Flight Safety Information - September 18, 2024 No. 186 In This Issue : Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (Embraer 190AR) - Pressurization Problem (Australia) : Airbus A321-251NX - Battery Thermal Runaway (Greece) : Flight Attendant Jumped to the Rescue to Get Pilots Off Aircraft Controls When He Suddenly Collapsed Just After Takeoff : Small plane lands safely at Boston's Logan airport with just one wheel deployed : SpaceX Starlink has 2,500 airplanes under contract after United megadeal, director says : Nepal’s tourism minister pledges to improve air transport safety : Navy will force aviators to remain in service to complete sea tours : The Biden administration is letting Alaska Airlines buy Hawaiian Air but with conditions : Lufthansa Group airlines suspend flights due to Middle East security : Graduate Research Survey : Calendar of Events Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (Embraer 190AR) - Pressurization Problem (Australia) Date: Tuesday 17 September 2024 Time: c. 06:30 LT Type: Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW (Embraer 190AR) Owner/operator: QantasLink, opb Alliance Airlines Registration: VH-UYR MSN: 19000100 Year of manufacture: 2007 Engine model: General Electric Company CF34-10E5 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Category: Incident Location: NNW of Rockhampton, QLD - Australia Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Townsville-Garbutt Airfield, QLD (TSV/YBTL) Destination airport: Brisbane International Airport, QLD (BNE/YBBN) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Qantas flight QF1871, an Embraer ERJ-190AR, suffered a pressurization issue while en route at FL290. The flight crew performed an emergency descent to FL100 and the flight was diverted to Rockhampton Airport (ROK). https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/424567 Airbus A321-251NX - Battery Thermal Runaway (Greece) Date: Tuesday 17 September 2024 Time: Type: Airbus A321-251NX Owner/operator: EasyJet UK Registration: G-UZME MSN: 8454 Year of manufacture: 2019 Engine model: CFMI CFM LEAP-1A32 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Category: Incident Location: Heraklion-N. Kazantzakis Airport (HER/LGIR) - Greece Phase: Standing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Heraklion-N. Kazantzakis Airport (HER/LGIR) Destination airport: London-Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: EasyJet UK flight U28215, an Airbus A321-251NX, was evacuated via airstairs when the lithium Battery of a powerbank or an e-cigarette suffered a thermal runaway during boarding. The passenger's hand bag was brought outside and ARFF attended. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/425372 Flight Attendant Jumped to the Rescue to Get Pilots Off Aircraft Controls When He Suddenly Collapsed Just After Takeoff A flight attendant jumped into action and helped pull a pilot away from the controls of a commercial airliner and started administering First Aid after he suddenly collapsed immediately after takeoff during a flight from Dublin, Ireland, to Amsterdam, Netherlands. The incident took place in October 2022, although Irish aviation accident investigators have only just released their final factual report into the events that unfolded aboard KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL934, which details a textbook example of flight attendant emergency training. The AAIU says that the First Officer of the KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-175 regional jet with as many as 88 passengers onboard “occurred with minimal warning” just as the aircraft was taking off from Dublin Airport. Investigators have praised the actions of the Captain and one of only two flight attendants onboard the jet who not only had to deal with an incapacitated pilot but also a bird strike as the plane made an emergency return back to Dublin. After the First Officer suddenly slumped over, the Captain was forced to bang on the cockpit door to alert the flight attendants to what was going on. The flight attendant then quickly pulled the pilot away from the controls, moved his seat backwards and then fitted a special oxygen mask for pilots. While the Captain concentrated on getting the plane back to Dublin, the flight attendant took responsibility for updating the passengers on what was going on, staying in the cockpit to monitor the condition of the First Officer until just 1,000 feet before landing. The airline has specific instructions on what flight attendants should do in the event of a so-called ‘pilot incapacitation’ but with just two crew members in the cabin, KLM has never provided guidance on whether flight attendants should stay in the cockpit or return to their jumpseat in the case of an emergency in the cabin. Forced to fly the plane solo, the Captain declared a Mayday and made an emergency return to Dublin. Just 100 feet from touchdown, the aircraft then encountered a flock of birds that struck the nose of the plane. Thankfully, the Captain was able to safely land the aircraft despite deteriorating weather conditions. Emergency medical responders were waiting to meet the aircraft who determined that the First Officer was experiencing low pressure, which had been brought on by a possible lack of food and water. Matt’s take Although pilot incapacitation is rare, it’s considered that much of a risk that flight attendants routinely have to train how to safely get a collapsed pilot away from the flight controls and administer First Aid. Flight attendants learn how to operate the pilot seats and how to properly fit full-face oxygen masks to pilots as part of regular ‘pilot incapacitation’ drills. Depending on the circumstances, they may then work to get the pilot out of the cockpit to administer more advanced First Aid while assisting the remaining pilot with tasks such as communication. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/09/17/flight-attendant-jumped-to-the-rescue-to-get-pilots-off-aircraft-controls-when-he-suddenly-collapsed-just-after-takeoff/ Small plane lands safely at Boston's Logan airport with just one wheel deployed A small airplane has landed safely at Logan International Airport in Boston despite having just one of its landing wheels deployed BOSTON -- A small airplane landed safely at Logan International Airport in Boston on Tuesday afternoon despite having just one of its landing wheels deployed. The Cape Air Cessna 402 had two passengers and one crew member. It had taken off from Logan and then returned, according to an official at Massport, which manages the airport, who said the plane “had a landing gear issue.” There were no injuries. Video showed the plane coming into the airport with only one wheel down and landing, with one of its wings resting on the ground. The plane was on its way to Bar Harbor, Maine, when the pilot was informed about an “anomaly” with the landing gear just after takeoff, according to Cape Air. Cape Air said the pilot of Cape Air flight 1833 “performed the appropriate checklist and landed the aircraft back at Boston Logan Airport.” The plane landed at about 3:20 p.m. There was no information immediately available about the cause of the landing gear issue. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/small-plane-lands-safely-bostons-logan-airport-wheel-113791528 SpaceX Starlink has 2,500 airplanes under contract after United megadeal, director says PARIS — SpaceX nearly doubled its backlog of Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi orders with last week’s United Airlines deal, a company director said Tuesday. “Very excited that we have about 2,500 aircraft under contract now, bringing what was effectively a startup to now what we think is a growing experience that’s going to resonate with all the passengers and the airlines worldwide,” Nick Galano, SpaceX director of Starlink aviation sales and partnerships, said during a panel at the World Space Business Week conference in Paris. The satellite internet arm of Elon Musk’s space company is pushing into the in-flight connectivity, or IFC, market. Last week, United said it will outfit its more than 1,000 planes with Starlink and won’t charge customers for the Wi-Fi. SpaceX has previously announced in-flight deals and has started service with Hawaiian Airlines , Qatar Airways, Japan’s Zipair, Latvia’s airBaltic and semi-private charter airline JSX. SpaceX has steadily expanded its Starlink network and product offerings since its debut in 2020. The company initially targeted consumers, but has expanded into other markets, including enterprise services such as aviation and maritime. There are currently about 6,400 Starlink satellites in orbit that connect more than 3 million customers in 100 countries, according to the company. Galano touted “the sheer factor of the capacity that we can provide” via Starlink, saying the current satellite constellation is “probably over 100 times what all the legacy systems have provided” due to “over 300 terabits per second worth of capacity today.” SpaceX continues to increase that capacity as well, launching rockets carrying new Starlink satellites about every three days on average this year, according to the company. Galano also emphasized that SpaceX is trying to reduce the time it takes to install new antennas on aircraft. Known as retrofitting, the process is a pain point for airlines that requires taking aircraft out of active service for days at a time in order to upgrade or replace a satellite communications system. “We’re trying to simplify those installations — innovation is a word we use — to get them done in under a day, which we’ve proven on Hawaiian’s and JSX’s fleets,” Galano said. said its satellite IFC retrofits take “on average about three days,” according to Glenn Latta, the airline’s managing director of in-flight entertainment and connectivity. But Latta said Delta’s process, which requires retrofitting 1,200 aircraft, is also more intensive compared with Starlink’s installation on Hawaiian’s fleet, which stood at 66 aircraft in mid-2024, according to a securities filing. “A retrofit for us is removing the system that’s there ... and then you can do your install,” Latta told CNBC after the conference panel. ”[Hawaiian] have never had a satcom system, so that’s one of the differences to take into account.” Delta, which relies on Viasat for in-flight service, said in early 2023 it would make its Wi-Fi free to members of its frequent flyer program — a decision that Latta says has proven to be well worth it to the airline. Both Delta and United are in a battle for high-end customers. “We’ve gotten 3 million additional SkyMiles members as part of our loyalty program by offering free internet access,” Latta said. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/17/spacexs-starlink-has-2500-aircraft-under-contract.html Nepal’s tourism minister pledges to improve air transport safety KATHMANDU, Sep 17 : The Nepal government is working towards enhancing the safety and reliability of air transport service in the Himalayan nation, Tourism Minister Badri Prasad Pandey said on Tuesday. Speaking at the inauguration of the annual general meeting of the Nepal Mountaineering Association here, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation said the government is also taking measures to overhaul the management of Nepal Airlines. “The present government is concerned about air safety and reliability, and we will take measures towards that direction,” Pandey said. Recently, air safety has become a major concern for Nepal, with multiple factors like the country’s challenging mountainous terrain, unpredictable weather and ageing aircrafts leading to frequent accidents. In July, 18 people onboard a Saurya Airlines aircraft were killed after the flight crashed upon takeoff from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Pandey said the government is also taking measures to overhaul the management of Nepal Airlines, the national flag carrier, for its smooth functioning and increased professionalism. He also called on the private sector for its proactive role in promoting the country’s ailing tourism sector, including mountain tourism, which is considered the backbone of Nepal’s economy. Highlighting the important role played by mountain tourism in creating jobs for the people and revenue for the government, Nepal Mountaineering Association President Nima Nuru Sherpa urged the government to frame favourable policies, rules and regulations to strengthen the association, which is actively engaged in promoting mountain tourism in the country. Nepal is home to eight of the 14 mountains that are over 8,000 metres tall. There are more than 2,000 mountain peaks in Nepal, of which only 405 are open for climbers, according to Sherpa. The NMA has requested the government to open 57 more peaks for climbers, he added. (PTI) https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/nepals-tourism-minister-pledges-to-improve-air-transport-safety/ Navy will force aviators to remain in service to complete sea tours The Navy plans to force its pilots to stay beyond their contracted time in service if they are in the midst of their second, two-year sea tour. (U.S. Marine Corps) The Navy will now require naval aviators to serve past their minimum service requirement in order to complete their second, two-year sea tour — the sea service’s latest attempt to boost retention in the aviation community, according to an internal briefing document obtained by Navy Times. The policy applies to officers serving in their first shore tour with a projected rotation date of October 2025 and beyond, and is being implemented due to “personnel shortages across second sea duty billets,” the Naval Air Forces document states. “This policy increases warfighting readiness by reducing billet turnover rates at sea, and ensuring more of the Navy’s highest priority billets are filled,” the briefing states. Naval Air Forces confirmed the authenticity of the document to Navy Times. Roughly a quarter of unrestricted line aviators request to leave the Navy once they reach their minimum service requirement, sometimes in the midst of that second two-year sea tour — an issue the Navy attributes to extended training pipelines and first sea duty tour extensions in some instances. While Navy Personnel Command has historically signed off on such mid-tour separation requests, Navy pilots and naval flight officers will now fulfill the entire length of a second sea tour prior to departing the service. “Aviation [unrestricted line] communities are tasked with filling 904 second sea duty billets; current inventory and separation timing have led to approximately 19% of these billets remaining unfilled and 60-70% of these billets turning over annually resulting in decreased operational readiness in key billets,” the document states. “This has been mitigated by early departures from first shore tours, which impacts retention and is unsustainable long term.” Most officers will be forced to stay in uniform for less than a year more under the new policy, according to Naval Air Forces spokesperson Cmdr. Beth Teach. The policy also aims to allow more junior officers to complete their full shore-duty, rather than stepping in to fill empty at-sea billets caused by the departing aviators, she said. “We are in a warfighting business and this is one way that we’re going to continue to increase readiness,” Teach told Navy Times. “We understand that there are concerns, and we’re communicating this more than a whole year in advance, so that people can ask questions and plan their careers. Ultimately, it reduces turnover and creates opportunity for more [junior officers] to complete their shore duty in the future.” In a list of questions and answers included in the document, Naval Air Forces says that it is legal for the Navy to require officers to serve past their minimum service requirement to fulfill the prescribed tour length in the event of personnel shortages. “In accordance with MILPERSMAN 1301-108, and higher-level instructions, if determined by competitive category or designator that significant personnel shortages are a compelling military necessity for retention, then an Officer may be retained until the completion of the Prescribed Tour Length written in approved orders,” the document states. Word of the policy change spread online Tuesday, and Instagram pages dedicated to the world of junior Navy officers soon went to work with memes related to the news. The head of naval aviation, Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, is slated to visit several installations next month and hold all-hands calls with junior officers to discuss the policy, according to the document. “Officers are encouraged to ask questions about this policy and its impacts to their career planning during detailing discussions, as well as with their chain of command,” it states. Those selected for department head may wrap up their second sea tour before the prescribed length of time if the required training pipeline and planned arrival dates require it, according to the briefing. Navy aviator retention rates declined in Fiscal Year 2023, with 11 out of 15 aviation communities not having enough officers to be department heads, according to the Navy’s latest Health of the Force report. In the strike fighter community alone, roughly 25 percent of the Navy’s department head billets are unmanned, according to the report. And while the Navy has offered big bucks to keep pilots flying Navy, the report said fewer aviators are accepting the department head retention bonuses. Currently, the Navy offers aviation department heads up to $280,000 to remain in service for seven more years. “Naval Aviation continues to meet operational requirements,” the report states. “However, sustained support and frequent evaluation of monetary incentives are critical in our effort to retain highly trained and experienced mid- and senior-level aviators.” https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/09/17/navy-will-force-aviators-to-remain-in-service-to-complete-sea-tours/ The Biden administration is letting Alaska Airlines buy Hawaiian Air but with conditions The Biden administration is letting Alaska Airlines complete its $1 billion purchase of Hawaiian Airlines after the carriers agreed to certain conditions, including maintaining current service on routes between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. where they don’t have much competition. Transportation Department officials said Tuesday that no obstacles remain to the airlines closing the deal and beginning to merge, although some final approvals were still pending. Alaska Airlines said it expected to close the deal “in the coming days.” Alaska's stock closed down 1%, while shares in Hawaiian Holdings rose 4% to $18, the price per share that Alaska agreed to pay for its smaller rival. The decision to clear the way for the airlines to merge stands in contrast to the administration’s adamant opposition to previous airline deals. The Justice Department successfully sued to block JetBlue from buying Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion, and it went to court to kill a partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines. The Justice Department could still challenge the Alaska-Hawaiian deal, but that appeared unlikely. The Transportation Department, which also must approve airline mergers, said Alaska and Hawaiian promised to meet certain conditions for six years. Those include preserving subsidized flights to smaller communities in Alaska and Hawaii, and maintaining current levels of service between Hawaii and the mainland where no more than one other airline currently flies the same route. The Transportation Department could drop the latter requirement if the flying becomes unprofitable. Alaska and Hawaiian also agreed to some consumer protections, including maintaining the value of frequent-flyer rewards as they combine their loyalty programs, guaranteeing families can sit together without paying extra fees, and offering lower costs to military families. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the airlines also promised to compensate passengers for cancellations and significant delays that are the carriers' fault. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines said in a statement that the promises are similar to its plans all along and would not affect “the synergies of the deal, which will enhance competition and expand choice for consumers.“ The Transportation Department said it gave Alaska and Hawaiian an exemption to combine ownership — to merge. The department is still reviewing the airlines’ request to fly international routes under one operating certificate, which is likely only a formality. The airlines announced the deal in December, when they valued it at $1.9 billion including Hawaiian debt that Alaska will take over. Alaska vowed to retain the Hawaiian brand. The deal will solidify Alaska Air Group's position as the fifth-largest U.S. airline company by revenue and expand its international profile with Hawaiian's extensive flying between the island state and Asia. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/biden-administration-let-alaska-airlines-184126945.html Lufthansa Group airlines suspend flights due to Middle East security Airlines belonging to the Lufthansa Group and Air France have suspended flights to Israel for security reasons, the companies announced on Tuesday. At least nine people were killed and almost 3,000 injured in suspected coordinated explosions of hand-held telecommunications devices across Lebanon on Tuesday evening. Airlines belonging to the Lufthansa Group had suspended all connections to and from Tel Aviv and Iran's capital Tehran until at least Thursday, the company said. "During this period, the Israeli and Iranian airspace will also be bypassed by all Lufthansa Group Airlines," a statement said. "The Lufthansa Group continues to monitor the situation closely and will assess it further in the coming days." Passengers would be able to rebook for free or get a full refund. "We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers. The safety of our passengers and crews is always our top priority." Lufthansa Group airlines include Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings in addition to the German flagship carrier Lufthansa. Flights to the Lebanese capital of Beirut remain suspended due to the ongoing conflict in the region until at least September 30. Air France announced that its flights from Paris to Tel Aviv and the Lebanese capital Beirut had also been suspended, the Le Parisien newspaper reported. A child was among those killed when pagers in several Lebanese regions exploded earlier on Tuesday. Some 200 people are in critical condition. The Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah blamed Israel for the detonations, threatening retaliation. https://www.yahoo.com/news/lufthansa-group-airlines-suspend-flights-045005638.html Graduate Research Survey I am a former United States Air Force aviator with over 30 years of flying experience, now pursuing a Ph.D. in Aviation at Saint Louis University. My research focuses on Human Factors, particularly sleep and fatigue. My journey in aviation has been defined by a commitment to excellence, service before self, and integrity towards a greater good. For my dissertation, I am studying pilots' likelihood to report sleep disorders in Part 121 commercial aviation operations—a critical issue affecting both pilot health and aviation safety. My Research This anonymous survey is designed to be completed in 10-12 minutes and aims to build a predictive model to better understand situational factors influencing pilots' reporting behaviors. Your participation could contribute to long-term safety improvements in the aviation industry, including enhanced fatigue countermeasures and better sleep disorder screening. The survey is entirely confidential, with no way to trace responses back to individuals, and has been approved by the Saint Louis University Institutional Review Board (IRB). Thank you for considering taking part in this important research. Survey Link: https://slu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_agHdxCbY0E1D3Ho CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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