Flight Safety Information - August 22, 2024 No. 168 In This Issue : Incident: Wizz A321 at Warsaw on Aug 19th 2024, first officer incapacitated : Incident: Lufthansa A359 at San Diego, Munich and Nuremberg on Aug 20th 2024, gear problems : Incident: American A21N near Little Rock on Aug 20th 2024, odour in cabin : Incident: American A321 at San Diego on Aug 20th 2024, engine issue : Accident: Easyjet A320 near Rome on Aug 19th 2024, turbulence injures 2 flight attendants : Man Opens Plane's Door And Walks On Wing Before He's Arrested On Airport Tarmac : TSB Canada’s Fox Retires, Marier Assumes Chair Role : FAA’s proposed rulemaking addresses aircraft cybersecurity for newly built airplanes and equipment, seeks input : Tom Brassington joins Horizon Aircraft as Chief Technology Officer : Brief Emergency At Kerala Airport Over Bomb Threat On Air India Flight : TSA Stops New Jersey Woman with Revolver at Philadelphia Airport : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY : Calendar of Events Incident: Wizz A321 at Warsaw on Aug 19th 2024, first officer incapacitated A Wizz Air Airbus A321-200, registration HA-LXC performing flight W6-1451 from Warsaw (Poland) to Larnaca (Cyprus), was climbing out of Warsaw when the captain stopped the climb at FL100 and decided to return to Warsaw reporting the first officer had been incapacitated. The aircraft landed safely back on runway 33 about 25 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Warsaw when the first officer felt reported feeling unwell. A replacement crew performed the flight. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then departed again and reached Larnaca with a delay of about 4:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=51cb43b7&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa A359 at San Diego, Munich and Nuremberg on Aug 20th 2024, gear problems A Lufthansa Airbus A350-900, registration D-AIXA performing flight LH-467 from San Diego,CA (USA) to Munich (Germany), was climbing out of San Diego's runway 27 when the nose gear took an unusually long time to retract. The crew continued the climb to destination. Descending towards Munich the crew declared emergency due to a nose gear issue and decided to divert to Nuremberg, where the aircraft landed safely on runway 28 about 10:45 hours after departure from San Diego. The passengers were bussed to Munich. The aircraft is still on the ground in Nuremberg about 42 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51cb4265&opt=0 Incident: American A21N near Little Rock on Aug 20th 2024, odour in cabin An American Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration N414AL performing flight AA-196 from Boston,MA to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 179 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 20nm southwest of Little Rock,AR (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Little Rock reporting an unusual odour in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Little Rock's runway 04L about 20 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 13 hours, then continued the journey and reached Dallas with a delay of about 14:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=51cb4046&opt=0 Incident: American A321 at San Diego on Aug 20th 2024, engine issue An American Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N157UW performing flight AA-1272 from San Diego,CA to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 195 people on board, was climbing out of San Diego's runway 27 when the crew declared PAN PAN due to an engine (CFM56) problem and stopped the climb at 4000 feet advising ATC they would be returning to San Diego but needed about 10 minutes to work the related checklists. The crew advised that one of the engines was "a little bit hot on takeoff". The crew subsequently requested vectors to Los Angeles, was cleared to climb to 10,000 feet, the crew advised that would be a very slow climb, ATC then cleared them to 8000 feet, the crew advised they were still an emergency. The aircraft climbed to 7000 feet, entered a hold and landed on Los Angeles' runway 25R about 40 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200 registration N536UW continued the flight and reached Dallas with a delay of about 8:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Los Angeles about 26 hours after landing. The airline reported a possible mechanical issue. https://avherald.com/h?article=51caf037&opt=0 Accident: Easyjet A320 near Rome on Aug 19th 2024, turbulence injures 2 flight attendants An Easyjet Airbus A320-200, registration G-EJCM performing flight U2-8210 from Corfu (Greece) to London Gatwick,EN (UK), was climbing out of Corfu entering Italian Airspace when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing injuries to two flight attendants. The aircraft climbed to FL310, but the crew soon decided to divert to Rome Fiumicino, where the aircraft landed about 65 minutes after departure from Corfu. Italy's ANSV rated the occurrence an accident and opened an investigation stating the aircraft was entering Italian Airspace when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing injuries to two flight attendants. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Rome about 54 hours (2 days 6 hours) after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51caece3&opt=0 Man Opens Plane's Door And Walks On Wing Before He's Arrested On Airport Tarmac • A passenger has been arrested at an Australian airport after he left a stationary airliner through an emergency exit, walked along a wing and then climbed down to the tarmac. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A passenger was arrested at an Australian airport after he left a stationary airliner through an emergency exit, walked along a wing, and then climbed down a jet engine to the tarmac on Thursday, officials said. Jetstar Flight JQ507 had arrived at Melbourne Airport from Sydney and had parked at a terminal gate when the man left the plane by the right-side exit, officials said. Opening the exit automatically deployed a slide from the back of the wing at the fuselage to the ground, a Jetstar statement said. But the man instead walked along the wing and climbed down one of the Airbus A320’s two engines, an official said. Passenger Audrey Varghese said passengers screamed and shrieked as the man began “erratic” behavior shortly before he opened the hatch. “The man was exhibiting some quite strange behavior,” Varghese told Melbourne Radio 3AW. “As soon as the plane had started coming to a stop, he immediately got up and basically charged to where the emergency exit row is, and in the process shoving people, causing a bit of commotion, (and) ripped open the emergency door,“ Varghese said. A passenger who was seated a few rows in front of a man who pulled open the emergency exit door of a Sydney to Melbourne Jetstar flight has opened up on the passenger's behaviour on board the Another passenger, identified as Maddison, told Nine News television the man had been vaping, which is not allowed, during the 90-minute mid-morning flight and had unsuccessfully demanded the air crew provide him with alcohol. Australian Federal Police officers had been alerted by Jetstar staff and arrested the man for “alleged aggressive behavior and breaching aircraft safety protocols,” a police statement said. He was assessed by paramedics and taken to a hospital, where he remains for further assessment, the police statement said. Police were continuing to investigate and charges were likely to be laid at a later date, they said. Melbourne Airport said the man was detained by aircrew and ground staff before police arrested him. Social media images showed at least three ground staff restraining the man on the tarmac. “Melbourne Airport is proud of the exceptional response from ground crew, which meant there was no immediate danger to other passengers or airport staff,” an airport statement said. Varghese spoke from the baggage collection area of the airport an hour after the landing and said passengers had been told the deployed slide had delayed the unloading of their luggage. Nine News reported the baggage was released hours later. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/australia-emergency-exit_n_66c709bfe4b0b9c7b360791f TSB Canada’s Fox Retires, Marier Assumes Chair Role Yoan Marier officially assumed the role of Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) chair Aug. 21, replacing Kathy Fox, who retired after a decade in the position. A member of the TSB since September 2020, Marier was nominated to succeed Fox in July by Canada’s Governor in Council (CGC). A former commercial pilot, Marier also served as a dangerous goods specialist in Transport Canada and spent nearly four years with the Social Security Tribunal of Canada. Fox’s TSB tenure extends an iconic aviation career. As board chair, Fox earned a reputation as being unassuming yet effective, using her position to spotlight perceived safety deficiencies and not call attention to TSB’s accomplishments or her role in them. Frustration with Transport Canada’s slow responses to TSB recommendations prompted the Fox-led board to add the issue to its semi-annual Watchlist of safety items in 2016 and again in 2018. “We understand some of these are tough issues, but there’s no excuse that when Transport Canada agrees with us, they should take over 10 years” to act, Fox said at a 2018 Flight Safety Foundation conference. Fox’s 17 years at TSB, including 10 as chair, followed a decade in leadership roles at Nav Canada, including four years as VP-operations. Her roles with Canada’s safety watchdog and private air navigation services provider followed stints as an air traffic controller, commercial pilot, and competitive parachute team standout. The work earned her numerous accolades, including spots in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame and Women in Aviation Hall of Fame. “Kathy’s tenure has been marked by her commitment to transparency, accountability, and the continuous improvement of safety protocols,” the CGC said in a statement. “She has championed a proactive approach to safety, emphasizing the importance of learning from incidents to prevent future occurrences. Her contributions have made a lasting difference, and she will be remembered as one of the most influential figures in Canadian transportation safety.” https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/tsb-canadas-fox-retires-marier-assumes-chair-role FAA’s proposed rulemaking addresses aircraft cybersecurity for newly built airplanes and equipment, seeks input The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published on Wednesday a notice of proposed rulemaking that would impose new design standards to address cybersecurity threats for transport category airplanes, engines, and propellers. The intended effect of this proposed action is to standardize the FAA’s criteria for addressing cybersecurity threats, reducing certification costs and time while maintaining the same level of safety provided by current special conditions. Interested stakeholders are called in to send comments on or before Oct. 21, 2024. The proposed rulemaking would standardize the FAA’s criteria for addressing cybersecurity threats for transport category airplanes, engines, and propellers to reduce certification costs and time while maintaining the same level of safety provided by current special conditions. Therefore, it results in cost savings for the industry. The FAA welcomes comments on this analysis. The FAA’s proposed changes would introduce type certification and continued airworthiness requirements to protect the equipment, systems, and networks of transport category airplanes, engines, and propellers against intentional unauthorized electronic interactions (IUEI) that could create safety hazards. Design approval applicants would be required to identify, assess, and mitigate such hazards, and develop Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) that would ensure such protections continue in service. The proposed changes would mandate such protection and apply to applicants for design approval of transport category airplanes, engines, and propellers. The changes would also affect future operators of these products through the application of the ICA. The proposed rulemaking identified that aircraft, engines, and propellers increasingly incorporate networked bus architectures susceptible to cybersecurity threats. “These threats have the potential to affect the airworthiness of the airplane. These network architectures require cybersecurity provisions to address vulnerabilities to IUEI. The FAA currently addresses transport category airplane security through the issuance of special conditions requiring proposed designs to isolate or protect vulnerable systems from unauthorized internal or external access.” Over time, the FAA has observed that repeated issuance of project-specific ASISP special conditions could result in cybersecurity-related certification criteria that are neither standardized between projects nor harmonized between the FAA and other Civil Aviation Authorities. These disconnects increase the certification complexity, cost, and time for both the applicant and regulator. Additionally, the proposed rulemaking package codifies the substantive requirements of frequently issued cybersecurity special conditions to address these issues. The substance of the proposed rules would generally reflect current practices ( e.g., special conditions) that the FAA has used to address product cybersecurity since 2009. Under the proposed regulations, the FAA would continue to apply the same substantive requirements established by current special conditions via the same methods of compliance to new applicable certification projects; thus, the impact on applicants and operators would not be significant. The intended effect of this action is to reduce the costs and time necessary to certify new and changed products and harmonize FAA regulatory requirements with the regulations that other civil aviation authorities are using to address cybersecurity vulnerability while maintaining the level of safety provided by current Aircraft System Information Security/Protection (ASISP) special conditions. The FAA’s special conditions addressing cybersecurity on transport category airplanes have generally required applicants’ proposed designs to accomplish three things. Applicants have been required to show that their proposed airplane designs either provide isolation from or protection against internal or external unauthorized access; show that their designs prevent inadvertent changes, malicious changes, and all adverse impacts to the airplane equipment, systems, and networks necessary for safe operation; and establish procedures to ensure that they maintain such cybersecurity protections. Applicants have met the first two criteria using the method of compliance (MoC) part of the cybersecurity special condition issue papers. Special conditions are issued if the existing applicable airworthiness standards do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for an aircraft, aircraft engine, or propeller because of novel or unusual design features of the product to be type certificated. Issue papers provide a structured means for describing and tracking the resolution of significant technical, regulatory, and administrative issues that occur during a project. The early cybersecurity MoC followed the positions listed in those issue papers: the applicants created a certification plan meeting those positions, and then the FAA approved that certification plan. The proposed rulemaking identified that the intended effects of the proposal would be to incorporate the substance of the requirements contained in commonly issued ASISP special conditions, reduce the cost and time necessary to certify new and changed products for both industry and the FAA, harmonize FAA regulations with EASA cybersecurity CS, and address Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) recommendations. Subsequently, the proposal would create cost savings for the FAA and the applicant by eliminating the need to continue issuing similar ASISP special conditions. Aircraft, engines, and propellers increasingly incorporate networked bus architectures susceptible to cybersecurity threats. These threats have the potential to affect the airworthiness of the airplane. These network architectures require cybersecurity provisions to address vulnerabilities to IUEI. The proposed rule may affect all five U.S. entities manufacturing transport-category airplanes, four entities manufacturing engines for transport-category airplanes, and four entities manufacturing propellers. Additionally, operators could have modifiers retrofit legacy airplanes with systems that would require cybersecurity provisions. The FAA estimated over a ten-year period of analysis that the proposal would result in a present value of cost savings for the FAA of about US$783,366 at a three percent discount rate with an annualized cost savings of about $91,834. Applying a seven percent discount rate would result in a present value cost savings of about $645,584 with an annualized net cost savings of $91,916. The cost savings do not include the applicants for type certificates for transport category airplanes that would result from the elimination of the need to issue ASISP special conditions due to a lack of information. The FAA requests information for this group of applicants, along with supporting data, for the estimated time and cost savings. The agency said it is publishing this Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) to aid the public in commenting on the potential impacts on small entities from this proposal. The FAA invites interested parties to submit data and information regarding the potential economic impact that would result from the proposal. The FAA will consider comments when deciding or when completing a Final Regulatory Flexibility Assessment. An IRFA must contain a description of the reasons why the action by the FAA is being considered; a succinct statement of the objective of, and legal basis for, the proposed rule; a description of, and where feasible, an estimate of the number of small entities to which the proposed rule would apply; and offer a description of the projected reporting, recordkeeping, and other compliance requirements of the proposed rule, including an estimate of the classes of small entities that would be subject to the requirement and the type of professional skills necessary for the preparation of the report or record. Furthermore, it must include an identification, to the extent practicable, of all relevant federal rules that may duplicate, overlap, or conflict with the proposed rule; and a description of any significant alternatives to the proposed rule that accomplish the stated objectives of applicable statutes, and which minimize any significant economic impact of the proposed rule on small entities. Commenting on the FAA’s proposed rulemaking, Joseph Saunders, CEO and founder at RunSafe Security, wrote in an emailed statement that elevating cybersecurity from special conditions handling to airworthiness is a great step but long overdue given the rise in communications and connected components on aircraft. “Plus, unlike loose bolts or faulty sensors, cyber exploits carry the potential for a large-scale, remote sabotage attack that can instantly ground an entire fleet. With that said, the regulation does not go far enough in addressing and maintaining multi-layer defenses to protect against unknown vulnerabilities.” He added, “We need both the capability to prevent future attacks against unknown vulnerabilities discovered after a manufacturer delivers instructions for continued airworthiness and a process for the manufacturer and operator to agree when to update the operators’ aircraft to address future software vulnerabilities affecting airworthiness.” https://industrialcyber.co/transport/faas-proposed-rulemaking-addresses-aircraft-cybersecurity-for-newly-built-airplanes-and-equipment-seeks-input/ Tom Brassington joins Horizon Aircraft as Chief Technology Officer New Horizon Aircraft (Horizon), operating as Horizon Aircraft, has announced the appointment of Tom Brassington as Chief Technology Officer. Brassington is the latest addition to Horizon Aircraft's growing engineering team, which has been strengthened by a series of strategic hires from the aerospace sector. He joins Horizon from Lilium, a leading eVTOL developer, where he served as Head of System Design Engineering. He will assume his new role at Horizon Aircraft at the end of October 2024. With 17 years of experience in aerospace systems engineering, Brassington brings visionary leadership and technical expertise, particularly in the eVTOL space. His appointment is set to significantly enhance Horizon Aircraft's engineering capabilities, streamline development processes, and drive innovation. Additionally, his expertise in eVTOL certification will be instrumental as Horizon prepares for the production of the Cavorite X7, a piloted seven-seat hybrid electric eVTOL designed to meet the needs of customers in the medevac, business aviation and commercial cargo sectors. Brassington noted that the eVTOL sector is becoming increasingly competitive, with a few companies emerging as likely leaders. He expressed confidence in Horizon Aircraft's strong operational focus, realistic concept compatible with current technology, and highly experienced team. He looks forward to contributing to the company's continued growth and success during this exciting phase. https://avitrader.com/2024/08/22/horizon-aircraft-appoints-tom-brassington-chief-technology-officer/ Brief Emergency At Kerala Airport Over Bomb Threat On Air India Flight The flight with 135 passengers landed safely at the airport around 8 am and was moved to an isolation bay, airport sources said. Brief Emergency At Kerala Airport Over Bomb Threat On Air India Flight Passengers are being evacuated from the flight, airport sources said. A full emergency was declared at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport today following a bomb threat on an Air India flight from Mumbai, airport sources said. The flight with 135 passengers landed safely at the airport around 8 am and was moved to an isolation bay, they said. Passengers were safely evacuated from the flight by 8.44 am, they said. The bomb threat was communicated by the pilot at 7.30 am as the aircraft approached the Thiruvananthapuram airport, the sources said. Subsequently, full emergency was declared at the airport at 7.36 am, they said. "There has been no impact on life. Airport operations are currently uninterrupted," the sources said. Details on the origin of the threat and other information are awaited, they added. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/thiruvananthapuram-airport-declares-full-emergency-after-bomb-threat-on-air-india-plane-6390332 TSA Stops New Jersey Woman with Revolver at Philadelphia Airport A Pitman, N.J., woman was arrested by police on Thursday (August 15) at Philadelphia International Airport after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers detected a .22 caliber revolver type pistol among the woman’s carry-on items at one of the airport security checkpoints. The firearm was intercepted when the checkpoint X-ray unit alerted a TSA officer of the gun inside the carry-on bag. Police responded, confiscated the firearm and arrested the woman on a weapons charge. “Bringing a firearm to an airport security checkpoint introduces an unnecessary security risk to our officers and to fellow travelers,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “We have no issues with people who pack their firearms properly for a flight. Bringing a loaded handgun to our checkpoints isn’t the way to do it. The proper way is to pack your unloaded firearm in a locked hard-sided case. Then take the case to your airline check-in counter and declare that you want to travel with it. The airline will make sure it is transported in the belly of the plane so that nobody has access to it during the flight. It’s a fairly simple process. Instead, these individual faces a federal financial civil penalty in addition to having to deal with her arrest.” https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/transportation/tsa-stops-new-jersey-woman-with-revolver-at-philadelphia-airport/ GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Brian Huh, and I'm a graduate student in applied psychology studying aviation human factors at the University of Southern California (USC). I'm currently assisting the ISASI Human Factors Working Group, under the direction of Toni Flint, Treena Forshaw, and Daniel Scalese, in its effort to enhance the existing, outdated Human Factors Guide. Our research aims to gather insights from aviation professionals to ensure this guide remains a valuable resource for a wide audience within the aviation safety community. We're focusing on identifying key areas of information and addressing specific challenges in the field of human factors in aviation safety. As part of this research, we've developed a survey to collect feedback from professionals like yourself. The survey takes about 20-30 minutes to complete and will close on August 12, 2024. Your input would be invaluable in shaping this comprehensive guide for aviation safety. And the Link to the Survey: https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bmv6n323oHr3Rwq -Survey title: Aviation Investigator Needs Assessment Survey -Purpose: To inform the next iteration of the ISASI Human Factors Guide -Content: Feedback on the current guide, professional experiences, and challenges in applying human factors principles -Estimated Time to Complete: 20-30 minutes Your input is crucial in shaping this comprehensive guide. We realize the turnaround time is short, which is due to the deadlines associated with Brian's graduate program requirements. Even a small number of additional responses could be extremely valuable for this research. CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 • Safety is not a Secret - September 27-28, 2024 - Seminar, JUNGLE AVIATION AND RELAY SERVICE • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • DEFENCE AVIATION SAFETY 2024 - 2 OCTOBER - 3 OCTOBER 2024 - LONDON • 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