nov 2013. The B1900C was being operated by Hageland Aviation Services (doing

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SNAPpy Action in Norway – The Southern Norway Airspace Project

Air Traffic Management / Airspace, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, News, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Management

SNAPpy Action in Norway – The Southern Norway Airspace Project Norwegian Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) AVINOR has established the Southern Norway Airspace Project (SNAP), that went live in late 2014.  SNAP was established: … to address present and future challenges regarding capacity, safety, environment and effectiveness. SNAP will provide a new airspace organisation, with associated working

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Flight Crew Incapacitation – Oxygen System Failure

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Management, Special Mission Aircraft

Flight Crew Incapacitation – Oxygen System Failure The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published their investigation report on a case of hypoxia in an unpressurised twin turboprop survey aircraft: On 1 August 2014, at about 0935 EST, a Reims Aviation F406 aircraft, registered VH-EYQ, departed Emerald, Queensland, on an aerial survey task with a pilot

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Dash 8 Tail Strike: Weakness in Stabilised Approach Procedures

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Safety Management

Dash 8 Tail Strike: Weakness in Stabilised Approach Procedures The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has released their final report on a heavy landing and tail strike that occurred to Porter Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 C-GLQO landing at Sault Ste. Marie Airport on 26 May 2013.  The aircraft landed hard and the tail of the aircraft contacted the

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Wait to Weight & Balance – Lessons from a Loss of Control

Accidents & Incidents, Business Aviation, Fixed Wing, Human Factors / Performance, Logistics, Safety Management

Wait to Weight & Balance – Lessons from a PC-12 Loss of Control On take off, pitch control of a Pilatus PC-12 was lost resulting in a series of pitch oscillations and stall warnings.  Fortuitously the pilot was able to abort the take off with only damage to one main wheel.  The incident could have been

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Cessna 208B Caravan Ditching Video, Molokai, Hawaii, 2013

Accidents & Incidents, Fixed Wing, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Offshore, Safety Management, Survivability / Ditching

Cessna 208B Caravan Ditching Video, Molokai, Hawaii, 2013 We have previously covered the graphic ditching of Sikorsky S-76C 9M-STE (MSN 760398) of MHS Aviation in the South China Sea on 12 December 2013, and a passenger video of the ditching and rescue. Coincidentally, the day before (but in practice a couple of hours later due to the time difference), another ditching occurred, this

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The ‘Automation Problem’ – A Discussion

Accidents & Incidents, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Regulation, Safety Management

The ‘Automation Problem’ – A Discussion Automation, or perhaps more correctly the use of automated systems, has become a hot topic in the aviation industry, particularly since the issue of the accident report into the loss of AF447 (issued in July 2012).  We review one analysis of the underlying cause and discuss a warning about an emerging

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The Power of Safety Leadership: Paul O’Neill, Safety and Alcoa

Business Aviation, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Military / Defence, Mining / Resource Sector, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Safety Culture, Safety Management

The Power of Safety Leadership: Paul O’Neill, Safety and Alcoa In his book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change, Charles Duhigg, described the reaction to Paul O’Neill’s first presentation as the new CEO of the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) in 1987: A few minutes before noon, the new

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First A350XWB Delivered to Qatar Airways

Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, News

First A350XWB Delivered to Qatar Airways Launch customer Qatar Airways has taken delivery of the first Airbus A350XWB, an A350-900, A7-ALA (MSN06), in Toulouse.   The A350XWB family features three versions: A350-800, A350-900 and A350-1000. In a typical two-class configuration, the A350-800 will accommodate 276 passengers, while the A350-900 and the A350-1000 will seat 315 and

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Grob 120TP Glass Cockpit Certified

Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Military / Defence

Grob 120TP Glass Cockpit Certified The European Aviation Safety Agency has certified the glass cockpit version of the Grob Aircraft G120TP turboprop trainer (Type Certificate Data Sheet EASA.A.565 Issue 2 includes major change optional change note OÄM 565-17).  The addition of the glass cockpit also results in an additional Special Condition onto the CS-23 Amendment 1 based

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70 Years of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation

Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Business Aviation, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Regulation, Safety Management

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has issued the following press release: In 1944, delegates from 54 nations gathered in the Grand Ballroom of the Stevens Hotel in Chicago at the invitation of the United States of America.   At this event, the participants concluded and signed the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known

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Elbit Enhanced Flight Vision Systems

Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Safety Management

Elbit Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) for Helicopters and regional Aircraft Elbit Systems presented to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 8th Rotorcraft Symposium today.  The paper is downloadable and a prior video is available to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XMm-AAdo5zc UPDATE 5 July 2016: Certification of the SkyLens system on the ATR turboprop family is expected in 2017: EASA

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James Reason’s 12 Principles of Error Management

Air Traffic Management / Airspace, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Business Aviation, Crises / Emergency Response / SAR, Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Human Factors / Performance, Logistics, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Military / Defence, Mining / Resource Sector, Offshore, Oil & Gas / IOGP / Energy, Resilience, Safety Culture, Safety Management

James Reason’s 12 Principles of Error Management James Reason, Professor Emeritus, University of Manchester, set out 12 systemic human factors centric principles of error management in his book Managing Maintenance Error: A Practical Guide (co-written with Alan Hobbs and published in 2003). These principles are valid beyond aviation maintenance and are well worth re-visiting: Human error is both universal

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Operational Suitability Data

Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Helicopters, Regulation, Safety Management

Operational Suitability Data The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published a useful summary on the concept of OSD: The principle of Operational Suitability Data (OSD) is that the aircraft manufacturers are required to establish certain data that is considered important for safe operation of the aircraft type. This data will be approved by the

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Global 6000 Crosswind Landing Accident – UK AAIB Report

Accidents & Incidents, Airfields / Heliports / Helidecks, Business Aviation, Fixed Wing, Safety Management

Global 6000 Crosswind Landing Accident – UK AAIB Report (TAG Aviation, EC-LTF) The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have recently issued a 15 page report on a accident involving Bombardier Global 6000 EC-LTF of TAG Aviation España during a night crosswind landing. During the landing at Prestwick Airport on 6 March 2014, the right wing touched the runway. 

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BAe 146 & Avro RJ85 Fire Bombers

Design & Certification, Fixed Wing, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness / CAMOs, Special Mission Aircraft

BAe 146 & Avro RJ85 Fire Bombers Fire bombing, as show in this video of training, was unlikely to have been something envisaged in the early 1970s as the then HS146, was on the drawing board. Neptune Aviation Services, whose name neatly indicates their initial operation of ex-US Navy Lockheed P-2 Neptunes, is one of four companies in North America

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