Flight Safety Information - January 7, 2025 No. 005 In This Issue : Incident: ANZ A21N at Christchurch on Jan 6th 2025, rejected takeoff due to bird strike : Incident: Buddha AT72 at Kathmandu on Jan 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight : The Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) Announces Newly Appointed Chief Operating Officer Jason Starke : Incident: India A20N at Bangalore on Jan 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight : Incident: BA Euroflyer A321 enroute on Jan 4th 2025, smoke in cabin : Incident: Azores A320 at Ponta Delgada on Jan 2nd 2025, bird strikes into both engines : Air safety investigators say high exhaust gas temperatures caused Etihad's aborted take-off from Melbourne Airport : South Korean transport minister to resign over Jeju Air crash: ‘I feel heavy responsibility’ : Boeing culture overhaul a 'work in progress': Outgoing US transport secy : Air India flight makes emergency landing after engine shuts off midair : The FAA Recommends AOA Indicators For All Aircraft : Two People Found Dead In JetBlue Aircraft : Man arrested after assault rifles, silencer, gun magazines found in luggage at Syracuse airport : Kazakhstan receives Azerbaijan Airlines black box crash data : Calendar of Events Incident: ANZ A21N at Christchurch on Jan 6th 2025, rejected takeoff due to bird strike An ANZ Air New Zealand Airbus A321-200N, registration ZK-NND performing flight NZ-207 from Christchurch (New Zealand) to Brisbane,QL (Australia), was accelerating for takeoff from Christchurch's runway 20 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 110 knots over ground) due to a bird strike. The aircraft slowed safely, vacated the runway and stopped on the parallel taxiway. A passenger reported they were later told a flock of birds had struck both engines (PW1133G). The rotation was cancelled. https://avherald.com/h?article=5227efe1&opt=0 Incident: Buddha AT72 at Kathmandu on Jan 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight A Buddha Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration 9N-AJS performing flight U4-953 from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur (Nepal) with 72 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing out of Kathmandu when the left hand engine failed prompting the crew to level off at about 13000 feet and return to Kathmandu. The aircraft landed safely on Kathmandu's runway 02 about 40 minutes after departure. A replacement ATR-72-212A registration N-AOC reached Bhadrapur with a delay of about 3:20 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=5227eea1&opt=0 The Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) Announces Newly Appointed Chief Operating Officer Jason Starke Industry icon formally joins the BASC Leadership Team to help steer the premiere SMS Verification/SMS Excellence provider! Jason Starke has been named the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Business Aviation Safety Consortium. With BASC's continually growing membership, outreach and influence, industry standing, subject matter expertise, and ever-changing playing field, it was becoming ever more apparent that there was a need to create and fill a new leadership role in the organization. The moment Jason became available, the discussions began on how best to partner to keep BASC as the premiere SMS Verification and Operational Excellence Partner. Jason has been a raving fan of BASC since its inception and has communicated regularly with the BASC team and Clients over the past eight years. Rick Malczynski, Founder and President of BASC, has personally known Jason for almost fifteen years and has more closely interacted with him over the past ten years. Jason has acted as a BASC Facilitator/Auditor, and has been the IEP Review Team Lead for the past year, and will continue to fulfill those roles. He was recently appointed as Chairman of the BASC Standardization Board. Jason Starke’s professional journey began in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a satellite systems operator. He earned his B.S. in Meteorology from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Aviation Science from Everglades University. He also holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from North Central University. Prior to joining BASC, Jason held leadership positions at Baldwin, International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), and Universal Weather and Aviation. Operational highlights include the Director of Safety at Priester Aviation and as a Flight Safety International instructor. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and is rated in the CE-500, CL-600, and HS-125. He also holds a 14 CFR 107 remote pilot in command license for UAS operations. Jason has served on the Safety Management and Flight Operations panels at ICAO and has been an active member of the NBAA Safety Committee since 2013. Additionally, he serves as an instructor at the University of Southern California, Viterbi School of Engineering, in the Aviation Safety Management System course. Jason, Crystal, and their two teenage sons reside in Houston, Texas. Rick Malczynski will continue in his role as Founder and President. ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com Incident: India A20N at Bangalore on Jan 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight An Air India Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-TQE performing flight AI-2820 from Bangalore to Delhi (India), was climbing out of Bangalore's runway 09L when the crew stopped the climb at FL080 due to an engine (LEAP) stall. The crew subsequently shut the engine down and returned to Bangalore for a safe landing on runway 09R about 65 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200N registration VT-TQA reached Delhi with a delay of 5.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Bangalore about 27 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5227e369&opt=0 Incident: BA Euroflyer A321 enroute on Jan 4th 2025, smoke in cabin A BA Euroflyer Airbus A321-200, registration G-EUXF performing flight BA-2670 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain), was enroute at FL350 near Le Mans (France) when the crew decided to turn around and return to Gatwick reporting smoke in the cabin. On approach to Gatwick the crew requested a remote stand to deboard the passengers as quickly as possible describing the smoke was still an "ongoing situation". The aircraft landed safely on runway 26L about 65 minutes after departure. Local Authorities reported the aircraft was met by fire services and ground crews and taxied to the apron. The runway was inspected. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground at Gatwick about 32 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=52268d2f&opt=0 Incident: Azores A320 at Ponta Delgada on Jan 2nd 2025, bird strikes into both engines An Air Azores Airbus A320-200, registration CS-TKP performing flight S4-124 from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon (Portugal), was climbing out of Ponta Delgada's runway 12 when the crew stopped the climb at 2500 feet after flying through a flock of gulls causing multiple impacts and returned to Ponta Delgada for a safe landing on runway 12 about 10 minutes after departure. A ground observer reported the birds had been sitting on the runway and flew up when the aircraft departed and collided with a number of them. Passengers reported that just after having become airborne three or four bangs were heard in rapid succession from both the left hand and right hand engines each, subsequently the engines sounded strange and there were vibrations in the cabin. A post flight inspection revealed both engines had been affected. A replacement Airbus A321-200N registration CS-TSF reached Lisbon with a delay of about 2:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Ponta Delgada about 25 hours after landing. According to information The Aviation Herald received, the Gaivotas (Portuguese for Gulls) struck the right main landing gear, belly and both wings, a gull and feathers was stuck at the left hand slats, the right hand engine fan blades need replacement. https://avherald.com/h?article=5225d99c&opt=0 Air safety investigators say high exhaust gas temperatures caused Etihad's aborted take-off from Melbourne Airport Australia's aviation safety investigator has revealed the cause of Sunday night's aborted take-off from Melbourne Airport by an Etihad Airways passenger plane. Airport fire crews rushed to the runway and doused the wheels of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner after flight EY461 to Abu Dhabi "rejected take-off". There were 298 passengers on board, some of whom reported being jolted by the sudden braking, but no one was hurt. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has just released new information revealing the flight crew observed a high exhaust gas temperature indication from the aircraft's right engine. The ATSB said the rejected take-off was conducted in line with standard operating procedures. "After gathering further information, the ATSB has determined it will not conduct an investigation into the incident," it said in a statement to the ABC. Aviation expert and consultant Keith Tonkin said engines can be damaged if exhaust gas temperatures are too hot. "The temperature of the exhaust gases coming out of the engine are measured by a probe, and that probe then sends the information to the rest of the aircraft systems and is reported in the cockpit for the pilot," Mr Tonkin said. Rose Gold Round Metal Eyeglasses Online - Full-Rim - St Michel - 1.5 Clear Single Vision Lenses EyeBuyDirect Rose Gold Round Metal Eyeglasses Online - Full-Rim - St Michel - 1.5 Clear Single Vision Lenses Ad "The indication tells the pilot that the engine is not safe to continue operating, necessarily, and it triggered a decision to reject the take-off." Mr Tonkin said the pilot's decision was also influenced by how far the plane has advanced into take-off. He said a high exhaust gas temperature could have been a sign that there was a problem with the engine, but it was too early to speculate. "Rather than taking a problem into the air, you're much better having that problem on the ground where it's safe." "The rejected take-off was successfully completed with the tyres deflating, as you would expect, if the rejected take-off was performed from a relatively high speed," he said. Retired A380 captain James Nixon said exhaust gas temperature was just one indicator of an engine's health. Large Aviation Hangar Fans - Easily Control Air Temperature skybladefans.com Large Aviation Hangar Fans - Easily Control Air Temperature Ad "It's normal for pilots to use at least two forms of identification to confirm that an engine's failed," Mr Nixon said. But he said the pilot likely did the right thing in this instance. "You certainly don't have time to do that during take-off so if you see something amiss at low speed, you'll stop the airplane. "But if it's happening late in the take-off role, you'll continue the take-off, fly off with one engine if necessary, and solve the problem and come back safely later. "It's a split second decision, and you have to take the judgement as correct until we know any further information." Mr Nixon said it was fortunate that the aircraft did not block the intersection with Melbourne Airport's second runway or it would have shutdown all flights. Passengers who were on the Etihad flight have praised the calm manner of the pilot as he handled the incident and were put onto new flights to their destinations after spending Sunday night in Melbourne. The ATSB said it would add all relevant information from the incident to its "occurrence database" which is used for safety research and analysis. Mr Nixon said Etihad would now look at the flight data to review what happened and would have to get the engine re-certified. https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/air-safety-investigators-say-high-exhaust-gas-temperatures-caused-etihad-s-aborted-take-off-from-melbourne-airport/ar-AA1x5rFt South Korean transport minister to resign over Jeju Air crash: ‘I feel heavy responsibility’ Park Sang-woo intends to step down over the Jeju Air crash – South Korea’s worst air disaster – pledging swift enhancements to airport landing safety systems South Korea’s transport minister said on Tuesday he intends to step down to take responsibility for the deadly crash of a Boeing jet operated by Jeju Air on December 29. Jeju Air 7C2216, which departed the Thai capital of Bangkok for Muan in southwestern South Korea, belly-landed and overshot the regional airport’s runway, exploding into flames after hitting an embankment. “I feel heavy responsibility for this disaster,” Park Sang-woo told a press briefing. He said he will try to find the right timing to resign after addressing the current situation. The transport ministry also said it will swiftly improve the safety of airport landing systems that experts said contributed to the catastrophic accident that killed 179 people on board. Air safety experts have said the embankment, designed to prop up the “localiser” antenna used to guide landings in poor visibility, was too rigid and too close to the end of the runway. Joo Jong-wan, the deputy transport minister for civil aviation, acknowledged that safety measures were not sufficient when building the embankment, but said they were done in line with regulations in Korea and overseas. The police are investigating how the embankment was constructed, he said. The police last week raided Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as part of their investigation into the crash. Feathers were found on one of the engines recovered from the crash scene, the lead investigator Lee Seung-yeol said, adding that video footage showed that there was a bird strike on one of the engines. Two of the Korean investigators on Monday left for the United States to recover and analyse a flight data recorder which was damaged during the crash, with the US National Transportation Safety Board. The flight data recorder, along with a cockpit voice recorder, are the two black boxes that contain key information about the crash. Lee said it will take three days to extract files from the flight data recorder, and another two days to do preliminary analysis of basic information such as whether one or two engines failed. Dozens confirmed dead after Jeju Air flight with 181 people on board crashes in South Korea It remains unanswered why the aircraft did not deploy its landing gear and what led the pilot to apparently rush into a second attempt at landing after telling air traffic control the plane had suffered a bird strike and declaring an emergency. Experts say bird strikes do not typically cause landing gear to malfunction. Investigators on Saturday compiled the complete transcript from the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage of the Jeju Air jet, and will discuss whether to disclose it or not. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3293744/south-korean-transport-minister-resign-over-jeju-air-crash-i-feel-heavy-responsibility?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article Boeing culture overhaul a 'work in progress': Outgoing US transport secy US aviation safety regulators dramatically stepped up scrutiny of the planemaker during Buttigieg's last year in office in response to the near-catastrophe Buttigieg said he’d expect the government will continue to closely monitor the planemaker because aviation safety is a bipartisan issue | Photo: Bloomberg Departing US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he’s starting to see progress at Boeing Co., while cautioning it will take time to fully address the issues that led to a door-sized panel blowing off one of its planes last January. “What we really need to see is a pretty profound culture change that will be ultimately proven out by the results, and that’s results over the long term,” Buttigieg said in an interview on Monday. “That is a work in progress for them.” US aviation safety regulators dramatically stepped up scrutiny of the planemaker during Buttigieg’s last year in office in response to the near-catastrophe. US Federal Aviation Administration officials have increased surprise factory audits and met with company personnel weekly as Boeing carries out a broad plan to improve quality controls inside its factories. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker last week said permanent change at the company will be a multi-year effort. Boeing last week provided an update on a series of reforms it’s made in the past year, such as increased inspections that have helped reduce defects in 737 fuselages produced by a key supplier. Oversight of the planemaker will soon pass to President-elect Donald Trump’s administration once he begins his second term in office on Jan. 20. That leaves Boeing in limbo as it awaits key decisions by the agency, such as the long-delayed certification of the 737 Max 7 and Max 10. Trump nominated Fox News contributor and former Wisconsin congressman Sean Duffy to succeed Buttigieg. Trump has yet to name someone for the FAA’s top job, after Whitaker last month said he would step down when Trump takes office. Buttigieg said he’d expect the government will continue to closely monitor the planemaker because aviation safety is a bipartisan issue. “I hope that making sure that Boeing makes the progress they need to make will be just as much of a priority for any other administration as it has been for ours,” he said. Final weeks Buttigieg said his department plans to continue doling out billions of dollars in grants for infrastructure projects in the final weeks before Trump’s inauguration. Transportation officials also will discuss ways to cut the time between when a project is announced and its completion, he said. In addition, the department may announce a few more policy moves, Buttigieg said, though he declined to discuss specifics. “We really want to make sure we make the most of every day that we’re here,” he said. Buttigieg championed consumer protection issues during his time leading the department, such as new rules to provide automatic refunds to passengers when flights are canceled or significantly delayed. Other efforts that began under his watch will pass to the Trump administration, including probes of airline loyalty programs and Delta Air Lines Inc.’s handling of a technology outage that led to thousands of canceled flights earlier this year. As for his own next chapter, Buttigieg was circumspect about what’s ahead. “All I can say for sure is a few days off and some family time,” he said. “I’m determined not to make any big life decisions too quickly.” https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/boeing-culture-overhaul-a-work-in-progress-outgoing-us-transport-secy-125010700224_1.html Air India flight makes emergency landing after engine shuts off midair No untoward incident took place and all the passengers were safe, said a source A Delhi-bound Air India flight on Sunday (January 5, 2024) made an emergency landing after one of its engines shut off midair, sources in the airport said. According to sources, the flight 2820 took off on Sunday evening at about 7 p.m. from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. It returned an hour later after revolving around Bengaluru, the sources added. "It happened day before yesterday. We don't have the technical details but the flight made an emergency landing," a source told PTI. He also said that no untoward incident happened and all the passengers were safe. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/air-india-flight-makes-emergency-landing-after-engine-shuts-off-midair/article69070917.ece The FAA Recommends AOA Indicators For All Aircraft In late December, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) focused on the future installation of angle of attack (AOA) indicators and systems for aircraft. The bulletin, which was released on December 26 of last year, was titled Stall Warning System: Angle of Attack Alerting Systems. It provides a simple suggestion to all general aviation aircraft owners and operators to ensure their aircraft is fitted with an AOA system of some sort, which provides many benefits to the aircraft owners and operators. The FAA mentioned in the bulletin, which is designated 2024-07, that these benefits may include the possible reduction in risk of loss-of-control (LOC) incidents or accidents. Special bulletin for an AOA recommendation On Thursday, December 26th, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) titled Stall Warning System: Angle of Attack Alerting Systems. Specifically, this SAIB provides information to help general aviation aircraft owners and operators understand the importance and safety benefits of AOA alerting systems. The SAIB is also specific to aircraft that are type certified under the Part 23 regulations, which is the category for normal airplanes. The SAIB mentions an unfortunate aviation accident that occurred on February 12, 2009, which was when a Colgan Air Bombardier DHC-8-400 aircraft crashed in Clarence Center, New York. The crash resulted in the death of four crew members, 45 passengers, and one person on the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident and published a series of determinations about the cause of the crash. Specifically, the NTSB revealed that the probable cause of this unfortunate incident was the captain's inappropriate response to the activation of the aircraft's stick shaker, which is when the yoke of an aircraft will shake and vibrate to warn the flight crew of an imminent aerodynamic stall. The captain's response to the stick shaker led to an aerodynamic stall that the airplane was unable to recover from. The NTSB also revealed several other contributing factors to this incident, including: • Flight crew's failure to monitor airspeed in relation to the rising position of the low-speed cue • Flight crew's failure to adhere to sterile cockpit procedures • Captain's failure to effectively manage the flight • Colgan Air's inadequate procedures for airspeed management during approach in icing conditions Overall, the NTSB came to several conclusions regarding the incident. Specifically, the NTSB recommended that the FAA begin to require the installation of low airspeed alerting systems on all aircraft. This includes a system that provides pilots with redundant warnings of potentially hazardous low-speed conditions. Because of this, under SAIB 2024-07, the FAA officially recommends that all owners and operators of all part 23 aircraft, or aircraft that are operating under Part 121, 135, or 91, install and calibrate critical AOA systems. The FAA also recommends that all owners and operators receive training on how to use the AOA indicators in their avionics systems. What does an AOA indicator or AOA system do? In terms of general aviation aircraft, an AOA system measures and displays the angle at which an aircraft's wing meets the oncoming airflow. Essentially, this indicates how much lift is being generated by the aircraft. As the lift of an aircraft decreases, the potential for an aerodynamic stall increases. So, primarily, an AOA system warns pilots when they are approaching an aerodynamic stall by alerting them to a critical angle of attack. An AOA system helps pilots to maintain safe flight conditions, as an AOA system provides a more precise stall warning than simply just using airspeed measurements. The AOA system is typically displayed on the cockpit's instrument panel. It also typically uses lights or a gauge to provide visual warnings or indicators to the flight crew. Some AOA systems also provide audio warnings when approaching a critical angle of attack, which may improve the system's reliability, due to the built-in redundant systems. https://simpleflying.com/faa-recommends-aoa-indicators/ Two People Found Dead In JetBlue Aircraft Two people have been found dead in a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. A spokesperson for JetBlue told Newsweek in a statement: "On Monday evening, January 6, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, two individuals were found in the landing gear compartment of one of our aircraft during the routine post-flight maintenance inspection. "Tragically, both individuals were deceased. At this time, the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation." They added: "This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred." https://www.newsweek.com/two-people-dead-jetblue-aircraft-2010785 Man arrested after assault rifles, silencer, gun magazines found in luggage at Syracuse airport Syracuse, N.Y. —A state of Washington man was arrested at Syracuse Hancock International Airport after trying to bring two assault rifles, a silencer, and high-capacity magazines on a flight, according to airport police. Joseph Paul Bayley, 44, of Seattle, Washington had two assault rifles, a silencer, and high-capacity magazines in his checked luggage, according to the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. Around 4:25 p.m. Friday, police were alerted by TSA personnel — checking bags going out on departing flights — to possible suspicious items in a piece of checked luggage. Police said Bayley’s luggage contained a silencer and four large-capacity ammunition feeding devices for a 10/22 Ruger assault rifle, according to a criminal complaint filed in Syracuse City Court. The luggage also contained two 5.56 large-capacity ammunition feeding devices for an Aero Precision, Model AP15 assault rifle, according to the complaint. Both rifles had an adjustable stock, a pistol grip and a detachable magazine, police said. Bayley, who is a chef, was charged with four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to court records. He was transported to the Onondaga County Centralized Arraignment Court later that evening, where he was remanded to the Onondaga County Justice Center on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. He is no longer in the jail. https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2025/01/man-arrested-after-assault-rifles-silencer-and-gun-magzines-found-in-luggage-at-syracuse-airport.html Kazakhstan receives Azerbaijan Airlines black box crash data The voice recorders from the Brazilian-made plane were analyzed in Brasilia before the data was handed to Kazakh authorities. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has directed unusually strong words towards Moscow. The voice recorders from the Brazilian-made plane were analyzed in Brasilia before the data was handed to Kazakh authorities.Image: inistry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan/Anadolu/picture alliance Advertisement Brazilian air force investigators have completed the extraction of data from two black box recorders recovered from the Azerbaijan Airlines plane which crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, and passed it on to Kazakh authorities. Azerbaijan believes the Brazilian-made Embraer-190 aircraft was shot down by a Russian air defense missile, which Moscow claims were in operation to combat Ukrainian drones in the area. After aborting its scheduled landing in the Chechen capital Grozny in southern Russia, the plane then crash-landed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. "All the data was handed over to the Kazakhstan Investigation Authority ... in accordance with international protocols for investigating aircraft accidents," read a statement from Brazil's air force, whose Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center conducted the data extraction. Investigators from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia also traveled to Brasilia for the investigation, officials said. Azerbaijan accusations against Russia Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev – a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin – has been unusually outspoken since the crash, accusing Russia of "concealing" the causes and of promoting "delusional versions" of events which "cause us justifiable anger." He has demand an apology, an admission of guilt and punishment for those responsible for what he called the "criminal" targeting of the passenger plane. Putin has acknowledged the "tragic incident" and apologized for its occurrence in Russian air space, but has not responded to claims the plane was hit by Russian weapons. The black boxes analyzed in Brazil may reveal key flight data and cockpit dialogue from the plane's final moments, but Kazakhstan is in charge of publishing the results. https://www.dw.com/en/kazakhstan-receives-azerbaijan-airlines-black-box-crash-data/a-71234012 Alaska Airlines Says it Sends its Own Inspectors to Boeing’s 737MAX Factory Five Days a Week to Make Sure Production Standards Don’t Slip Alaska Airlines also says it will soon send its on-site inspection and compliance team to Boeing's Charleston, North Carolina, factory to oversee the production of 787 Dreamliners destined for Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska Airlines says it has been forced to station its own team of inspectors at Boeing’s 737MAX factory in Renton, near Seattle, to ensure new airplanes destined to join the carrier’s fleet are up to standard. The admission came nearly 12 months to the day that Alaska Airlines flight 1282 to Ontario, California, experienced an explosive blowout of a mid-cabin exit door plug as it was climbing out of Portland Airport on January 5, 2024. On the eve of the accident’s one-year anniversary, Alaska Airlines said a team of three Aircraft Acquisition Representatives now spend five days a week on-site at the Boeing factory in Renton, which built the 737MAX-9 aircraft that suffered the decompression. Alaska Airlines also said that it had ‘augmented’ with three specialist Maintenance and Engineering employees to improve oversight of Boeing’s production processes and that team members work different shifts and are available on-call at short notice should any concerns be raised about what is happening at the Boeing Renton facility. In addition, the Seattle-based carrier has hired Ausgael Aviation Services to provide additional inspection and audit service at the Renton factory seven days per week. If that weren’t enough, Alaska Airlines has tasked three of its own engineers to oversee test flights and carry out final inspections before any Boeing 737MAX produced in Renton is delivered to the carrier. Despite all the extra scrutiny that Alaska Airlines has been giving Boeing and suppliers like Spirit AeroSystems, which produced the faulty exit door plug, the carrier says it is “optimistic about Boeing’s dedication and positive momentum in making significant improvements.” “Looking ahead, we have planned several visits to Boeing in 2025 to ensure our teams and Ausgael are inspecting our aircraft thoroughly and to observe Boeing’s continued process and cultural improvements firsthand.” Alaska Airlines has orders for 74 more Boeing 737MAX jets to be delivered, so the airline and its team of inspectors and auditors could be regular visitors to Boeing for a number of years to come. And given the fact that Alaska Airlines now owns Hawaiian Airlines, the carrier says it now plans to extend its on-site oversight activities to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Charleston, North Carolina. Hawaiian Airlines has just seven more Dreamliners to be delivered, although a new order could be on the cards, given the Alaska Airlines Group’s ambitious plans for the brand. Over the course of the last 12 months since the incident aboard Flight 1282, Alaska Airlines says it has seen improvements in work processes at Boeing, as well as a renewed emphasis on promoting safety, compliance and voluntary reporting. Commenting on Flight 1282, a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines said: “It’s fair to say this event changed our airline and our industry. We continue to extend our sincere gratitude to our crew for their exceptional skill, courage and professionalism in ensuring the safe return of everyone to Portland. ” On the anniversary of the accident, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) which represents crew members at Alaska Airlines, praised the flight attendants and pilots who were onboard Flight 1282, for working “quickly and heroically to ensure everyone made it to the ground safely.” “Over the last year, our union has worked closely with the FAA and NTSB to ensure the failures that led to this incident are not repeated,” a statement from the union continued. “No cutting corners in the name of profits. Safety first always.” Last April, Boeing agreed to pay Alaska Airlines an initial compensation sum of $160 million to cover the cost of lost revenues from flight cancellations when similar planes with an exit door plug had to be grounded. Several months later, it was revealed that Boeing had bought back the nearly-new plane (registration: N704AL) from Alaska. All 171 passengers and six crew members survived the accident, but several people suffered minor injuries as the exit plug was ripped out and debris flew through the cabin. Some of the passengers aboard Flight 1282 are pursuing a lawsuit against Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/01/06/alaska-airlines-says-it-sends-its-own-inspectors-to-boeings-737max-factory-five-days-a-week-to-make-sure-production-standards-dont-slip/ Alaska Airlines names new vice president of maintenance and engineering Alaska Airlines has named John Wiitala as its new vice president of maintenance and engineering. In this principal leadership role, Wiitala will lead professionals throughout the division who maintain the highest levels of safety and compliance with more than 237 mainline Boeing aircraft across multiple maintenance bases. Executive John Wiitala joins Alaska with more than 34 years of airline experience Alaska Airlines has named John Wiitala as its new vice president of maintenance and engineering. In this principal leadership role, Wiitala will lead professionals throughout the division who maintain the highest levels of safety and compliance with more than 237 mainline Boeing aircraft across multiple maintenance bases. Wiitala joins Alaska after 34 years with United Airlines, most recently as vice president and chief engineer of tech operations, safety and compliance, where he was responsible for the United fleet. Prior to that role, he was vice president of technical services. Wiitala joined United in 1992 and held other engineering jobs throughout the organization including director of engineering and managing director of project engineering. His responsibilities at Alaska will include line maintenance operations; maintenance of airframes, components and engines; stores and distribution; quality assurance; maintenance planning; engineering and reliability; and fleet projects. Among his accomplishments at United, he expanded the scope of operations of the airline, which grew from under 450 aircraft to 944. He was on board during the United-Continental merger, helping the airline successfully navigate integration and grow its multi-fleet operations. With over three decades in technical operations’ leadership roles to include both narrow and widebody aircraft, I welcome John’s expertise, leadership and vision as Alaska becomes a global airline. John will lead our team to uphold the highest standards of safety, quality and compliance for Alaska’s fleet while combining operations with Hawaiian Airlines.” – Constance von Muehlen Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Alaska Airlines Wiitala began his aviation career in 1988 in project engineering at Aircraft Modular Products in Miami. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa and has served on the board of Argonaut/Davis High School, a Cleveland-based school that empowers youth to pursue pilot and technician certifications. https://news.alaskaair.com/company/alaska-airlines-vice-president-of-maintenance-and-engineering-john-wiitala/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS · Sponsor the 2025 Fuzion Safety Conference! March 4 & 5, 2025 (Orlando) · · "Automation in Transportation: Lessons for Safe Implementation," on March 11-12, 2025, in Washington, DC. · 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