Flight Safety Information - June 28, 2024 No. 129 In This Issue : Incident: Southwest B738 at Chicago on Jun 25th 2024, engine problem : Incident: Southwest B737 at Portland on Jun 25th 2024, took off from closed occupied runway : NTSB says Boeing could lose 737 MAX probe status if it violates rules again : Some delays at Newark airport after private jet goes off runway during landing : FAA Removes Check Pilot Medical Requirement : Boeing blames missing paperwork for Alaska Air incident, prompting rebuke from safety regulators : Delhi airport roof collapse kills one, injures others after heavy rains : PIA remains banned for Europe flights over failure to meet safety standards : Infectious disease expert reveals airplane health risks and precautions : Aircraft delivery delays having 'brutal' impact on Lufthansa, says CEO : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Southwest B738 at Chicago on Jun 25th 2024, engine problem A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N8623F performing flight WN-1042 from Chicago Midway,IL (USA) to Montego Bay (Jamaica), was climbing out of Midway's runway 31C when the crew stopped the climb at 4000 feet advising ATC they needed to run some checklists and wanted to remain in the area. Subsequently the crew requested to divert to Chicago O'Hare,IL stating something needed to be checked out, they were not declaring emergency and no assistance was needed. The aircraft landed safely on O'Hare's runway 28C about 35 minutes after departure. According to information The Aviation Herald received the crew received an engine (CFM56) overtemp indication. A replacement Boeing 737-8 MAX registration N8819L reached Montego Bay with a delay of about 7:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 24 hours before returning to service. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=51a74abb&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B737 at Portland on Jun 25th 2024, took off from closed occupied runway A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7861J performing flight WN-4805 from Portland,ME to Baltimore,MD (USA), departed Portland's runway 29 at 05:43L (09:43Z) when both runway and tower were still closed (to be opened by 05:45L/09:45Z). The aircraft continued to Baltimore for a landing without further incident. Airport Operations can be heard on tower frequency opening the runway about two minutes after Southwest's departure and asking tower whether they could get hold of the Southwest Airplane that had just taken off over them while they were doing a runway inspection. Tower responded they never talked to them, they weren't yet open. According to NOTAMs only Portland's runway 18/36 would have been available at that time (Tuesday, Jun 25th 2024, 09:43Z). https://www.avherald.com/h?article=51a74085&opt=0 NTSB says Boeing could lose 737 MAX probe status if it violates rules again (Reuters) - The National Transportation Safety Board warned Boeing on Thursday it could lose its status as a party to the probe into a 737 MAX mid-air blowout after it violated rules by providing non-public information to media and speculating about possible causes. In a letter sent to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun late on Thursday, NTSB Office of Aviation Safety Director Timothy LeBaron said an executive's comments this week during a factory tour attended by dozens of journalists "released non-public investigative information and made unsubstantiated speculations about possible causes of the Jan. 5 door plug blowout." LeBaron said the NTSB had considered removing Boeing as a party to the probe and added further infractions could lead to Boeing losing its party status, which would bar it from participating in the investigation. "This disregard of the federal regulations and rules governing NTSB investigations cannot be tolerated," LeBaron wrote, noting the board had warned Boeing on March 13 about prior company comments. He added that some of the remarks to media made by Elizabeth Lund, Boeing's senior vice president of quality, were "either inaccurate or unknown to the NTSB" while others had not been previously disclosed. Boeing declined to comment directly on the letter, referring to an earlier apology it released after the NTSB said it was sanctioning the planemaker over the remarks to media. The NTSB said Boeing would no longer see information produced during its probe, which involved the mid-air blowout of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door plug with four missing bolts. Unlike other parties, Boeing will now not be allowed to ask questions of other participants at a hearing on August 6-7. LeBaron said the NTSB would subpoena Boeing witnesses to appear at the hearing, which are expected to include Lund. The NTSB also said it would refer Boeing's recent conduct to the Department of Justice. In May, the DOJ said Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement with prosecutors that shielded it from criminal charges over interactions with the Federal Aviation Administration prior to MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Separate to the issue with Lund, LeBaron said Boeing Chief Engineer Howard McKenzie during a U.S. Senate hearing this month made prohibited comments about a Southwest Airlines "Dutch roll" incident, when he said the event "has nothing to do with design or manufacturing." LeBaron said the NTSB "has not made any such determination, and our investigators have not yet ruled out design or manufacturing issues." Southwest declined to comment. The NTSB is investigating a Southwest 737 MAX that experienced a "Dutch roll" at 34,000 feet while en route from Phoenix, Arizona to Oakland, California on May 25. Such lateral asymmetric movements are named after a Dutch ice skating technique and can pose serious safety risks. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/ntsb-says-boeing-could-lose-044240890.html Some delays at Newark airport after private jet goes off runway during landing Private jet goes off runway during landing at Newark airport The FAA temporarily paused flights into Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday afternoon after a private jet went off the runway. NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- The FAA temporarily paused flights into Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday afternoon after a private jet went off the runway. The Embraer business jet (Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100) went off the runway after landing around 1:50 p.m. A pilot and passenger were on board at the time but no injuries were reported. One wing of the aircraft was damaged. Officials with the FAA said as a result, the runway was closed and flight arrivals and departures out of Newark may be delayed during the investigation. Port Authority was towing the jet off the runway and once it is cleared, the runway will reopen. The flight originated out of Georgetown, South Carolina just after noon. https://abc7ny.com/post/delays-newark-airport-after-private-jet-goes-off/15006064/ FAA Removes Check Pilot Medical Requirement Rule also eliminates FAA regulatory inconsistencies The FAA has finalized the substantive relief proposed five years ago that removes a requirement for check pilots, check flight engineers, and flight instructors to Part 135 and 121 operations to hold an FAA medical certificate when performing in-flight duties. This move also eliminates Part 135 and 121 regulatory inconsistencies. “Removing the conflicting medical certificate requirement enables the utilization of pilots who are otherwise qualified to function as check pilots, check flight engineers, and flight instructors in aircraft,” according to the agency. This relief “would increase the number of experienced pilots who would be able to qualify as Part 135 check pilots on aircraft.” Similar clarifying changes were also made to Part 121. Comments received to the NPRM noted that the originally proposed revisions were insufficient to achieve the goal of the rulemaking: elimination of medical certificate requirement confusion. Therefore, the FAA is adopting different language than proposed for further clarification. “The substantive relief remains unchanged from that proposed in the 2019 NPRM and historical practice—elimination of medical certificate requirements if not serving as a required flight crewmember,” the agency said. The new rule becomes effective on July 18. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-06-27/faa-removes-check-pilot-medical-requirement Boeing blames missing paperwork for Alaska Air incident, prompting rebuke from safety regulators For months, missing paperwork has hindered the investigation into how a door plug blew off a 737 Max on an Alaska Airlines flight in January, making it difficult to find out who made the near tragic mistake. This week, Boeing disclosed that the paperwork may have caused the problem in the first place. It was already well known that no documentation was found to show who worked on the door plug, which came off the plane after it had reached around 16,000 feet in the air causing an uncontrolled decompression, which injured a few passengers and even tore one’s shirt off. But at a briefing for journalists at Boeing’s 737 Max factory in Renton, Washington, Boeing said that the lack of paperwork is why the four bolts needed to hold the door plug in place were never installed before the plane left the factory in October. The workers who needed to reinstall the bolts never had the work order telling them the work needed to be done. Without the bolts, the door plug incident was pretty much inevitable. Luckily, it wasn’t fatal. It’s a sign of the problems with the quality of work along the Boeing assembly lines. Those problems have become the focus of multiple federal investigations and whistleblower revelations, and the cause of delays in jet deliveries that are causing headaches for airlines and passengers around the globe. Boeing may have stepped in it… again But Boeing may have landed itself in even more trouble with regulators for divulging the details at this stage. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reprimanded Boeing Thursday for releasing “non-public investigative information” to the media. It said in a statement that the company had “blatantly violated” the agency’s rules. “During a media briefing Tuesday about quality improvements… a Boeing executive provided investigative information and gave an analysis of factual information previously released. Both of these actions are prohibited,” the NTSB said. Boeing will no longer have access to information generated by the NTSB during its investigation, the agency said, adding it was referring Boeing’s conduct to the Department of Justice. “As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing,” the NTSB said. In a letter sent to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun Thursday, NTSB Office of Aviation Safety Director Timothy LeBaron said this week’s media briefing was done without the consent or knowledge of the regulator. “Boeing must take all reasonable steps to ensure that investigative information is protected from public release,” he wrote. “Such a release or withholding of critical information from our investigators are blatant violations of NTSB’s regulations.” Boeing responded that it held the briefing in an effort to “take responsibility” and be transparent for its role in the incident. It said it “shared context on the lessons we have learned from the January 5 accident.” “We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSB’s role as the source of investigative information,” said Boeing’s statement. “We apologize to the NTSB and stand ready to answer any questions as the agency continues its investigation.” The NTSB also chastised Boeing for stating earlier this month that a rare, unsafe back-and-forth roll during a Southwest 737 Max flight in May was not because of a design or manufacturing error. The NTSB, which is investigating that incident, told Calhoun Thursday it had not made a determination yet and Boeing and the NTSB must speak with one voice when making public statements. Bad paperwork trail Boeing said during the Tuesday briefing that the reason the Alaska Air door plug was not probably secured in the first place was because two different groups of employees at the plant were charged with doing the work, with one removing and the other reinstalling the door plug as the plane was passing along the assembly line. The first group of employees removed the door plug to address problems with some rivets that were made by a supplier, Spirit AeroSystems. But they didn’t generate the paperwork indicating they had removed the door plug, along with the four bolts necessary to hold it in place, in order to do that work. When a different group of employees put the plug back in place, Boeing says the employees didn’t think the plane would actually fly in that condition. Instead, they were just blocking the hole with the plug to protect the inside of the fuselage from weather as the plane moved outside to a different area of the factory compound. That group of employees often makes those kind of temporary fixes. “The doors team closes up the aircraft before it is moved outside, but it’s not their responsibility to install the pins,” said Elizabeth Lund, senior vice president of quality for Boeing’s commercial airplane unit. Those employees likely assumed paperwork existed showing that the plug and bolts had been removed, and that paperwork would prompt someone else along the line to install the bolts. But without the paperwork, no one on the assembly line knew that the door plug had ever been removed, or that its bolts were missing, Lund said. Removing a door plug after a plane arrives from Spirit AeroSystems rarely happens, Lund added, so no one was aware the door plug needed attention. “(Permanent) reinstallation is done by another team based on the paperwork showing what jobs are unfinished,” Lund said. “But there was no paperwork, so nobody knew to follow up.” An accident waiting to happen The plane actually flew for about two months with the door plug in place despite the lack of bolts. But minutes after the Alaska Airlines flight took off from Portland, Oregon, on January 5, the door plug blew out, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. Passengers’ clothing and phones were ripped away from them and sent hurtling into the night sky. But fortunately no passengers were seriously injured, and the crew was able to land the plane safely. The missing bolts had been identified in preliminary findings of the National Transportation Safety Board, but that report did not assess blame for the accident. And a final report is not expected for about a year or more. A spokesperson for the NTSB said that the safety agency is continuing its investigation and will not comment on Boeing’s explanation for how the mistake was made. The board released a preliminary report in February that said it had found the bolts were missing when it left the Boeing factory, but it did not assess blame. A final report is not expected for a year or more. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy has testified about the missing paperwork at Congressional hearings since the preliminary report was released. Boeing is addressing the problem by slowing down its assembly lines, and making sure that planes don’t advance with problems under the assumption that those problems will be dealt with later in the assembly process, Lund said. “We have slowed down our factories to make sure this is under control,” she said. “I am extremely confident that the actions that we took,” will ensure every airplane leaving this factory is safe, she added. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/27/business/boeing-cause-alaska-air-door-plug/index.html Delhi airport roof collapse kills one, injures others after heavy rains A section of roof at New Delhi’s airport collapsed following heavy rain on Friday, crushing one man to death and injuring eight others in the latest high profile infrastructure disaster to dent India’s image. “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old Departure forecourt of Delhi’s Terminal 1 collapsed around 5 am,” a statement from the Indira Gandhi International Airport said. All departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, the statement added. Delhi Fire Services assistant divisional officer Ravinder Singh said rescuers got to the scene to find two support pillars had collapsed over a car. “There were eight injured and one man died,” Singh told CNN, noting that images showed a man “died in the car as the pillar fell on it.” “It took us a little longer to get his body out. Our rescue operations ended in 20 minutes,” he said, adding the wounded were taken to hospital. Photos of the scene released by the fire service showed the large white canopy of the roof had plunged to the ground, crushing several cars. One person could be seen slumped under twisted metal in the driver’s seat of one of the cars. India’s minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said he was “personally monitoring” the collapse in a statement on X. Parts of the capital territory of Delhi experienced heavy rainfall this week, flooding roads and submerging cars. The showers brought some respite from weeks of blistering heat after the city experienced temperatures as high as 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) – its highest on record – straining the country’s electricity grid and power supply. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/28/india/india-delhi-airport-roof-collapse-intl-hnk/index.html PIA remains banned for Europe flights over failure to meet safety standards European Commission spokesman says no Pakistani airline, including PIA, features on EU's air safety list In the case of Pakistan International Airlines's (PIA) ban on its flights to European countries for four years, it has been revealed that the national airlines continues to fail to demonstrate effective compliance with the stringent safety standards mandated by the European Union (EU). The spokesperson of the European Commission has released detailed reasons for maintaining the ban. It cites PIA's ongoing inability to demonstrate effective compliance with all safety protocols. This includes essential measures concerning operational safety, maintenance practices, and regulatory oversight. “All Pakistani airlines, including PIA, are required to implement corrective measures to address deficiencies in their safety management systems,” stated the spokesperson. He further said the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan must also utilise the necessary capabilities for effective monitoring. Moreover, no Pakistani airline, including PIA, currently features on the EU's air safety list, indicating significant concerns over regulatory compliance. The restrictions imposed on PIA are a direct consequence of the suspension of its Third Country Operator's (TCO) license by the International Air Safety Assessment (IASA). As a result, PIA is unable to operate flights between Pakistan and European countries until it rectifies the identified shortcomings and regains compliance with EU aviation safety requirements. The suspension of PIA's European Third Country Operator permit by IASA underscores the critical need for comprehensive reforms within the airline's safety management framework. This situation not only affects PIA's operational capacity but also raises broader concerns about Pakistan's aviation safety oversight. In response to these developments, stakeholders within Pakistan's aviation sector are intensifying efforts to address the deficiencies highlighted by international regulators. However, until PIA meets the EU's stringent safety standards, the ban on its European flights remains in force, impacting both the airline's operations and Pakistan's standing in global aviation safety protocols. https://www.samaa.tv/2087316894-pia-remains-banned-for-europe-flights-over-failure-to-meet-safety-standards Infectious disease expert reveals airplane health risks and precautions The TSA just reported an all-time high for the number of airline travelers screened, and major U.S. airlines expect to transport 271 million passengers this summer, a 6.3 percent increase from last year. Now, board-certified infectious disease physician Carl Abraham, M.D., assistant professor at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM), arms passengers with valuable information to stay healthy at 35,000 feet. Abraham, a practicing physician and faculty member at the medical school's Arkansas location, notes that some people may actually be surprised about the risk of germ spread on most airplanes. Commercial airplanes contain high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter systems, which exchange the air rapidly. In general, the risk of spreading an airborne pathogen is lower in an airplane than other indoor, public settings. However, some studies suggest that sitting within two rows of an infected passenger does increase the risk of acquiring an airborne infection." Carl Abraham, Assistant Professor, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology Given this, Abraham urges anyone with a possible respiratory tract infection to wear an N95 mask, as well as those with compromised immune systems. "Disinfecting touched objects, like seatbelts or trays, won't hurt, although airlines are supposed to make sure areas are cleaned thoroughly between flights," says Abraham. NGS for Infectious Disease Surveillance eBook Integrating genomics into the public health architecture for effective monitoring, prevention, and mitigation of infectious diseases using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. But the real hotspot might be the airplane lavatory. Here, transmission can occur either by coming into contact with surfaces contaminated by bacteria or by inhaling air contaminated with certain viruses-;like influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and measles-;after being used by a contagious passenger. Transmission of norovirus, the common cause of diarrheal outbreaks on cruise ships, has also been reported. "In general, the surfaces of public restrooms are frequently contaminated with fecal flora, bacteria found in stool. Airplane restrooms that are shared between passengers are no exception," says Abraham. "And, although airlines clean the lavatory between flights, their use during the flight results in contamination of the toilet, sink handles, door handles-;inside and outside, and especially the floors. Bacteria from the bathroom can also track into the cabin on the bottom of our shoes." To avoid coming into contact with these germs, he advises passengers to open and close lavatory door handles with a sanitizing wipe, use toilet seat covers, and close the lid before flushing. "Importantly, everyone should always wash their hands or practice some form of hand hygiene before putting clothes back in place and before and after eating," says Abraham. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240627/Infectious-disease-expert-reveals-airplane-health-risks-and-precautions.aspx Aircraft delivery delays having 'brutal' impact on Lufthansa, says CEO June 28 (Reuters) - Aircraft delivery issues are having a "brutal" impact on Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), opens new tab and will not be resolved before the end of the decade, according to CEO Carsten Spohr. Speaking at the business press club in Stuttgart late Thursday, Spohr said the aircraft shortage could be costing Lufthansa some 500 million euros ($535.00 million) a year, although he did not provide an exact figure. Lufthansa has ordered 250 new aircraft from Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab and Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab to modernize its fleet, with deliveries scheduled between 2024 and 2029. However, "no plane arrives on time," said Spohr, adding that around 100 of Lufthansa's 750 aircraft were grounded either for maintenance reasons or because they had been decommissioned. Earlier this week, Airbus lowered its forecast for deliveries this year to around 770 jets from around 800. The announcement came amid growing scepticism among suppliers over its jet output as Airbus grapples with parts shortages. Meanwhile, a series of incidents at Boeing have increased regulatory scrutiny of the U.S. manufacturer, adding to delays in deliveries that originated during the pandemic. ($1 = 0.9346 euros) https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aircraft-delivery-delays-having-brutal-impact-lufthansa-says-ceo-2024-06-28/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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