Flight Safety Information - October 30, 2024 No. 216 In This Issue : Incident: United B739 at Newark on Oct 28th 2024, bird strike : Accident: Lion A333 at Madinah on Oct 29th 2024, passenger fell off stairs : Incident: Dolimiti E195 near Verona on Oct 28th 2024, smoke on board : Incident: Delta A321 at Fort Lauderdale on Oct 29th 2024, fumes in cockpit : Incident: KLM B739 at Amsterdam on Oct 28th 2024, smoke on board : Incident: Delta A333 at Las Vegas on Oct 28th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine fire : The Most Dangerous Countries for Flying : Electric Air Taxi Manufacturer Lilium Runs Out of Money : China tests supersonic passenger jet prototype at twice the speed of Concorde : Airbus delivers first A321XLR jet to Spain's Iberia : Calendar of Events Incident: United B739 at Newark on Oct 28th 2024, bird strike A United Boeing 737-900, registration N75425 performing flight UA-327 from San Diego,CA to Newark,NJ (USA), was on final approach to Newark's runway 22L when a bird impacted the aircraft at about 2200 feet MSL. The crew continued for a safe landing on the runway about 3 minutes later. The FAA reported: "STRUCK A BIRD AT 2,200 FEET ON FINAL APPROACH. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A DEEP DENT ON LEFT ENGINE COWLING." and rated the damage minor. The aircraft is still on the ground in Newark about 23.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f92788&opt=0 Accident: Lion A333 at Madinah on Oct 29th 2024, passenger fell off stairs A Lion Air Airbus A330-300, registration PK-LEH performing flight JT-74 from Surabaya (Indonesia) to Madinah (Saudi Arabia), had safely landed in Madinah and taxied to the apron. During disembarkation via stairs one passenger fell off the stairs. Saudi Arabia's NTSC reported, she was taken to a hospital but died after transfer. The NTSC dispatched investigators on site and opened an investigation. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f92182&opt=0 Incident: Dolimiti E195 near Verona on Oct 28th 2024, smoke on board An Air Dolimiti Embraer ERJ-195, registration I-ADJO performing flight EN-8855 from Florence (Italy) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL360 about 40nm northnortheast of Verona (Italy) when the crew decided to divert to Verona reporting smoke on board. The aircraft landed safely on Verona's runway 04 about 15 minutes after leaving FL360. The aircraft returned to service about 16 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f91c03&opt=0 Incident: Delta A321 at Fort Lauderdale on Oct 29th 2024, fumes in cockpit A Delta Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N114DN performing flight DL-2133 from Fort Lauderdale,FL to New York La Guardia,NY (USA), was climbing out of Fort Lauderdale's runway 10L when the crew stopped the climb at about 7700 feet reporting fumes on the flight deck. The aircraft returned to Fort Lauderdale for a safe landing on runway 10L about 15 minutes after departure. The FAA reported: "Delta Air Lines Flight 2133 returned safely to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida around 7:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, October 29, after the crew reported smelling fumes in the flightdeck. The Airbus A321 was headed to LaGuardia Airport in New York. The FAA will investigate." A replacement A321-200 registration N124DX is estimated to reach New York with a delay of about 4.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Fort Lauderdale about 5.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f9195a&opt=0 Incident: KLM B739 at Amsterdam on Oct 28th 2024, smoke on board A KLM Boeing 737-900, registration PH-BXO performing flight KL-1511 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Barcelona,SP (Spain), was climbing out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the crew stopped the climb at FL130 reporting they had smoke on board and needed to return to Amsterdam. While on approach to runway 27 the crew declared PAN PAN advising they now had smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 27 about 20 minutes after departure. The rotation was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 31 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f90f0f&opt=0 Incident: Delta A333 at Las Vegas on Oct 28th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine fire A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration N805NW performing flight DL-777 from Las Vegas,NV to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 272 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Las Vegas' runway 26R when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed initially reporting an engine (PW4168A) failure. Other aircraft reported the right hand engine was on fire, there was smoke and flames coming out of the exhaust. Emergency services responded, the crew subsequently reported they had performed the engine fire checklist for their #2 engine. Emergency services and tower reported not seeing any smoke/fire. The crew advised they needed their operations to tow them out of their position, they couldn't get out of their position safely, they couldn't steer and they couldn't see exactly where they were with respect to runway lights underneath their aircraft. They were keeping the passengers on board and had shut down both engines, they have had no engine fire indication. A passenger reported the aircraft suffered a "complete engine failure" and ended up sideways on the runway. They finally boarded a Boeing 737-800 for the flight. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N3752 reached Atlanta with a delay of about 9:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Las Vegas about 20 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f90d81&opt=0 The Most Dangerous Countries for Flying These are the 16 countries banned or restricted from operating within the European Union due to safety concerns. Concerns about flight safety are currently heightened after a mid-flight accident last week resulted in a panel flying off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines after it left Portland, Oregon. This marks the latest in a series of safety issues for the aerospace company, some of which have been deadly for passengers in recent years. In the U.S., air travel is typically safer than traveling on the roads. Although global data suggests the risks for flight accidents are low, annual fatalities associated with air travel accidents show that boarding a plane still comes with risk. The European Union keeps a regularly-updated list of airlines that are banned or restricted from operating within the regional block due to safety concerns. While this list is not a direct reflection of accident or fatality rates in the skies, it’s regularly reviewed by experts on the European Commission to assess which airlines meet international safety standards. The list was most recently updated in November 2023 and bans 129 airlines in total from entering EU airspace. More than 100 are banned due to “inadequate safety oversight” by local aviation authorities, and another 22 are banned “based on serious safety deficiencies identified.” The most recent update is based on the “unanimous opinion” of aviation safety experts who met in Brussels through the EU Air Safety Committee. The EU Air Safety List bans all airlines in these 16 countries, indicating that they are among the most dangerous for air travel: Afghanistan All air carriers certified in Afghanistan were banned in November 2010 due to “the safety deficiencies identified in its system to oversee civil aviation and on several carriers.” This ban includes Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air. MORE: Countries the U.S. Government Warns Not to Travel Right Now Angola In 2008, the European Commission banned all airlines in Angola due to “significant safety concerns.” Armenia In June 2020, all Armenian airlines were banned from travel in the European Union due to “concerns about safety oversight of air carriers.” Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee is working to remove several airlines from the list, and in November 2022, an agreement was signed between the country and the EU to align aviation rules and standards. Republic of the Congo All five airlines in the Republic of the Congo are banned from operating in the EU. Democratic Republic of the Congo Thirteen total carriers are banned from operating out of the DRC. Reporting by the BBC in 2019 indicated that, despite safety concerns, the country is reliant on air travel, as the majority of its provincial capitals are not accessible by reliable roads. The Aviation Safety Network shows that there were more than 40 air accident fatalities between 2000 and 2022. Djibouti The country only has one airline on the list, Daallo Airlines, which has been banned from flying in the EU since 2009. Equatorial Guinea A crash in July 2005 killed 60 people after the plane “contacted trees and crashed into a mountainous jungle area.” Another domestic crash in 2008 killed 13 people. While those were the country’s only two deadly air accidents in recent history, all carriers in Equatorial Guinea are banned from operating in the EU. Eritrea All airlines operated out of Eritrea were banned in 2012, due to safety concerns and “the absence of adequate mitigating measures taken by the competent authorities of Eritrea,” according to reporting by the Independent. Kyrgyzstan Sixteen different airlines out of Kyrgyzstan are banned from operating in the EU. In January 2017, a fatal accident killed four passengers and 35 others after a cargo plane crashed near an airport. Liberia No airlines are currently operating out of Liberia, but the EU list still bans airlines certified in the country. The most recent deadly crash on record occurred in 2013 and resulted in the deaths of 11 people. Libya In 2014, all airlines operating out of Libya were banned. The European Commission released a statement saying, “Recent events in Libya have led to a situation whereby the Civil Aviation Authority is no longer able to fulfill its international obligations with regard to the safety of the Libyan aviation sector.” Nepal Airlines operating out of Nepal were banned by the EU in 2013 over safety concerns. In January 2023, a crash killed 72 people and left no survivors, making the incident one of the worst in the country’s recent history. The plane was operated by Yeti Airlines, one of the carriers on the EU’s banned list, and was caused by a pilot error. Russia There have been fatal air travel accidents nearly every year since 1946 in Russia, with 2015 one of the only exceptions in more than half a century. In August 2023, a non-commercial plane crash famously killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of a Russian mercenary group that was rebelling against military leadership in Moscow, and all others on board. The EU bans about 20 airlines in total from operating out of Russia and entering EU airspace. Sao Tome and Principe In November 2009, all airlines operating out of Sao Tome and Principe were added to the EU’s Air Safety List, banning them from operating in EU airspace. Of the move, the vice-president of the European Commission said, “We cannot accept that airlines fly while not complying with international safety standards. This endangers all of us who unknowingly could be on an unsafe plane.” Sierra Leone No airlines are currently operating out of Sierra Leone, but the EU list still bans airlines certified in the country. Sudan All airlines operating out of Sudan were added to the EU’s list of banned carriers in 2010, with a statement saying that the move was due to “a poor safety performance of the civil aviation authority of Sudan resulting from persistent non-compliance with international standards in the area of oversight.” In 2020, a crash killed 18 people shortly after leaving El Geneina Airport. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/the-16-most-dangerous-countries-for-air-travel Electric Air Taxi Manufacturer Lilium Runs Out of Money Company had planned to launch in South Florida, California, and Puerto Rico as soon as 2026. Lilium’s flagship Lilium Jet is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design built for a pilot to fly as many as seven passengers. [Courtesy: Lilium] Lilium, the manufacturer of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet designed to fly as many as seven passengers on 100-mile trips between cities, is out of cash. The firm on Thursday said its two core subsidiaries will file for insolvency with a court in Germany following the denial of a 50 million euros ($54 million) loan guarantee from the Bavarian government. The move unraveled the company’s plans to raise funding from its shareholders, who viewed German officials’ confidence in the aircraft as essential and the loan guarantee as a prerequisite to the agreement. Lilium said it applied for insolvency under self-administration, which per German law would allow the current owners to retain control and operation of the business as it seeks to sell its assets—or persuade an outside investor to buy it. “We deeply regret the insolvency and its consequences for all stakeholders at such a crucial stage of our company’s development,” Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium, told investors. “While there is no guarantee for success in insolvency proceedings, we hope that the Lilium Jet will get a chance for a fresh start after the self-administration process is completed.” The company said it would share more information with investors, customers, and employees after the filing and associated procedures are complete. Lilium is among a growing number of manufacturers developing eVTOL aircraft, which lift off vertically like a helicopter but cruise on wings like an airplane. Its Lilium Jet relies on 30 electric ducted fans that point toward the ground during takeoff and landing but tilt forward to aid in cruise flight. Unlike competitors designing shorter-range eVTOL air taxis, the design is built for regional city-to-city trips. Lilium said it has about 780 firm orders, reservations, options, and memoranda of understanding (MOU) for its flagship model—which it expected to deliver in 2026—from customers in the U.S, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. The manufacturer in 2023 began assembling an initial set of full-scale prototypes, one of which was on display at the National Business Aviation Association-Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas earlier this month. But without support from the German government, whose analogs in other countries have poured money into domestic eVTOL manufacturers, investors weren’t confident enough to back another capital raise. Lilium said it was separately in “advanced discussions” with the French government for a loan of about 220 million euros ($238 million), which would have helped finance the construction of a battery factory and assembly line in the country. It expected to receive additional funding and revenue from predelivery payments next year following the Lilium Jet prototype’s first test flight, which it said would have kept it afloat through 2026. “Self-administration, if and when granted by the court, aims to preserve and continue the business that is the subject of the proceedings,” Lilium said. “In Germany, the procedure is generally perceived as providing an improved chance for a successful in-court business restructuring.” Lilium last year became the first eVTOL aircraft manufacturer to earn certification bases for its design from both the FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The company had planned for U.S. operating partner UrbanLink Air Mobility to launch in South Florida, California, and Puerto Rico as soon as 2026. The FAA, meanwhile, last week finalized a set of rules for eVTOL pilot training and operations, laying the foundation for the technology to grow. https://www.flyingmag.com/news/electric-air-taxi-manufacturer-lilium-runs-out-of-money/ China tests supersonic passenger jet prototype at twice the speed of Concorde All-composite structures successfully withstood extreme conditions during the test flight, as per China’s Space Transportation. China tests supersonic passenger jet prototype at twice the speed of Concorde Space Transportation's supersonic jet prototype. Space Transportation AChinese firm with its headquarters in Beijing announced that it has tested the prototype of a commercial transport plane that can travel at almost double the speed of the world’s first supersonic passenger-carrying airplane – the Concorde. Space Transportation, which is known as Lingkong Tianxing Technology, in China has announced the successful test flight of its Yunxing prototype plane. According to the company’s claims, the plane can fly at speeds of Mach 4 or roughly 3069 miles per hour. The company is planning to conduct a follow-up test of its engine in the coming month, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP). It also plans to have a full-sized supersonic jet ready to take its first flight in the year 2027. China’s supersonic jet and Concorde’s legacy The Concorde had broken all records for supersonic passenger travel when it debuted. Designed and built by Sud Aviation – which later became a part of Aerospatiale (now Airbus) of France and the British Aircraft Corporation, it is still talked about as one of the masterpieces of aviation technology. The Concorde was the first turbojet-powered supersonic airliner to enter service flying passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound. Using Rolls-Royce Olympus engines, the aircraft could reach a maximum speed of 1,330 miles per hour. The Chinese firm now aims to break this record by introducing a commercial plane that can fly at Mach 4 speed. The SCMP report mentions that the company claims to complete a trip between Beijing to New York in around two hours using the new plane. The new aircraft prototype designed by Space Transportation also has other interesting features. These include the ability to take off and land vertically and to fly at heights of about 65,600 feet (20,000 meters). Space Transportation and its new plane Space Transportation designs and manufactures space transport systems intended to reduce space exploration costs. It was founded in 2018 by Yudong Wang, and in 2021 it had raised Series A funding. In May 2022, Lingkong Tianxing successfully completed the Yao-10 flight mission of the Tianxing I rocket. The company has a full-system design, and research and development capabilities in the field of hypersonic aircraft and rockets. It also has experience in the full-process design of flight test project load analysis and calculation, modal analysis, force environment identification analysis, structural force transmission path planning, pre-design strength prediction, structural design, strength verification, strength testing, and environmental testing, according to its website. The SCMP report mentions that the company tested the Yunxing supersonic jet on several parameters, including its aerodynamics, thermal protection, and control systems. The company said that all-composite structure successfully withstood these extreme conditions during the test flight, as per the report. Moreover, it also got a chance to check the flight control system, avionics, and structural strength of the prototype at the test. With more tests planned in the future, it remains to be seen how soon Space Transportation can achieve its goal of making supersonic commercial passenger flights at Mach 4 speed a reality. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-firm-tests-supersonic-transport-plane Airbus delivers first A321XLR jet to Spain's Iberia PARIS (Reuters) -Airbus has delivered its first A321XLR, the industry's longest-range single-aisle jet, after Spanish airline Iberia took ownership of the plane, the European planemaker said on Wednesday. The plane, which took five years to develop and targets a market previously served by Boeing's out-of-production 757 or larger wide-bodies, was handed over late on Tuesday and was due to fly to Madrid on Wednesday, according to Flightradar24 data. The delivery, first reported by Reuters on Tuesday, highlights a drive by Airbus and Boeing to extend the performance of the industry's best-selling single-aisle jets. Launched in 2019 to steal a march on Boeing's plans at the time to build a new jet in the middle of the market, the A321XLR targets a gap left by the out-of-production Boeing 757, where the A321 family outsells the largest versions of the 737 MAX. It features a novel type of fuel tank, moulded into the fuselage to eke out more space for fuel and extend the range. The design initially raised concerns about the risk of fire and evacuation times in the event of an accident, prompting design changes before it could be certified. Analysts say the resulting extra weight chipped away at its maximum range, though Airbus says it will still allow airlines to open up new routes for such relatively small planes, like New York to Hamburg or Chicago to Milan. The planemaker said it had sold more than 500 A321XLR jets. Boeing has said the XLR addresses only a small niche in the overall market for single-aisle jets, the busiest part of the industry, which it pegs at 33,380 aircraft over 20 years. The arrival of a new model also highlights industry efforts to fly more efficiently and burn less fuel. Iberia said on its website that the arrival of the A321XLR would help it comply with its environmental commitments, part of an industry-wide effort to eliminate net CO2 emissions by 2050. The latest generation of Airbus and Boeing jets use recently developed engines that the industry says will burn 15-20% less fuel than the previous generation. The jet delivered to Iberia is powered by LEAP engines from CFM International, owned by GE Aerospace and Safran. RTX unit Pratt & Whitney also offers engines for the jet. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airbus-delivers-first-a321xlr-jet-080017728.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS • INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT - November 5 - 7, 2024 (Rio De Janeiro) • NATA’s Aviation Business Conference (ABC) - November 12-13,2024, Nashville, TN • Elevate Your Organization's Safety Practices with ERAU’s SMS Course in Daytona Beach Nov. 19-21 • The Gulf Flight Safety Association (GFSA) - 26/27 of November 2024; Manama, Bahrain • Sponsor the 2025 Fuzion Safety Conference! March 4 & 5, 2025 (Orlando) • Annual Women in Aviation International Conference, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Conference Center | Denver Colorado, March 27-29, 2025 • Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Safety Symposium April 7-9, 2025 • AIA Conference: The Aviation Insurance Association's annual conference in Orlando, Florida from April 25–28, 2025 • Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore • The 9th Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exposition 2025; June 11 to 13, 2025 Curt Lewis