Flight Safety Information - December 26, 2024 No. 257 In This Issue : NASA investigates an aviation accident on another planet : Body found in wheel well on United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui, company says : NASA’s Orion space capsule survived an emergency launch under a lightning storm : Accident: Azerbaijan E190 near Aktau on Dec 25th 2024, touched down off runway : 'This is normal?': 2 close-calls at Chicago's O'Hare airport in 1 day : International airlines express concerns about safety along Middle East routes : Incident: TUI Nederland B788 near Brussels on Dec 22nd 2024, lightning strike : AirAsia Group Recertified Seven-Star for Safety : Incident: Nolinor B734 at Quebec City on Nov 26th 2024, flaps problems : Joby and U.S. Air Force Complete Electric Aircraft Maintenance Training : Faeravia An-2 aircraft went missing : Redefining aviation safety culture (A book review.) : Calendar of Events NASA investigates an aviation accident on another planet By Eric Ralls Earth.com staff writer Ingenuity, NASA’s pioneering Mars helicopter, marked an unprecedented milestone in aviation history when it became the first aircraft to take flight on another world. Its journey came to an end on January 18, 2024, with a final flight that concluded an era of extraordinary achievements. Journey into the unknown A team of engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in partnership with AeroVironment, has given us an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into the final voyage of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Originally designed as a technology demonstration to carry out five experimental test flights over a 30-day period, the helicopter surpassed all expectations. The little explorer stayed operational for nearly three years, conducted 72 flights, and expanded its flight range 30 times beyond what was initially planned – tallying more than two hours in flight time. The final ascent: Ingenuity rising against gravity The 72nd flight, which we now know as the final one, was planned as a short, vertical hop to assess the flight systems and capture images of the surrounding area. The data sent back from the flight paints a picture of Ingenuity as it ascended to a height of 40 feet (12 meters), hovered, and took photographs. The descent was initiated at the 19-second mark, and by the 32nd second, the helicopter had touched down, halting communication. It would not be until the next day that contact was re-established with the mission, and images transmitted six days after the flight showed the damage sustained by Ingenuity’s rotor blades. Unraveling the mystery: What went wrong? Investigating an accident from a 100-million-mile distance is no easy feat. Without the convenience of the usual “black boxes” or eyewitnesses, the investigators had to rely solely on the data and images transmitted back. “While multiple scenarios are viable with the available data, we have one we believe is most likely: lack of surface texture gave the navigation system too little information to work with,” explained Håvard Grip, Ingenuity’s first pilot. The helicopter’s vision navigation system was designed to track visual features on a flat terrain. It worked with impressive accuracy for Ingenuity’s first five flights, but flight 72 found the helicopter in an area of Jezero Crater that was filled with relatively featureless, steep sand ripples. This terrain confused the navigation system, preventing it from providing the velocity estimates necessary for safe landing. The resulting navigation errors created high horizontal velocities at touchdown, which led the helicopter to pitch and roll. The strain of the rapid landing snapped off all four rotor blades at their weakest point. This resulted in excessive vibration which finally severed the communication. The legacy continues: Ingenuity’s contributions Although permanently grounded, Ingenuity’s contributions have not ended. It continues to transmit weather data and avionics test data to the Perseverance rover on a weekly basis. This information could prove invaluable for future Red Planet explorations. In addition, lessons from the Ingenuity project have sparked research into future Mars helicopters. “Because Ingenuity was designed to be affordable while demanding huge amounts of computer power, we became the first mission to fly commercial, off-the-shelf cell phone processors in deep space,” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s project manager. Tzanetos also noted that almost four years of continuous operation suggested that not everything on Mars needed to be bigger, heavier, and radiation-hardened in order to function. The future of flight on Mars Inspired by Ingenuity, NASA engineers have been testing smaller, lighter avionics for vehicle designs, particularly for the Mars Sample Return campaign. The data from Ingenuity is also assisting engineers in developing the concept for a future Mars helicopter. This new venture, currently named Chopper, is approximately 20 times heavier than Ingenuity, is designed to carry several pounds of scientific equipment, and is expected to explore remote Martian locations while traveling up to 2 miles (3 kilometers) in a day. Ingenuity has broadened our horizons about the future of interplanetary flight. “Ingenuity has given us the confidence and data to envision the future of flight at Mars,” concluded Tzanetos. Information for this article was sourced from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Body found in wheel well on United Airlines flight from Chicago to Maui, company says ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team Wednesday, December 25, 2024 2:29PM CHICAGO (WLS) -- A body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that departed from Chicago on Christmas Eve, the company said. Flight 202 departed from Chicago's O'Hare airport on Tuesday morning and landed at Maui's Kahului airport. After landing, United Airlines said a body was found in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears on a United aircraft. "United is working with law enforcement authorities on the investigation," the company said in a statement to ABC. The aircraft was a Boeing 787-10. The wheel well was only accessible from outside of the aircraft, United Airlines said. At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well. The Maui Police Department said they were investigating. NASA’s Orion space capsule survived an emergency launch under a lightning storm Ivan Hrinko NASA has completed a series of tests of the Orion spacecraft, preparing it for the Artemis II mission. Engineers tested the crew module under conditions simulating an emergency launch when the space capsule must quickly separate from the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and ensure the safe return of astronauts. The Orion space capsule inside the Thermal Vacuum Chamber at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Photo: NASA These tests lasted 11 months at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Space Center. Neil Armstrong Space Center in Ohio. Engineers simulated maximum load scenarios, including exposure to extreme noise and electromagnetic effects from lightning strikes. The module was tested to ensure that the parachute system and airbags that protect the crew during landings were ready to operate. “These are the heaviest loads a spacecraft can endure. We are deliberately pushing the space capsule to the limit to ensure the safety of the crew,” said Robert Overy, the test project manager. According to engineers, all Orion systems performed as expected and the data matched the predicted models. For such tests, NASA back in 2011 built a unique Reverberant Acoustic Test Facility, which allows to test ships in conditions resembling real space missions. This was the first time that the vehicle was tested in such extreme conditions on Earth. Lunar overflight during the Artemis II mission The Artemis II mission, scheduled for April 2026, will be the first manned mission with a crew of four astronauts to circle the Moon and return to Earth. The previous Artemis I mission in 2022 ended successfully and performed well. At that time, the unmanned Orion successfully overcame the 2 million-kilometer journey, although there were questions about the operation of the heat shield. The Artemis II mission is paving the way for the Artemis III human lunar landing scheduled for mid-2027. The program faces numerous challenges: delays, problems with the SLS rocket and the space capsule’s heat shield, and budget overruns. However, tests have proven that Orion will withstand any loads and safely deliver the crew to Earth. Accident: Azerbaijan E190 near Aktau on Dec 25th 2024, touched down off runway By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Dec 25th 2024 09:30Z, last updated Wednesday, Dec 25th 2024 20:12Z An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer ERJ-190, registration 4K-AZ65 performing flight J2-8243 from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Grozny (Russia) with 62 passengers and 5 crew, had diverted from Grozny to Aktau (Kazakhstan) due to weather, subsequently attempted to divert to Makhachkala (Russia) but aborted the approach to Makhachkala due to fog before diverting to Aktau, where the aircraft attempted an emergency landing on Aktau's runway 11 at 11:28L (06:28Z) about one hour after the aborted approach to Grozny. The aircraft was turning onto final approach but impacted ground off the runway and caught fire. Rescue services were able to rescue 29 people alive. 38 bodies were recovered. Kazakhstan's Transport Ministry reported 62 passengers and 5 crew were on board of the aircraft, 32 were rescued alive. 4 bodies have been recovered. The airline reported there were 62 passengers (37 Azerbaijani, 16 Russian, 6 Kazakh and 3 Kyrgyz citizens) and 5 crew on board. The aircraft made an emergency landing about 3km (1.6nm) from Aktau's Airport. A hotline has been established. The airline published a list with the names of the occupants. Kazakhstan's Health Services report, 28 survivors were taken to hospitals, 7 of them are in intensive care. Azerbaijan's Prosecution General Office confirmed that 32 people survived the accident. A criminal investigation has been opened, experts are looking into all directions, are considering various scenarios and conduct the necessary examinations. The office is closely working together with Kazakhstan's Prosecution Office. Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister reported 29 people are in hospital care. 11 of them received serious injuries but are stable, the others received minor injuries. 38 people have died in the accident. Asked about the holes seen in the remains of the aircraft he stated that even preliminary conclusions are not possible as of current. Forensic experts and aviation investigators have arrived on scene. The investigation will be conducted by Kazakhstan's Law Enforcement Agencies according to Code 344 of Kazakhstan's Law with collegues from other countries able to participate. Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Transport stated, that the aircraft made two turns in the airport area after entering Kazakh airspace and hit ground on the third turn. Kazakhstan's Ministry for Emergency Situations reported Aktau Airport reported at 11:00L, that an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer ERJ-190 was inbound to Aktau having declared emergency and heading to Aktau. The landing was estimated for 11:25L. At 11:30L information was received that the aircraft had impacted ground about 3km from the airport. By 11:45L the fire was contained and by 12:05L extinguished. By 14:10 29 people had been taken to hospitals. Rescuers as well as investigators from Azerbaijan have already arrived in Aktau. As of current there are some political and military agendas and propagandas going on trying to blame the accident on a shoot down by air defense in Russia or attackers onto Russia (explaining the holes visible in the vertical tail were caused by shrapnell), not identifying however whether this should have happened in Grozny or Makhachkala. Due to GPS jamming and spoofing in the region existing radar data do not tell the true flight path and can not be used to analyse the aircraft's problems. Metars Grozny: URMG 250700Z 00000MPS 3700 BR OVC004 03/03 Q1026 R26/190060 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250648Z VRB01MPS 3200 BR OVC004 03/02 Q1026 R26/190060 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250631Z VRB01MPS 2600 BR OVC004 03/02 Q1026 R26/190060 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250630Z VRB01MPS 2600 BR OVC005 03/02 Q1026 R26/190060 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250619Z VRB01MPS 2800 BR OVC004 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250600Z 18001MPS 2900 BR OVC004 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250555Z VRB01MPS 2900 BR OVC004 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250551Z VRB01MPS 3100 BR OVC004 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250550Z VRB01MPS 2900 BR OVC005 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250549Z 18001MPS 3000 BR OVC006 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250546Z 18001MPS 2900 BR OVC011 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK OBST OBSC QFE754/1006= URMG 250530Z 16001MPS 3500 BR OVC012 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK OBST OBSC QFE754/1005= URMG 250528Z 00000MPS 3500 BR OVC012 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK QFE754/1005= URMG 250502Z 24001MPS 3500 BR OVC008 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1005= URMG 250500Z 24001MPS 3500 BR OVC014 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK QFE754/1005= URMG 250430Z 26001MPS 3600 BR OVC007 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE754/1005= URMG 250400Z 25002MPS 3600 BR OVC006 03/02 Q1025 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE753/1005= URMG 250330Z 23002MPS 200V260 3600 BR OVC007 03/02 Q1024 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE753/1005= URMG 250300Z VRB01MPS 3600 BR OVC009 03/02 Q1024 R26/290250 NOSIG RMK MT OBSC OBST OBSC QFE753/1004= Metars Makhachkala: URML 250800Z 33002MPS 5000 BR BKN009 OVC024 07/06 Q1026 R32/01//70 TEMPO 1500 BR OVC004 RMK MT OBSC QFE769/1026= URML 250730Z 33002MPS 3700 BR BKN009 OVC016 07/06 Q1026 R32/01//70 TEMPO 1500 BR OVC004 RMK MT OBSC QFE769/1026= URML 250719Z 33002MPS 4100 BR BKN009 OVC020 07/06 Q1026 R32/01//70 TEMPO 1500 BR OVC004 RMK MT OBSC QFE769/1026= URML 250707Z 33002MPS 3600 BR BKN005 OVC020 07/06 Q1026 R32/01//70 TEMPO 1500 BR OVC004 RMK QBB150 MT OBSC QFE769/1026= URML 250700Z 33003MPS 2500 BR BKN009 OVC020 07/06 Q1026 R32/01//70 TEMPO 1500 BR OVC004 RMK MT OBSC QFE769/1026= URML 250657Z 33002MPS 2500 BR BKN004 OVC020 07/06 Q1026 R32/01//70 TEMPO 1500 BR OVC016 RMK QBB140 MT OBSC QFE769/1026= URML 250630Z 32002MPS 2700 BR FEW/// OVC024 07/05 Q1026 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QFE769/1026= URML 250600Z 31002MPS 3600 BR FEW/// OVC023 07/05 Q1026 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QFE769/1025= URML 250530Z 32002MPS 4800 BR FEW006 OVC024 07/05 Q1026 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QBB180 QFE769/1025= URML 250500Z 32002MPS 6000 OVC025 06/05 Q1026 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QFE769/1025= URML 250430Z 34003MPS 7000 FEW006 OVC026 06/05 Q1025 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QBB180 QFE769/1025= URML 250400Z 34002MPS 6000 FEW006 OVC026 07/05 Q1025 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QBB180 QFE768/1025= URML 250330Z 32001MPS 3600 BR OVC027 06/05 Q1025 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QFE768/1024= URML 250300Z 00000MPS 3900 BR OVC029 07/05 Q1025 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QFE768/1024= URML 250230Z 31003MPS 4500 BR OVC029 07/05 Q1024 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QFE768/1024= URML 250200Z 33002MPS 4300 BR OVC028 06/05 Q1024 R32/01//70 NOSIG RMK QFE768/1024= Metars Aktau: UATE 250800Z 04007MPS 9999 FEW053CB 06/M01 Q1025 NOSIG RMK QFE767/1022= UATE 250730Z 03006MPS 9999 FEW056CB 06/M00 Q1025 NOSIG RMK QFE767/1023= UATE 250700Z 03006MPS 9999 SCT056CB 05/M00 Q1025 NOSIG RMK QFE767/1023= UATE 250630Z 04006MPS 9999 BKN036 04/M01 Q1025 NOSIG RMK QFE767/1023= UATE 250600Z 03005MPS 9999 BKN036 04/M01 Q1025 NOSIG RMK QFE767/1023= UATE 250530Z 04006MPS 9999 BKN036 04/M01 Q1025 NOSIG RMK QFE767/1022= UATE 250500Z 04007MPS 9999 BKN036 03/M01 Q1024 NOSIG RMK QFE766/1022= UATE 250430Z 03007MPS 9999 BKN036 03/M01 Q1024 NOSIG RMK QFE766/1022= UATE 250400Z 03006MPS 9999 BKN036 03/M00 Q1024 NOSIG RMK QFE766/1022= UATE 250330Z 03005MPS 9999 OVC036 03/00 Q1024 NOSIG RMK QFE766/1022= UATE 250300Z 03005MPS 9999 OVC036 03/01 Q1024 NOSIG RMK QFE766/1021= UATE 250230Z 03006MPS 9999 BKN040 03/01 Q1024 NOSIG RMK QFE766/1021= UATE 250200Z 03004MPS 9999 BKN040 03/01 Q1024 NOSIG RMK QFE766/1021= Last moments of flight and impact (Video: Independent): See video and photos in the original article. 'This is normal?': 2 close-calls at Chicago's O'Hare airport in 1 day Topic of possible runway collisions being discussed in Washington at same time CHICAGO (WLS) -- At O'Hare airport, there were two close calls in one day. Note: See video. The I-Team uncovered exclusive details about the flights that had to make sudden takeoffs, as they were coming into the airport to avoid other aircraft on the ground. They are what the Federal Aviation Administration and some in the airline industry call "go-arounds," when a plane has to abort landing because another plane may be in the way. But, for some of the hundreds of passengers on those two flights, 12 hours apart, there is no going around the fear and concern they felt. And just as the first heart-stopper was happening, the topic of possible runway collisions was being discussed in DC. "Close-calls are still happening," said Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth at a congressional hearing Thursday. As that hearing was underway, a close call happened at O'Hare. "We were literally right over the runway, about to touch down, and, all of a sudden, the plane roared its engines, and we went tilted up to come back up off the ground, and the cabin went silent, and everyone was looking at each other and whispering. And it was the eeriest feeling I've ever felt," business executive Nicole Loftus said. The suburban native is still shaken by what happened Thursday to her United flight from LaGuardia airport in New York. "The pilot came on and said, 'we had to abort landing because of traffic on the runway,' and then I realized, 'oh my God, you know, there was, there were planes in the way, or going to be in the way, and he had to avoid it,'" she said. A map from the site FlightAware showed what happened: the near touchdown, and sudden fast lift-off circling out over Lake Michigan before the plane eventually landed. "Every time we get on a flight where we're handing everything over to not only the flight crew and the airlines, but, more importantly, to air traffic control and the FAA to look out for us," Loftus said. At the same time, the congressional air safety hearing featured a 767 captain and pilot's association president laying out the main role the Federal Aviation Administration is struggling to meet. "To provide air traffic controllers with timely alerts that prevent accidents and near-misses," said Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International. And, just 12 hours after the first close call, came a second seemingly identical one at O'Hare. Just after 10 p.m., United 546 from Newark was forced to make a "go-around" out over the lake. Chicagoan Christoper Domrzalski was on that flight and explained, "A couple minutes after, the pilot came on and said that he had observed a other aircraft crossing the runway in front of us were likely to do so, and decided that it was better to abort the landing and swing back around for a second, second attack." Loftus, who does a lot of traveling for her company, Pop Venture, said she has never experienced something like this. "What, this is normal? This happens? No, it shouldn't be. There's no way that that's the case, right? I mean, it's a lot to get planes up and down. They shouldn't have to go down in them, back up again," she said. In a statement to the I-Team, officials at Chicago-based United Airlines verified what happened to both flights landings. They said it was because aircraft were in the process of exiting runways. And United points to the FAA as the agency responsible for managing that air traffic on the ground. After numerous messages to the FAA Friday, government officials promised to get back to the I-Team, but so far have not. International airlines express concerns about safety along Middle East routes All Israel News Staff | Published: December 25, 2024 (Photo: Shutterstock) International and especially European airline pilots and personnel are increasingly concerned about air safety across the Middle East region, which is an important route between the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. Safety concerns have been on the rise since the Hamas Oct. 7 invasion and terror attack in Israel last year. In 2023, approximately 1,400 daily flights passed through the Middle East, according to data compiled by the European authority Eurocontrol. In late September 2024, an experienced pilot from the European low-fare airline company Wizz Air expressed his concerns about air safety in the Middle East, especially in the air corridor between Iran and Israel. “I wasn’t really happy with it,” the pilot stated, who wished to remain anonymous. Days later, Iraqi authorities decided to close the country’s airspace when the Iranian regime fired an unprecedented 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1. While the majority of Iranian missiles were intercepted, Iran's arsenal continues to threaten airline traffic across the Middle East. “It confirmed my suspicion that it wasn’t safe,” the unnamed Wizz Air pilot said. The Hungarian airline company informed Reuters that crew and passenger safety is its top priority and would not be risked “in any circumstances” and decisions were made in close consultation with intelligence specialists. “Our aircraft and crews will only fly in airspace that has been deemed safe and we would never take any risks in this respect,” Wizz Air stated at the time. While Middle East tensions have been slightly reduced due to the current ceasefire between Israel and the Iranian terror proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, many European and Western airline companies still avoid parts of the Middle East, especially Iranian airspace which is deemed risky. In 2020, Iran downed Ukrainian International Airline flight PS752 en route from Tehran, killing all passengers and aircrew. Wizz Air has also postponed all flights to and from Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport until Jan. 14. Reuters news agency reportedly reviewed unpublished letters about air safety between Ryanair, Wizz Air, airBaltic and the European Commission. “No one should be forced to work in such a hazardous environment and no commercial interests should outweigh the safety and well-being of those on board,” the Roman Flight Crew Union (FPU) stated in a letter addressed to the European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). AirBaltic CEO Martin Gauss stressed that the company follows strict international safety guidelines but does not permit aircrew to unilaterally boycott particular routes. “If we start a right of refusal, then where do we stop? [When] the next person feels unhappy overflying Iraqi airspace because there’s tension there?” Gauss argued. Ireland's airline company Ryanair emphasized that the company is following EASA security guidelines. “If EASA says it’s safe, then, frankly, thank you, we’re not interested in what the unions or some pilot[s] think,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, said. There are also divisions among the pilots. A Wizz Air pilot based in Abu Dhabi said he feels confident flying over conflict zones due to the air industry’s high safety standards. In addition to airlines, some international private jets have also been avoiding specific Middle Eastern airspaces due to regional conflicts. “At the moment, my no-go areas would be the hotspot points: Libya, Israel, Iran, simply because they’re sort of caught up in it all,” said Andy Spencer, a Singapore-based private jet pilot. Incident: TUI Nederland B788 near Brussels on Dec 22nd 2024, lightning strike By Simon Hradecky, created Monday, Dec 23rd 2024 19:25Z, last updated Monday, Dec 23rd 2024 19:25Z A TUI Airlines Nederland Boeing 787-8, registration PH-TFJ performing flight TB-3011 from Brussels (Belgium) to Hurghada (Egypt), was climbing through FL320 out of Brussels when the crew decided to return to Brussels. The aircraft landed safely on Brussels' runway 25L about 55 minutes after departure. Passengers reported there was a flash and bang followed by faint burning smell in the cabin. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Brussels as a precaution. Maintenance and crew duty time limits did not permit the aircraft to depart again, the passengers were taken to hotels. The aircraft is still on the ground in Brussels about 30 hours after landing. AirAsia Group Recertified Seven-Star for Safety 08 October, 2024 AirAsia Group* as well as medium-haul affiliate airlines AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X, have been recertified as seven-star airlines by AirlineRatings.com under its enhanced safety ratings criteria. Every airline that was rated has also achieved IOSA accreditation - the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit programme, which is a key global benchmark for upholding the highest safety standards at all times. AirAsia's sustained seven star rating is underpinned by its commitment to safety across all operations. This achievement is driven by key initiatives such as extensive employee training, a highly experienced engineering team with more than 20 years of expertise, and rigorous maintenance procedures. AirAsia also maintains a robust internal safety management system (SMS) and corporate governance structure, including a Board-level Safety Review Board (SRB) and meets the highest global safety standards with certifications like the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 145 approval, ensuring the highest level of safety compliance and operational performance. Airlineratings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said: "The AirAsia Group* including AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X, had achieved an excellent safety rating under our enhanced rating criteria and are performing almost flawlessly. The AirAsia Group's on-time performance rate is tracking well, the incident rate is almost non-existent and the airline's safety performance is extremely impressive,” added Mr Thomas. AirAsia Aviation Group’s Group CEO Bo Lingam, welcomed the news that airlines under the AirAsia Group* have been recertified with a 7/7 safety rating: “To date, AirAsia Group has flown nearly 800 million passengers since its inception over 23 years ago. As the aviation industry continues to face the challenges and opportunities of fleet reactivations and growing travel demand in the region, this recognition from Airlineratings.com underscores AirAsia’s laser focus on enhancing safety protocols, operational efficiency, and on-time performance. We continually invest in our people, technology, and processes to comply with the highest standards, including regular IOSA audits by IATA. “As a Group, we are reaching beyond the regional geographical boundaries and leveraging on the expertise within all of our airlines embracing our core value of ‘safety is always our number one priority’. Our safety management ecosystem is amplified thanks to AirAsia Group’s collective strengths - being ‘safer and stronger together’ to conform beyond the required safety standards and protocols. “With this acknowledgment further supporting our growth strategy, we remain dedicated to being one of the top low-cost carriers globally, delivering safe and reliable air travel for our guests.” CEO of AirAsia X Benyamin Ismail added: “This is a meaningful recognition for AirAsia X which has been IOSA accredited since 2013. We strive to deliver world-class service with great value fares for medium-haul air travel across Asia and beyond. This is a significant acknowledgement of our dedication to continuing to uphold industry-leading standards across our operations. As we move into our next growth trajectory, we thank the experts at AirlineRatings.com for their strong vote of confidence for the millions of passengers who choose to fly with us each year.” Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia X, echoed this sentiment: "Safety is paramount. This recognition for both our short-haul and medium-haul airlines in Thailand underscores our commitment to delivering the best value and choice for our passengers." Mr. Bijleveld highlighted the team's dedication and the importance of this recognition for upholding the highest safety standards. Mr Thomas added that “our safety rating tool is unrivalled in the aviation industry and tens of millions of travellers come to us to seek reassurance before they book a flight. Many airlines have conducted the IOSA audit to improve their safety rating. “This isn't merely recognition; it's validation of the unrivalled meticulous work that goes on behind the scenes, as we strive to create a safer, more informed world of air travel. “As we have very recently relaunched our revamped website, we are now recertifying all seven-star airlines, leveraging additional safety data and analysis plus expertise from former check & training pilots to bolster our rating system's robustness,” he said. Additional safety data and analysis for recertification include in the areas of pilot training and incidents. AirAsia Group and affiliate airlines, AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X operate the Airbus family aircraft (A320/A330) which all have excellent safety records and high dispatch reliability. *AirAsia Group includes AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Philippines, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia Thailand. Included in these ratings are affiliate medium-haul airlines AirAsia X and Thailand AirAsia X. AirAsia Cambodia isn’t included as it has only recently commenced operations and will be reviewed in due course. Incident: Nolinor B734 at Quebec City on Nov 26th 2024, flaps problems By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Dec 24th 2024 19:55Z, last updated Tuesday, Dec 24th 2024 19:55Z A Nolinor Boeing 737-400, registration C-GGWX performing flight N5-661 from Wabush,NL to Bagotville,QC (Canada) with 113 passengers and 7 crew, needed to divert to Quebec City after aborting the approach to Bagotville due to weather. On final approach to Quebec City's runway 06 the aircraft began to drift to the right, the crew noticed the left hand flaps were indicating 25 degrees while the right hand flaps only showed 14 degrees extension. The crew declared emergency, went around, worked the related checklists and landed on runway 06 about 13 minutes after going around. The Canadian TSB reported the aircraft had been on a LPV approach to runway 06 when they went around due to left flaps extended to 25 but right flaps extended to 14 degrees. The following flight and next day the aircraft suffered an accident, see Accident: Nolinor B734 at Montreal on Nov 27th 2024, flaps problem, gear collapse. Joby and U.S. Air Force Complete Electric Aircraft Maintenance Training Joby and the U.S. Air Force completed a training program in Marina, California, focused on maintenance of the Joby aircraft. Photo: Joby Aviation December 05, 2024 06:00 AM Eastern Standard Time SANTA CRUZ, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced that it has completed a training program with the U.S. Air Force covering the maintenance of Joby’s electric aircraft. “We’re pleased to have successfully completed another engagement with the U.S. Air Force, providing the government with a technical overview of electric aircraft maintenance operations while we received feedback from experienced service members to further hone our in-house maintenance training program” The maintenance training program, which trained several U.S. Air Force service members including a flight test pilot and aircraft maintainers, on the specifics of inspecting and maintaining Joby’s electric aircraft, was completed as part of the Company’s existing contract with AFWERX Agility Prime. The four-week program took place at Joby’s flight test and manufacturing facilities in Marina, California, and was based on the Aircraft Maintenance Manual developed by Joby as part of the Company’s ongoing work towards aircraft type certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”). The program included classroom instruction as well as hands-on completion of inspections and pre-flight checks on Joby’s production prototype aircraft. “We’re pleased to have successfully completed another engagement with the U.S. Air Force, providing the government with a technical overview of electric aircraft maintenance operations while we received feedback from experienced service members to further hone our in-house maintenance training program,” said Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby. In April 2023, Joby announced that four U.S. Air Force pilots had completed pilot training and become the first Air Force personnel to fly an electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft as sole remote pilot-in-command through the full flight envelope, including transition from vertical to wingborne flight. The Joby electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the development and performance of our aircraft, the growth of our manufacturing capabilities, our regulatory outlook, progress and timing; our business plan, objectives, goals and market opportunity; and our current expectations relating to our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, capital needs and growth of our operations. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “project”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “can have”, “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including: our ability to launch our air taxi service and the growth of the urban air mobility market generally; our ability to produce aircraft that meet our performance expectations in the volumes and on the timelines that we project; the competitive environment in which we operate; our future capital needs; our ability to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; our ability to effectively respond to evolving regulations and standards relating to our aircraft; our reliance on third-party suppliers and service partners; uncertainties related to our estimates of the size of the market for our service and future revenue opportunities; and other important factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 27, 2024, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on November 6, 2024, and in future filings and other reports we file with or furnish to the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates and beliefs as of the date of this release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. Faeravia An-2 aircraft went missing Date:Thursday 19 December 2024Time:13:00 Type: Antonov An-2R Owner/operator:Faeravia Registration:RA-33555 MSN:1G229-47 Year of manufacture:1988 Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage:Substantial Category:Accident Location:Mount Tundrovaya, Ust-Kamchatsky Raion, Kamchatka Krai - Russia Phase:En route Nature:Cargo Departure airport:Milkovo (UHPM) Destination airport:Ossora Airport (UHPD) Investigating agency: MAK Confidence Rating: Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities Narrative: On 19 December 2024, a Faeravia An-2 aircraft went missing in Kamchatka Krai while on a flight from Milkovo (UHPM) to Ossora (UHPD). The aircraft had two crew members and one passenger onboard and was transporting 800kg of cargo, consisting of food and spare parts. On 22 December, the wreckage of the aircraft was located by a Mi-8 rescue helicopter in the area of Mount Tundrovaya, Ust-Kamchatsky Raion, Kamchatka Krai. The aircraft was located using its emergency signal, but was delayed due to adverse weather conditions. The three occupants of the aircraft were sheltering in the overturned aircraft. They were successfully evacuated from the site for medical attention. An investigation into the crash is underway. The probable cause of the accident was icing conditions. Redefining aviation safety culture Review of ‘Research on Aviation Safety: Safety is a Mindset’ (Bartoman Somoy, 2024) by Air Commodore Munim Khan Majlish, BPP, psc. Research on Aviation Safety: Safety is a Mindset by Air Commodore Munim Khan Majlish is a fresh look at the concept of aviation safety challenging standard ideas about safety. In the preface to the book, the author demonstrates that the existing safety policies and procedures are adequate for ensuring safety in aviation. However, these policies and procedures are not properly practiced or implemented in aviation organisations. Majlish's many years of experience of managing aviation safety has helped him develop the core ideas of the book. At the outset, the book provides a background in safety theory by shedding light on important models and frameworks that apply to flight safety. This theoretical foundation is supplemented with references to both old and new studies in the field. One vital aspect about the book is that it presents real-life case studies and human stories to make its major arguments. Majlish uses real-life accidents to show how important it is to have a "safe" attitude. For example, he talks about times when good communication and the right attitude has kept bad things from happening. These case studies not only put the theory into real-life situations that people can relate to but also teach readers useful lessons that support the idea that good judgment is important for preventing or lessening accidents. Majlish's work underscores the importance of ongoing education and training in developing a safety aviation culture. The author emphasises that safety is not a one-time lesson but a continuous journey that changes with emerging problems and technological improvements. Majlish's work underscores the importance of ongoing education and training in developing a safety aviation culture. The author emphasises that safety is not a one-time lesson but a continuous journey that changes with emerging problems and technological improvements. He calls for regular training for aviation staff to refresh their expertise and instill a sense of vigilance and responsibility. Majlish recommends that training programs contain features addressing human variables such as fatigue management, stress management, and decision-making psychology. He argues that training can assist aviation professionals in developing a comprehensive understanding of safety that takes into account both technical and human factors. Majlish calls for the transformation from a reactive to a proactive culture in aviation. He reprimands the tendency of adopting safety measures only after an incident occurs. He redefines a proactive safety culture as a commitment to recognising, assessing, and minimising possible dangers at all stages of aviation operations. One of his primary recommendations in this approach is to implement comprehensive safety management systems (SMS). These systems enable organisations to systematically document, monitor, and address safety risks. Majlish discusses how SMS frameworks can foster accountability and transparency and guarantee that safety efforts are deeply embedded in the organisational structure. The author concludes with specific proposals to redevelop a safety culture in the aviation industry. He argues for strong leadership commitment to safety, safety audits, and ongoing learning activities that involve employees at all levels. He feels that top-down support is vital for building a safety-first culture, and encourages leaders to develop a tone of vigilance and accountability. He urges the introduction of safety award programs to honor employees who have that mindset. 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