Flight Safety Information - October 31, 2024 No. 217 In This Issue : Incident: Jazz CRJ9 enroute on Oct 25th 2024, unreliable airspeed, stick shaker, stall fail : Incident: Jet2 B738 at Antalya on Oct 29th 2024, engine shut down in flight : Accident: UPS A306 at Louisville on Oct 29th 2024, tail strike on landing : Passenger Lands Cessna 150 After Pilot Incapacitation : Sea-Tac airport likely to see record number of guns seized at TSA checkpoints : ATL Airport Community Hiring Event : Air India to cancel 60 India-US flights in peak season due to aircraft shortage : Airbus Gets New Commercial Jet CEO, Aims To Deliver 770 Aircrafts This Year : Spirit Airlines to furlough hundreds of pilots to cut costs : Saudi Arabia’s start-up airline places £6bn plane order in challenge to Gulf rivals : Bloody assault of sleeping passenger on United Airlines flight is under investigation: FAA : Calendar of Events Incident: Jazz CRJ9 enroute on Oct 25th 2024, unreliable airspeed, stick shaker, stall fail A Jazz Canadair CRJ-900, registration C-FCJZ performing flight QK-721 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Minneapolis,MN (USA), was enroute at FFL360 about 90nm east of Minneapolis when the captain's airspeed disappeared and low speed and high speed cues appeared on his displays. The stick shaker activated on the captain's side and the autopilot disconnected. The airspeed indications of the first officer and standby system appeared normal. During the descent towards Minneapolis the crew also received a stall fail message. The crew declared PAN PAN, worked the related checklists and continued for a safe landing on Minneapolis' runway 30R. The Canadian TSB reported the aircraft landed without further issue, there was no major passenger reaction. The aircraft returned to service about 12.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f9beb1&opt=0 Incident: Jet2 B738 at Antalya on Oct 29th 2024, engine shut down in flight A Jet2.com Boeing 737-800, registration G-DRTW performing flight LS-1702 from Antalya (Turkey) to Manchester,EN (UK), was climbing out of Antalya's runway 36R when the crew stopped the climb at about FL180 due to the failure of the left hand engine (CFM56). The engine was shut down, the crew decided to return to Antalya. The aircraft entered a hold at FL170 initially further descending to FL100 to burn off fuel and landed on runway 36L about 85 minutes after departure. A passenger reported there was a loud bang followed by a burning odour in the cabin. The airline reported the aircraft returned due to a technical issue. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration G-HLYF is estimated to reach Manchester the following day with a delay of about 17.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f9b8ea&opt=0 Accident: UPS A306 at Louisville on Oct 29th 2024, tail strike on landing A UPS United Parcel Service Airbus A300-600 freighter, registration N162UP performing flight 5X-2909 from Ontario,CA to Louisville,KY (USA) with 2 crew, landed on Louisville's runway 17R but struck its tail onto the runway surface. The aircraft rolled out without further incident, the crew informed tower they suspected a tail strike but were not able to confirm it, and taxied to the apron. Tower queried the next arrival whether they wanted to continue the landing despite the tail strike, which the crew affirmed. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT N162UP, UPS 2909, A306, ONT - SDF, EXPERIENCED TAIL-STRIKE WHILE LANDING RUNWAY 17R AT SDF CAUSING UNSPECIFIED DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NO INJURIES REPORTED. WOC 202-267-3333 JG/SW" The aircraft is still on the ground in Louisville about 22 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=51f9a617&opt=0 Passenger Lands Cessna 150 After Pilot Incapacitation PIlot later dies, but passenger saved herself. A woman passenger made a hard landing in a Cessna 150 on Friday evening, Oct. 18, at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (KGVL) in Gainesville, Georgia, after the pilot was incapacitated. Sadly, the pilot later died, according to the Aviation Safety Network, though it is unclear whether his death resulted from the hard landing, the medical emergency or a combination of both. Audio recordings reveal the pilot announced the flight was 3.7 miles south-southwest of the airport when he made his last call at 2,700 feet MSL (1,424 feet AGL), planning a straight-in approach to Runway 5. After some other radio traffic, the passenger can be heard faintly on the airport advisory frequency (suggesting her voice was being picked up by the pilot’s microphone) desperately calling for help. Multiple people on the frequency jumped in to provide guidance for the passenger. She maneuvered at dangerously low speed and well below pattern altitude, circling over the airport before the landing, which resulted in a broken nosewheel and smoke, but no fire, according to pilots circling overhead observing the scene. AVweb requests of local law enforcement for the identities of the pilot and passenger remain unanswered at press time. The 15-minute flight originated at Lawrenceville-Gwinnett County Briscoe Field (KLZU) at 6:02 pm EDT. The Cessna, N11519, is a 1973 150L model with an O-200 Continental engine. It is registered to KAP Title Inc., of Tucker, Georgia. The Cessna remains at Champion Aviation in Gainesville. Kyle Martin, the line manager for Champion, told AVweb he was not at the airport at the time of the emergency, but said he thought the aircraft looked familiar. He said a “family member” had stopped by and told him that the woman was uninjured. He added the National Transportation Safety Board had examined the wreckage but had not consulted with the FBO. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/15-minute-flight-ends-in-high-drama/ Sea-Tac airport likely to see record number of guns seized at TSA checkpoints SEATAC, Wash. — New numbers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) show more than 100 firearms have been confiscated at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport since the start of the year, marking a possible record. According to the TSA, the 100th firearm of the year was discovered Monday. TSA officers said they detected a loaded .40 caliber Springfield XD9 pistol in the carry-on bag of a passenger headed to Maui. Later the same day, TSA officers also discovered a 9mm Makarov P64 semi-automatic pistol found in the carry-on bag of a passenger headed to Yakima. According to statistics from the TSA, the numbers keep getting worse. So far this year, TSA agents have confiscated 101 guns at Sea-Tac airport. That compares to 97 guns this time a year ago, which in itself was a record year. "It is nutty, because I have a firearm that I’m checking right now," said SEA passenger Amy Vining."People just need to follow the rules." “Where you going that you need a gun?” added passenger Joseph Roberts. Given that passenger numbers plunged during the Covid years, KOMO News compared the current gun rates at SEA to the pre-pandemic years.According to TSA statistics, already more guns have been confiscated in 2024 than in the entire years of 2018 and 2019. ALSO SEE: Gun seizures at Sea-Tac airport surpass pre-pandemic levels amid surge in passenger numbers "That makes the mental detectors and the scanners worth it," noted passengerCarlos Alicea. Whenever a TSA officer sees the image of a firearm on the X-ray screen, TSA immediately notifies the Port of Seattle Police Department, which responds to the security checkpoint. A law enforcement officer removes the firearm from the X-ray tunnel and makes contact with the traveler. What happens to the firearm and the traveler is up to the discretion of the airport law enforcement agency. In addition to potential criminal citations for bringing a firearm in carry-on luggage, TSA can levy a civil penalty against the traveler of up to $14,950. https://www.komonews.com/news/local/seattle-tacoma-international-airport-guns-seized-tsa-transportation-security-administration-checkpoints-safety-passengers-pre-pandemic-period ATL Airport Community Hiring Event The Department of Aviation at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is excited to announce the ATL Airport Community Hiring Event on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Morrow High School, 4930 Steele Road, Ellenwood, GA. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with top employers and explore a range of careers at the world’s busiest airport! Secure your spot by registering at www.atl.com/careerfair. #Claytonconnected https://www.claytoncountyga.gov/news/atl-airport-community-hiring-event/ Air India to cancel 60 India-US flights in peak season due to aircraft shortage Air India has cancelled around 60 flights to and from San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Newark and New York between November 15 and December 31. In Short Affected routes include Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-Washington, and more Cancellation due to delayed aircraft maintenance and supply chain issues Company says passengers informed, offered alternative arrangements Non-availability of aircraft due to maintenance issues has forced Tata Group-owned Air India to cancel some 60 flights on the India-US routes between November and December this year, according to an airline source. The flights, which have been cancelled during the peak travel period, include services to San Francisco and Chicago, among others, the source said. Air India, in a statement, said it has cancelled a "small" number of flights between November and December on account of delayed return of some aircraft from heavy maintenance and supply chain constraints, without naming the destinations. It also said that affected customers have been "informed" and offered flights on other Air India group services operating on the same or adjacent days. "Air India has cancelled some 60 flights to and from San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Newark and New York between November 15 and December 31, as it does not have adequate wide-body aircraft to operate some of the flights to these destinations," the sources told PTI. As part of this, Air India has cancelled 14 flights on the Delhi-Chicago route, 28 flights on the Delhi-Washington route, 12 flights between the Delhi-SFO route, four flights on the Mumbai-New York route as well as two flights on the Delhi-Newark route, the sources said. "Air India is facing delays in getting aircraft from the MRO operator it is sending to for maintenance. Then some of its wide-body planes are also grounded due to technical issues. This has resulted in the shortage of aircraft and consequently in flight cancellations," they added. "Due to the delayed return of some aircraft from heavy maintenance and supply chain constraints resulting in a temporary reduction in operating fleet, Air India regrets that a small number of flights have been cancelled between now and end-December," an Air India spokesperson said. Affected customers have been informed and offered flights on other Air India group services operating on the same or adjacent days, a free change to any other date or a full refund, the spokesperson said, adding, "Air India sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused by this constraint beyond our control". Air India currently operates five flights between Delhi and Washington, while Delhi-JFK (New York) and Mumbai-JFK routes have seven flights per week. On the Delhi-Chicago route also, the airline operates seven flights per week. Air India operates flights to San Francisco from three destinations -- Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Of this, Air India operates 11 flights per week, including one daily service on the Delhi-SFO route, while from Mumbai and Bangalore, it operates four flights per week. Besides, Air India also operates three flights per week to Newark from Delhi and Mumbai. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/air-india-flights-cancel-india-us-new-york-routes-in-november-december-non-availability-of-aircraft-2625877-2024-10-30 Airbus Gets New Commercial Jet CEO, Aims To Deliver 770 Aircrafts This Year Airbus is signaling confidence in the path forward after persistent supply-chain turmoil. Airbus SE will replace the head of its commercial aircraft business and stick with a goal to deliver about 770 aircraft this year, underscoring the planemaker's focus on ironing out supply-chain glitches that have hampered production plans. Lars Wagner, the chief executive officer of engine parts maker MTU Aero Engines AG, will lead the commercial unit when he joins the planemaker around the beginning of 2026. He'll replace Christian Scherer, a 40-year Airbus veteran. Airbus also said its board plans to propose renewing CEO Guillaume Faury's mandate as the company's top executive. In reaffirming its full-year delivery plans amid leadership change, Airbus is signaling confidence in the path forward after persistent supply-chain turmoil. Several analysts had expected the company to trim the 2024 goal after the planemaker delivered 497 commercial jets through the first nine months of the year. "We have quite a difficult end of the year ahead of us," Faury said in a Bloomberg TV interview. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/airbus-gets-new-commercial-jet-ceo-aims-to-deliver-770-aircrafts-this-year-6912346 Spirit Airlines to furlough hundreds of pilots to cut costs CHICAGO (Reuters) - Spirit Airlines will furlough about 330 pilots on Jan. 31, 2025, a company spokesperson told Reuters, as part of its efforts to cut costs and shore up its finances. The ultra-low-cost carrier has been losing money despite strong travel demand. It has failed to report a profit in the last five out of six quarters, raising doubts about its ability to manage looming debt maturities. Spirit furloughed 186 pilots last month. It will also downgrade 120 captains to first officers on Jan. 31, the spokesperson said. The company has been facing an uncertain future after the collapse of its $3.8 billion merger deal with JetBlue Airways. Spirit's shares have slumped about 84% this year. The furloughs are a result of Spirit's plans to shrink the airline. The company plans to reduce its capacity in the current quarter by 20% from a year ago. In 2025, it expects capacity to be down mid-teens year-on-year. "We are implementing a series of cost savings initiatives throughout our business, including a reduction in workforce, as part of our comprehensive plan to return to profitability," Spirit's spokesperson said. Spirit plans to cut costs by $80 million next year, primarily through a reduction in its workforce. It is also selling 23 older Airbus aircraft for $519 million. The sale proceeds are estimated to provide $225 million of liquidity next year. Ryan Muller, the head of Spirit's pilot union, said the airline's plan to operate a smaller fleet has raised concerns about job security for pilots. "While the company may emphasize numbers, we understand that each figure represents a dedicated pilot, their career, and their family's future," said Muller, adding the pilot union was trying to mitigate the furloughs. Spirit said last week its third-quarter adjusted operating margin would be better than its previous guidance. The company also reiterated that it was still in "active and constructive discussions" with its bondholders about the upcoming maturities. It faces a December deadline for refinancing $1.1 billion of loyalty bonds due to mature next year. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/spirit-airlines-furlough-hundreds-pilots-211131707.html Saudi Arabia’s start-up airline places £6bn plane order in challenge to Gulf rivals Riyadh Air Riyadh Air has struck a deal to buy 60 A321neo short-haul jets from Airbus Riyadh Air has lodged a mammoth $8bn (£6bn) aircraft order as it ramps up efforts to take on established Middle Eastern carriers such as Emirates. The Saudi Arabian start-up airline, which is bankrolled by the Saudi state, has struck a deal to buy 60 A321neo short-haul jets from Airbus. This is in addition to an earlier agreement for 39 Boeing wide-bodies announced last year, which includes the option for another 33. The Airbus order marks the latest step in Riyadh Air’s bid to muscle in on a Gulf market dominated by some of the world’s biggest airlines, including Dubai-based Emirates and Qatar Airways. The start-up carrier is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's push to diversify the Saudi economy The start-up carrier is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's push to diversify the Saudi economy - Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS Chief executive Tony Douglas said the Airbus jets will help “support economic growth” by establishing the comprehensive route network needed to transform the city of Riyadh into a global aviation hub. The move to establish a new airline is a key element of Saudi Arabia’s bid to reduce its reliance on oil by diversifying into new sectors such as transport and tourism. The airline, which plans to commence flights next year, is also understood to be pursuing an additional deal for more wide-body jets as it looks to expand its fleet further. It is also exploring plans to enter the cargo market. Riyadh Air has said it wants to offer flights to 100 global destinations by the end of the decade, which will support Saudi Arabia’s bid to attract 100m tourists a year. Mr Douglas revealed his ambitions for the airline in an interview with The Telegraph earlier this year: “It’s no secret that for a long time, Saudi Arabia has lagged way behind in terms of global connectivity, and there’s no good example anywhere in the world of a sustainable, fast-growing economy that hasn’t got good connectivity. “The Kingdom needs a new world-class national carrier that will be its own version of Emirates and Qatar Airways, and the answer to that is Riyadh Air.” Douglas Tony Douglas, Riyadh Air’s boss, has spoken of his ambitions to build the Gulf market a new world-class national carrier - Neville Hopwood/Getty Images for Etihad Meanwhile, the deal capped a positive day for Airbus, which also revealed that profits rose 39pc to hit €1.4bn in the three months to September. That is in stark contrast to the $6bn loss recently posted by rival Boeing over the same period. The US firm is currently grappling with a strike by 33,000 assembly line workers, coupled with a crisis surrounding the 737 Max after one of the jets suffered a mid-air panel blowout at 16,000 feet last January. However, Airbus’ A321neo was outselling the Boeing model even before the incident. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/saudi-arabia-start-airline-places-070000662.html Bloody assault of sleeping passenger on United Airlines flight is under investigation: FAA The in-flight attack on Monday was sudden, one-sided and seemingly random. United Airlines passenger faces charges for allegedly beating up a sleeping passenger An unprovoked passenger repeatedly punched the victim in the face and head, authorities said. Another passenger intervened, and police arrested the suspect as soon as the plane landed. In a bloody and seemingly random assault, a man attacked a sleeping passenger on a United Airlines flight on Monday, according to court documents. The FBI says that Everett Chad Nelson, who was seated in 35F, walked to the lavatory about two hours into a flight from San Francisco, California, to Dulles, Virginia. While returning to his seat after using the lavatory, he stopped at seat 12F, where a man was sleeping, and began repeatedly punching him. Blood splattered across both men, as well as the aircraft seat, window and wall. An FBI affidavit stated that the victim awoke screaming, and other passengers attempted to intervene. Court documents said the sleeping passenger suffered black eyes and a gash to his nose. They also indicated that the victim did not harm Nelson, even in self-defense. Another passenger succeeded in pulling Nelson off the passenger. Nelson was moved to a seat at the front of the aircraft and monitored by the passenger who stopped the assault. "Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive toward another customer," United Airlines said in a statement. "The flight landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement." United Airlines Flight #2247 "safely landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia after the crew reported a passenger disturbance" at 1:40 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. NASA astronaut who had 'medical issue' released from hospital The injured man was then treated by a doctor for “abrasions to the face and head,” according to court documents. Nelson made his initial court appearance on Tuesday and was temporarily detained by a judge. He has not yet entered a plea. The FAA also noted that the rate of unruly passenger incidents has "dropped by over 80 percent since record-highs in early 2021 but unacceptable behavior continues to occur." In 2024, airlines have reported over 1,200 unruly passenger cases, according to the FAA. https://abcnews.go.com/US/bloody-assault-sleeping-passenger-united-airlines-flight-investigation/story?id=115328060 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