Flight Safety Information - October 2, 2024 No. 196 In This Issue : Incident: San Marino A306 near Ljubljana on Oct 1st 2024, electrical failures : Incident: PIA A320 at Dubai on Sep 30th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine problem : Global insurers fight London court battle over jets 'lost' in Russia : IATA Launches IATA Connect: A New Hub for Aviation Safety and Compliance : NTSB Chair 'Disappointed' In FAA's Response To 737 Rudder Issue : Toyota Agrees to $500M Investment in Joby's eVTOL Aircraft : This September, let's end childhood cancer. Together. : Calendar of Events Incident: San Marino A306 near Ljubljana on Oct 1st 2024, electrical failures A San Marino Executive Aviation Airbus A300-600 freighter on behalf of El Al, registration T7-ASK performing flight LY-822 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was enroute at FL310 about 80nm north of Ljubljana (Slovenia) when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting problems with one of their generators. At about the time the ADS-B data transmitted became unreliable (e.g. altitude indication 0 feet). The crew subsequently upgraded to Mayday, requested vectors for a diversion to Ljubljana and holds to burn off fuel. ADS-B data seemed to become reliable again while descending through FL180 and entering the holds, the aircraft landed safely on Ljubljana's runway 30 about 75 minutes after the onset of trouble. The aircraft is still on the ground in Ljubljana about 25 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51e6911a&opt=0 Incident: PIA A320 at Dubai on Sep 30th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine problem A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BLY performing flight PK-222 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Multan (Pakistan) with 172 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Dubai's runway 12R when the crew rejected takeoff at about 80 KIAS due to the right hand engine (CFM56) indicating excess EGT. The aircraft slowed safely and attempted to return to the apron, however, two main tyres (#2 and #3) deflated. The flight was cancelled. The airline reported the aircraft was accelerating down the runway when an engine malfunction prompted the crew to reject takeoff using the emergency brakes causing all tyres to burst due to the sudden stop. The aircraft is still on the ground in Dubai about 50 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=51e6e079&opt=0 Global insurers fight London court battle over jets 'lost' in Russia Summary • Aircraft lessors sue over billions of dollars in unpaid claims • Five disputes against different insurers rolled into one trial • Hundreds of aircraft remain in Russia after Ukraine invasion • Trial marks start of one of biggest UK insurance battles LONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Insurers are playing "pass the liability parcel" in a desperate fight against multi-billion dollar claims over aircraft stranded in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine two years ago, lawyers for aviation lessors told a London trial on Wednesday. Mark Howard, a lawyer for the world's largest aircraft lessor AerCap (AER.N), opens new tab, told the first day of a keenly anticipated trial that insurers must know there was no realistic prospect that Western-owned jets and engines would be returned. "The reality is ... that the aircraft and engines are lost," he said. In one of the largest insurance disputes to be heard in London, AerCap, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), Merx Aviation, KDAC Aviation Finance and Falcon are pitched against insurers including AIG (AIG.N), opens new tab, Lloyd's (SOLYD.UL), Chubb (CB.BN), opens new tab and Swiss Re (SRENH.S), opens new tab. The fast-tracked case, which is due to close by year-end, is seen as a bellwether for parallel lawsuits in Ireland and the United States over who should pay for around 400 planes, valued at almost $10 billion, left in Russia after the West imposed sanctions over the war. The London lawsuit centres on claims related to around 140 jets, along with some engines, that were originally valued at up to around $4.7 billion. But some settlements with Russia - albeit at prices below the insured value - have trimmed the value to nearer $3.0 billion. Insurers argue in part there is no evidence the aircraft have been destroyed or damaged, that the assets are no longer subject to lease agreements or that policies do not cover the events leading up to their failure to return. Lessors said in court filings they had sought compensation from Russia. DAE said its president, David Houlihan, took a one-week trip to Moscow in March 2022 to meet with lessees - to no avail, documents show. Lessors are claiming compensation under "contingent and possessed" policies that can provide cover under a broad, all-risks clause for loss or damage to aircraft or under a more specific war-risks clause. AerCap, which says it has lost 116 aircraft and 15 engines, is suing for $2.06 billion under its all-risks insurance policy or, alternatively, $1.2 billion under its capped war-risks policy, pending further deals with Russia, court filings show. DAE values its claim for 22 aircraft, one engine and one piece of equipment at $737.8 million. Merx is claiming $184 million for six aircraft, while Falcon is claiming $43.4 million for two aircraft and KDAC is suing for $21.5 million over the loss of one jet, court filings show. Lessors have separately taken on reinsurers, some of which lost a battle in March to have the case moved to Moscow, and some are also tackling insurers over jets stuck in Ukraine. "These are complex, hard fought claims where the stakes are high and the long-lasting impact could be seismic," said Garbhan Shanks, a partner at law firm Fladgate. "Neither side will want to be left writing the cheques - and that's because the exposure is enormous." https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/global-insurers-fight-london-court-battle-over-jets-lost-russia-2024-10-02/ IATA Launches IATA Connect: A New Hub for Aviation Safety and Compliance Marrakech - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched IATA Connect, creating a secure community of aviation safety, security, compliance and operations experts at airlines, regulatory agencies and auditors. With an initial focus on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), IATA Connect community members will be able to access and use the platform to securely exchange safety documentation, share information, and collaborate to support further improvements in aviation safety. In addition to the IOSA Registry, IATA Connect will also house a secure private documentation repository with analytical and benchmarking capabilities. Contents of the document repository include IOSA audit reports, standards and related information, guidance materials, 440 airline profiles, industry alerts and news sources which can be accessed and shared. Some 2,300 aviation safety professionals have been invited to join the IATA Connect community covering regulators, IOSA registered airlines and auditors. "IATA Connect will provide aviation safety and compliance professionals in government and the industry with a means to make flying even safer by facilitating real time collaboration. Whether it is sharing an IOSA audit report, responding to a compliance questionnaire, updating information on codeshare partners, benchmarking resources, or information gathering, IATA Connect will bring new efficiencies and greater capabilities. By collecting critical IOSA audit data in a single location, keeping it updated, and making the mechanics of information exchange easier, IATA Connect will be a compelling tool for everyone involved in aviation safety compliance and oversight,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. The launch of IATA Connect responds directly to the growing challenge of safety professionals to manage compliance documentation. In the face of growing operations, regulatory requirements and increasingly complex operational environments (with commercial and outsourcing partnerships), exchanging audit information and documentation on a single platform is expected to greatly enhance efficiency. Aiming for IATA Connect to become a virtual collaboration space for all aviation professionals, the platform is also available via a mobile App which will initially include two other key IATA safety offerings: Safety Connect, a longstanding secure forum used by interest groups for discussion and resources specific to operational areas such as cabin, cargo, and ground operations. The publicly available Safety Issue Hub, where information on hazards and safety risks are posted to enable the prioritization and delivery of aviation safety improvement programs. With time, and in response to user needs, IATA Connect will grow and add capabilities to make it the one-stop-shop for aviation safety professionals. https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2024-releases/2024-10-02-02/ NTSB Chair 'Disappointed' In FAA's Response To 737 Rudder Issue The FAA is not moving quickly enough to address risks posed by non-conforming parts on hundreds of 737s, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a Sept. 30 letter to the agency's top official. "Although our investigation is ongoing, I am disappointed that it does not appear that the FAA has initiated urgent actions to address the risk of jammed rudder controls in the six months since our preliminary report on this incident was issued," Homendy wrote." The case for urgent action is even greater since, after we opened our investigation, the FAA became aware of two similar incidents that had occurred with foreign operators in 2019." NTSB's letter comes five days after it issued "urgent" safety recommendations to the FAA and Boeing about the parts, Collins Aerospace-supplied SVO-730 rudder rollout guidance actuators, which can cause a jammed or restricted rudder. The recommendations--removing the parts, ensuring they don't pose unacceptable risks until they can be removed, and making pilots aware of the hazard and appropriate responses--stem the probe of a February 2024 incident involving a United Airlines (UAL) 737-8. The NTSB's recommendation letter urged the FAA to assess the risk to the fleet and collaborate with foreign regulators that may need to take action.The FAA said United is the only U.S. operator with affected actuators and all have been removed from service. Boeing in an August message to operators said Collins delivered 353 of the incorrectly assembled actuators for installation on 737 Next Generation and 737 MAX variants. The parts do not pose an immediate safety risk, and a plan to remove them would be developed, Boeing added. Homendy's letter reveals that 271 of the suspect parts may be in service on aircraft operated by as many as 40 non-U.S. carriers. In addition to the inventory sent to Boeing, Collins shipped another 75 directly to operators as spares. "[Some] of these may [still] be spares, while others may currently be on airplanes in service," Homendy wrote. "Accordingly, it is essential that aftermarket installations of affected actuators also be clearly addressed." Collins SVO-730 actuators are normally installed only on 737s equipped for Category III B low-visibility landing operations. In United's case, the actuators were in at least nine originally built for Category III B operations but later reconfigured for less-restrictive Category III A. United's 737s do not require Category III B capability. The incident aircraft, N47280, was delivered in February 2023. The aircraft came "configured with a SVO-730 rudder rollout guidance servo that was disabled per UAL’s delivery requirements to reconfigure the autoflight system from CAT IIIB to CAT IIIA capability," the NTSB's preliminary report said. The NTSB's recommendation letter said UAL "in general...was unaware that the rudder rollout guidance actuator was installed" on nine of its aircraft. The parts were removed using instructions in a May 2024 service bulletin, the board added. "We are concerned of the possibility that other airlines are unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 airplanes," Homendy wrote. "Consequently, their flight crews may not know what to expect if the rollout guidance actuator fails at low altitude or during landing and rollout, as occurred in this incident. 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." The actuators contain incorrectly assembled components that can cause moisture to seep in and freeze at altitude, leading to rudder jams. Tests by Collins, Boeing, and the NTSB show a significant amount of force on rudder pedals may be needed to break a jammed rudder free. The NTSB is concerned that advising pilots to use such force could pose other risks, such as a "sudden, large, and undesired rudder deflection that could unintentionally cause loss of control or departure from a runway," its recommendation letter said. The board urged Boeing to review its pilot instructions and consider potentially safer alternatives. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/ntsb-chair-disappointed-faas-response-737-rudder-issue Toyota Agrees to $500M Investment in Joby's eVTOL Aircraft Car maker Toyota is supporting Joby Aviation's eVTOL aircraft program with a total of $894 million as well as with technical expertise and production capability. © Joby Aviation Toyota Motor Corporation has agreed to invest a further $500 million in eVTOL aircraft developer Joby Aviation. The funding, announced on October 2, will take the Japanese car maker’s total investment in Joby to $894 million and will be paid in two equal tranches later this year and then in 2025 as cash in return for common stock. According to Toyota, the terms of the investment agreement cover plans for the two companies to establish joint manufacturing arrangements for Joby’s four-passenger electric aircraft. The new funding, which is subject to regulatory approval and finalizing the terms of the agreement, will directly support efforts to complete FAA type certification and start commercial manufacturing in time for deliveries to begin in 2025. Joby recently completed manufacturing of a third production-conforming aircraft from its pilot production line in Marina, California. The company is building an expanded facility in California and also plans to have a larger factory in Ohio. “Today’s investment builds on nearly seven years of collaboration between our companies,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. “The knowledge and support shared by Toyota have been instrumental in Joby’s success and we look forward to deepening our relationship as we deliver on our shared vision for the future of air travel.” Toyota has assigned some of its engineers to work with Joby on various aspects of production preparations. In 2023, the companies signed a long-term agreement for Toyota to supply key powertrain and actuation components for the Joby aircraft. The automotive group’s initial investment in Joby was made by its venture capital division, Toyota Ventures. Subsequently, Toyota Motor Corporation has provided funding totaling $394 million so far. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2024-10-02/toyota-agrees-500m-investment-jobys-evtol-aircraft CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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