Flight Safety Information - May 27, 2024 No. 105 In This Issue : Accident: Qatar B789 enroute on May 26th 2024, turbulence injures 12 : Incident: TAROM B738 at Paris on May 24th 2024, engine failure : Incident: Airblue A320 at Islamabad on May 23rd 2024, could not fully retract landing gear : Incident: American A319 at Charlotte on May 24th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine problems : Turkish Airlines Flight Attendant Hits Cabin Ceiling & Breaks Spine After Severe Turbulence Rocks Airbus A321 : Japan Airlines Aims To Restore Confidence After Regulatory Probe Of Recent Incidents : India's SpiceJet ordered to return aircraft and engines : Lufthansa Technik Launches Aircraft Fuel Tank Sanitization Service : Spirit Airlines to relocate around 200 pilots to new crew base at Newark Airport : Washington sets aside $240 million for pilot shortages as busy summer travel season starts : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Accident: Qatar B789 enroute on May 26th 2024, turbulence injures 12 A Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9, registration A7-BHM performing flight QR-17 from Doha (Qatar) to Dublin (Ireland), was enroute at FL360 over Turkey about 2 hours into the flight when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to 6 passengers and 6 crew. The aircraft continued to Dublin for a safe landing about 5 hours later. 12 people were treated at the airport, 8 of them were taken to hospitals. The airport reported 6 passengers and 6 crew needed to be treated at the airport and 8 of the injured were taken to hospitals after the aircraft had encountered turbulence over Turkey. Passengers reported food service was just in progress when the turbulence hit. Flight attendants were thrown against the ceiling, food went everywhere. Some flight attendants had scratches in their faces, one lady had her arm in a sling. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 3 hours, then departed for the return flight. https://avherald.com/h?article=5191c544&opt=0 Incident: TAROM B738 at Paris on May 24th 2024, engine failure A TAROM Boeing 737-800, registration YR-BGJ performing flight RO-384 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) with 117 people on board, was climbing out of Paris' runway 27L when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet due to the failure of the right hand engine (CFM56) after the aircraft flew through a flock of birds. The aircraft returned to Paris for a safe landing on Charles de Gaulle's runway 27R about 15 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Paris about 21 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=519110ab&opt=0 Incident: Airblue A320 at Islamabad on May 23rd 2024, could not fully retract landing gear An Airblue Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BNU performing flight PA-251 from Islamabad to Skardu (Pakistan), was climbing out of Islamabad's runway 10R when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet due to being unable to fully retract the landing gear. The aircraft entered a hold while working the related checklists, performed a low approach to runway 10R to have the landing gear inspected from the ground about 25 minutes after departure, then positioned for another approach to runway 10R and landed safely on runway 10R about 40 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft positioned from Islamabad to Karachi about 30 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51907567&opt=0 Incident: American A319 at Charlotte on May 24th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine problems An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N9019F performing flight AA-2478 from Charlotte,NC (USA) to Sint Maarten (Sint Maarten), was accelerating for takeoff from Charlotte's runway 36R when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 70 knots over ground) due to an engine (CFM56) emitting bangs and streaks of flame. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. A passenger reported the aircraft rejected takeoff after engine surges. The aircraft was subsequently deemed unfit to fly, they boarded another aircraft. A replacement A319-100 registration N8027D departed Charlotte about 2 hours after the rejected takeoff and is estimated to reach Sint Maarten with a delay of about 2:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=5190811b&opt=0 Turkish Airlines Flight Attendant Hits Cabin Ceiling & Breaks Spine After Severe Turbulence Rocks Airbus A321 There have been a string of such incidents in the last few days. SUMMARY • A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Izmir faced severe turbulence, injuring a flight attendant. • A recent string of severe midair turbulence incidents has brought the focus back on this issue. • Experts suggest rising temperatures from climate change are possibly the reason behind a rise in severe turbulence. Another incident of mid-flight turbulence involving an Airbus narrowbody jet belonging to Turkish Airlines has come to light. While airplanes encounter turbulence every day, incidents severe enough to injure passengers and crew also seem to be on the rise. Flight attendant injured in Turkish Airlines turbulence incident A Turkish Airlines Airbus A321 flight from Istanbul to Izmir faced severe turbulence recently, enough to cause a significant injury to a cabin crew member. According to a report by the Hurriyet Daily News, the plane was rocked by sudden turbulence shortly after the pilot turned on the sign to fasten the seat belts. Flight attendants are often the most vulnerable in such situations as they perform other flight duties and may not reach their seats in time to avoid injuries. In the case of the Turkish Airlines incident, a flight attendant, who was just two months into the job, was flung to the ceiling before falling hard on the floor, suffering from a broken backbone. The incident reportedly took place on flight TK2320, operated by an A321 aircraft. It is a short domestic hop that lasts less than an hour, although the day of the incident is still to be determined. Simple Flying has contacted Turkish Airlines and will update the article as and when we receive more information. String of incidents There have been a few more incidents lately involving a jetliner encountering severe turbulence. On May 21, a Singapore Airlines flight from London Heathrow to Singapore Changi Airport was rocked by sudden turbulence during the breakfast service, significantly injuring many passengers and crew members. The Boeing 777 had to be diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing. One passenger unfortunately lost his life, while several others had to be hospitalized in critical condition. It even resulted in Singapore Airlines changing its policy, suspending the service of hot drinks and meals when the seatbelt sign is on. On May 26, a Qatar Airways Boeing 787 operating flight QR017 from Doha to Dublin faced severe turbulence over Turkish airspace, injuring 12 people, including six cabin crew members. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including airport police and the fire and rescue department. Emergency services met the aircraft at Dublin Airport. According to FL360aero, another Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Iğdır, operated by an Airbus A319, had to be diverted to Erzurum Airport after being damaged by severe hail. It was the third flight in 48 hours to be affected by turbulence over Turkish airspace. Turbulence in focus Turbulence is an everyday occurrence on commercial flights worldwide. Most incidents do not harm passengers or the aircraft, but every once in a while, a severe case surfaces, such as the Singapore Airlines incident, that brings the focus back to this issue. Many experts also claim that the rising cases of severe turbulence could be attributed to climate change and that rising temperatures could increase the frequency of such events. Simple Flying has analyzed the different kinds of turbulence in detail in the article below. https://simpleflying.com/turkish-airlines-flight-attendant-injured-severe-turbulence-airbus-a321/ Japan Airlines Aims To Restore Confidence After Regulatory Probe Of Recent Incidents Japan Airlines has suffered several incidents during the past few months, one of which was the collision with a Coast Guard aircraft at HND. SUMMARY • Officials from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (国土交通省, MLIT) visited Japan Airlines' offices after another safety incident. • In response, Japan Airlines stated that its priority was to restore confidence in the airline and its safety. • The carrier has suffered several incidents in the past few months, including a fatal collision with a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft in January. Japan Airlines said that it aims to restore confidence in the airline after the Japanese government, led by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (国土交通省, MLIT), began auditing the carrier on May 24, 2024. Restoring confidence According to a report by Japan Times, a Japan Airlines (JAL) official stated that the airline takes the series of incidents and the MLIT’s emergency probe very seriously. The carrier will begin company-wide efforts to restore confidence in the carrier, the official added. Officials from the MLIT visited Japan Airlines’ offices at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) on May 24, prompted by the on-ground collision of two of the carrier’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft at HND. While no passengers and/or flight crew were injured during the event on May 23, one Airbus A350-900, registered as JA02XJ, has remained at HND since the incident. According to the Aviation Safety Network, the other A350-900, registered as JA09XJ, had minor damage to its right winglet. The aircraft was stationary during the event, while the former A350-900 was being pushed back for its departure on flight JL503 to Sapporo New Chitose Airport (CTS). However, this was not the only incident that involved the airline’s aircraft or personnel. On April 24, Japan Airlines canceled flight JL11 from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to HND because the captain of the flight had acted disruptively at the hotel he was staying at. The Boeing 777-300ER, which arrived at DFW a day prior, had to be ferried to HND using the special flight code JAL11D, Flightradar24 records showed. Another Japan Airlines aircraft, a Boeing 787-8, registered as JA836J, overshot the taxiway at San Diego International Airport (SAN), forcing a Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-300, registered as N301DU, to initiate a go-around on February 6. The A220-300 eventually landed at SAN, while the 787-8 left for Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT). The incident had also prompted MLIT’s officials to visit the carrier’s offices at HND. The visit happened on February 13, around a week later after the incident at SAN. Still, the biggest incident involving a Japan Airlines aircraft happened in early January, when the airline’s Airbus A350-900, registered as JA13XJ, collided with a Japanese Coast Guard’s De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q300 at HND. Miraculously, all 379 occupants, including 367 passengers and 12 crew members, evacuated the aircraft while it was burning on the runway of HND. However, five people onboard the Japanese Coast Guard aircraft passed away. The only survivor was the captain of the flight. In April, Nobuo Takeda, the Chairman of the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), stated that the investigation was still ongoing and that the JTSB had no new details to share with the public. https://simpleflying.com/japan-airlines-restore-confidence-regulatory-probe-incidents/ India's SpiceJet ordered to return aircraft and engines An Indian court has ordered SpiceJet (SG, Delhi International) to return two aircraft and three engines to lessor TWC Aviation Capital by the end of May. US-based TWC had previously secured orders against the LCC in the UK courts and turned to the Indian courts to enforce those orders. "This court has no option but to direct that the aircraft, along with the engines, along with all relevant records relating to technical condition and usage of [the] aircraft shall be handed over to the plaintiff by May 28, 2024," the May 22 ruling from the Delhi High Court reads. The matter concerned the 2019 lease of two B737-800s at a base monthly rate of USD180,000 per aircraft. A previous ch-aviation report identified those aircraft as VT-SXB (msn 34399) and VT-SXC (msn 34400). In August 2023, TWC Director Ted Nozaki told Reuters the airline was behind in its payments but had promised to catch up once it obtained a loan. SpiceJet's debt to TWC now stands at USD14 million. Given the airline's history of financial delinquency, the lessor had more recently rejected an offer by SpiceJet to pay USD435,000 per month to catch up. In March 2024, TWC obtained a ruling in the UK High Court ordering SpiceJet to return the aircraft and engines. SpiceJet participated in those proceedings. Attempting to enforce the ruling in India, where the assets remain, the Delhi High Court in April ordered SpiceJet to hand over the aircraft to TWC but allowed SpiceJet to retain the engines. The updated ruling orders the return of both the aircraft and the engines. The judges criticised the carrier for removing the engines from their assigned aircraft and fixing them to other airframes, contrary to the lease terms. “The separation of engines from the aircraft in this manner may not even be permissible in the opinion of this court. The aircraft frames and aircraft engines now being used separately would cause considerable reduction in the value of these aircraft for the plaintiff," the ruling said. "The dues are not forthcoming from the defendant.” "Prima facie, the orders passed by the UK court are enforceable in these proceedings in terms of s.13 read with s.44A of the [Code of Civil Procedure]. The defendant has already had an opportunity to defend itself in the UK courts." SpiceJet's counsel told the court that handing the aircraft and engines back by the end of the month could be a challenge. "To initiate that process would itself take three to four days," counsel said. "There are inspections which we will have to do. The aircraft are not in Delhi; they are everywhere around. A lot of coordination would have to be done. A lot of preparation would have to be done.” https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/140652-indias-spicejet-ordered-to-return-aircraft-and-engines Lufthansa Technik Launches Aircraft Fuel Tank Sanitization Service • Steam cleaning and vacuuming remove the need for harmful biocides • Lufthansa Technik AG fuel tank sanitation Lufthansa Technik (LHT) is unveiling an innovative fuel tank sanitization method that provides a more effective and longer-lasting cleaning than current processes this week at EBACE 2024. Moreover, it is chemical-free and does not employ biocides that can be harmful to the environment. Microbial contamination buildup—known as biofilm—has a detrimental effect on the health of aircraft fuel systems and structural integrity by clogging filters and causing corrosion. The problem is exacerbated in aircraft—such as larger-size business jets—that spend extended periods of time on the ground in hot and humid climates. Fuel system cleaning is typically conducted as part of a maintenance layover. A patent is pending for the new procedure, which has been certified through LHT’s Part 21J Design Organization status. The company's procedure employs steam cleaning and vacuum suction that effectively removes the biofilm, even from difficult-to-reach areas such as around rivet joints. According to LHT, the results are far in advance of those obtained with existing biocide-based methods and significantly exceed the requirements described in aircraft maintenance manuals. The effectiveness of the cleaning also lasts considerably longer than with current methods, it said. Numerous post-treatment microbial examinations are conducted as part of the process, testing critical areas of the fuel system. “Several thousands of filter components have already passed through our fuel forensics unit. Therefore, we have built up comprehensive expertise and a large database of contaminants that arise in jet fuel and its tanks today. We know exactly what to test for,” said Christian Siry, head of LHT's central materials technologies unit. “The complete absence of microbes documented in all the areas treated by our new sanitization procedure has thus convinced us that we found a truly effective solution to break the vicious circle of fuel tank contamination,” he continued. Looking beyond this procedure, LHT hopes that this breakthrough can show a pathway to removing biocide treatments from a number of other treatments that are mandated in aircraft maintenance manuals. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-05-27/lufthansa-technik-launches-aircraft-fuel-tank Spirit Airlines to relocate around 200 pilots to new crew base at Newark Airport Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has revealed plans to relocate around 200 of its pilots to a new crew base at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey, United States (US). The new crew base will open in September 2024 in a move that Spirit Airlines says will “enhance operational reliability”. Following the relocation of its pilots, additional supervisors and support functions will also then follow. Spirit said that Newark is well suited for the new pilot crew base thanks to its “strategic location within its network and sizeable flight schedule”. “We’re continuously focused on running a strong, reliable operation, and our growth at EWR paired with the airport’s location in the nation’s largest metropolitan area make Newark ideal for our next Pilot crew base,” John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said. Spirit is the second largest carrier at EWR with up to 32 peak day departures and service to 22 destinations, including seven which have been added in the past year. Spirit has additional crew bases in Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Miami (MIA) and Orlando (MCO). Crew bases are the various airport stations where flight crews typically begin and end their trips. “Spirit has a long history of serving New Jersey travelers, and this investment reflects our commitment to our Guests and Team Members in the Garden State. We thank the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Newark Liberty International Airport and our community partners for their continued support,” Bendoraitis added. Spirit launched services at EWR in October 2016. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/spirit-airlines-pilot-newark-airport-new-base Washington sets aside $240 million for pilot shortages as busy summer travel season starts Congress is setting aside $240 million to fix pilot shortages, a problem that has dogged the airline industry in recent years and caused delays for travelers trying to get to their destinations. The new money was tucked inside the recent reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. It will flow to schools and other groups focused on aviation-related education to allow them lower costs for students and provide more services. The government expects there to be about 16,800 open pilot positions annually in the years ahead. "This is a long-term issue," noted Sen. Raphael Warnock in a recent interview in his Capitol Hill office. The Georgia Democrat was a key champion of the new money. "We're pulling from too short, too narrow a pool of applicants," he added. The assistance comes as another summer travel rush gets underway, posing new challenges for airlines. The Transportation Security Administration is projecting this summer to be the busiest summer holiday travel season ever as the sector fully rebounds from COVID. Some short-term pilot shortages, meanwhile, may be easing in part thanks to market forces. In a recent Yahoo Finance appearance, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned that plenty of issues could be lurking for travelers this summer but said pilot levels may turn out to be a bright spot. "From my conversations with the sector, there's been definite improvement in the availability of pilots," he said, citing increased pay as a factor bringing "real improvement." The nation's largest airline pilot union, the Air Line Pilots Association, has long maintained that there isn't a pilot shortage. It instead has tried to turn the focus to airline executives, whose policies, it says, are the root cause of recent travel issues. A different area travelers should watch this summer, said Buttigieg, is overscheduling, when airlines book flights they don't have the staff to actually service. The Transportation secretary said he hopes a recently finalized Biden administration rule that requires airlines to automatically issue cash refunds "changes the economics" there. 'The business case' for tackling the shortage What Warnock wants to do is focus on the future and increase the number of people who can become pilots over time. "I'm making the business case for diversity," Warnock said in this week's interview. "It's in our enlightened self-interest to find that talent and create a robust pipeline so that they can become pilots," The senator sits on a Senate aviation safety subcommittee and also represents Atlanta's giant Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. He successfully pushed forward an amendment during the recent debate that doubled plans for $120 million in aviation workforce efforts to the final total of $240 million. He also added provisions — both for pilots and across the aviation industry — to encourage greater diversity. Warnock often stresses the economic hurdles that keep people out of the profession. Some estimate that it costs prospective pilots $100,000 before they can get their first paycheck as a commercial pilot. He points to figures like Ezekiel Andrews, an aspiring commercial pilot who lives in Atlanta and has logged a bit over 1,000 of the 1,500 flight hours he needs before he can ferry paying passengers. In an interview, Andrews noted that it's taken him about 17 years of stops and starts to reach this point but that he's hoping to cross the finish line this year as he works as a flight instructor. Andrews comes from a modest background and recounted the experience of watching newer students — ones with the financial means to log their flight hours without interruption — "pass me by." When asked about the new funds from Congress, he noted the money is not likely to help him but should make things easier for people like him in a similar situation in the future. "That's awesome," he added. A larger debate about what DC can do The new money to develop future pilots comes after an extended debate among lawmakers about other things the government could do around the issue. One controversial idea — shelved for now — would change the current rules requiring a commercial airline pilot to have completed those 1,500 hours in the air. Another proposal also on the back burner would raise the retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67. Sen. Warnock declined to wade into those efforts for now, saying this week, "I heard a lot of arguments on both sides of that debate, and I just decided to focus on the front end of the issue." Ezekiel Andrews was more blunt. He hopes to be working at a regional airline by this time next year, and he questions the 1,500-hour requirement he must finish before he can enter that better-compensated field of commercial aviation. He said he learned a lot over his first 500 hours in the sky, but "at this point, it kind of plateaued out." "You're just punching holes in the sky for nothing," he said. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/washington-sets-aside-240-million-for-pilot-shortages-as-busy-summer-travel-season-starts-153059467.html 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