Flight Safety Information - January 2, 2025 No. 02 In This Issue : Incident: PIA AT42 at Karachi on Jan 1st 2025, engine trouble : Incident: KLM B772 enroute on Dec 29th 2024, water system problems : South Korea plane crash investigation underway, with Jeju Air jet's cockpit voice recorder heading to U.S. : Incident: Hawaiian A332 at Seattle on Dec 30th 2024, fumes on board : Commercial Aviation in 2024: The Highest Number of Fatalities Since 2018 : Crew reported a pressurization problem after takeoff Calendar of Events Incident: PIA AT42 at Karachi on Jan 1st 2025, engine trouble By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Jan 1st 2025 19:14Z, last updated Wednesday, Jan 1st 2025 19:14Z A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-500, registration AP-BHI performing flight PK-503 from Karachi to Gwadar (Pakistan), was climbing out of Karachi when the crew stopped the climb at FL140 and decided to return to Karachi due to a malfunction in one of the engines. The aircraft landed safely back on Karachi's runway 07R about 45 minutes after departure. The airline reported a technical fault in one of the engines. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 5.5 hours and reached Gwadar with a delay of about 5:40 hours. Incident: KLM B772 enroute on Dec 29th 2024, water system problems By Simon Hradecky, created Monday, Dec 30th 2024 22:03Z, last updated Monday, Dec 30th 2024 22:03Z A KLM Boeing 777-200, registration PH-BQD performing flight KL-895 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Shanghai (China), was enroute at FL350 over Azerbaijan when the crew decided to return to Amsterdam due to problems with the drinking water system. The aircraft landed safely back in Amsterdam about 4:40 hours later. The rotation was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 23 hours after landing back. South Korea plane crash investigation underway, with Jeju Air jet's cockpit voice recorder heading to U.S. Updated on: January 1, 2025 / 2:42 AM EST / CBS/AP Note: See photos and videos in the original article. South Korean officials have vowed to find out what caused a Boeing 737-800 passenger jet operated by Jeju Air to crash into flames as it attempted to land over the weekend, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. Days after the crash, there were still far more questions than answers about the country's worst aviation disaster in decades. Authorities ordered an immediate inspection of all 737-800 aircraft operated by the country's airlines — dozens of planes in total — following the crash, but there was still no clear indication as to whether a system malfunction, human error, or some combination of factors had caused the disaster. Experts from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing were on the ground inspecting the crash site, and the NTSB was set to play a crucial role in deciphering data from the plane's "black boxes," which record information from the cockpit and aircraft systems. Officials have warned it could be months before any clear answers emerge. Here is a look at what's known about the Jeju Air crash, and some of the key questions emerging in the wake of the tragedy. What happened in the South Korean plane crash? Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 departed from Bangkok, Thailand, and approached for its scheduled landing Sunday at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea. After an initial failed landing attempt, the Boeing 737-800 received a bird strike warning from the ground control center. It then ascended again before trying to land a second time. Two minutes later, the plane's crew sent a distress signal and attempted to land on a different runway. The plane touched down three minutes later without lowering its nose landing gear. It skidded along the runway at high speed, overshot the end of the runway and slammed into a concrete fence, bursting into a fireball. The only survivors were two crew members rescued from the tail section. Firefighters and rescue teams work at the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, 2024 in Muan-gun, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images Observers say videos of the crash suggested the plane was suffering from suspected engine trouble, but the landing gear malfunction was likely the main reason for the crash. The plane's flight data and cockpit audio recorders — the so-called "black boxes" — were recovered quickly and first moved to a research center at Seoul's Gimpo International Airport for analysis. On Wednesday, however, the country's deputy minister for civil aviation, Joo Jong-wan, said the flight data recorder had "been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction domestically," so it was being sent to the U.S. for analysis in collaboration with the NTSB. Joo said earlier that "the initial extraction has already been completed" for the cockpit voice recorder. "Based on this preliminary data, we plan to start converting it into audio format," he told journalists, meaning investigators will likely soon be able to hear the pilots' communications during the ill-fated flight. "I think the cockpit voice recorder, if they're able to read that out, that will be key to unlocking this mystery," Robert Sumwalt, former chair of the NTSB, told CBS News. People watch a Yonhap news TV broadcast showing flames rising from the wreckage of the Jeju Air passenger plane that crashed at the Muan International Airport in South Korea on Dec. 29, 2024. Getty Images Jeju Air said the crash was not due to "any maintenance issues," according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, and aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas told BBC News that South Korea's airlines were broadly deemed to follow "industry best practice" and that both the plane and Jeju Air had an "excellent safety record." South Korean plane skidded into a fence shielding antennas Transport Ministry officials said Monday that they would examine whether the fence the plane hit — a concrete structure which housed a set of antennas designed to guide aircraft safely during landings — should have been made with lighter materials that would break more easily upon impact. They said they were also trying to establish whether there were any communication problems between air traffic controllers and the pilot. The positioning of the localizer antennas close to the end of the runway behind unforgiving fortifications will likely be a focus for investigators. South Korean soldiers are seen near the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport, Dec. 29, 2024 in Muan-gun, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images "Normally, on an airport with a runway at the end, you don't have a wall," Christian Beckert, a flight safety expert and pilot for German carrier Lufthansa told the Reuters news agency. "You more [often] have maybe an engineered material arresting system, which lets the airplane sink into the ground a little bit" to slow it down. Could a bird strike have caused the Jeju Air disaster? Lee Jeong-hyun, the chief of the local Muan fire department, said Sunday that a bird strike and bad weather could have contributed to the crash, but he stressed that the cause was still under investigation. According to CBS News partner network BBC News, one passenger on the flight had messaged a relative before the disaster and said a bird "was stuck in the wing" and that it couldn't land, but officials have not yet confirmed whether there was any bird strike. Geoffrey Thomas, the expert cited by BBC and the editor of Airline News, told Reuters separately that he was skeptical a bird strike alone could have caused the deadly crash. "A bird strike is not unusual. Problems with an undercarriage are not unusual. Bird strikes happen far more often, but typically they don't cause the loss of an airplane by themselves," he said. Why wasn't the landing gear deployed? It remained unclear what, if any, engine or systems failures the flight crew might have been contending with in the last few minutes of the ill-fated flight. Experts have said video of the crash showed no apparent movement of the plane's flaps as it came down, which can help slow an aircraft, suggesting there could have been a loss of hydraulic pressure that controls the mechanical devices. The hydraulic control systems operate independently, and experts said an engine problem would be unlikely to affect their operation. The aircraft also has a manual override for pilots to lower landing gear in the event of an electronic or mechanical failure. It was unclear if the Jeju Air crew simply didn't have time to lower the nose wheels manually, or if some other factor could have prevented them from doing so. Sumwalt, the former NTSB chair, told CBS News, "I flew 737s for 10 years as a captain, and I can say that the landing gear can be manually deployed, so the real question will be, what set up the sequence of events here? Did the bird strike set up the sequence of events where the crew got rushed and did not deploy the landing gear? I doubt that there was any sort of a malfunction with the gear, given that it can be deployed manually and through the normal means." A long, hard year for U.S. aviation giant Boeing The crash wrapped up a troubling 2024 for U.S. aviation giant Boeing, which has grappled with safety problems, a machinists strike and plunging stock prices. Experts say the 737-800 aircraft is a more proven model than the company's much-maligned 737 Max jetliners, which were linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. "I think it's very important to separate this crash ... from the issues that Boeing has had over the recent past," Sumwalt said. "This airplane is 15 years old, so it was probably not a manufacturing issue if the airplane is that old and flew thousands of hours. It's not a design issue. So I don't think that Boeing is going to take a direct hit because of this one." Still, South Korean authorities said they'll conduct safety inspections on all the 737-800s operated by domestic airlines, including 39 by Jeju Air. Incident: Hawaiian A332 at Seattle on Dec 30th 2024, fumes on board By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Jan 1st 2025 18:28Z, last updated Wednesday, Jan 1st 2025 18:28Z A Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration N393HA performing flight HA-21 from Seattle,WA to Honolulu,HI (USA) with 273 passengers and 10 crew, was climbing out of Seattle's runway 16L when the crew levelled off at 7000 feet and decided to return to Seattle due to fumes on board. The aircraft landed safely back on runway 16L about 18 minutes after departure. Attending emergency services found no trace of smell, heat, smoke or fire. The airport reported emergency personnel boarded the aircraft but were unable to detect any smells or smoke. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft returned to service about 20 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/HAL21/history/20241230/1625Z/KSEA/PHNL Commercial Aviation in 2024: The Highest Number of Fatalities Since 2018 • By Len Varley • December 31, 2024 • 11:33 pm Note: See photos in the original article. 2024 was a sombre year for aviation safety, with the highest number of fatalities since 2018. 318 people lost their lives in air crashes across the year. Photo Credit: Katie Cerami via Pexels 2024 was a sombre year for aviation safety, with the highest number of fatalities since 2018. A total of 318 people lost their lives in 11 separate crashes, raising concerns about air travel safety worldwide. Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 Masakatsu Ukon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons The deadliest aviation accident occurred on December 29th in South Korea when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 people crashed upon landing at Muan International Airport, resulting in the deaths of 179 passengers and crew members. A wheels-up landing led to a runway excursion and subsequent collision with a concrete embankment in the overshoot clearway area. The exact cause of the crash is still under question, as investigators begin the task of reviewing the black box information. Contributing factors including a birdstrike on approach, systems malfunctions and possible human error are all being considered. Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J28243 Treflyn, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons The Jeju Air tragedy followed on the heels of the loss of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 aircraft, operating flight J28243. 38 people lost their lives after the flight crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, 25 December. Flight J28243 was forced to divert after it was unable to land in Chechnya due to bad weather conditions. Post-crash reports point to Russian air defenses being the root cause of the downing. Following the forced diversion, the damaged aircraft crashed near Aktau, in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 onboard. Voepass Flight 2Z2283 IndiaEcho, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons On 9 August 2024, Voepass flight 2283, an ATR 72-500 aircraft, crashed in Vinhedo, São Paulo State, Brazil. The flight was scheduled to operate from Cascavel to Guarulhos International Airport. All 62 people on board the aircraft, including 58 passengers and 4 crew members, lost their lives. The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 17,000 feet when it entered a flat spin and rapidly descended. The cause of the Voepass aviation crash is still under investigation, but preliminary reports suggest that severe icing conditions may have played a role. The Multifaceted Nature of Aviation Safety These major commercial crashes, along with other aviation accidents that occurred throughout 2024, serve as stark reminders of the complex and multifaceted nature of aviation safety challenges. Factors such as human error, mechanical failures, adverse weather conditions, and external threats like bird strikes can all contribute to accidents. Additionally, the increasing volume of air traffic and the rapid advancements in aviation technology present both opportunities and risks for the industry. The aviation industry has a strong track record of learning from past mistakes and implementing safety measures to prevent future accidents. Looking Ahead However, the events of 2024 serve as a stark reminder that complacency is not an option. Continued vigilance, rigorous safety protocols, and ongoing research and development are essential to ensure the continued safety of air travel. The global aviation community must work together to address these challenges and prevent future tragedies. This includes strengthening safety regulations, improving pilot training and oversight, investing in advanced technologies such as collision avoidance systems and predictive maintenance, and implementing effective bird strike mitigation strategies. The year 2024 will be remembered as a somber reminder of the importance of aviation safety. While the industry has made significant strides in recent decades, the events of this year underscore the need for continued vigilance and a commitment to making air travel as safe as possible. Crew reported a pressurization problem after takeoff Date:Tuesday 31 December 2024Time:18:34Type: Boeing 737-8LJ (WL) Owner/operator:Pobeda Airlines Registration:RA-73301 MSN:39950/5133 Year of manufacture:2014 Engine model:CFMI CFM56-7B Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage:Unknown Location:near Vladikavkaz Beslan Airport (OGZ/URMO) - Russia Phase:Initial climb Nature:Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport:Vladikavkaz Airport (OGZ/URMO) Destination airport:Moskva-Vnukovo Airport (VKO/UUWW) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Flight PBD198 Vladikavkaz (Beslan) – Moscow (Vnukovo) departure airport Vladikavkaz, the crew reported a pressurization problem after takeoff at FL80. Decided to return to departure airport for inspection. 18:44 Landing safely. 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