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RSAF Safety Magazine Issue 75 | April 2013

FOCUS

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>> Birdstrike in Sudong >> Struck by Lightning >> Struck when you least expect it>> Laser and Aviation Safety >> Everyday Safety in 507 SQN

Inside:

Issue 75Republic of Singapore Air Force Safety MagazineFOCUS

Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success

Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success Safety Always - Mission Success

April

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SAFETY IN DAILY OPERATIONS


EDITORIAL BOARD

ChairmanCOL Aw Kwee Siong

MembersLTC Alex CorneliusME6 Lee Lip KeeMAJ Tay Lai HuatMAJ Tay Kok AnnMAJ Alvin ChanMAJ Marcus Woo Gim ChuanCPT(DR) Magdalene LeeMs Audrey Siah Yushu

Production Crew

EditorMAJ Khoo Pak Syn

Copy-EditorDelima Isa

Photographer2WO Steven Goh

Layout, Design & Printed ByV&C Printers

FOCUS is published by Air Force Inspectorate, HQ RSAF, for accident prevention purpose. Use of information contained herein for purposes other than accident prevention, requires prior authorisation from AFI. The content of FOCUS are of an informative nature and should not be considered as directive or regulatory unless so stated. The opinions and views in this magazine are those expressed by the writers and do not reflect the official views of the RSAF. The contents should not be discussed with the press or anyone outside armed services establishment. Contributuons by way of articles, cartoons, sketches and photographs are welcome as are comments and criticisms.

FOCUS magazine is available on these sites:

http://webhosting.intranet.defence.gov.sg/web/AirForce/AFI/index.htm (intranet)

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/rsaf (internet)

ISO 9001:2008 BS OHSAS 18001:2007

Front Cover Image: RSAF F-5 taking off.

FOCUS Issue 75 - April 2013

2 Foreword By COL Aw Kwee Siong, Head Air Force Inspectorate

14 Annual Safety Conference 2013

15 Annual Safety Awards

11 Struck when you least expect it! LTC Ong Choon Hui

17 Laser and Aviation Safety CPT (DR) Magdalene Lee

23 COs’ Conference 2013

28 Outstanding Safety Award + Safety Activities

30 Crossword Puzzle

Cont

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3 Birdstrike in Sudong

7 21Struck by Lightning!!Everyday Safety in507 SQN

I would like to congratulate all of you for achieving another accident-free year in workyear 2012. This is the 2nd year in a row that we have done so. The collective will and commitment of everyone in the RSAF and our defence partners in preventing accidents have been instrumental.

The theme of this issue of FOCUS is on ‘Safety in Daily Operations’, The articles highlighted the inherently hazardous nature of our daily operations. In the first, a F-5 pilot shared how a seemingly peaceful night out to the rustic Pulau Sudong landed him with a flock of birds, an engine seizure and only 10 seconds to decide and act. His split-second decision and near reflex actions averted what would have been a catastrophic accident. In the next, an entire crew of a helicopter renewed their respect for the weather after they walked away unscathed from an episode of lightning strikes all around their helicopter. Another F-5 pilot was cruising around in

mild weather when he was unexpectedly struck by a lightning that caused one of his engines to flame out. He remained composed, re-started his engine and landed uneventfully. All these 3 incidents serve as good reminders to all of us about the various hazards in our daily operations, and the need for all to be ready to handle the unexpected at all times.

We have included an article to raise our awareness on the hazards posed by lasers and how they affect aviation safety. Finally, 2 NSFs shared how safety was incorporated in their squadron’s daily tasks no matter how seemingly routine they may be.

The hazardous nature of our operations is clear. We must be ready to handle them as and when they pop up in our daily operations. Serious, tough, and realistic training is the first and necessary step to prepare ourselves. Fly safe!

COL Aw Kwee SiongHead Air Force Inspectorate


FOCUS

FOREWORD

Foreword

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10 seconds. That is probably the time an espresso machine takes to make a cup of coffee or the time a mobile phone takes to boot up. But for me, that was all I had when a devil decided to dance with me on a pale moon night1. It was all I had when some birds were ingested into my left engine during a roller at Pulau Sudong, resulting in an engine seizure, to the moment I engaged the hookwire at the end of the runway.

On 19 February 2013, I was No. 3 in a 3-ship formation conducting night flying training. After successfully completing the training, the “icing-on-the-cake” would have been a perfect landing back at Paya Lebar Airbase. Little did I know that the highlight for the night has yet to come. It came during an otherwise routine practice diversion to Pulau Sudong.

Being cognizant of the low cultural lighting at Pulau Sudong, we drilled ourselves on the past lessons learnt in finding and touching down accurately on the relatively short runway. I was glad we did that crucial bit of extra preparation as it proved to be a key factor in the safe outcome in my incident.

My lead and No. 2 conducted their in-trail straight-in approaches uneventfully. I touched down on the

desired touchdown point, on speed and proceeded with advancing my throttle to Military power for the roller. Just as I felt my aircraft was lifting off at approximately 168 Knots, about 2500ft into the runway, a flock of birds flew right in front of my aircraft. Being still low and slow, the only option I had was to maintain my flight path and hope for the best. Unfortunately, I felt and heard a sickening loud thud, accompanied by an immediate loss of thrust and my aircraft started to sink back onto the runway rapidly. Although there were very few visual cues, given that it was a fairly dark night with overcast conditions, I estimated that I was approximately midway down the relatively short runway. This was when my 10 seconds started ticking.

I considered the option of selecting Max power to gain speed and get airborne again, but ruled against it due to the following reasons that were racing through my mind at that moment.

1. The “Joker” played by Jack Nicolson in the original Batman movie.

Little did I know that the highlight for the night was yet to come.”“

Aerial view of Pulau Sudong.


CPT Eng is an operational pilot in 144 SQN with around 1600 hours on the F5. He was also the winner for the Best Individual Fight Pilot in Exercise Hotshot Competition twice.

CPT Elvin Eng Boon Tat

Birdstrike in Sudong

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“At approximately 120 Knots and just over 1000ft of runway remaining, I felt the rapid deceleration from the successful cable arrestment.

Remains of multiple birds, identified as Sand

Plovers, found within the badly damaged engine.

(1) I would require 5 secs to light off the afterburners and wind up to Max power, which would take 1000ft of runway, and still not certain if I had sufficient length to accelerate to the single engine take-off speed. This was made worse with the high drag configuration of 2 external drop tanks on my wings. Perhaps I could jettison my tanks, but that would risk them hitting my aircraft, as I still had to accelerate on the runway.

(2) I was uncertain if I had sustained any further damages both by the flock of birds or the damaged parts from my seized left engine. It was a good call as after the hookwire engagement, the Tower Controller confirmed my worst fears that he saw bright sparks coming from my aircraft during the bird strike and also smoke emitting from my left engine intake. If I had chosen to stay airborne, I might have to deal with an in-flight fire.

(3) Just thinking of the above considerations cost me 2-3 seconds, losing approximately 600ft of usable runway. Knowledge, experience and instinct then took over. Knowledge from knowing that I had arresting cable and barriers on this runway. The age-old advice of “wheels on the ground, stay on the ground” resounded in my head. Then experience honed by the feel of the aircraft flight path through real flight time and instincts honed by the countless emergency handling in the flight simulator made me react rather than think of what’s next. While operating under the dim cockpit illumination, my abort actions were carried out instantaneously through muscle memory providing familiarity with the location of the required drag chute handle and hook button. Subsequently, I quickly followed up with a radio call to Sudong Tower that I was aborting and would be requiring the cable. Sudong Tower was prompt in assuring that the cable was up. Meanwhile, another 3-4 seconds or 800ft of runway had passed.

”


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Birdstrike in Sudong

Knowledge gave me more confidence in exercising my available options..., drilled into me the clarity of thought, the composure and the skill to react and recover timely from an undesired situation.“ ”


To further complicate the scenario, I had also lost my hydraulic-assisted braking due to the seized left engine. This meant that I had to carefully regulate my manual braking technique to reduce my speed as far as possible without causing a burst tire due to wheel lock-up. All I could do thereafter was to wait and hope that my hook would catch the arresting cable. For those counting, that would be another seemingly long 3 seconds to cable engagement. At approximately 120 Knots and just over 1000ft of runway remaining, I felt the rapid deceleration from the successful cable arrestment. It was a tremendous relief, as I was all ready to call for barrier engagement as my last line of defence before hitting the waters south of Singapore. After the aircraft stopped, I saw the prompt emergence of the fire services, airfield maintenance personnel and tower controller. Their presence brought not only assurance and peace of mind, but also light to my lonely moment embraced only by the darkness of Pulau Sudong.

I arrived back in the squadron some 11 hours later the next morning, long after the rush of adrenaline had subsided during my unplanned ‘staycation’ on the Island. As I reviewed my tape of the incident, I realised that the entire episode only took a mere 10 seconds. But boy did it feel way longer than that. Time seems to slow down when such things happen. I guess temporal distortion is a good thing as it provided time for me to make the right decision.

On reflection, I could only conclude that knowledge and experience had a huge part in the safe outcome. Knowledge gained in hitting all the orders, procedures and manuals gave me more confidence

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in exercising my available options. Experiences gained through shear hard work of realistic scenarios discussed during daily emergency handling, practised over and over again in the simulators, drilled into me the clarity of thought, the composure and the skill to react and recover timely from a totally unexpected and undesired situation. While a smart person may come to a logical conclusion faster with no stress from time compression, it was the regular practices and hard work that prepared me to deal with a situation via reflex action that really surprised me. Tough and realistic training had saved me from a potentially catastrophic situation. Similarly, I am sure the quick responses from the fire services, maintenance personnel and tower controller was borne out from countless practices and simulations for which I would be eternally grateful for. Perhaps luck also dealt me a hand. Had the bird strike happened slightly earlier or later, or had it resulted in a dual rather than single engine seizure, or there was a fire or further damages to my airframe and control surfaces, I would have been exposed to much greater danger.

10 seconds was all I had to avert this high mishap potential incident. Through my experience, I hope that everyone would ask the question “if you had done enough everyday to be able to protect yourself if you have to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.” I am glad I did as it was the best sunrise I ever saw at Pulau Sudong the next morning.

Note: Post-incident assessment indicates that the left engine seizure was due to the extensive damage caused by bird ingestion.


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CAF Safety Award

CPT Elvin Eng Boon Tat144 SQN

On 19 February 2013, CPT Eng was part of a 3-ship formation conducting a Night Air-to-Air TI 3v2 mission. After the intercept training, the formation proceeded to conduct a practice diversion to Sudong via a trail straight-in approach. During the roller, CPT Eng experienced a birdstrike as his aircraft was lifting off at 168 KIAS and approximately 2500ft past the threshold. The birdstrike caused a seizure of the left engine and resulted in his aircraft sinking back onto the runway due to a loss of thrust. CPT Eng made the correct split second decision to abort the roller and successfully engaged the departure-end cable at approximately 120 KIAS. Any hesitation in decision-making or pilot’s responses would have potentially resulted in a catastrophic accident as the aircraft would not have sufficient runway to continue with the take-off.

For having displayed exceptional professionalism and timely pilots actions in averting a potentially catastrophic mishap during a critical phase of flight, CPT Elvin Eng was awarded the Chief of Air Force Safety Award.

Safety Aw

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MAJ Chan is currently the Deputy Officer Commanding and Standards agent in 123 SQN. He has over 2000 flying hours and previously flown the Super Puma helicopters before becoming one of the core pilots in the Naval Helicopter program being trained in the USA.

MAJ Chan Tze Yang

We often hear and read about the dangers of lightning and thunderstorm. This is especially so for local operations, where signs of lightning strikes on the dispersals or on aircraft during post-flight inspections are fairly common. But I would never imagine that I would ever experience a lightning strike at close proximity, and walk away from this episode with a renewed respect for the weather...

Having just returned from operational deployment of the Naval Helicopter (NH) in the Gulf of Aden, I

was trying to get back “into the groove” of the Sqn’s high operations and training tempo. As I was also a flying instructor in the Sqn, my flying tasks were also gradually being ramped up.

The sortie was a standard Anti-Submarine Warfare (AsuW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASW) mission training in the South China Sea. Mission details and weather forecast were briefed as per standard requirements. The air exercise was conducted in the training area uneventfully, and we subsequently started to make our way back to base.

My Operations (Ops) room informed us that weather was to the north and east of Singapore moving in quickly.“ ”

Artist‘s Illustration


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Struck by Lightning!!

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After a brief holding time, we were given clearance to carry out our SINJON crossing. During the recovery phase, I noticed the weather overhead the island was deteriorating fast, in particular over Paya Lebar. A quick sweep from the weather radar confirmed that it was getting bad and moving south-westerly fast.

I radio-ed back to my Operations (Ops) room to enquire about the weather back in the base and they informed us that weather was to the north and east of Singapore moving in quickly, which corresponded with the picture on my weather radar. However, no CAT 11 warning in Sembawang Airbase was issued yet. I told them we would be landing at 1440H.

Shortly after landing, the Ops room called to update that CAT 1 weather warning would be enforced at 1500H. We acknowledged and informed that we were taxying back to shut down the aircraft.

Prior to completing our shut down checks on the aircraft at 1450h, the rain fell on us rather heavily. We again radio-ed back to Ops room to request a vehicle to ferry us back to the squadron building, as the downpour was too intense to walk or even run through with our flight gear. We then proceeded to shut down the aircraft.

After the shut down, the Dedicated Crew Chief (DCC) grounded the aircraft and joined us in the aircraft cabin, taking refuge from the downpour while waiting for the vehicle to arrive.

Almost immediately after the DCC was safely seated inside the cabin, multiple flashes of lightning were observed within close proximity of the aircraft. Even if the vehicle had arrived, we were extremely hesitant about leaving the aircraft at that juncture, as we saw one particular flash very close to us, accompanied by an almost simultaneous loud ‘bang’!

As the lightning activity around us was unusually high, I instructed Ops room using my phone through text messages to hold the ferry vehicle, and told my co-pilot and DCC to stop using their handphones, hoping to reduce the possibility of a lightning strike close to us again.

It was a good one-and-a-half hours before we received an SMS from the Ops room that the CAT 1 warning was finally downgraded to CAT 2. We exited the aircraft and proceeded to carry out a post-flight visual inspection in the subsiding rain. We noticed the bonding cable connecting the aircraft and grounding point had broken to bits and burnt

Almost immediately after the DCC was safely seated inside the cabin, multiple flashes of lightning were observed within close proximity of the aircraft.“ ”

Burnt marks were discovered on parts of the rotor blade where the lightning had struck during the thunderstorm.

1. Very high lightning risk and lightning producing cumulo-nimbus(CB) clouds over the area are extremely probable. This is issued covering an area up to 6km radius of a particular airfield.


FOCUS Struck by Lightning!!

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thunderstorm, it was still probably the safer option when compared to running into a mini-van in the downpour with high lightning activity in the vicinity. We realised then that the parked aircraft had protected us from the exterior environmental hazards, as well as dissipating the lightning charge that hit the aircraft.

We noticed the bonding cable connecting the aircraft and grounding point broken to bits and burnt through.“ ”

through. Several burnt marks were also observed around the ground of the aircraft parking bay, when there were none prior. We returned to the squadron to relate the event to the Squadron Executive Officer (SXO).

Together with the SXO, we went back out to the aircraft after the rain had stopped to re-inspect the aircraft, and further assess if there were more damages that we might have missed out. Upon closer inspection, we realised that the rear wheel tyres were deflated. The 2 DCCs who were carrying out the checks with us also observed some burnt marks on one of the main rotor blade tip, which was not visible from the ground up.

Looking back at the situation that unfolded, we were thankful that we were not out in the open when the lightning activity was happening all around us. Although it seemed improbable to be struck by lightning while sitting inside an aircraft during a

Did you know?Singapore has one of the highest rate of lightning activity in the world. Lying near the Equator, the weather is hot and humid almost all year round. Conditions are favourable for the development of lightning producing thunderstorm clouds. An average of 171 thunderstorm days (days when thunder is heard) are recorded annually in Singapore.

Source: Meteorological Service Singapore, National Environment Agency


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Some of the lessons learnt that we shared after this incident were:

• To give ample time for shut down and proceed to shelter whenever CAT 1 weather warning is issued. Even then, it is important to know that there is still a possibility of lightning activity occurring earlier than the forecasted onset timing.Keep the options for diversion to other airfields as one of the main considerations if CAT 1 was declared at the home base during the expected recovery window.

• If time permits, give considerations for ample time of at least 15-20 min prior to the onset of CAT 1 for the ground crew to tow the aircraft back into the weather shed safely.

• Although there are extremely rare cases of being struck by lightning through the use of mobile phones, it is recommended to refrain from using them during a thunderstorm with high lightning activity. In our case, we limited our communication to just critical text messages to minimise our exposure.

• Do not take weather, especially thunderstorms for granted since it is almost a daily occurrence. The unpredictable nature of the inter-monsoon period was also highlighted.

We were very lucky to have walked away from this incident unscathed. Has this episode scarred us? Well, it did shake us up a little for a few days but we were back in full operational frame of mind in no time. However, we will definitely give more respect to thunderstorms in future and to remember to always take the conservative approach to weather warnings during peacetime training operations.

Upon closer inspection, we realised that the rear wheel tyres were deflated. We were thankful that we were not out in the open when the lightning activity was happening all around us.“ ”

Close up shots of burnt marks on the blades where the lightning had contacted.


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Struck by Lightning!!

Lightnings and thunderstorms are fairly common in our region, especially during the inter-monsoon seasons. Even though modern aircraft designs are capable of being operated under all-weather conditions, pilots have always been trained to avoid flying through bad weather, whenever possible, to avoid turbulence and potential lightning strikes.

LTC Ong is currently a branch head in AOD. He is a fighter pilot by vocation and had achieved more than 1,000 F-5 flying hours. He graduated from the Singapore Command and Staff College (now Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College) in 2008.

LTC Ong Choon Hui

“”

Before I could request for deviation of track due to weather, there was a static noise heard on my aircraft radio comms, which was quickly followed by a lightning flash observed on the nose of my aircraft.

Weather build-up can often adversely affect the safety of flying operations.

Picture source: MSS NEA


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….. press!

During the taxy to the end-of-runway, a visual check on the weather along the departure route to South China Sea training area appeared to be satisfactory and there was no adverse weather pirep (pilot’s report). The departure profile was carried out, in accordance with the established Air Traffic Control procedure, with occasional Instrument Meteorological Conditions encountered through some broken 5-7 oktas cumulus clouds between 10,000 ft to about 30,000 ft. Throughout the departure routing, the weather was assessed to be mild as there were neither a noticeable weather build-up nor any lightning activities sighted.

After the air exercise, I gathered my formation “chicks” and set course for recovery. The recovery route was

Weather’s good…

On 14th February 2013, I was the flight lead and flight supervisor for a 4-ship training mission. The weather forecast during the pre-flight brief that morning called for “isolated showers and thunderstorms” during our planned flying period. The first wave was subsequently cancelled due to weather. Fortunately, the weather cleared and was deemed suitable to launch the following wave. A final check on the weather radar before we walked for our mission did not show any meteorological warning/advisory, and gave us the assurance that the weather was good enough for flying.

almost a reciprocal track of the departure route. I assessed that the en-route weather was as mild as the weather encountered during the departure some 30 minutes ago. In addition, a pair of F-16s had just entered the South China Sea training area at an altitude of about 18,000 ft, via the same departure track, with no adverse weather reported. We maintained a recovery altitude of 15,000 ft to 16,000 ft, strung out the individual formation members to 1 Nm trail, and maintained the best weather penetration airspeed, in anticipation of any weather en-route.

The Zapp!

While established within the recovery corridor heading west, the flight went through the layered clouds but the flight was stable and calm. However, five minutes into the transit through the weather, slight precipitation was felt and the flight became bumpy with slight to moderate turbulence. Before I could request for deviation of track due to weather, there was a static noise heard on my aircraft radio, which was quickly followed by a lightning flash observed on the nose of my aircraft. At the same time, I noticed my onboard digital displays had flickered momentarily. The left-hand engine RPM indicator

Artist’s Illustration

“ ”Fortunately, the weather cleared and was deemed suitable to launch the following wave.


FOCUS Struck when you least expected it!

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was observed to be winding down too. I instinctively retarded the left-hand throttle, hoping to arrest the RPM rollback. However, it was to no avail and the left-hand engine flamed out.

I immediately informed the Arrival Controller of my situation and the rest of the formation members took avoidance action by taking an alternate route for recovery. Fortunately, the F-5 has two engines and it is totally flyable with only one engine operating, for the aircraft configuration that I was in. At the altitude of 15,500 ft, I knew I had some time to react to the situation. I managed to fly out of the weather shortly after, as it was not widespread. Thereafter, I executed a successful air start and landed the aircraft uneventfully.

During the post-flight walk-around checks, burnt marks were observed at the tail fin of the Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation pod at the wing tip station and the top ILS GS/LOC antenna located at the top of the vertical stabilizer.

Post-incident analysis of the engine parameters by technical specialists suggested that the lightning heated and expanded the air around the aircraft, which significantly reduced the quality of air entering the engine. The reduction of airflow was severe enough to cause air starvation and eventual engine flameout.

Although uncommon, this was not the first time an F-5 encountered engine flameout due to lightning strike, as there were similar occurrences back in 2006 and 2008. In commercial flying, there had been similar incidents of lightning strike in flight too. In the U.S. commercial fleet alone, each aircraft is estimated to have been struck by lightning on the average of more than once a year1.

Expect the unexpected!

This incident serves as a good reminder that lightning strikes may still occur in a seemingly mild weather. All aircrew should stay vigilant even when transiting through mild weather and be ready to handle such occurrences.

Technical specialists suggested that the lightning heated and expanded the air around the aircraft, which significantly reduced the quality of air entering the engine.“ ”

1. Edward J. Rupke, “What happens when lightning strikes an airplane?” Aug 14, 2006, Scientific American.


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Chief of Air Force,BG Hoo Cher Mou

Head Air Force Inspectorate,COL Aw Kwee Siong

Guest speaker:Chief Executive DSTA,Mr Tan Peng Yam

Head Air Operations,BG Neo Hong Keat

Head Air Engineering and Logistics, ME8 Lee Ling Wee


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Annual Safety Conference 2013

Annual Safety Conference 2013

Venue:AirForceTrainingCommandAuditoriumDate :3April2013


Annual Safety Awards

OUTSTANDING SAFETY OFFICERS

ZERO ACCIDENT IN MOTOR TRANSPORT SAFETY

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Command Rank/Name Unit

ADOC MAJ Huang Song Heng, Jason 160 SQN

AFTC MAJ Lim Seng Tong, Ashley AGC

ACC CPT Ng Han Lin, Max 149 SQN

UC CPT Lim Ee Meng 128 SQN

PC CPT Tan Wee Lee 126 SQN

APGC MR Hum Yew Fei, Gary 807 SQN

AFSC ME3 Wong Mui Kim 7 SD

Command Rank/Name Unit

AFTC ME3 Lee Chwee Chin AETI TSF

ADOC SSG Leong Wei Kia, Andrew 165 SQN

PC SSG Mah Siew Fai 126 SQN

ACC 1SG Lim Zhan Ye, Zealous 112 SQN

UC ME2 Yee Choon Leong AELS

APGC ME2 Ong Chou Wei, Harry 816 SQN

FTC ME1 Tan See Hiang, Adrian FTC

Command

Air Combat Command

Air Defence and Operations Command

Participation Command

UAV Command

Ann

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OUTSTANDING SAFETY WARRIORS


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ACCIDENT-FREE FLYING YEARS

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Unit Accident-FreeFlying Years

120 SQN 2

PEACE CARVIN 2 2

123 SQN 3

PEACE CARVIN V 3

125 SQN 4

111 SQN 6

UAV TRAINING SCHOOL 6

130 SQN 6

116 SQN 6

128 SQN 7

119 SQN 8

126 SQN 9

TRIALS SQN 9

PEACE VANGUARD 9

122 SQN STANDARDS SQN

121 SQN

Annual Safety A

wards

Unit Accident-FreeFlying Years

112 SQN 13

PEACE PRAIRIE 17

127 SQN 17

145 SQN 20

140 SQN 21

144 SQN 21

143 SQN 23

AIR GRADING CENTRE 23

150 SQN 23

124 SQN 26

149 SQN 26

122 SQN 36

STANDARDS SQN 37

121 SQN 40

Aircraft Lasered!

At 2200H, a C-130 callsign Kingfisher 1 was conducting an instrument landing approach to land at the destination airfield, when the crew noticed the cabin being illuminated by a bright green light. Looking up, the aircraft captain was suddenly blinded by the light source and quickly informs his crew of the situation. Overwhelmed by flash-blindness, he promptly hands over control to his co-pilot, who fortunately was not affected. The landing was successfully completed by the co-pilot.

Although this laser incident is fictitious and the outcome was uneventful, it is based on actual events and personal interviews with aircrew who have been exposed to laser beams while flying.

Background on Lasers.

Laser pointers have become increasingly popular and available to public. The apparent brightness of the lasers has greatly increased while the cost of acquiring them has drastically decreased1. One may easily purchase a 5 mW laser (Class IIIa) online or at a gadget store in Singapore. See Table 1 for the classification of Lasers. Although lasers have legitimate uses such as for outdoor public displays, astronomical teaching and even in survivor packs as laser distress signals, the misuse of laser devices pose a serious threat to aviation safety.

Table 1: Revised Classification as specified by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 60825-1).2

There were a total of 24 incidents of laser light pointing at aircraft taking off or landing at Changi Airport in 20113. While laser shows are strictly regulated and the cases thus far have been assessed to be acts of mischief

Class Examples CAUTION!I Laser Printers, CD Players, Geological

Survey EquipmentNo Safety Requirements needed

II (<1mW) Laser pointers, Aiming devices Avoid looking into the beam. Exposure (>15 minutes) will cause damage to the eyes

IIIa (1-5 nW) Laser pointers, laser scanners Do NOT view directlyIIIb (5-500mW) Entertainment displays, spectrometry

(Helium-Neon Laser)Severe eye injuries if viewed directly. Wear proper eye protection.

IV (>500mW) Surgery, Drilling and Welding in Micromachinery.

Fire Hazard. Hazardous to eye and skin even on reflection.

Although lasers have legitimate uses such as for outdoor public displays, astronomical teaching and even in survivor packs as laser distress signals, the misuse of laser devices pose a serious threat to aviation safety.“ ”

1. Van B. Nakagawara, et al Laser Pointers: Their Potential Affects on Vision and Aviation Safety (Apr 2001)2. In Singapore, anyone acquiring a class IIIb or more laser would require a licence from National Environment Agency. The individual

is required to undergo an eye examination before certified fit to be engaged in radiation work using the irradiation apparatus.3. Channel News Asia. More incidents of laser light pointing at aircraft in Changi. (9 Mar 2012)


CPT(DR) Lee is an Aviation Medical Officer at the RSAF Aeromedical Centre (ARMC). She currently holds the post of Staff Officer (Flight Environment) in Crew Safety and Flight Environment (CSAFE) Branch which is involved in the development of 3rd generation Aviation Physiology Training. She attained Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS and is a resident of Emergency Medical Department of National University Hospital.

CPT (DR) Magdalene Lee

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4. Diagram with courtesy from www.laserpointersafety.com. Why Laser Beams Outdoors Seem To End.5. Rockwell Laser Industried (RLI) Analysis of 6903 laser incidents in FAA’s Database. US: Laser Beams Usually are not tracking aircraft;

Most Do Not Enter Cockpit Windows.6. Patrick Murphy. International Laser Display Association. Lasers and Aviation Safety. Visual Effect and Hazards Distances of a 5mW

Green Laser Pointer (Sep 2009)7. Diagram with courtesy from www.laserpointersafety.com. What Makes Lasers Hazardous to Aviation.


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Diagram 1: Laser Show at Marina Bay Sands

Diagram 2: Laser Show at Sentosa. Diagram 34: Illusion of Laser Ending Mid-Air Caused by PBL

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by the unknowing public, it is prudent for aircrew to be cognisant of this threat to aviation safety and attuned to immediate recovery actions.

The Mischievous Individual(s) and the Laser Pointer.

Most reported cases of illumination on in-flight aircraft suggest that green lasers were popular among laser enthusiasts. While a green laser is considerably more expensive than a red laser pointer due to the cost of the diode, it appears much brighter such that even weaker ones can be seen at night. Therein lies the danger, as the human eye is 10-50 times more sensitive to green light than red. The wavelength

(532nm) of the green laser is at the peak sensitivity to the dark-adapted eye.

To the user who points a 5mW laser into the sky, the beam seems to end after a few hundred meters but the green light is visible well above 10,000ft.

This illusion is due to the planetary boundary layer (PBL). For the laser beam to be visible to the ground user, it must be reflected off particles like dust and water vapour. Beyond the PBL, the air is cleaner and less light is reflected back causing the beam to stop in mid-air. The mischievous laser pointer is therefore tricked that his laser is not powerful enough to reach the aircraft. Diagram 3 illustrates the illusion caused by the PBL.

Hazards

The main problems with a laser attack are that they are always sudden, very bright, distracting and can cause temporary visual disturbance for some time after the attack5. These visual effects may potentially disorientate the pilot, causing a loss of situational awareness6 and are most hazardous during critical phases of flight.

The extent of the hazard faced by the pilot is determined by the distance from the distance of the laser. Diagram 4 illustrates the visual hazards with increasing distance.

Visual effect hazards, and hazard distances,of a 5 milliwatt green laser pointer

inset photos were taken in an FAA flight simulator. They show what a pilot sees on a landing approach, during a 5 mW laser illumination. The closer the aircraft is to laser, the more difficult it is to see out the windscreen.

To calculate hazard distances for more powerful lasers, multiply the hazard distance by the squar root of thepower increase. For example, a 125 mW laser pointer is 25 times more powerful than the 5 mW laser shown here.The square root of 25 is 5. Therefore, the maximum Glare/Disruption Hazard Distance for a 125 mW laser is 5x1,200 ft,or 6,000 ft (over 1 mile). The maximum Distraction Hazard Distance is 5x11,700 ft, or 58,500 ft (11 miles).

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Akin to a magnifying glass focussing the sun rays to burn wood, the lens in the human eye focusses the laser beam into a tiny spot that can burn the retina.

8. Diagram with courtesy from www.fbi.gov Laser Pointer Attackes Taking Off: Pose Serious Threat to Aviation Security (Oct 2012)9. Diagram with courtesy from www.boeing.com Reducing The Threat of Laser Illuminations10. US: Latest 2012 Laser/Aircraft Incident Statistics. U.S Federal Aviation Administration (Jan 2013)11. Diagram with courtesy from muldoonshealthphysician.com Laser Biological Hazards.12. Diagram with courtesy from www.laserfx.com Basic Laser Safety – Eye and Skin Hazards


Eye Injury. If you have been involved in a laser incident, you would be concerned about what effect the laser might have had on your eyes. Other than the temporary visual hazards mentioned above, high energy lasers can cause serious thermal injuries. It is reassuring to note that of all the thousands of reported laser incidents, only a handful reported eye injuries and none had permanent and recordable eye injury10.

The location of the eye injury is directly related to the wavelength of the laser and the energy absorption characteristics of the eye tissues. For visible lasers (wavelength 400-760nm), most of the radiation is transmitted to the retina.

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Glare. A person’s visual field will be obscured when a bright light source comes into his line of sight. When this occurs, his vision, especially night vision will start to deteriorate.

Temporary Flash-blindness and Afterimages. Depending on the power and distance of the laser, a portion of the visual field may be completely knocked out temporarily, with afterimages similar to the after-effects of a bright camera flash. Afterimages may take up to 5-10 minutes to fade. However, if after this time the spots are still visible, injury to the eye might have been sustained.

Diagram 58: Glare Experienced By The Pilot In The Cockpit By A 5mW Laser 330 ft Away.

Diagram 69: Flashblindness Experienced By Pilot In The CockpitBy A 5mW Laser 1000 ft Away.

Diagram 812: Concentration Of Laser Beam On The Retina

Diagram 711: Absorption Energy Of Different Wavelengths By Different Eye Tissues

The retina is an extension of the brain and consists of several complex layers of nerve cells involve in colour and light vision (rods for night and peripheral vision and cones for colour vision and resolution). Akin to a magnifying glass focussing the sun rays to burn wood, the lens in the human eye focusses the laser beam into a tiny spot that can burn the retina, up to 200 000 times more intensely than at the point where the laser beam enters the eye. The human eye can compensate for small areas of retina burns but large areas can present as permanent vision loss.

“ ”The human eye is 10-50 times more sensitive to green light than red.

It is a criminal offence for any person to shine any light, or cause or permit any light to be directed or shone at an aircraft such that the safety of the aircraft is or likely to be endangered.“ ”

Air Navigation Order and Legal Implications

Under the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Air Navigation Order (ANO), it is a criminal offence for any person to shine any light, or cause or permit any light to be directed or shone at an aircraft such that the safety of the aircraft is or likely to be endangered.

Any person convicted of such an offence could be fined up to S$20,000. Repeat offenders can be fined up to S$40,000 and/or jailed up to 15 months13.

WHAT TO DO WHEN LASERED? Recognise and RecoverIn the event that laser illumination of the aircraft is encountered, the following actions are recommended14:a. Do not panic. Avoid looking directly at the source

of these laser beams and turn away. Shield eyes to the maximum extent possible without compromising aircraft control and safety.

b. Avoid rubbing eyes to reduce the potential for corneal abrasion.

c. If lased, single-seat pilots should transfer to instrument flying. In a multi-crew environment, flight controls should be handed over to non-affected crew or transfer to instrument flying. If NVGs are used and then shut down as a result of laser illumination, similar actions should be adopted.

d. Aircraft operating at low-level altitudes especially helicopters, are advised to step up as necessary during this transition.

e. Report the incident to ATC as soon as possible. The report should include the position of the aircraft, colour of the light, originating direction and position. The information could be used by law enforcement authorities to investigate and take the necessary action to safeguard the safety of aviation operations.

f. After landing, aircrew feeling any discomfort in the eyes are advised to consult the Medical Officer as soon as possible.

Laser Protective EyewearAnti-laser glasses currently can only protect against one or a few specific wavelengths of laser light. Other types of laser safety eyewear like those made for laboratory use, should not be used as these limit too wide a range of colours and are effective against the most common laser pointer colours. Laser Protective Eyewear (LPE) reduce visible light transmittance and may adversely affect how cockpit instruments and runway lights are perceived. Due to the wide variety of laser wavelengths to guard against, if all wavelengths are to be protected against, the LPE would essentially be opaque. Till the appropriate technology can be developed for responsive protection from a wide range of wavelengths, it is not recommended for use in-flight and recovery actions by the pilot would suffice.

Did you know?In 2012, 3482 laser events were logged with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with 90% of the cases being illumination. In the remaining 10% of events, pilots see a laser beam outside their aircraft but the light does not enter the windscreen and illuminate the cockpit. No accidents have been attributed to the events but 36 aircrew have reported temporary adverse visual effect. Out of which, 4 had more severe and long-lasting eye injury. However, there has not been an incident (in 2012 or in previous years) of permanent eye damage.

13. Channel News Asia. More incidents of laser light pointing at aircraft in Changi. (9 Mar 12)14. Patirck J. Clark Lt Col, USAF, BSC, et al (Sep 2008) United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Laser Injury Guidebook.


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Diagram 9: CAAS Sign Placed At FishingHotspots In Singapore

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3SG Kang Zi Yang is a National Service Fulltime (NSF) Air Force Technician with the Jet Fuel Station team in the Infrastructure & Systems Recovery Flight, 507 SQN. He graduated from Raffles Institution in 2011 and will be furthering his studies at Stanford University in 2014.

LCP Joshua Leung Rong Tai is an NSF Field Engineer Pioneer serving with the Infrastructure Maintenance Section in the Infrastructure & Systems Recovery Flight, 507 SQN. He graduated from Anglo-Chinese Junior College in 2011 and will be pursuing a degree in Political Science at the National University of Singapore in 2014.

3SG Kang Zi Yang andLCP Joshua Leung Rong Tai

Everyday Safety In 507 SQN

Introduction

When considering the issue of safety, it is common to associate safe practices with training, exercises, and deployments. Safety is often given the utmost priority in these activities, and much has been written about ensuring safety in these areas. However, one aspect that we often overlook is ensuring safety in our daily tasks. After all, safety is an all-encompassing mindset that the SAF is cultivating. The safety aspect of our daily work processes is equally important and it cannot be neglected.

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to neglect safety in daily operations. When our daily work becomes routine and we give it the same treatment as drills

– executing the same actions upon a given prompt – we tend to forget that human life is fragile and that, at times, seemingly unlikely occurrences in our daily life can cause injury or death. Obviously, we should not advocate extreme paranoia; yet we must recognise that no matter what we do, or how routine a job is, danger in some form is always present. If precautions are not taken, negligence and unsafe practices can be costly, and a limb or a life may be lost.

About 507 Squadron

507 Squadron is part of the Airbase Civil Engineering (ACE) community. Our squadron’s role is to maintain the functionality and operability of the airbase,

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507 Squadron’s role is to maintain the functionality and operability of the air base, including the airfields, the surrounding buildings and any infrastructure that keeps the base running. This entails weekly checks on mobile generators conducted by I&SRF as shown.

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including the airfields, the surrounding buildings and any infrastructure that keeps the base running. Our job scope is rather broad, ranging from runway repair to pipe repair to building maintenance to round base checks. The Airfield Damage Recovery Flight (ADRF) inspects and maintains various aspects of the airfield to ensure safe flying for our pilots, from machinery that aids landing, to the runway our planes take off from and land on, to the lightings that ensure safe night operations. On the other hand, the Infrastructure and Systems Recovery Flight (I&SRF) handles base structures and facilities such as fire pump houses, camouflage nettings, the interior of buildings and pipe systems. In addition, the Operations Support Flight (OSF) provides essential ground logistics support for the air base, including jet fuel refuelling to aircraft and the operation of Aviation Specialist Vehicles (ASVs). The constant flying, usage of facilities and training conducted to keep the RSAF operationally ready means that maintenance support is a daily endeavour for our squadron.

With such a job scope, safety is always a concern as our personnel are vulnerable to a variety of risks.

From flying aircraft to handling sharp tools, from operating heavy machinery and electrical systems to wild snakes, there are plenty of both known and unknown dangers that can threaten our men’s well-being. Besides our own squadron personnel, we also oversee the safety of contractors that we sometimes bring in to do jobs for us. Moreover, our work affects the safety of other users of the airfield as well. With so much responsibility on our shoulders, we, as a squadron, take the issue of safety very seriously. Even in our daily briefings we note safety incidents that have occurred in the entire SAF and draw lessons applicable to our personnel, no matter how remote the connection may seem, to make our lives and the lives of others a little safer everyday. We also firmly believe in the RSAF principle that zero accident is an achievable goal and that it is an indicator of operational capability. To achieve zero accident in our daily lives, we must all apply the principles of behavioural based safety – Safety Awareness, Team Excellence, inculcating a Safe Working Culture, Reinforcing Safe Behaviour and Eliminating Unsafe Behaviour.

Safety Awareness is a Must

Safety awareness is simply being aware of potential dangers and measures that are taken to remain safe when facing them. This information is usually encapsulated in a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which dictate the way jobs should be done and the precautions one must take when approaching these jobs. In our daily work, it can be easy to forget that such SOPs exist, and we blindly

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If precautions are not taken, negligence and unsafe practices can be costly, and a limb or a life may be lost. “

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Regular inspection of facilities is an example of constant vigilance as part of safety awareness that must be exercised in order to ensure safety at all times.

Following SOPs is crucial to ensuring safety in daily work, no matter how experienced or adept we might think we are in carrying out the assigned task.


follow anecdotal instructions to perform a task or ignore measures meant to protect us. This creates an unnecessary element of risk which may lead to accidents. For instance, some of the jobs I&SRF undertakes on a regular basis is to maintain electronic systems such as generators, air-conditioning, and communications systems. It is stated in the SOPs that we must wear gloves while handling such systems to protect us from electrical shocks. Failure to wear such gloves makes exposed wires a potential hazard that may cause possible burns or death. Another example is wearing protective clothing and masks while repairing gas pipes. As the gas contained within might be hazardous if breathed in, or if it comes into direct contact with our eyes and skin, personnel repairing the pipes must wear protective clothing, goggles and a mask. By ignoring any of these precautions, he puts his safety and health at risk as well as the lives of his team members. Safety awareness is key; as many would put it, “knowledge is power” and in this case, knowledge grants us the power to prevent accidents.

Good Teamwork Begets Safety

eam excellence is one of the RSAF’s core values. One aspect of team excellence is to look after one another and help ensure each other’s safety. We are taught during Basic Military Training (BMT) to always operate in a buddy system no matter how routine the job is. The buddy system can be carried out by one doing and one watching or both doing the same thing, but the core principle is the same: one can always help to prevent incidents, and should an accident occurs, there will always be one present to aid the other and inform others of the situation. A great example of this principle in action is the way 507 Squadron approaches jobs involving heights. When inspecting camouflage nettings or water tanks three to four storeys high, we always have two people climbing up. They will wear safety harnesses with a safety rope connecting one climber to the other. In this setup, one can warn the other if he is too close to the edge and provide aid in the event that a snake is discovered hiding on the roof. Furthermore, safety harnesses afford personnel more safety in climbing. In the event that one climber falls over the edge, the

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FOD killers are operated by the OSF to eliminate FOD in the airfield, which is essential in the RSAF’s mission to ensure safety in operations.

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other can take the role of a belayer, by holding on to the 0.5-metre-high ridge of the roof and acting as an anchoring point to stop his buddy from falling to the ground. The belayer can then use the ridge of the roof as a pivot to hoist his buddy up. Another example of this is the operation of heavy plants like excavators. There will always be an assistant who acts as a second pair of eyes for the operator and directs his movement. This prevents the plant operator from running over others or driving his plant into ditches. Excellent teamwork on the buddy level helps to prevent accidents and save lives.

Inculcating a Safe Working Culture

An organisation’s culture influences the way its employees think, act and work. The RSAF is no different. If the RSAF strives towards building a safe working culture, our personnel will, in turn, act more responsibly and practise good habits when performing jobs. An example of this is the prevention

of foreign object debris (FOD) risk. As an ACE squadron, we often enter the Aircraft Manoeuvring Area (AMA) for our jobs, in which aircraft will be operating on a regular basis. It is a well known fact that anything that enters the engines of the aircraft, no matter how small, can damage or even destroy the engine, putting the pilot and crew member at risk. Thus, we have developed a culture of meticulousness, always accounting for all the tools and small objects around our work area in the airfield.

Consider the following: ADRF often takes out tools to repair the Mobile Arrestor Gear (MAG), hookwire or lightings; these small tools are tools like screwdrivers, wrenches, screws, or bulbs. If these go missing, it can only mean one thing – that they were left somewhere on the airfield and thus pose an FOD risk to aircraft. In order to prevent such incidents, all personnel have been drilled to account for every tool taken out of the tools store. This practice has now become a habit to them.

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Excellent teamwork on the buddy level helps to prevent accidents and save lives if incidents do occur.“

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Safe behaviour such as the wearing of back support and gloves is of paramount importance and should be reinforced, especially in potentially dangerous operations such as deploying the MAG.


Also consider this: OSF operates ASVs such as fuel bowsers, which are fire hazards as jet fuel is highly flammable. A misplaced spark from any source would therefore be a significant danger, be it due to vehicle accidents or external sources. Thus, we always ensure constant vigilance when operating in such a hazardous environment, through constant reminders and briefs about previous Ground Accident and Incident Reports (GAIRs). By inculcating a culture of safety, we develop good habits and caution in our servicemen. These traits can be passed on to future batches of personnel entering the squadron.

Reinforcing Safe Behaviour

There is a significant difference between behaviour and habit. Behaviour can be temporary: a simple reminder can make us behave safely, but often this is lost by the next day. A habit, on the other hand, is more permanent: once we have ingrained a habit, it

By inculcating a culture of safety, we develop good habits and caution in our servicemen. “ ” tends to stick with us until we try to rid ourselves of

it. In order to make safe behaviour a habit, we must constantly reinforce safe behaviour where possible. For instance, in BMT, we are told to drink water often, every hour if possible. This has a purpose – to prevent dehydration and heat injuries from occurring. After BMT, depending on which unit we are posted to, we may lose this behaviour as dehydration and heat injuries become a seemingly remote possibility. 507 Squadron constantly reminds its personnel to drink a lot of water and keep hydrated, reinforcing the safe behaviour we have practiced since BMT and gradually turning it into a habit for our servicemen. This helps to prevent dehydration and heat injury, and keeps our personnel safe. Another example is keeping our back straight while moving heavy objects such as the MAG either by lifting them, or pulling them. Personnel are constantly reminded to do so in order to prevent back injury. Through numerous reminders, our personnel have made it a

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Unsafe behaviour, such as negligence and failure to wear gloves when carrying out tests on electrical equipment, must be identified and eliminated. (Note: this picture was taken for illustrative purposes; the breaker was turned off prior to the taking of the picture.)


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drinks: remember that anything made with hot water or thrown into the microwave is hot enough to cause first degree burns. Many of us also tend to overload power points with multiple office equipment as we need to supply power to many computers, printers or scanners in the office. This poses a fire hazard, and hence care must be taken not to overload power points so as to avoid electrical fires from breaking out. Finally, sharp objects such as scissors, knives and paper shredders are common objects in the office. If one is not careful, one may sustain a cut. Thus, we should all be mindful whenever we are using any sharp object.

Conclusion

Safety is not limited to training exercises, deployment in the field or in operations. Safety is just as important as we go about performing our daily tasks. If we forget this, unexpected accidents will occur as we carry on with our everyday office routine. By keeping in mind the principles of behavioural psychology and applying it to our daily life, we can all work towards achieving our goal of zero accident.

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habit to keep their back straight while handling heavy objects. Where possible, good safety behaviours should be identified and constantly reinforced to help develop safe habits in servicemen.

Eliminating Unsafe Behaviour

When carrying out any given task, we must always look out for unsafe behaviour and make it a point

Safety is not limited to training exercises, deployment in the field or in operations. “ ”to eliminate them. It is easy to reprimand others

for unsafe behaviour, but this does not always achieve the desired results. Punishment may lead to resentment, which may in turn lead to defiance or non-compliance in an unsupervised environment. Rather, it will be more effective to justify the implementation of safety procedures. An example of this is when we fail to wear seat belts, either by choice or forgetfulness, while we are driving or riding vehicles. However, after the recent vehicle accidents that occurred in the SAF, the putting on of seat belts was emphasised and made compulsory. The rationale is simple: if a vehicle accident does occur, seat belts can save one’s life; by not wearing the seat belt, one puts himself at risk of death. Another example concerns the vehicle commander, whose role is to look out for dangers on the road and advise the driver accordingly. A vehicle commander puts himself and all other occupants of the vehicle at risk if he sleeps or is negligent on the job. We deter such behaviour by reminding personnel that safety procedures ultimately protect their well-being, because their lives matter to us and their loved ones. By understanding the justification behind safety procedures, individuals will be more compliant in following them. This will gradually eliminate unsafe behaviour. The elimination of unsafe behaviour is a constant on-going process: with every undesirable action we identify and eliminate, we make our daily jobs a little safer.

Have Good Office Practices

Not all days will be spent doing inspections, maintenance and repairs. There will be times that we will be doing paper work in the office. Yet, even in such a safe, secure and hazard-free environment, it is prudent to have some good practices to ensure zero

accident. A common accident that occurs in the office is being hit by a swinging door. We should be wary around closed doors and we should also remember to open doors slowly so that anyone behind them will not sustain random concussions. The putting of reflective tape on the floor to demarcate the radius of the swinging door is also a good practice to reduce accidents. Another possible accident is burns or scalds resulting from the mishandling of hot food or

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Personal protective equipment such as helmet and gloves should be used at all times to prevent accidents from occurring.


COs’ Conference 2013(4-5 April 2013)

The annual RSAF Commanding Officers’ (COs’) Conference was conducted from 4 to 5 April 2013 at SAFRA Mount Faber. The theme for this year’s conference was “Our Air Force – Sustaining Mission Success, Forging our Tribe”.

Over the years, the focus of the conference has shifted from purely safety to covering other areas such as operations, training, team building and public standing. The sessions included topics on “Expanding Capabilities while ensuring Zero Accident”, Sustaining Mission Success”, “Enhancing the RSAF’s public standing”, and “Developing the COs”. Through various discussions and presentations, the two-day conference reinforced the RSAF’s workplan imperatives and safety focus for the year, and provided the participants with the knowledge and skills to better command and manage their squadrons safely and effectively.

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CAF Quarterly Safety Forum(16 January 2013)

Outstanding Safety A

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HF Management Workshop(17-18 January 2013)

Venue:AirforceTrainingCommand


Indian Air Force Safety Exchange Visit(13-15 February 2013)

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Outstanding Safety Award

ME2 Palwinder Singh808 SQN (18 February 2013)

On 18 February 2013, ME2 Singh was performing before-flight checks on an F16D+ aircraft. During the zonal inspection of the Nose Landing Gear (NLG) area, he noticed that one of the electrical cable’s position was out of place, and proceeded to conduct a more thorough inspection of the area. During further inspection, it was discovered that the bonding attachment for the cable was slightly dislodged. A failure of the bonding attachment could potentially cause cable chaffing or severance during the retraction and extension of the NLG, which would, in turn, affect ground handling of the aircraft as well as some of the aircraft sub-systems. The dislodged cable could also potentially become entangled in the NLG wheel well, affecting the extension of the NLG in-flight.

For his professionalism and exemplary vigilance in his duties in preventing a potential critical flight emergency from occurring, ME2 Palwinder Singh was awarded the Outstanding Safety Award.

The Safety Exchange Meeting between the RSAF and the Indian Air Force was successfully conducted from 13 to 14 February 2013 in Singapore. Director Aerospace Safety-1, Directorate of Aerospace Safety IAF, GRP CAPT Jagmeet Singh Dhamoon led the 3-man IAF Safety delegation. The professional exchanges and safety discussions were excellent. The IAF delegation also visited ARMC as part of the exchange programme.


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FOCUS #75 - Safety Crossword Puzzle

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Safety Crossword Puzzle

Email your answers with your Rank/Name, NRIC, Unit and Contact details to AFI (2WO Steven Goh) before 31 May 2013.

All correct entries will be balloted and 3 winners will receive a $30 Popular Voucher each.

The crossword puzzle is open to all RSAF personnel except personnel from AFI and the FOCUS Editorial Board.

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1. Foreign __________ Debris2. Practice __________3. __________ Storm4. Expect The __________5. Anti-__________ Warfare7. __________ Sudong10. Airfield __________ Recovery Flight12. __________ Strike

Across

6. Safety In __________ Operations8. South __________ Sea9. __________ Protective Equipment11. Air __________ Control13. Civil __________ Authority of Singapore14. Crew Safety and Flight __________

FOCUS #74 CrosswordPuzzle Winner:ME2 Chan Yeow Teck, 208 SQN

download issue 75

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