Flight Tracking needed by Global Aviation Community.

Flight Tracking needed by Global Aviation Community.

 

Malaysia Recommends Introduction of Real-Time Aircraft Tracking in Initial Report-1th may 2014

 

With the ability to display real time aircraft position reports and real time weather

 

The purpose to share this article is to provide more information, what that mean to understand well, what is being considered for future in Aviation Safety, as ICAO considers the requirements for global flight tracking, to improve Air Safety. There are a lot of airplanes in the air, so Aviation Safety it is everybody’s business. Always Fly Safely!!

U.N.: More robust flight tracking needed by global aviation community

Montreal, Canada (CNN) -- A United Nations aviation agency agreed Tuesday that global airline flight tracking is needed in the wake of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370's disappearance and established a September deadline for "near-term implementation plans for applicable solutions."

Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, president of the U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization, made the announcement after officials from more than 40 countries met in Montreal to examine a framework for worldwide standards aimed at preventing similar mysteries.

"ICAO will continue to provide the necessary leadership to ensure all issues are considered expeditiously to enable a 'performance-based' International Standard for global airline flight tracking," Aliu said in a statement.

"As ICAO considers the requirements for global flight tracking, we will also be looking closely at the most effective means of sharing tracking data when needed with applicable search and rescue and accident investigation authorities," he said.

Flight 370 has been missing since March 8 despite an international search.

Global flight tracking is not a new issue, but there is new urgency as the global aviation community looks closely at more robust flight tracking in response to the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines commercial airliner carrying 239 people.

"Public perception is that in a world where every move seems to be tracked, there is disbelief both that an airplane could simply disappear and that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders could be so difficult to recover," the International Air Transport Association said in a submission to the meeting.

Flight 370, a Boeing 777-200ER, disappeared on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. Its transponder went off and its maintenance reporting system stopped functioning.

It lost contact over open waters between Malaysia and Vietnam. Radar is not reliable over the ocean or, as is possible in this case, at low altitudes.

It's unclear whether the transponder -- a radio transmitter in the cockpit that works with ground radar to identify a plane's position, speed and direction -- and the maintenance reporting system, which transmits periodic flight data to the ground, were intentionally disabled or malfunctioned.

The search for the plane is concentrated in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Perth, Australia.

Damage to search vehicle

Meanwhile, the sole underwater vehicle searching for the plane was temporarily taken out of service because of damage, a U.S. Navy official told CNN.

The tail section of the Bluefin-21 was badly damaged when it struck the side of the Australian vessel Ocean Shield in the last 24 hours. But the submersible has been repaired and probably will be redeployed when daylight arrives in the southern Indian Ocean, the U.S. Navy official said.

The accident occurred when searchers, who were experiencing communications problems with the vessel, were hoisting the Bluefin to the deck to examine it, said Michael Dean, deputy director of ocean engineering for the Navy.

"They had 20-knot winds and 3- to 5-foot seas," Dean said. "They got the vehicle on deck, but in the process of doing so, the vehicle was damaged. They essentially had torn the propeller, the tail section had ripped away, and so there was some damage back aft (in the area of) the main electronics bay. There were quite a few components that we had to troubleshoot.

"The good news is the vehicle is repaired," he added.

Dean said the Bluefin was repaired with spare parts loaded on the Ocean Shield during its recent refueling trip to port.

He said it is likely the team will wait until daylight before deploying the Bluefin-21 on its next mission.

The vessel is "probably more than halfway through" searching the location of "Ping 1," considered the second most likely place to find the wreckage of Flight 370.

No wreckage was found during its search of "Ping 2," considered the most likely location of the plane.

During the mission in which it was damaged, the Bluefin-21 never reached the ocean floor, so no data was collected.

Key topics for the ICAO

The key consideration at this week's ICAO meeting was developing protocols for tracking aircraft.

The members listened to a brief presentation about several flight tracking technologies, but do not plan to prescribe a specific one.

"Let me also clarify that performance-based standards differ from 'prescriptive' standards in that they do not restrict operators to specific technological solutions," Aliu said. "This systems-based approach acknowledges that what will best service airlines and manufacturers over the longer term will be the flexibility to choose from amongst the latest and most cost-effective innovations that meet their global flight tracking needs."

One potential standard could be preventing anyone from being able to turn the off flight tracking systems.

This is not the first call for such international standards.

Air France Flight 447 crashed in 2009 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, killing more than 220 people. It took five days to find wreckage and nearly two years to find the underwater debris field.

The French accident investigation board recommended that authorities "study the possibility of making it mandatory" for commercial airlines to regularly transmit basic flight parameters, including position, altitude and speed.

The ICAO changed some standards after the Air France accident, which will go into effect in November. In what documents describe as "initial steps," airlines were told to make better use of existing communication links, introduce mandatory warnings sent to air traffic control when a plane deviates from the cleared route, and improve procedures to ensure better connections.

"This was also identified as a low-cost solution, using existing (equipment) and technology," the ICAO secretariat wrote in working papers presented to this week's meeting.

Now the organization is considering going further, mandating more frequent and more detailed flight tracking information.

Separately, a satellite communications company proposed a free global tracking service ahead of the meeting.

Inmarsat, the company whose satellite had the last known contact with Flight 370, said the service is offered to the 11,000 passenger aircraft already outfitted with an Inmarsat connection.

It said the tracking would cover "virtually 100% of the world's long haul commercial fleet."

Source : CNN

 http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/13/travel/malaysia-airlines-flight-tracking/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

 

Mid Air Collisions.

The Federal Aviation Act of – 1958

 

1958 Federal Aviation Agency created FAA Sign. President Eisenhower signs the Federal Aviation Act, formally creating the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA).

 

 

Aviation Safety is everybody’s business. So, safety has become always an important subject for study by those who flying. We owe it to ourselves to be as well prepared as possible for every flight we make.

I wrote this post today to continue improving safety in aviation, so over the 80% of the accidents in general aviation are caused by pilot error. But, I want to emphasize that the term pilot error does not imply that all errors are the fault of the pilot. Sometimes other external circumstances are the cause.

This post is about to recollect some history in aviation, The Federal Aviation Act 1958.

The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 was basically a constitution of aviation upon which the aviation industry could expand and develop. It was general in character and left the interpretation of the specific nature to the Civil Aeronautics Board in the matter of economics regulation, and to the Civil Aeronautics Administration in the area of adherence to Air Safety.

The Federal Aviation Act of 1958, however, is not entirely new, it is largely a reenactment, in amendment form, of the prior Civil Aeronautics Act.

With the enactment of the Department of Transportation in 1966, the Federal Aviation Agency became the Federal Aviation Administration and was placed under the Secretary of Transportation.

The Federal Aviation Agency was granted expanded authority in Air Safety.

Mid Air Collisions

 

 

TWA Flight 2 was a Lockheed Super Constellation

 

The circumstances which led to the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 were a series of Mid Air Collisions, some of which involved military aircraft. These highlighted the need for improved Air Traffic Control.

The first of these accidents occurred on June 30, 1956, over the Grand Canyon. The aircraft involved were a Trans World Airlines Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7. Both aircraft fell into the Canyon.

TWA Flight 2 left Los Angeles International Airport at 9:00 a.m., bound for Kansas City, and three minutes later, bound for Chicago, UAL Flight 718 took off from the same runway.

At 10: 31 a.m. Flight 2 and Flight 718 collided over the Grand Canyon.

The probable cause, according to the official Civil Aeronautics Board Accident Report, was that the pilots did not see each other in time to avoid the collision. It is not possible to determine why the pilots did not see each other, but the evidence suggests any one, or a combination of the following factors, intervening clouds, visual limitations, preoccupation with normal cockpit duties, attempting to provide passengers with a more scenic view, physiological limits to human vision, or insufficient of en route air traffic advisory information due to inadequacy of facilities and lack of personnel in air traffic control.

The second accident involved a DC-7B owned by Douglas Aircraft Company and a USAF F-89J near Sunland California on January 31, 1957. The DC-7B crashed into a junior high school playground killing three students and injuring 70 others. The F-89J crashed in the Verdugo Mountains.

The probable cause was the high rate of near head on closure at high altitude, which, together with physiological limitations, resulted in a minimum avoidance, opportunity during which the pilots did not see the others aircraft.

The third accident, involved a United Airlines DC-7 and a USAF F-100F near Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 21, 1958.

The probable cause of this mishap, according to Civil Aeronautics Board investigation, was a high rate of near head on closure at high altitude, human and cockpit of the Nellis Air Force Base and the Civil Aeronautics Administration to take every measure to reduce a known collision exposure.

These accidents and other occurrences caused Congressional action.

 Remember, improving your ability to learn, always Fly Safely.

 

 

Aviation Accidents and Safety Performance.

Aviation Accidents and Safety Performance

 

 

The four leading causes of aviation accidents, in order of occurrence, are human error (Flight Crew Members, Air Traffic Control) weather (Fog, Ice, Windshear) airframe or engine failure, and maintenance. So, a fifth cause that shows up in worldwide accidents statistics (currently third just behind weather) is sabotage/military accidents.

Most accidents involve multiple factors. So, finding the primary cause can be difficult and may require subjective judgments.

The Safety record of the world’s airlines will decline in the next 20 years, if the industry focuses more on preventing accidents and determining what cause them, this is the key.

Traditionally, accident investigation analysis has centered on a single, primary cause, so when most accidents involve a chain of events. As a result, such procedures tend to limit the scope of the future accident prevention actions.

I want to be emphasizing in this safety post, what I read on a safety book, more than 80% of the accidents were caused by the Pilots.

Study of hull of accidents, found that on scheduled flights of 1.6 hr. duration, nearly 70% of the accidents occurred during Take Off and Landing operations. Specifically, 24.8% of the accidents occurred during the crucial take off and initial climb phases, which represents a mere 2% of total flight time, so the analyses of airline hull losses since 1968 shows a clear correlation between Controlled Flight Into Terrain ( CFIT ), and the use of Ground Proximity Warning System equipment( GPWS ).

Ground Proximity Warning System equipment (GPWS), warns pilots that the aircraft is too low and in close proximity to terrain.

Since 1974 and 1975, when GPWS was implemented by airlines, 44 accidents have occurred involving aircraft that did not have the system installed, only about 5% of the world’s airline aircraft lack such equipment.

So, another 43% of the accidents occurred during the final approach and lading phases, which account for only 4% of the flight time. Although takeoff and landing operations accounted for nearly 70% of all accidents since 1959, CFIT remains the leading cause of airline deaths worldwide.

During the past decade, an average of 550 people has died each year in CFIT – related accidents, according to statistics.

About five or six CFIT accidents occur each year worldwide, and estimates indicate that 75% of these accidents happen during non-precision instrument approach procedures that lack vertical, or glideslope  guidance. Therefore, in such cases, a GPWS probably would have provided warning of the impending crash. Analysis indicates that slow, incorrect or no pilot response to GPWS alerts was responsible for at least 19 accidents since 1975.

Let’s review this information so far, study of 63 accidents in the US and Canada from 1982 to 1991, for example, showed that prevention strategies applicable to the flying pilots adherence to procedures may have been a factor in as much as 41% of the crashes.

This compares with 43% of 38 accidents in Europe during the same period. 48% of 47 accidents in Latin America, 32% of 37 accidents in Africa and 52 % of 37 accidents in Asia. They found that strategies linked to improvements in aircraft design, maintenance, air traffic control and basic piloting skills would have played important roles in preventing the accidents.

So, basic piloting skills, for example, were a factor in 16% of the US- Canada accidents, 34% of those occurring in Latin America, 29% in Africa and 32% in Asia.

Always Remember Safety First!!!!  Safety is Something We Can Live With!!!!

Accident Prevention Advice & Information.

 

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD NEWS RELEASE

NTSB RECOMMENDS FAA, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IMPROVE WEATHER FORECAST TO PILOTS   

May 6, 2014

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today issued nine recommendations addressing the need to provide more comprehensive preflight weather information to pilots. The recommendations were issued to both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS), who are jointly responsible for providing such information to pilots. Timely, detailed weather information is critical for enabling airmen to properly balance risks and make sound decisions when determining to fly.

The recommendations are based on NTSB accident investigations involving aircraft encountering weather conditions, such as adverse surface wind, dense fog, icing, turbulence, and low-level wind shear. Currently, although information on these conditions may exist, it is not always provided to pilots through NWS products during preflight weather forecasts.

“What’s difficult to understand is why weather advisories from the National Weather Service to the general public, at times, provide more comprehensive information about weather conditions than the advisories they provide to pilots experiencing the same conditions,” said NTSB Board Member Earl Weener. “Why pilots would receive less information makes no sense, and increases the risk of flying in severe weather conditions. That is why this issue is on the NTSB’s Most Wanted List.”

Additionally, although the NWS routinely advises pilots of turbulence and weather patterns associated with mountain wave activity (MWA), which can cause unique and adverse flying conditions, there are currently no requirements for the NWS to issue advisories specific to MWA. The NTSB believes notification of the potential for and the existence of MWA allows pilots to prepare for these atmospheric disturbances.

The NTSB also identified the need for improved situation awareness and communication between the center weather service units (CWSUs) and the Aviation Weather Centers. Appreciating the challenges involved in issuing critical weather advisories in a timely manner, the NTSB recognizes the importance of proper coordination and communication between the various NWS components. Therefore, the NTSB is also recommending a protocol be established to enhance communication among meteorologists to ensure mutual situation awareness of critical aviation weather data among meteorologists.

“Safety will be enhanced for airmen and their passengers when pilots are given a complete weather report including all of the most current weather information,” Weener said.

To view the NTSB’s recommendations to the FAA and the NWS, click on the following links:

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2014/A-14-013-016.pdf

 

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2014/A-14-017-021.pdf

 

Source: Message received as a free service from the National Transportation Safety Board.

 

 

 

SAFETY is our # 1 Priority.

A Good Safety Culture is Built Over Time. It Is Never Given.

 

 

If you’re not safety conscious, you could end up unconscious.SO THINK ABOUT IT!

Plan ahead, always put safety first.