Flight Safety Information - Occtober 1, 2024 No. 195 In This Issue : Incident: Atlanta B744 at Hong Kong on Sep 30th 2024, could not retract gear : Incident: Azul E295 near Salvador on Sep 30th 2024, electrical problems : Boeing's 737 safety mess just got worse : US warns foreign operators may be using Boeing 737s with suspect rudder control parts : IATA and ANAC Work Together to Enhance Aviation Safety : TSA stops 2 guns at Ford Airport in a week : FAA investigating after Delta crew reports laser strike : Boeing’s 777-9 Finally Takes to the Skies : This September, let's end childhood cancer. Together. : Calendar of Events Incident: Atlanta B744 at Hong Kong on Sep 30th 2024, could not retract gear An Air Atlanta Europe Boeing 747-400 freighter on behalf of Air Atlanta Icelandic, registration 9H-WFF performing flight CC-1007 from Hong Kong (China) to Dubai Al Maktoum (United Arab Emirates), was climbing out of Hong Kong's runway 25L when the crew stopped the climb at 9000 feet due to an EICAS gear disagree and gear tilt message. The aircraft dumped fuel and returned to Hong Kong for a safe landing on runway 25R about 80 minutes after departure. According to information The Aviation Herald received the right hand body gear could not retract after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=51e5f3e2&opt=0 Incident: Azul E295 near Salvador on Sep 30th 2024, electrical problems An Azul Linhas Aereas Embraer ERJ-195-E2, registration PS-AEU performing flight AD-4043 from Recife,PE to Rio de Janeiro Galeao,RJ (Brazil), was enroute at FL380 about 150nm south of Salvador,BA (Brazil) when the crew turned the aircraft around and decided to divert to Salvador due to electrical problems. The passengers were instructed to brace for landing. The aircraft entered holds while preparing for landing and landed on Salvador's runway 10 about 70 minutes after leaving FL380. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 25 minutes after landing. Passengers reported the air conditioning began to make unusual noises, lights were flashing uncoordinated, there was persistent beeping. The crew woke everybody up, instructed the passengers to remove eyeglasses, headphones, high heels, sharp objects and assume the brace position for landing. The airport initially reported the aircraft performed an emergency landing, later labelling it a priority landing. The airline stated the aircraft diverted due to a technical issue for an unscheduled landing denying there had been an emergency. https://avherald.com/h?article=51e5e507&opt=0 Boeing's 737 safety mess just got worse The National Transportation Safety Board has more concerns about Boeing's planes. It said at least 40 airlines outside the US may be operating aircraft with risky rudder parts. This is the latest blow to Boeing, which has been plagued by safety probes. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has flagged fresh concerns with Boeing's 737 planes, saying that at least 40 airlines outside the US may be operating aircraft with faulty components. The NTSB issued a press release on Thursday, saying it had issued urgent safety recommendations to Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The release said that the NTSB was investigating a February 6 incident with a United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 plane, which experienced "stuck" rudder pedals while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The Board said that its investigators tested a rollout guidance actuator — one of the rudder control components from the affected airplane — at the component's manufacturer, Collins Aerospace. When tested with another identical unit from a separate airplane, both actuators failed. Moisture was detected in both units. Collins Aerospace later found that the sealed bearings on the units had been incorrectly assembled, "leaving the unsealed side more susceptible to moisture that can freeze and limit rudder system movement," per the release. The NTSB said that Boeing's 737 flight manual instructs pilots facing a jammed rudder to overpower the system by applying "maximum force." But the Board warned that such force on faulty rudders could "unintentionally cause loss of control or departure from a runway." NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy wrote a September 30 letter to the FAA's administrator, Michael Whitaker, saying she was concerned that the FAA "did not take this issue more seriously until we issued our urgent safety recommendation report." She added that she had been made aware the "FAA has been downplaying the urgency of this issue, maintaining that the units are no longer in service." Homendy said that Boeing had said that it had received 353 affected actuator units since February 2017. Per Homendy's letter, 271 affected actuators may now be installed on aircraft in service operated by at least 40 foreign air carriers. She added that 16 units "may still be installed on US-registered aircraft." Homendy also slammed Boeing for failing to inform United Airlines that faulty actuators were installed in the 737 planes it had delivered to them. "We are concerned of the possibility that other airlines are unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 airplanes," Homendy wrote. "Not making operators fully aware of the installed systems and equipment on the airplanes delivered to them is unacceptable and cannot continue to be tolerated," she added. A bad look for Boeing Guy Gratton, an associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University, told BI that component faults reflect poorly on Boeing. "It's another instance of national authorities in the USA (the Federation Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board) stepping in to address safety issues that Boeing themselves should have already identified and rectified," Gratton said. "I'd anticipate their customers worldwide being disappointed in that." However, he added that he thought this issue was not as serious as Boeing's past safety issues, like the January 5 incident when the door plug on an Alaska Airlines passenger plane — a 737 Max 9 model — detached during a flight, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing. "This fault could not in itself lead to loss of an aircraft, and even an aeroplane going off the side of a runway, whilst extremely embarrassing and expensive, would be unlikely to lead to loss of life," Gratton said. He added: "I'd still be content to get into a Boeing 737, and I do — but it does continue to show the company as being troubled, and its products less trustworthy than those of the obvious competitors." Latest blow to an already beleaguered Boeing Boeing shares dropped 2.74% on Monday. It's also worth noting that the NTSB probe is the latest setback for the company. Their Max family has been plagued by safety concerns since the two crashes of its 737 Max jetliners in 2018 and 2019 that killed a total of 346 people. And following the Alaska Airlines door plug incident, the FAA barred Boeing from expanding production on Max plane models until quality and safety issues were addressed. A string of whistleblowers have also alleged this year that the company is lax with safety and quality control. Some bombshell allegations were publicized in a sprawling 204-page report released on June 17 by the Senate subcommittee that investigated Boeing's safety and quality practices. These accounts include testimony from Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector for Boeing, who alleged that the company lost track of hundreds of faulty 737 parts and ordered staff to conceal improperly stored plane parts so FAA inspectors would not see them. Merle Meyers, a former Boeing quality manager, said that Boeing's manufacturing team regularly tried to retrieve bad parts from a "reclamation" area even after they were thrown out. Boeing declined to comment on BI's queries, saying it would defer to the NTSB on the investigation. The FAA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI, sent outside business hours. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeings-737-safety-mess-just-081342984.html US warns foreign operators may be using Boeing 737s with suspect rudder control parts WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has said more than 40 foreign operators of Boeing 737 airplanes may be using planes with rudder components that could pose safety risks. The NTSB on Thursday issued urgent safety recommendations about the potential for a jammed rudder control system on some 737 airplanes after a February incident involving a United Airlines flight. The NTSB also disclosed on Monday that it had learned two foreign operators suffered similar incidents in 2019 involving rollout guidance actuators. "We are concerned of the possibility that other airlines are unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 airplanes," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a letter to Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker. The issue is the latest setback for Boeing, which has faced a series of safety questions after a mid-air emergency in January involving a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 missing four key bolts. The NTSB is investigating an incident in February in which the rudder pedals on a United 737 MAX 8 were "stuck" in the neutral position during a landing at Newark. There were no injuries to the 161 passengers and crew. Boeing shares fell 2.7% on Monday. The NTSB said on Thursday there were no longer any 737s flying with U.S. airlines with the affected actuators, which were installed in some 737 MAX and prior-generation 737 NG planes that included an optional landing system. The NTSB said 271 impacted parts may be installed on aircraft in service operated by at least 40 foreign air carriers and 16 may still be installed on U.S.-registered aircraft and up to 75 may have been used in aftermarket installation. The NTSB and FAA did not identify which carriers may be using the parts. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Tuesday it was aware of the NTSB report. "EASA is in close contact with the FAA and will take action as needed," a spokesperson said. Homendy, who spoke to Whitaker about the problem last week, said she was concerned the FAA "did not take this issue more seriously until we issued our urgent safety recommendation report." The FAA said it was taking the NTSB recommendations seriously and it was scheduled to do additional simulator testing in October. An FAA corrective action review board met Friday and the agency said it was moving quickly to convene a call with affected civil aviation authorities to make sure they have the information they need, including any recommended actions. United said last week the rudder control parts at issue were in use in only nine of its 737 aircraft originally built for other airlines and the components were all removed earlier this year. The NTSB on Monday criticized Boeing for failing to inform United the 737s it received were equipped with actuators "mechanically connected to the rudder control system" and expressed concerns other airlines were unaware of their presence. "Flight crews may not know what to expect if the rollout guidance actuator fails at low altitude or during landing," the NTSB said, calling the failure "unacceptable." Boeing, which declined to comment on Monday, said last week it had informed affected 737 operators of a "potential condition with the rudder rollout guidance actuator" in August. A spokesperson for Japan's All Nippon Airways, which operates 39 Boeing 737-NG planes, said on Tuesday "as a precaution, we are in the preparatory stages of removing the parts that the NTSB pointed out," adding it had no impact on its operations. It is assessing how many of its planes are impacted, the person said. Japan Airlines, which operates 62 Boeing 737-800 planes, said none of its 737 planes use the impacted parts, according to a spokesperson. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/us-says-40-foreign-operators-200301473.html IATA and ANAC Work Together to Enhance Aviation Safety Marrakech - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC Brazil) are partnering to strengthen safety oversight in Brazil’s aviation sector with an agreement for the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) programs to support and complement ANAC’s oversight of airline operations. “Safety is a common top priority for everyone in aviation. We look forward to working with ANAC to further strengthen safety oversight in Brazil with IOSA and ISSA. Both programs have a solid track record of supporting improved safety performance. We are confident that this will be a model partnership for other regulators to follow,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Operations, Safety and Security. “This MoU marks an important step in enhancing the safety standards of Brazil’s aviation industry. By integrating IOSA and ISSA into our safety oversight processes, we are reinforcing our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of operational safety in Brazil,” Bruno Diniz Del Bel, Head of Department, Department of Flight Standards ANAC Brazil. IATA and ANAC will collaborate in several key areas, including: Supporting State Oversight: IOSA and ISSA insights will be used to complement ANAC’s regulatory oversight activities, further enhancing safety monitoring capabilities. Enhancing Efficiency: The parties will work together to identify best practices to improve the efficiency of safety oversight processes, while ensuring the suitability and effectiveness of IOSA and ISSA standards. Workshops and Training: IATA and ANAC will participate in joint workshops and training sessions to further enhance their collaboration and knowledge-sharing on safety oversight. Continuous Improvement: Additional activities that support the improvement of airline operational safety will be explored. Globally, over 40 civil aviation authorities, including ANAC Brazil, are using IOSA and ISSA to complement their regulatory oversight. These programs are internationally recognized evaluation systems that assess airlines’ operational management and control systems from a safety perspective. About IOSA and ISSA Established in 2003, IOSA is the global benchmark for airline operational safety management, with over 425 airlines currently on the IOSA registry, of which 344 are IATA members. Airlines registered with IOSA consistently perform better on safety. In 2023, all-accident rate for airlines on the IOSA registry was nearly three times better than that of non-IOSA airlines (0.84 vs. 2.24 accidents per million flights). ISSA, designed for smaller airlines not eligible for IOSA, offers a similarly rigorous framework, ensuring compliance with international safety standards. https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2024-releases/2024-09-30-01/ TSA stops 2 guns at Ford Airport in a week CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Authorities say officers have stopped two guns from getting onboard airplanes at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in a week. The Transportation Security Administration said the incidents happened on Wednesday and Sunday. During both incidents, the TSA said that airport police were immediately alerted and responded to the checkpoint. This year, the TSA said 17 firearms have been found at Ford Airport checkpoints. In 2023, 19 firearms were detected at the airport. “Individuals who own firearms should familiarize themselves with regulations regarding where their weapons can and cannot be carried,” Michigan TSA Federal Security Director Reggie Stephens said in a news release. “As we continue to see increased travel volumes, we encourage everyone to prepare for the screening experience and not bring prohibited items, which increase risks and delays for all passengers.” https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/tsa-stops-2-guns-at-ford-airport-in-a-week/ FAA investigating after Delta crew reports laser strike EAST BOSTON, Mass. — The crew of a Delta Air Lines flight from Austin, Texas, to Boston reported being illuminated by a green laser while on approach to Logan Airport just after 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The crew of Delta Flight 2088, an Airbus A320, reported the green laser strike around 10:10 p.m. According to Massachusetts State Police, troopers responded to the report of a commercial airliner being struck by the laser around 10:15 p.m. and noted that it originated in a commercial shopping center in Fall River. No injuries were reported and a follow-up investigation is being conducted in an attempt to ID the person responsible. Nearly 8,000 laser strikes have been reported to the FAA nationwide in 2024, with 61 of those occurring over Massachusetts. https://www.wcvb.com/article/faa-investigating-after-delta-crew-reports-laser-strike/62454039 Boeing’s 777-9 Finally Takes to the Skies Boeing has been haunted by bleak news lately, but on Saturday, there was something for the airplane manufacturer to cheer about. MIAMI — Boeing has been haunted by bleak news lately, but on Saturday at a little after 10 in the morning, there was something for the airplane manufacturer to cheer about: The Boeing 777-9 took off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., on its inaugural test flight. Once airborne, one of the two pilots reported, “All flight controls are good. Very solid.” A crowd of two hundred or so stood in awe as the big bird took off, then erupted in applause, high-fives, and hugs. “This major milestone for the #777X airplane program begins the next critical phase of testing as we work towards certification and then delivery to customers in 2021,” Boeing tweeted after takeoff. And thus began a rare positive day for the Chicago-based company. The 777X-family jet, powered by two GE9X turbofans, is the largest commercial airplane in the world with passenger capacity of 426 and a length of 251 feet 9 inches (76.72m) for the 777-9 (the 777-8 is 229 feet long). One Boeing spokesperson called it “the marquee airplane.” It is also said to be the world’s most fuel-efficient twin-engine jet, in part because the massive GE jet engines allow the airplane to fly at higher altitudes, where it will use less fuel. Boeing officials pegged the fuel savings at as much as 13% per passenger seat. Boeing had to wait out strong winds and bad weather on Thursday and Friday before the bird successfully took off on Saturday. The plane needed to take off to the north and head out over water for safety precautions, which meant wind speeds needed to be 10 knots (11.5mph) or less. On Friday, winds gusted up to 30 knots, making takeoff impossible. But Saturday’s winds were calm. The 777-9 flew for about five hours and landed at Boeing Field in Seattle at 2:30 p.m. A T-33 chase plane was also in the air with the jumbo jet. The company was in dire need of some good news after the global grounding of the 737 MAX following two widely publicized crashes that killed 346 people in 2019. The Jan. 25 inaugural 777-9 flight officially kicks off a campaign that is expected to eventually lead to certification in 2021, about a year behind Boeing’s original schedule. The 777-9 was supposed to have its first test flight in the second quarter of 2019, but problems with the GE9X engine’s compressor pushed the schedule back. Additionally, a cargo door blew off during a ground pressurization stress test, adding to delays and headaches for Boeing. It’s not yet been announced whether the test will need to be redone. The GE9X engines are so large that they needed to be tested on a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet. The 777X family jet has a wingspan of an incredible 235 feet, 5 inches (71.75m). The wingtips themselves are 11 feet long and are able to fold, so that the jetliner can fit into standard airport gates. When on the ground with wingtips folded, the wingspan is reduced to 212 feet, 8 inches (64.83m). The hinged wingtips—which are typically seen on military aircraft, not commercial planes—are the 777X’s most distinctive feature. But so far, orders for the 777X have been underwhelming. To date, the company reports 309 orders, most of which are from Emirates Airlines. Emirates had ordered 150, but has since reduced that order to 115. Qatar Airways has ordered 60; British Airways ordered about 40; and several other airlines—including All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines—have ordered 20 each. Boeing had expected Chinese airlines to order the new jet, but trade tensions have kept the country from showing interest, at least so far. Many analysts say airlines are likely to take a wait-and-see attitude toward the plane, in no small part due to its hefty price tag. The list price for a 777-9 is $442.2 million. Orders for the wide-body 787 Dreamliner have also slowed a bit, and Boeing has adjusted its production schedule from 14 Dreamliners a month to 12. Another stumbling block for the big bird could be intense regulatory scrutiny of its simulators in the wake of the 737 MAX scandal. Recently, internal emails among Boeing employees were turned over to Congress. Several of them tie the 777X to problems that plagued the 737 MAX. “Best part is we are re-starting this whole thing with the 777X with the same supplier and have signed up to an even more aggressive schedule,” wrote one jaded Boeing employee. Another unnamed employee wrote, “We put ourselves in this position by picking the lowest-cost supplier and signing up to impossible schedules. Why did the lowest ranking and most unproven supplier receive the contract? Solely based on the bottom dollar. Not just the MAX but also the 777X! Supplier management drives all these decisions.” Those comments and recent history at Boeing likely mean extra scrutiny on all new airplanes going forward. Still, on this overcast Saturday in Everett, about 45 minutes north of Seattle, the crowd of Boeing employees, aviation fans, and well-wishers couldn’t help but be optimistic, if just for the day. “This airplane, for me, is the flagship for the big airlines around the world,” said Wendy Sowers, Boeing’s marketing director for the 777X. “It represents the great things we can do as a company.” The crowd on hand in Everett was smaller than it would have been on Thursday or Friday because many of the Boeing workers had the day off, but a couple hundred were on hand to cheer the plane on. The massive bird kept its audience spellbound as it took off. The folding wingtip action and the incredible size of the wingspan had people agog. Boeing employees traded high fives and hugs as the bird soared. Social media lit up to. “Massive, gorgeous bird,” wrote one fan. “You get a real appreciation for the size of the wingspan when it turns onto the runway.” Another chimed in, “Ranking high on the list of cool things to witness, #777X taxis into position @FlyPaineField.” The 777X family of jets will be made up of the larger 777-9 and the 777-8, with capacity for 384 passengers. This family of jets has been called the heir apparent to the iconic 747, which went on its first flight almost exactly 50 years ago today. Forbes magazine, for one, posits that the 777X “may be the jumbo for a green generation.” Only time will tell, but today, the clock started ticking. https://www.airwaysmag.com/legacy-posts/boeings-777-9-finally-takes-to-the-skies CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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