Flight Safety Information - June 3, 2024 No. 110 In This Issue : Incident: Atlas B744 at Los Angeles on Jun 2nd 2024, tyre damage : Incident: Ajet B738 near Dusseldorf on May 31st 2024, loss of captain's displays : Incident: Ryanair B738 near Luxembourg on May 31st 2024, smoke from galley : Incident: Jetstar A320 at Christchurch on May 31st 2024, temporary runway excursion on landing : FAA Amends Mental Health Evaluation Criteria For Pilots : Boeing safety crisis has been brewing for more than a decade, Emirates boss says : FAA says it doesn't 'have a timeframe' for when Boeing will be allowed to increase production of its 737 Max planes again : Global airlines raise 2024 profit outlook to almost $1 trillion as travel soars : Qatar Airways Plans Massive Aircraft Order With Airbus & Boeing : NASA's X-59 'quiet' supersonic jet passes key safety review ahead of 1st test flight : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Atlas B744 at Los Angeles on Jun 2nd 2024, tyre damage An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration N429MC performing flight 5Y-8350 from Anchorage,AK to Los Angeles,CA (USA), landed on Los Angeles' runway 25L with a damaged left body gear tyre, emergency services were on stand by. The aircraft rolled out safely and taxied to the apron. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 9 hours, then departed for its next sector to Mexico City (Mexico). https://avherald.com/h?article=5196d95d&opt=0 Incident: Ajet B738 near Dusseldorf on May 31st 2024, loss of captain's displays An Ajet (former Anadolujet) Boeing 737-800, registration TC-JFH performing flight VF-6 from Dusseldorf (Germany) to Ankara (Turkey), was climbing out of Dusseldorf's runway 23L when the crew stopped the climb at FL280 after the captain's displays (PFD, ND, upper display unit) went dark, VHF1 and NAV1 became inoperative and the engine electronic control reverted to ALTN mode. The aircraft turned around and returned to Dusseldorf for a safe landing on runway 23L about 50 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground in Dusseldorf for 16 hours, then departed again for Ankara and reached Ankara with a delay of about 17 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=51966b17&opt=0 Incident: Ryanair B738 near Luxembourg on May 31st 2024, smoke from galley A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EVR performing flight FR-3938 from Bologna (Italy) to Brussels (Belgium), was enroute at FL340 about 80nm east of Luxembourg (Luxembourg) when the crew decided to divert to Louxembourg reporting a possible fire, smoke and burning odour on board. The aircraft landed safely on Luxembourg Findel's runway 24 about 20 minutes later. Passengers reported they saw the flight attendants rushing to the back of the aircraft and saw smoke coming from the aft galley as well as burning odour. It appears the flight attendants managed to limit the fire to the galley. After landing fire fighters checked the aircraft. The passengers were taken to Brussels by bus. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Luxembourg due to an odour in the cabin after a technical defect occurred in the aft galley. https://avherald.com/h?article=51951058&opt=0 Incident: Jetstar A320 at Christchurch on May 31st 2024, temporary runway excursion on landing An Jetstar Airbus A320-200, registration VH-VFF performing flight JQ-225 from Auckland to Christchurch (New Zealand), landed on Christchurch's runway 02 at 07:45L (19:45Z May 30th) and slowed when at low speed the aircraft began to veer to the right, temporarily went off the paved surface onto grass about 2050 meters/6700 feet down the runway before returning onto the runway's paved surface and coming to a stop at the right hand edge of the runway. There were no injuries, the aircraft received minor damage. Passengers reported that the crew told them the aircraft had suffered a hydraulic leak at the right hand side during approach, after touchdown the right hand engine just seemed to spool up and caused them to vacate the runway, the aircraft swerved to the right and took a few runway edge lights out, they had to bring the aircraft to a stop for safety reasons, they were safe, emergency services were checking around the aircraft that everything was safe. The airline reported a steering issue caused the runway excursion. There were no injuries, the aircraft was towed to the apron. New Zealand's TAIC is investigating. https://avherald.com/h?article=5194e384&opt=0 FAA Amends Mental Health Evaluation Criteria For Pilots A history of no more than two mental health diagnoses no longer requires automatic review by the FAA for any class of pilot certificate as long as certain criteria are met. The agency has revised its guidance to AMEs on “uncomplicated anxiety, depression and related conditions” and chief among the changes is that the FAA can be left out of the process if the pilot has been off medication for two years, there are no issues raised by a questionnaire and the AME has no concerns. The questionnaire deals with serious mental health issues like suicidal thoughts, self-harm and whether or not the pilot has been hospitalized or been under court-ordered evaluation, and it reminds the AME to be thorough and conservative in his or her judgment. “If ALL items fall into the ‘NO’/CLEAR COLUMN, the AME may issue with notes in Block 60 which show the AME discussed the history of Uncomplicated Anxiety, Depression, and Related Conditions, found no positives to the screening questions, AND had no concerns,” the new guidance reads. “If ANY SINGLE ITEM falls into the ‘YES’/SHADED COLUMN, the AME MUST DEFER” (emphasis the FAA’s). https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-amends-mental-health-evaluation-criteria-for-pilots/ Boeing safety crisis has been brewing for more than a decade, Emirates boss says Speaking on Sunday at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) conference in Dubai, Sir Tim said that Boeing had had "no good reason to ruthlessly pursue cost cuts" which he claimed threw its supply chain into turmoil. Sir Tim Clark said the crisis gripping Boeing had been in the works for a decade The safety crisis gripping Boeing has been brewing for more than a decade, the boss of the world’s biggest international airline has claimed. Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates, said the aerospace giant’s issues can be traced back 10 to 15 years to when he claims that they began to focus on profits rather than focus primarily on engineering excellence. A push to extract cost cuts from suppliers and outsource work that Boeing had previously undertaken in-house had come back to haunt the company in the blow out of a faulty door panel from a 737 Max plane in January, he said. Speaking on Sunday at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) conference in Dubai, Sir Tim said that Boeing had had “no good reason to ruthlessly pursue cost cuts” which he claimed threw its supply chain into turmoil, particularly as it was embarking on construction of the new 787 Dreamliner at the time. He said: “Boeing’s governance model became more focused on the Plc demands and all the financial metrics, the results of which we are now facing. At the time they probably thought they could do wonderful things, cost cutting, efficiency. “But if you spend 10 or 15 years trying to strip out from your supply chain it’s likely things will start to happen in terms of quality issues. You cannot take your eye off the ball in our business. Certainly manufacturers cannot do that. Finance is not difficult. Engineering is.” The incident in January involving an Alaska Airlines plane flying at 16,000 feet triggered a investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It has since capped 737 build rates, installed officials on the production lines of Boeing and its suppliers, and ordered the manufacturer undertake a root and branch overhaul of quality control procedures. Boeing was plunged into crisis in January after a refrigerator-sized hole blew out of a plane mid-flight Boeing was plunged into crisis in January after a refrigerator-sized hole blew out of a plane mid-flight - Patrick T Fallon/Getty Images Boeing’s chief financial officer Brian West admitted last month that its customers had been left “frustrated and disappointed” by the production issues. Sir Tim said in around 2011 he expressed his concerns about Boeing’s work being “farmed out all over the world” and a drive to reduce supplier costs by 15pc. He added: “I did say be careful of this. You have a dynastic workforce and they will deliver. And then we saw the pressure on the supply chain. The suppliers came to us and said we can’t do this. And so it went on.” He warned that the global aviation industry now faces a five-year hiatus while Boeing addresses its shortcomings. Issues within the supply chain are also having a knock on effect on Airbus, which is seeing assembly lines in France and Germany impacted as a result, Sir Tim said. Some suppliers are also directing their efforts at military contracts, where demand has been spurred by the war in Ukraine, further adding to the strain on civil aircraft production schedules. He said: “The message to Boeing is absolutely crystal clear. Whether it be from the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board or the American government, they must get their production capability and their quality issues sorted out. “They need to step back and ask ‘what did we get wrong over the last 10 or 15 years and ask how are we going to address that?’ If they do that the whole process is salvageable, fixable, and we can get things back to where they need to be.” Sir Tim said that Boeing should have grasped the nettle following two fatal crashes involving the 737 Max plane, which occurred after software installed by the company interfered with the ability of pilots to fly the aircraft. The Max was grounded for almost two years while Boeing fixed the problem. He said: “After the Max they said it was never going to happen again, and then the door blew out. Safety should be Instilled in this business given what we are doing. For me that was axiomatic. It never occurred to me that they would do anything else.” Last month the US Department of Justice filed a case accusing Boeing of breaching its obligations in a 2021 agreement that shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution over the crashes, following the Alaska Airlines incident. A spokesman for Boeing said it would engage with authorities, adding: “We believe that we have honoured the terms of that agreement and look forward to the opportunity to respond to the Department on this issue.” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/boeing-safety-crisis-brewing-more-190054484.html FAA says it doesn't 'have a timeframe' for when Boeing will be allowed to increase production of its 737 Max planes again FAA says it doesn't 'have a timeframe' for when Boeing will be allowed to increase production of its 737 Max planes again The FAA conducted a three-hour meeting with Boeing leaders to address safety and quality issues. The FAA doesn't "have a timeframe" for when Boeing can increase production of 737 Max planes. An investigation into Boeing manufacturing began after an Alaska Airlines door plug detached mid-flight. Boeing won't be expanding its fleet of its 737 Max planes anytime soon, according to the FAA. The airplane manufacturer is still navigating the fallout from January 5, when a door plug on an Alaska Airlines passenger plane detached mid-flight, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing. Although no passengers were seriously injured, the FAA barred Boeing from expanding production on Max plane models until quality and safety issues were addressed. The incident prompted the FAA to crack down on Boeing and implement aggressive oversight measures that the agency discussed with reporters last week. The FAA hosted a press conference after a three-hour meeting with Boeing leaders at the agency headquarters. "We don't have a timeframe, but I don't think it will happen in the next few months," Whitaker said in a video shared by CBS News. The FAA grounded 171 Boeing 737-9 Max planes in January before launching its investigation into Boeing's production lines and manufacturing practices. It also halted production of all Max planes that month. "This is about systemic change, and there's a lot of work to be done. Boeing must meet milestones, and the timing of our decisions will be driven by their ability to do so," the FAA said in a statement to Business Insider. Boeing's safety 'road map' The FAA also published a news release on Thursday that shared details about its meeting with Boeing leaders, who presented an 11-page 'road map' for how the company will improve quality and safety. The news release says Boeing developed the proposed Product Safety and Quality Plan over 90 days with "detailed" input from the FAA. A Boeing representative told Business Insider that its Product Safety and Quality Plan fits into four categories of action: Invest in workforce training Simplify plans and processes Eliminate defects Elevate safety and quality culture The plan identified "attention areas" that Boeing would prioritize, which included strengthening its Safety Management System and reducing supply chain defects. Boeing also identified short- and long-term improvements it will prioritize going forward, like "improving employee training" and "simplifying installation and build plans." "We listened to our employees, engaged transparently with our regulator, welcomed the findings and recommendations from the FAA's ACSAA panel review, and invited scrutiny from customers and independent experts," President and CEO Dave Calhoun said in a statement. In response to Boeing's plan, the FAA said it will continue to review progress and laid out stipulations for the company. "Senior FAA leaders will meet with Boeing weekly to review their performance metrics, progress, and any challenges they're facing in implementing the changes," the news release said. "They also will conduct monthly reviews to gauge Boeing's progress." Other measures included hiring more safety inspectors at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities. The FAA said in its statement that it will ensure Boeing "implements the changes they have outlined." "We will not approve production increases beyond the current cap until we're satisfied they've followed through on implementing corrective actions and transforming their safety culture," the statement read. https://www.yahoo.com/news/faa-says-doesnt-timeframe-boeing-155748449.html Global airlines raise 2024 profit outlook to almost $1 trillion as travel soars DUBAI (Reuters) -Global airlines on Monday raised their profit forecast for 2024 and projected industry wide revenues just shy of $1 trillion as a record number of travellers board flights. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it expected the worldwide industry to generate $30.5 billion of profit this year, higher than an upwardly revised $27.4 billion in 2023 as carriers keep a lid on underlying labour costs despite recent strikes. That comes just four years after the industry collapsed to a $140 billion loss in 2020 as a result of the pandemic and is above the $25.7 billion forecast for 2024 issued in December. "The environment is better than we had expected, particularly in Asia," Director General Willie Walsh told Reuters on the sidelines of an annual meeting of IATA's more than 300 members, which account for more than 80% of global air traffic. However, the airline industry warned its ability to serve a strong rebound in travel demand is being hampered by disruption to global supply chains, including deliveries of its own fleets. Passenger yields - or the average amount paid by a passenger to fly one mile - are expected to strengthen by 3.2% compared with 2023, IATA said in a twice-yearly economic outlook. In part, that is because capacity growth is constrained, driving up average fares. By contrast, the corresponding figure for cargo is expected to fall 17.5% in 2024 as freight markets return towards normal patterns after booming during the pandemic. Airline activity is widely seen as a litmus test for business or consumer confidence, as well as trade. The industry has high fixed costs and regulations that discourage most cross-border mergers, meaning it remains fragmented. "The margin remains wafer thin; we're still looking at a margin of just over 3%," Walsh said. "(That) performance is still well below where the industry needs to be." In Asia, IATA more than trebled its industry profit forecast for 2024 to $2.2 billion despite a sluggish recovery in international travel in China. At $14.9 billion, unchanged from earlier forecasts, North America remains the most profitable region with "strong consumer spending despite cost-of-living pressure," IATA said. IATA said airlines had been hit by unforeseen maintenance issues. That appeared to be a reference to repair bottlenecks for engines built by Pratt & Whitney, which are expected to leave hundreds of Airbus jets grounded this summer. Industry sources said on Friday that Airbus, the world's largest planemaker, was itself facing a new surge in supply problems, casting doubt on output plans for the second half. The planemaker has said it is sticking by full-year delivery goals. Rival Boeing is producing far fewer of its best-selling 737 MAX jets than originally planned after a mid-air cabin panel blowout in January prompted U.S. regulators to cap its production. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-airlines-raise-profit-outlook-053509374.html Qatar Airways Plans Massive Aircraft Order With Airbus & Boeing Qatar Airways is reportedly nearing a massive aircraft order, which would take the carrier’s capacity to the next level… Qatar Airways to order 200 Airbus & Boeing jets Reuters reports that Qatar Airways is nearing a decision on a major wide body aircraft order, which is expected to be split between both Airbus and Boeing. According to people familiar with the matter, the oneworld airline is leaning toward ordering a mix of Airbus A350s and Boeing 777Xs. A final decision could be made as soon as the Farnborough Air Show in late July. The reality is that demand for wide body jets is through the roof, so if the airline wants to be able to take delivery of more jets before the 2030s, an order needs to be placed ASAP. While the Airbus A350 has of course been in production for many years and is popular with airlines, keep in mind that the Boeing 777X hasn’t yet been certified. Currently the thought is that the plane could enter passenger service as early as late 2025, though that seems like a best case scenario at this point, given everything going on at Boeing. The only thing that’s surprising about this aircraft order is that Qatar Airways doesn’t seem interesting in more Boeing 787s. You’d think some more 787-9s or even higher capacity 787-10s could make sense for the airline. In late 2023, Akbar Al Baker resigned as CEO of Qatar Airways, and was replaced by Badr Mohammed Al Meer. Under Al Baker’s leadership, Qatar Airways and Airbus had a massive dispute, to the point that Airbus refused to sell planes to Qatar Airways, and even canceled the carrier’s existing order. The order was eventually reinstated, but it still pushed back Qatar Airways’ fleet planning by several years. So it’s not surprising that under the leadership of a gentler and less tyrannical CEO, we’re seeing an aircraft order be one of the top priorities. Qatar Airways is looking to order new jets How Qatar Airways’ fleet could evolve For context, Qatar Airways’ passenger fleet currently consists of around 225 aircraft, with aircraft variants being all over the place. Qatar Airways’ fleet planning has been in disarray in recent years, due to a combination of Boeing struggling with getting new aircraft certified, plus the dispute with Airbus. In addition to the aircraft already in its fleet, Qatar Airways also has 145 passenger jets on order, though many of these are narrow body aircraft. These orders are comprised of: 50 Airbus A321neos 18 Airbus A350-1000s 25 Boeing 737 MAX 10s 40 Boeing 777-9s 12 Boeing 787-9s Just to look at the current state of Qatar Airways’ fleet renewal: Qatar Airways’ narrow body fleet currently consists of 29 Airbus A320s, and those will be replaced by A321neos and 737 MAX 10s; that fleet will grow considerably, but it will take time Qatar Airways has 58 Airbus A350 family aircraft, so I imagine we’ll continue to see the airline order more of those, given what versatile aircraft they are Qatar Airways has 48 Boeing 787s, though they’re a mixed bag, with the majority being 787-8s that are already an average of 10 years old Qatar Airways has 64 Boeing 777s, and those will eventually be retired, and replaced by newer generation aircraft Qatar Airways has eight Airbus A380s, which the airline initially intended to retire, but they were brought back due to A350 issues, plus delays with 777X certification So I can totally see how Qatar Airways needs a lot of new jets. While narrow body fleet renewal is taken care of, Qatar Airways needs to order more jets to replace existing 777s, A380s, and eventually the older 787-8s. I imagine at some point in the future, the 777X will be Qatar Airways’ flagship aircraft, and I’d expect for it to have the carrier’s new first class as well. I imagine Qatar Airways can get a good deal on these planes, and for that matter, get flexible terms, given the headwinds with certification. Qatar Airways will eventually retire existing 777s Bottom line Qatar Airways is reportedly preparing to place an aircraft order for around 200 jets, split between Airbus and Boeing. The expectation is that Qatar Airways will order A350s and 777Xs. That makes sense in the context of Qatar Airways’ fleet, though the only thing that’s a bit surprising is that there may not be any 787s in the mix. https://onemileatatime.com/news/qatar-airways-aircraft-order/ NASA's X-59 'quiet' supersonic jet passes key safety review ahead of 1st test flight NASA's new X-59 supersonic jet has successfully completed its Flight Readiness Review, marking a pivotal step towards its first flight. The review, conducted by independent experts from across NASA, evaluated the project team's approach to safety for the public and staff during ground and flight testing, as well as the team's analysis of hazards that may arise. In turn, the review provides valuable insights and recommendations to the X-59 team as they prepare for further analysis ahead of the jet's maiden flight. "It's not a pass-fail," Cathy Bahm, NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project manager, said in a statement from the space agency. "We'll be getting actions from the board and will work with them to resolve those and work toward the Airworthiness and Flight Safety Review." The X-59, built by Lockheed Martin, is a key component of NASA's groundbreaking Quesst mission aimed at reducing the sonic booms associated with supersonic planes, which have been banned from flying over land for more than 50 years given the disruptive vibrations and noise caused by the airplanes when they exceed the speed of sound. NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the ramp at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California during sunrise, shortly after completion of painting. (Image credit: NASA/Steve Freeman) The X-59 is expected to generate a quieter "thump," largely through its revolutionary and unique geometry. The elongated nose section of the aircraft measures 38 feet (11.5 meters) in length, making up a large portion of the entire aircraft which comes in at 99.7 feet long (30 m). Flight Readiness Review is the first step in the flight approval process. Next up is the Airworthiness and Flight Safety Review, which will assess the project team's response to the most recent review. Before the airplane can officially take flight, NASA officials will need to sign an airworthiness certificate and a flight request. NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits in position inside a hangar at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California prior to its January 12, 2024 unveiling. (Image credit: NASA/Steve Freeman) In the meantime, the team is preparing for further ground tests focused on systems integration engine runs and the effects of electromagnetic interference on the aircraft. "It's a brand-new thing that we are developing, even though they're components that have been on different legacy aircraft," Brad Neal, chairman for the X-59 Airworthiness and Flight Safety Review board, said in the statement. "As we get into integration testing here, it's going to be a great opportunity to learn." https://www.space.com/nasa-x-59-passes-flight-readiness-review 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