Flight Safety Information - December 25, 2024 No. 256 In This Issue : SERIOUS INCIDENT OF PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES : Fatal Accident: Ramp Personnel ingested in Engine : Air Serbia Joins Embraer’s Pool Program : Tailstrike during and attempted landing : Aft fuselage strike and hard landing : ‘Anxious’ Alaska Airlines flyer opens emergency exit and climbs onto plane wing during deboarding : Incident: PIA A320 at Karachi on Dec 24th 2024, could not retract landing gear : American Airlines flights back in the air after a technical issue grounded all its planes across the US : Plane makes miraculous emergency landing on busy stretch of thruway near Albany: ‘Very, very unique’ : European Pilots Fears Flights to Middle East : Accident: Transavia France B738 at Nantes on Oct 1st 2022, both nose tyres damaged on landing : Boeing 777-300ER ran off the taxiway : Calendar of Events FINAL INVESTIGATION REPORT Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of Pakistan SERIOUS INCIDENT OF PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES FLIGHT PIA 605, ATR 42-500 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NO. AP-BHP AT GILGIT AIRPORT ON 20TH JULY, 2019 Fatal Accident: Ramp Personnel ingested in Engine NTSB Aviation Investigation Final Report: DCA23LA109 After an uneventful flight, Envoy Air flight 3408 (dba American Eagle) taxied with both engines operating to its assigned gate and parked at Montgomery Regional Airport, Montgomery, Alabama. The No. 1 (left) engine was still operating while they waited on ground power due to an inoperative auxiliary power unit (a minimum equipment list item). Shortly after arriving at the gate, the captain saw a “FAIL” symbol on his engine display, felt the airplane shake violently, and noticed that the left engine had shut down. The flight crew subsequently determined that one of the ramp agents had been ingested into the No. 1 engine. Air Serbia Joins Embraer’s Pool Program The airline and manufacturer inked a new agreement. Embraer’s E190-E2 at the 2022 Farnborough Airshow (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson) [ Planes ]December 23, 2024 10:43 am ET By Tolga Karadeniz Embraer Services & Support has entered into a new partnership with Air Serbia, bringing the Serbian carrier into its renowned Pool Program. This agreement is set to enhance Air Serbia’s operational efficiency, optimize fleet performance, and reduce maintenance costs as the airline continues to expand its capabilities. Air Serbia, which recently integrated the Embraer E195 aircraft into its fleet, will benefit from Embraer’s extensive global Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) network, the company shared. Miroslav Musulin, Air Serbia’s technical director, highlighted the strategic importance of the agreement. “Joining Embraer’s Pool Program is a significant step for Air Serbia as we integrate the E195 aircraft into our fleet. This collaboration will ensure that we maintain the highest standards of safety and operational excellence while optimizing costs and minimizing downtime,” Musulin said. A Growing Network of Airlines in the Pool Program The Pool Program is a cornerstone of Embraer Services & Support’s offerings, providing airlines with solutions to streamline operations. Currently, over 50 airlines worldwide participate in the program, including Azul Brazilian Airlines, Helvetic Airways, and LOT Polish Airlines. Tailstrike during an attempted landing Date:Friday 9 February 2024Time:17:54Type: Airbus A300F4-622R Owner/operator:European Air Transport, opf DHL Registration:D-AZMOMSN:872 Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage:SubstantialCategory:AccidentLocation:Leipzig Airport (LEJ/EDDP) - Germany Phase:LandingNature:Cargo Departure airport:Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV/LLBG) Destination airport:Leipzig Airport (LEJ/EDDP) Investigating agency: BFU Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured Narrative: European Air Transport flight QY995, an Airbus A300F4-622R, suffered a tailstrike during an attempted landing on runway 26L at Leipzig Airport (LEJ), Germany. The flight crew performed a go-around and proceeded for a landing on runway 26R, 18 minutes later. The aircraft operated on a flight from Tel Aviv (TLV) with the captain being Pilot Monitoring (PM) and the first officer being Pilot Flying (PF). At 17:22, the pilots performed the approach briefing. At 17:47, the airplane captured the localizer and the pilots received the clearance for an ILS approach 26L. Two minutes later the PM reported “localizer established”. The approach was flown manually and the engine thrust levers were controlled manually. During the approach, the landing checklist was completed and at 17:53:20, at 1,000 ft, the co-pilot, as Pilot Flying (PF), determined the approach as stabilised. The PM confirmed it and the approach was continued. As the runway was reached, the PF initiated the flare of the airplane and attempted to align it with the runway from a crosswind approach. At 17:54:31, the airplane touched down for the first time. It lifted off again, rolled right and at 17:54:34, touched down again. At 17:54:37, both pilots almost simultaneously said “go-around” and the captain intervened in the steering. During the second bounce the nose was pitched up and at the same time the ground spoilers extended. The combination of both caused the nose to pitch up to +13.7 degrees and the tail strike occurred. The captain then performed the go-around and acted as PF until the landing at 18:12. METAR: Weather about the incident time: EDDP 141450Z AUTO 23012KT 9999 -DZ FEW021 BKN043 10/07 Q1018 NOSIG EDDP 141620Z AUTO 19009KT 9999 -SHRA FEW013 BKN024 OVC039 FEW///CB 09/07 Q1018 NOSIG EDDP 141720Z AUTO 19009KT 9999 BKN026 BKN043 09/07 Q1018 NOSIG Accident investigative Report AFT FUSELAGE STRIKE AND HARD LANDING AIR TRANSPORTATION SAFETY INVESTIGATION REPORT A24W0038 The occurrence On 13 April 2024, a Bombardier Inc. DHC-8-402 aircraft, operated by WestJet Encore Ltd., was on a flight from Fort McMurray Airport, Alberta, to Calgary International Airport, Alberta. Upon landing, the aircraft’s tail contacted the runway, resulting in a “TOUCHED RUNWAY” annunciation in the cockpit. The aircraft taxied to the gate, the passengers were deplaned, and the baggage was unloaded as normal. No injuries were reported. After the flight, the maintenance team determined that there was significant damage to the lower aft fuselage, which resulted in the aircraft being removed from service. ‘Anxious’ Alaska Airlines flyer opens emergency exit and climbs onto plane wing during deboarding By David Propper Published Dec. 23, 2024, 11:56 p.m. ET She was just winging it. An “anxious” Alaska Airlines flyer dramatically opened the plane’s emergency exit and climbed onto the wing after Flight 323 landed and reached the gate in a bizarre scene in Seattle on Sunday. The airline said the disruptive passenger was not injured after climbing onto the wing of the grounded plane. Passengers were beginning to exit the commercial aircraft around 5 p.m. when the unidentified woman couldn’t wait any longer to deboard at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after the plane got in from Milwaukee, according to a report. “During deplaning of the aircraft a passenger on board became anxious and opened the emergency exit over the wing. The woman climbed out onto the wing,” a spokesperson for the Port of Seattle told KIRO 7. Incident: PIA A320 at Karachi on Dec 24th 2024, could not retract landing gear By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Dec 24th 2024 19:41Z, last updated Tuesday, Dec 24th 2024 19:41Z A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BLZ performing flight PK-300 from Karachi to Islamabad (Pakistan), was climbing out of Karachi's runway 07R when the crew stopped the climb at FL070 and decided to return to Karachi reporting they could not retract their landing gear. The aircraft landed safely on runway 25L about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration AP-BMY reached Islamabad with a delay of about 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 10.5 hours after landing. American Airlines flights back in the air after a technical issue grounded all its planes across the US Will Martin,Sinéad Baker,Taylor Rains Tue, December 24, 2024 at 1:30 PM CST3 min read American Airlines flights back in the air after a technical issue grounded all its planes across the US • American Airlines briefly grounded all its US flights over a technical issue on Tuesday morning. • The airline told BI that a "vendor technology issue" had affected its flights. • Certain cancellations and delays trigger compensation under new federal rules. American Airlines grounded all of its flights across the US for about an hour on Tuesday, saying it was experiencing technical issues. Later Tuesday morning, American flights were back in the air. It was unclear whether the delays would reverberate through its network and cause additional issues on a big travel day ahead of Christmas. Data from aviation analytics company Cirium and shared with Business Insider showed that only around 37% of American's flights are running on time as of 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Still, less than 1% have been canceled. "Based on previous such incidents, it appears American has been able to maintain its schedule, albeit with delays," Cirium said in a statement. Cancelations could grow, Cirium said, if crews "time out" — or run out of time they're allowed to fly by regulations. Under new Department of Transportation guidelines, some passengers could be entitled to compensation if their flights are delayed or canceled. The Federal Aviation Administration said in an advisory statement early on Tuesday that the airline's flights across the US were grounded. An update about an hour later said the nationwide ground stop was canceled. American Airlines told BI in a statement that a "vendor technology issue briefly affected flights." That issue has been resolved, and flights have resumed. "We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this morning," American said. "It's all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible." The airline said the technology issue affected the systems needed to release flights, and the ground stop lasted about an hour. Bloomberg described online posts as saying the issue prevented the airline from calculating weight and balance requirements for its flights. More than 2,400 flight delays on Christmas Eve The Cirium data shows that 63% of American's 3,900 global scheduled flights were delayed after Tuesday's ground stop. Planes were getting back in the air by mid-morning Eastern Time, with only 19 total cancellations. Plane makes miraculous emergency landing on busy stretch of thruway near Albany: ‘Very, very unique’ By Vaughn Golden Published Dec. 20, 2024 Updated Dec. 20, 2024, 4:04 p.m. ET Note: See photos in the original article. NY State police give presser on small aircraft that made emergency landing on highway A small plane made an emergency landing on a stretch of New York Thruway Friday, miraculously without injuring the pilot and two passengers or any drivers. The Albany-bound small twin-engine Beechcraft plane landed on the busy strip of highway around Exit 23 outside Albany around noon somehow avoiding motorists before coming to rest on the shoulder of the I-87 without a scratch according to state police. “Miraculously, the plane did not strike any vehicles. You walk around the plane looking for scratches, you pretty much can’t see anything,” New York State Police Troop T Commander Major Jay Andre told reporters Friday. A small plane made a emergency landing around Exit 23 outside Albany. NY State Police “This is very, very unique for a plane to land on the thruway successfully not striking any vehicles and nobody being injured,” Andre continued. The plane, which FAA records show is registered to S & S Aviation, was traveling from South Carolina to Albany International Airport when it began experiencing engine trouble amid some blustery and icy conditions. “I just don’t want to be much longer in the icy conditions I’d rather get down now,” the pilot could be heard calmly telling air traffic control at the Albany airport, in recordings obtained by The Post. The pilot quickly realized he wasn’t going to make it the extra few miles to the airport. “Albany approach, 661 just lost both engines. We’re making an emergency landing on the highway,” the pilot continues about a minute later. First responders quickly rushed to the scene. State police, the FAA and the FBI all assisted, per Andre. First responders and investigators quickly flocked to the scene. The plane ironically landed on the portion of the thruway directly adjoining the Thruway Authority and Troop T’s headquarters building, making for a particularly swift response. Traffic heading northbound was restricted to one lane as first responders and aviation officials conducted an investigation. The plane was loaded onto a flatbed truck and the entire scene was cleared within a few hours. S & S Aviation is based out of Fairfield County Airport in Winnsboro, South Carolina, and offers flying lessons according to its website. Andre said he wasn’t sure of the pilot’s amount of flight experience, but did not believe they were a student. It’s not the first time the stretch of the thruway between has been in the news. A few miles south in 2015, the Albany Times Union reported, a herd of Buffalo that escaped a farm and swam across the Hudson River was trying to cross the busy highway. The Albany County Sheriff’s office ended up shooting all 15 animals before they could wreak havoc on the thruway motorists. The FAA says it is continuing to investigate the incident. European Pilots Fears Flights to Middle East European pilots, supported by unions, have advocated for greater transparency and the right to refuse routes they deem unsafe. By Kashyap Velani December 24, 2024 BUDAPEST- Increased tensions in the Middle East have sparked safety debates among European pilots over flying routes through the region. Wizz Air (W6), a low-cost airline, faces scrutiny after pilots raised concerns about navigating conflict zones, highlighting a broader industry challenge. European Pilots Fears Middle East The safety of flights over Middle Eastern airspace has come under scrutiny as pilots from various airlines express unease about security risks. This debate intensified after an October 2023 conflict between Israel and Iran caused sudden airspace closures, forcing airlines to reroute flights. Despite assurances from Wizz Air (W6) about adhering to strict risk assessments and guidance from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), some pilots remain skeptical. European pilots, supported by unions, have advocated for greater transparency and the right to refuse routes they deem unsafe. However, responses from airlines like Ryanair (FR) and airBaltic (BT) reflect resistance to such measures, prioritizing regulatory compliance over union-driven demands. Escalating Risks in Conflict Zones A Wizz Air pilot in Abu Dhabi expressed confidence in flying over conflict zones, citing robust industry safety standards. The airline maintains a dedicated committee for safety oversight and policy implementation. Despite company reassurances and internal reporting systems, budget airline crew members demand greater autonomy in refusing flights over dangerous airspace. They seek increased transparency regarding security assessments. FPU Romania addressed these concerns in an August 12 letter to COO Diarmuid O’Conghaile, emphasizing that commercial crews shouldn’t operate rescue missions in conflict areas. The union argues this responsibility belongs to military personnel. Union representative Mircea Constantin reports Wizz Air provided security updates but never formally responded to multiple safety-related communications. Some crew members faced disciplinary action for refusing Middle Eastern routes or reporting sick, according to anonymous sources fearing retaliation. Missile activity in the region has surged, with 165 missiles launched in conflict zones last month compared to just 33 a year earlier, according to Osprey Flight Solutions. Such incidents revive concerns about tragedies like the downing of Malaysia Airlines (MH) Flight MH17 in 2014. Airlines face a dilemma, avoiding dangerous airspace increases operational costs and congestion in alternative routes like Central Asia or Egypt. For instance, flying from Singapore to London through Afghanistan instead of the Middle East costs up to 50% more in overflight fees. Challenges and Passenger Concerns Transparency in safety protocols remains a contentious issue. Pilots and passengers alike question whether airlines provide sufficient risk information. Some carriers, such as Lufthansa (LH) and KLM (KL), allow crew to opt out of specific routes, while others, including Wizz Air, enforce stricter mandates. Gulf carriers like Emirates (EK) and Etihad (EY) are seen as risk indicators, often halting flights in high-risk zones based on government intelligence. Meanwhile, passenger rights groups demand better communication to help travelers make informed decisions about flights over conflict zones. The evolving geopolitical landscape necessitates robust safety protocols and open dialogue between airlines, staff, and regulators. Pilots emphasize that informed decision-making and transparency are crucial to maintaining trust and ensuring safety in high-risk environments. Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates. Accident: Transavia France B738 at Nantes on Oct 1st 2022, both nose tyres damaged on landing By Simon Hradecky, created Saturday, Oct 1st 2022 16:55Z, last updated Tuesday, Dec 24th 2024 20:07Z A Transavia France Boeing 737-800, registration F-GZHA performing flight TO-3943 from Djerba (Tunisia) to Nantes (France) with 160 people on board, landed on Nantes' runway 21 at 13:05L (11:05Z) when both nose tyres were damaged causing the aircraft to roll out on the nose wheel rims. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on the taxiway clear of the runway. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial (structural) damage however. The BEA opened an investigation. On Oct 7th 2022 the BEA reported the aircraft received substantial damage to the nose gear, fuselage and engines. The occurrence was rated an accident and is being investigated by the BEA. On Dec 24th 2024 the BEA released their final report in French only (editorial note: to serve the purpose of global prevention of the repeat of causes leading to an occurrence an additional timely release of all occurrence reports in the only world spanning aviation language English would be necessary, a French only release does not achieve this purpose as set by ICAO annex 13 and just forces many aviators to waste much more time and effort each in trying to understand the circumstances leading to the occurrence. Aviators operating internationally are required to read/speak English besides their local language, investigators need to be able to read/write/speak English to communicate with their counterparts all around the globe). Editorial note: The translation of the conclusions of the French report doesn't seem to make sense. As the BEA usually releases an English report in due time, The Aviation Herald is going to wait for the English version before covering the final report. The BEA summarized the occurrence: On the descent to Nantes, the co-pilot in line adaptation (AEL) reminded the captain instructor (TRI) of his difficulties with the flare and his apprehension of not reproducing the same type of firm landing as that carried out the day before in Nantes on runway 21. During the briefing, the non-axis approach to runway 21, the profile of this runway ("the hump") as well as the evolution of the weather conditions were discussed by the co-pilot. These threats were not taken up by the instructor. The visual perception caused by the rising part of the runway and the stress linked to the difficulty of landing in Nantes were not the subject of a particular strategy on the part of the instructor to manage them. The choice of the moment when the automatisms would be disconnected was also not discussed at that time. During the approach, at around 2,500 ft, the co-pilot announced to the instructor that he would disconnect the automatics at an altitude of 2,000 ft, approximately two minutes before reaching the minima. The co-pilot wanted to take advantage of the instructor's presence to fly more manually and regain experience. The instructor was able to let the co-pilot do this to help him regain confidence. However, given the presence of a crosswind, the ceiling close to the minima and the co-pilot's limited recent experience, manual flying probably caused a high workload for the co-pilot. At 1 NM from the MAPTS and at an altitude of approximately 800 ft, the co-pilot turned to the left to intercept the runway centreline. The approach was stabilized, the co-pilot maintained the glide path following the PAPI instructions and the speed remained close to the reference approach speed. The instructor's correction calls up to very low height show that his attention was focused primarily on maintaining the runway centreline. After crossing the threshold of runway 21, the aircraft initially flew over the descending section. At a height of between 40 and 30 ft, the co-pilot began to apply nose-up input on the stick to flare, without reducing thrust, but this input was insufficient to change the aircraft's attitude. The aircraft then began to fly over the ascending section of the runway. Between the calls "thirty" and "ten", spaced one second apart and representing approximately 80 m of flight, the co-pilot applied a sharp and rapid nose-up input on the stick, pulling it to more than three-quarter travel, before placing the thrust levers on IDLE. At the same time, the instructor most likely became aware of the delay in the start of the flare and, by reflex, called "attention" to the co-pilot. These sharp and rapid actions at low height above the rising part of the runway did not reduce the aircraft's energy before contact with the runway. It is very likely that the late flare resulted from an erroneous perception of the final part of the glide path due to the upward slope of the runway and the attention paid mainly until low height by both pilots to maintaining the runway axis. The influence of the characteristics of the runway, descending then ascending, on the height announcements of the synthetic voice did not help the co-pilot to start the flare and the reduction of thrust sufficiently early given the upward slope before the bump. Furthermore, the instructor did not consider taking back control during the rounding and most likely did not have time to do so. The main landing gear touchdown on the uphill section of the runway was hard with a recorded load factor of 2.95 g, at a sink rate of approximately 12 ft/s. The spoilers deployed and the aircraft bounced. The force of the impact on landing and the rebound surprised both crew members. The instructor reflexively applied a sharp nose-down input to the stick, up to the nose-down stop, which had the effect of rapidly reducing the aircraft's pitch attitude. This reduction in pitch attitude combined with the deployed spoilers led to a rapid reduction in the aircraft's lift. The nose gear and the right main gear simultaneously touched the runway. Under the violence of the impact suffered by the nose gear, both tires were ejected from it, and the aircraft continued the landing by rolling on its rims. The instructor then maintained the runway centerline while the aircraft decelerated before turning left onto a taxiway to bring the aircraft to a stop and clear the runway. The fact that the TRI was familiar with Nantes approach 21 and the characteristics of the runway may have minimised: - his perception of the difficulty that landing on this runway in these conditions could represent for the co-pilot; - his perception of the risks associated with the apprehensions mentioned by the co-pilot about landings. The TRI may also have wanted to let the co-pilot do it without adding any additional stress, with a view to restoring the co-pilot's confidence after his period of interruption. The landing made by the co-pilot with a strong crosswind in Djerba may have strengthened the TRI's confidence and led to a drop in vigilance on his part during the approach and landing. Metars: LFRS 011300Z AUTO 26010KT 3400 -RADZ BR OVC006 18/18 Q1018 TEMPO BKN020 BECMG 9999 NSW= LFRS 011230Z AUTO 25012KT 4300 DZ BR OVC007 19/18 Q1017 TEMPO 26015G25KT BKN020 BECMG 9999 NSW= LFRS 011200Z AUTO 26014KT 9999 OVC009 19/17 Q1017 TEMPO 26015G25KT BKN020= LFRS 011130Z AUTO 27013KT 9999 OVC008 18/17 Q1017 BECMG SCT012= LFRS 011100Z AUTO 26012KT 9999 OVC006 18/18 Q1017 BECMG SCT012= LFRS 011030Z AUTO 26013KT 230V290 4200 -RADZ BR OVC005 18/17 Q1017 BECMG 9999 NSW SCT012= LFRS 011000Z AUTO 27012KT 3500 -RA BR OVC006 18/17 Q1016 BECMG 9999 NSW SCT012= LFRS 010930Z AUTO 27013KT 9999 OVC007 18/17 Q1016 BECMG SCT012= LFRS 010900Z AUTO 27012KT 9999 OVC006 18/17 Q1015 TEMPO 4000 -RADZ BECMG 25015G25KT SCT012= LFRS 010830Z AUTO 27013KT 9000 2000 -RA OVC007 18/17 Q1015 TEMPO 4000 -RADZ BECMG 25015G25KT SCT012= LFRS 010800Z AUTO 27013KT 9999 OVC007 18/17 Q1014 TEMPO 4000 -RADZ BECMG 25015G25KT= The aircraft after landing (Photo: BEA): Date:Tuesday 24 December 2024Time:11:24 UTCType: Boeing 777-306ER Owner/operator:Ethiopian Airlines Registration:ET-ASK MSN:44550/1297 Year of manufacture:2015 Engine model: General Electric GE90-115BFatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage:None Location:Kinshasa N'djili Airport - Congo (Democratic Republic) Phase:TaxiNature: Passenger - ScheduledDeparture airport:Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH/FZAA)Destination airport:Addis Ababa-Bole Airport (ADD/HAAB) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Ethiopian Airlines flight ET841, a Boeing 777-300ER ran off the taxiway with the left-hand main gear after landing at Kinshasa N'Djili Airport, DRC. ET-ASK continued back to Addis Ababa with a 3 hour delay. 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