Flight Safety Information - May 24, 2024 No. 104 In This Issue : Incident: Rouge A321 near Pittsburgh on May 18th 2024, unusual noise and vibrations on flight deck : Incident: Southwest B737 at Oakland on May 22nd 2024, airframe vibrations : Incident: Japan Commuter AT42 at Kagoshima on May 23rd 2024, windshield seals peeled off : Incident: Vietnam A321 at Ho Chi Minh City on May 19th 2024, bird strike : Initial Service Issues: The Story Of Jet It Grounding Its Fleet Of HondaJets : ‘Rostering to the limits’: senior Virgin Australia pilots raise safety concerns over fatigue : What the new FAA funding legislation says about airplane seat sizes | Cruising Altitude : Boeing isn't grounding airline reputations : More than 20 treated for spinal injuries after turbulence flight : Singapore Airlines Tightens Seatbelt Policy After Deadly Turbulence Incident : Rolls Royce wins new contract for nuclear proof 'doomsday' plane : Ex-US Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots ‘eligible’ for extradition, Australian court rules : Call for Nominations For 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Rouge A321 near Pittsburgh on May 18th 2024, unusual noise and vibrations on flight deck An Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321-200, registration C-GYGU performing flight RV-1645 from Miami,FL (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 189 people on board, was enroute at FL350 near Pittsburgh,PA (USA) when the crew heard an abnormal noise behind and below them followed by vibrations and an odour on the flight deck. The crew donned their oxygen masks as a precaution, no ECAM cautions or abnormal indications occurred. After unsuccessful troubleshooting the crew declared PAN PAN and continued to Toronto for a safe landing and taxied to the apron. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found the avionics blower fan was defective, the component was replaced. https://avherald.com/h?article=518fd52f&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B737 at Oakland on May 22nd 2024, airframe vibrations A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N788SA performing flight WN-8507 from Oakland,CA to Phoenix,AZ (USA), was climbing out of Oakland's runway 30 when the crew stopped the climb at 7000 feet reporting airframe vibrations and requested to return to Oakland but stated, this was no emergency and no emergency services were needed. The aircraft landed safely back on Oakland's runway 30 about 20 minutes after departure. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO AIRPORT SHORTLY AFTER WITH DAMAGE TO THE #2 ENGINE COWLING, OAKLAND, CA." The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Oakland about 25.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=518fcb3a&opt=0 Incident: Japan Commuter AT42 at Kagoshima on May 23rd 2024, windshield seals peeled off A Japan Air Commuter Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-600 on behalf JAL Japan Airlines, registration JA04JC performing flight JL-3801 from Kagoshima to Wadomari (Japan) with 29 people on board, was climbing out of Kagoshima when the crew stopped the climb at FL180 and decided to return to Kagoshima for a safe landing about one hour after departure. The airline reported the captain noticed about 40cm of windshield seals had peeled off prompting the return to Kagoshima. A replacement ATR-42-600 registration JA10JC reached Wadomari with a delay of about 2:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=518fc7d5&opt=0 Incident: Vietnam A321 at Ho Chi Minh City on May 19th 2024, bird strike A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VN-A615 performing flight VN-1269 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), was descending towards Ho Chi Minh City when a bird impacted the captain's windshield causing it to crack. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 25R. The aircraft returned to service about 19 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=518fb9f4&opt=0 Initial Service Issues: The Story Of Jet It Grounding Its Fleet Of HondaJets SUMMARY • Jet It voluntarily grounded their fleet after an accident, with no set restart date. • Financial issues at Jet It hinted at while ceasing operations, whilst blaming Honda for safety concerns. • CEO blamed HondaJet service, but financial instability seemed to be the real reason. Jet It was a fractional business jet operator that launched in 2018, in Greensboro, North Carolina. They were the 11th largest operator in the US based on charter and fractional flight hours according to Argus TRAQPak data. They grounded their fleet of HondaJets citing safety concerns, on May 18th 2023 and ceased operations entirely shortly after. So what happened? An accident occurred Jet It voluntarily grounded their fleet of HondaJets and notified their staff after an accident. A HondaJet HA-420 model, owned by Upfrunt Services LLC, had hydroplaned off the runway in Summerville, South Carolina, hit a berm and caught fire. There were five people on board and no one was injured. The aircraft was significantly damaged. The National Transport Safety Board were to investigate the accident. An announcement The company announced: "We are instituting a safety stand-down whilst we request further information from Honda. This means we will not be operating the Honda Aircraft until further notice. During this stand-down we will be reviewing all information, procedures and specific data as it becomes available." Safety concerns? No date was given for the restart of operations. Jet It notified its stakeholders of the companies decision. The decision was clearly made by the company and not by the aviation authorities or the manufacturer, as HondaJet stated to FLYING: “Jet It’s decision to ground their HondaJet fleet was made independently by Jet It. Importantly, neither Honda Aircraft Company nor any aviation authority has recommended this grounding. Therefore, we have no comment about the decision by Jet It to ground its fleet." Read More "Honda Aircraft holds the safety and reliability of our aircraft as our top priorities and our dedicated team is working closely with the NTSB and FAA to determine the cause of the recent occurrence and to implement any necessary measures." A lawsuit Just a few weeks before, the Honda Aircraft Company reached a confidential settlement with Jet It, that ended the breach of contract lawsuit against the operator. It was alleged that Jet It violated their agreement and used 'disparaging comments' about the manufacturer. They had also sold one of the jets to a private buyer which was against their agreement. Honda back-up The accident had been the eighth runway excursion or overrun by the HA-420 in a year. The Honda Aircraft Company and the HondaJet Owners and Pilots Association (HJOPA) backed the jet. Honda said that they were 'actively supporting' the investigation and said that their aircraft were safe to operate. HJOPA advised that members should continue flying, but pilots should be reminded of the importance of planning, training and landing procedures. Jet It had infered that HJOPA had agreed that the HA-420 should be grounded, but they disagreed with the statement. A coincidence or perfect timing? The accident coincided with the announcement of the grounding of the Jet It HondaJet fleet, followed by the company ceasing all operations just days later. There were questions about the company's financial health before the 'safety concerns' and grounding happened. There had been an investor presentation at Jet It, that outlined a move to the Embraer Phenom 300 and projected that the company would lose $23.2 million in 2022, after losing $2.6 million the previous year. Surprising fact The CEO of Jet It, Glenn Gonzales blamed bad service and lack of support at Honda Aircraft and tried to deflect the blame onto them, that their fractional owners did not have availability of aircraft. Interestly, he had previously worked as a salesman for Honda Aircraft and chose the very aircraft he was selling for the Jet It platform and had called the jet 'a fine piece of engineering.' Jet It had a very bad reputation with HondaJet Service Centers for being late in payment, thus they would not release the aircraft and of course slowed down their operation. Losing money Jet It owners were flying for as little as $1,600 an hour which is unsustainable. Charter brokers were chartering flights with the company at $5,000 per hour as the industry struggled with demand for aircraft. Some contracts prevented Jet It from adding a mandatory fuel surcharge. There was talk that the main hangar was no longer accessible due to unpaid rent and that the company owed Honda Aircraft $1.6 million. Half of their fleet was in maintenance with growing debts unpaid. When Jet It closed down there was no mention of bankruptcy. Accidents at Jet It Jet had three runway excursions in 2022: N903JT: was substantially damaged after the airplane skidded sideways and departed the runway. It traveled tail first over a steep incline and fell into trees on March 13th. N704JT: was pushed off the runway by a gust of wind during landing on October 12th. C-FJJT: was operating in Canada for Jet It by Sky Service Business Aviation Inc. and overran the runway on March 7th. In conclusion It was a surprising move by Jet It to ground their aircraft due to 'safety concerns' when the past shows conflicts with Honda Aircraft, and it certainly raised eyebrows at the time. It seems that it was all smoke and mirrors to hide financial issues at Jet It. It could have also been a 'negotiating tactic' to allow the company to change fractional contracts by 'force majeure'. "The problem is that the safety issue doesn't appear to be the cause of Jet It's sudden service disruption - but cash does." https://simpleflying.com/hondajet-grounding-jet-it/ ‘Rostering to the limits’: senior Virgin Australia pilots raise safety concerns over fatigue Exclusive: Correspondence from pilots seen by Guardian Australia pleads for changes to the roster system to address fatigue Senior pilots at Virgin Australia have alleged fatigue is widespread in their ranks and raised safety concerns about a roster system some claim is working them “to the limits”. Guardian Australia has obtained correspondence from senior pilots pleading for action to address worker fatigue as Virgin Australia and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) remain in a standoff over a proposal to strip pilots of six days’ annual leave during negotiations for a new enterprise agreement. The tails of three Virgin Australia planes lined up at an airport terminal ‘Poverty pay’: travellers may soon face airport disruption as Virgin Australia crew close in on striking The correspondence seen by Guardian Australia reveals: • Multiple senior pilots say the rostering system used by Virgin is adding to fatigue levels. • The system routinely schedules pilots to work maximum shift lengths – 11-12 hours and longer in the event of delays – on back-to-back days, while allowing for just the legal minimum rest period of 12 hours. • Pilots have raised concerns with management about the roster software and claim that the private equity owners of the airline, Bain Capital, have not followed through on a promise to replace it. • Frustration at what they claim is management’s failure to recognise these issues, or respond to staff warning of a resulting “clear, present and increasing safety risk”. • In an internal pilots’ messaging group discussing rostering and fatigue issues, one asked: “Would they like to see blood?” “The practice of rostering to the limits, ‘because we don’t expect anything to go wrong’, is absolutely crap,” the pilot added. Responding to questions from Guardian Australia, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline “operates under a robust fatigue management system approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority” in “extensive consultation with pilots”, adding that “our pilots have the highest number of rostered days off in the industry at 156 per year”. Emails between November 2023 and continuing into this year show senior pilots at Virgin Australia drawing a link between the rostering and bidding system, which allows pilots to preference shifts they want to work or swap, and their feelings of fatigue and sense of work-life balance. The pilots claim the current rostering system, a “lite” version of the software Sabre, is not fit for purpose and that while they accepted its use during the airline’s pandemic-era struggle out of administration, it was now neglecting to bring in a functional system – something workers have called for during enterprise deals dating back to 2007 – to reduce its costs. The airline posted a $129m net profit last financial year – the airline’s first in 11 years – and the TWU has claimed Bain has failed to address “rock-bottom pay, improve work-life balance and fix unsafe rostering”. “The rostering / bidding system is intrinsically linked to our well being and our quality of life”, one senior pilot warned in an email in November. “Our lives are dictated by and completely dependent on it.” In a later email, the pilot wrote: “It is clear there is a distinct lack of, and complete break down of trust in the company from our pilot group, especially in consideration of Virgin failing to meet its [enterprise agreement] obligations … Virgin has proven time again it either refuses to meet them or is incapable of doing so.” One pilot said “the cancerous lack of morale and resentment will continue to grow unchecked” if pay concerns, conditions and work rules were not addressed. “Morale is now so low that it’s beginning to have very clear and present safety implications. You can’t afford to pay us more? You can’t afford an accident either,” the pilot wrote, referencing a discussion with staff who conduct safety checks. Unions split on enterprise agreement Pilots appeared in dismay after receiving an update from the company in March that a new rostering system project was being paused, according to the correspondence. The revelations come as the airline pushes a new enterprise agreement that has split the unions representing Virgin pilots. While pilots represented by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) are understood to be open to a deal that would cut six days of annual days off, pilots represented by the TWU are opposed. Under the current deal, which lapses at the end of June, pilots are entitled to 12 days off every 28-day roster period, of which there are 13 periods a year. Virgin Australia is proposing that for six of the 13 roster periods, days off would be cut to 11. If no agreement is reached by the end of June, workers will be able to take protected industrial action. A poll of 180 pilots – of the roughly 1,000 who work at Virgin – conducted by the TWU, revealed 95% of respondents do not feel valued by the airline and Bain, with 93% intending to vote no to the proposed deal and 88% specifically unhappy at the planned reduction in days off. In the survey, 85% said the rostering system had affected how they managed their fatigue, with 82% saying it had affected their family life and 55% saying it was damaging their mental health. Should the proposal to cut pilots’ days off go ahead, 42% said they would consider leaving their job. One pilot told the union that while pilots as a group had raised issues about fatigue, individual pilots were hesitant to alert management when they personally felt fatigued, as it could lead to them being forced to take a medical test. Failing such a test would force off a shift, affecting their pay. Another pilot told the union that “Virgin is now just a toxic place to work”, while another added: “Poor management, poor rostering, no work-life balance, feeling of being undervalued, feeling of being not appreciated for the sacrifices we make for the company and no support when we need it.” The TWU national assistant secretary, Emily McMillan, said the revelations should be a wake-up call for Virgin and Bain to take the fatigue and mental health of its pilots seriously. “Instead, the airline is trying to claw back six days off per year. We need to see this proposal dropped and a fair enterprise agreement settled so pilots can concentrate on the crucial job they do without feeling stressed at work and at home.” Under the proposed deal – which has been agreed to by the AFAP which represents a majority of pilots at Virgin – pilots would receive a 9.38% pay rise in the first year, and 3% rises in the second and third years, in return for the loss of the six days off. The Virgin Australia spokesperson said it would soon invite pilots to vote on the new enterprise agreement, which it said “reflects our strong desire to reward and recognise our pilots for the important work that they do, while also protecting our ability to deliver great choice and value to the Australian public”. “Our pilots also have the highest rest protections in the industry with additional fatigue-related protections included in the proposed EA,” they said. The spokesperson said the proposed reduction from 156 days off to 150 days would still leave its pilots with more days off than its major Australian competitors. They said the reduction would improve Virgin’s ability to operate during peak flying months. https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/24/virgin-airlines-pilots-australia-safety-concerns-fatigue-rosters What the new FAA funding legislation says about airplane seat sizes | Cruising Altitude The new Federal Aviation Administration authorization has a lot of wonky stuff, but some interesting nuggets have fallen through the cracks. The high-profile changes, of course, include things like much-needed additional funding for air traffic control staffing and codifying passenger compensation rules into law. One thing that hasn’t gotten as much attention, though, is the new push to get the FAA to regulate seat sizes. Let’s back up for a second. The last long-term FAA funding bill, passed in 2018, required the agency to study evacuation standards and how seemingly ever-densifying airplane cabins affect the ability of people to get off the plane safely in an emergency. Current regulations stipulate that all passengers should be able to evacuate any airplane in 90 seconds or less with only half the emergency exits available. Airlines and airplane manufacturers have mostly addressed this requirement through computer models in recent years, rather than live evacuation testing, but the previous law required a new live demonstration. Members of Congress were not satisfied with how that played out. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., told me the last tests, which didn’t include any senior citizens, minors or disabled participants, weren’t really representative of the traveling public. “If you want to find out what is the ability to get off an airplane, you’ve got to have a valid sample,” he said in an interview. So Cohen and other members of Congress pushed to get more robust testing provisions in the new FAA legislation, and Cohen said he’s optimistic it will get done properly this time around. “It’s a much better bill for us than last time,” he told me. “It specifically says the testing has to be more practical.” Should there be minimum dimensions for airplane seats? The FAA is again tasked with looking into it. What is the minimum airplane seat size? There’s no current minimum standard for economy seats on airplanes (or seats in any other class, for that matter) in the U.S., and members of Congress say they suspect that could be an impediment to safety. Economy airplane seats can be as close together as 28 inches on some airlines, and barely more than 16 inches wide in some configurations. The 28 inch dimension measures pitch, or the distance from a point on one seat to the same point on the seat in the row ahead. Width of airplane seats is typically defined as the distance between a seat’s armrests. Tight airplane seats can also be uncomfortable, especially on long flights, as many of you let me know when I asserted that we’re in something of a golden age for air travel affordability and connectivity a few weeks ago. What does the FAA reauthorization say about airplane seat sizes? The new FAA legislation requires the agency to reevaluate evacuation standards “including studying the impacts of passenger age, height and weight, disability status, speech difficulties, language barriers, baggage, seat size and configuration, and service animals, among other factors.” Depending on what that testing shows, there could soon be a floor for airplane seat sizes, although that could drive up prices if airlines are forced to space out their seats more. For its part, the FAA said it plans to comply with the regulations and begin making a rule for minimum seat sizes within 60 days, or send its reasoning for any further delay to Congress. “The FAA is grateful to have a long-term, bipartisan reauthorization bill and we look forward to implementing all provisions, including how to include all perspectives of the flying public as we continue to ensure planes can be evacuated safely,” the agency said in a statement. What can be learned from real-world evacuations? While evacuation testing is good, it can never quite replicate real-world evacuation scenarios. This year has already seen two noteworthy airplane evacuations: one of a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 in Tokyo and, more recently, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A321neo in Seattle. Both evacuations took more than 90 seconds from the time the emergency slides first deployed, although, fortunately, there were no fatalities on either. Looking more closely at the Delta incident, video shows people evacuating from both sides of the plane, and the procedure appears to take about two minutes from when the slides first deployed until the last person is seen walking away from the aircraft. One aspect that surely slowed down the evacuation was the fact that many passengers appeared to take their bags with them. In an emergency, travelers should leave all their belongings behind, as bags and other items could block exits or slow people down on their way to the door. It’s possible, though by no means guaranteed, that the Delta evacuation could have happened in 90 seconds or less if passengers did not collect their belongings first. Cohen acknowledged that evacuations can be slowed down by baggage, and said it’s worth exploring how that affects the timeline. “The rules should be what’s safe, and if the bags make it longer and it causes people in the last 30 seconds to die, that’s what happens, but the rules won’t change that,” he said. Cohen and other members of Congress have previously said that they will wait to see what the test results show before endorsing specific minimum airplane seat dimensions, but Cohen did say that he expects airlines will ultimately have to make their layouts a little roomier. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/2024/05/22/faa-minimum-airplane-seat-size-cruising-altitude/73773530007/ Boeing isn't grounding airline reputations Boeing's corporate reputation took the biggest hit this year, according to the Axios/Harris 100, falling 10 points since 2023. Why it matters: Boeing's quality control issues have not impacted the reputations of the major airlines that operate its jets — like Alaska, Delta and Southwest. By the numbers: Alaska made the top 100 list for the first time this year, likely in response to its handling of the Boeing crisis. The airline came in at No. 50 with a "good" rating overall. Alaska scored highest on the reputation dimensions of "trust," "vision" and "culture." What they're saying: Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci used the power of the media to put pressure on Boeing and appeal to the American public. He told NBC Nightly News the issue at question is "what is Boeing going to do differently on their quality program, to make sure that when we get an airplane, it's at the highest degree of excellence and that's what's got to be different going forward." Southwest Airlines' reputation is starting to recover from the 2022 winter meltdown that left nearly 17,000 holiday flights canceled and over 2 million passengers stranded. Following this operational failure, Southwest's reputation score dropped 7 points — from 78 in 2022 to 71 in 2023. It has since started to trend upwards, making the most inroads on the reputation dimensions of "vision" and "ethics." Delta's reputation continues to climb, after taking a hit in 2021 after facing criticism for its slow response and pivots on Georgia's voting rights bill. In the three years since, Delta's reputation score has jumped 4 points — from 70.4 to 74.4. The airline scored the highest in the dimensions of "culture," "products and services" and "trajectory." Context: Missing from the list this year is American Airlines and United Airlines, meaning neither company was regarded as one of the 100 most-visible in 2024. United's reputation was deemed "good," landing it at No. 70 last year. American has not appeared on the list since 2019, when it scored a "fair" rating, coming in at No. 80. Between the lines: Boeing's reputation was beginning to improve following the 2018-2019 737 Max crashes when the ongoing quality control issues took its reputation score to all-time lows. Coming in at No. 88 on the list, Boeing has a "poor" reputation rating due to its low scores on the dimensions of "trust," "citizenship" and "character." Notably, the manufacturer's "vision" scores highest, with American's giving it a "good" rating. What's next: Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun — who was brought in to clean up operations following the 2018-19 crashes — is set to leave the company by the end of 2024. Board chairman Larry Kellner and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal will also exit the company. https://www.axios.com/2024/05/24/boeing-airline-reputation-harris-poll More than 20 treated for spinal injuries after turbulence flight More than 20 people who were on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence are in intensive care with spinal injuries, the head of a Bangkok hospital has said. A two-year-old child is among those in hospital in the Thai capital, where the flight from London made an emergency landing on Tuesday. Overall, 46 passengers and two crew members were still receiving treatment in Bangkok, the airline said. Passengers on the airliner have told the BBC they felt the plane drop suddenly, and that others not wearing their seatbelts "launched immediately into the ceiling". The director of Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital said 41 passengers were still there, half of them in intensive care. Twenty-two people from the flight had spinal injuries, while six people were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, Adinun Kittiratanapaibool said. Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence on Tuesday, leading to the death of 73-year-old British man Geoff Kitchen, and injuring dozens of others. It is believed Mr Kitchen died of a heart attack. Among those now in hospital, there are six skull and brain injuries and 13 muscular and soft tissue conditions, as well as spine and spinal cord injuries. Seventeen people have undergone operations, of which nine were related to spinal injuries, Dr Adinun said. The two-year-old was being treated for concussion, he added. Those being treated include 10 British people, nine Australians, seven Malaysians and four Filipinos. The oldest patient is 83 years old. Reuters Dr Kittiratanapaibool speaks at a news conferenceReuters Hospital director Adinun Kittiratanapaibool said the majority of injuries were spinal The Boeing 777-300, which was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean on Tuesday. The flight diverted to the Thai capital. A relief aircraft carrying the remaining passengers and crew arrived in Singapore early on Wednesday. Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong has apologised, offering his “deepest apologies to everyone affected” by the “sudden extreme turbulence”. Singapore's government has promised a thorough investigation. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw55192rd9lo Singapore Airlines Tightens Seatbelt Policy After Deadly Turbulence Incident Singapore Airlines Ltd. has introduced tighter cabin restrictions when aircraft hit turbulence after one passenger died and scores were injured on a flight from London earlier this week. The airline said Friday it’s taking a “more cautious approach” to managing turbulence after Flight SQ321 suddenly lost altitude on Tuesday and was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok. One man died and dozens of passengers remain in Thai hospitals suffering serious trauma including spinal-cord damage and head injuries. In-flight meal service will be halted when the seatbelt sign is switched on, in addition to the suspension of hot drinks, the airline said in a statement. Crew members will also return to their seats and strap themselves in. Singapore Air “will continue to review our processes” to prioritize the safety of crew and passengers, it said. The policy revision stops short of requiring all passengers to wear seatbelts throughout the trip, irrespective of flying conditions at the time. Airlines typically advise travelers to do this, and only instruct them to sit down and buckle up during unstable weather. The injuries sustained by passengers underscore the huge vertical forces that overwhelm anyone who isn’t strapped in when an aircraft suddenly plummets. On Flight SQ321, people were catapulted into the cabin roof and personal belongings and items from the breakfast service were hurled around the aircraft. Some 22 passengers have received treatment for spinal damage and six have suffered skull and brain injuries, Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital said Thursday. Twenty were in intensive care while 17 have undergone surgery. In the immediate aftermath of the flight, more than 100 people required medical care in Bangkok. Despite the fatality and the injury toll, airlines are unlikely to mandate seatbelts at all times on every flight, said Ron Bartsch, an ex-safety chief at Qantas Airways Ltd. who formerly managed airline operations for Australia’s civil aviation regulator. Death and serious injury from severe turbulence is so rare that it’s not worth introducing permanent restrictions that may put off some passengers, he said. “I can’t remember the last fatality associated with turbulence. It’s not as though it’s a common occurrence,” said Bartsch, the founder of Sydney-based Avlaw Aviation Consulting Pty and the author of books including International Aviation Law: A Practical Guide. “People don’t like to be told to have their seatbelt fastened as a requirement and return to their seats. I don’t expect any major changes to the way airlines operate.” In its statement, Singapore Air said pilots and cabin crew are aware of the hazards associated with turbulence. The cabin crew is already trained to secure all loose items and equipment to minimize the risk of injury in these situations. Turbulence can occur when a plane hits a strong air current that pushes or pulls the airframe. The phenomenon can be caused by pockets of hot air or powerful weather systems. At higher altitudes, aircraft might encounter hard-to-identify clear air turbulence caused by air masses with differing velocities. The forces can fling passengers around so hard that it can be dangerous as falling headfirst off a ladder or diving into a shallow concrete swimming pool, according to Rohan Laging, deputy director of emergency services at Melbourne hospital group Alfred Health. https://time.com/6981948/singapore-airlines-seatbelt-policy-turbulence/ Rolls Royce wins new contract for nuclear proof 'doomsday' plane These aircraft are equipped with mobile command centres, operations areas, conference rooms and more and can also resist electromagnetic pulses. They would carry the US President and top military leaders in the event of a national emergency. The aerospace and automobile giant Rolls Royce has recently revealed that it has been successful in securing a contract to provide technology for the next-generation version of the US Air Force’s nuclear-blast resistant aircraft. This aircraft will be the new version of the E-4B planes, dubbed the ‘doomsday plane’, for its capacity to resist electromagnetic pulses and nuclear blasts. This will be part of the Survivable Airborne Operations Centre (SAOC) project, which a number of aerospace companies are working on, headed by Sierra Nevada Corporation. During times of crisis, the E-4B planes can prove invaluable, capable of housing a mobile command centre, to take over seamlessly from destroyed ground facilities. The aircraft can also be refuelled in the air. The planes, which have a seating capacity of about 111 people, would be used to fly key members of the government such as the US President, the joint military chiefs and the secretary of defence. The mobile command centre on board allows the aircraft to communicate with any US military base in the world. Apart from these facilities, the plane also has a conference room, a command work area, a space for an operations team, briefing room, break rooms and communications spaces. As of now there are four of these aircraft currently operational. Due to their importance in emergency situations, there is always at least one on standby at a specific US military base globally. The SAOC project which is expected to be completed in 2036 will involve work in different US sites in Ohio, Colorado and Nevada. The project is being undertaken because the ageing fleet of existing E-4B planes, are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain as parts have also become harder to track down. Rolls Royce' senior executive Adam Riddle said in a press release: "For decades, Rolls-Royce has powered military operations around the world with reliable, cutting-edge technologies- safely transporting service members on their missions. "Now we are proud to pair our proven pedigree with the collective expertise of SNC and the rest of the SAOC team to ensure our military leaders have the platform to protect our national security when it matters most." Sierra Neveda Corporation's senior executive Jon Piatt also said in the press release: "SNC is very excited to collaborate with Rolls-Royce putting its vast experience to work on this crucial Air Force mission. "We are certain that Rolls-Royce will prove a valuable partner in maintaining a strategic edge to protect the country when it matters most." Rolls Royce recently started mini nuclear reactor testing in Sheffield, in a deal worth £15 million (€17.61 million) with Sheffield University. https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/05/23/rolls-royce-wins-new-contract-for-nuclear-proof-doomsday-plane Ex-US Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots ‘eligible’ for extradition, Australian court rules The US government accuses Daniel Duggan of breaking arms control laws, by illegally training Chinese military pilots after he left the military An Australian magistrate ruled Duggan is eligible for extradition, but the decision to extradite will ultimately be made by Australia’s Attorney General An ex-US Marine pilot accused of illegally training China’s military is “eligible” for surrender to the United States, an Australian magistrate ruled on Friday. Daniel Edmund Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 at the request of the US government, which accuses him of breaking arms control laws. It alleges he illegally trained Chinese military pilots between 2010 and 2012, after he left the military. Magistrate Daniel Reiss ordered the 55-year-old Duggan to remain in prison. He has 15 days to seek a review of the magistrate’s ruling. The decision to extradite will ultimately be made by Australia’s Attorney General. A highly regarded jet pilot, Duggan spent 12 years in the US Marine Corps, reaching the rank of Major and working as a tactical flight instructor. Duggan’s wife and mother of his six children, Saffrine Duggan, said the extradition court hearing was “simply about ticking boxes.” She also said the family would appeal the extradition. “Now, we respectfully ask the attorney general to take another look at this case and to bring my husband home,” she told a gathering of reporters and supporters outside court. The pilot has spent 19 months in maximum-security prison since he was arrested in 2022 at his family home in the state of New South Wales. Duggan moved to Australia in 2002 after leaving the Marines, gaining citizenship and working in an adventure flight company called Top Gun Tasmania. Prosecutors say Duggan received about nine payments totalling around 88,000 Australian dollars (US$61,000) and international travel from another conspirator for what was sometimes described as “personal development training.” The indictment says Duggan travelled to the US, China and South Africa, and provided training to Chinese pilots in South Africa. Duggan has denied the allegations, saying they were political posturing by the United States, which unfairly singled him out. Duggan’s lawyers had previously argued there is no evidence the Chinese pilots he trained were military, and that he became an Australian citizen in January 2012, before the alleged offences. The United States government has argued Duggan did not lose his US citizenship until 2016, when he signed a document renouncing it in the US embassy in Beijing. One of seven co-conspirators in the US indictment is convicted Chinese hacker Su Bin, although Duggan’s lawyers argue the hacking case is unrelated. Duggan was barred from leaving China in 2014, his lawyer wrote in a filing to the attorney general, and knew Su Bin as an employment broker for Chinese aviation company AVIC. Su Bin pleaded guilty in 2016 to theft of US military aircraft designs by hacking major US defence contractors. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3264005/ex-us-marine-accused-training-chinese-military-pilots-eligible-extradition-australian-court-rules Call for Nominations For 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award will be presented during the 77th Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place November 5 – 7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Presented annually since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study, or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers, and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Award Committee, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us identify and honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-to-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted through June 2, 2024. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back almost 80 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956 her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., in close association with The Flight Safety Foundation, established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. For the past 68 years, this distinguished award recognizing outstanding achievements in aviation safety worldwide has been presented at Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Summit. In 2013, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed as an independent non-profit charitable organization composed of members of the Award Board, the aviation community, and the Barbour family. In addition to the annual presentation of the award, in 2019 the Foundation initiated a scholarship program that supports worthy students pursuing professional aviation studies. As the Foundation broadens its scope, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to recognize those who significantly contributed to aviation safety. For more information on the Foundation, the award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS 2024), Aug. 13-15, Beijing, China. • 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