With Another Week of Shots Fired at an Ag Aircraft, NAAA Develops Checklist for Pilots/Operators Subject to Such Outlandish Actions
A 27-year-old man was arrested last Friday for allegedly shooting at an ag plane that morning in Bowling Green, Mo. The Aug. 18 incident marks the third time within the span of a month that an ag aircraft has been fired upon by a resident. On Aug. 11 the helicopter of an ag pilot working near Omaha, Neb., was damaged after being struck by at least two shotgun blasts. On July 18, an ag plane working near Belgrade, Mont., was hit twice by shots fired from the ground.
In response to the rash of shooting incidents, NAAA has developed a checklist of actions operators and pilots can take in the event someone discharges a firearm at their aircraft. The full shooting-response checklist is available here to print out. The checklist contains the following steps along with NAAA’s advice.
Checklist for Pilots Subjected to Discharge of a Firearm Targeting an Ag Aircraft
- Inform Local Law Enforcement
- Contact the FBI
- Report it to the FAA National Safety Hotline
- Call your Local Flight Standards Office (FSO)
- File a NASA Aviation Safety Report
- Tell Other Pilots
- Notify Local News Media
- Contact Your Insurance Agent if Warranted
In addition to the shooting-response checklist, NAAA is always available for additional assistance if you experience an aircraft shooting incident. Contact the NAAA office at (202) 546-5722.
FAA’s Flight Standards Service Implements Significant Realignment
Not only can Aug. 21, 2017, be remembered as the day of the U.S. solar eclipse, but it can also be remembered as the day the FAA Flight Standards Service (FSS) began operations under a significant realigned structure. Flight Standards transitioned its structure from the geography-based regional structure to a functional structure. The four areas of the functional structure are: Air Carrier Safety Assurance, General Aviation Safety Assurance, Safety Standards, and Foundational Business. The previous or legacy regional structure no longer exists in Flight Standards.
The FAA believes the organizational culture change will enable the FAA to respond to the publics needs with greater agility, efficiency, and consistency. The intent of these changes is to improve their performance in several areas: better accountability to the flying public and stakeholders; improved budget constraints; ability to change readiness to meet the constant stream of new challenges; and better decision-making.
Under the legacy regional system, regulations were sometimes interpreted differently from district to district and this change should reduce the differences. An explanation of the changes is summarized in the online Flight Standard Information Management System (FSIMS). Below the heading of “Active Publications”, select the “Flight Standards Realignment Updates for Industry” or other publications addressing the realignment. Located here is the FSS realignment organizational chart, FAQs, a reference sheet of legacy versus new organization codes and a quick reference sheet of responsibilities. For example, most of our Part 137 operations activities will still be the responsibility of AFS-800 (GA and Commercial Division) and airworthiness topics will be the responsibility of AFS-300 (Aircraft Maintenance Division).
This realignment should be transparent to stakeholders. No certificates will move and certificate holders will continue to interact with FAA employees who currently manage your certificates. One of the more visible changes for pilots and operators will be that the FSDOs we are familiar with will simply be called a Flight Standards Office with the location designated in its title.
Fundraiser Established to Help Family of Mississippi Agricultural Aviator Fatally Injured
Sadly, 28-year-old Michael Horton lost his life Aug. 16 when his AT-502 crashed in a field two miles from Phipps, Miss. The NSTB is investigating the accident, but initial reports from other ag pilots operating nearby indicate the accident was likely related to foggy weather conditions.
Horton flew for Timmy Jones Flying Service in Minter City, Miss. He is survived by numerous loved ones, from family to friends. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been established to help Michael’s family with funeral expenses and other bills. According to the GoFundMe page, Michael had run out of insurance to cover expenses related to his death. Donations and prayers are greatly appreciated by friends and family at this time.
California Regulators Target Chlorpyrifos
Last week, the California Department of Pesticide Registration (CDPR) issued a revised risk assessment for chlorpyrifos, an insecticide commonly known as Dursban and Lorsban, and announced a process to consider additional restrictions on the chemical.
The CDPR also issued voluntary guidelines asking chlorpyrifos users to increase the buffer zones between fields treated with the insecticide as well as inhabited areas such as schools and residential areas.
Earlier this year, the federal government denied a petition from environmentalists calling for a chlorpyrifos ban. NAAA had submitted comments to keep chlorpyrifos on the market for aerial application and joined dozens of other agriculture groups in signing a letter to EPA Administrator Pruitt outlining the benefits of the insecticide.
NAAA considers the EPA’s decision a win for science and the ag community. Originally registered in the U.S. in 1965, chlorpyrifos has played a key role in pest management. Today it is registered for use in almost 100 countries and has passed the extensive U.S. reregistration process required under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) several times.
Earlier this summer, bills were introduced in both the House and Senate to ban chlorpyrifos nationwide. The bills have been referred to their respective committees but no action is expected to be taken on either of them. The ag industry views these bills as an attempt to circumvent the EPA’s regulatory process.
California previously restricted the use of chlorpyrifos in 2015 by naming it a “restricted material.” This required licensing, training and oversight by county agriculture commissions. It also increased buffer zone requirements and banned its use near schools when winds exceed 10 miles per hour.
California, the largest agriculture producer in the United States, used more than 1 million pounds of chlorpyrifos on more than 60 crops in 2015.
NAAA will keep members updated on activities in California and other states regarding chlorpyrifos restrictions.
SAIB Issued on Air Tractor Aileron Control System
The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) Number CE-17-22 on Aug. 22, 2017 of an airworthiness concern for owners and operators of Air Tractor, Inc. Models AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes. The SAIB covers serial numbers -0550 through -0600 and -4026 through -4029 manufactured under Type Certificate Data Sheet A19SW.
The SAIB provides inspection procedures and on-condition maintenance actions for the aileron bell crank attach plates for affected airplanes. The FAA believes that this airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action.
Air Tractor recently issued Snow Engineering Co. Service Letter (SL) #366 for the Air Tractor Models AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes. The SL was issued after in-flight failure of the aileron bell crank attach plates due to an incomplete weld on a Model AT-802 airplane. Failure of the welds mounting the attach plate to the bell crank support led to loss of control of the aileron. The SL provides instructions for inspecting welds attaching the right and left wing aileron bell crank attach plates and requires contacting the Air Tractor Customer Service Department using the contact information provided in the event suspect welds are found.
The FAA recommends that affected aircraft owners inspect their aileron bell crank attach plates to the bell crank support assembly using the procedures in SL #366 and report any suspect welds to the Air Tractor Service Department.
Please read and follow the instructions given in the SAIB and SL #366. Click here to read or download the SAIB.
Ag Wings of Tomorrow Scholarship Entries Due Soon!
From seeking a mentor to finding the funds for training, the road to becoming an ag pilot is fraught with obstacles, but having $5,000 in training money certainly helps. This year the odds of receiving a scholarship from NAAA are better than ever. Under its new “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program, NAAA will award up to five flight training scholarships worth a combined $22,500. The deadline to apply for this year’s scholarships is Thursday, Aug. 31.
How to Apply
Thanks to educational grants provided by BASF, GE Aviation and Thrush Aircraft, four $5,000 scholarships and one $2,500 scholarship have been established to support aspiring agricultural pilots in their training needs. Applicants must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member. Scholarship recipients may use the proceeds for flight training or aviation-related coursework at a university, college, community college or other institution of higher learning. A stipend for a trainee in an NAAA Operator-sponsored apprentice program is also permissible.
Along with completing the two-part application, every applicant must submit:
- A letter of recommendation from the NAAA Operator member sponsoring the applicant.
- An essay of 250 words or less written by the applicant explaining why you want to pursue a career in agricultural aviation and how you would use NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship to further your education and training.
- A one-page résumé or list of activities detailing all agricultural and aviation experiences, education and training.
All applications must be received or postmarked by Aug. 31, 2017, to be eligible for scholarship funds available for the following calendar year. Please contact NAAA’s Jay Calleja at (202) 546-5722 for clarification about any of the application requirements. The “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” scholarships recipients will be recognized at the 2017 Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah, Ga.