Flight Safety Information - December 9, 2024 No. 244 In This Issue : Incident: Cargojet B763 at Vancouver on Nov 30th 2024, engine shut down in flight : Incident: India A20N at Goa on Dec 5th 2024, rejected takeoff from taxiway : Incident: Qatar A35K near Male on Dec 6th 2024, engine problem : Incident: Condor B753 near Athens on Nov 29th 2024, two navigation computers failed : American Airlines Extends Haiti Flight Suspension Indefinitely Following Bullet Strike Incidents On US Jets : NTSB says pilots mishandled warnings on deadly flight diverted to Bradley Airport : FAA chief looks at streamlining aircraft certification process : US airlines attempt crackdown on air rage incidents – but why are they so common? : Calendar of Events Incident: Cargojet B763 at Vancouver on Nov 30th 2024, engine shut down in flight A Cargojet Boeing 767-300, registration C-FCJU performing flight W8-2384 from Vancouver,BC to Hamilton,ON (Canada) with 3 jump seaters and 2 crew, was climbing through about 10,000 feet out of Vancouver when the right hand engine (PW4060) experienced a compressor stall followed by a large increase in internal temperature. The crew reduced the engine to idle thrust and initiated a return to Vancouver. Descending through 9000 feet the engine began to vibrate with loud noises from it prompting the crew to shut the engine down. In order to avoid an overweight landing the aircraft entered a hold at 9000 feet for about two hours to burn off fuel and subsequently landed safely back to Vancouver. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found metal in the engine exhaust indicating an internal engine failure, the engine is being replaced. https://avherald.com/h?article=5214378d&opt=0 Incident: India A20N at Goa on Dec 5th 2024, rejected takeoff from taxiway An Air India Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-EXT performing flight AI-2592 from Goa Manohar to Hyderabad (India), was taxiing for an intersection departure from runway 28 at A5 via taxiway E when the crew turned onto taxiway A instead of the runway and initiated takeoff. The aircraft had accelerated to about 108 knots over ground when the crew rejected takeoff upon ATC instruction. After slowing to taxi speed the aircraft turned onto runway 10 via taxiway A2 and vacated the runway via A4 to return to the apron. The flight was cancelled. India's DGCA have opened an investigation into the serious incident. The occurrence aircraft returned to service the following morning after about 8.5 hours on the ground in Goa. https://avherald.com/h?article=521435ae&opt=0 Incident: Qatar A35K near Male on Dec 6th 2024, engine problem A Qatar Airways Airbus A350-1000, registration A7-ANP performing flight QR-920 from Doha (Qatar) to Auckland (New Zealand), was enroute at FL330 about 40nm southeast of Male (Maldives) when the crew decided to divert to Male, where the aircraft landed safely on runway 36 about 35 minutes later. The airline reported a technical issue prompted the diversion. Passengers reported the crew announced a minor technical problem. After landing at Male the left hand engine doors were opened. A replacement Airbus A350-1000 registration A7-ANI resumed the flight and reached Auckland with a delay of about 15 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 26 hours, then positioned back to Doha. https://avherald.com/h?article=52142146&opt=0 Incident: Condor B753 near Athens on Nov 29th 2024, two navigation computers failed A Condor Boeing 757-300, registration D-ABON performing flight DE-30 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Hurghada (Egypt), was enroute at FL350 over the Mediterranean Sea about 280nm southeast of Athens (Greece) when the crew turned the aircraft around and diverted to Athens, where the aircraft landed on runway 21R about 50 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Athens for about 2.5 hours and reached Hurghada with a delay of about 4 hours. The return flight DE-31 was postponed to the next day and reached Frankfurt with a delay of about 19 hours. On Nov 30th 2024 the aircraft positioned from Frankfurt to Dusseldorf and is on the ground in Dusseldorf since (standing Dec 7th 2024). A passenger reported the crew announced two navigation computers had failed and they needed maintenance in Athens. After landing the computers were reset, the passenger wrote: "The aircraft neede to be shut down entirely for a few minutes and the computers were reset." After refueling the aircraft continued to Hurghada where they arrived with a delay of about 4 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=52140c15&opt=0 American Airlines Extends Haiti Flight Suspension Indefinitely Following Bullet Strike Incidents On US Jets American Airlines has decided to extend its flight suspension to Haiti indefinitely, putting on hold plans to resume service to the capital, Port-au-Prince, in mid-February. The decision to suspend flights to Haiti came after three US planes, including an American Airlines jet, were hit by bullets while taking or landing from the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. Within the space of just a few hours, a Spirit Airlines and JetBlue plane were also struck by bullets fired by heavily armed criminal gangs who have taken over parts of the Haitian capital. In the Spirit Airlines incident on November 11, a flight attendant was injured as several bullets penetrated the cabin and lodged themselves in the sidewall and overhead bins as the Airbus A320 aircraft was on final approach for landing. The pilots quickly abandoned the landing and diverted the plane to Santiago in the neighboring Dominican Republic where the aircraft had to be grounded for repairs. On the same day, an American Airlines flight from Port-au-Prince to Miami was struck by gunfire shortly after takeoff. The crew and passengers were not, however, aware of what had occurred and the damage was only discovered after an extensive post-flight inspection. A JetBlue flight to New York JFK was also hit by a bullet as it departed Haiti on November 11, and, again, the damage was only discovered after a post-flight inspection, prompted by what had occurred to the Spirit Airlines plane. In the aftermath of the attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially banned US carriers from flying any lower than 10,000 feet over Haiti. The Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) was, though, later lifted. All civilian flights to and from Toussaint Louverture International Airport have, however, been suspended since December 4. The ban is expected to remain in force until at least next Tuesday as government forces work to stabilize the security situation. A spokesperson for American Airlines now says it will evaluate a possible resumption for flights to Haiti in late 2025. The carrier was the only airline serving Haiti from Miami and one of only three US carriers to still fly to the troubled island territory. “American has made the difficult decision to suspend daily service between Miami (MIA) and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (PAP),” a statement from the airline read. “We are proud of our more than 50-year-commitment to Haiti and we will continue to monitor the situation, assessing safety, security, and customer demand, in evaluating a return of service.” The statement added: “We will proactively reach out to impacted customers to offer a full refund of their travel itinerary.” Neither Spirit nor JetBlue have said when they might resume flights to Haiti. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/12/09/american-airlines-extends-haiti-flight-suspension-indefinitely-following-bullet-strike-incidents-on-us-jets/ NTSB says pilots mishandled warnings on deadly flight diverted to Bradley Airport A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report says pilots mishandled warning messages on a plane that made an emergency landing at Bradley Airport last year, resulting in the death of a woman. The woman, 55-year-old Dana Hyde, of Cabin John, Maryland, died after sustaining blunt force injuries during an in-flight disturbance on March 3, 2023. The plane, a Bombardier Challenger 300, was heading from Keene, New Hampshire to Leesburg, Virginia. In the report released Thursday, the NTSB said the flight crew's failure to remove a probe cover before the flight, and the pilots' decision to take off with a no-go advisory message after an aborted takeoff, resulted in fatal injuries to a passenger. The NTSB said one of two airspeed indicators failed to show acceleration and as a result, the plane couldn't takeoff. The plane slowed down and exited the runway, according to officials. The preliminary report said the crew inspected the plane, didn’t see any damage, and the pilot restarted the engine and started to taxi to a runway. After that incident, an error message was displayed and the pilot-in-command ran tests to clear it, which didn't work as intended, the report reads. The pilot decided to take off anyways because it was an advisory and not a warning. The pilot-in-command's decision to continue the climb and use autopilot while troubleshooting, "contributed to the severity of the in-flight issue," the report reads. The pilots decided to disconnect autopilot and as a result, the plane pitched up, resulting in lots of movement and jolting which ultimately causing Hyde's injuries, the NTSB said. In the report, the NTSB said the pilot claimed he didn't expect the plane to pitch up as rapidly as it did. The flight lasted about 17 minutes before ultimately landing in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. A passenger on the plane told authorities it felt like the airplane was breaking apart and that the event was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The crew did not report any significant turbulence during the flight. The NTSB has been investigating the March 3 flight since last year. After the plane was diverted to Bradley Airport, Hyde was transported to a local hospital, where she died later that day. NBC News reports that Hyde was a prominent attorney who once served on the 9/11 Commission. She was the co-chair of the Aspen Institute's Partnership for an Inclusive Economy and served in both the Obama and the Clinton administrations, according to NBC News. From 2002 to 2004, she also served on the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, NBC News reports. https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/pilots-mishandled-warnings-deadly-flight-bradley-airport-ntsb/3449240/ FAA chief looks at streamlining aircraft certification process CHICAGO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Aviation Administration is working to streamline aircraft certification and strengthen oversight of Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab in the aftermath of an in-flight emergency in January. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in an interview the agency is also restructuring how it approaches its broader aviation oversight after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off an Alaska Airlines (ALK.N), opens new tab Boeing 737 MAX 9 in January. Whitaker said he is reviewing the aircraft certification process. "We're reviewing that to make sure we're getting the right stuff and we have the right tools to understand it, and maybe injecting ourselves earlier in the process to understand what's happening is going to be more effective," Whitaker said, adding the FAA is working to use "better technology" to help streamline the process. At one point, Boeing hoped to get the MAX 7 certified in 2022 but has faced a series of issues. Boeing in January withdrew its request for a safety exemption to address an engine de-icing issue. Whitaker told Reuters he thought Boeing would submit a proposed de-icing fix as soon as this month. The MAX 7 must be certified before the FAA can certify the larger MAX 10. Delays have prompted airlines to push back delivery timetables. Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci told Reuters in September he does not expect to receive 737 MAX 10s until at least mid-2026. The FAA has drastically boosted oversight of Boeing, moving away from being "too hands off" to more in-person inspections in what Whitaker calls a "permanent change." https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-chief-looks-streamlining-aircraft-certification-process-2024-12-06/ US airlines attempt crackdown on air rage incidents – but why are they so common? Experts claim cramped cabin conditions create ‘perfect storm’ of stressors that lead to mid-flight meltdowns Was it the too-big carry-on bag? Or perhaps a rise in passenger intoxication? Or the “gate lice”? US airlines are attempting a crackdown on passengers’ bad behaviour without anyone being exactly sure what led to the increase in problematic travellers. Last week saw Svetlana Dali, a US resident travelling on a Russian passport, appearing in court in Manhattan after stowing away on a Delta Air Lines flight to Paris. Dali had slipped through security, boarded the plane and was only apprehended when a flight attendant allegedly saw her going between bathrooms as the plane came in to land. She later, allegedly, resisted efforts by French authorities efforts to return her to the US. Dali’s case, while unique in its security failures, is not when it comes to generalized bad airline travel behaviour. Out of the ordinary travel attitudes came to broader attention during the pandemic when airlines, desperate for revenue, dropped prices. ‘Even when the outbursts don’t involve physical contact or threats of violence, they make for an annoying day’s work.’ ‘Nobody ever put hands on me before’: flight attendants on the air rage epidemic Three years on, and with air travel prices high and planes packed – Transportation Security Administration data says 3.09 million passengers were checked in on 1 December, a new record and only the second time that number has surpassed 3m – the phenomenon has not significantly subsided. Among the highlights: a fight over a blanket on an Air Canada flight to Montreal from Morocco that was later cancelled; a man on a United Airlines flight from Austin to Los Angeles had to be restrained after he began violently kicking a seat and smashing a plastic tray table; a woman, Tiffany Gomas, who yelled “that motherfucker back there is not real!” during an altercation on an American Airlines flight; and a woman who threatened to pee in the middle of the aisle because a flight attendant told her she needed to wait to use the lavatory. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) counted 1,900 reports of unruly passengers in 2023. The problems sharply rose during the pandemic, with the FAA noting a 492% spike in 2021. One analysis found there were more air rage incidents that year than in the three decades before Covid combined. Psychologists blame the uptick on a number of factors, including worsening cabin conditions, the normalization of aggressive behaviours against service workers, and political differences. Fifty-seven percent of flight attendants say a passenger has assaulted or harassed them in just the past year. Aly Vredenburgh, a business consultant, was cited in a University of Wisconsin report citing the stress of tight quarters, noise, bad smells, lack of personal space and hunger to create “a perfect storm of triggered people” similar to road rage. About half of Americans (49%) say people in their area are driving more dangerously than before the pandemic, according to Pew Research. Robert Mann, an airline industry expert, says there are also other factors. “Air travel has become democratized so expecting people to act differently on airplanes than in public at large is probably unrealistic,” he says. Mann points to the boarding process, where airlines seek to maximize revenue by segmenting passengers into tiers of value according to the fares, and not need, as one area of stress. “You want to board people who are less mobile or with children first as a sign of good will but that doesn’t track with the marketing stuff that wants people who pay the most to get on first,” he adds. American Airlines recently instituted a policy against passengers hovering around the boarding gate – the so-called “gate lice” – who sometimes try to board ahead of their group assignments. Technology used in trials at Albuquerque, Tucson and Washington airports now trigger an alarm if a passenger scans their boarding pass before their group number is called. The airline has said the technology is intended to “improve the boarding experience”, per Travel + Leisure. But few areas of airline travel, other than delays, are likely to trigger certain behaviours than the wheelie bag. Airplane manufacturers have increased overhead capacity as passengers try to cram more into the bins, but the wheelie bag itself has gotten bigger. Also a factor is that trailing a wheelie bag instead of checking, often for a cost, has made queues three times longer and passengers are adept at avoiding luggage sizer systems. “There’s a huge game that goes with trying to carry the most amount on board, but that’s means carrying something large and unwieldy you wouldn’t during the normal course of a day,” says Mann, who describes the carry-on as “diabolical”. “If you allow people to play that game, they will do it. And of course there will never be enough capacity.” Passengers are advised to get to airports two hours early, and airport operators have designed airports to maximize the distance from security to gate to maximise revenue for shops, restaurants and bars, which in turn helps lowers the cost airlines pay for gate fees. As a result, passengers may then be drunk and heavily shopped – both potential avenues for aggravation. “By the time they arrive at the gate they are fit to fly, but not really,” says Mann. “Some of the behaviours, I think, are the result of the time passengers spend at the terminal.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/07/air-rage-unruly-passengers-crackdown 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