Flight Safety Information - December 20, 2024 No. 253 In This Issue : Bombardier Challenger 300 Crashes Near San Fernando Airport in Argentina : Norwegian Boeing 737-800 skids off Molde runway after adverse weather conditions : DHS, FBI, FAA, and DoD Respond to Reported Drone Sightings : Aircraft safety: Our role is to imagine the most extreme scenarios : Incident: Laser MD82 at Curacao on Dec 15th 2024, engine failure : Incident: Nam B735 at Muara Bungo on Dec 15th 2024, bird strike : Incident: Nam B735 at Muara Bungo on Dec 15th 2024, bird strike : Accident: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan : FAA Completes Review Of Southwest Airlines: No Significant Safety Issues : Accident: Toki AT72 at Nagoya on Dec 15th 2024, lightning strike : Calendar of Events Bombardier Challenger 300 Crashes Near San Fernando Airport in Argentina On Wednesday, December 18th, a Bombardier Challenger 300 crashed after landing at San Fernando International Airport (QAE), located just to the northwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The aircraft was reportedly unable to break after it touched down at the airport, which eventually caused the aircraft to veer off the runway into a line of houses. The resulting crash caused an explosion, and the plane burst into flames. The two occupants of the aircraft, the pilot and the co-pilot, were both sadly killed in the incident. According to Flightradar24, the Bombardier Challenger 300 that crashed in Argentina was registered as LV-GOK. This aircraft began the day by departing from San Fernando International Airport (QAE) on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, at approximately 11:12 local time. The aircraft then flew for just over half an hour to Punta del Este International Airport (PDP) in La Capuera, Uruguay, landing at approximately 11:44 local time. This flight was to transport several passengers. Norwegian Boeing 737-800 skids off Molde runway after adverse weather conditions By Bart Noëth - 19 December 2024 Video In the evening of Thursday, 19 December, a Norwegian Boeing 737-800 (registered LN-NIP) operated domestic flight DY430 between Oslo and Molde, Norway. The flight carried 165 passengers. During landing at Molde Airport, however, the aircraft skidded off the runway. In short video clips that appeared on social media (see below), you can see an emergency evacuation being initiated. Local press said that nobody got injured during the mishap, though several passengers were seen visibly shaken. Emergency services, along with Avinor and Molde municipality’s crisis team, provided assistance. The incident was attributed to adverse weather conditions, including strong winds and a slippery runway. As a result, Molde Airport temporarily closed its runway, suspending flight operations. The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority has been notified and is assessing the situation. Additional report from The Aviation Herald.com. Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-8 exits Oslo runway during snowfall and gusty winds amid storm "Pia" By Bart Noëth - 21 December 2023 On the evening of 21 December, at Oslo Airport, Norway, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-8 (registered ET-ATH), was en route from the de-icing platform to the actual runway to operate flight ET715 to Stockholm Arlanda, Sweden. During the early stages of acceleration for take-off, the aircraft ran off to the right side of runway 01L. The Dreamliner blocked the southern part of the runway. The incident happened during snowfall and gusty winds amid storm Pia. As the aircraft became stuck, the assistance of a tow truck was required. Cathrine Framholdt, an airport spokesperson, confirmed the incident and assured that no passengers were injured and that the 787 didn’t sustain damage. According to Framholdt, the aircraft was on its way from de-icing to the runway when it became immobilised, necessitating the intervention of a tow truck for further movement. To the Norwegian press, she expressed confidence that the plane would take off normally after receiving assistance and emphasised that there was no cause for alarm. Ethiopian Airlines, however, cancelled the flight to Stockholm, and the flight thereafter from Stockholm to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as well, according to information on Flightradar24.com As Norway, and a big part of Europe, experienced severe weather conditions on Thursday, with numerous flight cancellations due to the storm named Pia, Oslo Airport faced challenges not only with stranded planes but also technical issues on Avinor’s website. The following images appeared on social media: https://www.aviation24.be/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Ethiopian-Airlines-Boeing-787-8-exits-Oslo-runway-during-snowfall-and-gusty-winds-amid-storm-Pia-1.jpeg https://www.aviation24.be/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Ethiopian-Airlines-Boeing-787-8-exits-Oslo-runway-during-snowfall-and-gusty-winds-amid-storm-Pia.jpeg DHS, FBI, FAA, and DoD Respond to Reported Drone Sightings December 17, 2024 by Miriam McNabb Federal Agencies Address Community Concerns and Emphasize Safety The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Department of Defense (DoD) have issued a joint statement regarding recent drone sightings across the northeast United States. The agencies are working together to investigate reports, address public concerns, and ensure airspace safety. Investigation of Drone Sightings The FAA reports that over one million drones are lawfully registered in the United States, with thousands of commercial, hobbyist, and law enforcement drones operating daily. Given the rapid advancement of drone technology, these numbers are expected to grow. The FBI has received over 5,000 reports of drone sightings in the past few weeks. Of these, approximately 100 leads are currently under investigation. To support state and local officials, the federal government has deployed advanced detection technology and trained visual observers. After reviewing technical data and citizen reports, officials concluded that the majority of sightings involve legal drone operations. “We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the statement reads. The agencies emphasized that no anomalous activity has been identified. “We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.” Addressing Public Concern While investigations have not uncovered any security risks, the agencies recognize public concern. “We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement,” the joint statement noted. To further address safety concerns, federal officials are calling on Congress to pass counter-drone legislation. “We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.” Drone Sightings Near Military Facilities In addition to civilian reports, there have been limited sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and other areas, including within restricted airspace. The DoD emphasized that these occurrences are not unprecedented. “Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new. DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate.” Local military commanders remain actively engaged in ensuring detection and mitigation systems are in place. “Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place,” the statement added. As drone use continues to increase, federal agencies are committed to maintaining airspace safety and addressing public concerns. Ongoing coordination with local authorities and the deployment of advanced technology reflect the government’s proactive approach to managing drone activity. For now, officials have assured that recent sightings do not pose a security risk but emphasize the need for updated counter-drone legislation to respond to potential future threats. Aircraft safety: Our role is to imagine the most extreme scenarios Florence Le Marchand is in charge of safety enhancement at Airbus. What makes her tick? Florence, can you summarise your career? After graduating from engineering school with a Master's degree in aeronautical mechanics, I started as a subcontractor installing systems on the A400M. I then worked on the development of the newly launched A350 programme to ensure that the design met operator expectations. After joining Airbus, I spent 15 years in Customer Support Engineering in the Cabin & Cargo and Flight Controls departments. I was already directly involved in safety, helping to identify and investigate in-service aircraft events to better understand their impact. In this role, I joined the Airbus “Go Team”, a team of experts who act as advisors to the Accident Investigation Authorities to collect technical evidence at the accident site. That was when I met the investigators from the Airbus Safety team. Your career path seems to have led you naturally to your current job ... Yes, it was a gradual and smooth process. However, I chose to join Safety Enhancement rather than Investigations. That's largely because Safety Enhancement is more about analysing events and 'weak signals' to launch preventive actions of a different nature from design evolution, information sharing or the development of new safety enhancement features. Investigators, with whom I work closely, are tasked to investigate and understand accidents and serious incidents in order to prevent recurrence and to propose lessons learned for safety improvement. They also look at the recommendations made by investigation boards. Our work is interlinked. The information they gather and their suggestions feed into Safety Enhancement's thinking and projects. What do you like best about your job? I particularly enjoy being able to work on the whole aircraft design, procedures and maintenance, not just on one particular system, but on every programme, including the A220. Our aim is to continually improve the safety of the aircraft we fly and, where appropriate, to develop new safety enhancements with a “safety beyond standard” approach. Don't all Airbus aircraft already meet the highest safety standards? All Airbus programmes not only meet certification requirements, they exceed them. As I said earlier, we are always looking for new features to improve the safety of the entire Airbus fleet. I also like to find solutions that can be adapted to legacy aircraft. That can be more or less straightforward – that's what makes my job interesting! Under normal circumstances, excluding accidents, how do you identify areas for improvement? We get information from in-service events, from Airbus customer support, engineering and from our production lines. In addition to the continued airworthiness process, we have a weekly safety risk analysis with engineering, maintenance, operations and human performance specialists. Our role is to identify scenarios where additional safety barriers could help reduce or mitigate risks. What happens if there's an accident? In the unfortunate event of an Airbus accident, the ICAO Annex 13 activities are initiated by the investigation board and supported by Airbus accident investigators with a “never give up” mindset to understand the contributing factors of the accident in order to prevent a recurrence and to initiate preventive actions. Our prevention mindset is not limited to analysing and initiating proactive actions based on lessons learned and safety recommendations from an accident involving an Airbus aircraft, but also from events involving other manufacturers. For example, recommendations following an accident involving another manufacturer led us to review and improve our management of radio altimeter data. The number of serious accidents has been falling for several years. What does this mean for the business of aviation safety? Airbus aircraft operate 40,000 flights a day, carrying more than two billion passengers a year. And these numbers are growing. This motivates me to help make our aircraft, and the way they are operated, even safer. Today, the fatal accident rate for the latest generation of aircraft is at an all-time low. Beyond this positive figure, there is a natural risk of complacency. That is why our vision, our strategy and our daily activities are focused on doing everything we can to prevent accidents, in a quest to reach zero accidents. Incident: Laser MD82 at Curacao on Dec 15th 2024, engine failure By Simon Hradecky, created Thursday, Dec 19th 2024 20:38Z, last updated Thursday, Dec 19th 2024 20:38Z A Laser Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration YV2945 performing flight QL-763 from Curacao (Curacao) to Caracas (Venezuela), was climbing out of Curacao's runway 11 when the crew declared Mayday Mayday reporting an engine (JT8D) failure. The aircraft levelled off at 2000 feet and returned to Curacao for a safe landing on runway 29 about 20 minutes after departure and vacated the runway. A ground observer reported seeing smoke from one of the engines. The aircraft is still on the ground in Curacao 4 days after landing back. Incident: Bombardier DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 Date:Tuesday 17 December 2024Time:15:43 Type: Bombardier DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 Owner/operator:Aurora Registration:RA-67262MSN:4482 Engine model:P&W Canada PW150Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage:None Location:30 km north of Khabarovsk Novy airport, Khabarovsk Krai - Russia Phase:Initial climb Nature:Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport:Khabarovsk-Novy Airport (KHV/UHHH)Destination airport:Nogliki Airport (NGK/UHSN) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: 30 km north of Khabarovsk (Novy) airport, the crew of DHC-8 reported a problem with the aircraft pressurization and decided to return to the departure airfield Khabarovsk Novy. Landing at 16:01, safely. Incident: Nam B735 at Muara Bungo on Dec 15th 2024, bird strike By Simon Hradecky, created Thursday, Dec 19th 2024 20:52Z, last updated Thursday, Dec 19th 2024 20:52Z A Nam Air Boeing 737-500, registration PK-NAS performing flight IN-91 from Muara Bungo to Jakarta (Indonesia) with 119 people on board, was climbing out of Muara Bungo's runway 31 when a bird was ingested by one of the engines (CFM56). The crew continued the flight but subsequently levelled off at FL190 and decided to divert to Palembang (Indonesia) for a safe landing on runway 29 about 40 minutes after departure. Fan blades were found damaged. The aircraft returned to service about 32 hours after landing. Accident: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Date:Tuesday 17 December 2024Time:c. 15:15 LT Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Owner/operator:Kamaka Air LLCR egistration:N689KA MSN:208B2308 Year of manufacture:2011 Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage:Destroyed Category:Accident Location:near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL/PHNL), Honolulu, HI - United States of America Phase:Initial climb Nature:Training Departure airport:Honolulu-Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, HI (HNL/PHNL) Destination airport:Lanai Airport, HI (LNY/PHNY) Investigating agency: NTSB Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Kamaka Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N689KA, was destroyed when it crashed into a vacant building shortly after takeoff from runway 4L at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL/PHNL), Honolulu, Hawaii. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to air-traffic-control (ATC) communications: Tower: "Kamaka Flight 689, you’re turning right, correct?" Crew: "Kamaka 689, we are, we have, uh, we’re out of control here." Tower: "Okay, Kamaka 689, if you can land, if you can level it off, that’s fine. Any runway, any place you can do." A preliminary review of the available ADS-B data suggests the airplane taxied from the ramp to runway 4L (6955 x 150 ft). At 1514:30 LT, the airplane started its takeoff. At 1514:57 LT, the airplane was observed at 91 knots groundspeed when it lifted off the runway. A few seconds later, at roughly 1515:07, the airplane was observed in a left bank, contrary to the expected right-hand turn. The left bank became "worse" over a ~15-second period which continued till the end of the track. Ground observer videos were consistent with the data and showed the airplane in a very aggressive left bank. The airplane impacted the side of a vacant building in a near vertical altitude. A post crash fire ensued. The airplane, MSN 208B2308, was manufactured in 2011 and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A engine. According to public FAA records, the first pilot held a commercial pilot certificate and a flight instructor certificate. His most recent first class FAA medical was issued on December 2024. A search of the second pilot in the public FAA database did not yield any results. The pilot was reportedly a student for Kamaka Air and working to get his license. - Weather: METAR PHNL 180053Z 22006KT 10SM FEW030 SCT050 27/20 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP141 T02670200 PNO VISNO RWY04R $ METAR PHNL 180135Z 20005KT 10SM FEW030 SCT050 27/20 A2995 RMK AO2 ACFT MSHP T02720200 PNO VISNO RWY04R $ METAR PHNL 180153Z 21007KT 10SM FEW030 FEW050 28/20 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP141 ACFT MSHP T02780200 PNO VISNO RWY04R $ METAR: PHNL 180135Z 20005KT 10SM FEW030 SCT050 27/20 A2995 RMK AO2 ACFT MSHP T02720200 PNO VISNO RWY04R $ PHNL 180053Z 22006KT 10SM FEW030 SCT050 27/20 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP141 T02670200 PNO VISNO RWY04R $ FAA Completes Review Of Southwest Airlines: No Significant Safety Issues By Luke Bodell Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed its safety review of Southwest Airlines - the regulator said it did not find any significant safety issues with the low-cost carrier following a series of incidents this year. FAA finds no serious safety concerns with Southwest As reported by Reuters, the US aviation regulator has concluded it "did not identify any significant safety issues" in its five-month review of Southwest. The FAA opened its review in July following multiple safety scares on Southwest flights this year, precipitated by an incident that same month when a Southwest aircraft flew at a dangerously low altitude of 150 ft over Tampa Bay off the coast of Florida. Photo: fitzcrittle | Shutterstock The review was opened to determine whether Southwest was adequately following federal safety standards. Other incidents that led to the safety review include: • An April flight that dropped to 400 ft off the coast of Hawaii • A June flight that reached an altitude of 500 ft upon approach in Oklahoma • A 737 MAX flight in May that experienced a "Dutch roll" at 34,000 ft • A June flight that took off from a closed runway in Portland, Maine During the April incident over Hawaii, the flight's first officer accidentally pushed forward on the aircraft's control column, plunging the aircraft into a fall at a descent rate of 4,400 feet per minute. The Dutch roll incident in May remains under investigation and could have had serious consequences for those onboard. It was later discovered that the aircraft's vertical stabilizer had sustained damage, possibly due to being left out during a severe storm before the flight. Photo: BlueBarronPhoto | Shutterstock Southwest's proactive approach to safety Southwest said it appreciated the opportunity to cooperate with the FAA "as part of our mutual dedication to safety." In light of the review, the carrier said it had formed a special team comprised of its staff and union and FAA members to enhance its safety practices - additionally, in September, it announced it was ordering all of its pilots to undergo extra training and discussions at its Dallas headquarters. United Airlines also faced a safety review this year, although the scope of that "enhanced oversight" was more significant than what Southwest faced. Due to multiple incidents earlier this year, authorities restricted United's capacity to add new aircraft and routes to its network while it conducted its review. In October, the FAA concluded its oversight, also stating that it had found no serious safety issues. Maintaining industry safety Earlier this month, the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) signed a declaration of intent at the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) 80th Anniversary of the Chicago Convention celebrations to enhance aviation safety. A spate of near misses in the past couple of years has led to significant concerns within the industry about dwindling safety standards - for example, in July 2023 alone there were over 40 near-miss incidents. Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock While the US prides itself on maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety, industry leaders have stressed there is a lot of work to "keep it that way." This is particularly pertinent as the industry's rapid growth continues, which will inevitably lead to more congested airspace and busier airports. As it stands, flying is only getting safer and safer, aided by enhanced technology and constantly improving regulations and standards. Accident: Toki AT72 at Nagoya on Dec 15th 2024, lightning strike By Simon Hradecky, created Thursday, Dec 19th 2024 21:05Z, last updated Thursday, Dec 19th 2024 21:05Z A Toki Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration JA02QQ performing flight BV-404 from Nagoya to Niigata (Japan), was climbing out of Nagoya's runway 36 when the aircraft received a lightning strike. The aircraft continued to climb to FL170 and landed on Niigata's runway 28 about 65 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft needed to be taken off service for repairs. The airline was forced to cancel flights until Dec 20th due to their second aircraft being out of service until then and reduce the flight schedule until Jan 13th 2025, when JA02QQ is estimated to return to service. Curt Lewis