Position Paper IFALPA: Unapproved Techniques
It has been discovered that in past events, Operators have introduced techniques which were not in agreement with the Manufacturer’s recommendations. In one example, the NTSB determined1 "that the probable cause of this accident was the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer as a result of the loads beyond ultimate design that were created by the first officer’s unnecessary and excessive rudder pedal inputs (...)
Position Paper IFALPA: Preflight Checks
Thorough preflight checks are crucial for flight safety to eliminate possible threats. The list given by ICAO covers significant items, but it is missing two essential subjects: The purity of fuel and the cover of pitot tubes and static ports.
Position paper: Individual Flotation Devices
Some Regulators allow seat cushions instead of life vests as individual flotation devices. This includes takeoffs and landings at coastal or near-coastal airports. When in water, especially when cold or turbulent, it is much more difficult to hold on to a cushion for an extended period than to keep floating with a life vest.
Position Paper IFALPA: Safety in the event of a Failed or Released Propeller Blade
There have been several accidents which serve to illustrate the safety threat posed by a failed or released propeller blade. Some examples are listed below. No certification standards currently address this safety threat.
ECA Summer Disruption Checklist – ‘Defensive Flying’
Mise à jour de la checklist "Summer Disruption Checklist" publiée en 2022 par l'European Cockpit Association en fonction des préconisations du Safety Information Bulletin de l'EASA 2023_05
Safety Bulletin IFALPA: GNSS Interference at Mexico City
Over the past year, various operators have reported the loss of GNSS signal in the MMMX terminal area. GNSS signal jamming in MMMX could result in navigation errors and/or avionics system failures. While this impacts the approach phase of flight, the remaining threat to terminal operations still exists.
EASA Safety Information Bulletin – Possible Risks Emerging During Summer 2023
After two years of significant traffic reductions, the aviation industry in Europe experienced a strong recovery in summer 2022. However, the recovery came together with significant travel disruptions. Travel demands and traffic levels for summer 2023 are forecast to be significantly higher than in 2022. Air operators, aerodromes, ATM/ANS service providers, maintenance organisations, and training organisations continue to face significant challenges in having sufficient qualified personnel, availability of aircraft, spare parts, and traffic slots to cope with the increased demand. Precursors of possible disruptions have already been evident in April and May 2023 with some time to go until the peak of the summer operational season (...)
Safety Bulletin IFALPA: APPROACH Procedures and Restrictions at Tokyo Haneda
Tokyo Haneda Airport is located only 5nm south of Metropolitan Tokyo and is partially a landfill airport on Tokyo Bay. The airport’s history dates to the World War II era. Since then, the airport has made several expansions as the economy of Tokyo, and all of Japan, grew quickly. This rapid expansion resulted in airport modifications which are noncompliant with ICAO standards, and has created many complicated taxiways and operational limitations for the operators (...)
Position Paper IFALPA: Use of Flight Recorders
IFALPA acknowledges the contribution of Flight Recorders to accident and serious incident investigation conducted by the relevant State Investigation Authorities in accordance with ICAO Annex 13..., however, in no circumstances should onboard recordings be made available for purposes other than accident or incident investigation.
Position Paper IFALPA: Removal of “Causes” in Final Reports of Annex 13 Investigations
When mentioned in the report of an Annex 13 investigation...the word “cause” and its derivations have a strong potential for over-simplifying the many aspects behind an occurrence...IFALPA therefore reiterates that all instances of those words should be removed from this Annex and from the final reports of occurrence investigations conducted in accordance with it and replaced with "contributing factors"...