Flight Safety Information - January 20, 2025 No. 014 In This Issue : Incident: United B764 near Newark on Jan 18th 2025, hydraulic problem : Incident: PIA A320 at Lahore on Jan 17th 2025, landed on wrong runway : Incident: Copa B738 and Avianca A20N at Guatemala City on Jan 13th 2025, near collision on go around/takeoff : Boston to Hong Kong flight returns to Logan after report of smoke in cockpit and cabin : Frontier Airlines flight bound for Miami makes overnight emergency landing at RDU : Aeroflot Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Landing in Baku, Azerbaijan : China’s grandiose plot to take on Rolls-Royce : Calendar of Events Incident: United B764 near Newark on Jan 18th 2025, hydraulic problem A United Boeing 767-400, registration N69059 performing flight UA-2143 from Newark,NJ (USA) to San Juan (Puerto Rico) with 243 people on board, was enroute at FL330 about 200nm southsoutheast of Newark when the crew declared emergency and requested to return to Newark. The crew subsequently reported they had a low hydraulic quantity on the left hand side and expected a normal landing back. On approach to Newark the crew advised no assistance was needed, declined an offer for the longer runway 22R and continued for a safe landing on runway 22L about 50 minutes after declaring emergency. A replacement Boeing 767-400 registration N76055 reached San Juan with a delay of about 6:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Newark about 28 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=52306cec&opt=0 Incident: PIA A320 at Lahore on Jan 17th 2025, landed on wrong runway A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BON performing flight PK-150 from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Multan (Pakistan), diverted to Lahore due to weather conditions in Multan. The aircraft subsequently was cleared to land on Lahore's runway 36R but at 07:34L (02:34z) touched down on runway 36L, the lights of which were turned off, and rolled out without further incident. The airline reported both captain and first officer were grounded pending investigation. The runway lights for runway 36L had been turned off at the time of the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=522fb228&opt=0 Incident: Copa B738 and Avianca A20N at Guatemala City on Jan 13th 2025, near collision on go around/takeoff A Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration HP-1712CMP performing flight CM-391 from San Jose (Costa Rica) to Guatemala City (Guatemala), was on final approach to Guatemala City's runway 02. An Avianca Airbus A320-200N, registration N904AV performing flight AV-651 from Guatemala City (Guatemala) to San Jose (Costa Rica), had lined up runway 02 and was accelerating for takeoff, when the Boeing went around continuing on runway heading. According to ADS-B data transmitted by both aircraft the separation between the aircraft subsequently reduced to 0 feet vertical and about 0.27nm when the Airbus climbed through 6000 feet about 0.27nm ahead of the Boeing at 21:21:03L (03:21:03Z Jan 14th) with the Boeing having levelled off at 6000 feet. The Airbus subsequently turned right and the Boeing turned left taking the aircraft on diverging flight trajectories. The Civil Aviation Authority of Guatemala (DGAC) opened an investigation into the occurrence. The airlines reported they were not aware of any occurrence, they only learned of this possible occurrence through social media. Guatemala's Accident Investigation have not yet responded to an according inquiry. A former director of the DGAC filed a criminal complaint against the DGAC with the public prosectur office related to the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=522f88af&opt=0 Boston to Hong Kong flight returns to Logan after report of smoke in cockpit and cabin No injuries were reported A flight from Boston to Hong Kong returned to Boston Logan International Airport early Monday morning after a report of smoke in the cockpit and the cabin. Cathay Pacific said in a statement that flight CX811 from Boston to Hong Kong "made a precautionary flight return" to Logan "in accordance with standard procedures" after the report of smoke in the cockpit and cabin shortly after takeoff. The plane landed normally at 3:31 a.m. and returned to the gate, where airline engineers are now investigating and performing inspections. No injuries were reported, the airline said. A Cathay Pacific spokesperson said they have been regularly updating their customers about the status of the flight and will continue to provide them with assistance. "Safety guides every decision we make," the airline said in a statement. "We sincerely apologize to the affected customers for the inconvenience." https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-to-hong-kong-flight-returns-to-logan-after-report-of-smoke-in-cockpit-and-cabin/3606923/ Frontier Airlines flight bound for Miami makes overnight emergency landing at RDU MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) – A flight heading to Florida made an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport after experiencing a mechanical issue early Monday morning. The Frontier Airlines flight, which departed from Philadelphia en route to Miami late Sunday night, landed safely at RDU at around 12:20 a.m. An RDU spokesperson released the following statement regarding Monday’s emergency landing: “A Frontier Airlines flight diverted to RDU reporting a mechanical issue, landing safely at about 12:20 a.m.” First responders with RDU Fire Rescue responded to the runway “out of precaution,” according to airport officials. No injuries were reported. https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/frontier-airlines-flight-bound-for-miami-makes-overnight-emergency-landing-at-rdu/ Aeroflot Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Landing in Baku, Azerbaijan BAKU- A Russian flag carrier, Aeroflot (SU) Boeing 737 executed an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) in Baku during its Moscow (SVO)-Dubai (DXB) service due to a passenger’s medical emergency. Aeroflot operates multiple flights between Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport and Dubai International Airport with a mix of narrowbody and widebody planes. Aeroflot Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Landing in Baku, Azerbaijan According to FlightRadar24 data, Aeroflot flight SU524 took off from Moscow at 11:41 PM UTC (2:41 AM local time). After being airborne for over two hours at 36,000 feet, the crew reported a medical emergency and decided to divert to Baku. The aircraft landed safely at 2:27 AM UTC (06:27 AM local time), enabling immediate medical intervention for the distressed passenger. The flight diverted from its planned route between Sheremetyevo International Airport and Dubai International Airport. Heydar Aliyev International Airport activated its emergency response protocols, demonstrating the facility’s operational readiness for handling medical diversions. The airport maintains regular emergency preparedness training to ensure efficient response to such situations. The flight took off again at 4:41 AM UTC from Baku and is currently airborne at the time of writing this post and is expected to land shortly. The flight is operated by Boeing 737-800, registered as RA-73115. Further, it is an 11.3-year-old aircraft powered by two CFM 56-7B engines. Last year in December, an Aeroflot flight from Dubai to Moscow executed an emergency landing after passenger Roman Pakhomov attempted to break an aircraft window during a violent outburst. The 38-year-old passenger initiated the disruption through verbal abuse of crew and passengers while under the influence of alcohol brought aboard. The incident aboard the Boeing 777 escalated as Pakhomov exhibited violent behavior, requiring intervention from fellow passengers. The crew implemented restraint measures using seatbelts and plastic handcuffs under the captain’s authorization. Pakhomov managed to break free from his restraints and attempted to damage an aircraft window, compelling the captain to divert to Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan. The aircraft remained grounded for 2 hours and 45 minutes during the passenger’s detention. During subsequent questioning, Pakhomov claimed alcohol-induced amnesia regarding the incident. Azerbaijani authorities launched an investigation into the disturbance, while the flight resumed its Moscow-bound journey after the delay. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/01/20/aeroflot-737-makes-emergency-landing-in-baku/ China’s grandiose plot to take on Rolls-Royce New Year’s Eve celebrations were on course to be a largely calm affair in Beijing. Yet while thousands of worshippers visited the Yonghe Temple to light incense sticks and pray for good fortune, Chinese officialdom seemed determined to set off fireworks elsewhere. A senior figure from the state-backed Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) was dispatched with orders to talk up the regime’s grand plans to conquer the world of aviation with its first homegrown passenger plane. The ploy was intended to send a resounding message to the West. With the heavily subsidised C919 firmly established on domestic routes flown by China’s three big state-owned carriers: Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, Comac laid down the gauntlet to Western rivals with an announcement that it had quietly opened offices abroad. The next step would be to seek overseas certification to enable the aircraft to fly well beyond the country’s shores as Beijing steps up its plot to break Airbus and Boeing’s iron grip on the global commercial jet market. The company hopes to gain approval from European regulators as early as this year, Yang Yang, a Comac marketing executive, told Shanghai government-affiliated news site Jiemian. The prospect of a Chinese-built plane smashing an Airbus-Boeing duopoly that has existed for decades is regarded with strong scepticism by many leading industry experts. Described in less questioning quarters as a potential “Boeing-killer”, Brendan Sobie, an industry consultant, says: “The C919 is not going to kill anyone.” Yet despite widespread doubts about China’s aviation prowess, Beijing’s ambitions stretch further still as it seeks to one day produce a plane that has been assembled without any Western components. With the C919 a familiar sight in the skies above mainland China, Comac’s engineers have begun work on an even more grandiose project: the country’s first indigenous commercial jet engine. The cockpit of a Comac)C919 aircraft during a media tour at Hong Kong International Airport Comac has sought to challenge Western aerospace dominance with its C919 planes - Lam Yik/Bloomberg The programme is part of President Xi Jinping’s drive to make China less dependent on Western imports – a quest given greater urgency by the return of Donald Trump to the White House, armed with a pledge to make China the primary target of a fierce new trade war. Dubbed the CJ-1000 – the CJ initials standing for Chang Jiang, the Chinese name for the Yangtze River – the plan is for a made-in-China design to replace the imported American-French Leap engine that is currently found in the C919. Here, Comac will be up against an equally powerful and exclusive club, whose expertise stretches back to the Second World War. The commercial jet engine market is dominated by four international behemoths: FTSE 100 titan Rolls-Royce, $160bn (£131bn) American rival Pratt & Whitney, its US cousin General Electric (GE) and France’s state-backed Safran through a tie-up with GE. Still, some industry figures caution against writing off Beijing’s chances too prematurely. With the delivery of jet engines plunged into disarray by the global supply chain aftershock of the pandemic and yet to fully recover, China at least has its timing right. “There is space for the Chinese to come in and exploit this,” says Shukor Yusof, an independent consultant. “Pratt & Whitney is vulnerable and although Rolls-Royce is the blue blood of manufacturing, they have had trouble too. The resilience of the engines that are being made ... is not what it used to be. There’s been a degradation in the quality.” The revival of Rolls-Royce under the unflinching stewardship of “Turbo” Tufan Erginbilgic, has been heralded as the work of a turnaround master. However, after a meteoric six-fold surge from less than £1 to 570p since he took over at the start of 2023, the share price has flatlined in recent months amid questions over whether Erginbilgic has really got to grips with the company’s engine delivery problems. Maintenance issues with Rolls's Trent 1000 model engine has been blamed for the decision to ground hundreds of flights Maintenance issues with Rolls’s Trent 1000 model engine has been blamed for the decision to ground hundreds of flights - Then Chih Wey/Eyevine Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have blamed maintenance issues with Rolls’s Trent 1000 model for their decision to ground hundreds of flights and axe routes. The chaos continues to put thousands of holidays at risk, including to key destinations such as New York and Cape Town. Meanwhile, Pratt & Whitney has been hit by a massive recall and inspection crisis after the discovery of faulty parts in its engines. At one stage, a third of the planes propelled by its engines were grounded. Engine delays have compounded a supply chain crisis that has swept through the aviation industry. Long-standing concerns about Boeing’s planes have led to many being taken out of action, while a production squeeze at Airbus means prospective customers face waiting more than a decade for new orders. Yusof claims the engine makers are as guilty of taking their eye off the ball as the plane manufacturers. “Rolls is a company that was truly world-class but they lost it,” he says. The sector is suffering from a “lack of investment – in research and design. They’re not putting in enough money to develop new technology ... they’re just tinkering with engines made 10, 15, 20 years ago.” Rolls insiders acknowledge that the company rested on its laurels but insist that is no longer the case. “There was a time just before Covid, and during [the pandemic] when some of that blue-sky research was put on the back burner ... but we are now able to invest as much as is needed to stay ahead of the stuff the Chinese have done,” a senior Rolls source says. China’s track record of successfully gatecrashing other high-tech industries is further reason to believe it could one day build Rolls-Royce-beating jet engines. “China isn’t a country we should underestimate. In other areas they’ve proven a lot of people wrong in a very short period of time ... in electric vehicles and [micro] chips and just about anything that they’ve set their minds to,” Yusof says. “Who would have thought you’d have a BYD [Chinese carmaker] showroom in the heart of Mayfair?” one senior business figure adds. Faith in Beijing’s vision has prompted several major Western companies to seek deeper commercial ties with China. After a major streamlining exercise, FTSE 100 aerospace engineer Melrose has reduced its footprint from 50 factories around the world to 30. Three of those are on the Chinese mainland and its plant in Jingjiang, operated under a joint venture with Comac, is equivalent to the size of “10 football pitches”, according to Peter Dilnot, the chief executive, making it the biggest in the company’s reshaped portfolio. Fresh investment up to $200m is planned in the facility, “the vast majority of that coming from Comac and the local authorities to ramp up production”, in return for Melrose providing “the technology and the know-how” Dilnot says. “China is a huge market, it’s growing quickly, it’s strategically important and it’s where many of our customers are going too.” he adds. Some believe production limitations will prevent China from ever being able to service the global export market. It took 15 years to get the C919 off the factory floor and into the air. One aerospace boss points out that Comac’s ambition is to build 150 planes by 2028 compared with a production rate at Airbus of 75 of its 320 models every month. “The numbers they are going to build are just not significant enough,” Sobie says. A Comac C919 aircraft flies over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong Comac’s C919 aircraft have become a familiar sight in China’s airspace - Paul Yeung/Bloomberg The consultant believes Comac’s ambitions will be further held back by concerns among prospective customers about its ability to service the planes it makes and sells. “It has to convince airlines that it can support them with parts, servicing and maintenance. You can give the plane away for free but if the economics and the support are bad then it doesn’t matter,” Sobie adds. Richard Aboulafia, of the consultancy Aerodynamic Advisory, thinks the entire project is doomed to failure. The very concept of going it alone in such a high-tech industry is fatally flawed, he insists. The best that China can hope for is “a second-rate, homegrown engine” that would power Chinese planes, Aboulafia believes. Compared to their Western counterparts, these aircraft would come with “lower reliability, higher fuel burn and operating costs and uncertain product support,” he says. Research conducted in 2022 by the Hunan provincial government found that the most common problem with Chinese-made jet engines was mechanical failure. Poor design, production constraints and a lack of experience with testing and assembly are also common problems, the study concluded. “Things have to cross borders in this industry, otherwise you get mediocrity. “If you restrict everything – the engines, the avionics, the brakes, the landing gear – to being innovated by one state-owned enterprise, you’re going to end up with one terrible fight,” Aboulafia warns. “It’s why the C919 looks a lot like a jet from half a century ago”. https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-grandiose-plot-rolls-royce-100000065.html 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