Close finish Fast charge

How Boeing Rolls-Royce sets

pipped Airbus out ambition of
to lift deliveries smashing speed
crown in latest record with its
bumper year all-electric race
for duopoly 9 pioneer 11

15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

ANALYSIS

Deadly
errors
What can industry learn from
fatal accident spike in 2018?

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 CONTENTS
Volume 195 Number 5669
15-21 JANUARY 2019

NEWS
THIS WEEK
Close finish Fast charge
How Boeing Rolls-Royce sets
pipped Airbus out ambition of
to lift deliveries smashing speed
crown in latest record with its

8 Hammerhead row led to Piaggio woe

bumper year all-electric race
for duopoly 9 pioneer 11

9 Data shows Boeing was 2018 winner

10 Boeing trusts in truss for future wings.
15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

ANALYSIS

Deadly
Narendra Shrestha/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
errors Airbus assembles A220 workers for Alabama
What can industry learn from
fatal accident spike in 2018? site
11 R-R leads the charge to electric future
AIR TRANSPORT
12 London City airport prepares digital tower
trial.
ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0
£3.80 Aurigny underlines its ClearVision for future
fleet
0 3

9 770015 371310

13 Drone attacks drive regulatory review.

FIN_150119_301.indd 1 10/01/2019 09:47

COVER IMAGE
To highlight our annual Liquidity shortfall lends weight to Germania’s
‘burdens’
airline safety report, we
14 JetBlue worried at new Delta venture.
chose this picture of the
Sukhoi awaits clearance for Iranian SSJ100
US-Bangla Airlines Q400 exports
that crashed on landing 15 MAEL collapses as customers walk out
in Kathmandu last March,
killing 51 people P22 DEFENCE
16 Apache problems bring down Boeing’s
delivery figures.
Canberra confirms sale of surplus Hornets

to Canada
17 Dutch focus shifts after return of F-16s.
Jakarta payment eases fears over Seoul’s K-FX
programme.
Spain opts for CH-47F upgrade
18 UK signs Shadow R1 support contract.
BillyPix
US Army
Apache safety issue affects Boeing deliveries P16
COVER STORY
22 Automation mismatch During a mixed year
for safety, the loss of a Lion Air 737 Max 8
stood out as exemplifying how advances in

Second GlobalEye for UAE makes flight debut

cockpit technology can lead to conflict
BEHIND THE HEADLINES BUSINESS AVIATION between systems and crew
20 Alice makes reality of electric dreams.
Max Kingsley-Jones (above) Falcon output falls for Dassault, but orders
crunched the numbers to
compile our analysis of the
climb REGULARS
Airbus/Boeing orders and 21 Updated Vision sees clear skies ahead. 7 Comment
deliveries duel (P9). And SyberJet staying on course with revamped 36 Straight & Level
David Learmount assesses SJ30i 39 Classified
2018’s accidents, in our 41 Jobs
OBITUARY
airline safety review (P22)
37 Herb Kelleher 43 Working Week
US Marine Corps

NEXT WEEK DIGITAL

Eviation Aircraft, Airbus

In our first of 10 digital-only

issues this year, we look at
the F-35’s rising fortunes,
with 91 delivered last year
Start-up eyes Paris air show launch for electric commuter P20. Germania faces financing headache P13

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flightglobal.com 15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 3

19/07/2012 17:51
CONTENTS

Image of
the week
Indonesia has ordered eight
more Airbus Helicopters
H225M heavy-twins, adding
to the six examples already
operated by its air force.
National aerospace
champion PTDI will install
specific mission equipment.
In total, 88 military Super
Pumas are in service
globally with six operators

View more great aviation

shots online and in our
weekly tablet edition:
flightglobal.com/
flight-international

PTDI
The week in numbers Question of the week

12%
Last week, we asked: A320neo? You said:

Flight Dashboard Total votes: 1,267

Percentage of world airport IT budgets spent last year on
cybersecurity, up 2% from 2017; airlines spent 9% (from 7%)

$121m
Best in class
487 votes

38% 35% Failing to deliver

441 votes
Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines Group’s 2018 pre-tax profit sounds even Improving situation
339 votes
better in dong: 2.8 trillion – on record revenue of D102 trillion 27%

61%
Of the 87 A380s remaining in Airbus’s backlog at the end of
Flight Dashboard This week, we ask: Airbus loses order crown?
❑ One-off slip ❑ Duopoly balanced
❑ Boeing ascendant
2018, nearly two-thirds – or 53 aircraft – are Emirates-bound Vote at flightglobal.com

FlightGlobal’s premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with
profiles, schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information flightglobal.com/dashboard

Download the Military

Simulator Census online now.
CAE – Your worldwide training partner of choice www.flightglobal.com/milisim

4 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

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Boeing up
The big two in 2018 again raised the bar for airliner production, bringing their global supply
chains with them. Output should creep up this year, but for how long can this continue?
T he big two just about managed to get over the line to
hit their delivery targets for last year, and in doing so
set production records for themselves and the industry.
Between them, Airbus and Boeing delivered an eye-
watering 1,606 airliners in 2018. This was over 120
more shipments than they managed the previous year
– a remarkable feat that no doubt required some very
long days (and nights) in December at the various deliv-
ery centres across the airframers’ production systems.
But the credit for this achievement doesn’t just be-
long to those facilities. It extends right through to the
heart of the production process for each one of those
aircraft – be that on the assembly lines, in the machine
shops or across the extended supply chain.
All those production “components” have been
­trying to operate in unison for almost a decade of
sustained growth. There have been hold-ups and
­ of new aircraft? Only time will tell. But previous
The industry should pat itself
on the back for growing the
business every year since 2010
c­ ock-ups along the way, but the industry should pat
­itself on the back for successfully growing the business
every year since 2010 – the last year that commercial
aircraft output declined year-on-year and, by the way,
the last time that combined deliveries for mainline jets
was below 1,000 units.
There has yet to be any guidance for 2019, but given
the rate increases planned for the single-aisle pro-
grammes, production looks set to edge even closer to
the magic 2K mark. If achieved, that will mean airliner
output will have effectively doubled in the decade.
Safety first
O ver the next three-and-a-half hours, worldwide,
more fatalities will be added to the grim toll of
road traffic accidents than occurred on the global com-
mercial passenger airline network during 2018.
In light of that statistic – drawn from the World Health
Organization’s latest road safety analysis – to talk about a
deterioration last year in air transport safety seems
­almost churlish, not least because the past 12 months
were held up against a remarkably uneventful 2017.
Several of the fatal accidents that occurred last year
are still under investigation, but preliminary informa-
Stay up to date with the latest
news and analysis from the tion indicates none of the root causes will be a revelation
commercial aviation sector: – just inadequate knowledge, poor discipline, or bad de-
flightglobal.com/dashboard cisions, probably made under trying circumstances.
flightglobal.com
COMMENT
Imaginechina/REX/Shutterstock
Stratospheric performance
Can the market keep absorbing this firehose supply
­rumours of the market’s demise have proved greatly
­exaggerated. Whether the supply chain can keep pace
with ever-increasing output demands is another matter,
of course. It certainly started to creak last year.
Another interesting landmark in 2018 involved the
fortunes of Airbus and Boeing. While Toulouse has got
used playing second fiddle in the production stakes,
having trailed its rival for the past seven years, the
same is not true for sales. But Airbus failed to outsell
Boeing last year for the first time since 2012.
Toulouse will point to a total backlog that is around
1,600 aircraft higher than that of its rival and a com-
manding lead in narrowbodies. Equally, the turmoil last
year as Airbus underwent a stop-start senior leadership
transition did not help. What is certain, however, is that
with the succession plan now in place, there will be no
excuses if the situation repeats in 2019 – especially as
the airframer celebrates the big “five-o” this year. ■
See This Week P9
None of this should detract from the fact that the
f­ atality rate for air transport remains at a level the auto-
motive sector seems barely able to imagine, let alone
start to replicate.
“Road traffic crashes are not ‘accidents’”, writes
WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“They are completely preventable.”
That sentiment holds equally true for commercial
aviation. The ugly spike on the charts for 2018 disguis-
es not just the impressive overall safety achievement,
but the fact that regions such as Europe and North
America have shown a zero-accident rate is not a dis-
tant ideal but an attainable reality. ■
See Feature P22
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 7
THIS WEEK
For insight and analysis of the latest
developments in the defence sector, visit:
flightglobal.com/defence

BRIEFING
INSOLVENCY MURDO MORRISON LONDON

Hammerhead row
led to Piaggio woe
RAFALE DELIVERIES HIT 2018 TARGET
PRODUCTION Dassault met its objective to deliver a dozen
new Rafales last year, having shipped nine in support of export
deals and a trio of jets for the French military. With Qatar having
confirmed a contract option for 12 examples, taking its total Source indicates fall-out between UAE and Italy caused
buy to 36, Dassault’s firm order backlog for the fighter stood at owner Mubadala’s departure from Genoa-based airframer
101 at the end of 2018. This includes 73 aircraft for Egypt, India
and Qatar, plus 28 for the French military.

DECEMBER DEALS TAKE 777 PAST 2,000 MARK

P iaggio Aerospace’s administra-
tor has returned after a two-
week holiday to begin seeking a
RECORD Boeing’s 777 has achieved a first for a widebody buyer for the business, stressing
­programme, with a flurry of December deals taking the big twin that the Avanti Evo orderbook is
past the 2,000 firm net orders mark. The airframer added 17 open and the P1HH Hammerhead
commitments for the 777 at the tail-end of last year – including unmanned surveillance aircraft
a trio of -300ERs for lessor BOC Aviation. remains an ongoing programme.
The state-appointed overseer –
C919 CLEARS ULTIMATE LOAD TESTS which has an initial six-month
ADVANCE Comac has cleared a major milestone, with the term – has no easy task after the
completion of C919 ultimate load testing on 30 December. The sole shareholder, Abu Dhabi
last trial focused on the aircraft’s mid- and aft-fuselage sections, wealth fund Mubadala, pulled out
where 150% of the limit load was applied for 3s. This verifies in November, following a decision
that the aircraft structure meets airworthiness requirements. by the United Arab Emirates to
axe its order for eight P1HHs.
AIRBUS TRIMS A380 BACKLOG One Hammerhead is believed
ORDERS Airbus has removed from its backlog orders for 10 to have been delivered to the Gulf
A380s that had previously been allocated to an undisclosed state, with a further five examples
customer. The revision brings the total number of orders for the in various states of assembly at
double-deck aircraft down to 321. It also cuts the year-end Piaggio’s Villanova D’Albenga
backlog to 87 A380s, following delivery of 12 during the year. factory near Genoa. The UAE was
due to have taken all eight aircraft
AUSTRAL E190 IN PROBABLE DRONE COLLISION by the end of 2019.
SAFETY Argentinean investigators believe that an object that According to a source familiar
struck an Austral Lineas Aereas-operated Embraer 190 (LV-CDZ) with the situation, Abu Dhabi de-
during approach to Buenos Aires on 21 December was a drone. veloped cold feet in late summer
The country’s investigation authority, JIAAC, says the jet had
been flying at 3,500ft when the impact occurred over the San
Fernando district, in the north of the capital. Minor damage was
after Italy’s new populist coalition
government stalled on a $1.7 bil-
lion commitment to launch with
the UAE the development of a
new version of the Hammerhead,
the P2HH, and order 20 examples
each for delivery from 2023.
Prospects for the business air-
craft operation are also gloomy.
After making just three deliveries
in 2017, Piaggio is thought to have
shipped a similar number last
year. That performance was below
forecast, but Mubadala’s with-
drawal of investment in the sec-
ond half led to a production slow-
down, FlightGlobal understands.
A source says the administra-
tor will be “presenting the
­message to the industry that the
company is not bankrupt but
continues to be operational, and
is looking at all areas where there
is a market [for the Avanti Evo]”.
Under Italian law, companies
in bankruptcy protection can con-
tinue to trade for several years. ■

Crown Copyright
sustained to the left side of the fuselage.

A330NEOS FOR XL AIRWAYS

FLEET XL Airways has disclosed plans to lease two Airbus
A330-900s and retrofit its four A330s as part of a fleet
­modernisation programme. The two A330neos, to be supplied
by Air Lease, will arrive in September 2020, says the French
­leisure carrier, which adds that it will be the launch customer for
the heaviest version of the A330-900, weighing 251t.
DELTA WINS PUNCTUAL PERFORMANCE CROWN
ANALYSIS Delta Air Lines has been named the world’s most
punctual major international airline during 2018 by FlightGlobal,
incorporating FlightStats. The US carrier takes the On-Time
Performance Service Award for the second year running. Some
86.09% of the SkyTeam member’s mainline flights arrived at the
gate within 14min 59s of scheduled arrival time last year.
Qatar Airways takes second place for mainline operations in the
major international airline ranking, followed by KLM in third
spot, All Nippon Airways in fourth and Aeroflot in fifth.
flightstats.com/company/media/on-time-performance-
awards
CAPABILITY
UK hails F-35, Centurion milestones
The UK has met its initial operational capability target for the
Lockheed Martin F-35B, with nine examples assigned to the
Royal Air Force’s 617 Sqn “ready to be deployed around the
world” from its Marham base in Norfolk. The development
comes less than a year after its first short take-off and vertical
landing aircraft arrived at the site. The UK has so far received 17
F-35s, from a commitment for 138. Meanwhile, the RAF’s
Eurofighter Typhoon fleet is now available armed with MBDA
Brimstone air-to-surface and Storm Shadow cruise missiles, via
the three-year, £425 million ($452 million) “Project Centurion”.

8 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

 Boeing trusts
in truss for future
THIS WEEK
wings
This Week P10

ANALYSIS MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDON

Data shows Boeing was 2018 winner

US manufacturer outsold and outdelivered Airbus last year, but addition of CSeries helped spare European firm’s blushes

A irbus and Boeing enjoyed

another healthy rise in air-
liner output during 2018, to over
craft,” says commercial aircraft
president Guillaume Faury.
From a sales perspective, Air-
1,600 aircraft. Sales also re- bus trailed Boeing in net orders
mained strong – at 1,640 net or- for the first time since 2012. Tou-
ders – although this represented louse’s deficit was spread across
an almost 20% decline on the both single-aisle and widebody
previous year. lines, with the 737 outselling the
Boeing was ahead of its Euro- A320 by over 130 units. And Air-
pean rival by both measures last bus continues to misfire in the
year, setting a new industry de- more lucrative widebody sector,
livery record of 806 aircraft and where it was outsold by its rival
securing 893 net orders, while by a margin of three to one.
Airbus achieved 800 deliveries Although the rising output and
and 747 net orders. lower order intake meant that the

Boeing
For comparison, 2017’s total industry book-to-bill ratio de-
net orders reached 2,021, with Higher 737 output, including the Max, helped Seattle raise shipments clined in 2018, it was still just
Airbus securing the majority above one.
(55%). riod since Toulouse acquired con- – put it significantly ahead of its “I’m surprised that Airbus and
trol of the programme in July rival, and single-aisle shipments Boeing were able to achieve a
CSERIES EFFECT 2018. The backlog includes all were bolstered by 20 A220s. book-to-bill marginally greater
However, like-for-like compari- outstanding orders for the twinjet. In fact, the inclusion of the than one, particularly because
sons are complicated by the fact Airbus’s 800 deliveries repre- A220s ensured that Airbus they each started the year with full
that Airbus is including transac- sent a company record and an in- achieved its delivery target – al- orderbooks and very limited near-
tions for the former Bombardier crease of 11% on 2017. Its 626 though when that ambition was term open delivery slots,” says
CSeries single-aisle – now A320-family aircraft deliveries – first stated, the expectation was Rob Morris, global head of Flight
­rebranded as the A220 – in the pe- 240 A320ceos and 386 A320neos that the former Bombardier twin- Ascend Consultancy. “Although
jet would not be included. global traffic demand remained
Airbus/Boeing deliveries, orders and backlog Boeing also fell slightly short strong in 2018 and growth is ex-
2018 2017
of a target. It had been aiming for pected to continue in 2019, the
810-815 deliveries during the medium-term outlook is uncer-
Deliveries Net orders Backlog* Deliveries  Net orders
year. However, production ramp- tain, given the length of the cycle.”
Airbus
up on the single-aisle line caused The airframers are yet to pro-
A220** 20 135 480 n/a n/a
737 output to rise 10%, to 580 vide any official guidance on
A320ceo 240 10 165 377 128 units, comprising 324 NGs and their 2019 outlook, but with
A320neo 386 531 5,891 181 926 256 Max aircraft. their combined firm backlog
A330ceo 46 9 60 67 15 now standing at over 13,500 air-
A330neo 3 18 235 0 6 WIDEBODY WINNER craft they have many years of
A350 93 40 659 78 36 While Airbus was king in the production already on their
A380 12 4 87 15 -2 narrowbody arena, Boeing was books, notes Morris.
Total 800 747 7,577 718 1,109 again in charge at the widebody “At 2018 production levels,
end of the market. The US air- Boeing opens the year with a
Boeing framer’s deliveries of 747s, 767s, backlog representing more than
737NG 324 -24 88 455 45
777s and 787s totalled 226 air- seven years of production, and
craft, while Airbus shipped just Airbus more than nine. Flight
737 Max 256 699 4,675 74 700
154 twin-aisle aircraft. Among Fleets Analyzer indicates an ex-
747 6 18 24 14 -2
the 49 A330s delivered were the pectation of 924 deliveries for
767 27 40 111 10 15
first three A330neos – fewer Airbus this year and 870 for Boe-
777 48 51 105 74 40
than originally planned, largely ing. These are probably a touch
777X 0 0 326 0 20 as a consequence of supply high, and we expect closer to 890
787 145 109 622 136 94 problems at Rolls-Royce. Twelve and 860, respectively.”
Total 806 893 5,951 763 912 A380s were delivered, in line Morris adds that it is hard to
Grand total 1,606 1,640 13,528 1,481 2,021 with target. envisage a scenario where 2019
Notes: *31 December 2018 “Despite significant operation- orders can exceed deliveries.
**A220 deliveries/orders data only comprises transactions since Airbus acquired control of CSeries
programme, but backlog includes all outstanding orders
al challenges, Airbus continued “So expect similar or lower net
Data includes corporate and military versions its production ramp-up and de- order numbers this year,” he
Source: Manufacturers
livered a record number of air- says. ■

flightglobal.com 15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 9

THIS WEEK
PROGRAMME JON HEMMERDINGER BOSTON
Airbus assembles A220 workers for Alabama site
A irbus has started hiring
workers at its planned
­Alabama A220 assembly site, as
it gears up to begin production
there later this year.
In what Airbus calls a “first
wave” of hiring, the company
has started recruiting a number
of aircraft s­ tructure and installa-
tion mechanics, aircraft electri-
cians and aircraft cabin furnish-
ing installers.
RESEARCH JON HEMMERDINGER BOSTON
Boeing trusts in truss for future wings
Airframer says efficiency of braced structure could reduce fuel burn by up to 10% compared with conventional designs
B oeing has made design tweaks
that allow its in-development
truss-braced wing to operate at
typical jet cruise speeds, a modi-
fication that could bring signifi-
cant fuel savings to future com-
mercial aircraft.
The company has worked for
years on truss-braced wings –
which derive efficiency from their
higher aspect ratios – but has now
unveiled a design that can cope
with the speed of a jet aircraft.
Boeing says its new “transonic
truss-braced wing” can fly at up to
Mach 0.80, compared with a pre-
vious design, which could only
achieve M0.70-M0.75.
The “new design is updated to
be more consistent with current
air travel”, says Neal Harrison,
Boeing programme manager for
transonic truss-braced wings.
Boeing achieved the improve-
ment by tweaking the truss design
and the wing’s sweep. It says such
wings can reduce an aircraft’s fuel
burn by 8-10% compared with
conventional cantilevered wings.
Images released by Boeing
show a truss-braced wing with a
narrowbody fuselage, but Harri-
son says an aircraft of any size
could incorporate such a struc-
ture. The technology is intended
to be ready for use by 2030-2035.
Boeing’s design involves a
lightweight 52m (170ft)-span
10 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
w
The airframer is seeking
­ orkers with at least two years of
experience in aviation and aero-
space production, although new
hires will receive several weeks
of training, potentially including
time at the primary A220 assem-
bly site in Mirabel, Canada.
Airbus in mid-January plans to
break ground at the Mobile site.
The US assembly line has been a
key part of the manufacturer’s
folding, high-wing configuration,
supported by a truss composed of
two major struts and two smaller
“jury struts”, Harrison says.
Engineers have worked for dec-
ades to perfect the design, marry-
ing the efficiency of long, slender
wings with the flutter-preventing
strength and stability of a truss.
ENGINE
GE puts its power behind drive towards 777X’s maiden sortie
While attracting headlines with its
futuristic truss-wing design,
Boeing has also carried on with
the more down-to-earth task of
preparing its initial flight-test 777X
for a maiden sortie later this year.
In early January, the latest step
towards that goal saw the instal-
lation of the big twin’s GE
Aviation GE9X powerplants.
The engines feature the larg-
est fan ever produced for a com-
Get the latest key information on fleet
­movements, purchases and retirements:
flightglobal.com/fleetsanalyzer
plan for the small narrowbody
since acquiring majority control of
the A220 programme from Bom-
bardier in July 2018.
Initially conceived as a means
of avoiding swingeing potential
US import duties, Airbus sees the
plant as vital to ramping up out-
put and serving domestic cus-
tomers. The airframer expects
A220 production at the new facil-
ity will begin in the third quarter.
Transonic technology will
allow speeds of up to M0.80
Boeing
Boeing’s work stems from an ef-
fort launched about a decade ago
to identify means to improve air-
craft efficiency, including through
alternative fuels, aerodynamic im-
provements and electric power.
For several years Boeing has
been working as part of NASA’s
Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Re-
mercial aircraft: at 3.4m (134in) in
diameter, the GE9X’s 16-blade
carbonfibre fan is wider than the
3.3m-diameter fan on the
­GE90-115B, which powers the
first-generation 777.
Additionally, the compressor
on the 105,000lb-thrust (467kN)
GE9X has a 27:1 pressure ratio,
with an overall engine pressure
ratio of 60:1 – the highest figures
for any GE powerplant.
Located at the Mobile Aeroplex
in Brookley, the A220 production
line will be adjacent to an existing
complex where Airbus already as-
sembles A320-family aircraft.
Delta Air Lines, the first US
customer for the CSeries, recent-
ly added 15 -300s to its order-
book, taking its total commit-
ment to 90 aircraft. It also
switched 35 of its existing orders
to the larger variant. ■
search programme, which aims to
develop technologies to cut air-
craft fuel burn by 70%. As part of
that effort, engineers have evalu-
ated truss-braced wings with as-
pect ratios as high as 27, according
to a NASA programme overview.
By comparison, wings on cur-
rent narrowbodies have aspect
ratios of roughly 8-10.
Developing lightweight truss-
braced-wings requires overcom-
ing significant engineering hur-
dles, Harrison says. “There are
aerodynamic and structural chal-
lenges. The changes under the
surface are very significant.”
Boeing’s project remains in the
research phase, though the air-
framer has completed some
windtunnel testing. ■
GE claims a 10% reduction in
fuel burn over the GE90, and is
well into a second round of GE9X
flight testing that kicked off on 10
December. As of 4 January, the
engine had completed eight test
flights and logged 55h of run
time during the current effort.
Around 18 flights are antici-
pated, before the second test
phase concludes in the first half
of the year. ■
flightglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON
R-R leads the charge to electric future
Engine maker aiming to capture speed record with modified NXT racer powered by energy-dense YASA battery pack
R olls-Royce intends to set a
speed record for all-electric
aircraft of at least 260kt
(481km/h) with an electrified ver-
sion of the Nemesis NXT racing
aircraft, which the engine maker
is building with UK partners.
The current speed record for
an all-electric aircraft stands at
182kt – achieved in 2017 by an
electrified version of the Extra
330, using a Siemens motor.
Part of R-R’s ACCEL initiative
– or Acceleration of the Electrifi-
cation of Flight – the manufac-
turer is modifying the low-wing,
single-seat kit aircraft at Glouces-
tershire airport with electric
motor supplier YASA and battery
specialist Electroflight.
Both suppliers are established
in the automotive industry –
Electroflight has extensive expe-
rience in motor racing – but are
looking to expand into aerospace,
R-R project manager Matheu Parr
tells FlightGlobal.
Normally powered by a 350hp
(260kW) Lycoming piston engine,
the 7.3m (24ft)-wingspan NXT has
a regular cruise speed of 282kt.
But the carbonfibre airframe is ca-
pable of reaching much higher
speeds, having become the fastest
aircraft in its class, at 355kt, with a
highly tuned engine.
TIGHT TIMETABLE
The electrified version is sched-
uled to fly for the first time in
early 2020 from a yet-to-be-deter-
mined Welsh airport and have a
Supermarine S.6B hit 298kt, scooping the 1931 Schneider Trophy
flightglobal.com
London City
readies digital
tower trial
Air Transport P12
Adapted Nemesis features a highly efficient 750V powertrain
range of at least 170nm (314km) neider Trophy, won by the Super-
– around the same distance as a marine S.6B race seaplane, pow-
flight from London to Paris. ered by a Rolls-Royce R engine.
In fact, the team have as a target R-R asserts that the project –
a speed record set by one of the partly funded by the UK govern-
pioneering designs in aviation. ment – is “no stunt”, but part of
the ACCEL initiative “to pioneer a
“We’re gaining the third wave of aviation” and sup-
port the manufacturer’s strategy
know-how to not “to champion electrification”.
only pioneer The model will have “the most
zero-emissions energy-dense battery pack ever
assembled for an aircraft”, it says.
aviation, but lead it” This will comprise some 6,000
Matheu Parr battery cells packaged for “maxi-
ACCEL project manager, Rolls-Royce mum lightness” and feature a liq-
uid cooling system to handle “ex-
treme temperatures and high
The team, says the engine current demands during flight”,
manufacturer, “have their eyes on R-R says. Regulating the battery
the Supermarine record” of pack’s temperature is “one of the
298kt, referring to the 1931 Sch- biggest design challenges for the
engineers”, it adds.
At maximum power, the sys-
tem will deliver 750kW – roughly
equivalent to a Formula 1 race car
– although continuous power
output will be around 500hp.
A three-bladed, electrically ac-
tuated propeller will be driven by
three off-the-shelf YASA 750R
electric motors – installed in se-
ANL/REX/Shutterstock
ries, one behind the next – which
have been optimised for high
torque, rather than speed.
The propeller will spin at less
than 2,400rpm, which, R-R says,
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 11
THIS WEEK
Rolls-Royce
is “far lower” than on compara-
ble, conventional aircraft in order
to deliver a “much more stable
and far quieter ride”.
Parr concedes that the electri-
fied aircraft will have less range
than the standard piston-engined
version. But he says that in terms
of performance, the electrifica-
tion will be a like-for-like replace-
ment, with the battery, motors
and electrical control equipment
weighing the same as the regular
engine and central fuel tank.
OPTIMISED OUTPUT
The NXT has dry wings and a max-
imum take-off weight of 1,200kg
(2,640lb). R-R foresees that the
powertrain will run at 750V and
reach 90% energy efficiency.
In order to optimise system
performance and safety, data
from more than 20,000 measur-
ing points will be processed per
second to assess the battery’s
voltage and temperature, and the
powertrain’s overall health.
Parr says the team has “already
drawn a series of insights from
the [electric aircraft’s] unique de-
sign and integration challenges”.
He says: “We’re gaining the
know-how to not only pioneer
the field of electric-powered, ze-
ro-emissions aviation – but to
lead it.” ■
AIR TRANSPORT
TECHNOLOGY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
London City readies digital tower trial
Year-long evaluation will test remote operation, as airport targets 45 movements per hour via £480 million expansion
L ondon City airport could
begin a year-long parallel trial
of its new digital tower as soon as
February, as the surveillance sys-
tem nears completion.
Cameras are being fitted this
month to a tower structure located
on the southern side of the airport,
which will feed visual informa-
tion to a control room at the Swan-
wick en route centre some 71
miles (115km) to the southwest.
London City chief commercial
officer Richard Hill tells Flight-
Global that the terminal expan-
sion planned for the airport will
block the view of controllers sta-
AIRLINE
Three-class E190 convinces LOT that latest LCY link is a winner
Polish flag carrier LOT on 7
January conducted its inaugural
service to London City from
Warsaw, intent on attracting cus-
tomers to the link with a three-
class cabin on its Embraer 190s.
The first aircraft (SP-LMB) – a
brand-new airframe, delivered to
the carrier just three weeks earlier
– touched down on runway 27 at
around 09:00 local time.
LOT says the 106-seat aircraft is
configured with business-, premi-
AVIONICS DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Aurigny underlines its ClearVision for future fleet
C hannel Islands carrier Au-
rigny has firmed its tentative
agreement for thee ATR 72-600s,
and will fit the turboprops with a
Manufacturer says system could halve disrupted Guernsey landings
12 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
tioned at the current tower.
The digital installation was cho-
sen as an alternative to construct-
ing a new tower at the airport.
Hill says the current tower will
remain operational for a year
while a trial, covering all seasons,
takes place with controllers at
Swanwick. Tests conducted two
years ago show that controllers
became used to the set-up “very
quickly”, while the digital tower
allows less head-down time by
providing information to person-
nel on the visual display.
“There’s a lot of information at
their fingertips,” Hill adds.
um-economy- and economy-class
cabins. It points out that corporate
travellers are looking to trim ex-
penditure on business flights, es-
pecially on short-haul routes, but
rejects concerns that the interme-
diate class would cannibalise the
business cabin.
The flight from Warsaw had
around 100 passengers, London
City airport’s operator says.
Boarding data for the initial return
flight indicated 22 passengers, but
new enhanced-vision system.
Aurigny had disclosed an ini-
tial deal for the aircraft during the
Farnborough air show last year.
AirTeamImages
For up-to-the-minute air transport news,
network and fleet information sign up at:
flightglobal.com/dashboard
Installation was chosen instead of constructing a new control centre
Expansion of the airport,
under a £480 million ($605 mil-
lion) scheme, includes construct-
the airline insists the link will be-
come a strong complement to its
London Heathrow-Warsaw route.
“We’re very happy with the
bookings,” it says. “The load fac-
tors are very decent, even at the
beginning of the service.”
LOT is operating the connec-
tion twice daily, and is set to rein-
force its London City presence
with flights from Budapest,
Hungary in February and Vilnius,
Lithuania in May. ■
ATR says the Guernsey-based
carrier has confirmed the acquisi-
tion, following local government
approval, and will take delivery of
the first aircraft in August this year.
All three ATRs will have the
“ClearVision” system, which pro-
vides an enhanced view to the
pilot through a head-worn visor
via an external camera. Aurigny is
launch customer for the system.
The system is designed to im-
prove situational awareness and
aid operations during fog.
“The opportunity to modernise
Peter Macdiarmid/REX/Shutterstock
ing a large platform over the
docks to support construction of
the new terminal, four times the
size of the current one, additional
parking stands, and a full-length
taxiway.
This flexibility will enable
London City to increase opera-
tions from 40 to 45 aircraft move-
ments per hour.
Meanwhile, the airport opera-
tor has expressed confidence that
it will not suffer immediate dis-
ruption as a result of the UK’s
withdrawal from the EU.
Hill says the operator has re-
ceived “assurances” from the gov-
ernment over continuity of service.
“It’s too big an issue,” says Hill, re-
garding the necessity of maintain-
ing connections with the EU. ■
our fleet, allowing us to offer our
customers the very latest stand-
ards of comfort whilst introducing
technology that will minimise dis-
ruption to their travel, makes per-
fect sense,” says Aurigny chief ex-
ecutive Mark Darby.
ATR says an assessment of Au-
rigny’s operations indicates
ClearVision could have halved
the number of disrupted landings
in Guernsey over a year.
Aurigny already operates three
ATR 72-500s and a single ATR
42-500. ■
flightglobal.com

FINANCE DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Liquidity shortfall adds to Germania’s ‘burdens’
G ermania has disclosed that it
is looking at a number of op-
tions to reinforce liquidity after a
tough year for the carrier, and the
industry in general.
It says “unforeseeable events” –
including a “massive” increase in
fuel price and weakening of the
European currency – have placed
“major burdens” on the airline.
Germania adds that it has ex-
perienced “considerable” delays
in bringing aircraft into its fleet,
and it has been coping with an
“unusually high” number of
maintenance events.
The Berlin-based airline is
aiming to modernise its fleet,
switching from Boeing 737s to an
OPERATIONS DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Drone attacks drive regulatory review
Disruption at two London hubs prompts UK government to extend exclusion zones and introduce countermeasures
U K authorities are to start test-
ing and evaluating a range of
counter-drone technologies, in-
tended to prevent airport disrup-
tion of the scale which recently
affected London’s Gatwick and
Heathrow airports.
The Department for Transport
has outlined the measures in a con-
sultation response document titled
The Future of Drones in the UK, in
which it also sets out enhanced
law enforcement powers and plans
to tighten airport restrictions to
protect low-flying aircraft.
These new restrictions will in-
clude a 3 mile (5km)-long and 0.6
mile-wide exclusion zone from
runway ends, drone flying within
which would require air traffic
control permission. There is al-
ready a limitation in place, as of
30 July last year, forbidding
drone flights above 400ft within
0.6 miles of an airport.
“[While] increasing the restric-
tion zone would not prevent a de-
liberate incident, it is important
that proportionate measures are in
place to help protect all arriving
and departing aircraft using our
flightglobal.com
JetBlue worried at
new Delta venture
Air Transport P14
all-Airbus operation: it has 25
A320neo jets on order.
“Germania is currently exam-
ining various financing options to
ensure its short-term liquidity,”
the carrier says.
“We are focusing on the central
question of how we can continue
to be effective in a market envi-
ronment dominated by airlines
under larger corporate struc-
tures.” It stresses, however, that it
is continuing to operate as nor-
mal and there are no limitations
on its services.
Germania operates a fleet of 37
aircraft on scheduled, charter and
ad hoc flights, with a network of
some 60 destinations. ■
Pilots have called the steps vital towards prioritising aircraft safety
aerodromes and avoid potential
conflict with legitimate drone ac-
tivity,” says UK aviation minister
Liz Sugg in the response.
The Home Office will be able
to “expedite detailed policy
work” to develop means to allow
expanded use of counter-drone
technology, adds Sugg, which
would detect drones flying
around sensitive sites – airports
among them – and help prevent a
repeat of the Gatwick incident,
during which the airport was
closed for over 24h.
AIR TRANSPORT
Airbus
Carrier is instituting an all-Airbus fleet, with 25 A320neos on order
need to complete a competency
test online.
“We are also working with
manufacturers to introduce new
technologies which will help in
making sure drones are used in
accordance with the law,” says
the document. These technolo-
gies include geo-fencing and
Max Kingsley-Jones/FlightGlobal
electronic conspicuity.
UK cockpit union BALPA,
which had criticised the current
airport flight restrictions as being
“too lax”, has welcomed the
planned extension to the exclu-
sion zone. “The recent events at
Disruption at Gatwick, says the Gatwick, combined with the re-
document, was a “stark example” sponses to the recent public con-
of why continued action is re- sultation, have convinced the gov-
quired to ensure drones are used ernment of the need to revisit the
safely and securely in the UK. laws and make changes,” it says.
That incident was followed on BALPA insists it is “not anti-
8 January by a drone incursion at drone” but general secretary
London Heathrow that caused a Brian Strutton says that the safety
1h suspension of departures. As a of aircraft and their occupants
result, military personnel have must be prioritised. It says it co-
been deployed to the west London sponsored drone impact tests
site to assist with security. with the Department for Trans-
From 30 November this year, port and would be keen to assist
drone operators will be required with testing new technologies to
to register and drone pilots will ensure drones are flown safely. ■
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 13
AIR TRANSPORT
US mainline operator plans to reinforce links with Air France-KLM
OPERATIONS JON HEMMERDINGER BOSTON
JetBlue worried at
new Delta venture
Carrier asks regulator to analyse competitive impact from
transatlantic partnership amid European expansion plans
U S regulatory documents filed
by JetBlue Airways relating to
slots at several European airports
in recent weeks come amid in-
creasing speculation that the New
York-based carrier’s next expan-
sion could be across the Atlantic.
The filings do not describe
concrete plans by JetBlue to serve
Europe, but call on US regulators
to ensure a proposed venture led
by Delta Air Lines will not hinder
new carriers from serving con-
strained European airports.
JetBlue executives have al-
ready said they are contemplat-
ing launching European flights
and acquiring Airbus A321LRs
for the mission, with a decision
expected later this year.
However, the move will hinge
on obtaining access to European
airports.
That access is also central to an
ongoing regulatory tussle involv-
ing a plan by Delta, Air France-
KLM and Virgin Atlantic to form
a single venture with immunity
from anti-trust laws.
Delta already operates within
two immunised European trans-
atlantic ventures: one with Virgin
Atlantic and another with Air
France-KLM and Alitalia.
But the new grouping – signifi-
cantly excluding troubled Alita-
14 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
AirTeamImages
lia – would supersede the two
existing ventures.
Delta and its partners say their
plan will remove “seams” and
benefit the travelling public.
JetBlue does not oppose Delta’s
move – although it describes it
as a “conglomerate mega joint
venture” – but urges regulators
to study the potential competi-
tive impact at slot-constrained
airports in Amsterdam, London
and Paris.
Delta and its partners have tried
“to minimise” that impact, “espe-
cially for new entrant carriers”,
JetBlue’s filing says, but it warns
that the plan “would further con-
centrate an already concentrated
transatlantic marketplace”.
“As JetBlue contemplates ser-
vice to Europe, an expanded [an-
ti-trust] grant to Delta in this case
could have severe competitive
implications and further restrict
JetBlue’s ability to meaningfully
serve the United Kingdom and
European Union markets,” Jet-
Blue says.
Delta denies JetBlue’s claims,
noting that the new venture will
not negatively impact competi-
tion because the carrier and its
partners already have an agree-
ment not to compete directly
against each other. ■
Get the latest key information on fleet
­movements, purchases and retirements:
flightglobal.com/fleetsanalyzer
PROGRAMME DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Sukhoi awaits clearance
for Iranian SSJ exports
R ussian airframer Sukhoi’s
civil aircraft division claims it
has yet to hear from US regulators
tion last year, with only three Air-
bus jets and a batch of ATR
turboprops being delivered.
regarding possible clearance of
Superjet 100 sales to Iran. “Costs of operating
The Superjet comprises more
the modified
than 10% US-sourced compo-
nents, which means that – under product will be
US government sanctions criteria significantly reduced”
– the aircraft type needs approval
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft
for sale to Iran.
But Sukhoi Civil Aircraft
(SCAC) states that, while it had
submitted a request to US au- SCAC has been working on a
thorities, it had not received component substitution strategy
“any feedback”, either positive which intends to give the compa-
or negative, by the close of 2018 ny greater delivery freedom by
on the matter of export to Iran. cutting the proportion of foreign
Iran Air and other carriers had parts in its Superjet 100.
been undertaking fleet-moderni- “Costs of operating the modi-
sation efforts with Airbus, Boeing fied product will be significantly
and other manufacturers after
nuclear-related sanctions were
eased in 2015.
reduced,” it says,.
In addition, a repricing meas-
ure for certain components will
But the sanctions were rein- improve the efficiency of the pro-
stated by the Trump administra- gramme overall. ■
United Airlines
FLEET
Dreamliner family is finally United
United Airlines’ first Boeing 787-10 has entered revenue
­service, making the Chicago-based carrier the first to operate
all three variants in the Dreamliner family. The airline debuted
the -10 on a service from Los Angeles to Newark on 7 January.
United currently has 40 787s in its fleet: 12 -8s, 25 -9s and three
-10s, Flight Fleets Analyzer records, plus another 13 787-9s and
11 -10s on order. The Star Alliance carrier says its second
­787-10 will enter service in February on its route between San
Francisco and Newark. International flights with the variant will
begin in March, linking Newark to Frankfurt and Tel Aviv.
flightglobal.com

FINANCE MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON
MAEL collapses as customers walk out
Debt restructure triggers exodus of key MRO work, forcing wave of redundancies and fire sale of remaining operations
U K maintenance provider
Monarch Aircraft Engineering
(MAEL) has collapsed into admin-
istration within days of announc-
ing a partial sale of the business.
Over 400 staff members were
immediately made redundant on
4 January, with the appointment
of KPMG as administrator.
KPMG also oversaw the insol-
vency of the MRO provider’s for-
mer sister operation, Monarch
Airlines, in 2017.
The business has become “un-
sustainable in its present form”,
says KPMG, following the loss of
several customers after MAEL un-
dertook a restructuring effort in
October 2018 in order to reduce
“significant debts” inherited from
the airline. Creditors on 9 Novem-
ber agreed to a company voluntary
arrangement (CVA) under which
MAEL would reduce the £138 mil-
lion ($176 million) it owed.
MAEL said in December that it
was seeking to sell all or part of its
business, comprising four divi-
sions – line and base maintenance,
ANALYSIS DOMINIC PERRY LONDON
Accounts reveal a firm whose health relied on Monarch’s wealth
The administration and effective
closure of Monarch Aircraft
Engineering (MAEL) marks the end
of a business that was created in
1967 as Airline Engineering, only
switching to its current title in 1980.
Accounts covering MAEL’s final
10 years of operation show a
business which, up until 2017,
had steadily expanded.
Turnover grew from £73.6 mil-
lion ($93.8 million) in the financial
year ended 31 October 2007, to
£114 million in the same period
in 2014.
Profitability before tax, however,
fluctuated over the past decade,
rising to a high point of £5.2 million
in 2012, and a low of £1,000 in
2014. Over the nine years for
which figures are available, pre-tax
profit averaged £2.35 million.
Greybull Capital acquired
flightglobal.com
Canberra confirms
surplus Hornet sale
to Canada
Defence P16
Accountancy firm KPMG previously oversaw insolvency of sister carrier
continuing airworthiness manage-
ment organisation (CAMO) servic-
es and technical training.
BUYERS FOUND
Buyers have only been found for
the line maintenance business,
however. KPMG says MAEL’s
line maintenance operations at
Birmingham, East Midlands,
Glasgow, and London Gatwick
airports have “largely” trans-
ferred to UK engineering recruit-
MAEL in October 2014, along with
Monarch Airlines. Accounts for
that year, issued in June 2015,
were the first to detail a “material
uncertainty” relating to MAEL’s
going concern status, largely re-
flecting the financial position of
parent company Monarch
Holdings, which had been bought
in a distressed condition.
But the health of the MRO pro-
vider was inextricably intertwined
with that of its sister carrier. As the
accounts make clear, much of its
expansion was driven by growth at
Monarch Airlines.
MAEL had attempted to bring
in more third-party work, but at its
height – the year ended 31
October 2015 – this never ac-
counted for more than 40% of
turnover. Although third-party rev-
enues that year fell by 6.2%, ac-
AIR TRANSPORT
lowing the termination of a long-
standing support contract in No-
vember. These transactions have
collectively secured continuing
employment for 182 staff mem-
bers, KPMG says.
Geoff Robinson Photography/REX/Shutterstock
It puts MAEL’s current work-
force at 579, of which 408 will
immediately be made redundant.
SUSPENSIONS
No offers have been received for
the MRO provider’s base mainte-
nance operations in Birmingham
and Luton, which KPMG de-
scribes as “the activity that suf-
ment specialist Morson Group. fered most from the loss of key
“Certain Gatwick-based em- customers following the October
ployees have also transferred to 2018 restructuring”.
Boeing,” KPMG adds. Storm It says operations at these sites
Aviation has acquired MAEL’s “will be suspended immediately,
line maintenance operations at resulting in the redundancy of
Luton airport. circa 250 employees”.
On 3 January, UK regional car- KPMG adds that it will work
rier Flybe told FlightGlobal that it with a “small number” of remain-
had in late 2018 taken on around ing base maintenance customers
60 staff members from MAEL’s and seek buyers for the facilities.
line maintenance operations in The CAMO business – support-
Birmingham and Manchester, fol- ing 33 aircraft across eight custom-
ers, with 27 staff members – and
the training school in Luton are set
to continue operating, while
KPMG seeks potential buyers.
KPMG says it intends to retain
cording to its accounts, from £41.4 the school’s current 53 trainees
million to £38.8 million, they repre- “for a period, while assisting
sented a greater share of the total. them in finding new apprentice-
No details of turnover from ship placements”.
third-party work are disclosed in Some 83 MAEL employees are
any further accounts. In the final to be kept temporarily to support
year for which accounts are avail- the winding down of the business.
able – to 31 October 2016 – overall Citing debts MAEL inherited
revenue stood at £91.1 million, from its former parent, adminis-
with pre-tax profit at £1.61 million. trator David Pike says: “Every ef-
Following the collapse of fort has been made to turn
Monarch Airlines in October 2017, around the business… Unfortu-
MAEL was solely reliant on work nately, following the CVA, a
from other carriers, likely to have number of customers reduced or
been around £25-30 million. sought to terminate their relation-
Fast forward 12 months, and ship with MAEL, further adverse-
MAEL attempted to shed legacy ly impacting the business.”
debts through a company volun- MAEL is owned by Greybull
tary arrangement. However, a Capital through its investment ve-
number of customers reduced or hicle Petrol Jersey, which bought
ended their relationship with the MRO provider for just £1 from
MAEL, triggering a dive from the administrators of the Monarch
which there was no recovery. ■ Airlines group. ■
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 15
DEFENCE
REQUIREMENT GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE
Canberra confirms surplus Hornet sale to Canada
A ustralia’s Department of
Defence has confirmed a
­
deal to sell Canada up to 25 sur-
plus Boeing F/A-18A/B “Classic”
Hornet fighters.
“If the full scope of aircraft is
acquired, the sale price is worth
up to A$95 million [$68 million]
and includes spare parts and
equipment as agreed with Cana-
da,” says the DoD. “A purchasing
agreement is in place, with the
transfer of assets occurring over
the next three years,” it adds.
Canberra’s announcement
followed media reports in
­ The Ottawa Citizen quotes Patt
­Canada that the deal – first moot-
ed in 2017 – had been confirmed
by Ottawa.
RESULTS GARRETT REIM LOS ANGELES
Apache problems hit Boeing deliveries
Defence unit reports 43% fall in aircraft handed over in 2018, after safety issue disrupted AH-64 work for US Army
D eliveries by Boeing’s De-
fense, Space & Security unit
fell by 43.5% in 2018 compared
with the previous year, with a
total of 96 aircraft handed over.
A delivery report shows that
the largest contributing factor to
the decline was fewer deliveries of
new and remanufactured AH-64
Apache attack helicopters.
Last February, the US Army
discovered a critical safety issue
with the Apache’s strap pack
­mega-nut, which connects its ro-
torhead to the airframe and keeps
the blades from spinning off dur-
ing flight. It found that these might
Issue centred on corrosion risk affecting key rotorhead component
16 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
The plan calls for the acquisi-
tion of 18 airframes to serve as
combat assets with the Royal Ca-
nadian Air Force, with another
seven to be used for spare parts
and in support of testing.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows
that Canada’s air force operates
60 single-seat F/A-18As and 25
two-seat F/A-18Bs, with an aver-
age age of 32 years. The Royal
Australian Air Force’s respective
55 and 16 examples are of similar
vintage, and are being replaced
by Lockheed Martin F-35As.
Finn, assistant deputy minister
for materiel at Canada’s Depart-
ment of National Defence, as say-
corrode to the point where they
crack under stress after being sub-
jected to severe weather and salt
exposure in coastal areas. The ser-
vice subsequently refused accept-
ing delivery of the type for several
months, until Boeing could show
it had fixed the problem.
Speaking at the Association of
the US Army conference in Wash-
ington, DC last October, Steve
Wade, vice-president for Boeing’s
attack helicopter programmes,
said the company had delivered
only 12 Apaches through the first
half of 2018, and none in the third
quarter. At the time, he estimated
US Army
For insight and analysis of the latest
developments in the defence sector, visit:
flightglobal.com/defence
transfer assets within three years
ing that the fighters being ac-
quired from Australia will be
equipped with different ejection
seats and software, making them
“indistinguishable” from Cana-
da’s existing examples.
it would hand over another 22 ex-
amples in the last quarter, which
would leave its annual total nearly
30% lower than planned.
The company ultimately deliv-
ered only 23 remanufactured
Apaches last year. It had hoped to
make up lost ground in 2019, but
with deliveries having been even
lower than anticipated, it is not
clear when Boeing will get the
programme back on schedule.
The company declines to com-
ment on the reduced number of
military deliveries made in 2018,
citing a quiet period before its
annual earnings announcement at
the end of January, and the need
to consult with the US Army.
Of Boeing’s seven military
aircraft programmes active in
­ liveries comes as the defence
2017, six experienced declining
­delivery numbers in 2018.
This included both new-build
and remanufactured Apaches, re-
newed CH-47 Chinook transport
helicopters, its F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet and F-15 fighters and the
P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. The
only increase was recorded for
new-build Chinooks.
Commonwealth of Australia
Royal Australian Air Force will
Last October, Ottawa issued a
draft request for proposals listing
five potential suppliers – Airbus
Defence & Space, Boeing, Das-
sault, Lockheed and Saab – for a
requirement for 88 new fighters. ■
Boeing military deliveries
2018 2017
AH-64 (new build) 0 11
AH-64 (remanufactured) 23 57
CH-47 (new build) 13 9
CH-47 (renewed) 17 35
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 17 23
F-15 10 16
P-8 16 19
Total 96 170
Source: Boeing
In another setback, Boeing
­ isclosed at the end of December
d
that its much-delayed KC-46A
tanker programme would miss its
revised first delivery target of
­before year-end.
However, the slower pace of de-
unit’s backlog grew from $49.6
­billion at 31 December 2017 to
$58 billion at the end of the third
quarter. Sales successes in 2018
included contracts to supply the
US Air Force with T-X advanced
jet trainers and MH-139 utility
helicopters, plus MQ-25A Sting-
ray carrier-based unmanned refu-
elling aircraft for the US Navy. ■
flightglobal.com

DEPLOYMENT ANNO GRAVEMAKER ARNHEM
Dutch focus shifts after return of F-16s
Netherlands concludes fighter contribution to Middle East operation, amid plan to acquire additional F-35 squadron
S ix Royal Netherlands Air
Force Lockheed Martin F-16s
returned to the service’s Leeu-
warden and Volkel air bases on 2
January, after completing a year-
long deployment to Jordan as
part of an international coalition
conducting operations against
Islamic State militants in the
Middle East.
During joint operations con-
ducted with the Belgian air force,
Dutch F-16s supported the coali-
tion campaign between October
2014 and June 2016, and from
January through December 2018.
Belgian aircraft operated through-
out this period, with ground sup-
port provided by personnel from
both European nations.
Through more than three
years of total participation,
Dutch aircraft flew in excess of
3,000 missions, totalling over
14,500h, and released approxi-
mately 2,100 weapons against
targets including ground vehi-
PROGRAMME GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE
Jakarta payment eases
fears over Seoul’s K-FX
K orea Aerospace Industries
(KAI) has received a W130 bil-
lion ($117 million) payment from
Indonesia’s defence ministry, sug-
gesting that Jakarta’s involvement
in the K-FX/I-FX fighter pro-
gramme is back on track.
“Through the latest payment,
we can dispel worries about In-
donesia’s potential exit from the
project, and we expect the
country to actively participate,”
says KAI.
Under the terms of their origi-
nal K-FX/I-FX pact, Jakarta was
due to contribute W1.6 trillion of
the programme’s expected W8.5
billion price.
However, its commitment ap-
peared to falter during 2018,
until a team led by coordinating
flightglobal.com
UK signs Shadow
R1 support
contract
Defence P18
Type flew from Jordan during coalition campaign against IS militants
cles and ammunition stores.
Missions included flying pre-
planned air interdiction sorties
and providing close air support
for land forces.
The Dutch defence ministry,
which notes that its F-16s remain
available for use in support of
NATO rapid reaction units, is
minister for political, legal and
security affairs Wiranto visited
Seoul in October, to discuss con-
cerns over costs.
Since 2014, the Indonesian
Rupiah has almost halved in
value against the US dollar and
has also fallen by nearly a third
against the South Korean won.
South Korean news agency
Yonhap reports that Indonesia
had paid no money into the pro-
gramme since 2017 prior to its
fresh allocation.
Seoul’s K-FX project is due to
become its biggest defence acqui-
sition programme. It plans to ac-
quire 120 of the twin-engined
fighters, while Indonesia is ex-
pected to take 80 examples for its
air force. ■
DEFENCE
that will be enabled by additional
funding leading to the nation
meeting a NATO spending target
of 2% of GDP on defence.
According to this plan, the
Netherlands will acquire 15 ad-
ditional F-35s for around €1.2 bil-
lion ($1.1 billion), boosting an
existing commitment to take 37
conventional take-off and land-
Hollandse Hoogte/REX/Shutterstock
ing examples.
Two Dutch F-35As are already
involved in operational test and
evaluation work performed at Ed-
wards AFB, California, while six
more will be stationed at Luke
AFB in Arizona to support the
training of pilots from the Nether-
meanwhile preparing for the op- lands and Denmark.
erational introduction of the Aircraft to be assigned to a first
Lockheed F-35 as a replacement operational squadron at Leeu-
for its current fighters. warden will arrive in the Nether-
Defence minister Ank Bijlev- lands this year, with a second
eld on 14 December 2018 an- unit to be formed at Volkel air
nounced the Netherlands’ inten- base. The location for the nation’s
tion to purchase another third frontline squadron has yet
squadron of F-35s, in a measure to be decided. ■
Javier Cebollada/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Madrid gained cost savings on modernisation via US multi-year deal
CONTRACT GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE
Spain opts for CH-47F upgrade
B oeing will upgrade the Span-
ish army’s fleet of 17 CH-47D
Chinooks to its F-model standard,
affordable upgrade,” says Chuck
Dabundo, Boeing’s vice-president,
cargo and utility helicopters, and
with Madrid taking advantage of H-47 programme manager.
cost savings provided through a Key aspects of the modernisa-
recent multi-year contract mecha- tion activity will include the in-
nism agreed with the US Army. stallation of a digital automatic
“With this contract, Spain’s flight control system, common
Chinook crews will enjoy the plat- avionics architecture, and the
form’s current technology and ca- provision of an improved cargo
pability, while the country gets an handling system, says Boeing. ■
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 17
DEFENCE
MAINTENANCE CRAIG HOYLE LONDON
UK signs Shadow R1 support contract
Long-term deal will keep RAF surveillance fleet flying until retirement, with major modernisation nearing confirmation
R aytheon UK has been award-
ed a £250 million ($315 mil-
lion) contract to support opera-
tions with the Royal Air Force’s
Beechcraft King Air 350CER-de-
rived Shadow R1 surveillance
fleet until 2030.
To come into effect in April
2019, the arrangement has an 11-
year term, covering the period until
the RAF’s expected out-of-service
date for the type. Flight Fleets Ana-
lyzer shows it has six of the twin-
turboprops in use, with another
two to be added to its inventory.
Employed as intelligence, sur-
veillance and reconnaissance as-
sets, the Shadow R1s are assigned
to 14 Sqn and based at RAF Wad-
dington in Lincolnshire. Five ex-
amples were acquired using ur-
gent operational requirement
PROCUREMENT CRAIG HOYLE LONDON
Second GlobalEye for UAE makes flight debut
T he second of three Saab
GlobalEye surveillance air-
craft on order for launch custom-
er the United Arab Emirates com-
pleted a 2h 54min maiden flight
from Linkoping in Sweden on 3
January.
Based on a Bombardier Global
6000 long-range business jet,
GlobalEye combines a Saab Eri-
eye ER active electronically
scanned array radar above the fu-
selage with a Leonardo Seaspray
7500E maritime search radar,
electro-optical/infrared sensor,
and electronic warfare equip-
ment. With several onboard sta-
tions for mission-system opera-
Download the 2019
Wo r l d A i r Fo r c e s R e p o r t
w w w. f l i g h t g l o b a l . c o m / w a f
Ruag 2017 strip ad.indd 1
18 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
King Air-based type is scheduled to remain operational through 2030
funding more than a decade ago
to support UK and coalition
ground personnel in Afghanistan,
and the UK Ministry of Defence
pledged to buy three more as part
of its Strategic Defence and Secu-
rity Review of 2015.
Raytheon UK says its new
tors, it can perform simultaneous
airborne early warning, maritime
and ground surveillance tasks.
The UAE announced an order
for two GlobalEye platforms at
Dubai air show in November
2015, later committing to buying a
third example.
Carrying the registration SE-
RMZ and having collected flight-
test data during its first sortie, the
programme’s second aircraft got
airborne less than 10 months
after Saab’s lead example, which
made its debut in March 2018.
Saab has not disclosed when the
Rolls-Royce BR710-powered jet is
due to be delivered to the UAE. ■
For insight and analysis of the latest
developments in the defence sector, visit:
flightglobal.com/defence
Peter Foster
long-term deal covers “aircraft
maintenance, airworthiness man-
agement, design organisation and
supply chain support”. Availabil-
ity-based services will be provid-
ed at RAF Waddington, with
other support work and upgrades
to be performed at its Broughton
Modified Global 6000 performed 2h 54min sortie from Linkoping
site in North Wales.
The new agreement also “serves
as an enabling agreement to up-
grade the aircraft to the Mk2 ver-
sion”, Raytheon UK says, and the
company will be responsible for
the design and integration of re-
quired modifications. This major
capability update will include the
use of new sensors and communi-
cations equipment, along with in-
creased levels of software automa-
tion, the MoD indicated last year.
A preceding upgrade activity
is already under way, with initial
operational capability due to be
declared before the end of 2019.
Raytheon UK has previously said
that this work is centred on
“modularity and connectivity”
updates in support of the future
Mk2 standard. ■
Saab
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
04/12/2018 08:57
flightglobal.com
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BUSINESS AVIATION
TECHNOLOGY KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Alice makes reality of electric dreams
Start-up Eviation hoping nine-passenger, battery-powered commuter aircraft will make public debut at Paris air show
I sraeli start-up Eviation Aircraft
has closed the latest funding
round for its Alice all-electric
business and commuter aircraft,
saying it now has enough money
to finance the programme through
certification and into production.
The latest tranche of capital,
secured from strategic investors
in early January, brings total in-
vestment in the programme to
around $200 million.
Headquartered in Kadima-
Zoran, Israel, Eviation is assem-
bling the first prototype in Vannes,
northwest France, home to Alice’s
undisclosed composite fuselage
supplier. Internet listings show
only one composite specialist in
the French port town: Multiplast,
which produces engine inlet fair-
ings for several Airbus types.
Eviation hopes to fly Alice
ahead of the Paris air show in
June, where the aircraft will have
its first public outing. But com-
pany co-founder and chief exec-
utive Omer Bar-Yohay says the
debut sortie – from Vannes or
nearby Nantes – is dependent on
the prototype securing airworthi-
ness approval from the European
PERFORMANCE KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Falcon output falls for Dassault, but orders climb
6X was launched in February 2018, with first flight expected in 2021
20 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
Aviation Safety Agency before
the end of May.
“We want to test fly the aircraft
in France until the end of July and
then ship it to our new US base in
Prescott, Arizona, to continue
there,” Bar-Yohay says.
Bar-Yohay says Eviation select-
ed Prescott “due to the city and
the state’s pro-aviation stance”.
The town is also home to the
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Uni-
versity (ERAU) campus, which
Bar-­Yohay describes a “hotbed of
talented engineers and pilots”.
In December, Eviation teamed
up with ERAU Prescott to launch
a research and development pro-
gramme. Starting early this year,
the companies will focus on per-
formance analysis, validation
and testing, and preliminary de-
sign and sub-scale testing of fu-
ture electric propulsion and air-
frame design concepts.
Three aircraft are planned for
the flight-test campaign – two pro-
totypes and a production-con-
forming example. Parts for the
second Alice are under construc-
tion and the model is scheduled to
join the certification effort in the
Dassault
Keep up to date with business
aviation news and analysis at:
flightglobal.com/bizav
Honeywell will supply bespoke fly-by-wire and flightdeck systems
fourth quarter, Bar-Yohay adds.
The third aircraft will arrive in
mid-2020. Type certification and
service entry are expected in 2022.
Alice uses one main Hartzell
five-blade pusher-propeller at the
tail and two at the wing-tips, to re-
duce drag, increase redundancy
and improve efficiency. Each prop
is driven by a 260kW electric
motor, powered by a 900kWh lith-
ium-ion battery pack, giving Alice
a range of 540nm (1,000km) and a
cruise speed of 240kt (440km/h).
The all-composite aircraft will
seat nine passengers and two crew
in its 12m (39ft)-long fuselage. It is
projected to have a maximum
D eliveries of Falcon business
jets slid in 2018 to 41 units,
compared with 49 the previous
year, but Dassault says output
was in line with its forecast for
the period.
Net orders climbed by four
­aircraft for the year ended 31 De-
cember, to 42 Falcons, with
­intake showing “a good balance”
between its five models – the 7X
and 8X trijets, and the twin-en-
gined 2000LXS, 900LX and in-
development 6X.
The super-wide-cabin 6X was
launched in February 2018 as a
replacement for the 5X pro-
gramme, which Dassault axed
Eviation Aircraft
payload of 1,250kg (2,750lb) and a
maximum take-off weight of
5,900kg. It will feature a bespoke
fly-by-wire system and flightdeck
supplied by Honeywell.
Eviation opened the orderbook
for Alice last October, and the re-
sponse has been very positive,
says Bar-Yohay. The company is
targeting it at commuter airlines
and business aircraft operators
seeking “cost-efficient and envi-
ronmentally sound aircraft”.
“Alice’s direct operating costs
are $200 per flight hour with nine
passengers, flying at 240kt,” says
Bar-Yohay. “That is half the price
of a similar-sized turboprop.” ■
two months earlier due to recur-
rent technical issues with the jet’s
Safran Silvercest engines.
The final 5X order cancellation
was recorded last year, and the
French airframer says some
“loyal” customers have trans-
ferred their commitment to the
larger and longer-range 6X.
However, there will be a wait
for the Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW812D-powered aircraft: first
flight is scheduled for 2021, with
type certification and service
entry expected the following year.
Dassault ended 2018 with a
backlog of 53 Falcons – one high-
er than the previous December. ■
flightglobal.com

DEVELOPMENT KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
SyberJet staying on course with revamped SJ30i
S yberJet Aircraft is preparing
the SJ30i light jet for first
flight early in 2019, and plans to
secure certification and deliver
the first examples of the re-
vamped, high-performance twin
before the end of 2020.
Mark Fairchild, vice-president
of customer experience for the
Cedar City, Utah-headquartered
company, says it is about to wrap
up testing of the SJ30i’s systems,
including avionics, hydraulics,
flight controls, electrical power
generation, pneumatic/bleed air
and landing gear. “We hope to fly
the aircraft shortly,” he adds.
The Williams International
FJ44-3AP-2A-powered SJ30i is
an upgraded version of the
­SJ30-2, which was certificated in
2005 by its former owner Emivest
Aerospace. Four examples were
delivered and remain in service,
says Fairchild.
The programme was acquired
PROGRAMME KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Updated Vision sees clear skies ahead
Second-generation single-engined jet gains US approval, as manufacturer prepares to increase output in year ahead
C irrus Aircraft has secured US
certification for the second-
generation version of its Vision
Jet and is poised to deliver the
first example of the single-­
engined aircraft in mid-January.
The Vision Jet G2 features a
Garmin 3000-based Perspective
Touch+ avionics suite, which in-
corporates a faster processor and
brighter screens. The cockpit also
gains an autothrottle and in-
creased connectivity.
The cabin has a new, modular
four-seat executive layout and in-
creased soundproofing “for
added comfort”.
Two True Blue Power TB17
lithium-ion batteries replace the
original lead-acid power packs,
reducing weight and providing a
faster, cooler engine start, espe-
cially in cold weather, Cirrus says.
The Williams International
flightglobal.com
Automation
mismatch
Cover Story P22
Four examples of original model were built by former owner Emivest
in 2011 by SyberJet’s parent MTI,
whose subsidiary, Metalcraft
Technologies, was the aft fuselage
supplier for the aircraft.
The SJ30i has the same perfor-
mance as its predecessor, includ-
ing a 2,500nm (4,630km) range
and a cruise speed of 490kt
(908km/h). Key differences are a
redesigned interior, which Fair-
child says “improves aesthetics,
reduces weight, and lowers man-
FJ33-5A-powered G2 also boasts
an operating ceiling of 31,000ft –
3,000ft above than its predeces-
sor – giving it access to Reduced
Vertical Separation Minimum
(RVSM) airspace.
“Operating at this altitude will
give G2 operators a range of up to
1,275nm [2,360km],” says Matt
Bergwall, director of the Vision
Jet product line. At 28,000ft, the
Vision Jet’s range is 1,150nm.
“We expect this to be a popular
feature, and have launched a
training programme to help buy-
ers meet RVSM requirements,”
he adds.
The G2 is priced at $2.75 mil-
lion – around $250,000 more than
the original version, which en-
tered service in December 2016.
The Vision Jet is the only Part
23-certificated single-engined
business jet on the market.
BUSINESS AVIATION
SyberJet
ufacturing and installation
costs”, and a bespoke cockpit,
dubbed SyberVision.
Based on Honeywell’s Primus
Epic 2.0 system, the flightdeck of-
fers four 12in displays, SmartView
synthetic vision, a moving map
display system, and dual flight
management systems. SyberVision
also meets automatic dependent
surveillance – broadcast out re-
quirements, which will become
New variant’s higher operating ceiling offers range-extension boost
Bergwall says serial number 94
is the first G2 model, and the air-
craft will be handed over to its
owner “in the next few days”.
Cirrus has delivered 88 Vision
Jets to date, including 63 exam-
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 21
compulsory in the USA and Eu-
rope from January and June 2020,
respectively.
The SJ30i fleet will consist of
the five unsold and incomplete
units that MTI acquired from
Emivest, with the first example
currently in assembly.
Serial number 15 will be the
first aircraft to be wholly pro-
duced by SyberJet, and the initial
example of the airframer’s new
standard model – the SJ30x.
Priced at $8.8 million, these air-
craft will be powered by more fu-
el-efficient, higher-thrust FJ44-
3AP-25 turbofans.
Fairchild says the SJ30x will
see changes to its fuel system,
avionics display software, electri-
cal systems, bleed air, and basic
structure “due to the difference in
the geometry and additional
thrust of the engines”.
Certification and service entry
are expected in 2021. ■
Cirrus Aircraft
ples in 2018. The order backlog
totals 540 aircraft, Bergwall says,
and the airframer plans to in-
crease production in 2019 to 80
units, and to around 100 in
2020. ■
COVER STORY
Automation
mismatch
During a mixed year for safety, the loss of a Lion Air 737
Max 8 stood out as exemplifying how advances in cockpit
technology can lead to conflict between systems and crew
DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON
T
he world’s airline safety perfor-
mance figures for 2018 may compare
unfavourably with those for the pre-
vious three years, but a glance at the
totals for the period before 2015 shows that
aviation safety trends over the longer term
still appear to be heading in the right direc-
tion (see graph, P24).
There were 14 fatal airline accidents in the
year just ended, and 543 people died in them.
That looks terrible, compared with the 2017
figures of 12 and 56 respectively, and viewed
against the best-ever year – 2015 – in which
there were only nine fatal accidents, even if
they resulted in 176 casualties.
In an era when the number of serious acci-
dents is small compared with the numbers in
earlier decades, a single year can produce a sta-
tistical “spike” in either direction just by hav-
ing one more – or one fewer – crash involving a
large aircraft with a high passenger load.
The bad news in 2018 was that six of the
fatal accidents involved large passenger jets.
This marked a dramatic contrast with 2017,
Failure to turn on pitot heaters doomed Saratov Airlines An-148, killing all 71 on board
22 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
when all the fatal crashes that occurred in-
volved relatively small turboprop-powered
aircraft, or pure freighters, and no passenger
jets at all.
But to put these six big-jet fatal accidents
into perspective, it is important to point out
that in three of them only one passenger was
lost in each event. Unfortunately, in the other
three, very nearly all on board were killed. To
make the 2018 numbers worse, two of the tur-
boprops that crashed catastrophically were
also high-capacity aircraft carrying full pas-
senger loads.
The first of the jet disasters was a sad but
simple tale, according to Russian investiga-
tors, in which the Saratov Airlines Antonov
An-148 crew failed to turn any of the pitot
heaters on for a take-off from Moscow
Domodedovo on 11 February. This led to the
loss of airspeed and altitude readings soon
after getting airborne, then loss of control.
The Cuban authorities have provided no
preliminary information yet about the 18 May
Cubana Boeing 737-200 accident near Ha- off. Speculation about an engine failure and
vana, but video footage shows the aircraft fall- stall have not been confirmed.
ing out of a high nose-up climb just after take- The third jet disaster, involving a Lion Air
737 Max 8 on 29 October, is complicated and
its implications are examined later in this ar-
ticle. In terms of fatalities, at 189, it was by far
the worst accident of the year.
The Indonesian carrier also had a non-fatal
but serious accident on 29 April, when a 737-
800 landed at Gorontalo in the rain, ran off
the runway into mud, and all the crew’s com-
munications with air traffic control (ATC) and
the cabin failed.
The first of the two big turboprop crashes,
Alexander Oleinikov/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
on 18 February, involved an Iran Aseman Air-
lines ATR 72 hitting high ground in snow
during an old-fashioned non-directional bea-
con approach to a town in a deep valley sur-
rounded by high mountains.
The unanswered question is why the air-
craft’s terrain awareness and warning system
(TAWS) did not prevent an accident that
looks like controlled flight into terrain: an ac-
flightglobal.com

cident category that TAWS was supposed to
eliminate.
In the second serious turboprop crash, in-
volving a US-Bangla Airlines Bombardier
Q400 attempting a landing at Kathmandu,
Nepal, on 12 March, there appears to have
been a major misunderstanding between the
crew and ATC, followed by loss of control at
low level, possibly caused by distraction.
In the non-fatal accident listings, there
were as many damaging runway excursions
as there seem to be every year, despite indus-
try attempts to persuade pilots to concentrate
on stabilising approaches in good time to en-
sure a stable landing. Meanwhile, there were
so many ground collisions during taxiing that
they are not listed here: usually very expen-
sive impacts involving wingtips striking the
tails or wingtips of other aircraft. Insurers are
increasingly refusing to cover these.
Runway incursions and airport navigation
errors, too, are back. In August, a Jet Airways
737 attempted a take-off at Riyadh from a
flightglobal.com
Six of the fatal accidents
involved large passenger jets,
which marked a dramatic
contrast with 2017
parallel taxiway instead of the runway, and
in September an Air Arabia Airbus A320
was cleared to take off from an intersection
on Sharjah’s very long runway 30, but turned
the wrong way at line-up and began take-off
in the reciprocal direction to that for which
the flight was cleared. The captain r­ ealised
distance was running out and selected full
power just in time to clear the approach
lights.
By and large, 2018 was an unexceptional
year, with lots of accidents and incidents
caused by the traditional hazards that have
always lain in wait for aviators, with no clear
theme and virtually no “black swan” total
AIRLINE SAFETY
US-Bangla Airlines crash appears to have
followed misunderstanding between
Q400’s pilots and air traffic control
Narendra Shrestha/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
surprises.
The exception to that was the 29 October
Lion Air accident, that happened a little more
than 10min after departure from Jakarta on a
short domestic flight.
STUNNING EVENT
Indeed, this total loss of an almost brand-new
737-8 was the greatest shock of 2018, killing
all 189 people on board when the aircraft
dived into the sea near Java (see accident list-
ing, P30).
It was a shock because – for many years –
there has been complete aviation industry
unanimity behind the contention that the
dominant factor driving world airline safety
performance improvement over the past four
decades has been advancing cockpit technol-
ogy and systems reliability. So when the crew
of one of Boeing’s latest-generation narrow-
bodies appeared to lose control of their air-
craft, there was a significantly heightened
surprise factor. ❯❯
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 23
COVER STORY

❯❯ The preliminary report from Indonesia’s

National Transportation Safety Committee
(NTSC) suggests that a factor in the sequence
of events leading to the Lion Air crash was a
faulty angle-of-attack (AoA) sensor. This de-
vice, says the report, sent false signals to a
new stall protection system unique to the
Max series of 737s, known as the manoeu-
vring control augmentation system (MCAS).
According to the report, these signals
wrongly indicated a very high AoA, and the
MCAS triggered the horizontal stabiliser to
trim the aircraft nose down. Boeing points out
that the flightcrew operating manual contains
a drill to deal with a runaway stabiliser trim,
but the crew did not appear to recognise this
as such an event, so did not apply the drill
and the nose-down control force generated by
the stabiliser seems to have resulted in a dive
into the sea.
The NTSC’s preliminary report provides
considerable detail about a flight from
­Denpasar to Jakarta in the same airframe on
the previous day (28 October), when almost
exactly the same sequence of events oc-
curred, including the signal from the faulty
AoA sensor.
But on that occasion, the captain selected
the STAB TRIM switches to CUT OUT and Preliminary findings from
proceeded successfully to the scheduled des- Lion Air crash have been
tination, despite the checklist advice to divert sternly criticical of the
to the nearest aerodrome. Indeed, the NTSC’s airline’s safety culture
report provides more detail about that flight
than the accident flight itself, prompting Boe-
ing to observe: “Unlike as is stated with re- vived the 28 October flight from Denpasar to It also remarks that the weight and balance
spect to the prior flight, the report does not Jakarta for deciding to continue to its desti- sheets showed five cabin crew on board,
state whether the pilots performed the runa- nation, despite the fact that the captain’s whereas there were in fact six of them. The
way stabiliser procedure or cut out the stabi- stick shaker was operating continuously sheer number of repeating faults, flight after
liser trim switches.” from just after take-off, rendering the aircraft flight, in the accident aircraft over the last few
Indonesia and Lion Air have a poor safety unairworthy. It says Lion Air needs to “im- days before the crash has driven the investiga-
record compared with global averages, and prove the safety culture”, the implication tors to call for more accurate technical report-
the NTSC’s preliminary report contains a long presumably being that a crew that can make ing by Lion Air crews and better maintenance
list of safety actions to be carried out by Lion a decision to continue a flight with an unair- fault troubleshooting. And there is much
Air and its aircraft maintenance providers. worthy aircraft demonstrates the absence of more, despite the fact that this report is only
The report criticises the crew that sur- such a mindset. the preliminary one.

COMMUNICATION GAP
World airline fatal accidents and fatalities, 2009-2018* An unsettling fact that has emerged since the
Fatal accidents Fatalities NTSC published its report is that some pilot
50 900 associations in the USA whose members op-
45 810 erate the Max have professed publicly that
40 720 there was a widespread ignorance among
35 630
Max-qualified pilots of the very existence of
30 540
the MCAS, and also an assumption that a run-
25 450
away trim would be dealt with in exactly the
20 360
same way as it was for all the earlier 737
15 270
marques – which is not true. Meanwhile, the
10 180
biggest pilot union, ALPA, has remained
5 90
tight-lipped on the subject.
0 0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 The reason for this professed pilot ignorance
Source: FlightGlobal *Not including fatal events known to be caused by deliberate action
about the new MCAS system is unclear. Boe-
ing explains the lack of fanfare about MCAS
Fatal accidents Fatalities introduction in the Max by pointing out that it
is a “variant” of the speed-related automatic

24 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

 AIRLINE SAFETY

None of the occupants on board the

Indonesian 737 Max 8 survived crash

Donal Husni/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock

“The report does not state
whether the pilots performed
the runaway stabiliser
procedure or cut out the
stabiliser trim switches”
Boeing
stabiliser trim system on the 737NG series, but
adds: “MCAS does not control the airplane in
normal flight. It augments the stall recovery
characteristics of the airplane in a non-normal
part of the operating envelope.” The manufac-
turer also insists it has “discussed MCAS flight
control functionality with more than 60 airline
operators at several Service Ready Regional
Conferences globally since 2016.”
An experienced Southwest Airlines 737
Max captain with whom FlightGlobal has dis-
cussed the MCAS issues since publication of
the NTSC preliminary report has commented
that, in practice, the 737NG and Max feel the
same to fly. He did remark, however, that he
was surprised that a single-point AoA sensor
failure could be allowed to trigger what feels
like a stabiliser trim runaway, venturing his
individual opinion that this showed poor sys-
tem redundancy design.
Also, a senior test pilot well known across
the industry has spoken to FlightGlobal about
issues surrounding the Lion Air loss, al-
though at this stage of the investigation he is
not prepared to venture technical opinions.
His view – not directed specifically at any one
aircraft manufacturer – is that the practice of
extending common type ratings right across
aircraft marques that have developed dramat-
ically over several decades is due for a serious
review. Certification standards relating to
trimmable horizontal stabilisers need more
scrutiny, he adds.
It is easy to see why this test pilot raises the
issue of thinly stretched common type ratings
at this point. Pilots converting from earlier
737 marques to the Max are not required to
undergo a new type rating course, because all
737s are deemed to have sufficient common-
ality to operate under the same type rating.
Pilots rated for the 737 being prepared for
the Max are thus required only to undergo a
brief “differences course”. Southwest pilots,
for example, do their differences course en-
tirely online, and American Airlines the
same, so there is no practice in a flight simula-
tion training device. Southwest expects to re-
ceive its first Max full-flight simulator in
March.
Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock
The type conversion situation appears simi-
lar in Europe. Ryanair, which is to take deliv-
ery of its first Maxes at its London Stansted
base in April, says its differences course will
be delivered via computer-based training. The
course has been designed with input from Boe-
ing and Ryanair, which says it will begin in-
stalling its first Max full-flight simulator at its
Stansted training base in January.
Whatever additional light the NTSC final
report is able to shed once it is published in a
year or two, there appear to be some generic
factors about the Lion Air accident that the
industry cannot ignore. In the end, it was yet
another loss of control in flight accident, and
yet another tale of a mismatch between pilots
and highly automated systems.
Work is already under way to make pilots
more resistant to the “startle effect”, through
selection and training, as well as the inculca-
tion of better technical knowledge and
­understanding.
But information, and the way it is presented,
is key. Crews on modern flightdecks are bom-
barded with information to the point where
quantity can become the problem, rather than
the solution, and finding more intuitive ways
of presenting the essential information is vital
if crews and their aircraft are to operate better
together when things go wrong. ■

flightglobal.com 15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 25

COVER STORY
INVESTIGATIONS
Accident reports issued during the second half of 2018
Probe questioned go-around decision after multiple birdstrikes on Ryanair 737 but said it was understandable, given surprise
■ Ryanair Boeing 737-800,
Rome, 10 November 2008
The report on an unusual
­attempted go-around following a
severe birdstrike on short final
­approach to Rome Ciampino 10
years ago has finally been
­published by Italian investigator
ANSV. On 10 November 2008, a
Ryanair Boeing 737-800 flew
through a dense flock of starlings
just 300m (984ft) b ­ efore the
­threshold of runway 15 while
­descending through a height of
140ft. The ANSV says go-around
thrust was selected, but then the
crew retracted the flaps to their 10°
setting, rather than the 15° required
for a go-around. The aircraft
­suffered about 90 bird i­mpacts,
­resulting in a loss of p ­ ower in both
engines just 100m from the runway
threshold. The 737 briefly climbed
from 112ft to 173ft but failed to
maintain the climb and it began to
descend. There was a stick-shaker
warning at 21ft, and the aircraft
struck the ground in a stalled
­condition. The flaps were still
­retracting and had reached 12.1° at
the time of i­mpact, which r­ egistered
2.66g. The aircraft came to a halt
50m from the far end of the runway
­having sustained s­ erious damage to
its left-hand main l­anding-gear, aft
fuselage and left engine from
­contact with the r­ unway. The
­investigator c­ omments that since
26 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
the multiple birdstrike was likely to
have caused damage, the decision
to go around was questionable, but
­understandable given the s­ urprise
factor. The inquiry believes the
­startle effect explains the r­ etraction
of the flaps to 10° d ­ espite the
­existence of a detent in the 15°
­position intended to r­ educe the risk
of flap retraction beyond the go-
around setting. The ANSV notes
that Boeing has since added
­recommended birdstrike
­techniques to the 737 crew training
manual, and that Ryanair has
adopted specific training for
­birdstrikes during take-off and
landing.
■ TAP Air Portugal Airbus
A340-300, Rio de Janeiro,
8 December 2011
After seven years, Brazilian
­investigator CENIPA has finally
­disclosed that a taxi route error
caused an Airbus A340-300 (­CS-
TOD) to overrun the runway on
take-off from Rio de Janeiro,
­resulting in a collision with
­approach lights and navigation
aids before climbing away and
­flying safely to its destination at
Lisbon. The crew of the TAP Air
Portugal aircraft had been
­instructed to taxi for r­ unway 10,
which had already been e ­ ffectively
shortened by c­ onstruction works
that rendered the first 1,270m
(­ 4,160ft) unavailable. Take-off
­calculations showed that the
­remaining 2,730m was sufficient
for a reduced-thrust “flex” take-off,
from the displaced threshold, at a
temperature of 34°C (93°F). To
reach the displaced threshold the
aircraft needed to taxi to the AA
intersection. But the crew
­inadvertently taxied to the BB
­intersection, which lay some 600m
further down the runway – leaving
just 2,095m for the take-off run.
Airbus analysis showed that this
distance was insufficient for the
A340 to become airborne, even if
it had used maximum take-off
thrust. The inquiry highlights the
layout of the taxiway system which,
it ­believes, contributed to the
­blunder. While visibility was good,
the departure occurred at 22:37,
some 2h after sunset. The A340
overran the runway, leaving tyre
marks for 200m beyond, and
­striking approach lights, as well as
the localiser antenna 360m from
the runway end. “The pilots did
not realise they had crossed the
runway boundaries, because of the
aircraft’s nose-up attitude,” it adds.
Neither could see the lights at the
end of the runway. None of the
255 p ­ assengers and 11 crew was
­injured, although the aircraft
­sustained minor damage, and
­approach lighting parts were found
in its landing-gear after a­ rrival.
Aviation Images/REX/Shutterstock
■ Malaysia Airlines Boeing
777-200ER, 8 March 2014
Malaysian authorities have
­published what may well be the
final report on the loss of Malaysia
Airlines flight MH370. It proposes
that the aircraft was probably
­deliberately manoeuvred off its
planned course to its final oceanic
resting place. The Boeing 777-
200ER (9M-MRO) has not been
found and, considering that its
believed l­ocation is on the seabed
­somewhere in the southern Indian
Ocean, it may never be. For lack of
specific evidence, the finger of
blame has not been pointed at any
particular individual in the crew.
Meanwhile, although the evidence
for deliberate direction of the
­aircraft is circumstantial, there is a
considerable quantity of it, starting
with the aircraft’s silent turn-back at
an airspace boundary, a point at
which surveillance continuity is
­naturally broken. This coincided
with the abrupt loss of five systems
specifically for communicating
­location, without any indication of a
technical fault. Studies of the
­intriguing subsequent flightpath
have been unable to attribute the
track to system anomalies.
Indicators in the mystery include the
disturbingly precise course from the
turn-back point to Penang (the
­captain’s birthplace), then the
­careful avoidance of Indonesian
flightglobal.com

airspace before heading for oceanic
oblivion. Finally, there was the
­discovery, on the captain’s home
simulator, of plotted waypoints
charting a similar course. That
­verdict, however, is only likely to be
validated if the aircraft’s wreckage is
ever discovered, but all searches
have been called off and will not be
reinstated, unless completely new
evidence is uncovered.
■ XL Airways Airbus
A330-200, over the
Mediterranean, 26
December 2014
French air accident investigator BEA
has described a series of f­ailures that
degraded flight control and
autonomous navigation s­ ystems on
an XL Airways Airbus A330-200
(F-GRSQ) in the cruise over the
Mediterranean four years ago. BEA
says the aircraft u ­ ltimately lost all
three inertial r­ eference systems (IRS)
and s­ uffered a degradation of its
­autonomous navigation ­capabilities,
as well as a reversion to direct flight-
control law. The a­ ircraft had
departed Reunion for Marseille, with
one of three IRS demonstrating a
significant drift (IRS2). Although the
associated air data inertial r­eference
unit was s­ upposed to have been
­replaced two days earlier, an
­identification mix-up meant the
wrong unit was swapped. BEA did
not have cockpit voice-recorder data
and it says crew t­ estimonies differ,
but proposes a probable sequence
Evidence indicates deliberate pilot action was behind MH370 loss
flightglobal.com
of events. About 5h into the flight, where it landed without f­urther
IRS3 switched from “­navigation” to incident. BEA says the loss of
“­attitude” mode – probably through ­positional data was a “major
crew action, says the i­nquiry. The ­concern”, but that use of a newer
flight-­guidance ­computer rejected flight management system standard
IRS3 and used the information would have prevented it.
derived from the other two systems,
IRS1 and the drifting IRS2. This ■ Air France Boeing 777F,
change was only noticed by the relief Paris Charles de Gaulle,
first officer after he took over some 22 May 2015
2h 30min later. The crew attempted An Air France Boeing 777F
to align IRS3. BEA says, however, (F-GUOC) was saved from damage
that the d ­ iscrepancy between IRS1 by the operation of its tailstrike
and the drifting IRS2 prompted a ­protection system during take-off
­disengagement of the autopilot, from Paris Charles de Gaulle’s
autothrust and flight directors, and ­runway 26R in May 2015, a­ ccording
the disappearance of position and to air accident investigator BEA.
flightplan information on the The agency r­ eports that the cause
­navigation displays. While the crew was entry of an incorrect t­ ake-off
was able to retrieve position and weight by the crew during
flightplan data by activating a performance c­ alculations. Take-off
­navigation back-up mode, position speeds and power settings for the
information on the captain’s side was aircraft’s flight to Mexico City had
lost. BEA believes that, as the crew been c­ alculated using a weight of
sought to restore the captain’s data, 243t, rather than the actual figure of
they triggered an in-flight alignment 343t. This major error meant the
of the three IRS, which resulted in a ­calculated rotation speed of 152kt
transition of the A330 to direct flight- (282km/h) with flap position 5 was
control law. No technical fault could well below the required 175kt and
be found to explain the triple flap 15. The crew were alerted by
simultaneous alignment. Primary the tailstrike warning to apply full
flight display information power, which they did some 8s a­ fter
disappeared and the crew had to the protection system e ­ ngaged,
resort to standby e ­ lectromechanical having limited the m ­ aximum
instruments and manual flight for the ­rotation to 9° nose up. BEA says the
rest of the journey. As the a­ ircraft 777F passed the o ­ pposite-direction
approached Greek airspace, the threshold at a height of 172ft. There
crew declared an emergency, opted was no stall alarm and the stick-
for a d­ iversion to Athens, and the shaker did not activate. While the
­aircraft was vectored to runway 03R, cockpit voice-recorder transcript
was unavailable to the inquiry, the
investigators state that the crew
discussed returning to the airport
but ultimately decided to proceed
with the flight. Apparently, the
computed c­ onfiguration of the
aircraft s­ urprised one of the
supernumerary pilots on the
flightdeck, but he had failed to
voice his doubts.
■ EgyptAir Airbus A320,
Fazry Ismail/EPA/REX/Shutterstock
over the Mediterranean,
19 May 2016
France’s air accident investigator
BEA, which has been aiding an
Egyptian probe into the fatal loss of
an EgyptAir Airbus A320 (­SU-GCC)
two years ago, has voiced strong
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 27
AIRLINE SAFETY
criticism of the i­nquiry process. The
inquiry was turned over to judicial
authorities at the end of 2016, and
since then, the technical
­investigators have been denied
­access to data and evidence. The
A320, operating a service from Paris
to Cairo on 19 May 2016, departed
its cruise a­ ltitude of 37,000ft and
came down in the Mediterranean
Sea. Early evidence from debris, the
cockpit voice-recorder and avionics
systems supports the “most likely”
theory that a r­ apidly developing
avionics bay fire led to the accident.
But seven months into the probe,
the Egyptian investigators declared
they had d ­ iscovered traces of
­explosives on human remains. This
led the inquiry to pursue the theory
that sabotage brought down the
aircraft, and j­urisdiction was
­transferred entirely to the Egyptian
criminal and legal authorities. BEA
comments: “[Our] proposals
­concerning further work on the
debris and recorded data were not,
as far as BEA knows, f­ ollowed up.”
It has pressed for the s­ afety
investigation to be continued, but
when it met the Egyptian a­ ttorney
general in 2018, the Egyptians
­remained inflexible. BEA says
Egyptian investigators have not
published a final report that would
have allowed it to lay down its
“differences of opinion”, as
­permitted by air accident
­investigation protocol. Should
Egyptian investigators opt to r­ estart
the safety probe, BEA says it will be
“ready to continue c­ ollaborating”. It
is not the first time foreign accident
investigators have clashed with
Egyptian a­ uthorities over the causes
of ­high-profile air accidents over
Egypt, or involving Egyptian a­ ircraft.
One of them involved a Flash
Airlines Boeing 737-300 fatal crash
at Sharm el-Sheikh in January 2004.
The US National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) and BEA both
stressed that evidence pointed to
spatial d
­ isorientation in the crew, but
the Egyptian a­ uthorities insisted the
causes were technical. NTSB
­investigators also disputed the
Egyptian claim that technical failures
brought down an EgyptAir 767-
❯❯
COVER STORY
INVESTIGATIONS
Accident reports issued during the second half of 2018
❯❯ 300ER off the US east coast in
October 1999, when the NTSB says
evidence pointed to d ­ eliberate
actions by the aircraft’s first officer.
■ ASL Airlines Boeing
737-400F, Milan Bergamo,
5 August 2016
Pilots of an ASL Airlines Boeing 7 ­ 37-
400 freighter (HA-FAX) failed to
realise how much runway had
passed beneath the aircraft before
making a late touchdown, which
resulted in a high-speed overrun at
Milan Bergamo. The crew had been
conducting a night instrument
­landing system (ILS) approach to
runway 28 in poor weather. While
the pilots had briefed for an
­autoland, the Italian investigation
authority ANSV reports that they
disengaged the autopilot and
­landed manually. Some 9nm (17km)
from the runway, the captain
­decided that, owing to the p ­ resence
of storms in the missed approach
path, a go-around would be unwise.
The first officer had logged just 86h
on 737s, and told the inquiry that,
while he was tempted to question
this decision, he felt he did not have
the e ­ xperience to evaluate the
­situation, but admitted that a go-
around call “could have been a
good idea”, because the rain was
intense and only the runway edge
lights were visible. Both pilots’
­attention was focused on acquiring
external visual references and they
“did not realise” the aircraft had
overflown the wet runway at 20-30ft
for 18s at high speed, travelling
some two-thirds of its length. After
touchdown, the jet overshot the
­runway end by 520m (1,700ft),
suffering e ­ xtensive damage as it
crossed roads and struck obstacles
before coming to rest. The inquiry
says the crew did not monitor flight
­parameters adequately during the
last stages of flight and failed to
­disengage the autothrottle before
landing, although the captain had
one hand on the thrust levers. The
inquiry says that he did not recall
that m­ oving them would not
­disconnect the autothrottle. Flight
data recorder readings showed that
the e
­ ngine thrust r­ educed as the
28 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019
French investigator BEA is at odds with judicial authorities’ explanation for EgyptAir A320 fatal loss
a­ utothrottle t­ ransitioned to “retard”
mode, as designed, at a height of
27ft, but engine thrust subsequently
showed variations, increasing to as
much as 97% N1, which the inquiry
states were “presumably due to
­action by the crew”. This resulted in
an ­increase in the landing speed,
and the prolonged float of the
­aircraft, before it touched down at
159kt (294km/h). The investigator
says fatigue, while not perceived by
the crew, could have degraded the
pilots’ d
­ ecision-making processes.
Both evacuated the aircraft but had
­suffered injuries during the accident
and were hospitalised.
■ Jet Airways Boeing 777-
300ER, London Heathrow,
30 August 2016
Jet Airways has amended its
­standard operating procedures for
take-off following an incident that
involving one of its Boeing 7­ 77-
300ERs (VT-JEK) at London
Heathrow airport. The aircraft was
taking off for Mumbai at 20:30 UTC,
when it crossed the airfield
boundary at 13ft above ground level
and an adjacent road at 30ft above
ground level. There were no reports
of ­injuries among the 15 crew and
231 passengers on board. The UK
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
(AAIB) classified the case as a
serious incident, and delegated the
i­nvestigation to India’s Air Accident
Investigation Bureau. In its final
­report, the Indian inquiry found that
the crew accepted clearance to take
off on runway 27L from intersection
S4E, rather than from N1, which
would have provided the full runway
length. But they used p ­ erformance
figures based on the take-off roll
beginning at N1, b ­ ecause the
captain selected the first of four
entry points for runway 27L
presented by the On-Board
Performance Tool (OPT), which
­calculates performance based on
the roll beginning at N1. The co-
pilot had calculated performance
­correctly for a take-off from S4E. The
discrepancy between the two
calculations was noticed during the
crosscheck of the OPT outputs, but
the copilot entered the captain’s
­figures into the control and display
unit (CDU). This meant that power
was set assuming full runway length
when the distance available was
760m (2,490ft) less. Rotation was
initiated with 556m of runway
­remaining and lift-off occurred with
97m remaining. Jet now requires its
crew to call out and resolve
­discrepancies between the output
of the captain’s and co-pilot’s OPTs
­before entering data into the CDU.
■ Aerosucre Boeing
727-200F, Puerto Carreno,
Khaled Elfiqi/EPA/REX/Shutterstock
Colombia, 20 December
2016
Colombian investigators have
found that an Aerosucre Boeing
727-200 freighter’s crew
­miscalculated crucial take-off
speeds before the aircraft overran
runway 25 at Puerto Carreno and
collided with obstacles before
becoming airborne. It attempted
to climb away but, having been
badly damaged by the impact, lost
height and crashed. Just one of the
six o­ ccupants survived.
Investigation authority GRIAA
­determined that several factors
extended the aircraft’s take-off run
by 383m (1,260ft), on a runway just
over 1,800m in length. The aircraft
had a “Quiet Wing” modification
which improved take-off
performance by increasing flap
droop, but the crew were provided
with no guidance about its use,
and employed a r­ educed flap
setting of 25°. The flap droop
would have given a r­ otation speed
of 122kt (225km/h), but the crew
calculated rotation at 127kt, which
added 103m to the ground run.
The investigators also found that
the 727 had taken off in a 4kt
tailwind that lengthened the take-
off by another 146m. The two
­previous departures had used the
opposite-direction runway 07, but
the inquiry found no evidence that
flightglobal.com

the crew had been passed the
­actual wind velocity by air traffic
control. Finally, the GRIAA
investigation found that the p ­ ilot’s
­rotation technique – a slow pitch
rate of 7° in 7s – meant the aircraft
required a further 134m to become
airborne. The inquiry had also
been unable to find weight and
balance details from the flight
among the debris, or a copy of this
data in the company’s offices.
Analytical c­ alculations estimated
the take-off weight at 74.2t, just
under the m ­ aximum permissible
figure of 74.7t. But based on the
take-off speeds used by the crew,
the i­nquiry believes the weight was
around 75.3t – meaning the jet was
overweight by 590kg (1,300lb).
The report reveals, finally, that the
­aircraft should not have been
­operating at Puerto Carreno
­airport, because it was not
­approved by the authorities for this
aircraft type. But history also shows
the authority had accepted 727
flightplans for the airport for seven
years before the crash.
■ Jet Airways Boeing
737-800, Goa, 27
December 2016
India’s investigator reports that a Jet
Airways Boeing 737-800 crew did
not allow the aircraft’s engines to
stabilise their thrust after line-up on
Goa’s runway 26 before b ­ eginning
the take-off run, and asymmetric
power caused a r­ unway excursion.
The aircraft, bound for Mumbai,
had backtracked the runway and
­performed a 180° turn to line up.
The accident report says that when
the crew began to advance the
thrust levers as they lined up, the
left-hand e­ ngine was starting from
40%, and the right-hand one had
only reached 28% when the captain
commanded full take-off thrust. “As
soon as [full thrust was commanded]
the aircraft started drifting right and
exited the hard surface,” says the
inquiry. The crew attempted to
brake and use rudder and n ­ ose-
wheel steering to bring it back on.
The jet left the runway and turned in
a wide right-hand arc, eventually
coming to rest facing the opposite
flightglobal.com
direction some 220m (720ft) from
the edge of the runway. In so doing
it collided with a p ­ ath-indicator
lamp as well as a 2.3m pillar, and the
­aircraft suffered s­ ubstantial engine,
undercarriage and fuselage
­damage. Sixteen of the 145
­occupants suffered minor i­njuries
during the evacuation. The inquiry
states that the rejected t­ ake-off
­manoeuvre was conducted
“­incorrectly”, pointing out that only
the right-hand thrust lever was
­retarded to idle thrust.
■ Sunwing Airlines Boeing
737-800, Belfast, 21 July
2017
Pilots of a Sunwing Airlines Boeing
737-800 twice entered an incorrect
temperature figure during take-off
calculations, so it took off from
­runway 07 at Belfast, Northern
Ireland with insufficient thrust and
almost overran the runway. A fi ­ gure
of -47°C was erroneously entered as
the outside air t­ emperature. Such
an abnormally low temperature
­figure would cause the N1
­calculation to be “significantly
­below” that required for take-off
thrust, says the UK Air Accidents
Investigation Branch. It points out
that -47°C was the outside air
temperature for the first waypoint
after top-of-climb, recorded on the
pilot’s log. Following a delay for a
tyre change the crew entered
­revised figures but made the same
entry error as before. As the 737
reached 120-130kt (222-240km/h)
during its take-off run, the crew
realised it was “not a­ ccelerating
Jet Airways 737 left Goa runway owing to asymmetric thrust
AIRLINE SAFETY
normally”, says the inquiry. The the landing was relatively hard at
take-off run available was 2,654m 1.95g. The captain had selected
(8,705ft). No action was taken, reverse thrust immediately after
either to increase thrust or abort the touchdown but the aircraft’s bounce
take-off. Some 900m before the inhibited this system by taking the
end of the runway the aircraft weight off the undercarriage and
reached the V1 threshold and preventing the wheels from
­rotated shortly afterwards. Once spinning, so the e ­ ngines remained
airborne the crew checked the take- at reverse idle. When the nosegear
off performance figures, fi ­ nding made runway contact the captain
that the N1 level had been just initiated manual braking, but the
81.5%, far below the 92.7% aircraft’s wheels were hydroplaning
­required. Thrust was not increased and did not spin up. The wheels
until the aircraft had reached 800ft, locked some 5s a­ fter landing and
some 2nm (3.7km) after becoming the aircraft s­ kidded for 2,050m
­airborne. Investigators state that the (6,720ft), almost the e ­ ntire length of
737 escaped damage and the landing roll, says the Safety
­continued to its destination. But the Investigation Authority of Finland.
inquiry points out that only the Some 1,200m from t­ ouchdown the
­absence of obstacles and a “­benign” jet began veering to the right,
nature of the runway l­ocation and striking runway edge lights, and
surrounding terrain prevented a almost exiting the r­ unway surface.
potentially “­catastrophic” accident, But it started r­ otating to the left, still
should it have suffered engine failure. travelling at 42kt while sliding
sideways. The aircraft eventually
■ CityJet Bombardier came to rest just 160m from the
CRJ900, Turku, 25 runway end, having turned through
October 2017 an anti-clockwise arc of 196°. The air
Investigators report that a CityJet- temperature was around freezing,
operated Bombardier CRJ900 with a gusting wind from the
­landed at Turku, Finland in a 10kt southeast, and the runway was
(18km/h) tailwind on a contaminated covered with more than 10mm
runway, hydroplaned, and finally (0.4in) of slush. Runway c­ onditions
spun more than 180° before had been assessed 21min before
coming to rest. The crew of the the CRJ900 landed, and an
aircraft, conducting a service for estimate passed to the crew, but
SAS, had opted to use runway 26 heavy snow was falling and the
despite the tailwind, b
­ ecause there runway conditions were “changing
was no instrument landing system rapidly”, says the inquiry. No new
on the reciprocal. The aircraft was measurements were carried out
also near its maximum landing before the jet landed, and
weight. The CRJ900 landed at ­maintenance personnel had
148kt in the touchdown zone, and ­decided to clear the runway only
once the aircraft arrived and
­another flight had departed. None
of the tyres deflated and the inquiry
says this meant the friction between
the wheels and the runway was
“­extremely low” throughout. None
of the 92 occupants was ultimately
injured, but the report adds: “The
occurrence had potential for a
­serious or major accident.”
Investigators point out that the
Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock
logic of the reverse-thrust system
on the CRJ900 is such that, if
selected p­ rematurely on landing, it
cannot be regained without specific
pilot actions. ■
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 29
AIRLINE SAFETY

Accidents and incidents 2018

Notes on tables
Data comes from Flight International’s research in association with FlightGlobal advisory service Ascend, which compiles the World Aircraft
Accident Summary, among other safety analysis products. In many countries, details of non-fatal incidents are not made available officially, but
Flight International continues to list known significant incidents to maximise the availability of relevant information. We accept that the non-
fatal listing may be weighted against the airlines of those countries that make safety information more readily available.

Glossary of terms and abbreviations

AA airfield approach/early descent ECAM electronic centralised system RA runway/final approach
AAL above airfield level aircraft monitor IC initial climb SID standard instrument departure
ACARS automatic communication EFIS electronic flight-instrument IFR instrument flight rules TAWS terrain awareness and
addressing and reporting system system ILS instrument landing system warning system
ADC air-data computer EGPWS enhanced ground IMC instrument meteorological TCAS traffic alert and collision
ADF automatic direction finder proximity warning system conditions avoidance system
AF air force EGT exhaust gas temperature ISA international standard TO take-off
AGL above ground level EICAS engine indicating and atmosphere: sea level pressure of TOGA press-button selected
AMSL above mean sea level crew alerting system 1013.2hPa and standard temp­­ take-off/go-around thrust
AOA angle of attack ER en route erature/pressure lapse rate with VFR visual flight rules
ASI airspeed indicator ETOPS extended-range twin altitude VHF very high frequency
ATC air traffic control operations L landing VMC visual meteorological
C climb FDR flight data recorder LP low pressure conditions
CAVOK ceiling and visibility OK; FL flight level = altitude, in hundreds MEL minimum equipment list VOR VHF omni-range navigation
no clouds below 5,000ft, 10km of feet, with international standard MTOW maximum take-off weight beacon
visibility, no bad weather forecast pressure setting (ISA) of 1013.2hPa NDB non-directional beacon V1 take-off decision speed
CFIT controlled flight into terrain set on altimeter (eg FL100 – altimeter PAPI precision approach path
CNK cause not known reading of 10,000ft with ISA set) indicator Conversion factors
CVR cockpit voice recorder FMS flight management system PAX passengers 1nm = 1.85km
DME distance measuring G on ground PF pilot flying 1ft = 0.3m
equipment GPWS ground proximity warning PNF pilot not flying 1kt = 1.85km/h

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Fatalities (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase
Fatal accidents: mainline passenger flights
11 Feb Saratov Airlines Antonov An-148-100 (RA-61704) Nr Moscow, Russia 6/65 6/65 ER
Soon after take-off from Moscow Domodedovo for Orsk, with the gear and flaps up and the autopilot engaged but still in the climb, the airspeed indicators began to show different values. The investigator has since revealed that
the three pitot tube indicators had not been switched on. The disparity between the two airspeeds that the FDR recorded showed an increasing disparity between the captain's ASI and the standby ASI, with the captain's
consistently showing a decrease and the standby an increase. The autopilot was disengaged and the aircraft pitched vigorously nose down, generating a vertical g reading of zero. Nose-down pitch reached -35°, with the
captain's ASI reading zero and the standby eventually reading 432kt (800km/h). The aircraft crashed into fields, killing all on board. The Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia had allowed Saratov to continue operations for the
maximum allowable 90 days, during which it was charged with rectifying identified operational faults, particularly relating to flightcrew fatigue risk management. On 30 May, the agency determined that Saratov had not rectified
these deficiencies, so it was grounded.
17 Apr Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 (N772SW) ER over Pennsylvania, USA 0/1 5/144 ER
In the cruise from New York LaGuardia to Dallas Love Field, the left engine suffered a catastrophic uncontained failure. This released high energy debris toward the fuselage and caused damage to the left wing leading edge.
The failure was believed to have been precipitated by the loss of a fan blade causing the out-of-balance fan disk to separate at its hub. A window and its frame near row 14 blew out, causing a sudden decompression and
injuring a passenger close to it who was nearly blown out, but nearby passengers pulled her back in. The passenger later died in a Philadelphia hospital, the first fatal casualty ever for Southwest and the first passenger death
on a US commercial jet for 12 years. The crew carried out an emergency descent procedure and diverted to Philadelphia airport, where they carried out a long straight-in approach with flaps at setting 5.
18 May Cubana Boeing 737-200 (XA-UHZ) Nr Havana airport, Cuba 6/106 6/107 C
The aircraft, owned by Mexican operator Damojh Aerolineas operating as Global Air, was wet-leased by Cubana, and it took off from Havana for a domestic flight to Holguin. Following an unusually steep initial climb, it appeared
to stall and came down close to Havana airport.
28 Sep Air Niugini Boeing 737-800 (P2-PXE) Chuuk/Weno airport, Micronesia 0/1 12/35 L
The aircraft, inbound from Pohnpei International airport (also in Micronesia), was approaching runway 04 in rain with some cumulonimbus clouds nearby. It came down nearly 500m (1,640ft) short of the runway in the water of
Chuuk Lagoon. While sinking, the aircraft turned right through more than 180° and drifted south of the 04 extended centreline. The crew and all but one of the passengers were brought safely ashore by US Navy boats aided by
divers. The missing passenger was found in the hull three days later by a USN diver.
29 Oct Lion Air Boeing 737 Max 8 (PK-LQP) In sea off Tanjung Bungin, Indonesia 8/181 8/181 C
The aircraft took off from Jakarta’s runway 25L in good weather bound for Pangkal Pinang, about 243nm (450km) to the north. For its departure the aircraft made a climbing left turn, looping around through south before
heading north for its destination. Surveillance returns indicate that the aircraft’s height became erratic above about 2,000ft. The crew radioed a request to return, but the aircraft continued on a northerly heading. About 10min
after take-off the aircraft began a rapid descent until impact with the sea. The Indonesian investigator’s preliminary factual report indicates that a faulty AOA sensor on the captain’s side provided erroneous high readings that, if
accurate, would indicate a stall, and the 737 Max series is designed to respond automatically to a stall by trimming the horizontal stabilisers in a nose-down direction and triggering the stick-shaker. This automatic AOA
response, known as the Manoeuvring Control Augmentation System, is unique to the 737 Max. Several US operators’ pilot associations have remarked that they did not know the Max had this stall protection system, which is not
on previous 737 variants. The Max’s flightcrew operating manual (FCOM) contains a drill for overcoming a horizontal stabiliser trim runaway, and this could have been used successfully in this event to stop the stabiliser’s
movement within controllable limits. The report details an event on the same airframe during the previous flight where virtually the same sequence of events happened, but the crew electrically isolated the stabiliser – one of the
FCOM actions required to control stabiliser runaway – and landed safely. The report notes that the AOA system had been replaced before the latter flight and it was inspected again after it. The inquiry continues.
09 Nov Fly Jamaica Airways Boeing 757-200 (N524AT) Georgetown airport, Guyana 0/1 8/120 L
After departing Georgetown shortly after 02:00 local time, the crew reported a hydraulic problem and announced their intention to return. The aircraft had climbed to FL200 before beginning its return, and it was cleared for an
approach to runway 06. It overran the runway and came to rest against the perimeter fence, with the No 2 engine partially separated. Some six people were injured in the evacuation, and an 86-year-old passenger died of her
injuries a week later.

30 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

 ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS 2018

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Fatalities (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase
Fatal accidents: regional and commuter operations
18 Feb Iran Aseman Airlines ATR 72-200 (EP-ATS) Near Yasuj, Iran 6/66 6/66 AA
The aircraft, inbound to Yasuj from Tehran, hit high ground at about 12,000ft during its descent in bad weather with snow. Yasuj is in a valley surrounded by mountains, the approach procedure is an NDB teardrop letdown
followed by a circling approach to runway 13/31. The airfield elevation is nearly 6,000ft.
12 Mar US-Bangla Airlines Bombardier Q400 (S2-AGU) Kathmandu airport, Nepal 4/47 4/67 L
Inbound from Dhaka, Bangladesh as flight BS211, the aircraft was cleared for an approach to runway 02 but aborted it – perhaps because of thunderstorm activity. The crew told ATC that they would perform a right-hand orbit.
Anticipating the crew’s wish to land on 20, ATC told another aircraft approaching 20 to hold off, confirmed 211’s wish to land on 20, and then cleared it to do so, but the crew read back “02”, whereupon the controller cleared
them for 02. It was seen “flying low” near the airport before making “a sharp turn to the left”. Height was lost and it crashed on rough ground to the east of the airport. It was daylight with good visibility.
Aberdare Mts, 54nm north of Nairobi,
05 Jun Fly Sax Cessna Caravan (5Y-CAC) 2/8 2/8 ER
Kenya
Cruising at 11,000ft, the aircraft hit high ground in the Aberdare National Park. The wreckage was discovered two days later.

09 Sep South West Aviation Let L-410 (UR-TWO) Lake Yirol, South Sudan 2/18 3/19 ER
The aircraft was destroyed when it crashed into Lake Yirol while apparently attempting to land at Yirol, South Sudan. The aircraft appears to have been in storage at Rivne, Ukraine since 2006 until Slaveer Kompani acquired it in
April 2018 and had since been operating on wet-lease for South West Aviation. The crash happened in daylight (0800L) but poor visibility at the end of a flight from Juba, South Sudan.
Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Fatalities Total occupants Phase
Fatal accidents: non-passenger flights
16 May Makalu Air Cessna Caravan (9N-AJU) Simikot Pass, Nepal 2 2 ER
The freight flight from Surkhet to Simikot hit a mountainside at about 13,000ft AMSL.

24 Jun Eagle Air Guinea Let L-410 Sugoueta, Guinea 4 4 ?

The two pilots and two technicians were transporting a cargo of paraffin for a mining company.

08 Dec Par-Avion B-N Islander (VH-OBL) Southwest Tasmania, Australia 1 1 ER

The aircraft took off from Tasmania’s capital Hobart on a positioning flight to Bathurst Harbour to pick up passengers, but crashed into mountainous terrain in the Southwest National Park.

20 Dec Gomair Antonov An-26 (9S-AGB) Nr N’Djili airport, Kinshasa, DR Congo 8 8 AA

The aircraft, having been cleared to descend to 5,000ft, was lost during the descent towards Kinshasa. The aircraft was positioning back from a freight charter to Tshikapa.

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase
Significant non-fatal accidents/incidents (all commercial airline categories)
09 Jan Pineapple Air Embraer EMB-110 (C6-MIC) Governor’s Harbour airport, Nassau 0/0 2/15 L
On approach to runway 15, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway because of heavy rain and executed a go-around. An attempt to land on runway 33 was thwarted for the same reason. A second attempt to land on 33
resulted in the collapse of the left main undercarriage leg and the aircraft swerved off the runway.
10 Jan Ameriflight Swearingen Merlin 4C (N561UP) Salt Lake City airport, USA 0 1 G
While taxiing in a strong tailwind (21kt gusting 27kt) the pilot lost directional and speed control of the aircraft. It swerved off the parking ramp and hit a lamp mast, damaging the left wing.

11 Jan Flybe Bombardier Q400 (G-ECOE) Near Belfast City airport, UK 0/0 48 C
The aircraft climbed out of Belfast City through 1,350ft and the crew engaged autopilot. The aircraft pitched down dramatically and lost nearly 500ft before the captain took control and recovered the Q400 to the climb out. The
UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has reported that, in haste during a rapid turnaround, the captain had set the departure mode while still on the stand. He selected the “go-around”, “heading” and “altitude select” modes
but did not enter a target departure clearance altitude, in which case the flight director defaults to the aircraft’s altitude when the mode is selected. The result was that the aircraft, when autopilot was engaged, took the selected
altitude to be ground level and pitched down to achieve it. Following this revelation, Flybe discovered there had been other similar occurrences, and it has reminded its crews that its procedure is to enter the target altitude
before selecting the flight mode.
13 Jan Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 (TC-CPF) Trabzon airport, Turkey 0/0 6/162 L
Inbound from Ankara, the aircraft touched down on runway 11 following a straight-in night approach. About 300m from the far end of the 2,640m-long runway, which was wet, the aircraft swerved off it to the left and began to
slide down the steep slope towards the sea, but stopped at a steep angle on the slope. The passengers and crew evacuated by the aft and overwing exits. The crew had not reported any problems with the aircraft.
18 Jan Garuda Indonesia Bombardier CRJ1000 (PK-GRP) Juanda, Surabaya, Indonesia 0/0 6/57 L
The aircraft, inbound from Ambon, faced variable wind on approach, and a wet runway. It touched down very hard and veered partially off the runway, the right main wheels running on soft ground until regaining the runway.
There were no injuries, but there was damage to the flaps.
20 Jan Trans Air Shorts 360 (N808TR) Kalaeloa airport, Hawaii, USA 0/0 1/? L
The aircraft landed with the gear up.

Aborted touchdown at Kathmandu

preceded US-Bangla Airlines loss
Niranjan Shrestha/AP/REX/Shutterstock

flightglobal.com 15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 31

AIRLINE SAFETY

AirTeamImages
SmartLynx A320 was looking fine less
than a week before Talinn accident

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase
Over the sea en route San Francisco-
13 Feb United Airlines Boeing 777-200 (N773UA) 0/0 ?/? ER
Honolulu
The inlet and fan cowls on the aircraft’s No 2 engine detached and broke away while it was in cruise flight at FL360 over the Pacific Ocean towards the end of a flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, Hawaii. The loss of the cowls
appears to have followed a fan blade failure but full detail of the initiating event is not yet known. The flight continued and landed safely at Honolulu about 45min later. The incident happened in daylight (1200 local time) and in VMC.
16 Feb Qeshm Air Fokker 100 (EP-FQF) Mashhad International airport, Iran 0/0 5/99 L
Approaching runway 31R at Mashhad, the left main gear failed to lock down, and none of the measures the crew took to make it deploy had any effect. On landing with the left gear partially deployed the aircraft swerved left off
the runway sustaining damage to its left wing, flaps and landing gear. Investigations have established that pollution had entered the hydraulic lines during a recent C-check maintenance session by the airline’s maintenance
department.
20 Feb Dana Air Boeing MD-83 (5N-SRI) Port Harcourt airport, Nigeria 0/0 5/44 L
Inbound from Abuja, the aircraft was vectored for a localiser approach to runway 21. The approach was uneventful, there was a slight headwind component, the runway was reported wet and the aircraft touched down about
350m from the threshold. Despite the reported use of spoilers, brakes and reverse thrust, the aircraft overran the runway by about 300m.
Havre-St Pierre airport, Quebec,
26 Feb Strait Air Beechcraft King Air 100 (C-GJXF) 0/0 2/10 L
Canada
Landing in snow inbound from Sept-Iles, the crew lost directional control and hit a snow berm.

28 Feb SmartLynx Airlines Airbus A320 (ES-SAN) Talinn Airport, Estonia 0/0 7/0 TO
The aircraft was being used for crew training at Tallinn, Estonia and had performed a number of touch-and-goes and full-stop landings during the afternoon. Following one touch-and-go on runway 08, the aircraft got airborne
but then apparently settled back with its undercarriage retracted and both engines struck the runway. The aircraft got airborne again and climbed away before returning for an emergency landing on runway 26. Power was lost
on both engines during the return and the aircraft struck the approach lights before touching down on the runway. The accident happened in daylight (1705 local time); wind 070°/13kt, visibility unlimited, snow showers and
drifting snow, cloud few at 800ft, scattered at 1,300ft and few CB at 1,500ft, temperature -13°C (9°F) and dew point -15°C.
04 Mar Serve Air Boeing 737-300 (9S-ASG) Lubumbashi airport, DR Congo 0/0 3 L
The aircraft swerved off the runway and the nosegear collapsed.

15 Mar Nimbus AK Antonov An-12 (RA-11130) Yakutsk airport, Russia 0 5 TO

The aircraft was transporting a 9.3t cargo of gold ingots from the remote Kupol gold mine in the Bilibinsky region to Krasnoyarsk via a refuelling stop at Yakutsk. It would seem that, on departure from Yakutsk, part of the cargo
weighing 3.5t broke away, burst through the rear cargo doors and fell onto the runway. The crew were able to maintain control and the aircraft climbed away safely. It subsequently landed at the nearby Magan airport. The
accident happened in daylight (1315 local time).
16 Mar Ameriflight Beechcraft C99 (N213AV) Hastings airport, Nebraska, USA 0 2 L
The crew lost directional control after landing on runway 04 and came to a halt with the nosewheel collapsed.

27 Mar EasyJet Airbus A319 (G-EZMK) Murcia-San Javier airport, Spain 0/0 6/124 TO
The A319 suffered birdstrikes from a flock of seagulls on both engines during its take-off run, and aborted. The aircraft came to a halt on the runway and the crew shut the engines down. It was later towed to the pan.

29 Mar Linea Aerea Amaszonas Swearingen Metro (CP-2459) Riberalta-Capitan airport, Bolivia 0/0 2/12 TO
The aircraft struck a flock of birds with its right propeller during the take-off run and aborted, but it overran the end of the runway by about 100m.

29 Mar Lake Clark Air Beechcraft 99 (N31TN) Pilot Point airport, Alaska, USA 0/0 1/7 L
Inbound to Pilot Point from Dillingham on an instrument approach, the aircraft touched down on the ground to the left of the runway, damaging its right undercarriage and right wing. The pilot carried out a go-around and
diverted to King Salmon airport, but the landing-gear collapsed on landing.
01 Apr Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 (VN-A353) Noi Bai International airport, Vietnam 0/0 8/140 L
The aircraft’s rate of descent was high despite the flare for landing, and resulted in a hard touchdown (2.2g) and severe tailstrike. The aircraft was able to taxi in and the passengers disembarked normally.

09 Apr Korean Air Boeing 737-900 (HL7725) Osaka Kansai airport, Japan 0/0 7/92 L
Inbound from Jeju on a night approach in good visibility, the aircraft bounced on landing. The crew decided to go around, but when rotating for the go-around there was a significant tailstrike. The aircraft landed safely from a
second approach.

32 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

 ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS 2018

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase
09 Apr Airwing Beechcraft King Air 200 (LN-NOA) Stavanger Sola airport, Norway 0 2 L
The aircraft, carrying out a freight flight, landed with its gear up.

Hageland Aviation
11 Apr Cessna Caravan (N814GV) Nr Atquasuk airport, Alaska, USA 0 1 AA
Services
The pilot reported the autopilot disengaging during approach to the airfield, and the control column pitching forward. He said the aircraft entered fog and there was resistance to his attempts to pull the control column, so the
descent continued and the aircraft struck flat, snowy terrain, came to a halt and nosed over.
18 Apr Delta Airlines Airbus A330-300 (N806NW) Nr Atlanta Hartsfield airport, USA 0/0 10/278 C
During the climb out of Atlanta for London Heathrow, there was a No 2 engine fire warning. The crew shut the engine down and discharged both fire bottles while returning to Atlanta. After an overweight landing the fire and
rescue team noticed fire and smoke still emerging from the No 2 engine, so they discharged foam into it. The aircraft was towed to the stand where the passengers disembarked.
Tribhuvan International airport,
19 Apr Malindo Air Boeing 737-900ER (9M-LNJ) 0/0 7/132 TO
Kathmandu, Nepal
Bound for Kuala Lumpur from Kathmandu, the crew is believed to have abandoned take-off, owing to a take-off configuration warning; the aircraft overran the end of the runway by about 75m.

29 Apr Lion Air Boeing 737-800 (PK-LOO) Gorontalo airport, Indonesia 0/0 7/174 L
The aircraft landed in the touchdown zone and on the centreline of runway 27 in heavy rain, but veered left and became stuck in mud. Communication with the tower also failed, as did the cabin address connection from the
cockpit, so the copilot had to leave the flightdeck to tell the cabin crew to carry out an evacuation.
13 May Asiana Airlines Airbus A330-300 (HL7792) Istanbul Ataturk airport, Turkey ?/? ?/? G
The aircraft was taxiing briskly along taxiway G for take-off to Seoul, when its right wingtip hit the tail of a Turkish Airlines A321 (TC-JMM) that was stationary waiting to move into a parking bay. The wingtip knocked the fin so hard
it almost completely detached from the A321’s tail, the impact causing the smaller aircraft to swing violently right.
En route in the Chengdu sector,
14 May Sichuan Airlines Airbus A319 (B-6419) ?/? ?/? ER
China
The aircraft had climbed uneventfully to a cruising level of 32,000ft en route from Chongqing to Lhasa when its right hand main windscreen cracked and blew out, depressurising the aircraft suddenly. The copilot and one of the
cabin crew was injured, and the flight control panel was damaged. The crew declared an emergency, carried out a rapid descent and diverted to Chengdu airport. The windscreen unit had not been removed since the aircraft
was manufactured at Airbus’s Tianjin, China plant and delivered in 2011 and no fault in it had been logged.
22 May Air Astana Airbus A320 (P4-KBB) Astana airport, Kazakhstan ?/? ?/? L
Inbound from Shymkent, the aircraft was approaching runway 22 in gusty weather associated with local thunderstorms and strong crosswinds from the right. The aircraft veered right off the runway and travelled quite some
distance before recovering to the runway surface, sustaining damage to its engines and damaging runway lights.
24 May Aeronaves Fairchild Merlin IV (XA-UPP) Saltillo, Mexico 0 3 TO
The aircraft veered off the side of the runway on take-off from Saltillo for a crew training flight and came to rest with its right main undercarriage collapsed. The accident happened in daylight and in VMC.

25 May Jayawijaya Dirgantara Boeing 737-200 (PK-JRM) Wamena, Indonesia 0 4 L

The thrust-reverser buckets and sleeve broke away from the No 2 engine during the landing roll on runway 15 at Wamena, Indonesia. Directional control was lost and the aircraft ran off the left side of the runway onto the grass,
coming to rest about 1,600m from the runway threshold and 50m from the edge of the runway. The accident happened in daylight (1408 local time) and in VMC. The aircraft was operating a cargo flight from Jayapura.
08 Jun Skyjet BAE Systems 146 (RP-C5255) Coron, Philippines 0/0 6/80 L
The aircraft, inbound from Manila, overran the end of runway 08 on landing at Coron, the Philippines and sustained substantial damage. The accident happened in daylight, and the 1,200m-long concrete runway was wet from
rain. The aircraft was judged a total loss.
09 Jun Tara Air DHC Twin Otter (9N-AEV) Jumla airport, Nepal 0/0 3/18 L
On landing at Jumla inbound from Nepalganj the aircraft bounced several times, veered left off the runway, and came to rest against the boundary fence with the nosewheel collapsed.

14 Jun Bravo Airways Boeing MD-83 (UR-CPR) Igor Sikorsky Kiev airport, Ukraine 0/0 6/163 L
Landing on runway 08 inbound from Antalya, Turkey, the aircraft ran off the side of the runway in gusting wind associated with a passing thunderstorm.

18 Jun Spirit Avia Sentosa Cessna Caravan (PK-FSL) Nr Nabire airport, Indonesia 0/0 2/11 AA
When letting down towards the airport the crew elected to deviate to the right of the GPS approach track to avoid cloud as much as possible, and ignored a warning that the aircraft was getting close to terrain, but continued
hoping to sight the surface. Just as the PF saw terrain ahead and began to climb, the aircraft struck tree branches but survived the impact. The crew asked to land on runway 16 and successfully did so, but the aircraft had
suffered extensive damage from hitting the tree branches.
09 Jul Royal Air Maroc Express ATR 72 (CO-CNH) Al Hoceima, Morocco 0/0 ?/? RA
The aircraft, inbound from Tangier, undershot its approach to runway 17 at Al Hoceima, Morocco and apparently briefly struck the surface of the sea with its undercarriage before gaining height again. The crew carried out a
go-around and diverted to Nador, Morocco where a safe landing was made some time later. The accident happened in daylight IMC, wind calm, visibility 4,000m in mist, cloud overcast at 600ft and temperature 23°C.
10 Jul Taquan Air DHC Turbine Otter (N3952B) Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, USA 0/10 1/10 ER
Flying from Steamboat Bay to Ketchikan, the floatplane entered an area of rising terrain and reducing visibility. The pilot attempted a 180° climbing turn but momentarily became disorientated, then saw terrain ahead and
carried out a maximum-angle climb, sacrificing speed. The floats were broken off, and the aircraft came to a halt. A rescue helicopter attended, guided by the emergency locator transmitter signal and a call from a passenger.

Malindo Air 737 overrun followed

abandoned take-off at Kathmandu
Xinhua News Agency/REX/Shutterstock

flightglobal.com 15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 33

AIRLINE SAFETY

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase
Cataratas del Iguazu airport,
16 Jul Flybondi Boeing 737-800 (LV-HQY) 0/0 6/65 TO
Argentina
For a reason that is not yet clear, the aircraft pitched up dramatically during the take-off roll, causing a tailstrike. The take-off was aborted and the aircraft returned to the stand.

16 Jul Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 (VN-A345) Vinh International airport, Vietnam 0/0 6/165 L
On a night final approach to runway 17 in heavy rain, the aircraft touched down to the left of the runway centreline. It continued further left and veered partly off the runway before being brought back onto it. The landing was
completed safely, but damage to the aircraft’s nosewheel prevented it from taxiing to the ramp. Debris caused damage to the left engine and fuselage.
28 Jul Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321 (VN-A336) Noi Bai, Vietnam 0/0 ?/? L
Inbound on a domestic flight from Hui, the aircraft suffered a runway excursion while landing on runway 11R at Hanoi, Vietnam and ran onto soft ground. The pilot brought the aircraft back onto the runway and completed the
landing safely. It then taxied to the gate for normal passenger disembarkation. The accident happened in darkness (2048 local time) but in poor weather associated with local thunderstorm activity.
28 Jul Air Vanuatu ATR 72-500 (YJ-AV71) Port Vila, Vanuatu 0/0 4/39 L
The aircraft suffered a starboard engine failure en route, which caused smoke in the cabin and an avionics bay smoke warning. The engine failed with a bang and the oil pressure dropped, so the crew shut it down. Soon after
landing the aircraft swung left off the runway, crossed a taxiway, and collided with two Britten-Norman Islanders before coming to a halt. The crew reported that the nosewheel steering and braking had failed.
31 Jul Aeromexico Connect Embraer 190 (XA-GAL) Durango airport, Mexico 49 6/99 TO
The aircraft appears to have encountered windshear and a downburst associated with a passing storm as it took off from runway 03. Wind speed and direction varied considerably during the take-off roll, and after take-off the
wind shifted from a 33kt crosswind from the right to only 11kt, then swung around to become a 22kt tailwind. The aircraft, which had lifted off at 146kt, climbed through 30ft radio altimeter before descending and hitting the
ground left of the runway. Both engines separated as the aircraft slid to a halt some 350m beyond the runway end close to the extended centreline. Earlier reports that one engine had failed have now been discounted by
investigators.
01 Aug Swift Air Boeing 737-800 (N624XA) Pardubice airport, Czech Republic 0/0 ?/? L
The aircraft made an ILS approach to runway 27 with a slight tailwind component just after a rain shower. The copilot – the PF – disconnected the autopilot passing 1,000ft and passed over the runway threshold at 64ft, touching
down almost 1,000m along the runway. It overran the 2,500m runway end onto soft ground.
King Khalid International airport,
03 Aug Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 (VT-JFS) 0/0 7/141 TO
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
On its departure for Mumbai the aircraft was cleared for take-off from runway 33R, but it attempted to take off from a new taxiway parallel to the runway and 200m left of it. The take-off was aborted as the taxiway came to an
end and the aircraft overran onto soft, sandy ground, eventually halting some 900m beyond the end of the taxiway. The taxiway is about 1,500m long. The accident happened in darkness but good visibility.
07 Aug Supreme Airlines Cessna Caravan (VT-UDN) Lalgarh airport, India 0/0 2/7 L
The aircraft, inbound from Jaipur, veered off the runway and collided with a structure, causing considerable damage but no injuries.

13 Aug Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A321 (N204HA) Los Angeles International airport, USA 0/0 6/191 L
Passing 1,500ft on an ILS approach to runway 06R there was a GPWS FAIL message on the ECAM. The crew carried out the appropriate checklist, which required them to switch off the GPWS. Over the runway threshold, the
crew did not receive the normal height countdown to flare, and the PF flared late, struck the runway hard, and the aircraft bounced. But the pilot continued the flare and the final touchdown was good.
16 Aug Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800 (B-5498) Manila airport, Philippines 0/0 8/157 L
Inbound from Xiamen, China, the aircraft made its night approach to runway 24 at Manila after holding briefly because of thunderstorms in the vicinity. The first attempted approach was aborted because of weather conditions.
It landed from the second attempt but ran off the side of the runway, the left landing gear collapsed and the engine separated.
22 Aug Mandarin Airlines ATR 72-600 (B-16852) Taichung airport, Taiwan 0/0 4/70 L
Inbound from Magong for a night landing on runway 36 at Taichung with thunderstorms close by, the aircraft ran off the runway and was badly damaged by hitting runway lights.

26 Aug Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER (C-FMWV) Vancouver airport, Canada 0/0 8/257 C
Departing Vancouver for Dublin, Ireland, climbing through about 10,000ft, the aircraft’s right engine suffered a failure in the LP turbine section. The crew declared an emergency, shut down the engine and returned to Vancouver
for an overweight landing. Escaping debris caused damage to the inboard right aileron and the fuselage .
28 Aug Capital Airlines Airbus A320 (B-6952) Macau airport, Macau 0/0 9/157 L
The aircraft attempted a landing at its destination, Macau, with thunderstorms nearby. Affected by windshear on short final approach it made a hard landing (2.4g) that severely damaged the nosewheel, causing the wheels to
separate, and is believed to have caused deformation of the fuselage. The crew carried out a go-around and elected to divert to Shenzhen, where they landed safely despite the damaged nose undercarriage.
01 Sep Yeti Airlines BAE Systems Jetstream (9N-AHW) Tribhuvan airport, Kathmandu, Nepal 0/0 3/21 L
Following a night approach in poor weather, the aircraft ran off the side of runway 02 onto rough ground. It eventually came to rest with its nose undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft was operating a flight from Nepalganj.

01 Sep Utair Boeing 737-800 (VQ-BJI) Adler/Sochi airport, Russia 0/0 6/166 L
On a night flight from Moscow Vnukovo to Adler/Sochi airport, the aircraft was cleared for an approach to runway 06. There were thunderstorms in the area, and on final approach the aircraft systems generated a windshear
warning, so the crew abandoned the approach. They climbed to 7,000ft to position for another attempt at 06. The second approach was the same, and the crew decided to go around again. On the landing from the third and
final attempt the aircraft appears to have landed long by some 1,300m, and there was a 10kt tailwind component. It overran runway 06, crashed through the perimeter fence and came to a halt on the bed of the Mzymta river. It
was written off. The left engine caught fire, but all on board evacuated safely.

Bullit Marquez/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Xiamen Airlines 737-800 veered off

runway at Manila in wet conditions

34 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com

 ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS 2018

Sky Lease Cargo crew chose to

continue approach with tailwind
and ended up with a write-off

Transportation Safety Board of Canada

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase
18 Sep Air Arabia Airbus A320 (A6-ANV) Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 0/0 ?/? TO
The A320 was cleared for take-off using runway 30 from its intersection B14, but when it entered at that point it turned the wrong way, facing down the reciprocal runway 12, according to the French accident investigator BEA,
which has been working with the local aviation authority on this case. This left the crew only 1,200m of hard runway for the take-off run. After beginning to roll, the captain quickly realised the remaining distance was short, so set
maximum power and flaps to 22°. The aircraft got airborne safely right at the runway end.
24 Sep Philippine Air Lines Airbus A340-300 (RP-C3435) Vancouver airport, Canada 0/0 ?/? TO
The aircraft suffered a tyreburst during its take-off run on 08R, but the take-off was successful and the flight to Manila, the Philippines continued, eventually landing safely. On arrival, damage was discovered, including skin
penetration near the main gear, deformation of the aircraft’s belly skin, and to the centre landing gear bay doors.
26 Sep US-Bangla Airlines Boeing 737-800 (S2-AJA) Chittagong, Bangladesh 0/0 7/164 L
When the crew selected the gear down for the approach to its scheduled destination at Cox’s Bazaar the nosegear did not deploy. Subsequently, the aircraft made a low fly-by of the tower, which confirmed that the nosegear
was not down. Having applied checklist procedures unsuccessfully, they elected to divert to Chittagong. They landed on runway 23 at Chittagong with the nose undercarriage retracted.
08 Oct Frontier Flying Service Beechcraft 1900C (N575Q) Gambell airport, Alaska, USA 0/0 2/7 L
The crew report that they were flying the ILS slightly high intentionally because of turbulence. When the PF began the flare the aircraft was still too high, and despite continuing the flare the aircraft hit the runway with a high sink
rate resulting in a tailstrike that caused considerable damage.
10 Oct Yakutia Airlines Sukhoi Superjet (RA-89011) Yakutsk airport, Russia 0/0 5/87 L
Runway 05R/23L was undergoing maintenance, and the work meant that 05R threshold was displaced by 1,150m, and that on runway 23L, the touchdown zone and runway centreline lights were not operating. The crew
elected to land on runway 23L with a slight tailwind (4kt). The runway friction coefficient turned out to be less than transmitted, and the aircraft had been dispatched with one of its thrust-reversers unserviceable, which it should
not have been if the true runway friction value had been reported. The aircraft overran 250m into the runway area that was under reconstruction, hitting a 20cm (7in) step where the reconstruction area started. The forward
fuselage was damaged and both main landing gear legs were sheared off.
12 Oct Air India Express Boeing 737-800 (VT-AYD) Tiruchirappalli airport, India 0/0 6/130 TO
During a night take-off from runway 27 the aircraft must have made a late lift-off or very shallow climb, because the fuselage underside hit first the localiser antenna array, then a brick wall, causing serious damage. The crew
seemed unaware of this and climbed to FL360 on their route to Dubai until contacted by Tiruchirappalli and informed that they might have hit the wall. The crew, by this time over the Arabian Sea, decided to return to Mumbai
and landed safely; subsequently, serious damage to the airframe was discovered.
07 Nov Sky Lease Cargo Boeing 747-400F (N908AR) Halifax airport, Canada 4 4 L
Inbound from Chicago in the pre-dawn darkness, the aircraft was initially cleared to approach runway 14 at Halifax, but then the controller advised the crew that the wind was now 260° at 16-21kt, giving a tailwind component for
the landing, and asked if the crew would like to consider a different approach. The crew, however, decided to continue to 14, which is 2,347m long. The aircraft overran the runway by more than 200m, damaging the approach
lights to 32 and sustaining major damage itself, including the separation of two of its engines and serious damage to the others. The fuselage was broken aft of the wing, and a fire developed in the tail section. The aircraft was
written off.
11 Nov Air Astana Embraer 190 (P4-KCJ) Nr Lisbon airport, Portugal 0 6 ER
The crew encountered severe control problems on this post-maintenance ferry flight from Lisbon to Almaty, Kazakhstan. The aircraft had just undergone a C-check at maintenance specialist OGMA at Lisbon. Soon after take-off
the crew made a mayday call, requesting a return to the airport, but 10min later reported that they were having such problems controlling the aircraft that they were preparing to ditch in the sea, and requested vectors to do so.
Air Astana has since reported that there were considerable roll axis stability problems. Eventually the crew regained manual control of the aircraft and diverted to Beja, where they abandoned two attempts to land before the
final one was successful.
22 Nov Peruvian Air Line Boeing 737-500 (OB-2041-P) La Paz, Bolivia 0/0 5/122 L
The aircraft, inbound from Lima, Peru, suffered a main landing gear collapse at touchdown on runway 10 and came to rest on the runway.

29 Nov VietJet Air Airbus A321neo (VN-A653) Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam 0/? 7/207 L
The aircraft made a very hard landing and bounced, coming down on its nosegear and causing both nosegear wheels to separate. The landing took place at night in good visibility. An evacuation was carried out on the runway,
and some passengers were injured in the process.
11 Dec Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER (C-FITW) Chek Lap Kok airport, Hong Kong 0/0 18/375 L
The aircraft, inbound from Toronto, Canada, suffered a heavy tailstrike on landing. The passengers disembarked normally at the gate, but the aircraft’s return flight was cancelled.

25 Dec KrasAvia Antonov An-24 Vanavara airport, Russia 0/0 3/30 L

The aircraft ran off the left side of the runway, damaging its left propeller.

flightglobal.com 15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 35

STRAIGHT&LEVEL

From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com

Britten in

Bremont Great War Display Team

Europe
Back in 2016, most of the UK’s
aerospace sector was united in
favour of remaining in the EU. A
notable exception was the
country’s sole surviving
independent aircraft
manufacturer, Britten-Norman,
which went so far as to use one
of its Islanders, adorned with a
Union Flag on its tail, to fly a
Brexit-backing banner urging
voters to “take control”. Chief
executive William Hynett said
that Brussels “red tape” was
adding costs to his business and
putting the brakes on the
competitiveness of British
industry.
Hynett, of course, got his way
in the referendum and the UK is
now careering towards a
possible no-deal departure from
the single market and customs
union, something that deeply
concerns many of the country’s
aerospace businesses, including
one, based on the Isle of Wight,
Khan-do
Creature comforts
When the problems of
peace flying have to be
tackled, there is
every probability
that the
occupants of an
aeroplane will be
comfortably seated inside a
cabin. This appears now to
have come about, as
instanced by the Airco or
D.H.4 biplane.
Foiled again
Capt. Schwoer, German
fighter ace, praised Allied
The Bremont Great War Display Team – whose 10-strong bombing
fleet includes this Avro 504 replica – signed off the strategy, quoted
armistice centenary year with a display at Cheltenham by Reuters. He
racecourse featuring several of its British and German said: “Formations
fighters. Team leader Gordon Brander says 2018 was of Allied bombers
Bremont’s busiest year yet, with 43 events in the UK and completely upset my fighter
France. Its other First World War aircraft include a BE2c, plans yesterday. I thought
two Fokkers, a Sopwith Triplane and three SE5as. the bombers would keep on
a straight course. But they
altered course to the south-
west and we missed them.”

that has announced plans to attitude Apollo 11 pilots

relocate its training division to
another island, Malta. It says
that establishing an offshoot in
the tiny nation, which has been
part of the EU since 2004,
“offers a sensible solution to the
Group’s requirement for a Brexit
contingency plan in the event
that the UK and EU fail to
negotiate an effective bilateral
relationship”.
The name of the firm so
worried about the possible
consequences of the country
having to go it completely alone
after 31 March? None other than
Britten-Norman.
Genghis Khan Airlines – a
Chinese start-up based in Inner
Mongolia – has moved a step
closer to launch. Given that its
namesake launched the Mongol
invasions that conquered most
of Eurasia, we wonder if the
carrier might have similar
ambitious expansion plans?
Just an Ilyushin
An online feature by The Sun
newspaper on President Putin’s
version of Air Force One is what
his equivalent in the White House
would definitely call fake news.
The crew for the Apollo 11
Moon-landing mission was
named January 9. The three
astronauts will
be Neil A.
Wrong aircraft, wrong flag Armstrong,
commander of
It is bad enough that the the Apollo 9 spacecraft; Lt
photo depicts an Ilyushin Il-62 – Col Michael Collins, USAF,
a mere narrowbody – when the command module pilot;
Kremlin’s official jet is an Il-96 and Col Edwin E. Aldrin,
widebody, but using a picture of USAF, lunar module pilot.
the Ukrainian government’s
Il-62 could be enough to Exit strategy
provoke a full-scale war. Bell-Boeing has conducted
emergency-egress
demonstrations
Where-port? to verify that the
“Gatwick has advised V-22 Osprey
passengers to check the status of cabin meets
their flights before heading to specifications. The
the airport,” ran this Sky News demonstrations verified that
ticker-tape news item as 24 US Marines can leave the
repeated drone sightings caused V-22 cabin within 60s.
dozens of cancellations and
chaos to many families’ holiday 100-YEAR ARCHIVE
travel just before Christmas. Every issue of Flight
Sound advice. But it might from 1909 onwards
depend on which airport you can be viewed online at
were headed for: the image is of flightglobal.com/archive
Heathrow.

36 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com


For up-to-the-minute air
transport news, network and
fleet information sign up at:
flightglobal.com/dashboard
flightglobal.com
Low-cost visionary
Although Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines, gave rise to an entire industry
sector, he was equally respected for his personal integrity and concern for employee welfare
W hen the road leading to Dallas Love Field airport
was designated Herb Kelleher Way in 2011, the
Southwest Airlines co-founder downplayed the hon-
our in true Kelleher fashion.
“That is a real remembrance. That is true. But 10 years
from now, how many people are going to be looking at
that sign and saying, ‘Who the hell is Herb Kelleher?’,” he
said in a 2011 Associated Press interview.
Despite having founded a low-cost carrier that
spawned countless imitators, Kelleher is remembered
not just for the business ingenuity that inspired South-
west’s birth, but also for antics such as settling a copy-
right dispute with an arm wrestling match rather than
spending millions on legal fees. (Kelleher lost, but the
victorious Kurt Herwald of Stevens Aviation, whose idea
the contest was, graciously allowed Southwest to con-
tinue using the disputed “Plane Smart” slogan.)
“He was everybody’s best friend,” says Southwest
chief executive Gary Kelly. “When you were having a
conversation with Herb, he would make you feel like
you were the most important person in the world.”
Bob Crandall, American Airlines’ former chief execu-
tive, remembers Kelleher as an intense competitor, but
also fondly remembers sharing a smoke break with his
former rival, who had a well-known love of cigarettes
and Wild Turkey whiskey.
“We used to make fun of each other,” Crandall says.
“He spoke the truth and always said what he thought.”
Kelleher was credited as the force behind the widely-
admired culture driving Southwest’s success in an indus-
try often beholden to economic cyclicality, volatile fuel
prices and labour union woes. The 51-year-old airline
has never filed for bankruptcy protection or laid off em-
ployees – making it an outlier in a sector whose history is
littered with departed or restructured companies.
When fuel prices rose uncomfortably in 2000, Kelleher
sent out a personal plea to employees, asking for their
help by each saving $5 a day, according to Fortune. Staff
responded quickly, with one department taking on its
own janitorial work, helping to save the airline more than
$2 million within six weeks of Kelleher’s letter.
“Our esprit de corps is the core of our success. That’s
most difficult for a competitor to imitate. They can [buy]
all the physical things. The thing you can’t buy is dedi-
cation, devotion, loyalty,” Kelleher said.
His philosophy was simple – if you treat employees
right, they will treat your customers right, customers will
return, and shareholders will be happy. The fact South-
west has never posted an annual loss tells its own story.
Born on 12 March 1931, Kelleher grew up in Haddon
Heights, New Jersey, attending Wesleyan University and
law school at New York University. He initially entered
legal practice before incorporating Air Southwest in 1967
with businessman Rollin King, after sketching out the
planned intra-Texas air service on a cocktail napkin.
OBITUARY
Southwest Airlines
Herb Kelleher: “A simple set of values is very efficient”
The airline began its first flights in 1971, connecting
Dallas to San Antonio and Houston with a fleet of three
Boeing 737-200s, following years-long legal battles with
rival airlines seeking to keep Southwest out of the skies
– a trend that was to continue as the operation grew.
Kelleher stepped down as chief executive and presi-
dent in 2001, and continued as chairman until 2008, be-
fore passing the baton to current chief Kelly. He retained
the title of chairman emeritus, but took pains to keep a
lower profile. “I didn’t think it was fair to Gary and the
new leadership to have me sitting there at the board table
with a dyspeptic look on my face, like I needed some
Tums,” he joked in an interview with Fortune in 2013.
One could argue that the Kelleher touch never left
Southwest. The airline adamantly refuses to charge for
checked bags and ticket change fees – despite demands
from Wall Street – retains an open-seating policy, and
has avoided lay-offs at the expense of profits.
“I’ve always thought that having a simple set of values
for a company was a very efficient way to go,” Kelleher
told Fortune. “Because if somebody makes a proposal
and it infringes on those values, you don’t study it for two
years. You just say, ‘No, we don’t do that.’ And you go on
quickly – I think that contributes to efficiency.”
Crandall says his former rival never deviated from
those values, even when competition was intense. “He
competed fiercely,” he says. “But he would do so in an
honest way. He was a man of enormous integrity.”
Southwest forged a path many have followed. “Herb
was the Grand Master Yoda of low-fare airlines,” says
­Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary. “He was the
leader, visionary and teacher: without Herb there would
be no Ryanair, and no low-fare airlines anywhere.” ■
Herb Kelleher, 12 March 1931 – 3 January 2019
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 37
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38 | Flight International | 15-21 January 2019 flightglobal.com


WORK EXPERIENCE ALEX WENK
Know-how matters in development
As technical lead at Aerogility, Alex Wenk juggles a dual role training graduates joining the aerospace
maintenance scheduling software firm and writing code – now he is eyeing a move into management
Why did you pursue a career in
aviation?
I didn’t so much pursue a career
in aviation, more a career in
software development. I’ve
­always had an interest in
­computers and software, partici-
pating in small computing pro-
jects in my own time, at school
and at university. When Aero-
gility ­offered me a summer in-
ternship in 2017 testing its code,
I jumped at the chance to be a
part of the team for an enter-
prise-scale application.
What is Aerogility and your role
in the company?
Aerogility is an intelligent main-
tenance planning platform that
delivers accurate forecasts for
aviation management teams. I
am leading a team of developers
making software changes for an
important client, as well as the
management and training of the
four graduate developers that I
have recruited.
What do you enjoy most about
your job?
I enjoy how much responsibility
I was given from day one, a perk
of working for a small company.
I have relished the challenge,
having to pick up a large amount
of domain knowledge in a short
period of time, to the level
where I am comfortable teaching
and presenting to clients. Aero-
gility frequently offers me the
choice of projects to work on
and allows me to come up with
my own ideas for how to im-
prove our product. Over the past
few months, I have started to re-
ally enjoy the social aspect of
flightglobal.com
Small scale offers scope for growth plus responsibility, says Wenk
my job too. We have a lovely of-
fice in Battersea, London, with a
rooftop terrace; perfect for wind-
ing down over a beer on Friday
evenings.
What are the difficulties you
need to overcome?
Currently, a challenge I face is
balancing my time between
training the new graduate devel-
opers and my own projects.
There is no pressure for me to
work long hours at all, but I often
find myself working 12h per day
or more in order to make pro-
gress on both fronts. That said,
when I left university, I was ex-
pecting to go into a high-pressure
job in the city and to be working
WORKING WEEK
How do you see your career
developing?
As Aerogility grows, over the
next five years, I want to move
into a project management role.
As much as I love coding, I am
keen to explore a client-facing
and management position. This
process is already happening. In
October, I attended the MRO Eu-
rope conference in Amsterdam
to discuss innovative solutions
to the planning and scheduling
problems our customers face
and I have begun meeting new
clients in Europe.
What do you with your spare
time?
I’ve recently developed a
­passion for photography; I
spend a lot of time at weekends
wandering around London tak-
ing urban photos to build up a
Aerogility portfolio. I really enjoy taking
portraits of people and am look-
ing to get into wedding photog-
raphy as a hobby. I also spend a
“I have relished the lot of time exercising, making
challenge, having to the most of the green areas
pick up a large Wandsworth has to offer. I’m a
big fan of a good old boogie, too,
amount of domain and on any given Friday and
knowledge in a short Saturday night you’ll find me
out and about in south London
period of time” getting my groove on. n
Looking for a job in aerospace?
Check out our listings online at
these hours on a daily basis any- flightglobal.com/jobs
way, so I really don’t mind it at
all. I find my work interesting If you would like to feature in
and engaging enough that I can Working Week, or you know
happily spend all day in the of- someone who would, email
fice coding. As long as I am mak- your pitch to kate.sarsfield@
ing progress, the time seems to flightglobal.com
fly by.
15-21 January 2019 | Flight International | 43
 Aerospace
Big Data Series
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How big data is Key benefits of attending

Learn from the industry’s big data pioneers

revolutionizing Discuss how predictive maintenance is being

scaled across different fleet types
Expand your professional network

predictive Keep up to date with key disrupters and

emerging trends
How to unlock real value from data and build

maintenance your prognostics model

Airline case studies

To attend, visit: flightglobal.com/bigdata or contact +44 (0)2079 111 993

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