Flight Safety Information - January 28, 2025 No. 020 In This Issue : Incident: Brussels A320 near Brussels on Jan 27th 2025, hydraulic leak causes gear problem : Incident: Jetsmart A320 at Ushuaia on Jan 23rd 2025, rejected takeoff due to bird strike : Incident: Ryanair B738 at Budapest on Jan 25th 2025, flaps problem : Incident: UPS MD11 at Louisville on Jan 25th 2025, multiple bird strikes : Dozens Injured After Boeing Aircraft Suddenly Plunges in Mid-Air : Delta Air Lines flight canceled after flight crew made this mistake : Ramp Agent Killed in Tragic Accident at Charlotte Douglas International Airport After Being Run Over By Aircraft Tug Vehicle : Pittsburgh International Airport airline contractor caught with loaded handgun, stripped of credentials : Fighter Pilot Shortage Threatening Readiness : JetBlue offers some pilots early retirement packages, union says : Lufthansa is Flying Empty Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets Over 2,000 Kilometres Just to Pick Up Fuel Due to Ongoing Shortages : Boom Supersonic aims to break sound barrier Tuesday, major milestone on path to future Greensboro-made jet : Calendar of Events Incident: Brussels A320 near Brussels on Jan 27th 2025, hydraulic leak causes gear problem A Brussels Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OO-SNJ performing flight SN-3772 from Alicante,SP (Spain) to Brussels (Belgium), was descending towards Brussels when the crew reported a hydraulic leak and problem with the landing gear. The crew decided to divert to Liege (Belgium), where the aircraft landed safely on runway 22L. https://avherald.com/h?article=5235baf7&opt=0 Incident: Jetsmart A320 at Ushuaia on Jan 23rd 2025, rejected takeoff due to bird strike A Jetsmart Airbus A320-200, registration CC-AWC performing flight JA-3202 from Ushuaia,TF to Buenos Aires Aeroparque,BA (Argentina), was accelerating for takeoff from Ushuaia's runway 07 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 105 knots over ground). The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. Argentina's JST reported the takeoff was rejected after a bird was ingested into one of the engines (V2527) causing damage to the fan blades. The aircraft returned to service on Jan 26th 2025. https://avherald.com/h?article=5235b8e5&opt=0 Incident: Ryanair B738 at Budapest on Jan 25th 2025, flaps problem A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EVE performing flight FR-1023 from Dublin (Ireland) to Budapest (Hungary), was on approach to Budapest's runway 13R when the crew requested to turn off the approach and enter a hold due to a problem with the flaps. The crew subsequently requested emergency services to be ready for the landing and check their brakes, they would do a high speed landing. The aircraft landed on runway 13R at a higher than normal speed (about 165 knots over ground) about 25 minutes after aborting the first approach. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 5.5 hours, then departed for the return flight. https://avherald.com/h?article=5235aba6&opt=0 Incident: UPS MD11 at Louisville on Jan 25th 2025, multiple bird strikes A UPS United Parcel Service McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, registration N252UP performing flight 5X-5876 from Louisville,KY to Phoenix,AZ (USA), departed Louisville's runway 17R when before contacting departure the crew informed tower they had received multiple bird strikes. The aircraft continued the climb but stopped the climb at about FL320, turned back to Louisville and landed safely on Louisville's runway 17L about 30 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Louisville about 38 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52357ddf&opt=0 Incident: United B764 near Newark on Jan 25th 2025, fire alarm in cockpit A United Boeing 767-400, registration N59053 performing flight UA-2143 from Newark,NJ (USA) to San Juan (Puerto Rico), was enroute at FL310 over the Atlantic Ocean about 200nm southeast of Newark when the crew reported a fire alarm on the flight deck, turned the aircraft around and returned to Newark. On approach the crew advised no assistance was needed, a fire bell could be heard in the background of the transmissions. The aircraft landed safely on Newark's runway 22R about 50 minutes later. The FAA reported: "United Airlines Flight 2143 returned safely to Newark Liberty International Airport around 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, Jan. 25, after the crew reported a fire alarm in the flight deck. The Boeing 767-400 was headed to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The FAA will investigate." A replacement Boeing 767-400 registration N76062 reached San Juan with a delay of about 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Newark about 27 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5234fc19&opt=0 Dozens Injured After Boeing Aircraft Suddenly Plunges in Mid-Air Nearly 40 people were injured, with six seriously injured, when a Boeing aircraft operated by United Airlines suddenly plunged in mid-air, forcing the fight to make an emergency landing. According to CNN, per FlightRadar24 data, the incident occurred just 93 minutes after Flight 613 departed from Nigeria on its way to Dulles International Airport in Washington DC on Friday. There had been 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots on board; with 31 passengers and seven crew members sustaining minor injuries. Of those injured, four passengers and two crew members were hurt seriously enough to require hospitalization. Video that has surfaced online shows the chaotic aftermath of the incident, in which food trays, meals, and personal items can be seen strewn about the floor of the cabin. "We dropped so suddenly that I hit my head on the ceiling," recalled one passenger, adding that it happened three times. The cause of the disturbance is still unclear. United Airlines has ruled out severe turbulence and said that it is "working with aviation authorities in the US and Nigeria to understand the cause." In a statement, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said that a rescue team on the ground responded swiftly and were alert just four minutes after the pilot reported distress. "Aviation medical ambulances transported the injured passengers—some to the MMA Clinic and others to the Headquarters Clinic," the statement read. "Those with minor injuries received first aid and were discharged immediately, while those with serious injuries were stabilized and transported to the Duchess Hospital in Ikeja. Some passengers were also taken to a hotel for accommodation. The aircraft itself did not sustain any damage." https://www.yahoo.com/news/dozens-injured-boeing-aircraft-suddenly-173504175.html Delta Air Lines flight canceled after flight crew made this mistake Flight disruptions often stem from uncontrollable factors like weather or mechanical issues, but a recent Delta Air Lines flight was canceled after the flight crew accidentally deployed an emergency slide before takeoff. Delta Flight 419 was scheduled to depart Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the evening of Jan. 23 and travel to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. After the Boeing 767 arrived at SEA from its previous flight, crew members released the slide by mistake, the airline told USA TODAY. No injuries were reported. Since boarding had yet to begin, no passengers were on the plane at the time. Delta gets a makeover: Delta's planes have a new look and we're among the first to see inside The crew's allowable duty time expired before the aircraft was repaired, leading to the cancellation. "Flight 419 from Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) was canceled due to damage to the aircraft before boarding," according to a Delta spokesperson. Delta rebooked the passengers onto other flights to Honolulu. https://www.yahoo.com/news/delta-air-lines-flight-canceled-201029367.html Ramp Agent Killed in Tragic Accident at Charlotte Douglas International Airport After Being Run Over By Aircraft Tug Vehicle An American Airlines ramp agent was killed in a tragic incident at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on Monday morning after they were run over by an aircraft tug vehicle that was reversing at the time of the accident. At around 9:30 am on Monday, emergency vehicles rushed to the accident scene, which occurred close to Concourse B, which exclusively serves American Airlines flights operating domestic services, according to aviation insider JonNYC on X and Bluesky. Sadly, the ramp agent was declared dead at the scene. An investigation into the incident is already underway. In a statement, a spokesperson for Charlotte Douglas Airport confirmed the incident, saying: “This morning at approximately 9:30 a.m., a single-vehicle accident involving an airline ramp vehicle occurred at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.” “Emergency and medical crews responded promptly. Sadly, the individual involved did not survive. Our deepest condolences go out to the employee’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.” The statement continued: “The Airport is working closely with airline and first responder partners in the ongoing investigation and is providing support as needed. Airport chaplains are available on site.” It’s understood that the tug vehicle started reversing, and the driver may not have seen the ramp agent, who was standing in a blind spot behind the vehicle. A spokesperson for American Airlines said the carrier was “devastated” by the loss of a team member. In a statement, the airline said: “We are devastated by the accident involving a team member at Charlotte International Airport (CLT).” “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our local team members. We are focused on ensuring that all involved have the support they need during this difficult time,” the statement continued. Given how incredibly safe the aviation industry is as a whole, it is sometimes easy to forget that working on the airport ramp can be very hazardous and comes with unique challenges, including vehicles of all shapes and sizes that you would never see on a public road. Late last year, an airport ground worker was killed in a bizarre incident at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Finland after they were crushed to death when they were trapped between a plane and a lavatory servicing vehicle. The accident occurred when a tug driver started to push an Airbus A350 back from the gate in order to tow it to a remote parking bay without realizing the lavatory waste truck was still parked underneath the aircraft, towards the rear of the plane, and that the operator was actively servicing the lavatories. When the plane was pushed back from the gate, it’s believed that the operator was crushed between the side of the aircraft and the waste truck. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/01/27/ramp-agent-killed-in-tragic-accident-at-charlotte-douglas-international-airport-after-being-run-over-by-aircraft-tug-vehicle/ Pittsburgh International Airport airline contractor caught with loaded handgun, stripped of credentials Third gun found at PIT in 2025 PITTSBURGH —An airline contractor has been stripped of their credentials after being found with a loaded handgun at Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday. According to a release from the Transportation Security Administration on Monday, officers at the airport "intercepted a 9mm handgun loaded with 12 bullets, including one in the chamber," from the contractor at the TSA checkpoint. Officials said this is the third firearm recovered by TSA this month. Last year, the statement said, TSA officials intercepted 42 firearms at Pittsburgh International Airport's checkpoint, the most any airport in the state has recovered. TSA officials said the airline contractor's airport credentials have been pulled and they are no longer working at the airport. https://www.wtae.com/article/airline-contractor-firearm-pittsburgh-international-airport/63577528 Fighter Pilot Shortage Threatening Readiness A trifecta of shortages and dwindling pilot experience is threatening Air Force combat readiness. An aerospace think tank says a shortage of Air Force fighter pilots is being compounded by a shortage of airplanes and threatens its combat readiness. The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies says the impact of the shortages is exacerbated by declining pilot experience, which is threatening pilot survivability as a whole. "The Air Force's pilot corps is now too small and poorly structured to sustain a healthy combat force that can prevail in a peer conflict and meet the nation's other national security requirements," the group says. The study says the steady drip of budget tightening has taken its toll over the long term and it's time to increase numbers across the board. The talent drain is perhaps the most pressing need. Pilot retirements exceed recruiting numbers and in 2024 the Air Force was short 1850 pilots, 1,142 of them fighter pilots. That in turn has diluted the talent pool. “Experienced pilots have better survivability rates and mission outcomes in combat and confer those benefits to their less experienced wingmen,” the report said. “The Air Force’s combat pilot experience levels continue to drop as the service suffers from ongoing budget-driven force cuts and reduces opportunities that are essential to pilot career progression.” More airframes would help because it would free up planes for training while maintaining operational readiness, the study says. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/fighter-pilot-shortage-threatening-readiness/ JetBlue offers some pilots early retirement packages, union says JetBlue Airways is offering early retirement packages to some of its pilots, their labor union told members on Friday. The carrier has been working to cut costs and raise up revenue with initiatives such as new first-class seats while dealing with a Pratt & Whitney engine recall that has grounded some of its airplanes. The company has opened voluntary separation bids and they will close on Feb. 7, said the Air Line Pilots Association note, which was seen by CNBC. JetBlue and the union agreed to pay pilots out for 55 hours of their hourly pay rate to their mandatory retirement day or 18 months from the separation agreement, whichever was less. As an example, the letter of agreement said an Airbus A320 captain, 12 years in and who turns 65 in December 2027 would receive $416,293.02, while an Embraer E190 captain with eight years of experience who turns 65 at the end of the year would get $160,858.91. JetBlue, which reports quarterly results on Tuesday, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The letter of agreement between the company and union from earlier this week states eligible pilots will be 59 years old on or before March 31. The federally-mandated retirement age for U.S. commercial airline pilots is 65. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/24/jetblue-offers-some-pilots-early-retirement-packages-union-says.html Lufthansa is Flying Empty Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets Over 2,000 Kilometres Just to Pick Up Fuel Due to Ongoing Shortages German flag carrier Lufthansa is flying empty Boeing 747-8 jumbo jets more than 2,000 kilometers in order to pick up extra fuel due to an ongoing shortage of jet fuel at South Africa’s largest airport in Johannesburg. The issues at Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport started on January 4 when a fire at a large petroleum refinery in South Africa knocked out production of Jet A Kerosene nationally. It remains unclear when production will return to normal. In the meantime, the airport operator says it has enough jet fuel to keep the airport at normal capacity until February 2, although airlines are being encouraged to come up with contingency plans should the shortage drag on, while some carriers have complained that access to jet fuel at the airport is already being restricted. One solution that the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) has already told airlines to proactively explore is ‘tankering’ the fuel they require from an alternative airport, negating the need to refuel in Johannesburg completely. Tankering is commonly used for shorter flights whereby the airline will fill the plane with enough fuel at its departure airport to get to and from an airport experiencing shortages without needing to refuel or only requiring a small amount of extra fuel. In Lufthansa’s case, however, it wouldn’t be possible to put enough fuel on a Boeing 747-8 to fly the 8,500 km distance from Frankfurt to Johannesburg and back again. Earlier this month, Lufthansa started to divert some flights from Johannesburg to Frankfurt with a short stopover in the South African city of Durban to refuel before continuing onto Germany, but this solution was adding more than two hours onto the flight time, meaning that passengers were missing their connections in Frankfurt and delaying the aircraft from being used on its next flight. Like many European carriers, Lufthansa operates an overnight flight to South Africa and then leaves the aircraft parked on the ground all day before a night time return to Germany. So, the airline is now using this spare time on the ground to fly its empty Boeing 747s the 1,166 km distance to Windhoek in Namibia where the plane is fully refueled before returning to Johannesburg. Once back in South Africa, passengers board the plane and it can make a non-stop return flight to Frankfurt. In a statement, ACSA explained: “Airlines are entitled to take measures they consider prudent in the circumstances, including tankering from other airports, in order to save the current fuel reserves until certainty about the month of February prevails.” The statement continued: “ACSA would like to reassure airlines, passengers, and all stakeholders that every necessary step is being taken to maintain normal airport operations and ensure the secure and uninterrupted availability of jet fuel at ORTIA [OR Tambo International Airport].” In the last few years, several major airports have faced serious issues with jet fuel shortages, resulting in airlines being forced to tanker extra fuel. In January 2023, San Diego Airport faced disruption after a fuel pipeline serving the facility was damaged. British Airways tankered additional fuel on its outbound flight from London and then topped up a small amount of fuel in San Diego before flying back to Heathrow. Several months later, Heathrow Airport faced its own jet fuel shortage and asked airlines to tanker fuel in order to conserve its own supplies. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/01/28/lufthansa-is-flying-empty-boeing-747-jumbo-jets-over-2000-kilometres-just-to-pick-up-fuel-due-to-ongoing-shortages/ Boom Supersonic aims to break sound barrier Tuesday, major milestone on path to future Greensboro-made jet MOJAVE, Calif. (WGHP) — Get out your ear plugs. Boom Supersonic aims to break the sound barrier on Tuesday, an accomplishment that will send figurative shockwaves to the Piedmont Triad. The XB-1 aircraft, described by Boom as “the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet,” has completed 11 successful test flights at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. Its first successful flight, which happened on March 22, 2024, hit 264 knots true airspeed and reached 7,120 feet. During its latest flight, on Jan. 10, XB-1 hit a speed of Mach 0.95, 572 knots TAS, with a peak altitude of 29,481 feet. “During the 44-minute flight, Boom Chief Test Pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg took XB-1 to an altitude of 29,481 feet,” Boom Supersonic said in its ongoing XB-1 blog. “Flight 11 again reached a transonic top speed of Mach 0.95, faster than the cruising speed of today’s airliners. An aircraft flies transonic when it reaches the range of speeds just below supersonic, which is Mach 1.” Just over two weeks after that near-supersonic flight, Boom aims to break the sound barrier at Mach 1. Each successful flight has put Boom another step closer to creating its carbon-neutral commercial jet in the Piedmont Triad, the planned Overture aircraft. With XB-1, Boom aims to prove that independently-built supersonic flight is possible and to test specifics related to Overture, such as technology and safety protocols, according to Boom spokesperson Aubrey Scanlan. Overture Overture will be roughly three times the size of XB-1, and it’s planned to carry 64-80 passengers on intercontinental flights at speeds of up to about Mach 1.7 (or 1,304.36 miles per hour). That is about twice as fast as a Boeing 747. All of that while using non-petroleum sustainable fuel. Already the company has 130 orders in for the future jet, as well as pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines. Boom is in the process of building a factory in Greensboro where it plans to build the passenger jet that will fly faster than the speed of sound. The factory is set to add $32 billion to the North Carolina state economy over the next 20 years along with more than 2,400 jobs. Plans call for the assembly line to be in operation later next year. The first jet could take flight in 2026. The company hopes flights should be ready for passengers by 2029. About Boom Boom is investing about $500 million to build Overture in Greensboro and, in January 2023, signed a lease and broke ground on a 62-acre site where its so-called “Superfactory” is well under construction. The company, which plans to employ more than 1,700, also has an option for a second parcel. Boom plans to have its first passengers in the air by 2029 and will fly more than 600 “profitable routes” to destinations around the world, with a range of 4,250 nautical miles. Boom has taken on three partners to design and build the engine it calls “Symphony,” which will power the Overture, and now has partnerships with companies to provide the wings, the fuselage and the tail assembly. Another partner, Dimensional Energy, is to provide “sustainable aviation fuel,” which is described by the U.S. Department of Energy as being made from “renewable biomass and waste resources,” which could be corn, algae or wood products. https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/greensboro/boom-supersonic-aims-to-break-sound-barrier-tuesday-major-milestone-on-path-to-future-greensboro-made-jet/ 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 • CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis