Flight Safety Information - June 20, 2024 No. 123 In This Issue : Incident: Canada B772 at Toronto on May 27th 2024, engine shut down in flight : Boeing 737-8H6 (WL) - Engine Problems on Takeoff (India) : Flight Safety International Pilot Hiring Event - Columbus, OH - July 19 : Pilots warned smoke could penetrate cabin if Boeing 737 Max planes have a bird strike : Pilots fear collisions as staffing crisis leaves Australian control towers empty : Boeing crash families demand record $25bn fine : Pair held after orange paint sprayed on aircraft : Odor on Alaska Airlines plane cancels flight : India shuns China's calls to resume passenger flights after 4 years, officials say : American Airlines passenger tracks lost luggage to Hollywood homeless encampment : EU 'ready to react appropriately' against possible safety issues involving T'way's European routes: EASA : Hong Kong aviation authorities took 24 minutes to tell planes of emergency runway closure : FAA Presses For More Charter Oversight: NBAA Pushes Back : Repair, reuse, recycle – the most commonly replaced aircraft components : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Canada B772 at Toronto on May 27th 2024, engine shut down in flight An Air Canada Boeing 777-200, registration C-FIUA performing flight AC-42 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Delhi (India) with 255 people on board, was climbing out of Toronto's runway 23 when the crew heard a loud bang from the left engine (GE90) accompanied by an EICAS message of smoke in the crew rest area. The crew stopped the climb at about FL300, worked the related checklists, shut the left engine down, dumped fuel and returned to Toronto for a safe landing on runway 23 about 80 minutes after departure. The Canadian TSB reported the left engine was replaced. The aircraft returned to service on Jun 4th 2024. https://avherald.com/h?article=51a1f082&opt=0 Boeing 737-8H6 (WL) - Engine Problems on Takeoff (India) Date: Wednesday 19 June 2024 Time: Type: Boeing 737-8H6 (WL) Owner/operator: Malaysia Airlines Registration: 9M-MXU MSN: 40158/4930 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: near Hyderabad - India Phase: Unknown Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport (HYD/VOHY) Destination airport: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL/WMKK) Narrative: Malaysia Airlines flight MH199, a Boeing 737-8H6, suffered no.2 engine issues after departure from Hyderabad. The flight returned for a safe landing. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/389849 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. Pilots warned smoke could penetrate cabin if Boeing 737 Max planes have a bird strike At least two major airlines have warned pilots that if a bird hits one of the engines on a Boeing 737 Max, the passenger cabin could become filled with smoke. Documents newly obtained by CNN detail that Boeing warned Southwest Airlines and American Airlines of the potential problem in February and both airlines in turn sent alerts to their respective pilot groups. “Boeing has received two reports of CFM LEAP-1B engine failures following large bird strikes on takeoff and initial climb,” said the alert to American Airlines pilots. Southwest’s alert says such a strike could cause oil to burn and the “immediate presence of smoke and fumes” entering the passenger cabin “through the air conditioning system.” The issue was not made widely public until being first reported by The Seattle Times but is significant as it could signal another potential issue with 737 Max aircraft which have been dogged by manufacturing and design issues. Engine maker CFM International says their engine has met “bird ingestion certification requirements, and the engines performed as designed during these events.” The company underscored that birds in the two incidents that prompted pilot bulletins were much larger than required for certification testing and that the CFM engine still performed as designed. The Federal Aviation Administration says it “will continue working with Boeing on the investigation into these incidents and will determine if additional actions are required based on the findings.” Boeing says it issued a service bulletin in February “after two bird strike incidents” and has been working with engine manufacturer CFM “to learn more about this matter and we are keeping the FAA and our operators informed of any learnings.” On Tuesday, outgoing Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that he accepts responsibility for the plane maker’s recent failures, including a door plug blowout on a 737 Max 9 and the crash of two 737 Max 8s that killed 346 people abroad. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/19/business/smoke-cabin-boeing-737-max-bird-strike/index.html Pilots fear collisions as staffing crisis leaves Australian control towers empty • Flight planning notices for pilots warned that control tower operating hours at airports across Australia were subject to “post-Covid Airservices staffing shortages”. CANBERRA – Concerns among pilots about a possible midair collision are spilling over in Australia as a shortage of air traffic controllers leaves airport towers unmanned, forcing passenger jets to fend for themselves. There are currently no overnight air traffic control services at Darwin, a northern gateway for carriers including Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia. Schedules show that at around midnight almost every day, more than a dozen flights have to arrive or depart with almost no guidance from the ground. On Australia’s north-east coast, the airport at Townsville – a popular jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef – does not staff its control tower at weekends. Almost 50 commercial services have to coordinate their own landings or take-offs on Sunday alone. The labour crisis on the ground is adding risk in the air during the post-Covid-19 travel boom, with members of flight crews taking on the task of distancing their planes from other air traffic – a responsibility that ordinarily lies with air traffic controllers. Pilots say landing without direction from a tower removes an important layer of security at a critical period of the flight. Concerned crew members are blowing the whistle after a surge in passenger traffic. Airlines have scheduled 866 flights into Darwin in June, the most in 2024, up from a pandemic-era low of 171 in May 2020, according to Cirium data. Runway construction work at the airport that restricts plane movements is making landing and taking off without help even more complicated, pilots say. In a statement, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said it is “satisfied that the arrangements between 10pm and 6am are safe for the anticipated traffic mix” at Darwin. The regulator said it is working with the Defence Department, which is responsible for air traffic control at Darwin, to “support a return to the previous service levels”. The department did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Airservices Australia, the government agency that manages airspace, said “rosters are tight in some areas” but “safety is never compromised”. The organisation has recruited and trained 100 new air traffic controllers since 2020 and more than 70 others will join in the 2025 fiscal year, it said. Like the rest of the aviation industry, air traffic controllers worldwide took a blow during the pandemic, with many laid off when international travel ground to a halt. Employment levels in a sector that is essential in keeping aviation safe have failed to keep pace with the swift recovery in air travel. The depleted ranks have been in the spotlight globally after a spate of close calls on runways in the US, including a near collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in April between a JetBlue Airways flight and a Southwest Airlines plane. In January, a fiery crash on the tarmac in Tokyo killed five people. Safety concerns among air traffic controllers themselves in Sydney – Australia’s main aviation gateway – emerged early in 2023 when employees submitted at least 15 confidential reports to the transport safety investigator. Some warned that an accident was almost inevitable unless the manpower deficit was addressed. As recently as last week, flight planning notices for pilots warned that control tower operating hours at airports across Australia were subject to “post-Covid Airservices staffing shortages”. The list included the airports of the nation’s capital, Canberra, and Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania. “Without air traffic control, the chance of errors by any one aircraft or pilot increases, and the ability to identify and correct those errors is dramatically reduced,” said Mr Tony Lucas, a senior Qantas pilot who is also president of the Australian and International Pilots Association. “We want to see normal operations resume as soon as possible.” In Australia, a vast country where air travel is just about unavoidable, it is common for small aerodromes or remote airstrips to operate on their own. But pilots converging on Darwin, where there is no air traffic control from 10pm until 6am most nights, describe a late night airspace busy with commercial flights, military aircraft and small medical evacuation planes. One Boeing 737 captain, a 20-year Qantas veteran, said he was relieved to land safely there in early April shortly after midnight without air traffic control. He spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the subject. Under those conditions, said the pilot, an accident would come as no surprise. That same month, the Australian Airline Pilots’ Association was so concerned that it issued a safety bulletin on the matter. Pay more attention to runway safety amid air traffic growth, urges CAAS chief The body warned there is a higher risk of a midair collision in areas of uncontrolled airspace because not all aircraft are equipped with crash avoidance systems. The alert was distributed to professional pilot bodies worldwide. Qantas declined to comment, but pointed to its recent submissions to an Australian parliamentary transport committee. In a May 14 letter to the committee, Qantas said that “for safety reasons” its jets avoid uncontrolled airspace unless there is no other option. Making pilots responsible for so-called self-separation in the air “was once an extremely rare event – almost unheard of in Australian airspace and even in a global context”, the airline said. Now, it is commonplace. Some 1,600 Qantas group flights in 2023 were delayed because normal air traffic services were unavailable, the carrier told the committee. Almost 400 flights ran late in the first four months of 2024 for the same reason. The airline called for “additional regulatory oversight” of Airservices Australia. Virgin Australia declined to comment, but it told the same parliamentary transport committee in May that air traffic control was withdrawn on 810 occasions between Jan 1, 2022, and April 24, 2024. Those incidents occurred both mid-flight and as aircraft were approaching Australian airports. At Darwin International Airport, there will be no overnight service until at least November 2024, according to instructions for pilots on the Airservices Australia website. The restrictions were put in place in July 2022. The dense cluster of flight arrivals and departures at Darwin either side of midnight points to the challenges of maintaining midair separation. As many as 16 flights operated by Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin land or depart inside a window of about two hours, well after Darwin’s control tower has closed, according to the airport’s flight timetable. The Qantas pilot who spoke anonymously said the last time he approached Darwin airport, he received an overview of nearby flights from an area controller, allowing him to build a picture of the situation in the air. He then contacted other aircraft to ensure they were distanced – vertically and horizontally – and would not be landing at the same time. He touched down without incident after getting on the plane’s Wi-Fi and checking Flightradar24, a site more typically monitored by aviation enthusiasts on the ground. Many jets do not have Wi-Fi. It is not as if government bodies are not aware of longstanding concerns among pilots and air traffic controllers. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau in March 2023 published an anonymous confidential submission, apparently from an air traffic controller, which highlighted a lack of understanding among controllers and flight crews about what to do in uncontrolled airspace. The situation was “an accident waiting to happen”, the person said. In June 2023, the safety bureau said air traffic controllers had made “a large number” of confidential reports in the preceding four months. Fifteen of them related to operations in Sydney. There had been just one in the previous five years. Excerpts from those submissions, published by the bureau, point to widespread concerns about staffing levels and procedures in Sydney. One controller warned it was “only a matter of time before the current practices at Airservices result in a major aviation incident”. Another said it would take years to fix the labour crisis. At that time, Airservices denied there were shortages in Sydney. Meanwhile, another Boeing 737 pilot familiar with the current restrictions at Darwin says the airport is too busy to run without full-time air traffic control. Airservices Australia has had ample time to fill holes in its workforce, the Australian airline pilot said, speaking anonymously because he is not authorised to speak to the media. The situation at Darwin is as bad as he has known, said the pilot, who has flown for around two decades. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/pilots-fear-collisions-as-staffing-crisis-leaves-australian-control-towers-empty Boeing crash families demand record $25bn fine The families of victims in two Boeing 737 Max plane crashes have asked for prosecutions and a fine of $24.8bn for "the deadliest corporate crime in US history". The families' lawyer Paul Cassell said the amount was "justified and clearly appropriate" given "enormous human costs of Boeing's crimes". In a 32-page letter seen by the BBC, Mr Cassell said that the US government should prosecute those leading the company when 346 people were killed in two crashes in 2018 and 2019. The letter cited the apology by Boeing's chief executive Dave Calhoun on Tuesday while he gave evidence to Congress. "I apologise for the grief that we have caused," he said, as he was heckled by family members of victims of the crashes. Boeing crash victims' families shout at CEO as he apologises in hearing Boeing boss admits culture 'far from perfect' Two 737 Max aircraft were lost in separate but almost identical accidents that killed 346 people. In October 2018, all 189 on a Lion Air flight died after the aircraft crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after take-off from Jakarta, Indonesia. In March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed six minutes after take-off from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. All 157 on-board were killed. Both crashes were linked to faulty flight control systems. Mr Calhoun acknowledged in his Congressional appearance that the company had made mistakes and said it had "learned" from the past. He also acknowledged that Boeing had retaliated against whistleblowers but said he had "listened" to those employees. The Justice Department is considering whether to revive a criminal charge of fraud against Boeing laid in 2021, that was linked to the two crashes. The charge has laid dormant since the company acknowledged in a settlement that it had mislead air-safety regulators about aspects if the 737 Max, and promised to create a new compliance system to detect and prevent further fraud. Last month, prosecutors determined that the settlement was violated when a door panel flew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage mid-flight. The Justice Department has until 7 July decide whether to revive the case. In the letter, Mr Cassell said his clients recommended that the department order a portion of any future fine to be used to create an independent monitor of the company's safety and compliance measures. Families of those killed in the crashes attended Tuesday's hearing in Congress and held up photographs of loved ones. “I flew from England to Washington DC to hear in person what the Boeing CEO has to say to the Senate and to the world about any safety improvements made at that corporation,” said Zipporah Kuria, whose father was killed in the 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet. “I also continue to press the US government to hold Boeing and its corporate executives criminally responsible for the deaths of 346 people. We will not rest until we see justice.” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw00l7d2ljno Pair held after orange paint sprayed on aircraft Just Stop Oil Climate-activist spray-painting aircraft with orange paintJust Stop Oil Two aircraft at Stansted Airport were sprayed with orange paint Two women have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after orange paint was sprayed over private jets at Stansted Airport in Essex. Police were called to a private area of the airfield at 5:10 BST after reports two people had gained access and caused damage to two aircraft. In a post on X, Just Stop Oil claimed responsibility and claimed singer Taylor Swift's aircraft had been parked there. Stansted Airport denied Swift's jet was at the airfield. Just Stop Oil said it was "demanding an emergency treaty to end fossil fuels by 2030". An airport spokesman said protesters had entered the private aviation area of the airfield, away from the runway and main passenger terminal. "As a precaution, runway operations were suspended for a short period, but no flights were disrupted, and the airport and flights are operating as normal," he added. Just Stop Oil A person cutting through a fence at Stansted Airport using a grinderJust Stop Oil Just Stop Oil shared a photograph of entry being gained into the airfield Chief Supt Simon Anslow said: “I would like to reassure passengers and the wider public that we are well prepared and resourced to deal with incidents of this nature. “Almost immediately after we were made aware of this incident, which took place away from the main passenger terminal, we were on the scene. “We maintain a constant presence at the airport and this presence will be heightened over the summer period. “We have a good working relationship with Manchester Airport Group and Stansted Airport to ensure you can go about your travels with minimal impact. “We are not anti protest but we will always take action where criminal acts take place.” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9eedx9legpo Odor on Alaska Airlines plane cancels flight HONOLULU (KHON2) — An Alaska Airlines flight scheduled to leave Honolulu Monday night for Anchorage, Alaska had to be canceled due to a strange odor that made it’s passengers sick. Get Hawaii’s latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You According to the carrier, two flight attendants became sick presumably from an unknown odor in the back of the plane. Officials added the flight had to be canceled because with the two flight attendants out, there was not even crew members. https://www.khon2.com/local-news/odor-on-alaska-airlines-plane-cancels-flight/ India shuns China's calls to resume passenger flights after 4 years, officials say NEW DELHI/DUBAI, June 20 (Reuters) - China is pressing India to restart direct passenger flights after a four-year halt, but New Delhi is resisting as a border dispute continues to weigh on ties between the world's two most populous countries, officials said. India-China relations have been tense since the biggest military confrontation in decades on their disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers in June 2020. Thousands of troops remain mobilised on each side. Since the clash, India has made it difficult for Chinese companies to invest, banned hundreds of popular apps and severed passenger routes, although direct cargo flights still operate between the Asian giants. Direct flights would benefit both economies, but the stakes are higher for China, where a recovery in overseas travel after the COVID-19 pandemic is lagging, while India's aviation sector booms. Several times over the past year or so, China's government and airlines have asked India's civil aviation authorities to re-establish direct air links, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, with one saying China considers this a "big issue". "We hope the Indian side will work with China in the same direction for the early resumption of direct flights," China's Foreign Ministry told Reuters in a statement last week, adding that resuming flights would be in both countries' interests. But a senior Indian official familiar with India-China bilateral developments said of Beijing's desire to resume flights: "Unless there is peace and tranquillity on the border, the rest of the relationship cannot move forward." Indian airlines are holding discussions with New Delhi, while Chinese carriers are talking to their government about resuming direct routes, CEO Pieter Elbers of Indigo (INGL.NS), opens new tab, India's largest airline, told Reuters. India's external affairs and civil aviation ministries did not respond to requests for comment. Beijing has repeatedly protested India's ramped up scrutiny of Chinese businesses since 2020. Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi told India's government this year that "confidence building" measures were needed as component suppliers were wary about setting up in India, citing compliance and visa issues. Direct India-China flights peaked in December 2019, with a total of 539 scheduled flights by the likes of IndiGo, Air India, China Southern (600029.SS), opens new tab, China Eastern (600115.SS), opens new tab, Air China (601111.SS), opens new tab and Shandong Airlines, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. Chinese carriers scheduled 371 of those flights, more than double the 168 by India's airlines. Flights were halted four months later as the pandemic escalated. Except for a smattering of COVID repatriation flights, they have not resumed even though India lifted COVID restrictions on international air routes a year later and China lifted all COVID travel measures in early 2023. Travellers must now change planes either in Hong Kong, which has a separate aviation regulator and border controls from the rest of China, or in hubs like Dubai or Singapore. This has lengthened the India-China journey from less than six hours to upwards of 10, handing business - including lucrative through traffic to the United States - to carriers like Emirates, Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), opens new tab and Cathay Pacific (0293.HK), opens new tab. The recovery in Chinese overseas travel is lagging due to rising costs and difficulties in securing visas for the world's top spenders on international tourism and airlines. Indigo's Elbers said a recent interview in Dubai, "When the time is right and the governments come to a mutual understanding of how to move forward, we'll assess the market." IndiGo flies seven times a week on the Delhi-Hong Kong route, where passengers can connect to mainland China. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said direct India-China flights "would seem to be a huge potential market" but for now there are factors at play "beyond our level". https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/india-shuns-chinas-calls-resume-passenger-flights-after-4-years-officials-say-2024-06-20/ American Airlines passenger tracks lost luggage to Hollywood homeless encampment An American Airlines passenger discovered that her lost suitcase wound up in a Hollywood, California, homeless encampment with its contents missing. Aunny Grace flew into Hollywood Burbank Airport from Dallas, but her bag took a much longer route, she told KABC-TV. "It went to Denver. Then [from] Denver back to Dallas, and then eventually, five days later, it made its way back to Burbank," she told the TV news station. Luggage gets picked up by conveyor belt A businesswoman picks up luggage from a conveyor belt at an airport terminal. Fox News Digital reached out to Grace for comment, as well as American Airlines and the Burbank Police Department, but did not hear back. At one point, Grace was told her luggage had been found and delivered to her home. However, an Apple AirTag in her bag placed it somewhere else. "I took a look at the AirTag, and it said it was in Hollywood. My intuition told me something was wrong when I saw my bag slowly moving down Western Avenue," she said. The AirTag eventually placed the bag near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Western Avenue in Hollywood. She then realized it was in the middle of one of Los Angeles' homeless encampments. "I was mortified. I was shocked ... complete disbelief," said Grace. "I was in such shock that I wasn't even aware of my surroundings. Where is my stuff? Where do I even look?" "I just started grabbing my stuff, crying, vendors are on the street looking at me, crying like grabbing my stuff out of this cart," she added. Grace was with a friend who accompanied her. The friend paid off a homeless person to get her suitcase back. The airline said it was investigating how the bag traveled so far and ended up in the hands of a homeless person. A homeless man in a clear plastic poncho stands next to a shopping cart This view shows a homeless encampment on the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. "We strive to ensure that our customers’ checked luggage and other items arrive at their destinations on schedule and in their original condition," American Airlines said in a statement to KABC. "We are investigating what occurred here and, in the meantime, a member of our team is in contact with the customer to apologize and resolve the issue." https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-passenger-tracks-lost-222807168.html EU 'ready to react appropriately' against possible safety issues involving T'way's European routes: EASA SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- The European Union's aviation safety authority will be "ready to react appropriately" against possible flight maintenance issues of the European operation of South Korean low-cost carrier T'way Air, which has recently been plagued by frequent delays due to aircraft maintenance issues, an agency spokesperson said Thursday. T'way Air experienced four flight delay incidents last week alone, affecting hundreds of international passengers connecting South Korea with overseas destinations, including Japan and Thailand, due to maintenance problems. They occurred as T'way is set to soon take over four routes connecting South Korea with major European cities -- Frankfurt, Paris, Rome and Barcelona -- from domestic industry leader Korean Air Co., as part of conditions set by the EU over Korean Air's envisioned merger with No. 2 player Asiana Airlines Inc. T'way plans to begin operating flights to Paris as early as next month and gradually expand to the other three routes. "Where necessary in the interest of safety, EASA will be ready to react appropriately," Vera Tavares, spokesperson of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), told Yonhap News Agency via email when asked whether the agency plans to look into circumstances surrounding T'way's repeated maintenance issues ahead of its new European operations. The spokesperson said EASA issues third-country operator (TCO) authorizations to foreign air operators based on the confidence in the airline and the authority with jurisdiction "to execute adequate oversight over the operators that it has certified." While noting that the agency cannot "replace the competent authority," it stressed that it "does not solely rely on the action taken by the foreign authority." "(EASA) will monitor the further development as part of its obligation to perform continuous monitoring of TCOs," Tavares said, adding, "Ramp inspections performed at EU aerodromes are instrumental in this regard." Tavares also said EASA has several options for enforcement measures within its TCO regulations, "including a possible suspension of the authorization," should the agency obtain evidence that the safety performance of an airline in question "continues to degrade." Earlier this year, South Korea's transport ministry also found evidence that T'way used unauthorized parts in its in-aircraft heating and cooling systems during a special investigation. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240620001800320 Hong Kong aviation authorities took 24 minutes to tell planes of emergency runway closure Civil Aviation Department says it told flights about Monday’s emergency landing on north runway using automated system at 7.36am that day Hong Kong aviation authorities took about 24 minutes to tell pilots of departing and landing flights that an airport runway was closed due to a cargo plane bursting a tyre, only sharing further details more than an hour after sending the initial warning. Monday’s incident involving Atlas Air cargo flight 5Y4304 resulted in the closure of the city airport’s north runway, one of only two that is currently operational, for more than eight hours and caused delays for about 450 flights. It also raised questions about the facility’s ability to effectively handle emergencies. The Civil Aviation Department told the Post on Wednesday that it began telling aircrew at 7.36am, about 24 minutes after the incident, using an automated information dissemination system to warn pilots of departing and landing flights. The department then gathered information from the Airport Authority and other relevant parties before providing an update at 8.53am and confirming the condition of the closed runway, it added. The Anchorage-bound cargo flight requested permission to make an emergency return at around 6am on Monday, two hours after it had departed Hong Kong. None of the aircraft’s five crew members were injured in the incident. The Boeing 747 freighter burst a tyre as it landed at 7.12am, with airport staff dispatched to help unload its cargo and replace its tyres. The plane was later moved from the runway at around 3.15pm, with the landing strip reopening 30 minutes later. Ng Kam-hung, an assistant professor at Polytechnic University’s department of aeronautical and aviation engineering, said the time frame seemed reasonable given authorities also needed time to perform an on-site investigation. Time also had to be taken to deploy ground personnel to inspect the malfunctioning hydraulics system, he added. Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association chairman Paul Weatherilt also agreed the time frame was reasonable, noting such incidents were rare and authorities needed time to address any uncertainties. A crew member on one of Monday’s incoming flights said they were only told about the closure of the north runway about 30 minutes before their plane was due to land. The insider said it was possible air traffic control officers could only contact the aircrew as they entered Hong Kong airspace. The officers had also not confirmed how long the runway would stay out of action, adding their aircraft was lucky to land and was only 30 minutes behind schedule, the source said. The Airport Authority is also facing calls to review its contingency procedures after Monday’s incident. Meanwhile, Atlas Air has asked to submit a report to the authority and the Civil Aviation Department in accordance with regulations, adding that the failure of the cargo plane’s hydraulics system had resulted in a lengthy maintenance operation. The Civil Aviation Department earlier said it would follow up about the incident with relevant foreign aviation authorities. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday pledged to look into the incident, with the Transport and Logistics Bureau to take an active role in scrutinising the report to determine whether “any extra action can be taken by the airline and other parties concerned”. The airport’s north runway has been operational since 2022 and is part of a three-runway expansion project that started in 2016. The third runway was not used during the incident, as it has been closed for modification works since 2022 and will reopen this year. Last June, a Cathay Pacific Airways flight to Los Angeles aborted take-off at the airport after an overheated tyre was believed to have burst. The aircraft returned to the gate and evacuated passengers, 11 of whom needed hospital treatment. There were reports that the south runway had to be briefly closed, resulting in delays to some flights for 30 minutes. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3267282/hong-kong-aviation-authorities-took-24-minutes-tell-planes-emergency-runway-closure FAA Presses For More Charter Oversight: NBAA Pushes Back On Monday (June 17) the FAA announced two new actions addressing public charter flights, citing a rapid expansion of “frequency and complexity” of the operations in the past few years. The agency said that some of the charter providers “appear to operate like scheduled airlines but under less-rigorous safety regulations” that are often not clear to customers. “The FAA will explore new ways to integrate charter flights into the airspace in a manner that provides flexibility and safe options for all flyers,” the FAA said in a statement. The first act would be to launch rulemaking that would amend FAR Part 110 definitions of “scheduled,” “on demand” and “supplemental” operations. The object of the new rulemaking would be to subject public charters to operating rules “based on the same safety parameters as other non-public charter operations.” The plan would apply to charter operators regulated under FAA Part 135 safety rules and U.S. Department of Transportation Part 380 economic requirements. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said, “If a company is effectively operating as a scheduled airline, the FAA needs to determine whether those operations should follow the same stringent rules as scheduled airlines.” Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, questioned plans for the new rulemaking on charter operators. He said, “The plan to impose new requirements on these carriers has been introduced without an apparent data-based safety rationale. Additionally, the FAA’s approach to developing the requirements has the potential to relegate to the sidelines the citizens in small communities and other important voices most impacted by this process. “We call upon the FAA to step forward with a data-driven basis that explains the need for this change, and detail its intended process for engaging with all voices in a meaningful dialogue about the agency’s approach to public charter policy.” https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-presses-for-more-charter-oversight-nbaa-pushes-back/ Repair, reuse, recycle – the most commonly replaced aircraft components Aircraft need plenty of maintenance, both routine and unexpected, to keep them in the air and ensure they are in peak flying condition; lives depend on it. Flight simulators are in demand around the clock to keep pilots and cabin crew up to scratch with their training. Artemis Aerospace looks at the components which are most regularly replaced in each and the reasons why. Aircraft are heavy duty workhorses and with airlines aiming for the minimum amount of AOG time, there’s a considerable amount of wear and tear which needs continual attention. Flight simulators enable pilots to train in every type of weather condition, for every possible eventuality, over any country and at any airport. The type of wear and tear which takes place on a simulator is very different to a real aircraft, but the need to keep them fully operational is no less urgent. So which parts of an aeroplane need the most regular updating? Do flight simulators wear out the same parts just as fast, or does the pattern of dilapidation deviate? There are two distinct types; cosmetic wear and tear, which includes worn upholstery, broken armrests and recliners, chips, stains and spillages. It’s important to an airline’s brand and reputation to present an aircraft in the best possible state, but issues like these aren’t necessarily essential to passenger safety. Then there is operational wear and tear, such as worn tyres or brakes and malfunctioning navigational equipment, which is absolutely crucial both for safety and compliance with rigorous regulations. Aircraft are subject to stringent security inspections after every flight; for example, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires commercial operators to undertake an inspection after every 50 hours and 100 hours of flight time. The 50-hour inspection covers the exterior (wings, fuselage, tail and landing gear), the interior, the engine, battery and landing gear system. The 100 hour check is more comprehensive and covers the overall aircraft structure, engines, propellers, landing gear, electronics and radio and navigation system. Such is the demand for flight simulation training that simulators are generally in use for 22 hours a day, 7 days a week. This leaves a very short window for regular inspections and necessary maintenance, and a rapidly increasing backlog if a problem is found. Commercial aircraft have many different flight patterns and resulting wear and tear issues. Short domestic flights rack up a surprisingly large amount of wear and tear in comparison to long haul flights. For example, every day there are between 22 and 40 flights direct from London to Edinburgh with an average flight time of 1 hour and 20 minutes. Whilst those won’t all be the same plane, that’s a lot of people shuffling in and out of seats, putting tray tables up and down, sliding hand baggage in and out of overhead lockers and adjusting the air conditioning, so these are items which will need very regular replacement. On long haul flights the seats will often be put up and reclined back but, visits to the cloakroom aside, the passenger will mostly stay seated. On an aircraft, some of the parts most frequently needing replacing are wheels and brakes; the strain placed on them during take-off and landing is immense. Batteries are another, and windows and window frames need regular changing due to cracking and the wiring round them becoming damaged. The type of climate an aircraft flies through can also make a difference to wear and tear. If a plane regularly gets iced up, propellers, engine fan blades and parts of the wings can become damaged. Simulator training is used for both pilots and cabin crew and will usually involve emergency training. Cabin crew in an aircraft are constantly busy and, apart from take-off and landing, rarely get the chance to sit down, so their seats will get less wear than the passengers’ ones. In a crew trainer, however, different teams will be regularly up and down responding to whatever issue is thrown at them; the wear on seats will therefore be higher. The controls in a flight simulator are also likely to need regular replacement. They get much more use than those on a larger aircraft, as pilots will be using them all the time to rehearse their reactions to emergencies, quite likely with slightly sweaty palms as they encounter situations they will hopefully never come across in real life! In contrast, especially on long haul flights, the pilot will be able to use autopilot for lengthy stretches of the journey and remain hands off. Flight simulators are complex machines. The visual systems arguably require the most maintenance with cathode ray tubes, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and power supply units getting a lot of punishment. Switches can be used roughly in emergency situations, fuses can blow with overuse and the hydraulic systems which keep the simulator moving will be in constant use. In addition, users of flight simulators get through quite a number of oxygen masks during emergency training due to rough handling and the sheer number of situations in which they are required to be utilised. Whether it’s an aircraft or a flight simulator, time spent out of action due to damaged or malfunctioning components is both time and money wasted; this is where a reliable component supplies specialist, like Artemis, is crucial. Artemis Aerospace offers an innovative approach to component solutions for the aviation sector. Established in 1999, the company has earned a reputation for outstanding customer service by solving problems and providing a range of realistic options that offer customers the flexibility and freedom to choose a solution that suits their timescale and budget. Its services include component supplies, component repairs, lessor support, flight simulation hardware support, consignment stock management and global aircraft logistics. With decades of expertise in global aviation logistics, the expert team works with trusted MROs, OEMs, and aftermarket suppliers around the world to offer 24/7 support to its global customer base. Website: www.artemisaerospace.com 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 • Safeskies Australia Conference, Canberra Australia - 16th and 17th of October 2024 - www.safeskiesaustralia.org • 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