Flight Safety Information - November 8, 2024 No. 223 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa Cityline A319 at Munich on Nov 5th 2024, cabin door did not arm : Boeing 777-369ER - Ground Damage (Bangladesh) : Hundreds of flights delayed at Denver's airport due to snow : Avelo Receives Its 20th Aircraft : New White House Sets Stage for New Aviation Policy : Ousted Leader Of American Airlines Pilots Says ALPA Backers Pushed Him : Boom Supersonic's test jet sets new record, gunning for 3.5 hours NY-London flights : Private jet emissions soar almost 50% in four years : Qantas flight makes emergency landing at Sydney airport after engine failure, sparking grass fire near runway : United Boeing 777 APU Catches Fire at San Francisco Airport : Experimental category aircraft safety record at all-time best : Business Aviation Safety Still Has Room To Grow : Calendar of Events Incident: Lufthansa Cityline A319 at Munich on Nov 5th 2024, cabin door did not arm A Lufthansa Cityline Airbus A319-100, registration D-AIBL performing flight LH-2480 from Munich (Germany) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was climbing out of Munich's runway 26R when the crew stopped the climb at FL070 and returned to Munich for a safe landing on runway 26R about 20 minutes after departure. The rotation was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the next flights LH-2482/LH-2483. A passenger reported the crew announced the rear left cabin door did not fully arm, so that they needed to return to Munich. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 17.5 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=51fe50d1&opt=0 Boeing 777-369ER - Ground Damage (Bangladesh) Date: Wednesday 6 November 2024 Time: 02:20 Type: Boeing 777-369ER Owner/operator: Kuwait Airways Registration: 9K-AOJ MSN: 62567/1491 Year of manufacture: 2017 Engine model: General Electric GE90-115B Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Dhaka-Shahjalal International Airport (DAC/VGHS) - Bangladesh Phase: Standing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Kuwait International Airport (KWI/OKBK) Destination airport: Dhaka-Shahjalal International Airport (DAC/VGHS) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Kuwait Airways a Boeing 777-369ER, operating return flight KU283/4 from Kuwait to Dhaka, Bangladesh, was involved in a ground accident at Dhaka. About fifty minutes after arrival, while parked at the gate,the boarding bridge moved downwards, ripping off the passenger door. Reportedly only the crew was still on board. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/458888 Hundreds of flights delayed at Denver's airport due to snow A winter storm with snow and blizzard conditions caused many flights to be delayed or canceled at Denver International Airport. DENVER — Winter weather has caused hundreds of flights at Denver International Airport to be delayed or canceled on Thursday. There were 972 flights delayed and nine canceled at Denver's airport, according to FlightAware, as of 10 p.m. Thursday. SkyWest, Southwest, United, Frontier, American and Delta are among the impacted airlines. Denver International Airport said it typically handles anywhere from 1,700 to 2,000 flights on any given day. The state's largest airport recommended that travelers check security wait times ahead of travel at FlyDenver.com and reminded passengers that de-icing operations could add 15 to 20 minutes to a trip. Winter Storm Watches are up for most of the Denver metro area for a significant winter storm. On Thursday, the same upper-level low that's been spinning up snow and clouds since Tuesday will continue to churn up heavier snow along and south and east of the Palmer Divide, south of Denver. The next storm system headed to Colorado will likely bring six inches or more of snow on Friday and Saturday. https://www.9news.com/article/weather/weather-colorado/denver-airport-flight-delay-cancel/73-f6c92225-a3b9-4f0a-a1d4-087cd5499868 Avelo Receives Its 20th Aircraft The carrier plans to expand its fleet even more in 2025. Avelo is set to introduce its 20th Boeing 737 aircraft this week, with plans for more jets in 2025. The ultra-low-cost carrier – which began operations in 2021 – continues to bridge the coasts, adding new flights from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut on Thursday. In February, Avelo’s commercial chief, Trevor Yealy, told Aviation Week that the airline will add five more aircraft from GOL Linhas Aéreas. The Brazilian carrier filed for bankruptcy in January. So far, per Cirium Fleet Analyzer, Avelo has received four ex-GOL 737-800s, with the fifth starting revenue service this week. The carrier has a total of eight 737-700s in service along with 11 737-800s, all of which had previous operators. The airline’s average fleet age stands at just over 16 years old. Fleet data shows that its 20th aircraft was delivered to Avelo on Oct. 2, 2024, but has yet to begin revenue flights. Registered as N812VL, the 20th 737 is owned by Carlyle Aviation Partners. After undergoing service entry checks in Miami and Dothan, Alabama, the 14-year-old jet is slated to enter service on Friday from the airline’s New Haven, Connecticut, base, per Flightradar24 tracking data. During the first half of 2025, Avelo expects to receive two to four more aircraft, an airline spokesperson said. Network Expansion On Thursday, Avelo began flights from Bradley Airport. Later, the airline is planning to add its first international flights to Cancun, Mexico, and Montego Bay, Jamaica. In addition, the carrier announced more flights from Lakeland, Florida, on Thursday. Beginning on March 6, Avelo will operate twice-weekly flights from the central Florida city to Nashville, Tennessee. https://airlinegeeks.com/2024/11/07/avelo-receives-its-20th-aircraft/ New White House Sets Stage for New Aviation Policy Tariffs, Schedule F, sustainability, audits all possible changes January is poised to bring changes to aviation policy in Washington, with former President Donald Trump returning to the White House after a four-year absence. However, how far those changes may go—whether it involves tariffs, sustainability funding and/or mandates, or even business aircraft use—remains to be seen. The most immediate change will be in personnel running key agencies. Unless he chooses to leave, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker will remain in place essentially for the duration of the incoming Trump Administration, confirmed to the post for a five-year term just last year. However, other key agency and department officials are more likely to be replaced, beginning with the Secretary of Transportation, a post currently held by Pete Buttigieg. It is not unheard of for a President to appoint or retain a member of the opposing party to a cabinet position—President Bush’s Transportation Secretary was long-time California Democrat Norman Mineta. However, it is unlikely that Trump would retain Buttigieg, a former presidential candidate. Changes could go further downstream as Trump seeks to shore up his support within the administration. Shortly before leaving office in his first term, the former president issued a “Schedule F” executive order that essentially stripped policy officials within the federal government of certain civil service protections, meaning they could be fired over different policy views or actions. Estimates have been that Schedule F could apply to up to 50,000 employees. This does not mean they will be fired, but it gives the president more power to exert control over agency actions. While undone by Biden, Trump has indicated plans to reinstate that. The FAA, and largely the Department of Transportation, tends to remain more bipartisan so it’s too early to say how vulnerable career agency officials would be. Another key initiative that Trump had indicated during the election season was a desire to impose 10% to 20% tariffs on imports. If implemented, this might affect business aviation goods, such as business jets, engines, and other components. Most of the primary OEMs have some presence in the U.S.—and some with assembly or another form of production—so again, it is unclear how such a proposal would apply. However, if the tariffs did, it would create an obstacle to accessing the world’s largest business aviation market. Underscoring the complexity of tariffs, Éric Martel, president and CEO of Montreal-based Bombardier, noted that such a move could affect “both sides of the border” depending on how tariffs are imposed—particularly since so much content comes from the U.S., including Bombardier’s own wing plant in Texas. However, he added that he could not speculate on them since details have not yet emerged. But he did emphasize that Bombardier has a global footprint. Another area under watch is on the sustainability front. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, key sustainable research programs, including sustainable aviation fuel, have benefited from incentives. However, these kinds of green funding have frequently been a target of conservatives seeking to cut spending. Other changes could affect the sweeping audits that have begun on the most wealthy and largest corporations. The Biden administration has launched audits in a range of areas—including on business aircraft use—in a quest to close loopholes and make sure companies and individuals are “paying their fair share.” Immediately after the elections, the markets responded positively, which Martel pointed out is good for business aviation. The markets like stability, he said, noting that the completion of the elections and certainty of outcome provide that, at least in the short term. While an array of questions are surfacing during the transition, aviation organizations emphasized the importance of working with the new administration. “Our nation’s greatest achievements—from putting man on the moon to breaking the sound barrier—are the result of the powerful alliance between industry and government,” said Aerospace Industries Association president and CEO Eric Fanning. “As we embark on a new chapter in our history, we look forward to collaborating closely with the new Administration and 119th Congress to enhance this partnership.” Fanning stressed that was particularly important in light of geopolitical turbulence and economic headwinds. “Our priorities remain steadfast: supporting American leadership in aerospace and defense; igniting innovation and job creation; and strengthening our national security,” he continued. “Together, we will reach new heights.” National Air Transportation Association president and CEO Curt Castagna similarly stated: “NATA looks forward to partnering with the new Administration to advance issues important to both aviation businesses and to our nation, including the deployment of emerging aviation technologies and the modernization of our National Airspace System. “Business aviation has a proven record of providing valuable, safe air transportation and critical public benefits to communities across the country, and President-elect Trump has a unique opportunity to preserve and enhance these vital transportation services provided by NATA's aviation business members.” Castagna added that the association plans to reach out to the transition team to discuss these and other areas. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-11-07/new-white-house-sets-stage-new-aviation-policy Ousted Leader Of American Airlines Pilots Says ALPA Backers Pushed Him One evening in early December, Ed Sicher will step into a Boeing 777 to fly as captain of an international flight, a big step for the longtime Boeing 737 pilot, the result of an upgrade that came in his 26th years as at American Airlines. The flight will have special significance for Sicher, 60, as an indicator that he has moved on with his life after his Oct. 7th ouster as president of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents 16,000 American pilots. After the APA board voted 15-5 to remove him at a Fort Worth meeting, “They had security escort me out the door the moment that vote ended,” Sicher said Monday in an interview, the first time he has spoken publicly about his removal. Sicher’s removal resulted from his opposition to an effort by the Air Line Pilots Association to merge with APA. ALPA represents 78,000 pilots at 41 U.S. and Canadian airlines and is a powerful voice in Washington. A group of pilots called American Pilots For ALPA has been seeking a merger since 2022. Removal surprised Sicher. “I had been running a very aggressive anti-ALPA movement at APA,” he said. “But I didn’t think they had the votes to remove me.” The APA board has 20 members, two from each domicile. Recent elections have brought in more pro-ALPA leaders. “Every pro-ALPA domicile rep voted to remove me,” Sicher said. “But they needed help, because they didn’t have a majority. So they brought in six reps who didn’t like the way the last contract was closed out.” As older pilots have retired, some 3,000 to 5,000 recent hires have joined American from regional carriers where ALPA represented them at a time when regionals were seeking to lure pilots. “They never had a cloudy sky in their careers; they are coming from regionals where they got $100,000 signing bonuses and hotel rooms,” Sicher said. “They are completely different from the older generation that has been on the property for 25 years,” during give backs, slow upgrades and a bankruptcy. Many younger pilots are loyal to ALPA, he said. Sicher said he will continue to oppose ALPA. He said that ALPA dues are higher, 1.85% compared with 1%. Additionally, he said, ALPA’s approach differs from APA’s. “We’re independent,” he said. “We do what’s best for American pilots, without others involved.” For instance, APA spoke out strongly about Boeing’s dangerous lost focus on safety “APA is the only one willing to hold Boeing’s feet to the fire,” Sicher said: An ALPA spokesman disagreed. Sicher’s departure appears to reflect APA’s thinking. “The pilots of APA have spoken and elected new leadership,” ALPA President Jason Ambrosi said Thursday in an email. “We look forward to working with them on issues for the benefit of both our memberships." This month, Nick Silva, the Dallas-based 737 pilot who was appointed to fill out Sicher’s term as APA president, attended ALPA’s board of directors meeting in Chicago. Subsequently, he posted a message entitled “Collaboration is Key” in the APA News Digest. It begins, “One of my top priorities as your APA president is to reestablish effective collaboration with our peers.” Silva said he attended both a Southwest Airlines Pilots Association conference and the ALPA board meeting. Both events provided “opportunities for renewed information exchange, networking and relationship building,” he said, adding, “Our profession is a small, select community and it is essential that we work together.” Sicher took office as APA president in July 2022, expecting to serve a three-year term that ends in 2025. He joined American in 1998 after 12 years of active Air Force, including combat in Bosnia. He was Miami domicile vice chair from 2015 to 2018 and chairman in 2021 and 2022. As president, he presided over negotiations that led to the August 2023 approval of a four-year contract, valued at $9.6 billion, that raised wages about 40% over four years. The path to a contract was not a straight line. In bargaining, an earlier tentative agreement was discarded after United reached a tentative deal. Sicher opposed the first deal as securing too little. When a second deal was being negotiated, he opposed those who “tried to add ornaments to the Christmas tree at the end of negotiations. “When I became president, the board was shooting way too low on the contract at the table,” he said. “I told the members it wasn’t good enough.” He encouraged a board vote that declined to send that first deal out to the members. Then he waited for an Alaska Airlines agreement that provided many quality-of-life improvements and a Delta contract step-up that included financial improvements. “I told the board ‘Stop trying to be first,” he said. Pilots who wanted to stack on more argued that negotiations could move to the National Mediation Board, but Sicher said no. “I talked with a dozen other unions, and they all told me that NMB was just a process for delay,” he said. “So I opposed that. Five of those who voted to get rid of me were because of the bitterness from those negotiations.” While the first tentative deal was worth $1.7 billion, the second was valued at $9.6 billion. “I’m proud of what I accomplished in my tenure,” Sicher said. “It was the best contract American airlines have seen in the past 25 years and one we will be proud of in the future. And every time I walk through the airport, I get a lot of thank yous for what we did.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2024/11/07/ousted-leader-of-american-airlines-pilots-says-alpa-backers-pushed-him/ Boom Supersonic's test jet sets new record, gunning for 3.5 hours NY-London flights The XB-1, nicknamed the "Son of Concorde," is a single-seat demonstrator plane manufactured by Boom Technology, reports The Jerusalem Post. MOJAVE, Calif. - Boom Technology's XB-1 supersonic aircraft reached a new top speed in its latest test flight, edging closer to breaking the sound barrier. In a significant milestone, the XB-1 surpassed Mach 0.81, up from Mach 0.67 on its previous flight. During the test at 23,015 feet above Mojave, California, the aircraft reached 499 knots true airspeed, marking its seventh test flight since March, reports The Jerusalem Post. Continue reading original article. The Military & Aerospace Electronics take: 8 November 2024 - On 5 November 2024, XB-1 completed its seventh subsonic test flight, focusing on flutter envelope expansion and cockpit pressure testing to ensure safe handling at higher speeds and altitudes. This flight set a new top speed for XB-1 at Mach 0.82 (499 knots) and reached an altitude of 23,015 feet, where the team performed a final pressurization test for cockpit safety. Tests included flutter excitation at speeds of Mach 0.7, 0.75, and 0.8 to confirm stable handling near transonic speeds. The pressurization test prepares XB-1 to safely reach 30,000 feet, the altitude required for its upcoming supersonic flights. XB-1 continues its progress, aiming to break the sound barrier at Mach 1. https://www.militaryaerospace.com/home/article/55241269/boom-supersonics-test-jet-sets-new-record-gunning-for-35-hours-ny-london-flights Private jet emissions soar almost 50% in four years High use of aviation ‘taxis’ for big events such as World Cup, Davos — and climate summits, study finds Carbon dioxide emissions from private jets soared almost 50 per cent in four years, research has found, driven by a shift in the wealthy’s post-pandemic travel habits including high numbers of flights serving big global events. The most frequent private flyers generated annual emissions that were hundreds of times greater than the average person’s total carbon footprint, according to the study of more than 25,000 aircraft between 2019 and 2023. The research, published on Thursday in the Communications Earth & Environment journal, highlights the hundreds of flights to and from high-profile international gatherings — including the UN COP climate summits where countries push to limit global warming. The big rise will concern officials preparing to gather in Azerbaijan for the COP29 climate conference next week. The findings underscored the sector’s sustained boom after wealthy users switched to private aviation to continue long-distance journeys when Covid forced lockdowns around the world. They also showed a “fundamental disregard of climate change at the top of society”, said Stefan Gössling, the paper’s lead author and a professor in the business and economics school of Sweden’s Linnaeus University. “Private aircraft are used as taxis in many cases, never mind the climate implication,” he added. “The broader population will not understand why they should reduce emissions if the top is not regulated — or leading by example.” Gössling and colleagues examined tracker data from 18,655,789 private flights by 25,993 registered jet-type private aircraft between 2019 and 2023, representing the vast majority of the sector’s activity. They estimated the CO₂ emissions of each flight using advertised fuel consumption rates for each aircraft. The researchers calculated that the flights produced 15.6mn tonnes of CO₂ in direct emissions in 2023. That represented a 46 per cent rise from the 2019 figure, and accounted for about 1.8 per cent of total emissions from commercial aviation last year. The 2022 football World Cup in Qatar was associated with 1,846 flights; the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last year, with 660; and the COP28 conference in the UAE, with 291. The highest individual emitters — based on an analysis of aircraft registration numbers — produced more than 500 more times CO₂ from flights than the total global average emissions per person, based on World Bank figures for 2020, the researchers found. Many rich individuals have continued using private jets since the end of the pandemic, attracted by the privacy, personalised service and convenience. The rise in companies offering fractional ownership or bookings on “empty leg” repositioning flights have also made the industry more affordable. There were 5.1mn private flights in 2023, 15 per cent more than in 2019, according to data from the aviation consultant WingX. Some parts of the industry have tried to become more sustainable, principally by offering customers carbon offsets or cleaner “sustainable aviation fuels” on their flights. Victor, an Abu Dhabi-based private jet charter company, said more than 500 clients had chosen to add an extra £1,000 to their bills in order to reduce the emissions of their flights by using some cleaner fuels. While air travel is not the biggest source of pollution, accounting for 3 per cent of global emissions, environmental groups have called for private jets to face much heavier taxation. Fuel used in private aviation is generally untaxed around the world. The UK last week announced higher taxes on some private jet flights in its Budget, which the industry said would not deter flyers. Gössling called for the sector to be “regulated to grow at lower rates”, such as by increasing landing fees to discourage both shorter flights and passenger-free flights to airports where charges are lower. Private aviation emissions would probably be two or three times higher if other greenhouse gases were taken into account, said Felix Creutzig, a group leader at the Berlin-based Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change. Calling for greater regulation of the sector, he said “super-rich individuals are role models and their choices matter beyond their individual footprint”. https://www.ft.com/content/13a89ac6-6fa8-4e17-9ef2-698d20b657a7 Qantas flight makes emergency landing at Sydney airport after engine failure, sparking grass fire near runway A passenger onboard QF520 to Brisbane says it was ‘a real struggle to get airborne and it was clear to everyone … that something was badly wrong’ A Qantas flight bound for Brisbane was forced to turn back to Sydney after suffering an engine failure, which in turn caused a grass fire that shuttered one of the airport’s runways. QF520 left Sydney airport about 12.35pm, but four minutes later the Boeing 737 carrying about 170 passengers suddenly changed direction and stopped climbing, before circling and returning to the airport, where it made an emergency landing shortly after 1pm. ABC reporter Mark Willacy was onboard the flight. He told ABC TV that just as the plane was taking off, “there was a large bang and a really jolting shudder went through the plane”. “We knew immediately something was wrong, but what was more disturbing, I think, was the plane really laboured after that,” he said. “It was a real struggle to get airborne and it was clear to everyone – the crew and the passengers – that something was badly wrong at that point.” Willacy said the plane slowly got more altitude and banked to the west, did a loop and came back over Sydney and the ocean. The pilots spoke to passengers after 10 or 15 minutes to explain something happened with the engine on the right wing, but “it was shut down [and] things were under control”. The plane then landed and firetrucks came to inspect the engine. Willacy said there was a lot of smoke and passengers witnessed the grass fire. Qantas’s chief pilot, captain Richard Tobiano, said the flight “experienced a suspected engine failure” after take-off. “After circling for a short period of time, the aircraft landed safely at Sydney airport. Our pilots are highly trained to handle situations like this and the aircraft landed safely after the appropriate procedures were conducted.” Tobiano said the incident “would have been a distressing experience” for passengers and the airline would provide support to those onboard. “We will also be conducting an investigation into what caused the engine issue.” No injuries were reported, and passengers were rebooked on alternative services. Qantas engineers conducted a preliminary inspection, which confirmed the plane suffered a contained engine failure. Jets can safely fly on just one engine. “While customers would have heard a loud bang, there was not an explosion,” Tobiano said. Georgina Lewis, an employee of the Nine network, was also onboard the Boeing 737. “We were taking off and we heard a bang,” she told Nine. “One of the engines appeared to have gone.” The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), a union that represents some Qantas pilots, commended the crew onboard QF520. In a statement, the AIPA’s safety and technical director, captain Steve Cornell, said “engine failures are extremely rare but Qantas pilots are exceptionally well trained to handle them with the utmost professionalism”. “In this instance the crew displayed remarkable skill, expertise and composure in returning safely to Sydney and protecting everyone onboard. “This incident demonstrates the value of having two well-trained and well-rested pilots on the flight deck as the most essential safety feature in aviation.” The grass fire led to some flights being diverted to land at Newcastle airport. An Airservices spokesperson said: “An engine failure on departure from Runway 34R caused a grass area adjacent to the runway to catch fire. Airservices’ ARFF crews quickly attended the grass fire and extinguished it. “Airservices’ National Operations Management Centre enacted a 47-minute ground stop at Sydney Airport to ensure the plane could land as quickly as possible. ARFF crews met QFA520 when it landed safely on Runway 34L, with nil passenger injuries,” the Airservices spokesperson said. The dual incidents occurred just after an Australia-wide outage at international airport immigration gates was resolved. The Australian Border Force was still investigating the source of Friday’s technical outage, which heavily affected Melbourne and Sydney airports. SmartGate kiosks for inbound and outbound passengers on Friday morning were not functioning, with three departures out of Melbourne delayed. Border force said systems were back online at all airports by midday AEDT, but they were yet to find the source. “The cause of the technical issue remains under investigation,” the spokesperson said. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/08/qantas-flight-forced-into-distressing-emergency-landing-at-sydney-airport-after-engine-fails-during-takeoff United Boeing 777 APU Catches Fire at San Francisco Airport For those who are not aware of APU, it is actually a small jet engine located in the tail or empennage section of an aircraft. SAN FRANCISCO- United Airlines (UA) Boeing 777 Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) caught fire during pushback at San Francisco Airport (SFO), on Wednesday (November 6, 2024). The aircraft was scheduled to operate the transcontinental flight from San Francisco to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). United Airlines (UA) Boeing 777 Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) caught fire during pushback at San Francisco Airport (SFO). According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing report, United aircraft during pushback from terminal 2, gate 6 experienced a fire in the APU. For those who are not aware of APU, it is actually a small jet engine located in the tail or empennage section of an aircraft. It is used to start main engines and also act as backup in case of engine failure. After this, the passengers were disembarked from the aircraft and after fixing the issue passengers reembarked on 777. Luckily no injuries were reported on board or on the ground. United Boeing 777 was scheduled to operate the transcontinental flight from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). According to FlightRadar24 data, United flight UA534 was scheduled to depart from SFO at 8:30 AM local time. However, due to the incident, the flight was delayed by two hours and 37 minutes. The flight landed safely in Chicago after being airborne at around 4:44 PM local time. The aircraft involved in the incident is a Boeing 777-200, registered as N781UA. Further, it is a 28.2-year-old aircraft and is powered by Pratt and Whitney PW4000 engines. We reached out to United Airlines and Spokesperson Erin told us that, “United Flight 534 returned to the gate to address an issue with a generator. We fixed it and the flight continued to Chicago.” Similar Incident In September 2024, Emirates flight EK547 from Chennai International Airport (MAA) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) was delayed following reports of smoke from the aircraft’s Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) while on the ground. The incident, which occurred during nighttime refueling procedures, caused concern among the 280 passengers onboard and led to a temporary panic at the airport. The flight crew immediately notified airport authorities upon detecting smoke, prompting a swift response from technical experts and the arrival of fire tenders as a precautionary measure. According to airport officials, the smoke ceased within approximately 10 minutes, though the exact cause was not disclosed. Initially scheduled for a 10:00 PM departure, the Boeing 777-300ER, registered as A6-ECZ and powered by GE90 engines, departed at 12:30 AM IST after a thorough inspection. The 14.7-year-old aircraft subsequently landed safely in Dubai at around 2:30 AM local time. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2024/11/08/united-777-apu-catches-fire-at-san-francisco/ Experimental category aircraft safety record at all-time best Amateur-built aircraft fatal accidents have decreased 25 percent in past decade Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Experimental category aircraft fatal accidents dropped to historic lows over the 12-month period ending in September 2024, with the Experimental Aircraft Association reporting that safety programs are contributing to the decrease to levels beneath the Federal Aviation Administration’s yearly not-to-exceed goal. For the federal fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration reported there were 37 fatal accidents in experimental category aircraft over the preceding 12 months, including 29 in amateur-built aircraft. The FAA during that period also maintained a continually lower not-to-exceed goal each year, with the total fatal accidents well below the most recent goal of 46 for the period ending in September 2024. That compares to 61 total accidents – 40 in amateur-built aircraft – during a similar 12-month period a decade ago. “FAA officials have taken notice of these improved safety figures,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety. “Agency officials have remarked to us how EAA’s programs have helped build the safety culture that leads to these positive numbers. It a positive foundation, also reflected in overall general aviation safety, on which the entire flying community can build even further progress.” The annual FAA flight activity survey shows that flying hours increased, even as the number of fatal accidents decreased significantly. As a reference point, homebuilt fatal accident total has been cut by nearly 30 over the past decade, from 527 in the period from 2005-14 to 329 from 2015-24. EAA has worked closely with the FAA to reduce fatal accidents through participation in the FAA General Aviation Joint Safety Committee. Efforts have also included thousands of copies of the EAA Flight Test Manual, now with its new Second Edition released this fall, in the hands of amateur-built aircraft owners; the increasing use of an additional safety pilot during initial flight testing in amateur-built aircraft; and a Non-Builder Owners’ Guide for subsequent owners of amateur-built aircraft. Other EAA safety initiatives ranging from regular safety webinars have also put the spotlight on safety for experimental category aircraft. Experimental aircraft accident totals also again compare favorably to many other recreational pursuits that carry risk factors, ranging from boating to E-bikes. About EAA The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 300,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/11/07/2977073/0/en/Experimental-category-aircraft-safety-record-at-all-time-best.html Business Aviation Safety Still Has Room To Grow Safety management systems could help avoid accidents and incidents, say experts While aviation in general remains an extremely safe mode of transportation, there still remains room for improvement, particularly on the business aviation side, according to Andrew Schmertz, CEO and co-founder of New York-based charter operator Hopscotch Air and chair of NATA’s charter committee. “The fact is we are still having accidents in this industry,” he said while moderating a panel on safety at the NATA Air Charter Summit earlier this week in Oklahoma City. “We have an exemplary safety record but it’s falling short of our [Part] 121 brethren.” Panelist Brice Banning, a senior accident investigator with the NTSB, noted that the top defining accident cause for Part 135 operations from 2008 to 2022 is loss of control in flight, followed by powerplant system component failure and abnormal runway contact. “When we narrowed the data down to 2017 to 2022, we saw loss of control in flight, abnormal runway contact, and loss of control on the ground, so I think the data would suggest that the same defining events are showing up.” While those events are among the ones reported to the NTSB, many are not. Stephan Burgess, emergency operations center manager with crisis management company Fireside Partners, said his company still responds to between two and four runway excursions a month. “If you dip a tire into the mud and try to throttle it out and get stuck, that's maybe not reportable, but those things are happening all the time,” he told attendees, adding the trend has increased post-Covid. “For a runway excursion to hit NTSB reporting requirements, we’re talking injuries, severe aircraft damage, damage to property other than the aircraft over $25,000. So it has to be a pretty severe event.” He attributes the trend to growing complacency. “We’re not encountering something new that we haven’t done before. We’re kind of falling away from procedures that actually do work and have worked in the past.” Both panelists agree that the recently-mandated implementation of safety management systems (SMS) will greatly help to reduce preventable events, but the safety culture they represent must be truly embraced rather than viewed simply as another compliance item. “There is still such a pervasive check-the-box culture, though we’re making all the right motions with SMS right now,” said Burgess. “Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons there’s still so many operators out there that have emplaced an SMS but they’re really not usng it to its full potential.” Banning added his agency has long been a proponent of SMS. “I think it absolutely has to start at the top, but then you have to get into the trenches with your people and find out is it working on the hangar floor? Is it working in the cockpit? Are employees willing to open up and share their concerns?” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-06-28/business-aviation-safety-still-has-room-grow CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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