Flight Safety Information - November 25, 2024 No. 234 In This Issue : Accident: Swift B734 near Vilnius on Nov 25th 2024, impacted building on final approach : Accident: American B772 enroute on Nov 24th 2024, turbulence causes injuries : Incident: EAT Leipzig A332 at Hong Kong on Nov 24th 2024, engine shut down in flight : An American Airlines passenger was taken to hospital after severe turbulence caused a 4-hour flight to nowhere : JetBlue Looks to Trim Pilot Workforce : Argentina removes age limit for pilots flying commercial aircraft : Pilots In Dark About Safety System Behind Cabin Smoke Incidents : Top executives of Russia's largest aircraft plants dismissed over civil aviation failure : POSITION AVAILABLE: Senior Survival Factors Investigator (NTSB) : Calendar of Events Accident: Swift B734 near Vilnius on Nov 25th 2024, impacted building on final approach A Swiftair Boeing 737-400 on behalf of DHL, registration EC-MFE performing flight QY-5960 from Leipzig (Germany) to Vilnius (Lithuania) with 4 crew, was on final ILS approach to Vilnius' runway 19 maintaining routine communication with ATC until hand off to tower about 4nm before the runway threshold when the crew did not report on tower frequency, tower transmitted landing clearance into the blind, and the aircraft impacted a residential building about 0.9nm before the runway threshold at about 05:28L (03:28Z) and burst into flames. The two story residential building was on fire, however, there were no injuries on the ground to the 12 people living in the building. One crew member was killed, three crew have been taken to hospitals. Rescue services reported one body was taken away from the accident site, two others (including the pilot) were taken to hospital with injuries. Later rescue services reported one person was killed and three people were taken to hospitals with injuries. Police reported the causes of the crash are being investigated, most likely technical causes or human error, but terrorism as another possibility can not be ruled out. Investigators are currently at the hospital hoping to be able to interview the pilot. Collection of evidence could take a week. Runway Elevation is 647 feet MSL, the last ADS-B position suggesting a flight level 007 thus indicates at 1020 hPa a height of 253 feet when the aircraft on a 3 degree glidepath should be at a height of 336 feet. The ADS-B data suggest an average rate of descent of 972fpm at an average speed of 149 knots over ground between 03:27:29Z and 03:28:06Z. https://avherald.com/h?article=520c0e2b&opt=0 Accident: American B772 enroute on Nov 24th 2024, turbulence causes injuries An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N753AN performing flight AA-930 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to Miami,FL (USA) with 221 passengers and 12 crew, was enroute at FL380 about 770nm north of Sao Paulo when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to a number of people on board. The crew decided to return to Sao Paulo where the aircraft landed without further incident about 4.5 hours after departure. One passenger was taken to a hospital with a serious injury (leg fracture), a number of others were assessed for minor injuries. https://avherald.com/h?article=520bc98d&opt=0 Accident: Jetsmart A21N at Montevideo on Nov 2nd 2024, hard landing A Jetsmart Chile Airbus A321-200N, registration CC-AWU performing flight JA-761 from Rio de Janeiro Galeao,RJ (Brazil) to Montevideo (Uruguay), landed on Montevideo's runway 19 but touched down hard at 14:48L (17:48Z). The aircraft slowed without further incident and taxied to the apron. However, the aircraft was unable to continue service, the onward sector to Santiago (Chile) was cancelled. The aircraft remained on the ground in Montevideo until Nov 6th 2024, then ferried to Santiago via Neuquen,NE (Argentina) with gear down maintaining a maximum cruise level 160. The aircraft is still on the ground in Santiago on Nov 24th 2024. https://avherald.com/h?article=520bc428&opt=0 Incident: EAT Leipzig A332 at Hong Kong on Nov 24th 2024, engine shut down in flight An EAT Leipzig Airbus A330-200, registration D-ALOS performing flight QY-547 from Hong Kong (China) to Almaty (Kazakhstan), was climbing out of Hong Kong's runway 07R when the crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet reporting an engine (Trent 772) failure. The crew subsequently advised that the right hand engine had been shut down and positioned for an approach to runway 07R completing a safe landing on the runway. The aircraft needed to be towed off the runway. The aircraft is still on the ground in Hong Kong about 13 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=520bb21a&opt=0 An American Airlines passenger was taken to hospital after severe turbulence caused a 4-hour flight to nowhere An American Airlines flight returned to São Paulo after turbulence injured a passenger. The airline said there were over 200 people on board, and the seatbelt sign was on. Several carriers have changed protocols due to rising concerns about turbulence. An American Airlines passenger was taken to hospital after their flight encountered turbulence. Data from Flightradar24 shows that Saturday's Flight 930 from São Paulo to Miami U-turned less than two hours after taking off. It ultimately became a four-and-a-half-hour flight to nowhere. An airline spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that the flight landed safely back in São Paulo "after encountering turbulence while in flight." "We thank our crew members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding," they added. The Boeing 777 had 12 crew members and 221 passengers, one of whom was taken to a hospital in Brazil, according to the airline. The airline also said the seatbelt sign was on when the plane encountered turbulence. The Aviation Herald, which first reported the incident, said the passenger had a fractured leg, while some others had minor injuries. Saturday's incident comes in a year that has seen many airlines change their protocols due to rising incidents involving heavy turbulence. A Singapore Airlines passenger died, and dozens more were injured during severe turbulence in May. The airline then announced it would no longer serve meals when the seatbelt sign is on. It was followed by a change in protocol at Korean Air, which decided to end its cabin service early and stop serving instant noodles to economy passengers. Korean Air said turbulence had "become a persistent and growing problem in recent years." It added the number of incidents had doubled in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2019. It also suggested the climate crisis had had an impact, citing "large temperature differences between altitudes." Turbulence is created when differences in wind speed result in more friction between air molecules. A warmer climate imparts more energy into the air, which in turn creates more friction. This is especially notable around the jet streams, where clear-air turbulence is most prevalent. In a 2023 study, researchers from the University of Reading found that a typical point over the North Atlantic, the most severe type of clear-air turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020. https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-passenger-taken-hospital-114236902.html JetBlue Looks to Trim Pilot Workforce The carrier announced plans to downgrade over 300 captains. JetBlue is planning to shake up its pilot workforce next year. On Friday, the airline’s vice president of flight operations Jeff Winter told crew members that it would be implementing captain downgrades and base displacements. These moves come as the New York-based airline continues to moderate capacity after posting a loss of $60 million in the third quarter. During an October earnings call, company leadership said the airline also plans to ground more Airbus A220 and A321neo aircraft next year due to ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine troubles. The airline expects the number of grounded aircraft to average in the mid-to-high teens in 2025. During a Friday meeting with its pilots, Winter said the airline will cut 343 captain positions across its system late next year, according to a source familiar with the discussion. Among the most impacted will be its Los Angeles pilot base, which will see a reduction of 85 captains and 65 first officers. Downgraded captains will presumably be placed into first officer positions. No Furloughs Amid a slew of recently announced furloughs at Spirit and Mesa, JetBlue assured its pilots that no involuntary separations are immediately planned. The carrier has approximately 4,500 pilots in its ranks. Winter did add that the carrier is in talks with the Air Line Pilots Association — the union representing JetBlue’s pilots — to offer early retirements. In January, JetBlue offered early buy-outs to several workgroups, not including pilots, flight attendants, or mechanics. At the time, the airline touted its “no-furlough commitment.” https://airlinegeeks.com/2024/11/22/jetblue-looks-to-trim-pilot-workforce/# Argentina removes age limit for pilots flying commercial aircraft The National Civil Aviation Administration of Argentina (ANAC) has removed age restrictions for pilots flying commercial aircraft. On November 25, 2024, ANAC released Resolution 516/2024, which updates the Argentine Civil Aviation Regulations (RAAC) to remove the maximum age restrictions of 60 years old for single-pilot flights and 65 for multi-pilot flights. ANAC stated in the resolution that the decision had been made in response to requests to increase the age limit for pilots flying solo in aircraft used by commercial air transport companies. This also applies to aircraft “that require a pilot and co-pilot both within the national or international territory”, ANAC continued. The new resolution reflects the trend observed in the civil aviation regulations of various countries to “increase the age limit for the holder of a pilot’s license to exercise his powers in commercial air transport operations on national and international flights”, ANAC said. The age restriction for pilots is based on mental and physical health considerations, as well as the stringent requirements for knowledge, experience, and expertise set by the aeronautical authorities. “With advances in medicine in general, and the need to have pilots to meet the growing demand of the aeronautical market, it is necessary to reevaluate the age limit at which pilot’s license holders can exercise their functions,” the resolution concluded. On November 20, 2024, a group of US senators addressed letters to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Anthony Clare, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Mission to the International Civil Aviation Organization (USICAO), urging their support for increasing the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/argentina-removes-age-limit-for-commercial-pilots Pilots In Dark About Safety System Behind Cabin Smoke Incidents A fan decoupling system causes LEAP engines to leak oil and existence of the system is not included in pilot manuals. The FAA will likely issue an emergency AD in coming days directing pilots of Boeing 737 MAXes to shut off bleed air from at least one engine during takeoff and initial climb to prevent bird strikes from filling the flight deck with smoke. The Seattle Times has obtained a memo from FAA investigators to their brass recommending the procedure change until a software fix can be retrofitted on the fleet to automatically cut off the airflow if an engine is damaged in flight. The investigators also criticized Boeing for not letting pilots know that the safety system that is, ironically, causing the hazard had been added to the engines of the MAX. The Load Reduction Device on the MAX's Safran LEAP engines decouples the fan from the rest of the engine if it's damaged in flight. That is supposed to prevent the engine from shaking itself to pieces (potentially causing collateral damage to other parts of the plane) and it works. Unfortunately, it also causes the engine to leak oil from the sump, which ignites on the hot engine and sends chemical-laden smoke into either the flight deck (left engine) or cabin (right engine). According to the Times, Boeing has acknowledged that “the release of oil from the sump is an expected result of LRD activation.” The system activated on two Southwest flights last year involving large bird ingestions. On takeoff from Havana in March of 2023, a MAX took a bird in its right engine and, sure enough, the cabin filled with smoke. Last December, another Southwest MAX ingested a bald eagle in its left engine and sent the flight crew scrambling for the smoke masks. A meeting is set for Thursday to discuss the pending AD, which is really just a choice between shutting off the bleed air on the left engine (flight deck only air supply) or both engines on takeoff. Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer told the Times it's really not a choice at all. “We have to protect the passengers,” he said. “They shouldn’t be doused with lethal chemicals.” Tajer was also miffed that pilot representatives were not involved in the investigation. “Now we are going to demand to be a part of this process,” he told the Times. Meanwhile, the investigators also went to bat for pilots in their memo, noting the fan decoupling mechanism isn't featured in any pilot manuals. “Much like MCAS, the discovery that LRD is not known to pilots is very concerning,” the Times quoted the memo as saying. The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, and the lack of pilot knowledge of it, was a major factor in the fatal crashes of two MAXes in 2019 and 2020 and led to the worldwide grounding of the fleet, and Boeing promised to do better at informing pilots of any unique features in the equipment. The memo suggests FAA brass order Boeing to ensure anything other design quirks be "adequately communicated in pilot operating manuals.” https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/pilots-in-dark-about-safety-system-behind-cabin-smoke-incidents/ Top executives of Russia's largest aircraft plants dismissed over civil aviation failure Russian authorities are launching a "purge" of top aviation industry managers after the sector failed to deliver on the Kremlin's plan to produce domestic civil aircraft as replacements for Western models. The CEO of PJSC Yakovlev, Andrei Boginsky, and the Managing Director of PJSC Tupolev, Konstantin Timofeev, have been removed from their positions. Boginsky was dismissed by order of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for the "failure of the civil aviation programme". Leadership changes include Vadim Badeha, CEO of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), personally taking over management of Yakovlev. Meanwhile, Alexander Bobryshev, UAC's Deputy CEO for State Defence Orders, has been appointed to head up Tupolev. These changes are reportedly tied to the urgent need for "timely certification and the launch of mass production for a new line-up of domestic civil airliners". The government’s ambitious plan to revive the aviation industry aimed to produce 40 civil airliners in 2023. By 2026, production was to ramp up to 120 planes annually, reaching 200 by 2028 and 230 by 2030 – the highest level since the late 1970s. The programme also projected that Russian airlines would receive two import-substituted Sukhoi Superjets and three Tu-214 airliners last year. For this year, the targets included 20 Sukhoi Superjets, seven Tu-214s, six MC-21 regional jets, and two Il-114-300 turboprops. In reality, the industry managed to deliver only two Tu-214s and one Il-96-300. As a result, the government has drastically scaled back its goals. Production for 2025 has been cut from 82 planes to just 20. The 2026 goal has been reduced from 120 to 97, and the 2027 target lowered from 180 to 140. Background: Western sanctions are causing Russian airlines to lose more aircraft, compounding the industry's struggles. At the same time, Kazakh specialists are reportedly maintaining Russian Su-30SM fighter jets using French-made equipment from Thales and Safran, bypassing the sanctions. https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/11/25/7486218/ POSITION AVAILABLE: Senior Survival Factors Investigator National Transportation Safety Board Office of Aviation Safety The incumbent will serve as a Senior Survival Factors Investigator located in the Office of Aviation Safety (OAS), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and serve as an expert Survival Factors Investigator in aircraft accident investigations and is responsible for the investigation of the survival factors aspects of aircraft accidents, planning and conducting survival factors examinations, studies, factual and analytical reports. Duties As a Senior Survival Factors Investigator, GS-1801-14, you will perform the following major duties: Serves as Group Chair responsible for documenting, analyzing, and evaluating survival factors issues described in the position summary above. These include but are not limited to cabin safety and flight attendant training, occupant protection, airport operations, and airport and community emergency management factors that may arise during major aviation accident/incident investigations. Organizes, supervises, and coordinates the activities of the representatives from the operators, manufactures, professional organizations, FAA, and other participating agencies, including experts in other fields in the course of a survival factors investigation. Independently identifies and assesses the significance of survival factors found during on-scene accident investigations. Analyzes and interprets the data uncovered. The purpose of such analysis is to l) advance the knowledge of survival factors in the operation of aviation systems; 2) provide practical applications of theory in the survival factors for the purpose of publication and general education; and 3) form a basis for the application of practical solutions to the prevention of future accidents of similar nature. Determines requirements for special tests, studies, and/or assistance that may be necessary in one or more aspects of a given investigation. Monitors these activities and evaluates findings in terms of relevancy to the probable cause and/or safety recommendations. Studies usually involve the novel and/or innovative application of research results in analyzing survival factors. Develops and prepares documentation in the form of reports, photographs, pertinent records, and other appropriate material. Prepares timely and technically correct factual and analytical reports that accurately reflect the pertinent findings in the survival factors areas to be used in the subsequent analysis and probable cause determination. Maintains currency in survival factors affecting aviation safety including emergent research and operational practices, accident investigation methodology. Requirements Conditions of Employment • U.S. Citizenship.Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.Resume and supporting documents (see "How to Apply" section.).Suitability for Federal employment.Financial Interest in transportation enterprises will be evaluated on a case-by-case-basis.Bargaining Unit Position: YES - Bargaining unit represented by NTSB-AFGE Local 2211.Direct Deposit is required.A probationary period may be required.Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level) by the closing date of this announcement. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.This position is being announced concurrently under Public (U.S Citizens) procedures under Vacancy Number AS-12586916-25-KAT To be considered under both Public (US Citizens) and Government-Wide procedures, you must apply to both announcements.You may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, upon entering the position and annually.THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REMOTE TELEWORK.Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifications GS-14: You MUST have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector). Specialized experience is defined as: Experience in leading a team investigating civil aviation accident survival factors from initial investigative activities to the identification of cause and preventative safety actions; leading the development and implementation of a plan for conducting a component examination or follow-up investigation; using data to support decision making in determining investigation scope and the development of findings in the areas of survival factors; carrying out investigative research needed to further the study of crashworthiness and survival factors issues in the aviation industry; applying knowledge of civil aviation survival factors safety issues and investigation evidence in the development of recommendations to improve occupant protection and survivability. For more information see link: General Inspection Investigation Enforcement and Compliance Series 1801 (opm.gov) NOTE: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your resume must clearly show the specialized experience and competencies related to this position. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the education, specialized experience and/or competencies will result in an "Ineligible" rating. APPLY HERE CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 • 59th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium is scheduled March 31 - April 2, 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