GAC UPDATE- ISSUE 28 August 2013By Vivienne SandercockContents1. Editor's Message 2. Today's student pilot is tomorrow's commercial Captain 3. Hazard, Incident and Accident Statistics 4. Henley/Global Training 5. ASECNA secures $39million loan from the IFC for infrastructural upgrades 6. ERP/AEMS 7. The annual EU Blacklist 8. News from Jo'burg Airports 9. Commercial Airlines/Airports Information 10. Security/Safety Tip of the Month 11. Advertisements 12. Finale 1. EDITOR'S MESSAGE Welcome to this 28th Issue of GAC UPDATE. There is a long article on the latest EU Blacklist in section 7 which has been included in order for our readers to be fully conversant with the state of aviation in Africa as seen through the eyes of ICAO and EASA. The article demonstrates in real time the States' responsibility under their State Safety Programme (SSP) in terms of Safety Oversight of aircraft operators, which appears to be improving making for encouraging reading for those of us employed in the aviation safety arena. Although, sadly, there is still some way to go before this continent of ours attains the levels of Europe or the USA. Vivienne Sandercock 2. TODAYS STUDENT PILOT IS TOMORROW'S HEAVY JET CAPTAIN In future Issues we will explore various aspects of what today's trainees will either be proficient in or lack when they go on to join major commercial operators. DISCIPLINE Whilst the word is looked upon as being somewhat alien in today's world, the need for it in Aviation has never been more important. For those of us that live in RSA, driving on the nation's highways proves just what happens when all sense of self-discipline is removed. It would appear that Instructors do not (in general) as a high priority, naturally instil any sense of discipline or the need for self-discipline into their Students. Perhaps this is because their Instructors did not do so for them thereby perpetrating this particular break down in the natural order of all things aviation. As an example take their standard of paperwork - those reports that are completed by hand suffer from excruciating errors in grammar - that is of course if you can actually read the handwriting. By being unable to properly express themself in the written word they leave the reader wondering what they are trying to say. In order to gauge the levels of poor or excellent levels of disciple all you have to do is wander around aerodromes which house Air Training Organisations and have a look at the standard of dress of the Pilots. Do they have clean and neatly pressed trousers and shirts and are their shoes (suitable or unsuitable for the job) polished? Do they always wear their high visibility waistcoats when on airside? Are airport Security I.D. Cards visibly displayed? Do the Instructors hang around in the reception areas eating and drinking with their feet up on the desks or tables? Do they bother to chock their a/c on short turnarounds? Do they dump rubbish from the a/c onto the ramp and leave it there? There are, of course, two distinct types of trainees. There are those that wish only to fly their own rotor or fixed wing aircraft as a Private Pilot and there are those that want join the world of Commercial Aviation. The Instructors could be forgiven for assuming that discipline is not as essential for the first group as it is for the second. However, check the accident statistics for the last couple of years and you will find that the highest percentage of Incidents and Accidents lie in the world of General Aviation. Commercial Airlines expect their pilots to be immaculate at all times and obey certain in-house rules and regulations. These two points are completely non-negotiable and have nothing whatsoever to do with CRM. If the ATOs do not instruct their students accordingly, with the Instructors leading by example, then how are the trainees ever going to make the grade in the real world? 3. HAZARD, INCIDENT AND ACCIDENT REPORTS FIXED WING ACCIDENTS IN AFRICA - 2013 DATE TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION 01 Jan Aeroprakt A-22 FoxBat 2 Phalaborwa Airport, Limpopo, RSA 10 Jan Windlass Aquilla 2 R304, near Klipheuwel, WC, RSA 17 Jan CASA 212 0 AFB Bloemfontein, Tempe Airfield, RSA 03 Feb Jabiru SPT 0 N4 Motorway, South of Witbank, MP, RSA 05 Feb Cessna 0 East African Aviation Academy, Soroti, Uganda 05 Feb Light Aircraft 3 Niamey Airport, Niger 11 Feb Military 3 crew & 6 pax Monrovia, Liberia 23 Feb B733 0 RWY26L, Muscat, Oman 24 Feb Aeroprakt A-22 FoxBat 2 Initial climb out from Nanyuki Civil Airstrip, Kenya 28 Feb A321 0 Hurghada, Egypt 03 Mar Rally 2 Remote part of Namibia 04 Mar Fokker 50 5 Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo 18 Mar MIL 1 500km N of Nouakchott, near Aoujeft, Mauritania 07 Apr B1900 1 In the area of the Gulf of Guinea 16 Apr Tiger Moth 2 Modimola Dam in Mmabatho, NW, RSA 13 Apr MT7 1 200 metres short of the runway at Arusha, Tanzania 27 Apr Cessna 152 1 Worcester, WC, RSA 6 May Alpha Jet 2 Dargol Village, 60km west of Niamey, Niger 9 May Military TBA UNK number Port Harcourt, Nigeria 06 Jun Dromader Fire Bomber 1 Piet Retief, MP, RSA 10 Jun Military Aircraft UNK number 1 km from Ngaoundere (Adamaoua Airport) Cameroon. 21 Jun Cessna 182 2 Close to Rand Airport (FAGM), GP, RSA 03 Jul Embraer Bandeirante 2 Francistown, Botswana 16 Jul PA38 0 Close to Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport (KIA), Malawi. 18 Jul Cirrus 2 Lanseria International Airport, GP, RSA 25 Jul Cessna 206 3 Aberdares Mountain region of central Kenya Source, amongst others, PlaneCrash info.com; News24, Aviation Herald, Flight Safety Information ROTOR WING ACCIDENTS IN AFRICA - 2013 DATE TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION 18 Jan Bell 47G 3B.1 0 Hibberdene, KZN, RSA 07 Feb RH44 0 S 25? 49' 40”E 028? 13' 15, Kestell, FS, RSA 9 Mar MIL 2 35km from Bukavu, S Kivu Province, DRC 12 Mar Z9 1 Lusaka City Airport, Lusaka, Zambia 23 Mar Bell 206B 0 Mayors Walk, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, RSA 30 Mar Agusta A109 5 Kruger Park, South Africa (on rhino protection) 04 Apr RH44 1 Alongside N1 Nylstroom, Limpopo, RSA 05 Apr MIL 0 Nr US Embassy, Tunis, Tunisia 12 Apr MIL 5 Nr Ouro Modi, 56km southeast of Sevare, Mali 23 Apr RH44 4 Sondagskraal, nr Schoemanskloof near Nelspruit MP, RSA 31 May Military Helicopter 9 Abu Kershola, north east of South Kordofan State, Sudan. 06 Jun Military Training Helicopter 2 Damazin Town, Blue Nile State, Sudan ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS REPORTED TO THE SA CAA - JUNE 2013 REF DATE TYPE LOCATION FATALITIES CIRCUMSTANCES TYPE OF OP 9181 03 Jun BE20 Lanseria International Airport (FALA), GP, RSA 0 During landing on Runway 06L, all the landing gears collapsed and the aircraft veered off to the right of the runway PVT 9182 04 Jun BE9L Rustenburg Aerodrome, NW, RSA 0 Nose wheel collapsed on landing TRNG 9183 08 Jun Dromader M-18A Piet Retief Central, MP, RSA 1 Aircraft crashed and burnt during a fire fighting activity FF 9184 15 Jun Taylorcraft BC-12-D Mokwassie, NW, RSA 0 Engine failure on approach for landing, glide approach, crashed short of runway PVT 9185 18 Jun Bushbaby Witbank, GP, RSA 0 Wire strike during simulated forced landing exercise PVT 9186 18 Jun Sport Cruiser Lanseria International Airport (FALA), GP, RSA 0 Aircraft lost the nose wheel in flight and during landing at FALA the aircraft experienced a propeller strike TRNG 9187 17 Jun Bantam Aero Den Aerodrome, NW, RSA 0 vibration in flight, propeller came loose during precautionary landing, hard landing PVT 9188 21 Jun Cessna 210 Brits Airfield, GP, RSA 0 engine power loss just before take-off, too late to abort, crashed at the end of the runway PVT 9189 21 Jun Cessna 182Q Germiston, GP, RSA 2 The aircraft crashed in an open mine area approximately 0.65 nm from the threshold of runway 17 at FAGM after it took-off from runway 35 PVT 0981 08 Jun S2R-T34 Glen Baine Airfield, KZN, RSA 0 Main undercarriage collapsed on landing and propeller struck the ground Crop Spray 0982 03 Jun UH-1H Askham Airstrip, NC, RSA 0 Engine surge, loss of rotor RPM, loss of altitude PVY 0983 10 Jun PA38 Near FAWF, WC, RSA 0 wingtip damaged during simulated forced landing practice TRNG 0984 01 May A340-343 FIMP FIR 0 Captain incapacitated enroute. RSA Registered COM 0985 12 Jun Savannah MXP 740V Leeufontein Game Lodge, GP, RSA 0 Pilot impacted the ground and the nose wheel broke off while trying to avoid kudus on the runway PVT 0986 21 Jun Cessna Caravan C208 Xalakai Aerodrome, Botswana 0 The beta lever jammed and caused the propeller to feather just before landing. RSA Registered COM 987 25 Jun Avro 146 RJ85A +/- 80 nm from Pietermaritzburg, KZN, RSA 0 Crew experienced a fire warning on the No 4 engine. The crew enacted the QRH and elected to return to JNB. The crew elected to declare a phase 1 emergency. They landed safely COM FIXED WING INCIDENTS AND HAZARDS REPORTED TO GAC - JULY 2013 TYPE DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATALITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OP TYPE INC 01 Jul A340-300 En-route Khartoum, Sudan to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 0 About 35 minutes into the flight the crew initiated an emergency descent to FL100 with the passengers' oxygen masks being released and returned to Khartoum COM INC 06 Jul B777-200 En-route Amsterdam (The Netherlands) to Nairobi (Kenya) 0 The a/c was over Greece when one of the smoke sensors in the cargo hold triggered a fire alarm. The a/c diverted into Athens. COM INC 17 Jul CRJ-100 HUEN, Entebbe Airport (Uganda) 0 On final approach having been cleared to land by HUEN's tower +/-1.6nm before touchdown the crew noticed a Let L-410 manoeuvring for landing 0.5nm ahead and 200ft below. The CRJ crew went around and landed safely. No TCAS target was observed and no weather data was available COM INC 25 Jul A330-200 En-route Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) to Niamey (Niger) 1 On approach to Niamey a body dropped from the aircraft falling onto a road in a western suburb of Niamey. The aircraft continued for a safe landing, authorities grounded the aircraft. COM ROTOR INCIDENTS AND HAZARDS REPORTED TO GAC - JULY 2013 IINC HAZ DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATALITIES CIRCUMSTANCES TYPE OF OP None Reported AERODROME HAZARDS, INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS TYPE DATE AERODROME HAZARD, INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT DESCRIPTION HAZ All El Geneina, North Sudan Unfenced rwy giving rise to multivarious rwy incursions by donkeys and other wild life HAZ June Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Volcanic Eruption risk. Volcano monitoring station is shut down due to rebel activity causing serious threat to the scientists lives. HAZ May Cape Town Heliport, RSA Bird hazard giving rise to a threat of bird strikes HAZ All Rand Airport GF, RSA Fixed wing a/c doing acrobatics in the Helicopter GF area. 4. HENLEY/GLOBAL AVIATION TRAINING Should you wish to make a booking for any of these courses please contact Candice on 011 024 5446 or by email to candice@gaconsultants.net DATES COURSE LECTURER COST EXCL. VAT PER DELEGATE 12-13 Aug 2013 Human Factors (MRM) / Initial CRM Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,100=00 19-20 Aug 2013 Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R 2,100=00 19 Aug 2013 Recurrent Crew Resource Management Verity Wallace R 950=00 19 Aug 2013 Recurrent Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 750=00 04 Sep Recurrent Crew Resource Management Verity Wallace R 950=00 04 Sep Recurrent Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 750=00 09-10 Sep Human Factors / Initial CRM Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,100=00 16-17 Sep Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R 2,100=00 21-25 Oct Integrated Safety Management Course Various R 5,130=00 Note: Cost per delegate includes all training materials, refreshments, lunch and parking Note: Attendees paying in cash on the day are eligible for a 10% discount Note: Both Recurrent CRM and Dangerous Goods Training Courses are available upon request - even at short notice. Need Emergency Response Training? See section 6. Emergency Response Planning or contact Rethea on rethea.mitchell@blakeemergency.com First Aid and the Law. 'As in any situation, people at work can be injured on the job or take ill suddenly, so it's important that you have an action plan for your employees to receive immediate attention. For more information, please contact candice@gaconsultants.net 5. ASECNA SECURES $39M LOAN FROM THE IFC FOR INFRASTRUCTURAL UPGRADES. The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (L'Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar - ASECNA) has secured a loan of USD39.43million (EUR30million) from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to finance part of its renovation plan, which includes the acquisition of new equipment and the refurbishment of buildings. These investments will allow ASECNA to continue improving the quality of its services and to maintain its perfect safety track record. ASECNA's coverage A pan-African air navigation service provider, ASECNA operates in 17 West and Central African countries and Madagascar. It plans to purchase new airport navigation equipment, energy and communication infrastructure, and will renovate its control tower buildings in most of these locations. Vincent Gouarne, IFC Global Industry Director for Infrastructure and Natural Resources, said: “This agreement marks the beginning of cooperation between ASECNA and IFC to support the development of a safe aviation sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. IFC is committed to promoting increased investment in infrastructure that is vital for Africa's continued economic development.” ASECNA was created in 1959 by agreement between the then-French colonies in Africa, it is composed of 18 member countries: Benin, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. And is responsible for the design, implementation and management of facilities and services related to the transmission of messages and traffic information, guiding aircraft, air traffic control, forecasting and reporting meteorological information, for traffic routing, approach and landing at airports in its African member states. 6. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING Don't forget that the 2011 Civil Aviation Regulation 139.02.24 (b) (iii) states that aerodromes must have 3 monthly table top exercises so there is plenty of scope for you to offer to join in and practice what you have in your plan. It will also help you to identify missing information and/or procedures - Gap Analysis. Grand Central Airport (FAGC) will be holding their full scale emergency exercise at the end of July 2013, Lanseria International Airport (FALA) in November 2013. You should test your ERP regularly so the question we ask you is when did you last test your ERP? Should you need any assistance with testing and amending and/or updating your ERP please contact us on 011 024 5446 and speak to Rethea. Blake Emergency Services is the International Crisis Management and Contingency Planning Consultancy who, although based in the UK, have serious experience in Africa having handled accidents, incidents, counselling, repatriation, DNA sampling and confirmation, in amongst others Lagos, Nigeria; Fez, Morocco; Pointe Noire, Congo; Moroni, Comores; Maputo, Mozambique. Please go to www.blakeemergency.com or contact rethea.mitchell@blakeemergency.com Blake Emergency Services now also offer courses in the 'Writing of Emergency Response Plans and Procedures, Emergency Response Training, Incident Response, Operations Control Emergency Response and Family Assistance'. For more information, please contact Candice or Rethea on Candice@gaconsultants.net or Rethea.mitchell@blakeemergency.com 7. THE ANNUAL EU BLACK LIST The following is an extract from the latest Official Journal of the European Union detailing the group's most recent decisions and activities, with particular reference paid to the latest updates made to its ominous Banned Operators List. Among the countries that argued their cases to be struck off the list in Brussels (and in one instance, chose to remain on the list) were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique and Sudan. The extract lists the various changes, including carriers that have now been either certified or struck off the countries' respective verified operator's lists that each regulatory authority has implemented with respect to EU and ICAO minimums. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Air carriers certified in the DRC have been listed in Annex A since March 2006. Following a recent initiative by the competent authorities of the DRC (ANAC) to re-establish active consultations with the Commission and EASA, they provided the necessary documentary evidence to allow for a comprehensive update of their air carriers listed in Annex A. The competent authorities of the DRC informed the Commission, by letter that the following carriers have been granted operating licences: Air Baraka, Air Castilla, Air Malebo, Armi Global Business Airways, Biega Airways, Blue Sky, Ephrata Airlines, Eagles Services, GTRA, Mavivi Air Trade, Okapi Airlines, Patron Airways, Pegasus, Sion Airlines, Waltair Aviation. Since the competent authorities of the DRC did not provide evidence that the safety oversight of those air carriers is ensured in compliance with international safety standards, on the basis of the common criteria, it is assessed that all the air carriers of the updated list should be included in Annex A. The competent authorities of the DRC also informed that the following air carriers all previously listed in Annex A do not hold an operating licence: Bravo Air Congo, Entreprise World Airways (EWA), Hewa Bora Airways (HBA), Mango Aviation, TMK Air Commuter, Zaabu International Consequently, it is assessed that those air carriers should be removed from Annex A. The competent authorities of the DRC also explained that, in accordance with the country's legal framework, air transport operations require both an operating licence and an AOC to conduct this type of operations and that so far none of the existing operators complied with both requirements. The five-phase ICAO certification process was started in April 2013 for 5 operators (Korongo, FlyCAA, Air Tropiques, ITAB and Kinavia) and is expected to be completed by the end of September 2013. At the end of this certification process, ANAC will provide a list of all the air operators duly certified and in possession of a valid AOC. The Commission noted the commitment of the competent authorities of the DRC, in particular of the Minister for Transport, and encouraged them to continue their efforts towards the establishment of a civil aviation oversight system in compliance with international safety standards, while remaining committed to develop further the active dialogue re-established recently. Guinea Formal consultations were initiated with the competent authorities of the Republic of Guinea in December 2012 following the safety findings raised by ICAO during its audit conducted in April 2012, which raised a Significant Safety Concern (SSC) regarding the certification of air operators. As a result of the submission of a Corrective Action Plan (CAP), and its subsequent acceptance and validation by ICAO, ICAO announced on 29 May 2013 that it had removed the SSC. At a meeting in January 2013 between the Commission, EASA, and the competent authorities of the Republic of Guinea the latest developments regarding the status of the implementation of the CAP filed with ICAO in December 2012. According to the competent authorities of the Republic of Guinea, the air carriers Sahel Aviation Service, Eagle Air, Probiz Guinée and Konair are in the process of recertification. None of them flies into the Union airspace. Those authorities also informed that the AOC of the following air carriers has been suspended: GR-Avia, Elysian Air, Brise Air, Sky Guinée Airlines, Sky Star Air The competent authorities of the Republic of Guinea agreed to keep the Commission informed about any significant development concerning progress in the implementation of ICAO standards, allowing for a regular monitoring of the situation. Libya Consultations with the competent authorities of Libya (LYCAA) continue with the aim of confirming that Libya is progressing in its work to reform its civil aviation safety system, and in particular ensuring that the safety oversight of all air carriers certified in Libya is in compliance with international safety standards. On 25 April 2013 the LYCAA provided a report of the re-certification activities conducted on the air carrier Libyan Airlines. The report described a five phase process in line with ICAO recommendations but did not initially provide any detailed evidence of the associated inspection activities. This was provided 4 days later together with details of the actions taken by Libyan Airlines to close the findings in the sampled areas. On 4 June 2013 the LYCAA wrote to the Commission informing them that Libyan Airlines would not now be ready for consideration for a lifting of restrictions citing a change in management of the airline and the consequent need to assess the impact of these changes on the air carrier's operational safety. On 26 June 2013 the Air Safety Committee heard presentations from the LYCAA. The LYCAA briefed the committee on the actions taken to date and the progress with the recertification of Libyan air carriers. They explained that they were not in a position to recommend any Libyan air carrier to be released from the current restrictions. They provided time-scales concerning when they believed the air carriers would complete the certification process. They said that the accident report concerning the Afiqiyah Airways Airbus A330 accident had been published, and that the LYCAA was in discussion with ICAO and a number of National Aviation Authorities to provide additional technical assistance. The LYCAA confirmed explicitly to the Commission and the Air Safety Committee that they would retain the current restrictions on all air carriers until such time as a full five stage recertification has been completed and any significant findings closed, only following which, in agreement with the Commission and following a hearing of the Air Safety Committee, individual air carriers could be permitted to recommence commercial flights to the Union. Furthermore, the Commission and the Air Safety Committee reiterated that for each air carrier recertified, the LYCAA must submit to the Commission detailed information on the recertification process and to meet with the Commission and Member States to discuss in detail the relevant audits, findings, remedial actions taken and closure actions, together with details of the plans for continuing oversight before any agreement about the relaxation of restrictions. Should it not be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Commission and the Member States that the recertification process had been effectively completed and sustainable continued oversight is in place in accordance with ICAO standards, the Commission would be compelled to take immediate measures to prevent air carriers from operating in the Union, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. Madagascar The air carrier Air Madagascar is subject to operational restrictions and is listed in Annex B pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 390/2011. On 24 May 2013, the air carrier Air Madagascar made the request to add the aircraft of type Boeing B737 with registration mark (MSN 24081 | 5R-MFL) to the list of aircraft of type Boeing B737 that are already mentioned under Annex B. Air Madagascar stated and provided evidence that the safety performance of its fleet has improved. The competent authorities of Madagascar (ACM) stated that, with regard to the operations conducted with the Boeing B737, they are satisfied with the current level of compliance demonstrated by Air Madagascar with respect to ICAO requirements. Member States and EASA confirmed that no specific concern arose from ramp checks carried out at Union airports in the framework of the SAFA programme. Taking into account the safety performance of the operations conducted by Air Madagascar Boeing B737 and in accordance with the common criteria, the Commission, following the opinion of the Air Safety Committee, considers that the Boeing B737 with registration mark 5R-MFL should be permitted to fly into the Union. Consequently, Annex B should be amended to allow the operation of the Boeing B737 with registration mark 5R-MFL. Member States will continue to verify the effective compliance with relevant safety standards through the prioritisation of ramp inspections to be carried out on aircraft of Air Madagascar pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012. Mauritania All air carriers certified in Mauritania were removed from Annex A in December 2012 (7) in the light of a number of factors: the major progress reported by the competent authorities of Mauritania (ANAC) in the rectification of the deficiencies identified by ICAO concerning compliance with international standards, the rectification of the deficiencies identified in the initial certification of the air carrier Mauritania Airlines International (MAI), the confirmation that MAI will resume flights to the Union only to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain after February 2013, and the Commission's commitment to carry out an on-site safety assessment visit to confirm the satisfactory implementation of the measures reported by ANAC and MAI. The Commission conducted the on-site aviation safety assessment visit to Mauritania between 14 and 18 April 2013, with the assistance of EASA and the technical support of the Member States. During the visit, ANAC provided the assessment team with evidence of its strong commitment and capacity to comply with ICAO aviation safety standards and to assume its responsibilities concerning the certification and surveillance of air carriers under its responsibility in a sustainable manner. In particular, the assessment team considered that ANAC showed that progress had been made in the implementation of its CAP aimed at complying with ICAO standards, that it has the necessary qualified staff, regulations and procedures, that it handles and implements a comprehensive and appropriate surveillance plan and that it has in place a system aimed at addressing identified safety concerns. Those considerations were drawn taking into consideration the current limited size and level of activity of the airline industry in Mauritania and the recent restructuring of ANAC. MAI was also visited by the assessment team, which found evidence of the airline's ability to comply with ICAO aviation safety standards for air operations, especially as regards airworthiness, qualification and training, manuals and safety procedures and identification and resolution of safety issues identified during internal and external control, such as in the monitoring activities performed by ANAC. However, the assessment team also found that ANAC and MAI needed to continue the effective implementation of certain international requirements, particularly in the areas of specific and recurrent training of technical personnel, customization and updating of manuals, procedures and check lists, systematic monitoring and documentation of all continuous oversight activities, improved system of incident reporting and analysis. MAI should also further implement its Safety Management System (?SMS?) and flight data analysis. ANAC and MAI were heard by the Air Safety Committee on 26 June 2013. During the meeting, ANAC and MAI provided details about progress made in view of addressing the recommendations identified during the on-site visit. ANAC reported of updates to their procedures, check list, training and oversight plan and training programme. It also provided evidence of the performance of targeted inspections on MAI, of a wide awareness campaign concerning incident reporting and informed of increased access to technical information from engine manufacturers. ANAC explained that it was exercising a close oversight of MAI, including numerous ramp checks, and taking firm enforcement actions when needed. MAI reported that it had initiated its flights to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 8 May 2013 and that it had also drafted an action plan in view of addressing all recommendations raised by the assessment team. Most actions of the plan were closed, including, among others, updating of manuals, new procedures and nomination of the quality and safety management post holder. MAI recognized that the implementation of the SMS was progressing but not already fully operational. The first two ramp inspections carried out by Spain on MAI aircraft, on 8 and 22 May 2013 showed a number of findings, mainly regarding maintenance conditions, but their number and gravity decreased during a third ramp inspection performed on 12 June. Spain confirmed that MAI had provided information for the closing of open findings, which were still under assessment by Spain. The Air Safety Committee welcomed the improvements made by ANAC and MAI in the implementation of international safety standards and encouraged them to continue improving with the same determination. ANAC and MAI were requested to provide regular reports to the Commission, at least twice a year, about their progress in the implementation of the ICAO requirements and in addressing the recommendations still open, particularly with regard to the incident reporting and analysis system in ANAC and the SMS implementation and flight data analysis in MAI. ANAC commited to inform the Commisison regarding new commercial airlines, which, would be certified by ANAC. Member States will verify the effective compliance with relevant safety standards through the prioritisation of ramp inspections to be carried out on aircraft of air carriers licensed in Mauritania pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012. Should the results of ramp checks or any other relevant safety information indicate that international safety standards are not being met, the Commission would be forced to take action in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005. Mozambique The competent authorities of Mozambique (Institute of Civil Aviation of Mozambique (IACM) and representatives of the air carrier Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) met with the Commission and EASA in Brussels on 31 May 2013. IACM comprehensively briefed on the current status of implementation of the CAP filed with ICAO. LAM briefed at length on the current status of adoption of international safety standards in their structure and daily operations as well as on their expansion plans. The competent authorities of Mozambique presented in detail the internal structure and staffing of their organisation and described the scale and the substance of their activities. The various streams of past and on-going activities, together with the respective timelines, were explored and put in the context of the CAP agreed with ICAO. Most of those actions have an implementation deadline of mid-June 2013. The number and volume of the actions, as well as the tight deadlines, demonstrate a firm commitment by the authorities, but might need rescheduling in order to allow for sustainable implementation. The authorities appeared fully aware of this and are in the process of reviewing some of the deadlines in the CAP, a revised version of which will soon be filed with ICAO. The most important areas which will only be addressed in 2014 or 2015 are related to specific aspects in the legal framework, residual organisational matters in the authority's internal structure and airworthiness topics. All air operators have gone through a 5-step re-certification process, at the end of which 8 operators are fully certified namely: Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique LAM S.A., Moçambique Expresso SARL MEX, CFM-TTA S.A., Kaya Airlines Lda, CR Aviation, Coastal Aviation, CFA-Mozambique S.A., TTA SARL. However, the following five have had their AOCs suspended: Emilio Air Charter Lda, Aero-Servicos SARL, Helicopteros Capital Lda, UNIQUE Air Charter Lda, ETA Air Charter Lda The representatives of LAM made a detailed presentation of the company, including an outline of its internal structure, staffing, and scale of operations, and described the training activities as well as the various operational partnerships the company has entered into. The airline has established strategic partnerships with other airlines in Portugal, Kenya, South Africa, Angola, Zambia and Ethiopia (Moçambique Expresso MEX is a 100% owned feeder airline subsidiary), training organisations (in South Africa and Ethiopia) and maintenance organisations (in Portugal, Brazil, South Africa and Kenya). The internal safety management systems were described together with the planned deployment of the next phases. Phase I (Planning and Organisation) has mostly been completed up to 2011 (some on-going activities will be concluded in 2014). Phase II (Reactive Processes) has mostly been implement between 2005 and 2009, with 2 processes to be completed by 2014. Most of the actions pertaining to Phase III (Proactive and Predictive Processes) are on-going, with completion date set to 2014-2015, while 3 of the processes have been implemented in 2009. Most of Phase IV (Operational Safety Assurance & Continuous Improvement) is planned for deployment in 2014-2015, with one process completed in 2009. LAM also briefed on their expansion strategy and plans, including new routes and fleet evolution. Sudan Consultations with the Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (?SCAA?) continued with the aim of confirming that Sudan is progressing in its work to reform its civil aviation safety system in order to address the safety findings raised by ICAO during the USOAP audit of 2006 and the ICVM audit conducted in December 2011. Those audits led to a SSC related to the certification process for the issuance of air operator certificates. On 3 January 2013, the SCAA informed the Commission that the SCAA had improved its oversight capabilities, including the system for the certification and supervision of air carriers, maintenance organisations and approved training organisations. Therefore, following an ICVM audit in May 2012, ICAO had removed the SSC. Subsequently, the Commission, EASA and SCAA met on 29 April 2013 and SCAA briefed that it was now an autonomous organisation with its own budget, that improvements to the Sudan aviation safety system had been possible through the use of external expertise, and that it was actively recruiting locally and raising salaries to be competitive with the industry. The SCAA stated that only 6 air carriers were now certified to operate international flights namely: Sudan Airways, Marsland Aviation, Badr Airlines, Sun Air Aviation, Nova Airways, Tarco Air A further 7 air carriers are restricted to domestic operations. The SCAA briefed on the results of the ICVM in May 2012, and noted that the level of effective implementation of ICAO Standards was now high, particularly in Flight Operations and Airworthiness. The SCAA further informed that they had conducted a risk assessment concerning the continued operation of old, Soviet-built, aircraft which resulted in the grounding of 50% of those aircraft on the Sudan Register. On 4 June 2013 the SCAA provided to the Commission a copy of their AOC Register showing 18 air carriers with AOCs, of which 6 where currently suspended. They also provided details of the revocation of the AOCs of: Attico Airlines (AOC No. 023); Sudanese States Aviation Company (AOC No. 010); Azza Air Transport (AOC No 012); Almajarah Aviation (AOC No. 049); Helilift (AOC No. 042); Feeder Airlines (AOC No. 050) On the basis of the information provided by the SCAA Annex A should be updated accordingly. The SCAA accompanied by the Director General of the Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC) made a presentation to the Air Safety Committee on 25 June 2013. ACAC acknowledged that the EU Safety List can act as a catalyst for states to address systemic safety issues, noted the benefit of States working together in a regional context and highlighted the support which ACAC is providing in this respect. The SCAA briefed the Committee about the additional plans for inspecting staff to attend the ICAO Inspector Course in July and August 2013 and the removal, planned for July 2013, of all aircraft of types Tupolev Tu134 and Antonov An12 from the Sudanese aircraft register. The SCAA also briefed that all air carriers in Sudan are expected to be compliant with safety requirements by the end of 2013. The Air Safety Committee welcomed the major progress reported by the competent authorities of Sudan in the rectification of the deficiencies identified by ICAO but recognised that there was still some way to go to arrive at a situation where both the SCAA and the air carriers under its supervision will be in a position to ensure full compliance with ICAO standards. The Commission will therefore continue to closely monitor the progress made by the SCAA with a view to reviewing the case at future Air Safety Committee meetings. 8. NEWS FROM THE JOHANNESBURG AIRPORTS FAGM - RAND AIRPORT, GERMISTON - www.randairport.co.za ? Drivers on airside are reminded that there are stop signs on the ramp which MUST be obeyed. ? All vehicles must give way to aircraft (both rotor and fixed wing) which are on the move either under their own power or under tow. ? Due to the high number of CTR Violations the following NOTAM has been issued: INBOUND TFC FROM THE SOUTH TO ROUTE VIA NDB RD 307.5 KHZ. ? The following Radio Procedure has been published FOR THE ATTENTION OF ALL PILOTS AND OPERATORS - RADIO PROCEDURE - AIC 41.3 Point 12, 12.1 & 21, 21.1- Establishing contact. WHEN TRANSMITTING FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING ANY ONE FLIGHT, ESTABLISH CONTACT BY CALLING THE STATION ADDRESSED, GIVING YOUR FULL CALL SIGN AS WELL AS THE FREQUENCY USED EG: RAND TOWER THIS IS ZULU SIERRA - ALPHA, ALPHA, ALPHA, ON 118.7 RAND TOWER THIS IS ZULU UNIFORM - BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO, ON 118.7 The next Safety Meeting will be held at 09.00 on Tuesday 6th August 2013. FAGC - GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT, MIDRAND - www.grandcentral.co.za ? Helicopter Pilots must only call for lift once they are fully ready to depart. ? High visibility jackets/tabards/waistcoats are mandatory on airside ? A meeting will be held with all Helicopter Operators, ATC and the Airport this month to resolve a number of issues. The next Safety Meeting is to be held at 12.00 on Tuesday 6th August 2013. FALA - LANSERIA AIRPORT - www.lanseriaairport.co.za ? Hi visibility jackets/tabards/waistcoats are mandatory for all (and that includes Pilots) on airside. ? A new General Aviation Terminal and Apron should be ready in December 2013 The next Safety Meeting will be held at 12.00 on Tuesday, 13th August 2013 9. COMMERCIAL AIRLINE/AIRPORT INFORMATION New Khartoum International Airport The Arab press is reporting that the Sudanese Government has signed a USD$750million loan to fund the initial construction phase of the capital, Khartoum's, New International Airport. Overall the entire development in itself is estimated to cost about USD$1.8billion. Situated 40 kilometres south of the centre of Khartoum in Omdurman with an annual intended capacity of 7.5 million passengers (to reach 10 million in future), the project includes: ? 2 runways, 1 cross-taxiway, 2 parallel taxiways and sufficient aprons ? ATC-tower, CNS-ATC and ATM equipment, ARFF, service-courts, fuel-farm ? Terminals for: Passengers, Hajj, Presidential, General Aviation including curb side, and parking facilities ? Cargo centre (regional hub), logistic and industrial estate, Aircraft maintenance hangar ? Various Facilities: Administration buildings, housing areas and catering, Airport park and airport mosque, Hotel and conference centre, health facilities as required by ICAO. ? Utilities: power and water supply including disposal systems, Airport roads and airport access road Progress to date The project's hefty price tag coupled with biting US sanctions prohibiting business to be done with various Sudanese companies, have been major stumbling blocks for the project which was originally scheduled to be completed by 2010, but will most likely only be operational in 2016. At this time, news reports state that basic roadwork and water infrastructure has been laid down at the construction site. Royal Air Maroc is set to begin flights from Casablanca to Tenerife Nord with effect from 29 Oct 2013. The three times weekly flights will operate using an ATR72. Canary Islands-based carrier, Binter Canarias currently serves Marrakech from Tenerife Nord. Source AirlineRoute Fastjet says once operations are in place, it would like to get in on the difficult to access, albeit very lucrative, South Africa-Mozambique and South Africa-Zimbabwe markets. In an interview with South Africa's TravelBuyer magazine, Fastjet CEO, Mr Edward Winter, said regional routes, "such as Johannesburg to Maputo and Johannesburg to Harare", are of real interest to his airline ““These routes are constrained and fares are exorbitant. We want to open up the market, make it accessible and bring fares down." He added that over 30% of passengers flying on the domestic services in Tanzania from Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro or Mwanza were first-time flyers. “This is testament to the potential for aviation's growth in Africa. The reality is that passengers can now travel these routes, which were previously only serviced by buses or not at all. This is what the low-cost model was designed for.” Though the viable operation of a Low Cost Carrier in Africa is constrained by hefty taxes, red tape and protectionism, Mr Winter did remain cautiously optimistic about the carrier's likelihood of overcoming the odds stating “Africa is the last frontier. I'm convinced we can make it work, one step at a time”. In likely preparation for Fastjet's anticipated regional début, South African Airways (SA), who effectively have a monopoly on the Johannesburg - Dar es Salaam route since Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) abandoned it last year citing viability problems, are to boost their frequencies on the route from 11x to 12x weekly effective July 30. Interair has applied for rights to serve Dar es Salaam with five weekly flights starting with 3 weekly frequencies from September with the remaining 2 to be available in April 2014. The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has announced plans to construct a new passenger terminal and a second runway at the Windhoek's Hosea Kutako International Airport as part of its five year strategic plan. Chairwoman Ms Ndeuhala Katonyala said that while the NAC is currently focussed on extending the current passenger terminal at Hosea Kutako to ease the flow of passengers, a new terminal would be required to meet anticipated long term growth. Ms Katonyala revealed that Hosea Kutako saw a growth of 4% during the 2012/2013 financial year with 814, 810 passengers handled compared to 772, 000 in the 2011/12 financial year. Aircraft movements too, rose 6% to 17, 514 movements during the 2012/2013 financial year, compared to 16, 000 previously. The most recent upgrade to Hosea Kutako International included a resurfacing of the current 4'532m-long runway 08/26 in 2010. NAC is currently in the process of building new passenger terminals at Ondangwa and Walvis Bay Airports. Works are also underway for a new fire station at Windhoek Eros Airport and the construction of polymer perimeter fencing at the Walvis Bay and Luderitz airports. Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled its plans to launch 3 new destinations namely Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines) and Seoul Incheon (South Korea) and Singapore. Source AirlineRoute, Kenya Airways Owing to an expected surge in demand during its Hajj and Umrah operations, Kenya Airways is increasing the frequency of its Nairobi - Jeddah service, from 03 Sep 13 to 10 Nov 13 when it will operate 4 weekly flights instead of the current two. Source AirlineRoute 10. SAFETY/SECURITY TIPS OF THE MONTH FAA WARNS PILOTS ABOUT MEDICATION USE They may seem like harmless over-the-counter medications, but everyday drugs like pain relievers or cough suppressants can impair a pilot's ability to safely fly a plane or helicopter, according to a new study by the Federal Aviation Administration and the general aviation industry. According to the study, medications played a role in 12 percent of fatal general aviation crashes in the past decade. Concerned, the industry and government today sent out an alert to the nation's estimated 450,000 general aviation pilots to warn them to pay careful attention to any medications they may be taking. The letter points out that "pilots might not be aware of the ubiquitous presence of sedating antihistamines in many over-the-counter treatments for common allergies, coughs, colds and sleep aids." It urges pilots to pay careful attention to side-effects of any medication, and recommends that pilots wait as long as five times past the dosing interval before climbing into a cockpit. "So if it was an eight-hour medication, you might go as long as 40 hours before you get into an aircraft," said Bruce Landsberg, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation. "It's important for pilots to understand that any medication that they take may have some kind of effect," he said. One accident cited in the letter to pilots killed a 3- and 6-year-old girls and their grandparents. The grandfather was at the controls when the small plane went down short of the runway in Visalia, Calif., in 2006. The National Transportation Safety Board found one of the causes of the crash was a build-up of sedating medication -- an over-the-counter sleep aid -- in the man's system. Commercial pilots are subject to random drug and alcohol testing. There's no such requirement for general aviation pilots. In a statement, the FAA said it "believes education pilots to make themselves aware of the potential detrimental effects of medications is the most effective way to address this issue." In an FAA brochure entitled "Medications and Flying," the FAA tells pilots they should not fly while using any medication whose side effects include "light headedness, dizziness, drowsiness or visual disturbance." Of course, any warning against "operating motor vehicles or machinery" while on the medication is also a red flag. The FAA's own study of fatal accidents between 2004 and 2005 found that drugs and medications were found in 42 percent of pilots who died in plane crashes. That report did not indicate whether the substances contributed to the accidents, but did underscore the widespread the use of medications. Non-commercial pilots are basically on the honour system. Landsberg insists it's a system that by and large works. "We're very concerned about safety, because it's our own safety that's at stake and those of our passengers, business associates and loved ones," he said. Still, a little education never hurts. So in addition to the alert that went out today, industry groups plan articles in trade publications, on-line education and other efforts to stress to pilots that medications and flying doesn't mix. http://abcnews.go.com/US/faa-alerts-general-aviation-pilots-medication/story?id=19684010#.UefhEo2sh8E 11. ADVERTISEMENTS HENLEY AIR, HANGAR 6, RAND AIRPORT - FAGM Henley Air proudly offers fully accredited AIETB and CAA approved helicopter training on piston and turbine type aircraft. It is the aim of HENLEY AIR to make your flight training experience an enjoyable one where personal attention by instructors ensures sound grounding in all aspects relating to helicopter flight. License courses offered are: Private Pilot License and Commercial Pilot License. Our rating courses include: Instructor, Instrument, Mountain, Night, Radio and Sling. See www.henleyair.co.za for further information SPRINGBOK CLASSIC AIR'S DC-3 (ZS-NTE) WILL BE ATTENDING THE FOLLOWING AIRSHOWS: Saturday 31 August, Bethelehem Return flight R1500.00 per person (excluding accommodation) There will be a display flight with the DC-3 and we will also offer 10 minute fun-flips on the DC-3 at R350.00pp.More information on this airshow will be available closer to the time. For more information call 011 824 2142 or send an email to info@springbokclassicair.co.za CAN YOU AFFORD TO BE WITHOUT A LIFE SAVING AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) If someone collapses with a sudden cardiac arrest on your aircraft or in your office or in your hanger what can you do? The truth is that if you do not respond within 10 minutes the person will probably die. Sere-med provides a very affordable, portable and LIFE SAVING AED. Can you afford to be without one? Contact global@gaconsultants.net or the Editor for more information. 12. FINALE GAC UPDATE can also be read on the Pilots Post website which was visited by over 40,000 people last month. RAND AIRPORT AIR SHOW Rand Airport's Air Show will take place on September 29th this year. Bookings are now being taken for ring-side seats at the Harvard Café. LET 410 In last month's issue there was an article entitled 'Least safe' aircraft models revealed. This prompted one reader to send me the following; “I think that the bit about the Let 410, while possibly true, is rather unfair as it does not differentiate between operators. There are many Lets that operate in the best/worst 3rd world countries of the world, they operate without proper supervision, training, spares etc. this is not the aircrafts' fault. A company called Air Tech operate I think now some 14 Lets and have done so for a number of years, they are WFP approved, have an excellent safety record and do a very good job. I also operated 4 of their aircraft some years back and found them wonderful aircraft, hardy, rugged and in fact let's call them the Land Rover of the African Sky's.” Global Aviation Consultants accepts no liability for the content of this safety editorial, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. GLOBAL AVIATION CONSULTANTS (PTY) LTD Can we help you with your aviation safety and/or quality requirements? Under SA CAR 140.01.2 if you and your organisation hold one of the following ? a category 4 or higher aerodrome licence; ? an ATO approval; ? an aircraft maintenance organisation approval; ? a manufacturing organisation approval ; ? an ATSU approval; ? a design organisation approval; ? an AOC issued in terms of Part 121, 127, 135, 141; ? a procedure design organisation approval; and ? an electronic services organisation approval, then you shall establish a Safety Management System for the control and supervision of the services rendered or to be rendered by that organisation. If you do not already have an approved Air Safety Officer and an approved Safety Management System then please contact us for assistance. We, at global aviation consultants, deliver the following SA CAA Approved training courses for Air Safety Officers at Rand Airport; ? Safety Management Systems ? Integrated Safety Officer Course ? Quality Assurance Auditor ? Crew Resource Management (Initial and Recurrent) ? Dangerous Goods ? Human Factors for AME's Should your operation be of a size whereby the full time employment of an Air Safety Officer and/or Quality Assurance Officer is not financially viable then we can provide you with Consultants who have previously held Air Services Licensing Council approval. We can also provide you with a tailor made SA CAA approved Safety Management System. For further information on how we can help you please contact Rethea or Candice in Hanger 6, Rand Airport, Germiston on 011-024--5446/7 or e-mail global@gaconsultants.net Global Aviation Consultants, Hanger 6, Spitfire Avenue, Rand Airport, Johannesburg, RSA www.gaconsultants.net Tel: 011 024 5446 e-mail global@gaconsultants |
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