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IATA Partnership Boosts SMS Development

George’s Point of View

SMS development is a good thing, but we shouldn’t abandon black boxes.

Airbus wants to replace black boxes with “a more secure system” of real time satellite transmission.

The thing is we HAVE black box technology now. We should keep using it.

Aviation authorities should mandate the usage of both–keep what’s in place as a backup, and go for the real time data relay also. Not everything works as expected, all of the time, so all possible fail-safes should be employed. It’s not just that all that record-keeping keeps everyone honest; in the case of aviation, all those records will keep people alive.

Real time is not fail-proof, but a FANTASTIC idea. The question of cockpit recordings that infringe on the pilots privacy is going to hang in the air unanswered for now while the real time system is tested and perfected.

The privacy issue is an interesting factor. Some real time conversation in a cockpit is simple camaraderie–a workplace environment thing that makes a working environment comfortable. Plus it works better than coffee to keep the pilots awake and generally on task.

No one likes to work with someone looking over their shoulder. Eventually this may become an issue as authorities will inevitably over-regulate the degree of cockpit conversation–bound to be a factor when one considers the Hudson river crash where air traffic control (not pilots) were discussing cat bbq rather than doing their jobs; and the Colgan Air/Pinnacle cockpit recordings that exposed training deficits just before the icing crash in Buffalo .

The point is that we have the technology; we should use it. It will help save lives.

The IATA is the sixty year old international trade body of aviation, which represents, leads and serves the airline industry in general and is made up of about 230 airlines (93% of international air traffic.) The Superstructure Group has become an IATA partner. The Superstructure Group is developing the STEADES exchange system, provides technology and consultancy services to meet information needs and is bringing realtime SMS software to the aviation industry.

IATA Partners are listed here:
http://www.iata.org/sp/partners_all.htm

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    Washington Headquarters Press Release: Mexico

    For Immediate Release
    July 30, 2010
    Contact: Sasha Johnson or Laura Brown
    Phone: sasha.j.johnson@faa.gov or laura.j.brown@faa.gov

    FAA Finds Mexico Does Not Meet ICAO Safety Standards

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that Mexico is not in compliance with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), following an assessment of the country’s civil aviation authority. As a result, the United States is downgrading Mexico from a Category 1 to Category 2 rating.

    As part of the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that operate or have applied to fly to the United States and makes that information available to the public. The assessments determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations. With the IASA Category 2 rating, Mexican air carriers cannot establish new service to the United States, although they are allowed to maintain existing service.

    While Mexico has been responsive to the FAA’s findings and has made significant improvements in recent months, it was unable to fully comply with all of the international safety standards. However, under the leadership of Director General Hector Gonzalez Weeks, Mexico continues to make progress. The FAA is committed to working closely with the Mexican government and providing technical assistance to help Mexico regain its Category 1 rating.

    A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. A Category 2 rating means a country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with international standards, or that its civil aviation authority – equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters – is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping or inspection procedures.

    Countries with air carriers that fly to the United States must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

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    Series of Operational Errors by Pilot Led to 2009 Airplane Crash in Montana

    The National Transportation Safety Board determined today that the cause of the March 2009 deadly crash of a Pilatus airplane was a series of operational errors made by the pilot. The pilot failed to ensure that a fuel system icing inhibitor (FSII), commonly referenced by the brand name “Prist”, was added to the fuel prior to the accident flight.

    The pilot also failed to take appropriate remedial actions, including diverting to a suitable airport, after the airplane warning systems indicated a low fuel pressure state that ultimately resulted in a significant lateral fuel imbalance. And, the pilot lost control while maneuvering the left-wing heavy airplane near the approach end of the runway.

    “The pilot’s pattern of poor decision making set in motion a series of events that culminated in the deadly crash,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman. “Humans will make mistakes, but that is why following procedures, using checklists and always ensuring that a safety margin exists are so essential – aviation is not forgiving when it comes to errors.”

    On March 22, 2009, at about 2:32 pm (MDT), a Pilatus PC-12/45, N128CM, crashed about 2,100 feet west of runway 33 at Bert Mooney Airport (BTM) in Butte, Montana. The flight departed Oroville Municipal Airport in Oroville, California, en route to Gallatin Field in Bozeman, Montana but the pilot diverted to Butte for unknown reasons. The pilot and the 13 passengers were fatally injured and the aircraft was substantially damaged by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The airplane was owned by Eagle Cap Leasing of Enterprise, Oregon, and was operating as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

    During the investigation, the NTSB determined that the pilot did not add a fuel system icing inhibitor when the airplane was fueled on the day of the accident. The Pilatus flight manual states that a fuel system icing inhibitor must be used for all flight operations in ambient temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius to prevent ice formation in the fuel system. The NTSB concluded that the airplane experienced icing in the fuel system which resulted in a left-wing-heavy fuel imbalance. The increasing fuel level in the left tank and the depletion of the fuel from the right tank should have been apparent to the pilot because that information was presented on the fuel quantity indicator. This should have prompted the pilot to divert the airplane to an airport earlier in the flight as specified by the airplane manufacturer.

    The NTSB issued recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency, to require fuel filler placards and guidance on fuel system icing prevention.

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