Flight Safety Information - May 10, 2024 No. 094 In This Issue : Incident: TUI B738 at Frankfurt on May 8th 2024, leak from the left wing : Accident: Corendon Europe B738 at Gazipasa on May 9th 2024, nose wheel failures : NTSB to deliver findings on FedEx-Southwest near miss : NTSB calls for more oversight of hot air balloons, pilots : Senate passes bill improving air safety and service for travelers, a day before FAA law expires : Boeing supplier ‘regularly shipped defective aircraft fuselages’ : Humiliating moment two ‘rowdy’ passengers are escorted off plane to cheers and laughter : United Airlines plane makes emergency return to Japan airport : EVA Airlines flight attendants praised for breaking up a fistfight in the sky : Navy offering big bucks to keep aviation officers in uniform : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: TUI B738 at Frankfurt on May 8th 2024, leak from the left wing A TUIfly Boeing 737-800, registration D-ABMV performing flight X3-202 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Heraklion (Greece), was climbing out of Frankfurt's runway 18 when the next departure reported they had seen something coming off the left wing of the aircraft. ATC informed the crew, who confirmed they were already checking a possible leakage. The aircraft stopped the climb at 4000 feet and returned to Frankfurt for a safe landing on runway 07C about 30 minutes after departure. In the meantime airport vehicles were performing an inspection of runway 18 and picked up some debris from the runway, subsequently emergency services responded to runway 18 and runway 07C. The rotation was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 15 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5186c339&opt=0 Accident: Corendon Europe B738 at Gazipasa on May 9th 2024, nose wheel failures A Corendon Airlines Europe Boeing 737-800, registration 9H-TJF performing flight XC-1031 from Cologne (Germany) to Gazipasa (Turkey) with 184 passengers and 6 crew, landed on Gazipasa's runway 08 at about 10:45L (07:45Z) but suffered the failure of both nose wheel tyres and both nose wheels, that appear to be half way ground down, ending up on the nose gear strut only and on its main wheels. The aircraft was disabled on the runway. According to Turkey's Ministry of Transport the aircraft suffered the burst of both nose tyres upon touch down, subsequently the nose gear structure was damaged. According to first findings there is no damage to the runway. https://avherald.com/h?article=5186aa5c&opt=0 NTSB to deliver findings on FedEx-Southwest near miss The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it will hold a board meeting next month to vote on proposed findings and safety recommendations resulting from its investigation into the near-collision of a FedEx Express with a commercial passenger jet in Texas last year. The announcement came shortly after the agency sent a team of experts to Istanbul, Turkey to investigate an emergency landing Wednesday by a FedEx (NYSE: FDX) Boeing 767-300 freighter when its front landing gear failed to deploy. The NTST will meet June 6 in Washington to hear presentations from investigators, deliberate over the draft report and vote on proposed findings, probable cause and safety recommendations related to the near crash on Feb. 4, 2023. A preliminary report said that a FedEx 767 freighter was only 150 feet above the ground when pilots realized a Southwest Airlines jet was preparing to take off on the same runway and aborted its landing at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Feb. 4, 2023. The FedEx pilots also warned the Southwest crew to abort their takeoff. The FedEx aircraft veered sharply to the right and pulled up to avoid a collision. In Turkey, the transport ministry said the aircraft, arriving from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on Wednesday morning, informed the control tower at Istanbul airport that its landing gear failed to open and touched down with guidance from the tower, sliding to a stop. Turkish authorities are leading the investigation of the incident, with the NTSB providing support. The aircraft involved is a 10-year-old Boeing 767. FedEx Express operates 137 B767s, more than any other jet aircraft in its fleet, according to the latest quarterly report. The plane will be out of service for an undetermined period while the investigation continues and repairs are made, but FedEx has other planes in reserve. FedEx said in a statement it was cooperating fully with investigators. No crew members were injured. Video of the incident shows the plane’s back wheels touching down, followed by its fuselage, with sparks and smoke coming from its underside. Boeing is under public scrutiny for a series of safety incidents involving the 737 MAX narrowbody and for production concerns related to the 787 Dreamliner. But manufacturers aren’t responsible for maintenance or other uncontrollable circumstances that could cause a malfunction years after an aircraft enters service. Storm recovery Meanwhile, FedEx also had to deal with disruptions and damage from severe weather incidents in the United States. The FedEx Express global air hub in Memphis, Tennessee, experienced “substantial” delays Wednesday night due to severe thunderstorms that created hazardous operating conditions, the company said in a service bulletin. It alerted customers that some packages scheduled for delivery on Thursday could arrive late. No damage was reported. Meanwhile, a tornado slammed into a FedEx Ground facility in Portage, Michigan, on Tuesday evening causing extensive damage. FedEx said some service delays are likely to be seen with inbound and outbound shipments across portions of Michigan, but it is diverting incoming shipments to less the impact on service. . Several team members sheltered in place inside the facility during the storm. There were no serious injuries, the company said in a customer alert. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/ntsb-deliver-findings-fedex-southwest-201332067.html NTSB calls for more oversight of hot air balloons, pilots Since the NTSB can only investigate crashes and recommend changes. Investigative Reporter Amy Cutler has an in-depth look at who has to act to protect riders. (InvestigateTV) — Two centuries ago, balloons floated people into the sky before planes. While our methods of flying have since changed, hot air balloons still offer the opportunity for adventure. How safe are these balloons? The National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, has been calling for more regulation and oversight of hot air balloons and their pilots for at least 17 years. However, they only investigate crashes and recommend changes; it’s up to the FAA and Congress to act, and on most of these, they haven’t. https://www.wtvm.com/2024/05/09/ntsb-calls-more-oversight-hot-air-balloons-pilots/ Senate passes bill improving air safety and service for travelers, a day before FAA law expires WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed a $105 billion bill designed to improve safety and customer service for air travelers, a day before the law governing the Federal Aviation Administration expires. The bipartisan bill, which comes after a series of close calls between planes at the nation’s airports, aims to boost the number of air traffic controllers amid a shortage, improve safety standards and make it easier for customers to get refunds after flights are delayed or canceled, among other measures. After passing the legislation on a strong 88-4 vote, the Senate passed a one-week extension to ensure that the law doesn’t expire before the House considers the bill next week. The FAA has said it would have had to furlough around 3,600 workers if the law expired at midnight Friday. The bill stalled for several days this week after senators from Virginia and Maryland objected to a provision that would allow an additional 10 flights a day to and from the heavily trafficked Reagan Washington National Airport. Other senators tried to add unrelated provisions, as well, seeing it as a prime chance to enact their legislative priorities. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called a vote Thursday evening after it became clear that senators would not be able to agree on amendments to the bill before the law expired. The Senate then passed the one-week extension that the House had already passed, sending that to President Joe Biden’s desk. The FAA has been under scrutiny since it approved Boeing jets that were involved in two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019. The Senate legislation would govern FAA operations for the next five years and put several new safety standards in place. The bill “gives the FAA the stability it needs to fulfill its primary mission — advancing aviation safety — while also making travel more convenient and accessible,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. The legislation aims to increase the number of air traffic controllers, provides for more safety inspectors at manufacturing facilities and requires the FAA to use new technology designed to prevent collisions between planes on runways. It would require new airline planes to have cockpit voice recorders capable of saving 25 hours of audio, up from the current two hours, to help investigators after safety incidents. It would try to improve customer service for flyers by requiring airlines to pay a refund to customers for flight delays — three hours for a domestic flight and six for an international one. Lawmakers tweaked the bill this week to make it even easier for customers to receive refunds, revising language that would have put most of the onus on the customers to request them. The change put the Senate bill more in line with new regulations issued by the Biden administration last week. In addition, the bill would prohibit airlines from charging extra for families to sit together and triple the maximum fines for airlines that violate consumer laws. And it would require the Transportation Department to create a “dashboard” so consumers can compare seat sizes on different airlines. The legislation would also improve access for passengers with disabilities, requiring airlines to accommodate seating requests for disability-related needs, setting new training standards for airline personnel who handle and store wheelchairs and awarding grants for airport accessibility upgrades. Failure to pass the popular bipartisan bill by May 10 would have been the latest setback after months of delays on the measure, and the last-minute deal to pass it was the most recent example of Congress struggling to pass major legislation that had broad bipartisan support. Schumer, who had urged lawmakers to drop their objections and come to agreement on the legislation, said after passage that “passing this FAA bill is the best thing Congress can do to give Americans the peace of mind they deserve.” Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, had pushed for a vote on their amendment to block the additional long-haul flights at Virginia’s Reagan National. They say the airport is restricted in size and too busy already, pointing to a close call there between two planes earlier in April that they said is a “flashing red warning light.” Several Western lawmakers have argued for more flights at the airport, saying it is unfair to consumers that there is a restriction on long-haul flights. The provision’s chief proponent is Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, who is up for reelection this year and has argued that San Antonio should have a direct flight from the airport. Cruz blocked a vote on Kaine and Warner’s amendment when Schumer tried to bring it up shortly before final passage. Like lawmakers, airlines are also split on the idea of additional flights at Reagan National. Delta Airlines has argued for more flights, while United Airlines, with a major operation at farther-out Dulles Airport, has lobbied against the increase. The House last year passed its own version of the FAA legislation without additional Reagan National flights after intense, last-minute lobbying from the Virginia delegation — a bipartisan vote on an amendment to the FAA bill that saw members aligning not by party but geographic location. Lawmakers use the airport frequently because it is the closest Washington airport to the Capitol, and Congress has long tried to have a say in which routes have service there. “Some of our colleagues were too afraid to let the experts make the call,” Kaine and Warner said in a joint statement Thursday evening, after Cruz blocked a vote on their amendment. “They didn’t want to show the American people that they care more about a few lawmakers’ desire for direct flights than they care about the safety and convenience of the traveling public. That is shameful and an embarrassment.” Kaine, Warner and Maryland’s two senators, Democrats Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, were the only four senators to vote against final passage. https://apnews.com/article/airline-safety-flight-refunds-faa-deadline-b67530d5342c8203490e2a22ba7e2243 Boeing supplier ‘regularly shipped defective aircraft fuselages’ Spirit AeroSystems denies whistleblower claims that he was pressured to be less rigorous during quality control inspections Santiago Paredes told the BBC he earned the nickname 'showstopper' for slowing down production CREDIT: BBC A whistleblower has claimed one of Boeing’s largest suppliers regularly allowed aircraft fuselages to leave its factory with up to 200 defects. Santiago Paredes, who worked for Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas between 2010 and 2022, told the BBC he often found defects on parts being prepared for shipping to Boeing. Mr Paredes even earned the nickname “showstopper” from colleagues for slowing down production when he raised concerns, he claimed. Before he departed from the company, he led a team of inspectors based at the end of the production line for Boeing’s 737 Max planes. Mr Paredes told the BBC he was accustomed to finding “anywhere from 50 to 100, 200” defects on fuselages - the main body of the plane - bound for Boeing. “I was finding a lot of missing fasteners, a lot of bent parts, sometimes even missing parts,” he said. Spirit said it “strongly disagree[d]” with the allegations. A spokesman said: “We are vigorously defending against his claims.” Boeing declined to comment to the BBC on Mr Paredes’s claims. ‘Just focused on meeting quotas’ Spirit was once part of Boeing and remains the US aircraft maker’s primary supplier. It builds the fuselage for the 737 Max aircraft at its factory in Wichita, Kansas, and also makes large parts of the 787 Dreamliner. Mr Paredes claimed he was put under pressure at Spirit to be less rigorous in his quality control inspections. He told the BBC: “They just wanted the product shipped out. “They weren’t focused on the consequences of shipping bad fuselages. They were just focused on meeting the quotas, meeting the schedule, meeting the budget … If the numbers looked good, the state of the fuselages didn’t really matter.” Mr Paredes’s claims form part of his testimony in legal action that angry shareholders have brought against Spirit. Whistleblower and former Spirit employee, Josh Dean, whose claims were also part of the lawsuit, died last week from a serious bacterial infection. Mr Dean had been represented by the same legal team as fellow whistleblower and former Boeing employee John Barnett, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March. The supplier, along with Boeing, has been in the spotlight since a door panel was blown out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight, forcing the aircraft into an emergency landing. According to investigators, the door had originally been fitted by Spirit. Last month, another whistleblower made quality control allegations about Boeing’s 787 and 777 planes. Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour claimed his employer took shortcuts while making the 787 which compromised its safety. He also raised issues about the production of the 777, a similar type of jet. The American regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, is investigating the allegations. In response to Mr Salehpour’s claims, Boeing insisted its 787 and 777 models were safe. In a statement last month, Boeing said: “We are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner because of the comprehensive work done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft. “These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate.” Boeing planes have experienced other difficulties in recent months. At least 50 people were hurt when a Boeing 787, operated by LATAM Airlines, abruptly lost altitude mid-flight from Sydney to Auckland in March. On Wednesday, a Boeing 767 belonging to FedEx Express was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after its front landing gear failed. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2024/05/09/boeing-supplier-spirit-defective-fuselages-whistleblower/ Humiliating moment two ‘rowdy’ passengers are escorted off plane to cheers and laughter Humiliating video captures the moment two “rowdy” passengers were led off a UK flight by cops — to the raucous cheers and laughter of others onboard. The allegedly drunken duo were captured getting escorted off an easyJet flight from Tenerife to London’s Gatwick early Wednesday after a “rowdy” display, other passengers told the Daily Mail. A viral video captured the moment two drunken passengers were kicked off an airplane in London. Newsflare “A police officer emptied the passenger’s handbag onto the tarmac and a 1-litre vodka bottle that appeared to be almost empty fell out,” the passenger who filmed the pair told the outlet. “They were both in a bad way.” In the clip, one of the rowdy travelers can be seen looking at her phone while the other is holding a can as they are led off the packed flight. The other passengers erupt into applause and cheers as the rowdy vacationers are finally removed from the aircraft by three Sussex police officers. An easyJet spokesperson confirmed that the flight “was met by police on arrival due to a passenger behaving disruptively onboard.” “EasyJet’s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time,” the rep said. Fellow passengers looked on and laughed and cheered as the rowdy passengers were removed from the flight. The airline noted that while these incidents are “rare,” they “take them very seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behavior onboard.” “The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority,” the airline added. https://nypost.com/2024/05/09/world-news/rowdy-passengers-booted-from-plane-to-cheers-and-laughter/ United Airlines plane makes emergency return to Japan airport A United Airlines plane bound for Guam on Friday returned to Fukuoka Airport in southwestern Japan for an emergency landing, with no injuries reported among the about 50 passengers and crew on board, according to the transport ministry and police. Flight 166, a Boeing 737 aircraft, landed back at Fukuoka Airport at around 11:45 a.m. after declaring an emergency. The police are investigating the incident, with an irregularity in a wing flap reported. There were no reports of fire, according to the police. The runway at Fukuoka Airport was temporarily closed for safety checks following the aircraft's emergency landing but has now been reopened, the airport operator said. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/05/d169b3644486-united-airlines-plane-makes-emergency-return-to-japan-airport.html#google_vignette EVA Airlines flight attendants praised for breaking up a fistfight in the sky Three flight attendants are winning praise for successfully defusing a physical fight between two passengers on board an EVA Air flight. In a statement to CNN, the airline said the scuffle began when a passenger was reportedly coughing and the man next to him tried to move into another seat to get away. However, the man’s attempt to swap seats didn’t work, as the seat he chose already belonged to another male passenger. Those two men then got into an argument over the seat, which the airline said turned physical. That’s when three female flight attendants stepped in to handle the situation, says EVA. Flight BR08 was about three hours into its 12-hour journey from Taipei to San Francisco on Wednesday, May 8 when the incident took place. EVA, which is based in Taiwan, told CNN that the two brawling passengers were both foreigners but did not specify their countries of origin. Thanks to the quick actions of these flight attendants, with assistance from some concerned passengers, the airline said the two men were separated from each other and the rest of the flight continued as scheduled, successfully landing in San Francisco on time. “The company has always adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards incidents of passenger nuisance,” EVA told CNN in the statement. “The company will provide appropriate rewards to [the three cabin crew members] later on.” The plane’s captain contacted San Francisco police mid-flight, and the two combative passengers were taken in for questioning on arrival, according to EVA. This isn’t the first time that an in-air incident on EVA made headlines. In 2019, an obese male passenger reportedly forced female flight attendants to help him undress, use the bathroom and clean him afterward, saying he was physically unable to do so himself. Following the incident, EVA publicly expressed its “sincere gratitude” to its employees and vowed to look into the incident further. That same year, EVA reversed its policy of only hiring women as flight attendants and said it would hire men as cabin crew members too. https://www.cnn.com/travel/eva-air-flight-attendants-break-up-fight-intl-hnk/index.html Navy offering big bucks to keep aviation officers in uniform The Navy is offering big money this year to retain its aviation officers. More than $200,000 is available to officers serving as aviation department heads this year — provided they agree to staying in uniform for up to seven more years. Aviators selected for lieutenant commander are eligible for the bonuses, and must undergo consideration for department head during the Aviation Department Head Screen Board that is set to convene this spring. Aviators who agree to an early commitment — which means submitting a contract prior to the publishing of Aviation Department Head Screen Board results — receive the largest bonuses of up to $280,000, according to a new naval administrative message, or NAVADMIN. “Our return on investment is the retention for continued Navy service of our aviation warfighters, with their invaluable, irreplaceable skillsets and leadership,” the NAVADMIN states. Pilots from the strike fighter community could receive $40,000 annually for early five or seven-year contracts — $5,000 more than last year — or $30,000 for standard three, five or seven-year commitments, as they were last year. Meanwhile, the Navy is bumping up its bonus offer to naval flight officers from the strike fighter community from $15,000 last year to $25,000 this year for early five and seven-year contracts. Those who accept standard contracts are eligible for an annual $20,000 bonus — double from last year. Navy unveils up to $175,000 in bonuses for aviation department heads Those who agree early for a five-year obligation will receive the largest bonuses. Those in the helicopter mine countermeasure community, the helicopter sea combat community, and the helicopter maritime strike community are eligible for an annual bonus of $30,000 annually if they sign on early for a five or seven-year commitment. That’s up $5,000 from the rate they were offered last year. These aviators who agree to a standard, three, five or seven-year commitment are also eligible for a $25,000 annual bonus — up from the $20,000 they were offered last year. Pilots from electronic attack squadrons who sign an early, five or seven-year contract are eligible to receive an annual $40,000 bonus – and increase from the $35,000 they were offered last year. Their naval flight officer counterparts are also eligible for a $35,000 annual bonus for an early five or seven-year contract. That’s the same rate they were offered for the same time commitments last year. These aviators also may receive an annual $30,000 bonus for standard three, five or seven-year contracts, as they were last year. The Navy is also offering pilots from airborne command and control squadrons $40,000 annually if they sign on early for five or seven more years of service — a boost of $5,000 from last year — or $30,000 annually for a standard contract of three, five or seven years of service just like last year. The service is also offering naval flight officers from airborne command and control squadrons $15,000 for agreeing early to five or seven more years of service, and $10,000 for a standard contract of three, five or seven years of service. That’s the same deal they were offered last year. Additionally, the Navy is offering pilots from fleet logistics and multi-mission squadrons $5,000 more this year for an annual bonus of $40,000 — if they agree early to a five or seven year contract. That goes down to $30,000 if they take the standard three, five or seven-year options, just like last year’s bonus. Applications for the bonuses end on Aug. 31. https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/05/10/navy-offering-big-bucks-to-keep-aviation-officers-in-uniform/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • Gulf Flight Safety Association (GFSA) Conference, May 15 & 16 2024, Jeddah • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • (APTSC) Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference - June 26 - 27, 2024 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) - September 17-18, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) • Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore Curt Lewis