MH17 - Discussions - Russia asks ICAO to investigate - Curt Lewis

Beyond MH17, a century of air crash probes and new pressures Wreckage of the MH17 airplane is seen after the presentation of the final report into the crash of July 2014 of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, in Gilze Rijen, the Netherlands, October 13, 2015. As the spotlight falls on Dutch crash investigators and their high=profile probe into the downing of a Malaysian airliner, air accident detectives worldwide are waging a much more discreet daily battle to keep flying safe. The Dutch team's findings, concluding that the plane was shot down by a Russian-made missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, provoked an angry reaction on Tuesday from Russia, which dismissed their report as biased. But despite the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines MH17, the disappearance of sister plane MH370 and an apparent Germanwings suicide crash in the Alps, the last year has brought the lowest accident rate in memory. This is in large part due to the work of the crash investigators, who are quietly marking the centenary of the creation in Britain of the world's first crash analysis agency. Investigators now are having to juggle growing challenges from conflict zones to drones, dizzying automation, poor pilot training and questions over their own independence. Topping the list, a series of incidents in which pilots erred when abruptly handed back control has drawn attention to a loss of skills brought about by modern reliance on computers. "I don't think there is any replacement for more flying around and getting experience," Keith Conradi, Britain's chief air accident investigator, told Reuters in a recent interview. "The issue of automation is a real one. I do get concerned that it could bite us," said Conradi, whose Air Accidents Investigation Branch marks its centenary on Wednesday. TRAINING IS KEY ISSUE At a recent gathering of global investigators, France's BEA investigation agency presented a damning report about an incident in 2014 when an ill-trained, fatigued and poorly regulated crew overshot the runway at Lyon. Over 180 passengers and crew had a lucky escape when their jet stopped short of a 15 metre-deep hole in the ground - itself the result of a regulatory anomaly. It was later filled in. "Everyone agrees that training is the number one issue today," BEA Director Remi Jouty told Reuters. European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) says that each new generation of computers halves the accident rate. But the complexity of modern aircraft systems can tax even the resources of investigators when things go wrong. "The speed of technology is very hard for investigators to follow. It is no longer possible to know all the systems, you need the experts from industry," Ulf Kramer, head of Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), said. That worries some investigators who point out they are reliant on manufacturers to help them discover potential flaws. "We have the same overall objectives but our short-term objectives can be different," Jouty said. SKILL SHORTAGES The degree of reliance on the industry's own investigators' firepower emerged during the grounding of Boeing's high-tech 787 Dreamliner jets in 2013 after a series of battery problems. As its flagship product remained grounded, the U.S. company produced a "man-year" of data every day to try to find the root cause of the battery problems, a feat far beyond the capacity of all but the largest government safety agencies. Investigators fret about other potential threats to their independence - from politicians turning up at crash sites to pressures from media, lawyers and family groups. Many countries have yet to set up independent air crash investigation agencies, which are recommended by the United Nations' aviation arm as a means of keeping flying safe. Record numbers of planes on order have meanwhile led to shortages of pilots and mechanics and encouraged some airlines to take short cuts in recruiting staff. "The entire industry faces severe shortages in both fields," said Frank del Gandio, a former FAA official who heads the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI), which devoted a recent annual safety summit to issues of independence. Still, he and other safety veterans say the system of factual and blame-free reports dating back to World War One, coupled with new technology, has saved countless lives. A result of that success is that the "go teams" of forensic crash experts are being called into action less than before and more attention is being spent on learning from lesser incidents. "We don't have a lot of accidents now. When I started as an investigator in 1980 I did 45 accidents and incidents in five years. You get some investigators now who won't do 45 if they live to be 200," Del Gandio said. "Aviation is safe. You are in more danger going home in a car than in an airplane." http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/13/us-aviation-safety-investigations-idUSKCN0S72PA20151013 Back to Top

Air Accidents at All-Time Low, Despite MH17, Germanwings Crashes As the spotlight falls on Dutch crash investigators and their high profile probe into the downing of a Malaysian airliner, air accident detectives worldwide are waging a much more discreet daily battle to keep flying safe. The Dutch team's findings, concluding that the plane was shot down by a Russian-made missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, provoked an angry reaction on Tuesday from Russia, which dismissed their report as biased. But despite the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines MH17, the disappearance of sister plane MH370 and an apparent Germanwings suicide crash in the Alps, the last year has brought the lowest accident rate in memory. This is in large part due to the work of the crash investigators, who are quietly marking the centenary of the creation in Britain of the world's first crash analysis agency. Investigators now have to juggle growing challenges, from conflict zones to drones, dizzying automation, poor pilot training and questions over their own independence. Topping the list, a series of incidents in which pilots erred when abruptly handed back control has drawn attention to a loss of skills brought about by modern reliance on computers. "I don't think there is any replacement for more flying around and getting experience," Keith Conradi, Britain's chief air accident investigator, told Reuters in a recent interview. "The issue of automation is a real one. I do get concerned that it could bite us," said Conradi, whose Air Accidents Investigation Branch marks its centenary on Wednesday. TRAINING IS KEY ISSUE At a recent gathering of global investigators, France's BEA investigation agency presented a damning report about an incident in 2014 when an ill-trained, fatigued and poorly regulated crew overshot the runway at Lyon. Over 180 passengers and crew had a lucky escape when their jet stopped short of a 15 meter-deep hole in the ground - itself the result of a regulatory anomaly. It was later filled in. "Everyone agrees that training is the number one issue today," BEA Director Remi Jouty told Reuters. European plane maker Airbus says that each new generation of computers halves the accident rate. But the complexity of modern aircraft systems can tax even the resources of investigators when things go wrong. "The speed of technology is very hard for investigators to follow. It is no longer possible to know all the systems, you need the experts from industry," Ulf Kramer, head of Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), said. That worries some investigators who point out they are reliant on manufacturers to help them discover potential flaws. "We have the same overall objectives, but our short-term objectives can be different," Jouty said. SKILL SHORTAGES The degree of reliance on the industry's own investigators' firepower emerged during the grounding of Boeing's high-tech 787 Dreamliner jets in 2013 after a series of battery problems. As its flagship product remained grounded, the U.S. company produced a "man-year" of data every day to try to find the root cause of the battery problems, a feat far beyond the capacity of all but the largest government safety agencies. Investigators fret about other potential threats to their independence - from politicians turning up at crash sites to pressures from media, lawyers and family groups. Many countries have yet to set up independent air crash investigation agencies, which are recommended by the United Nations' aviation arm, as a means of keeping flying safe. Record numbers of planes on order have meanwhile led to shortages of pilots and mechanics and encouraged some airlines to take short cuts in recruiting staff. "The entire industry faces severe shortages in both fields," said Frank del Gandio, a former FAA official who heads the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI), which devoted a recent annual safety summit to issues of independence. Still, he and other safety veterans say the system of factual and blame-free reports dating back to World War One, coupled with new technology, has saved countless lives. A result of that success is that the "go teams" of forensic crash experts are being called into action less than before and more attention is being spent on learning from lesser incidents. "We don't have a lot of accidents now. When I started as an investigator in 1980 I did 45 accidents and incidents in five years. You get some investigators now who won't do 45 if they live to be 200," Del Gandio said. "Aviation is safe. You are in more danger going home in a car than in an airplane," he added. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2015/10/14/384791.htm Back to Top

Russia appeals to UN aviation body to open new MH17 probe MOSCOW - Russia has appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organization to open a new probe into last year's downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, the chief of the Russian aviation agency said Wednesday. The Boeing 777 crashed on July 17, 2014, in the middle of a military conflict between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces. The Dutch Safety Board said in its final report released on Tuesday that the jet was destroyed by a Soviet-made Buk surface-to-air missile. Two-thirds of the 298 people who died were Dutch. The 15-month probe did not explicitly say who had fired the missile, but it identified an area of 320 square kilometers (120 square miles) from where it said the launch must have taken place. All of the land was in the hands of pro-Russian separatists fighting Ukrainian forces at the time of the disaster, according to daily maps of fighting released by the Ukrainian National Security Council. Russia and the rebels insist that if the plane was destroyed by a missile, it must have been fired by the Ukrainian military. "The Russian commission categorically disagrees with the conclusions of the final report. They are fundamentally wrong, the lack of logic there is beyond comparison," Oleg Storchevoi said in a televised news conference on Wednesday. "I had a feeling that the commission was cherry-picking the evidence to suit a theory they had chosen." Storchevoi said Russia "will use its right" to continue the probe and has already appealed to the U.N.'s civil aviation agency to intervene. Storchevoi hinted that Russia believes that some of the evidence has been faked. He accused the Dutch of "hiding important data" from Russia, calling into question the authenticity of the shrapnel and pieces of the missile reportedly found in the wreckage. Speaking in Donetsk, rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko denied any involvement in the crash. "We have said before and we still say that we did not shoot down the plane," he said. Airlines on alert over Russian missile strikes on Syria US and Russia jets came within visual range over Syria Airlines flying over the Middle East, including Qantas, have been alerted by European authorities that Russian warships have been firing long-range missiles into Syria that could cross under their flight paths. Qantas A380s flying between Dubai and London twice daily fly over Iran at about 39,000 feet which is tens of thousands of feet higher than the typical altitude for the missiles being fired. The more direct route would take them over Iraq and Syria, but Qantas stopped flying over those nations last year because of the risk from the conflict. Since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over the Ukraine last year, the global aviation industry has been focused on providing timely information to carriers. The alert from the European Aviation Safety Agency gave no specific recommendations to avoid the airspace between the Caspian Sea and Syria, which includes the area of Iran overflown by Qantas A380s, according to FlightRadar24's latest flight path data. "This safety information bulletin is issued to inform airspace users about the hazard," the European agency said. "EASA will amend this safety information bulletin if more specific information is received related to that situation." European authorities have alerted airlines that Russian warships have been firing long-range missiles under the flight path it uses between Dubai and London. MH17 aftermath Since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over the Ukraine by a surface-to-air missile last year, the global aviation industry has been focused on providing timely information to carriers that allows them to avoid dangers from global conflicts. MH17 was flying at 33,000 feet when it was shot down over the Ukraine. It was 1000 feet higher than the minimum safe altitude advised by Ukrainian authorities. But the Russian cruise missiles being fired at targets in Syria have an altitude measured in hundreds of feet. In a decompression emergency modern airliners drop to 10,000 feet, meaning they would remain well above the flight path of any missiles being fired. A senior Qantas spokesman would not say if the Australian carrier would alter its flight path, adding it did not provide "blow by blow" accounts of the air corridors it used, as they could change from time to time due to a variety of factors, including weather and winds. "But we always monitor and consult with the intelligence community on any safety risks and we have alternative flight paths in place if we decided they were necessary," the spokesman said. Air France was reportedly altering its flight paths as a result. British Airways and Lufthansa said they would not change. http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/airlines-on-alert-over-russian-missile-strikes-on-syria-20151013-gk82ez.html#ixzz3oXc0kM37  Back to Top Beyond MH17, a century of air crash probes and new pressures As the spotlight falls on Dutch crash investigators and their high-profile probe into the downing of a Malaysian airliner, air accident detectives worldwide are waging a much more discreet daily battle to keep flying safe. The Dutch team's findings, concluding that the plane was shot down by a Russian-made missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, provoked an angry reaction on Tuesday (13 October) from Russia, which dismissed their report as biased. But despite the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines MH17, the disappearance of sister plane MH370 and an apparent Germanwings suicide crash in the Alps, the last year has brought the lowest accident rate in memory. This is in large part due to the work of the crash investigators, who are quietly marking the centenary of the creation in Britain of the world's first crash analysis agency. Investigators now are having to juggle growing challenges from conflict zones to drones, dizzying automation, poor pilot training and questions over their own independence. Topping the list, a series of incidents in which pilots erred when abruptly handed back control has drawn attention to a loss of skills brought about by modern reliance on computers. "I don't think there is any replacement for more flying around and getting experience," Keith Conradi, Britain's chief air accident investigator, told Reuters in a recent interview. "The issue of automation is a real one. I do get concerned that it could bite us," said Conradi, whose Air Accidents Investigation Branch marks its centenary on Wednesday. Training is key issue At a recent gathering of global investigators, France's BEA investigation agency presented a damning report about an incident in 2014 when an ill-trained, fatigued and poorly regulated crew overshot the runway at Lyon. Over 180 passengers and crew had a lucky escape when their jet stopped short of a 15 metre-deep hole in the ground - itself the result of a regulatory anomaly. It was later filled in. "Everyone agrees that training is the number one issue today," BEA Director Remi Jouty told Reuters. European planemaker Airbus says that each new generation of computers halves the accident rate. But the complexity of modern aircraft systems can tax even the resources of investigators when things go wrong. "The speed of technology is very hard for investigators to follow. It is no longer possible to know all the systems, you need the experts from industry," Ulf Kramer, head of Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), said. That worries some investigators who point out they are reliant on manufacturers to help them discover potential flaws. "We have the same overall objectives but our short-term objectives can be different," Jouty said. Skill shortages The degree of reliance on the industry's own investigators' firepower emerged during the grounding of Boeing's high-tech 787 Dreamliner jets in 2013 after a series of battery problems. As its flagship product remained grounded, the U.S. company produced a "man-year" of data every day to try to find the root cause of the battery problems, a feat far beyond the capacity of all but the largest government safety agencies. Investigators fret about other potential threats to their independence - from politicians turning up at crash sites to pressures from media, lawyers and family groups. Many countries have yet to set up independent air crash investigation agencies, which are recommended by the United Nations' aviation arm as a means of keeping flying safe. Record numbers of planes on order have meanwhile led to shortages of pilots and mechanics and encouraged some airlines to take short cuts in recruiting staff. "The entire industry faces severe shortages in both fields," said Frank del Gandio, a former FAA official who heads the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI), which devoted a recent annual safety summit to issues of independence. Still, he and other safety veterans say the system of factual and blame-free reports dating back to World War One, coupled with new technology, has saved countless lives. A result of that success is that the "go teams" of forensic crash experts are being called into action less than before and more attention is being spent on learning from lesser incidents. "We don't have a lot of accidents now. When I started as an investigator in 1980 I did 45 accidents and incidents in five years. You get some investigators now who won't do 45 if they live to be 200," Del Gandio said. "Aviation is safe. You are in more danger going home in a car than in an airplane." BACKGROUND European aviation safety regulators introduced new training requirements last May to help prevent accidents by pilots losing control of planes in-flight, such as during a stall or in bad weather. The new rules include training on stall recovery, dealing with situations where the plane's nose is too low or too high, and also include more training on environmental hazards such as thunderstorms and weather zones like the turbulent Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The move by the Cologne-based European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) follows voluntary guidelines made by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last year, and prescribe training on both preventing and recovering from in-air upsets. EASA said it expected the new requirements, which European airlines and commercial business jet operators have until May 2016 to implement, to result in a one-off cost of €12.5 million. The new training should also cover the "startle" effect that pilots can experience when unexpected problems arise, as well as how to deal with other issues such as spatial disorientation.