Flight Safety Information - June 18, 2024 No. 121 In This Issue : Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Queenstown on Jun 17th 2024, bird strike : Flight Safety International Pilot Hiring Event - Columbus, OH - July 19 : Boeing jet lands safely in New Zealand after a fire shuts down an engine : Teen arrested after aiming laser beam at helicopter pilot in Tallahassee : ‘Nigeria Is Safe,’ NCAA Dispels Concerns Over Air Safety : Counterfeit titanium parts in aircraft: FAA investigates safety risks : No survivors on twin-engine plane that crashed in Colorado mobile home park : Big Airline Lobbyists Win? FAA Will Move Forward With Crackdown On Comfortable Scheduled Charters Like JSX : Southwest under multiple FAA investigations : IBAC Hosts Forum for Industry Partner Program : Air Baltic Training expands fleet with fully electric aircraft for sustainable pilot training : NASA teams up for wind tunnel model to boost aircraft takeoff dynamics : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Queenstown on Jun 17th 2024, bird strike A Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800, registration VH-YIV performing flight VA-148 from Queenstown (New Zealand) to Melbourne,VI (Australia) with 73 people on board, was climbing out of Queenstown's runway 05 when a bird was ingested by the right hand engine (CFM56) causing the engine to surge a number of times emitting bangs and streaks of flame. The aircraft levelled off at 12,000 feet and diverted to Invercargill (New Zealand) for a safe landing on runway 04 about 45 minutes after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=51a01fe6&opt=0 YOUR NEXT DESTINATION Now Hiring at Our Center in Columbus, Ohio FlightSafety is seeking experienced pilots to join the ranks of the best flight instructors in the industry at our Columbus Learning Center. Use your seasoned skills to make an impact on aviation in a profound way. COMPETITIVE INCENTIVES AVAILABLE · Schedule 60 Days in Advance · Sign on and Monthly Bonuses · Competitive Base Salary · Full Relocation Support · Be Home Every Night · Career Growth RSVP Today Click here to RSVP and/or submit your resume. Date: Friday, July 19, 2024 Time: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET Location: 4010 Bridgeway Avenue, Columbus, OH 43219 Contact Kevin.Goeppner@flightsafety.com for more information. We look forward to seeing you. Boeing jet lands safely in New Zealand after a fire shuts down an engine WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A passenger plane landed safely at a New Zealand airport on Monday after a fire shut down one of its engines, the nation’s fire service said. The Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 jet bound for Melbourne, Australia, with 67 passengers and six crew members on board landed in the New Zealand city of Invercargill after the fire forced a diversion. The incident may have resulted from “a possible bird strike,” the airline’s chief operations officer, Stuart Aggs, said in an emailed statement. Flames were seen shortly after the plane took off from Queenstown Airport. No further information about what happened at the time of the incident was known, said Catherine Nind, an airport spokesperson. “At this time, we are not aware of any physical injuries to guests or crew,” Aggs said. Passengers will be accommodated in Invercargill overnight and new flights would be arranged, he said. Queenstown, with a population of 53,000, is popular tourist destination on New Zealand’s South Island, famous for skiing, adventure tourism and alpine vistas. The rate of birds striking planes at New Zealand’s airports is about four in every 10,000 aircraft movements, the country’s aviation regulator says on its website. The consequences vary in severity depending on where the aircraft is hit, the size of the birds and the pilot’s reaction, the Civil Aviation Authority says. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/passenger-plane-lands-safely-in-new-zealand-after-fire-shuts-down-an-engine/ Teen arrested after aiming laser beam at helicopter pilot in Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - A teen has been arrested after, police say, he repeatedly aimed a laser beam at a helicopter crew. Helicopter cameras captured a green laser on the ground in Tallahassee that was targeting the aircraft. According to police, the 16-year-old boy was aiming a laser from his BB gun at the crew in the helicopter. Officers said it is a felony to point lasers at aircrafts as they can blind pilots and cause them to crash. Officials said they explained the dangers of pointing the laser at an aircraft to the boy and his family in hopes that he doesn’t do it again. https://wsvn.com/news/local/florida/teen-arrested-after-aiming-laser-beam-at-helicopter-pilot-in-tallahassee/ ‘Nigeria Is Safe,’ NCAA Dispels Concerns Over Air Safety This comes on the heels of certain online publications that the airspace is insecure due to a lack of radar coverage. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has declared that the Nigerian airspace is safe and secure. This comes on the heels of certain online publications that the airspace is insecure due to a lack of radar coverage. In a press statement issued by the regulatory agency, and signed by the Acting Director-General, Capt Chris Najomo it reads …”THE NCAA firmly aligns with the statement from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the total radar coverage of Nigeria. In furtherance to this, the NCAA investigated two recent cases of violations of the prohibited flight zones(DNP4) in Abuja established that both violations comprised controlled flights in controlled airspace, but strayed into restricted airspace as a result of adverse weather”. The NCAA confirmed that NAMA had complete radar footage of the two violations, with full details of the identities of the aircraft and operators involved. This, it explained, was made possible only due to functional primary and secondary surveillance radars in Abuja. Similar installations are in Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt The NCAA stated that the improvement of Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure and radar coverage is being backed up with five additional MSSR stations at Obubbra, Ilorin, Talata Mafara, Maiduguri, and Numan, to augment the four existing radar centres to achieve total coverage of the country. https://www.channelstv.com/2024/06/18/nigeria-is-safety-ncaa-dispels-concerns-over-air-safety/ Counterfeit titanium parts in aircraft: FAA investigates safety risks The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing a challenge: counterfeit titanium parts may be installed in Boeing and Airbus aircraft. This alarming discovery came to light after supplier Spirit AeroSystems reported irregularities. A Chinese company reportedly submitted fake documents to confirm the authenticity of a batch of titanium before it entered the aviation industry. Spirit AeroSystems, a major supplier to Boeing and Airbus, discovered small corrosion holes in the material and immediately notified the FAA of the problem. The company stressed that all suspected parts were immediately quarantined and removed from production. Over 1.000 tests were conducted to verify the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the affected material and ensure airworthiness. The FAA responded promptly and is now attempting to assess the potential impact on flight safety. Boeing voluntarily reported the purchase of material by a dealer who may have submitted falsified or false records. In a bulletin, Boeing urged its suppliers to pay increased attention to the possibility of falsified documents. According to information from three sources, aircraft built between 2019 and 2023, including Boeing 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A220, may contain affected components. Both Boeing and Airbus assured that they will remove all affected parts before delivery to ensure compliance with safety regulations. Both companies stress that the safety of the aircraft fleet in operation is not affected. Airbus also confirmed that they have taken measures to ensure the safety of their aircraft, stressing the high priority of safety and quality. Tests with Spirit AeroSystems' Titan have so far shown that the quality is suitable for aircraft manufacturers. The FAA's investigations and the responses from the affected aircraft manufacturers highlight the complexity and strict controls within the aviation industry. Passenger safety and aircraft integrity are always paramount, even when issues such as counterfeit materials pose a serious challenge. https://aviation.direct/en/fake-titanium-parts-in-aircraft-faa-investigates-safety-risks No survivors on twin-engine plane that crashed in Colorado mobile home park • Witnesses reported the airplane appeared to have mechanical issues, fire officials said. • A twin-engine airplane crashed in a Colorado mobile home park Monday, killing those aboard, officials said. STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — There were no survivors aboard a twin-engine Cessna airplane that crashed in a residential area in north-central Colorado on Monday, starting a fire that burned two mobile homes, officials said. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was not immediately known how many people were aboard the Cessna 421, which went down near the Steamboat Springs Airport just before 4:30 p.m. Citing the Routt County coroner, NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver reported there were two people aboard — a man and woman — who both died. All residents of the mobile home park were accounted for, police said in a social media post. The fire also burned several outbuildings. The plane was believed to have taken off from Longmont, Colorado, and was on its way to Ogden, Utah, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue said. Witnesses reported the airplane appeared to have mechanical issues, fire officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/no-survivors-twin-engine-plane-crashed-colorado-mobile-home-park-rcna157656 Big Airline Lobbyists Win? FAA Will Move Forward With Crackdown On Comfortable Scheduled Charters Like JSX Last summer, the FAA outlined an intention to ban JSX and other scheduled public charter operators, largely because they offer a popular, quality product that competitors do not like. Now the FAA says that it will move forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would – at least in some cases – prevent public charter operators from selling scheduled flights from private terminals, using co-pilots with fewer than 1,500 flying hours Specifically, they plan to change their definitions of “scheduled,” “on demand,” and “supplemental” operations that allow flights with fewer than 30 seats to fly under part 135 rules instead of part 121 rules that apply to major airlines. It’s not yet clear what this rulemaking will look like. The actual text of what the FAA proposes will be released later this year, soliciting the legally-required comments, with an aim towards issuing a final rule next year. The FAA says they’ll plan for a transition period of “several years” for existing carriers to comply with new rules. And they plan for a Safety Risk Management Panel that would consider conditions for continued operations under part 135. This will specifically consider the use of of hybrid electric planes and their use in rural communities. Indeed, based on a statement from a spokesperson for JSX, they seem to think they can work within the framework that the FAA is planning. JSX supports the Federal Aviation Administration’s efforts to maintain the safety of civil aviation and applauds FAA Administrator Whitaker’s plans to evaluate a new operating authority for certain Part 135 operations. More than half of JSX’s public charter markets operate in airports that are not served by large network airlines, yet there are thousands more airports – funded by the American taxpayer – that remain inaccessible to the vast majority of Americans unless they have the means to afford private jets. As the country’s largest public charter air carrier, JSX has modeled the way forward for safe, secure, and reliable regional operations under Part 135 since inception and, with intent to take delivery of up to 332 hybrid-electric airplanes from 2028, aligns with the Biden Administration’s call to encourage competition and innovation in air travel. We eagerly look forward to collaborating with our regulators to cement the importance of public charters and expand access to vital air connectivity in the future. Timing Makes The Outcome Of This Effort Uncertain The FAA says they’re planning for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by the end of the year, and hope to finalize a rule in 2025 (often these timelines slip, so any final rule might come in 2026). Different people could be in charge at the Department of Transportation next year. Just like the Biden Administration promised a Department of Transportation rule requiring airlines to pay cash compensation for delays but did not actually propose a rule in time to get it done during a first time, this effort too could be sidetracked by the upcoming Presidential election. FAA Crackdown Is Legally Dubious 49 USC 41104 limits FAA’s authority to issue regulations on public air charters. It states, The Secretary of Transportation may prescribe a regulation or issue an order restricting the marketability, flexibility, accessibility, or variety of charter air transportation provided under a certificate issued under section 41102 of this title only to the extent required by the public interest. A regulation prescribed or order issued under this subsection may not be more restrictive than a regulation related to charter air transportation that was in effect on October 1, 1978. Since these proposed regulations would limit the “marketability, flexibility, accessibility or variety of charter air transportation” in a manner that is more restrictive than regulation on charter transportation on October 1, 1978, the FAA seems to be prohibited from issuing this regulation. Congress created the law which led to current regulations under which JSX operates, and the FAA in doing incumbent interests’ dirty work would be acting against current law. It will be interesting to see how the FAA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking deals with this, as well as President Biden’s Executive Orders requiring consultations with the two dozen Native American tribes that would potentially have air service limited by stricter regulation of scheduled charters, as well as how they handle the processes for rules with significant economic impact (annual revenue of JSX alone is larger than the required threshold) There’s No Valid Issue To Address There’s no basis for a concern about relative safety in part 135 operations. Scheduled charters have just as strong a safety record as part 121 airlines, especially when focusing on operations like JSX’s. The 1,500 hour rule doesn’t add to safety. In fact, it allows for hours to be racked up not just in clear air touch and go takeoffs and landings (nothing like what pilots face in commercial operations) it allows hours to be accumulated in a hot air balloon. The balloon can even be tethered. Meanwhile experience shows that current part 135 rules are mission-appropriate for safe operations. Critics say that JSX and others ‘exploit a loophole’ though without actual safety risk that is a good thing. Moreover it’s also not actually true in the traditional sense. There’s not a drafting mistake that the FAA hadn’t thought of that’s being exploited. In fact, the FAA specifically linked part 380 and part 135 operations to allow the sale of scheduled charters the way that JSX offers Why The FAA Is Going After Scheduled Charters The federal government – both at the FAA and Transportation Security Administration – had been comfortable with JSX and other public charter operations for years. Then two things happened. SkyWest wanted to operate as a public charter on Essential Air Service routes in order to broaden its pool of co-pilots. This set off alarm bells at pilot unions and triggered their outrage and lobbying. Big airlines saw the union push as an opportunity of their own to pile on and block an upstart competitor. There’s been a admits their lobbying is about blocking what they view as unfair competition. The one place where I do draw an issue with, where the rules aren’t the same. If you don’t have to deal with the same DOT provisions, the same FAA provisions, the same security TSA provisions that’s not fair….I’m quite certain that the FAA, the DOT, and TSA will take a look at what’s going on and make sure that no one is advantaged. American Airlines, of course, partners with scheduled public charter operator Contour and owns a stake in Gol whose co-pilots do not need 1,500 hours of flying. It looks like lobbyists for American, Southwest and ALPA won a victory of some kind – though we do not know yet what the meat of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will look like, what a final rule will be, and how potential legal objections will shake out. It’s possible that, in addition to a ‘transition period’, it will still be possible (though more cumbersome) for carriers to operate under part 135 and offer advantages of less encumbered and more comfortable air travel. TSA Is Taking Its Own Crack At Attacking Scheduled Charters This effort by the FAA is entirely separate from the process at TSA to block scheduled charter operations that former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and Southwest Airlines COO Andrew Watterson personally lobbied the TSA Administrator for. Since public charters with 30 or fewer seats can operate out of private terminals, going through fully TSA-approved screening but not TSA-staffed screening checkpoints adds to the ease of operations like JSX’s. JSX checks passenger IDs against targeting databases, swabs every bag, and passengers go through weapons detectors. And their planes make less valuable targets. This is a convenience that major carriers do not want them to have, even though flying from private terminals is something that American Airlines and Southwest both promote for their own charter businesses. So even as we wait for the specifics on the lobbyist-inspired FAA crackdown, we await changes to the TSA”s Twelve-Five Standard Security Program. https://viewfromthewing.com/big-airline-lobbyists-win-faa-will-move-forward-with-crackdown-on-comfortable-scheduled-charters-like-jsx/ Southwest under multiple FAA investigations Two of the airline's flights experienced safety incidents in recent months, including one caused by a pilot’s own mistake. Both of the affected flights involved Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Credit: Robin Guess/Shutterstock.com US airline Southwest is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for two separate incidents, including an event that saw one of its aircraft 400ft above the ocean off the coast of a Hawaiian island. While the close call incident took place in April, regulators have now confirmed they are investigating the event, which occurred when adverse weather forced a pilot to abandon a landing at Lihue Airport on the island of Kauai. Southwest recently distributed a memo to employees detailing its investigation which found the 737 MAX 8 jet dropped from an altitude of 1,000ft to 400ft in just a few seconds, before quickly climbing again at a rate of 8,500ft per minute, as first reported by Bloomberg. The airline’s review found that a less-experienced first officer, who was in charge of the flight, had accidentally caused the plane to descend at a quicker rate than planned, before increasing thrust once alarms sounded that the aircraft was close to the water. Southwest reportedly concluded that better communication between crew and proper pilot monitoring could have avoided the event, with the airline ensuring that the pilots involved received additional training afterwards. While the FAA has confirmed it is investigating the incident, representatives for the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have said that the authority is not aware of the event. https://www.airport-technology.com/news/southwest-investigation-dutch-roll-close-call/ IBAC Hosts Forum for Industry Partner Program Bombardier's Bruce Parry was elected chair of the group The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) recently held its first Industry Advisory Forum, electing Bruce Parry, senior advisory of industry affairs for Bombardier, as chair of the association's industry partner program. Held in conjunction with EBACE 2024, the forum provided a venue for participants to discuss IBAC objectives, industry priorities at the global level, and the importance of business aviation at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Participants are already planning the next forum, anticipated to be held in conjunction with NBAA-BACE in October in Las Vegas. IBAC formed the industry partner program to enhance the association's insight and expertise on safety and other key business aviation issues with industry stakeholders. During EBACE last month, IBAC announced the addition of four more partners to that group—JSSI, McKay Experts, Universal Weather and Aviation, and operator affiliate Joby Aviation. “We are excited to launch this new forum where our growing number of industry partners, now standing at 17 organizations, can collaborate with the IBAC team and our member associations further to strengthen our work for the global business aviation sector at ICAO,” said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards. “It is gratifying to see such enthusiastic participation as we continue building the global community for business aviation.” Forum partners span seven countries and four continents, IBAC said. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-06-17/ibac-hosts-forum-industry-partner-program Air Baltic Training expands fleet with fully electric aircraft for sustainable pilot training Air Baltic Training, a subsidiary of the Latvian airline Air Baltic, has signed a letter of intent with Diamond Aircraft to expand its fleet at the Baltic International Airshow in Liepaja. Air Baltic Training will purchase three fully electric eDA40 and two DA42-VI aircraft. With this expansion, the Air Baltic Pilot Academy's fleet will grow to a total of 15 aircraft. The eDA40, the first EASA/FAA certified electric aircraft in its category, marks a significant step forward towards zero-emission flight training. Equipped with advanced electric motors and a dual-string battery system, it offers zero emissions and reduced noise levels. The fast charging system allows charging in 20-30 minutes, minimizing downtime and increasing training efficiency. Pauls Cālītis, Chief Operations Officer of air Baltic, emphasizes the importance of this investment: “The arrival of these innovative aircraft is a milestone in our mission to provide sustainable training for future pilots. We are relying on the latest technology to meet the growing demand for qualified aviation professionals.” Jane Wang, Sales Director at Diamond Aircraft Austria, underlines the importance of the cooperation: “This investment demonstrates Air Baltic Training’s commitment to cutting-edge and sustainable technology in flight training.” There are currently 136 students enrolled at the Air Baltic Pilot Academy, including many from other EU countries. The academy is committed to a diverse student body, and 99 graduates have already started careers at Air Baltic. https://aviation.direct/en/air-baltic-training-expands-fleet-with-fully-electric-aircraft-for-sustainable-pilot-training NASA teams up for wind tunnel model to boost aircraft takeoff dynamics The ultimate goal is to enable fast-tracking of FAA certification. NASA has developed a new program to collaborate with international research institutions to better understand aircraft aerodynamics during takeoff and landing. The High Lift Common Research Model (CRM-HL) comprises physical and digital elements that are open-source to collaborators. The idea is to enable the aerospace community to access a standardized model, enabling better, more accurate answers to aerodynamic problems. The program technically started in 2019 and has now, NASA announced, grown to 10 partners across five different countries. The ten partners are building eight wind tunnel models between them, which will be tested in wind tunnels over the next three years. “What we are learning today would take us ten years to do alone,” said Melissa Rivers, subproject manager in NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies project, which leads the CRM-HL research. “The partners are using each other’s research for the mutual benefit of all,” she added. NASA-led international collaboration The team will define and assess common wind tunnel conditions in more than 14 tests across the globe. “Through this research, we are learning about differences that occur when we build and test several identical airplane models in multiple wind tunnels,” Rivers said. Researchers can use data from these wind tunnel tests to check whether computational fluid dynamics research tools accurately predict the physics of an aircraft. “The computer simulations and computational fluid dynamics tools are key contributions from this international partnership,” said NASA’s Mujeeb Malik, a lead researcher for the project. “The runs [tests] are critical to figuring out what we do not know and determining what we want to test,” he added. The partners are developing a standardized way to communicate their data so that everyone can more effectively compare the results from their models and wind tunnel tests. NASA is also developing a cloud-based solution to provide each partner with access to the data and promote collaboration. Data from the CRM-HL research effort also drive NASA’s High Lift Prediction Workshop series sponsored by the Applied Aerodynamics Technical Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The workshops aim to involve the wider aviation community in these initiatives and motivate researchers globally. This research also aims to help realize Certification by Analysis, which supports key objectives of the NASA Computational Fluid Dynamics Vision 2030 Study. To fast-track FAA certification NASA, industry, and academia collaborated on a study to create a long-term plan for developing future computational capabilities, meeting software and hardware needs for computational fluid dynamics. The aerospace industry will need these resources to accurately predict air movement around an aircraft, which also contributes to aircraft analysis and design. Called “Certification by Analysis,” it would significantly reduce the number of flight tests required for an aircraft or engine to meet the airworthiness requirements. This could save aircraft development programs time and millions of dollars and improve product safety and performance. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) establishes the criteria for airworthiness. Companies must present test results demonstrating compliance with the regulations for new aircraft and engines. “Before the FAA would allow this type of certification, the analysis must be as accurate as flight testing,” said Rivers. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nasa-wind-tunnel-model-aviation CALENDAR OF EVENTS • (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