Newsletter of the European Cockpit Association www.eurocockpit.be May 2009 Issue

Editorial Can Status Lights Help to Reduce Cpt. M. Chalk ECA President Runway Incursions?

Aviation ECA representatives attended in late April a Workshop at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) on Runway Status Lights (RWSL). This is a new and fully Safety ‐ Are automatic system designed to reduce the number and severity of runway in- You With Us? cursions. It had been successfully on trial in the US since 2005 and improved the situational awareness of pilots and vehicle drivers. Aeroports de Paris

have a plan to implement RWSL systems on CDG’s two inner runways, to CA is primarily be operational by 2012. One objective of the workshop was to identify the a safety organi- E hazards of using both the current ICAO standard Stop Bars and the RWSL sation; indeed we systems. CDG currently has approximately 30 runway incursions a year with use the phrase 3 - 5 in the high risk Categories A and B. ‘Piloting Safety’ on our letterhead and website masthead. The ‘lion’s share’ of n behalf of ECA and IFALPA, Captain The problem the work done on behalf of ECA is aimed O Rob van Eekeren presented some of at constantly improving the levels of the latent traps in airport design and aviation safety for the travelling public, highlighted potential human factors im- those who live underneath flight paths plications of using RWSLs in addition to and, of course, our own 38,000 mem- current ICAO standard lights (stop bars, bers. ECA: ‘Piloting Safety’ is not just to colour-coded runway centreline lights). imply that as pilots, we are the final IFALPA recognises the potential of the guardians of safety in the ; but RWSL system, but demands intrinsically also in our European political and regula- safe solutions (such as perimeter taxi- The proposal: part 1 (REL) tory system, we seek to drive the cause ways that avoid runway crossings) as a of safer aviation in all our work. primary consideration.

It was therefore with sadness and ECA Technical Director Heinz horror that we again hear of another heli- Frühwirth cautions that introducing the copter accident and, of course our RWSL system in Europe might cause con- thoughts and love are with those af- fusion amongst pilots, who are used to fected, their families and friends. Two Stop Bars (perpendicular to the taxi di- questions again spring to mind with re- rection) switched by air traffic controllers Runway Entrance Lights (RELs) illuminate red spect to aircraft accidents: when issuing a clearance to continue when a runway is unsafe to enter or cross due to a high-speed operation on the runway. taxiing. The situation in Europe is also

• Do we care enough about those on different, as there are few in the US authorised for Low Visibility Opera- The proposal: part 2 (THL) board aircraft who don’t pay for their tions, while Cat III B is common at the own passage; the crew and contrac- major European hubs. IFALPA has there- tors? fore requested its HUPER Committee to

study the implications of implementing • Has the industry begun to lose its fo- Runway Status Lights. cus on the need to continually improve Takeoff Hold Lights (THLs) illuminate Red to safety culture and performance? Further information on the RWSL indicate an unsafe condition when an aircraft is can be found under www.rwsl.net. For a The first question arises because in position for takeoff and another aircraft or copy of the ECA meeting report (for ECA vehicle is on or about to be on the runway in even in Europe, the Helicopter and fixed members), please email front of it. To be consistent in appearance with wing ‘non revenue flight’ accident rates [email protected] Runway Entrance Lights, THLs are placed longi- are significantly higher than revenue tudinally along the runway centreline. fixed wing flights. Is this because the lives of helicopter or oil rig or crop spray- ing or fire fighting crews are somehow worth less than an airline passenger? Or ECA Seeks a Technical Advisor is it that on board these aircraft are peo- ple who have no alternative – they are To further strengthen our Associations’ presence in Brussels, ECA’s General employees whose only choice is to find Assembly recently decided to enlarge ECA’s Brussels office by a Senior Tech- other employment, rather than choose to nical Policy Advisor. The new advisor will coordinate, support and advise fly with another airline next time? ECA ECA’s advocacy efforts on technical aviation policy issues at EU level, repre- believes the regulator must take a closer sent ECA vis-à-vis EU Institutions, and support the Secretary General on ad- ministrative/organisational management tasks. The issue areas to be covered IN THIS EDITION— May 2009 will include one or more of the following: air traffic management, aero- dromes, air operations, flight crew licensing, accident analysis & prevention, President’s Column ……………………1 aviation security. For further details see: Runway Status Lights ………………1 ECA Technical Advisor ………………1 www.eurocockpit.be/career/tech ECA—USALPA Meeting ………………2 Keflavik Incident ………………………2

Cockpit News May 2009 pg. 1 Newsletter of the European Cockpit Association www.eurocockpit.be May 2009 Issue look at the relationship between accident rates and non ticket revenue flights, as at ECA and US ALPA to Defend the Spirit of Pilots’ Unions the moment these risks are too far out of line. ECA and US ALPA met in April to strengthen their position on the EU-US nego- tiations towards a 2nd stage of the Open Skies Air Transport Agreement. The second question arises from the reaction to an accident – rare as they oth Associations agreed that without full representation rights. ECA and US are, even in the non-revenue world. De- B an appropriate response from the EU ALPA are demanding that a legal frame- spite attempts to harmonise at the high- and US delegations on the social concerns work is set up that would re-balance in- est level, incident reporting and accident generated by the implementation of the dustrial relations between employers and investigation; the reality is a very wide 1st stage EU-US agreement, there can be employees; and allow Pilots’ Unions to be divergence in practice. little support for a far reaching 2nd stage able to fully represent their members as agreement. The typical BA-OpenSkies or effectively as in airlines which are nation- The fundamental building blocks of UAL Air Lingus cases have shown the Pi- ally owned and controlled. Experience aviation safety improvement have, for lots’ community that their employers will shows that good industrial relations con- decades, come from the flow of good not hesitate to locate subsidiaries in a tribute to a healthy structural develop- information from incidents and accidents. different country to the one where their ment of the company at national, Euro- The world’s best experts cooperate to mainline is established, thereby attempt- pean and international level author ICAO Annex 13 – the globally ac- ing to stop Pilots’ unions from exercising cepted ‘state of the art’ of incident re- porting and accident investigation. Unfor- From Keflavik to Brussels – When Does Europe Wake Up? tunately, the growing habit of ‘politicising’ accidents and then seeking to apportion When the 188 passengers boarded the charter plane in Antalya (Turkey) to blame results in resistance to the flow of return to Iceland, on 27 Oct 2007, they did not know that their airplane information for fear of recriminations. would experience a serious safety incident – ending up beside the runway of ECA has repeatedly publicised the way Keflavik airport. Pilot fatigue and inadequate in-flight rest facilities were key human error is criminalised, and criminal factors contributing to this incident – which luckily left all on board un- investigation is prioritised over and mud- harmed – according to the recent Incident Report. The report makes several dled with safety investigation. safety recommendations to the EU Institutions. Regrettably, these recom- mendations are likely to slip off the runway too, when attempting to land on ECA calls on everyone who plans Brussels’ slippery political ground. to be on an aircraft of any sort at any time in the future, to join with us in seek- ublished on 29 January 2009, the Ice- tions to the European Aviation Safety ing a refocusing of the industry – and P landic Investigation report is outspo- Agency (EASA). First, Europe should particularly the regulators – on the need ken on the role that pilot fatigue played in “modify the flight and duty time regula- to prioritise the improvement of the this incident. After having reported for tions to take into consideration factors safety culture; above commercial impera- duty at 09:05 in the morning of 27 Oct, shown by recent research, scientific evi- tive and certainly above any sort of re- the incident occurred at 01:55 the follow- dence, and current industry experience to crimination for tragic accidents. To do ing day – at a time when the pilots’ “body affect crew alertness.” EASA should also otherwise is to gamble with the lives of clock” was programmed for sleep and “ensure operators have on-board rest those on board aircraft in the future their natural performance levels were at facilities […]” which “[…] ensure a dark their lowest. It occurred after a flight duty and quiet (most silent area on-board air- of 17:20 hours and the three pilots had craft) environment where the skeletal probably “not experienced restorative muscles can fully relax in a horizontal sleep in over approximately 19 hours.” position.” Finally, EASA is called upon to Cockpit News, May 2009 The report concludes: “it is very “develop guidance, based on empirical Email: [email protected] likely that the crew was fatigued and that and scientific evidence, for operators to Website: http://www.eurocockpit.be Tel. (32 2) 705 32 93 the fatigue led to performance impair- establish fatigue management systems ments” with a likely “direct impact on the […]” as well as a methodology to continu- landing and its outcome.” The investiga- ally assess the implementation of such European Cockpit Association tors’ recommendations to the EU all focus systems. Rue du Commerce 41 on ways to prevent pilot fatigue. Will EASA and the European Com- B-1000 Brussels, Belgium The incident also sheds light on the mission act upon these safety recommen- Fax. (32 2) 705 08 77 issue of on-board rest facilities. Many air- dations? Since late Sept. 2008, EASA has lines claim that economy seat areas are had a scientific study on its desk. Carried adequate for flight crews to sleep. The out by a group of renowned specialists, Keflavik incident shows this is wishful and based on a wide body of fatigue re- Next Meetings thinking – reconfirming earlier scientific search, it demonstrates that today’s EU findings on this subject. The report states rules are insufficient to protect against the 4 May: TNA Working Group, Brussels that “restorative sleep is usually only ob- risks of fatigue-induced incidents and ac- 5 May: FTL Working Group, Brussels tainable in dark, quiet environments cidents. The study makes recommenda- 6 May: TLO Working Group, Brussels where skeletal muscles can fully relax. tions on how to change these rules – in- 11-15 May: IFALPA Safety Seminar & Any diversion from the optimal configura- cluding on some of the issues at stake in AAP-1, Casablanca tion (dark, quiet and horizontal) will de- Keflavik. 18-19 May: ECA Executive Board, crease the probability that the crew will be 7 months later – and after strong Brussels able to experience restorative sleep […]. airline lobbying against this study – nei- 27-28 May: ECA Long-Term Review The risk of fatigue and fatigue related ther EASA nor the Commission have be- Group, Amsterdam errors would therefore remain present.” gun to address the study’s findings. Un- For the Keflavik incident, the report con- doubtedly, the 188 passengers of the Ke- cludes rest facilities “were less than opti- flavik flight will be highly disappointed to The European Cockpit Association is the mal for sleep and decreased the likelihood learn about such inaction. Is it time to association of Flight Crew Unions from that rest periods would help to reduce the inform Europe’s travelling public about European States. Based in Brussels, ECA risk of fatigue related errors.” this inaction? Or do we have to wait for has 36 Member Associations, representing To let the wider aviation industry Keflavik to become London Heathrow, over 38.200 pilots from 36 countries. benefit from the investigation’s findings, Frankfurt Main, Madrid Barajas or Paris For more information: www.eurocockpit.be. the report makes concrete recommenda- Charles de Gaulle airport?

Cockpit News May 2009 pg. 2