Oil leak likely cause of 2017 plane accident in Manitoba, Canada

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report Thursday into the November 2017 loss of control on landing involving an aircraft at Thompson Airport in Manitoba, Canada.

On Nov. 2, 2017, a Perimeter Aviation Fairchild Metro III (serial number AC-756B, registration C-FLRY) was operating on a ferry flight from Gods River Airport, Manitoba, to Thompson Airport, Manitoba, to reposition the aircraft for inspection and repair. As the aircraft neared the airport, the crew advised air traffic control that they had received a low oil pressure indication on the left engine. After consultation with maintenance, the crew considered the risks associated with landing single engine and without hydraulic pressure for the nose-wheel steering, and decided to continue the flight with both engines running. After touchdown, the aircraft suddenly veered to the right and exited the runway. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The two crew members received minor injuries.

The investigation found that the low oil pressure indication was likely the result of a steady oil leak past an air-oil seal in the left engine. The loss of oil pressure thus resulted in a loss of propeller control authority on landing and a runway excursion. The investigation also found that the decision to continue the flight with both engines running was not consistent with the quick reference handbook procedures for low oil pressure indications.

The aircraft was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder but was not equipped with a flight data recorder, nor was one required by regulation. The aircraft's integrated flight management system was capable of capturing engine parameters, but it was not configured to do so. If flight data, voice, and video recordings are not available to an investigation, the identification and communication of safety deficiencies to advance transportation safety may be precluded.

Following the occurrence, the TSB issued an Aviation Safety Advisory letter suggesting that Transport Canada review the Fairchild Metro III aircraft flight manual's emergency procedures for low engine oil pressure indications. In addition, Perimeter Aviation installed memory cards that store engine parameter data on its aircraft that are equipped with an integrated flight management system. It has also implemented crew resource management training for all of its air-taxi and commuter flight crews.

The potential for Electrified Aircraft Propulsion

NASA will lead a meeting next month that will perform a market assessment of U.S. industry leaders regarding the potential for electrified aircraft to include electric drive train, power distribution, and energy storage concepts to be used, in whole or in part, as primary propulsion for fixed-wing passenger-carrying transport aircraft.

The Industry Day meeting, scheduled for Dec. 6, will be held at the Logistics Management Institute in Tysons, Va. The event is being organized by the Associate Director for Flight Strategy, Integrated Aviation System Program at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. There will be up to eight one-hour briefing slots allocated to the industrial base during the meeting.

An organ transplant stock to transfer to your portfolio

Organ transplants are one of the greatest advances in modern day medicine. Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ is removed from one body and transferred to another body to replace the missing or damaged organ. One of the most important aspect of the organ transplantation is the consent of the patient or the family of the patient. Organ harvesting without proper consent is illegal and a massive crime. Organ transplantation is mostly carried out with the brain dead patient who’s other organs are healthy and can be used to save another person’s life. The process of organ transplantation needs to be done right after the death of the patient or within a couple of hours. Kidneys are the most widely transplanted organ which is followed by liver. Unfortunately, the need for organ donors is much higher than the number of people who donate organs. According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 3,000 new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month worldwide. According to United Network for Organ Sharing, 21 people die everyday in the United States waiting for an organ, and more than 120,000 men, women and children await lifesaving organ transplants.

CareDx, Inc.

One company dedicated to improving the lives of organ transplant patients through noninvasive diagnostics is CareDx, Inc. By combining the latest advances in genomics and bioinformatics technology, with a commitment to generating high quality clinical evidence through trials and registries, CareDx strives to stay at the forefront of organ transplant surveillance solutions. Based in Brisbane, Calif., CareDx stock (Nasdaq: CDNA) leads the medical services sector with a major upswing over the past year for investors.

Shares of CDNA are up 402 percent over the last 52 weeks (Nov. 20, 2017 to Nov. 16, 2018). This year alone, the stock is up 308 percent, closing Friday at $29.95 per share, up 0.81 percent for the day. CDNA has a 52-week low of $4.92 and high of $30.15.

The only dividend stock I see in the medical services sector comes from Global Cord Blood Corp. (NYSE: CO).

Global Cord Blood Corp.

Global Cord Blood Corp. is the first and largest umbilical cord blood banking operator in China in terms of geographical coverage and the only cord blood banking operator with multiple licenses. Under current PRC government regulations, only one licensed cord blood banking operator is permitted to operate in each licensed region and no new licenses will be granted before 2020 in addition to the seven licenses authorized as of today. Global Cord Blood Corp. provides cord blood collection, laboratory testing, hematopoietic stem cell processing, and stem cell storage services.

Shares of CO are down 40 percent over the last 52 weeks (Nov. 20, 2017 to Nov. 16, 2018). This year alone, the stock is down 34 percent, closing Friday at $6.53 per share, down 2 percent for the day. CO has a 52-week low of $6.01 and high of $12.25. The company issued a $0.08 dividend on July 31, 2018.

Disclaimer: This post is provided for information purposes only and should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. I am neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. Keith Stein has no position in any stocks mentioned in this post. DCNewsroom has no position in any of the stocks mentioned in this post.