Flight Safety Information - September 4, 2024 No. 176 In This Issue : Incident: ANZ AT72 at Wellington on Sep 1st 2024, engine fire on short final : Incident: TUI B738 enroute on Aug 29th 2024, cracked windshield : Hot air balloon landing goes wrong when pilot snags gutter, tears hole in balloon’s side : India’s air travel safety record significantly improved last year: DGCA : Aviation Leaders from Latin America Highlight IASS 2024 Agenda : Airline to rebalance planes as new first class seats make aircraft 'nose-heavy' : Gun found at TSA checkpoint in Honolulu’s airport : Horn of Africa airlink, once symbolic of peace, suspended : Airplane engines are in short supply. The business of fixing older ones is booming : Spirit Airlines Furloughs Over 180 Pilots Amidst $193 Million Loss : Thai pilots cry foul over foreigners flying domestic routes : American Airlines is Suing One of the Largest Shipping Companies in the World Over $500,000 Damage Caused to Aircraft Engine : American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Diversion After First Class Passenger Attacks Flight Attendant When He Was Ordered to Stop Vaping : Calendar of Events Incident: ANZ AT72 at Wellington on Sep 1st 2024, engine fire on short final An ANZ Air New Zealand Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration ZK-MVL performing flight NZ-5366 from Christchurch to Wellington (New Zealand), was on on short final to Wellington's runway 34 about 6 seconds before touch down when the left hand engine began to emit dense smoke. The aircraft touched down, rolled out and stopped on the runway, flames became visible from the left hand engine. The crew shut both engines down while emergency services began to respond. The aircraft was evacuated. There were no injuries. The airline reported smoke was seen from an engine, the aircraft was met by emergeny services, all passengers disembarked safely. A passenger photo shows the left hand engine on fire. Passengers later reported the "crew chief" told them there had been a drop in the oil pressure of the engine, the oil obviously was leaking and made contact with hot parts of the engine and ignited. https://avherald.com/h?article=51d227ef&opt=0 Incident: TUI B738 enroute on Aug 29th 2024, cracked windshield A TUI Airways Boeing 737-800, registration G-FDZY performing flight BY-718 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt), was enroute at FL350 near Milan (Italy) when the crew decided to return to Manchester due to a cracked windshield, initially descending to FL340 for the return. About 25 minutes after turning around the aircraft descended normally to FL100 and continued to Manchester, where the aircraft landed safely about 2:15 hours after turning around. A passenger reported the crew told them the reason for the return was a crack in the windshield which could be repaired quicker in Manchester than in Egypt. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration G-TAWJ reached Sharm el Sheikh about 7:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 35 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=51d2c3d2&opt=0 Hot air balloon landing goes wrong when pilot snags gutter, tears hole in balloon’s side Medina said she initially believed the balloonist was trying to ‘show off a little bit’ flying close to the ground during Labor Day Lift Off. (KKTV) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - A hot air balloon in Colorado was caught on video scraping the ground near some homes with a hole in its side after a landing attempt gone wrong. Leslie Medina caught the Saturday morning incident on camera. It took place during Colorado Springs’ Labor Day Lift Off, an annual hot air balloon festival in the city. Medina told KKTV she thought the balloonist was closer than he should be to the ground before the incident but believed he was just trying to “show off” for those who had gathered outside to watch. “I noticed that it was getting extremely closer to the apartment buildings, and I was just like, ‘Oh, OK, seems a little unusual,’” Medina said. “‘Maybe he just wanted to give us a closer look.’” The balloon got even lower, moments before tapping the ground just feet away from both Medina and a nearby apartment building. Video shows a tear in the side of the balloon. “Next thing you know, all I see was this big shadow coming down so fast... I wasn’t realizing how fast these hot air balloons go down, so I just got my dog and we ran to safety,” Medina said. “Thank God no one got hurt, and from what I’ve known, everybody made it home.” Event organizers confirmed no one was injured and no property was damaged. They say the pilot reported an error when trying to land, saying he snagged a sharp point on a gutter on a nearby home. The pilot was able to land safely despite the tear in the balloon. He was able to maintain control of the balloon because of where the tear occurred, according to event organizers. Medina says others have told her they would have hopped in the balloon’s basket for a free ride, but she had a different reaction. “After seeing this, I think I’ll stay right on the ground,” she said. https://www.kswo.com/2024/09/04/hot-air-balloon-landing-goes-wrong-when-pilot-snags-gutter-tears-hole-balloons-side/ India’s air travel safety record significantly improved last year: DGCA DGCA NEW DELHI: Air travel in India last CY (2023) was a lot safer than that in the preceding two years. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday said compared to 2021 and 2022, the “number of risk-bearing airprox per million flights over Indian Airspace reduced by 25% and achieved the target (in 2023); number of GPWS/EGPWS (ground proximity warning system) warning per 10,000 departures has reduced by 92% and achieved the target. This reduces the risk of controlled flight into terrain; number of unstabilised approaches that continue to land per ten thousand approaches, has shown a continuous decreasing trend with a reduction of approximately 23% and met the target. This reduces the risk of runway excursions and abnormal runway contact.” An airprox is the breach of minimum separation (both vertical and lateral) that two aircraft need to maintain while flying. The data was contained in DGCA’s Annual Safety Review-2023 that was released on Wednesday. “DGCA publishes the ‘national aviation safety plan’ (NASP) identifying the national - high risk categories of occurrences (N-HRCs) in line with ICAO Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP). The performance of NASP in terms of safety performance indicators (SPI) and safety performance targets is assessed annually and published in the form of Annual Safety Review (ASR). It presents the analysis of the aggregate safety data derived from the DGCA database and external sources such as ICAO iSTARS for the preceding year. This data driven approach ensures a firm embedding of the safety culture in the aviation growth trajectory and provides a robust process to identify emerging safety issues and continually refine existing procedures,” the statement said. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/indias-air-travel-safety-record-significantly-improved-last-year-dgca/articleshow/113058863.cms Aviation Leaders from Latin America Highlight IASS 2024 Agenda ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Embraer President and Chief Executive Officer Francisco Gomes Neto, LATAM Brasil CEO Jerome Cadier, and ALTA Executive Director and CEO José Recardo Botelho will be the keynote speakers at Flight Safety Foundation's 77th annual International Aviation Safety Summit (IASS) Nov. 5–7 in Rio de Janeiro. Gomes Neto, who was elected president and CEO of the Brazil-based aircraft manufacturer in April 2019, is scheduled to open Day 1 of IASS 2024. He will be followed on Day 2 by Cadier, who has been CEO of LATAM Brasil since May 2017. The Day 3 keynote speaker will be Botelho, who joined ALTA — the Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association — in June 2020 following four years as president of the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). The theme of this year's IASS, which is being held at the Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro, is "global horizons: elevating safety through innovation." Simultaneous translation will be offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. IASS 2024 is organized in partnership with ANAC. "We are fortunate to have three distinguished leaders to set the stage for us," said Foundation President and CEO Dr. Hassan Shahidi. "Each keynote speaker will bring unique perspectives to discussions on elevating global aviation safety through transformative innovations." To register or get more information on IASS 2024, please visit the IASS 2024 webpage on the Foundation's website. About Flight Safety Foundation (flightsafety.org) Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, and communications to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to connect, influence, and lead global aviation safety. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aviation-leaders-from-latin-america-highlight-iass-2024-agenda-302235314.html Airline to rebalance planes as new first class seats make aircraft 'nose-heavy' Swiss International Air Lines is having to rebalance its planes because its new first class privacy seats are too heavy and could make the aircraft “nose-heavy.” Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Swiss International Air Lines is having to rebalance its planes because its new first class privacy seats are too heavy and could make the aircraft "nose-heavy." Swiss, which is offering a new first class concept called "Swiss Senses," will introduce the suites next year on its Airbus A330-300 fleet to provide "absolute privacy" for passengers on longer flights. The suites will include six-foot walls and locking doors. The added luxury and weight toward the front of the plane, combined with lighter economy class seats in the middle and back, will create a weight imbalance. The airline is now looking into installing a massive lead balancing plate toward the back of its Airbus A330s, despite concerns about increased fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. "We are operating in this area of tension," said Swiss spokesperson Meike Fuhlrott, "driving forward the achievement of the CO2 target of net zero emissions by 2050 by implementing a large number of innovative measures." The airline, which operates between Switzerland and the Middle East, the United States and Canada, will determine the required counterweight of the aircraft's back plate once the new seats are installed. Swiss says the imbalance was not a "planning error," but instead is part of the airline's retrofitting plan to meet industry trends and passenger demands. "In no uncertain terms, it is time we modernized the cabin interiors of our long-haul aircraft, and especially our Airbus A330-300s," the airline said. "Customer wishes, economic efficiency and environmental compatibility must be coordinated," Fuhlrott said, adding that flight times will not be impacted by the added weight. While Swiss will also be retrofitting the heavier seats into its Boeing 777s, the airline does not expect a balance issue in those planes. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/09/03/switzerland-swiss-airline-rebalance-plane-heavy-seats/5441725420377/ Gun found at TSA checkpoint in Honolulu’s airport TSA officers at Honolulu’s airport found a firearm in a passenger’s bag Tuesday morning. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - TSA officers at Honolulu’s airport found a firearm in a passenger’s bag Tuesday morning. Officials said this was the fourth firearm found at HNL checkpoints so far this year. TSA did not release the identity of the traveler. HNN has reached out to the sheriffs to find out if the person who was carrying the firearm has been charged. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2024/09/04/gun-found-tsa-checkpoint-honolulus-airport/ Horn of Africa airlink, once symbolic of peace, suspended There were celebrations in the Eritrean capital when the first commercial flight from Ethiopia in nearly two decades arrived in 2018 Ethiopian Airlines (EA) has suspended flights to and from Asmara, the capital of neighbouring Eritrea, citing “difficult operating conditions" beyond its control. The move had been anticipated after the Eritrean government announced in July that the airline would no longer be allowed to operate in the country by the end of this month. The state-owned airline, Africa’s largest air operator, had been speaking to the authorities in Asmara to try and address the complaints. Flights only resumed between the two countries six years ago, after a 20-year break, in a highly symbolic move that represented the easing of historic tensions. Ethiopian Airlines makes historic flight to Eritrea EA, which is the only airline to operate on the route, said that it would rebook affected passengers on other airlines - likely to be a more circuitous journey - at no additional cost. In its July statement, the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority accused EA of “malicious trading practices” and included a long list of grievances. The Eritrean authorities said they had made “relentless calls” to EA to resolve the issues but said these efforts “bore no fruit”. EA acknowledged receiving the suspension notice at the time but said that the specific reasons for the suspension had not been disclosed. Many of those taking one of the two daily flights from Asmara to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, travel on from there to the rest of Africa, Europe and North America. Several travellers in Eritrea told the BBC that they were surprised by the sudden suspension and were worried about the growing tension between the two countries. There were celebrations when the airlink was re-instated in 2018. Two decades earlier Ethiopia and Eritrea had fought a vicious border war in which tens of thousands had died. Relations thawed after Abiy Ahmed became Ethiopia’s prime minister in 2018 and signed a “declaration of peace and friendship” with Eritrea. The declaration won him the Nobel Peace Prize the following year. But ties between the Horn of Africa neighbours have again deteriorated following the end of the two-year civil war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, which borders Eritrea. Asmara had been an ally of the Ethiopian government but has been lukewarm about the accord that ended the conflict in November 2022. Relations were further aggravated by Mr Abiy’s pronouncement last year that his country wanted to secure access to a port on the Red Sea. This raised concerns among neighbouring countries with coastlines, particularly Eritrea, whose secession in 1991 rendered Ethiopia landlocked. With the land border closed, and the airlink between the two countries now suspended, telecom services are the only open connection between the neighbours. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62r1r5g816o Airplane engines are in short supply. The business of fixing older ones is booming Why airlines like American are scrambling to make engines last longerwatch now TULSA, Okla. — Parts and labor shortages. Delayed deliveries of new airplanes from Boeing and Airbus. An engine recall. Premature repairs. It’s all piling up, and aircraft engine shops around the world are overflowing. As travelers boarded planes in record numbers this summer, airline executives waited anxiously for repairs and overhauls of their engines. The repair and overhaul of engines has swelled from a $31 billion business before the pandemic to $58 billion this year, according to Alton Aviation Consultancy. It’s a cash cow for engine makers like GE Aerospace and the hundreds of smaller specialists that service GE engines, and others made by Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. American Airlines ’ solution is to do more of the work itself. “We just have one customer and that’s American Airlines doing our work,” American’s chief operating officer, David Seymour, said. “We can control our own destiny in that area.” At its bustling engine shop at the airline’s 3.3 million-square-foot maintenance facility at Tulsa International Airport, the largest such space in the world, American is on track to increase its overhauls roughly 60% from 2023 to more than 16 engines a month this year. That’s up from five a month in 2022. It’s added some 200 jobs there, as well more equipment like cranes to hang the 2-ton engines during overhauls. The work focuses on CFM56 engines, made by a joint venture of GE and France’s Safran. They power American’s older Boeing 737 workhorse jetliners and many Airbus A320s. Those narrow-body airplanes make up the majority of American’s mainline fleet of more than 960 aircraft, according to an annual company securities filing. “I can get these engines overhauled and through the shop in less than 60 days versus [outside] shops nowadays [are] 120 to 150 days, in some cases north of 200 days,” COO Seymour said. Bottlenecks abound Much of the bottleneck in engine repairs stems from the industry’s rocky emergence from the pandemic, when companies shed thousands of skilled workers. Airlines that delayed maintenance during the travel slump then raced to get airplanes into shape to fly when demand snapped back, but faced worker and experience shortages and shortfalls of key items from engine components to aircraft seats. Meanwhile, Airbus and Boeing are behind on deliveries of new, more fuel-efficient airplanes, forcing carriers, including American, to hold on to older jetliners longer than they planned. Airbus this summer reduced its aircraft delivery forecast and announced cost cuts as it grapples with supply chain issues and late-arriving landing gear and engines. “I would also call it the surprise factor for 2024,” Airbus CFO Thomas Toepfer said on a July 30 earnings call. In addition to supply chain issues, Boeing aircraft have been delayed as the company navigates a safety crisis after a door panel blew out from one of its 737 Max planes midair at the start of the year. With many engines needing overhauls about every 7,000 flights, keeping older airplanes longer means more routine maintenance and revamps, adding to demand when they’re due to come into the shop. Those weekslong overhauls are exhaustive: They can cost $5 million apiece and can go for double that for wide-body airplanes, according to Kevin Michaels, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory. At American’s shop in Tulsa, workers remove hundreds of parts, replacing life-limited components and cleaning and inspecting others, which includes spraying them down with a a fluorescent penetrant so defects can be seen under a black light. But key parts are hard to find and they must be flawless. Plus, they’re costly. The dozens of engine compressor blades can go for $30,000 a pop. On top of that, some newer engines — which run hotter, take in more air and burn less fuel than older types — are coming into engine shops earlier than expected, frustrating airline CEOs. “There’s no business which can digest not using the key assets to generate revenue,” said AirBaltic CEO Martin Gauss. The Riga, Latvia-based carrier, an Airbus A220 customer, had to lease planes in recent years to make up for its grounded jets. “Unfortunately, passengers are not happy when they can’t fly on new aircraft,” he said. “It is an issue which will be over one day. We thought it would be over by now. I would give it another two years and then we are through it.” There’s another problem that’s clogging up engine shops: A Pratt & Whitney engine recall of some of its narrow-body engines. In light of the ongoing issues, some low-cost airlines, including JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines , are deferring new jet deliveries to try to save money. “It’s kind of a wicked brew that’s had a significant impact on the engine supply chain,” said AeroDynamic Advisory’s Michaels. Windfall for engine makers The high demand for engine overhauls has been lucrative for engine suppliers, which make billions from maintaining engines they sell with new airplanes. GE Aerospace brought in $11.7 billion from engine maintenance, repairs and overhaul in the first half of 2024, making up 65% of its revenue. “When it comes to engines, it’s a razor-razor blade business,” said Michaels, describing how buying shavers in a drug store can mean repeat business for replacement blades for years. “So the money is made in the aftermarket on the engine business.” United CEO expresses ‘renewed confidence’ in Boeing after meeting with new leader Ortberg GE Aerospace, which became an independent company in April, said in July that it will invest $1 billion to upgrade its engine shops around the world over the next five years. Got spares? For many airlines, there aren’t many alternatives to costly engine overhauls with demand on the rise for replacement engines, especially if the carrier has one type of aircraft or a model that only has one supplier. Rental rates for engines that match up with both old and new planes have skyrocketed. For example, a CFM56 engine used on the Boeing 737-800 was going for $96,000 a month up from $78,000 in 2017, according to aviation data firm IBA. Both Pratt & Whitney and CFM engines that power the newer Airbus A320neo airplanes, meanwhile, have logged lease rates of $127,000 per month, up from $80,000 and $85,000, respectively, in 2017, IBA said. Leasing firms like AerCap and Avolon have been snatching up spare engines because of the high demand. It is still difficult to get into an engine shop, however. Delta Air Lines , like American, overhauls, repairs and maintains its own engines. It also does work for other airlines, but CEO Ed Bastian says the shop is full. “If you’re not on an existing contract, you’re not getting in,” he said in an interview in July. “It would be easier to get into a Taylor Swift concert.” https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/04/airplane-engines-repairs.html Spirit Airlines Furloughs Over 180 Pilots Amidst $193 Million Loss Spirit Airlines furloughed over 180 pilots during the holiday weekend, surpassing initial plans, as the airline Revenue through the first six months of 2024 of $2.5 billion was down 8.5% year over year. During the holiday weekend, Spirit Airlines, known for its ultra-low-cost model, revealed that it has furloughed over 180 pilots. This development follows a disappointing second quarter, in which the airline reported a net income loss. The scale of the furloughs, which exceeds the initial plan to temporarily lay off more than 70 pilots, may be seen as a positive turn for some. Spirit Airlines anticipates that this action will generate significant cost savings, as it strives to stabilize its financial situation amidst ongoing difficulties. Spirit Airlines faced significant backlash from its pilots and the ALPA over the summer following the announcement on July 1st that CEO Ted Christie and four other top executives would be receiving pay raises. This move was controversial, especially given that just three months earlier, the airline had disclosed a deal with Airbus to defer aircraft deliveries, which was expected to enhance its liquidity by around $340 million through 2026. Despite fewer pilot furloughs than initially anticipated, Aero Crew News reports that 96 captains have been downgraded. Ryan Muller, Chairman of Spirit’s Master Executive Council (MEC), emphasized that the pilots are united in their response to the situation. https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/spirit-airlines-furloughs-over-180-pilots-amidst-193-million-loss/ Thai pilots cry foul over foreigners flying domestic routes The Thai Pilots Association is raising the alarm over liberalising pilot jobs for foreigners flying domestic routes through wet lease arrangements, claiming it risks another red flag from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Last month, the Department of Employment talked with the association, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, and an airline that asked former premier Srettha Thavisin for this liberalisation, which would give foreign pilots temporary permission to fly domestic routes. The permission would be given only to foreign pilots linked to ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) leasing, widely known as wet leasing, that includes all four segments from the supplier airline. Teerawat Angkasakulkiat, president of the Thai Pilots Association, said according to the Labour Ministry, which sets the list of prohibited jobs for non-Thais, foreign pilots are unable to fly domestic flights. The department discussed this issue with related stakeholders and agreed to liberalise this rule on a temporary basis to mitigate the impact of a supply shortage during the upcoming high season for six months. However, Mr Teerawat said this permission could harm the Thai aviation industry in several ways. First, he said as Thailand is not officially committed to Article 83bis of the Chicago Convention, which allows the state of registry to transfer supervisory responsibilities for an aircraft to the state of the operator, granting this type of permission might breach aviation laws and affect the status of the country. In the worst-case scenario, Thailand could incur a red flag, as happened in 2015 when the country failed ICAO’s safety test, which stopped Thai carriers from expanding to other countries, said Mr Teerawat. “The authorities might say the amendment is temporary, but what will happen if more airlines follow suit by taking advantage of this change? Then authorities cannot prevent other carriers from conducting the same practices as they could be accused of discrimination,” he said. In addition, allowing foreign pilots via wet lease contracts would not benefit the country because the cost of such an agreement is relatively high for an airline, said Mr Teerawat. Such agreements do not guarantee passengers will receive lower prices based on reduced operational costs, he said. Essential for the association is the lost opportunities for 1,736 Thai pilots who are still unemployed, both graduates and those laid off since the pandemic, said Mr Teerawat. As each pilot could earn 3.5 million baht per year on average, that is 6 billion baht generated within the country if those unemployed pilots work when the aviation industry fully resumes in a few years, he said. Mr Teerawat said the association, which has about 700 member pilots, would like the new government to carefully think about this issue when the department submits the agenda to the new cabinet for consideration. He said the association also wants to address other issues, such as obstacles preventing local pilots from obtaining flying licences. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2858796/thai-pilots-cry-foul-over-foreigners-flying-domestic-routes. American Airlines is Suing One of the Largest Shipping Companies in the World Over $500,000 Damage Caused to Aircraft Engine American Airlines is suing one of the world’s largest logistics and shipping companies after its handlers allegedly caused more than half a million dollars worth of damage to a massive aircraft engine that had just undergone extensive maintenance and repairs. The Fort Worth-based carrier filed the lawsuit in a North Texas district court late last week, demanding that the Swiss logistics firm Kuehne + Nagel cover the $520,246 cost of repairing the damaged Rolls-Royce engine after three years of negotiations over the issue came to a dead end. Court documents allege that American Airlines entrusted Kuehne + Nagel with transporting a Rolls-Royce Trent 8000 engine, which powers AA’s fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft, to Hong Kong, where it was to undergo a major maintenance overhaul. The shipping company safely transported the engine to Hong Kong in June 2021, and several months later, Kuehne + Nagel was again hired to transport the engine back to Oklahoma, where American Airlines operates a 246-acre maintenance facility – the largest such facility in the world – including an extensive engine shop. American Airlines reportedly paid Kuehne + Nagel more than $208,000 to get the engine safely back to Tulsa but when AA’s in-house maintenance staff inspected the engine they discovered that it had sustained ‘significant’ damage during transit, including to its overspeed protection unit, power conditioning system, and electrical harness. The following year, American Airlines asked Kuehne + Nagel to cover the more than half a million dollar cost to repair the damage, but attorneys acting on behalf of the airline claim the shipping company has since refused to pay American Airlines any damages. Despite having had a long history of using Kuehne + Nagel’s services, American Airlines is now suing the company for breach of contract and negligence, alleging that the company failed to take ‘reasonable measures’ to prevent the engine from being damaged. The carrier is not only suing Kuehne + Nagel to cover the cost of repairing the damage to the engine, but also wants the shipping company to pay incidental and consequential damages, along with interest and other undefined relief as set by the court. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/09/04/american-airlines-is-suing-one-of-the-largest-shipping-companies-in-the-world-over-500000-damage-caused-to-aircraft-engine/ American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Diversion After First Class Passenger Attacks Flight Attendant When He Was Ordered to Stop Vaping An American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas Fort Worth was forced to make an emergency diversion to Tulsa on Tuesday evening after a passenger sitting in First Class allegedly attacked a flight attendant when she told him to stop vaping. American Airlines flight AA1733 departed Milwaukee at around 5:30 pm on Tuesday but just over an hour into the two hour, the Airbus A320 veered off course and made its way to Tulsa due to the unruly passenger. Initial reports claim the passenger was openly vaping in his seat in full view of his seatmates, which prompted a flight attendant to warn him to stop, pointing out that vaping onboard a commercial aircraft was a violation of federal regulations. The warning allegedly antagonized the passenger, who accused the flight attendant of making false allegations against him before chasing the crew member into the forward gallery. At this point, other passengers reportedly jumped up from their seats to protect the flight attendant, and the pilots decided to make an emergency diversion to Oklahoma, where the perpetrator could be deplaned. The good news for all the other passengers onboard, the aircraft was able to depart Tulsa at around 8 pm, and it made it to DFW with a delay of little more than an hour. Thankfully, the number of unruly passenger incidents onboard U.S. flights has dipped massively compared to during the pandemic when there was a big spike that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to start pursuing big civil penalities against perpetrators. Although the number of incidents is on the way down, the FAA is still taking a tough stance against unruly passengers and last month the agency said that it had referred 43 more unruly passengers to the FBI for criminal investigation. Since late 2021, the FAA has now referred more than 300 of the most serious cases to the FBI for further investigation and potential criminal charges. As well as criminal charges, the FAA also has the power to slap disruptive passengers with fines of up to $37,000. The most heft fines are reserved for passengers who assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with airline crewmembers. American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment in relation to the latest incident. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/09/04/american-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-diversion-after-first-class-passenger-attacks-flight-attendant-when-he-was-ordered-to-stop-vaping/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 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