Flight Safety Information - January 15, 2025 No. 011 In This Issue : Incident: Gojet CRJ7 near Detroit on Jan 12th 2025, loss of cabin pressure : Crashed Jeju Jet’s Black Box Failure Shows Gap in Power Systems : 2 passenger jets came dangerously close to each other in the skies over Phoenix : Transportation Hearing Will Focus on Aviation Safety and Infrastructure : Russian airlines resolve dual registration issue for over 300 aircraft, clearing them for international flights : Boeing's 2024 deliveries lowest since COVID-19 pandemic : ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025, DENVER, COLORADO CALL FOR PAPERS : Volunteers needed for Greenwich led aeroplane evacuation trials : Calendar of Events Incident: Gojet CRJ7 near Detroit on Jan 12th 2025, loss of cabin pressure A GoJet Canadair CRJ-550 on behalf of United, registration N545GJ performing flight UA-4166 from Allentown,PA to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), was enroute at FL400 about 90nm southsoutheast of Detroit,MI (USA) when the crew initiated an emergency descent to 10,000 feet due to the loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft diverted to Detroit for a safe landing on runway 21L about 35 minutes later. The FAA reported: "United Airlines Flight 4166 landed safely at Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport around 8:20 local time on Sunday, Jan. 12, after the crew reported a pressurization issue. The Bombardier CRJ700 was flying from LeHigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The FAA will investigate. " A passenger reported the passenger oxygen masks were released due to a rapid decompression. The aircraft returned to service about 7 hours after landing in Detroit. https://avherald.com/h?article=522c672d&opt=0 Crashed Jeju Jet’s Black Box Failure Shows Gap in Power Systems The investigation into South Korea’s recent deadly plane crash has underscored a shortcoming first identified more than two decades ago — that older aircraft lack the technology to keep the cockpit voice recorder working when the main power sources fail. Both the flight data and the cockpit voice recorders on the Boeing Co. 737-800 operated by Jeju Air Co. switched off four minutes before the plane barreled into a concrete structure at the end of a runway at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, the Korean Transport ministry has said. Authorities suspect that both engines shut down shortly before the pilot attempted an emergency landing, depriving the aircraft of almost all electrical power in its final moments before impact. The discovery is a major setback for the team trying to unravel the mystery of how the disaster occurred. It also brings to the forefront one significant shortcoming of older planes. Cockpit voice recorders on all new aircraft must have a backup power source that can keep them working for about 10 minutes after main power fails, a system that many older planes lack and didn’t have to be equipped with retroactively. The absence of a transcript of the final moments leaves the investigation without crucial clues that would likely have shed more light on what caused the catastrophe. On-the-ground footage of the jet before landing suggests that one engine may have flamed out after a bird strike, but the condition of the second one isn’t known. The pilot didn’t extend the landing gear when he touched down, or the wing flaps and slats that would have helped slow the plane down. Both systems receive power as long as one engine is running. Instead, the plane charged into the concrete wall on its belly at high speed, killing almost everyone on board. Modern aircraft have two recording devices: The cockpit voice recorder, or CVR, and a second one commonly referred to as the FDR for flight data that stores aircraft systems and inputs. The US National Transportation Safety Board first recommended that CVRs be fitted with an independent power source in the late 1990s. The board also advocated for older planes to be retrofitted with the new capability, but the Federal Aviation Administration has said the cost to operators would be too high. The NTSB later accepted the FAA’s approach. The US published a final rule requiring new aircraft be equipped with a backup power source for CVRs in 2008, with manufacturers having to comply by April 2010, though several asked for extensions. The flight data and cockpit voice recorders “are critical to finding out about the health of the aircraft before the crash and the decision making by the crew,” said Hassan Shahidi, president and chief executive officer of the Flight Safety Foundation. “If it turns out that the reason for the recorders not working was loss of power, then clearly this is cause for reevaluating the 2008 decision.” The Boeing 737 involved in the deadly crash was first delivered to Irish discount carrier Ryanair Holdings Plc in 2009. That was shortly before the new voice-recorder requirements kicked in. A black box missing data in an aviation accident is very rare, Joo Jong-wan, a senior official at the Korean transport ministry, said at a hearing held by lawmakers in Seoul on Tuesday. The pilot of the Jeju Air jet also may have failed to turn on the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit that would have kept the CVR and FDR running, Yoo Kyeong-soo, a director-general at the Korean transport ministry, told lawmakers at the hearing. More than half of the 101 Boeing 737-800 jets currently flying in Korea don’t have the independent backup power system that would maintain continued cockpit voice recordings in the event of a power failure, Joo said. Globally, more than 1,800 Boeing 737 passenger jets are still flying that were built before the start of 2010, the year the FAA’s mandate came into effect, based on data from Cirium. That represents almost 25% of the narrowbody family’s in-service fleet. Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigation chief for the FAA who also worked on probes for the NTSB, said the disaster in South Korea might prompt US officials to reconsider a requirement to retrofit older aircraft with the independent power source for CVRs. The US isn’t in charge of the Jeju Air crash probe but is offering assistance to South Korean authorities. While disengaged aircraft recorders are rare, there have been several instances where they stopped working because the plane’s main power failed. Guzzetti said he worked directly on such a case in 2002 when the engines of a Boeing 737 plane operated by Garuda Indonesia flamed out in the middle of a severe thunderstorm over the island of Java. Similar to what appears to have happened with Jeju Air, both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders failed once the engines lost power. But unlike the Jeju flight, almost all occupants of Garuda Flight 421 survived the emergency landing in the Bengawan Solo River. https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2025/01/15/328419.htm 2 passenger jets came dangerously close to each other in the skies over Phoenix The Federal Aviation Administration is once again looking into a close call at a major U.S. airport, after two planes narrowly avoided a mid-air collision as they were attempting to land over the weekend in Phoenix. A United 737, like the one pictured here, and a Delta A330 flew to within 1,200 feet of each other. The Federal Aviation Administration is once again looking into a close call at a major U.S. airport, after two planes narrowly avoided a mid-air collision as they were attempting to land over the weekend in Phoenix. A United 737, like the one pictured here, and a Delta A330 flew to within 1,200 feet of each other. The Federal Aviation Administration is once again looking into a close call at a major U.S. airport, after two passenger jets narrowly avoided a mid-air collision in Phoenix over the weekend. United Airlines Flight 1724 from San Francisco and Delta Air Lines Flight 1070 from Detroit came dangerously close to each other as both were trying to land at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday. At their closest point, the two commercial jets, a Boeing 737 and Airbus A330, flew within about 1,200 feet of each other laterally and 875 feet vertically, according to data from Flightradar24. This screen capture provided by the tracking company Flightradar24 shows the United 737 and Delta A330 flying close to each other as they tried to land in Phoenix. They were within about 1,200 feet laterally and 875 feet vertically at their closest point. This screen capture provided by the tracking company Flightradar24 shows the United 737 and Delta A330 flying close to each other as they tried to land in Phoenix. They were within about 1,200 feet laterally and 875 feet vertically at their closest point. As the Delta widebody jet was nearing a runway, an audible warning of "descend, descend" could be heard from the flight deck as the crew was communicating with an air traffic controller. The pilots of the United jet also said they'd received a cockpit alert to take evasive action. Both planes aborted their approaches, circled the airport and then landed without incident, in a recording archived on LiveATC.net. "Both flight crews received onboard alerts that the other aircraft was nearby," according to a statement from the FAA, and both were able to land safely after receiving corrective instructions from air traffic controllers. The incident is the latest in a troubling series of close calls in the air and on runways in recent years, raising questions about the health of the U.S. aviation system. The FAA says it is investigating. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/14/nx-s1-5259676/faa-investigation-near-collision-phoenix-delta-united Transportation Hearing Will Focus on Aviation Safety and Infrastructure Sean Duffy, a Fox News host and former Wisconsin congressmen, would oversee a sprawling Transportation Department that oversees aviation, rail and transit. Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Transportation, is set to appear before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday where he will be questioned about how he plans to manage the agency, improve aviation safety and oversee the country’s infrastructure. Mr. Duffy, 53, has a varied background, having been a Fox News host, a lawmaker from Wisconsin, a lobbyist in Washington, a district attorney and, when younger, a reality television personality. But he has little experience in transportation or managing large organizations. If approved by the Senate, Mr. Duffy would be inheriting an agency with a budget of more than $100 billion that has been in the spotlight following a number of high-profile incidents. Last year, a cargo ship hit and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and a series of near collisions at U.S. airports prompted new concerns about aviation safety. The year before, a hazardous freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, prompted calls to make the rail industry safer. “Mr. Duffy will promote a leaner, more efficient D.O.T., eliminating onerous regulations while responsibly investing in the nation’s infrastructure and ensuring safety,” Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the Republican who leads the Commerce Committee, was set to say in remarks prepared for the hearing. Mr. Duffy, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2019, would be tasked with overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration. In written remarks, Mr. Duffy stated that aviation and roadway safety would be top priorities during his tenure. He also wrote that there needed to be an increase in the number of air traffic controllers, a work force that has long faced chronic shortages. His remarks did not include how he would recruit and retain more controllers in critical areas like New York, as the next Republican-led administration has promised vast cuts in all sectors of government. Mr. Duffy expressed his commitment to working with Congress and the F.A.A. to restore global confidence in Boeing and ensure the safety of the nation’s airspace. If confirmed, he said he would “work to reduce the red tape that slows critical infrastructure projects, ensuring funds are spent efficiently.” During Mr. Trump’s previous administration, two Boeing 737 Max plane crashes killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, leading to a reckoning for one of the United States’ most storied companies. The F.A.A. further stepped up scrutiny of Boeing’s manufacturing practices after the door panel in the body of one of the 737 Max planes was blown out during flight in January 2024. Similarly to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg when he arrived four years ago, Mr. Duffy doesn’t bring much transportation expertise. What he does have stems primarily from his lobbying days, as some of his clients were part of, or involved with, the transportation sector. During his four years at the BGR Group, a lobbying firm in Washington, Mr. Duffy represented 10 clients, according to Senate filings, ranging from the accounting firm Marcum LLP to Diem Networks, a digital currency initiative owned at the time by Meta. In early 2020, Mr. Duffy registered to represent the Partnership for Open Skies, a coalition of domestic carriers funded by United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The partnership was an effort to persuade the U.S. government to help domestic airlines compete with their Middle East counterparts, who at the time were receiving subsidies from their own governments that U.S. carriers believed allowed them to fly more cheaply to destinations overseas. But the initiative fizzled after the pandemic crippled air travel, and the contract with BGR was terminated after just one quarter. Mr. Duffy also lobbied for Polaris, the snowmobile manufacturer that also makes military vehicles and is a government contractor. Between 2019 and 2023, Mr. Duffy was part of a team at BGR that provided strategic counsel to Polaris, typically for a payment of $60,000 per quarter, filings show. By 2022, as Polaris shifted focus to developing electric vehicles amid new tax credits for clean energy. A bipartisan bill introduced in early 2023 proposed tax credits for off-road electric vehicles. A BGR spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about what Mr. Duffy did for Polaris or other clients. Mr. Cruz, in his remarks, said that during Mr. Duffy’s time in Congress, he improved transportation infrastructure in his state. Mr. Duffy, he said, worked with both parties to secure funding for the St. Croix Crossing, which replaced an outdated and unsafe bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota, and he helped improve port infrastructure while serving on the Great Lakes Task Force. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/us/politics/trump-transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-hearing.html Russian airlines resolve dual registration issue for over 300 aircraft, clearing them for international flights Over the nearly three years since the start of the full-scale war, Russian airlines have removed 365 planes from Bermuda’s registry, addressing dual registration issues that had hindered international flights, Kommersant reported. According to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), 745 Russian aircraft were registered in Bermuda when sanctions were imposed in March 2022 (the Russian Transport Ministry cited an even higher number — 768). Another 36 aircraft were registered in Ireland. Following the sanctions, airlines lost access to around 80 planes, but at least 665 remained in Bermuda’s registry. Now, Kommersant reports, only 300 aircraft operated by Russia carriers are still registered in Bermuda. Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most foreign aircraft operated by Russian airlines were registered in Bermuda and Ireland. Aircraft owners had avoided registering them in Russia, citing a lack of transparency in its registry and procedures. When sanctions were imposed on Russian aviation, Bermuda and Ireland suspended the airworthiness certificates for these planes, prompting airlines to transfer them to Russia's registry. However, dual registration is prohibited, making such planes ineligible for international flights. Kommersant estimates that, with aircraft freed from dual registration and Russian-made Sukhoi Superjets, more than 500 planes operated by Russia carriers are now cleared for international flights. Officials in Bermuda, Ireland, and Russia declined to comment on the matter. https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/01/15/russian-airlines-resolve-dual-registration-issue-for-over-300-aircraft-clearing-them-for-international-flights ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025, DENVER, COLORADO CALL FOR PAPERS www.isasiannualseminar.com It is with great pleasure that the organizing committee invites expressions of interest to present a paper at the ISASI 2025 seminar which will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver, Colorado from September 29th through October 4th. Further information on the tutorials, main program, registration, and accommodation options will be provided in due course. The theme for ISASI 2025 is “Soaring to New Heights: A World of Innovation.” Denver is known for its picturesque and grand mountain ranges which soar high over the city. Additionally, we find ourselves in an ever rapidly evolving aviation ecosystem in which we now share portions of our airspace with the growing commercial space and UAS/UAV industries. Can we keep up with these advancements as investigators? What do we need to do in order to stay one step ahead of the next incident or accident? We invite abstract submissions which support this theme, including topics such as: • Commercial space development, technology, and mishap investigations • New, novel, and experimental investigative technologies in accident investigation • Research on notable technological safety improvements and their contribution to safety • Challenges in protecting the safety, security, and continuity of increasing amounts of flight data • Improvements and challenges in novel aircraft and engine designs • Uncrewed and autonomous vehicle investigations • Training of the next generation of aviation safety professionals with novel methodology • Accident or incident case studies involving technological advancements as contributing factors to the event, or their use during the investigation • Training of a new cadre of accident investigator in an increasingly safer operating environment as experienced investigators retire • The scope of the seminar is wide ranging. Papers are welcome from all aspects of safety investigation including operations, cabin safety, training, human factors, technology, family assistance, regulation and case studies. Papers should be supported by a 20-minute presentation with a further 10 minutes allotted for questions. Further details for the Call for Papers are available at www.isasiannualseminar.com. Please review the submission guidelines (available here and at www.isasiannualseminar.com). We look forward to seeing you at ISASI 2025! Abstract Submission Guidelines Please see the sidebar (for mobile phone viewing, bottom of this email) for the submission deadlines. • Submissions via www.isasiannualseminar.com • Use standard 1‐inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides • Please use a 12‐point font in Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial (in this order of preference) • Use single-spacing • The title should be boldface and centered at the top • Author name(s) should be boldface and set below the title. • Include your organization name and your title (if applicable) • Provide your abstract for your paper that adequately enables the Technical Program Committee to judge the merits of your paper based upon interest, contemporary or future thought, audience pertinence, wide application, technical merits of the paper, communication, and finally integration of the seminar theme to some level • New for 2025:To ensure the highest quality presentations, all interested presenters are strongly encouraged to submit a short video recording (less than 2 minutes) of themselves showcasing their abstract and the main themes of their presentation. General The term “paper” refers to the document that will be posted on the ISASI member website following the seminar and possibly reproduced in Forum magazine. The term “presentation” refers to the actual presentation made at the seminar which usually consists of PowerPoint slides. NOTE: All submissions (other than invited keynotes) require a paper and a presentation in accordance with the schedule. Consent for Email Use By submitting of an Expression of Interest and Abstract, you give the International Society of Air Safety Investigators permission to use your email address to communicate with you, and to provide access to the conference software where, if selected, you will upload your presentation materials. Contributor License Agreement Concurrent with the submission and acceptance of the technical presentation material, the contributor grants the International Society of Air Safety Investigators non‐exclusive, no‐ charge, royalty‐free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publish for consumption and distribute the contribution and such derivative works. This is a license agreement only; it does not transfer copyright ownership and does not change your rights to use your own Contribution for any other purpose. Permission to Publish in ISASI Forum Authors not wishing their papers to be considered for publication in the ISASI Forum should so indicate with the submission of their paper. The absence of such notification will be considered as permission to publish the paper as outlined above in the Contributor License Agreement statement. For ease of transfer, all papers should be submitted as attachments to an email or be placed on USB memory stick and mailed to the Technical Committee to be received 20‐days before the seminar (an upload option may be also be made available). PAPER DEADLINES www.isasiannualseminar.com Jan 31, 2025 Expression of interest (simply, "I am interested in presenting") Feb 28, 2025 Abstract, CV/resume/, professional biography Mar 31, 2025 Presenters notified Apr 30, 2025 Draft papers, including a refined abstract of three pages and outline are due Jun 30, 2025 Final papers and draft PowerPoint presentation due Jul 31, 2025 Final Powerpoint presentation due Aug 31, 2025 All presentation materials, bio, headshot photo uploaded to Speaker Resource Center Volunteers needed for Greenwich led aeroplane evacuation trials The University of Greenwich, with partners Cranfield University, will be running a series of evacuation trials in February 2025. These trials will investigate the decisions made by passengers when they’re evacuating a large Blended Wing Body aircraft BWB aeroplanes are cutting-edge concepts where there is no clear divide between the wings and the main body of the aeroplane, unlike current passenger aeroplanes which are essentially long tubes with two wings. Participants in these trials will be some of the first people to experience what the interiors of these ‘planes of the future’ will be like. This study will help to improve aeroplane evacuations and provide the aviation industry with valuable information about how people behave when evacuating these novel new concept aeroplanes. A series of trials are planned, requiring the participation of over 1500 volunteers between the ages of 18-65 years. Experts from the University of Greenwich will be designing the trials, as well as analysing the data. As part of the design process, the trials have been simulated using Greenwich’s own aircraft evacuation simulation software, airEXODUS, and so the in-person trials will also be used to further validate the predictions of that software. For the full-scale evacuation trials, a like-for-like mock-up of the BWB cabin interior is being constructed by Cranfield University at their Bedfordshire campus. Cranfield University is also managing the recruitment of the volunteers. During the trials, participants will board the BWB mock-up, receive a pre-flight safety briefing from cabin crew and then at an unspecified time there will be an instruction to evacuate due to an emergency. Everyone will be asked to quickly but safely make their way to an exit. Further details for volunteers to consider are: - The BWB cabin mock-up will be stationary at all times and is ground-based. There are no stairs to board or disembark. - Audio will be used in the cabin to simulate engines starting, taxiing and take-off. - Smoke will not be used in the cabin to simulate and emergency. - Emergency evacuation slides will not be used. - Each evacuation trial will involve a large number of people, so volunteers must be comfortable in crowded places. - Volunteers behaviour in the cabin will be recorded by overhead cameras. - Each participant will be involved in three evacuation trials during the day. After exiting the BWB mock-up, participants will complete a questionnaire about the choices they made during evacuation. Experts from the University of Greenwich will then analyse that information to help the aviation industry develop its aircraft designs and safety protocols. Professor Ed Galea, leading the University of Greenwich side of the project said, ‘BWB aircraft are an exciting concept for the future of passenger flight. There are several projects around the world pursuing this concept, driven by its potential to deliver significant aerodynamic efficiencies that will help in reducing fuel burn and the aviation industry’s contribution to global warming. However, a major challenge facing BWB concepts, given their cavernous interiors, is whether it is possible to safely evacuate everyone in less than 90 seconds, as required by international aviation safety regulations. Our advanced evacuation modelling using the air EXODUS software suggests that, with an appropriately designed cabin interior and evacuation procedures, it may be possible. This project will test the concept further with full-scale evacuation trials. It is an exciting opportunity for members of the public to contribute to the future of passenger aviation’ The trials are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays between February 4-21, 2025. They will take place on Cranfield University campus in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. If you’d like to take part in the trials, or want more information, please visit the main evacuation trials web page. 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