Latest news with #NVGs
Canada News.Net
04-08-2025
- General
- Canada News.Net
Pilot visibility under scrutiny in deadly Washington air disaster
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Night-vision goggles have come under scrutiny in the fatal midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet over Washington in January, with experts testifying before the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that the helicopter pilots faced severe visual challenges. At the NTSB's final public hearing on August 1, specialists explained that the Army pilots' night-vision goggles (NVGs) would have made spotting the passenger plane and interpreting its movements far more difficult. Night-vision goggles, while vital for military operations in low light, have limitations. Experts told the Board that NVGs reduce peripheral vision and distort the appearance of colors, making it hard to distinguish the colored navigation lights that could have helped the Black Hawk crew gauge the jet's direction and speed. Compounding the difficulty, the helicopter was flying in the densely lit airspace near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where separating the aircraft from ground lights is notoriously challenging. Stephen Casner, a human factors expert and former NASA researcher, emphasized that in such conditions, "knowing where to look" becomes critical. In this case, the passenger plane was landing on a secondary runway rarely used by most incoming aircraft, meaning the Army pilots may not have anticipated its location. The January crash killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft — including a group of young elite figure skaters, their families and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area — and was the deadliest U.S. aviation accident since November 2001. Over three days of testimony, the Board has examined numerous factors that may have contributed, from procedural lapses to long-standing hazards in helicopter flight routes near Reagan National. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for ignoring prior warnings about these dangers and urged the agency to "do better." While the investigation is still months away from pinpointing a definitive cause — a final report is expected next year — evidence shows the Black Hawk was operating above the prescribed 200-foot altitude limit for that route and was farther west from the Potomac River's east bank than recommended, putting it closer to airliner traffic. Another point of contention emerged over FAA protocols for post-crash alcohol testing of air traffic controllers. Homendy noted that such testing is most effective within two hours and permitted up to eight hours after an incident. Yet, FAA acting deputy chief operating officer Nick Fuller testified that no controllers were tested because the crash was not immediately deemed fatal. NTSB board member Todd Inman countered that fatalities were confirmed within 20 minutes, questioning the decision to forgo testing. Fuller said the agency is now revising its drug and alcohol testing procedures. Civilian pilots have also long raised concerns about military helicopter operations near Reagan National. Rick Dressler of Metro Aviation told the Board that spotting aircraft at night is especially difficult if an onboard locator transponder is switched off — something Army helicopters routinely do for operational security. He also warned that some military pilots flying in the area are relatively inexperienced with Washington's complex airspace. The Army did not immediately comment on his testimony but invited Dressler to share his concerns directly with Pentagon officials. Investigators also reviewed cockpit audio from the Black Hawk, which had been in contact with air traffic control. Twice in the minutes before impact, the helicopter crew reported having the American Airlines jet in sight and assured they would maintain separation. However, when the controller instructed them to "pass behind" the jet, the message went unheard because the Black Hawk's radio transmitter was keyed at the same time. Moments before the crash, an instructor pilot suggested a slight left turn — "Kinda come left for me ma'am" — to which the pilot responded, "Sure," but it is unclear whether there was time to react. John Cox, a retired airline captain and aviation safety consultant, said the hearings are uncovering the right questions to prevent future tragedies. He noted the small margin of error for helicopters flying that route and the troubling discrepancy between the Black Hawk's actual altitude — 80 to 100 feet higher than indicated by its altimeter — and the altitude the pilots believed they were maintaining.
The Hill
30-07-2025
- General
- The Hill
‘It's going to be a gut punch': Families of Flight 5342 brace for days-long NTSB investigative hearing
NOTE: The above video is of the NTSB investigative hearing on the Jan. 29 mid-air collision. WASHINGTON, D.C. (WAVY) — Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board will begin a three-day investigative hearing on the Jan. 29 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people. (To watch the NTSB hearing, click here. For more information on the hearing, click here.) 'I think it's going to be a gut punch,' said Rachel Feres, whose family member was killed on Flight 5342 along with his wife and two daughters. Families of Flight 5342 crash victims demand accountability and change in air safety The NTSB released its preliminary investigative report March 7, unearthing key details regarding the moments leading up to the collision above the Potomac River. Aviation attorney Justin Green, a partner with the firm Kreindler and Kreindler, has filed 25 notices of claims against the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army on behalf of 31 decedents from the American Airlines flight. Aviation-Investigatin-Report-AIR-25-01 Download He said the airspace around Ronald Reagan National Airport is 'a highway for helicopters.' 'But the highway requires the helicopters to do two things,' Green said. 'One is to stay low. A part of the highway this Black Hawk was on was maximum altitude of 200 feet. Number two, they have to stay away from the airplanes coming in and out.' According to the preliminary NTSB report, the Army helicopter, which was operating under the callsign PAT25, failed to meet those requirements and was at an altitude of 278 feet at the time of the collision. The Mission of PAT25 To better understand what led to the crash, it's important to identify why each aircraft was flying its respective course. For Flight 5342, it's simple; the regional commercial jetliner was on approach to land at DCA following its departure from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). For PAT25, the Black Hawk was flying from Davison Army Airfield (DAA), Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 'for the purpose of the pilot's annual standardization evaluation with the use of night vision goggles (NVGs),' the NTSB report states. 'Night visions goggles are essentially devices that look like small binoculars and what they do is enhance ambient light,' said Green, who was a pilot in the United States Marine Corps before becoming an attorney. 'I have hundreds of hours flying with night vision goggles. In layman's terms it turns nighttime into the day, but it really doesn't. Everything you see through there is kind of green, and it doesn't have the same clarity that your eyes do.' According to Green, with the naked eye, you can see almost 110 degrees on either side of your head, but with night vision goggles, you can only see about a 40-degree view. This requires pilots to physically turn their head to see, scan and hear other aircraft. 'The other thing about night vision goggles is that they work by amplifying ambient light,' Green said. 'That's an issue because in the city, all those lights are going to look very, very bright, and depending on what you're looking at, can actually be blinding when you're wearing night vision goggles.' Green said flying with NVGs in a city environment would be much more difficult to pick out airplanes, specifically the anti-collision lights the airplanes have when flying low. Visual Separation According to the NTSB preliminary report, the Black Hawk's crew included an instructor pilot, a pilot and a crew chief. The report states that approximately two-and-a-half minutes before the collision, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) 'revealed that the instructor pilot told the pilot that they were at 300 feet and needed to descend.' Less than a minute later, the crew of PAT25 reported that they had 'traffic in sight,' presumably Flight 5342, and requested approval from the Air Traffic Control tower to maintain 'visual separation.' Shortly after the request was made, ATC approved visual separation. 'What that meant was the air traffic controller was going to let the Black Hawk fly through the airspace on this helicopter route, and that the Black Hawk would then visually make sure that it didn't come near any of the airplanes coming into and leaving DCA,' Green said. The NTSB report states that, 'at this time, the distance between the two aircraft was about 6.5 nautical miles.' About 20 seconds before the collision, the DCA air traffic controller asked PAT25 via radio if it had Flight 5342 in sight. This occurred at about the same time that the crew of Flight 5342 received a traffic advisory from the aircraft's TCAS stating, 'traffic, traffic.' According to the report, a 'TCAS' is a device equipped on the aircraft that 'provides collision avoidance protection for a broad spectrum of aircraft types.' At 8:47:42 p.m., or 16 seconds before the collision, the air traffic controller instructed PAT25 to pass behind Flight 5342. Two seconds later, PAT25 indicated that the traffic was in sight and again requested visual separation, which was approved by the DCA tower. At 8:47:58, Flight 5342 made a last-minute pitch up to avoid PAT25, but a mid-air collision occurred. 'This is going to be something that I think will be a focus of the investigation,' Green said. 'The Black Hawk helicopter clearly did not ever identify Flight 5342 and continued its flight and flew directly into it.' Green said the accident occurred for several reasons, but some questions still need to be answered to determine the root cause of the failure. 'Why did the Black Hawk pilots not identify Flight 5342? Why did Flight 5342 pilots never see the Black Hawk helicopter flying directly towards them? Why did the air traffic controller, number one,' Green said, 'give this clearance to a helicopter flying through the airspace with so much traffic, given the long history of near mid-air collisions at that airport, and why was the helicopter at the wrong altitude?' Near-miss data at DCA Included in the NTSB preliminary report was a review of the 944,179 commercial operations at DCA between October 2021 and December 2024. The report says, 'during that time, there were 15,214 occurrences between commercial airplanes and helicopters in which there was a lateral separation distance of less than 1 nm (nautical mile) and vertical separation of less than 400 feet. There were 85 recorded events that involved a lateral separation less than 1,500 feet and vertical separation less than 200 feet.' Shortly following the accident, the FAA issued a 'notice to airmen,' restricting helicopter traffic from operating over the Potomac River near DCA until March 31, 2025. The near-miss data paints an ugly picture, portraying these close calls as accidents waiting to happen. Even if PAT25 was flying at the maximum altitude of 200 feet, the NTSB report states that 'it would have about 75 feet of vertical separation from an airplane approaching runway 33.' Why was PAT25 flying above 200 feet? According to the NTSB preliminary report, PAT25 was traveling along Route 1 of the Baltimore-Washington Helicopter Route Chart, which is shown below. The report states that once helicopters pass Memorial Bridge, 'the maximum allowable altitude on Route 1 is 200 feet above mean sea level.' But how does an Army helicopter determine its altitude to begin with? 'The helicopter has two different instruments that show its altitude,' Green said. 'One is the barometric altimeter that gives the pilots their altitude above sea level, so that is the primary instrument that pilots use to determine altitude.' Green said the barometric altimeter is calibrated before takeoff for a mission, and it is even set while the pilots are in-flight. He said it provides accurate readings. 'The second altimeter on a Black Hawk is called a radar altimeter, and that gives the altitude above the ground,' Green said. 'It essentially sends out a radar signal and, based on the time it takes to kind of come back, it determines how far down the ground is.' If neither the barometric nor the radar altimeter is in working order, Green said the crew has their vision to gauge altitude. But the NTSB report includes cockpit voice recorder data indicating that the instructor pilot and pilot were observing different altitudes. 'At 2:043:48, PAT25 was about 1.1 nm (nautical miles) west of the Key Bridge. According to the helicopter's CVR, the pilot indicated that they were at 300 feet. The IP indicated they were at 400 feet. Neither pilot made a comment discussing an altitude discrepancy.' 'If that happened, they should have had a conversation,' Green said. 'That's a problem that they did not have that conversation. After the accident, the FAA and the NTSB have been unable to get good data on what the actual pressure altitude was from the altimeter system.'
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Business Standard
06-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Sustainable business practices: Navigating India's ESG, energy transition
The evolution of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure frameworks in India reflects a significant shift towards sustainable business practices and transparency. Over the years, regulatory developments, investor demands and global sustainability trends have influenced the adoption and enhancement of ESG reporting standards in India. Voluntary to Mandatory ESG Disclosure: Driven by Global Sustainability Wave India's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the country's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) following the Paris Agreement have largely influenced the evolution of its ESG reporting framework. This journey began with the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by India upon its adoption in 2011. Adhering to these guiding principles, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Government of India, introduced the 'National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business,' popularly termed NVGs, nudging corporates to adopt responsible business practices. The NVGs were revised on several occasions amidst the global sustainability wave, leading to the expansion of the disclosure bracket by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) from 100 to 1,000 listed companies in the Indian stock exchange by market capitalisation under the Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR) framework. One of the revisions in the NVGs led to the development of the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC), which became the cornerstone for the introduction of 'Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting' (BRSR), making it mandatory for the top 1,000 listed companies in India to report their sustainability-related endeavours from the financial year 2022-23 onwards. Today, BRSR is a comprehensive ESG disclosure framework containing both qualitative and quantitative indicators that must be disclosed as part of the organisation's annual report, enabling assessment of the social and environmental impact created by business entities. It is aligned with global reporting parameters set by institutions such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Additionally, India's stock exchanges — the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) — have also joined the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, a UN partnership programme organised by UNCTAD, UN Global Compact, UNEP FI and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), showcasing their commitment to enhancing ESG performance and promoting responsible investment among listed business entities. According to the UN Climate Action report, more than 9,000 companies, over 1,000 cities, more than 1,000 educational institutions and over 600 financial institutions have joined the race to net zero, pledging to take immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030. This requires prioritisation of sustainability practices by business entities globally, which has immense potential to increase demand for ESG professionals across various sectors. Companies have already begun upskilling their employees for roles equivalent to sustainability managers. The role of sustainability professionals in energy companies becomes more important in the context of the ongoing energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. It is worth noting that ESG-related employment opportunities have been rising in multiple sectors, including, inter alia, sustainable energy, green building, environmental consulting, waste management and sustainable agriculture. These professionals assist business entities in meeting their organisational ESG objectives, fully aligned with the extant regulatory frameworks. For instance, ESG investing has gained momentum in recent years. This trend is reflected in PwC's Asset and Wealth Management Revolution 2022 report, which states that the share of ESG assets over total assets under management (AuM) is projected to increase from 14.4 per cent in 2021 to 21.5 per cent in 2026 (base case) at the global level. In addition, sustainable fashion has also witnessed significant growth, averaging around 90 per cent annually between 2016 and 2020, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Work. This will, in turn, lead to innovative material design and the adoption of a sustainable lifestyle for a better environment — similar to the tenets of the Government of India's Mission LiFE initiative. The growth of ESG-related employment opportunities reflects a broader shift towards sustainable and responsible business practices. This may spur the growth of the green-collar workforce, enabling assessment of investment-worthy firms using various factors related to corporate strategy and performance aligned with ESG principles. Hence, the need for specialised skills to thrive in the ESG job market will be instrumental amidst rising demand for such roles across industry. Calibrating the Energy Industry Global energy demand is still largely met by fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil and natural gas. This has led to alarming climate change scenarios that we observe today, with the world at the brink of exhausting its carbon budget for the century under business-as-usual projections published by most think tanks. For instance, the Global Carbon Project 2022 predicted that the remaining carbon budget for a 50 per cent likelihood of limiting global warming to 2°C was around 1,230 gigatonnes of CO₂ from the beginning of 2023 — equivalent to around 30 years at 2022 emissions levels. This prognosticates a tectonic shift in the conduct of the fossil fuels business in the years ahead. The global energy industry has gradually shifted towards sustainable business pathways, witnessed over the past decade through increased investments in green energy. Developing countries such as India — where the oil and gas sector accounts for around 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions — are anticipated to develop robust long-term ESG plans through regulatory frameworks such as BRSR. This could also attract greater government investment in clean energy, as reflected in the 7 per cent year-on-year growth in government spending on energy R&D during 2015–2023, according to the World Energy Investment Report 2024 by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Further, India's foray into the sovereign green bond market in January 2023 underscores its commitment to financing a low-carbon transition. The issuance of USD 1 billion (₹80 billion) in sovereign green bonds was oversubscribed more than four times, reflecting strong investor confidence in India's renewable energy, sustainable transportation and green hydrogen projects. Moreover, the promotion and adoption of biofuels at scale, the proliferation of solar and wind infrastructure, and the use of green hydrogen in hard-to-abate and hard-to-electrify sectors are imperatives for Indian industries striving to improve their performance on global sustainability indices. Organisational initiatives are inextricably linked with the government's vision for achieving sustainability targets. Notably, Engineers India Limited (EIL), a premier energy consultancy offering concept-to-commissioning services globally, has already diversified into several green energy sectors, including second-generation ethanol, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and green hydrogen/green ammonia, to meet the evolving needs of the industry. In recent years, the company has established itself as an ecosystem enabler, assisting clients in meeting their energy transition objectives. For instance, EIL is providing services for the implementation of one of the largest-capacity biorefinery facilities in India — moving directly from demonstration to commercial scale — and has already successfully implemented green hydrogen and green ammonia projects. These initiatives underscore the energy industry's readiness to develop green infrastructure and reinforce its commitment to sustainability in line with the Government of India's vision of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. Concluding Remark Mandatory ESG disclosure is a stepping stone for companies to transition gradually into stakeholder capitalism, moving away from shareholder and state capitalism models to serve broader societal interests. This is reflected in the paradigm shift in climate governance practices observed across the world, including India, over the past decade. The quality of environmental disclosure is increasingly becoming a critical factor for financing projects across sectors — going far beyond an organisation's CSR investment. However, factors such as changes in board characteristics, the impact of ESG-related costs on firm valuation and market response to an expanded disclosure mandate beyond the top 1,000 listed companies will make for an interesting journey for Indian industry in the years ahead.
Mid East Info
24-02-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
EDGE Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Point Trading Group for Night Vision Goggles - Middle East Business News and Information
EDGE Group entity, TRUST, and Point Trading Group will join forces to replace NGVs and elevate mission readiness. Abu Dhabi, UAE:February, 2025 – EDGE entity TRUST, a keystone of national security and defence forces that delivers top-tier equipment, advanced technologies and unparalleled services, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Point Trading Group, a leading Australian-owned company that provides mission critical equipment and maintenance services for defence, national security, law enforcement and emergency services organisations in Australia and overseas. Under the MoU, TRUST will collaborate with Point Trading Group to supply Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), enhancing operational capabilities and ensuring mission success. The MoU was signed by Omar Al Zaabi, President of Trading and Mission Support – EDGE, and Point Trading Group CEO Avner Klein, in the presence of His Excellency Ridwaan Jadwat, Australia Ambassador to the UAE, Dr. Jasem Al Zaabi, Vice President of Business Development – EDGE, Dr. Abdulmunem Alshehhi, TRUST Chief Operations Officer, and delegates from the Australian Embassy. About EDGE: Launched in November 2019, the UAE's EDGE is one of the world's leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly-skilled talent to thrive. With a focus on the adoption of 4IR technologies, EDGE is driving the development of sovereign capabilities for global export and for the preservation of national security, working with front-line operators, international partners, and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials. EDGE converges R&D, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and commercial market innovations with military capabilities to develop disruptive solutions tailored to the specific requirements of its customers. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 35 entities into six core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space & Cyber Technologies, Trading & Mission Support, Technology & Innovation, and Homeland Security.
Zawya
20-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
EDGE signs MoU with Point Trading Group for night vision goggles
Abu Dhabi, UAE – EDGE entity TRUST, a keystone of national security and defence forces that delivers top-tier equipment, advanced technologies and unparalleled services, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Point Trading Group, a leading Australian-owned company that provides mission critical equipment and maintenance services for defence, national security, law enforcement and emergency services organisations in Australia and overseas. Under the MoU, TRUST will collaborate with Point Trading Group to supply Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), enhancing operational capabilities and ensuring mission success. The MoU was signed by Omar Al Zaabi, President of Trading and Mission Support - EDGE, and Point Trading Group CEO Avner Klein, in the presence of His Excellency Ridwaan Jadwat, Australia Ambassador to the UAE, Dr. Jasem Al Zaabi, Vice President of Business Development – EDGE, Dr. Abdulmunem Alshehhi, TRUST Chief Operations Officer, and delegates from the Australian Embassy. The signing was held during a ceremony at the ongoing International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2025, currently running at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), from 17 to 21 February. About EDGE Launched in November 2019, the UAE's EDGE is one of the world's leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly-skilled talent to thrive. With a focus on the adoption of 4IR technologies, EDGE is driving the development of sovereign capabilities for global export and for the preservation of national security, working with front-line operators, international partners, and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials. EDGE converges R&D, emerging technologies, digital transformation, and commercial market innovations with military capabilities to develop disruptive solutions tailored to the specific requirements of its customers. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 35 entities into six core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space & Cyber Technologies, Trading & Mission Support, Technology & Innovation, and Homeland Security. For more information, visit For media enquiries, please contact: EDGE Group Press Office media@
