Flight Safety Information January 23, 2020 - No. 017 In This Issue Whistleblower alleges Southwest received special treatment for Hawaii flights, WSJ says Incident: LATAM Brazil A320 at Rio de Janeiro on Jan 22nd 2020, bird strike Incident: Cathay Pacific B748 at Brisbane on Jan 21st 2020, asymmetric flaps Incident: Mesa CRJ7 at Charlotte on Jan 21st 2020, odour in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules - Fatal Accident - Fire Fighting (Australia) Flight Safety Foundation considers calling for regional accident investigation bureaus Passing out on a plane is pretty common. What happened with this drunk was not Dubai airport implements special screening for China flights Federal proposal would let airlines block emotional support animals from flying European Plan for Aviation Safety 2020 - 2024 737 Max engine software revised to address icing thrust loss Delta flight from Detroit to South Korea makes emergency landing in Alaska due to engine trouble American Airlines' Philadelphia Pilots Call For CEO's Removal Boeing to rethink proposals for new mid-market jet, new CEO says MITRE - SMS Course - March 2020 ACSF Safety Symposium DTI Training Canada Whistleblower alleges Southwest received special treatment for Hawaii flights, WSJ says Southwest Airlines allegedly received preferential treatment from the FAA as the airline launched flights to Hawaii, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. A whistleblower claims Southwest Airlines improperly received expedited approval from regulators to begin long-anticipated flights to Hawaii last year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper said an unnamed Federal Aviation Administration employee alleged Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) received preferential treatment from the FAA regarding its Hawaii service. The agency reportedly hurried along the approval process by cutting corners so Southwest could begin flights from California to Hawaii for "the financial benefit of the airline," the paper said, citing a preliminary conclusion by the Office of Special Counsel. Southwest started its long-anticipated flights to Hawaii in March 2019. The process was years in the making, including a special designation Southwest needed to acquire called ETOPS to be able to fly to Hawaii. As Southwest neared the finish line for the approval process, a partial government shutdown in December 2018 delayed the last bit of approval Southwest needed to start Hawaii flying. Hawaii is a big growth market for Southwest, which flies to the state from San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento. The Dallas-based carrier will soon begin flights from San Diego. Southwest is the largest carrier within California, and adding flights for vacationers has long been seen as a key opportunity for the airline. "Our quest for achieving authorization was a 14-month deliberate and stringent process that followed all FAA guidance in establishing a program that fully satisfies each of the certification requirements and unequivocally adheres to all FAA regulations," said Southwest spokesperson Brandy King. "Similarly, FAA oversight of the process was equally thorough and stringent." This news comes after the WSJ said last summer three senior FAA managers who oversaw Southwest were removed from their posts. And earlier this month, the FAA proposed a $3.92 million fine on Southwest over allegedly incorrect weight and balance calculations on over 21,000 flights in a three-month period. Southwest reports 2019 fourth quarter and full year financial results Thursday. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2020/01/22/southwest-special-treatment- hawaii.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo Back to Top Incident: LATAM Brazil A320 at Rio de Janeiro on Jan 22nd 2020, bird strike A LATAM Brazil Airbus A320-200, registration PR-MHR performing flight LA-3501 from Rio de Janeiro Galeao,RJ to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil), was in the initial climb out of Galealo's runway 10 when the aircraft received a bird strike prompting the crew to stop the climb at 6000 feet and return to Galeao Airport for a safe landing on runway 15 about 25 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Rio de Janeiro about 13 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d24ea2d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Cathay Pacific B748 at Brisbane on Jan 21st 2020, asymmetric flaps A Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-8 freighter, registration B-LJE performing flight CX-2022 from Melbourne,VI to Brisbane Toowoomba,QL (Australia), was on final approach to Toowomba (former Brisbane West Wellcamp) Airport's runway 30 when the crew went around due to asymmetric flaps. The aircraft climbed to 6000 feet and entered a hold while working the checklists and consulting with dispatch and maintenance. The crew was unable to move the flaps, neither down nor up and checked their options considering a diversion to Sydney, but were unable to divert. After deciding they were committed to Toowoomba Airport the crew prepared for a landing on Toowoomba's runway 30 (length 2870 meters/9420 feet) and performed a safe landing on the runway at a higher speed than normal (182 knots over ground) about 50 minutes after the go around. A listener on frequency reported the occurrence stating the flaps of the aircraft were stuck at about 25 degrees and could not be moved either way. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground at Toowoomba Airport about 39 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d24dfa6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Mesa CRJ7 at Charlotte on Jan 21st 2020, odour in cabin A Mesa Airlines Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of United, registration N501MJ performing flight UA-6011 from Charlotte,NC to Washington Dulles,DC (USA) with 50 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Charlotte's runway 36R when the crew reported smoke in the cabin, actually a bad odour/smoke in the cabin. The crew requested to return to Charlotte, subsequently advised the situation was improving, they expected to be able to vacate the runway. The aircraft landed safely on runway 36C about 10 minutes after departure. A passenger reported they had problems at engine start, ground equipment was brought in, then engine start succeeded. The aircraft departed and had to turn back, the aircraft landed hard, thrust reversers were not used. Emergency services were chasing them down the runway. The passenger did not report any odour or smoke. A replacement CRJ-700 registration N518LR reached Washington with a delay of 4 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL6011/history/20200122/0055Z/KCLT/KIAD http://avherald.com/h?article=4d24edc9&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules - Fatal Accident - Fire Fighting (Australia) Date: 23-JAN-2020 Time: c. 13:45 LT Type: Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules Owner/operator: Coulson Aviation Registration: N134CG C/n / msn: 4904 Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: NSW Snowy Mountains - Australia Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Fire fighting Departure airport: Richmond airport (XRH), NSW Destination airport: Narrative: A C-130 crashed while fire fighting. There were three crew members onboard. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/232357 Back to Top Flight Safety Foundation considers calling for regional accident investigation bureaus The Flight Safety Foundation thinks that creating new, regionally based aircraft crash investigation teams could help bring impartiality and expertise to crash probes that might otherwise be hamstrung by politics, bias and technical inexperience. Recent commercial aircraft crashes and resulting investigations have led the nonprofit to consider recommending such investigation teams be formed, at least in some regions of the globe, says Flight Safety Foundation chief executive Hassan Shahidi. "A regional model would be good first step... We are looking into it," Shahidi tells FlightGlobal on 21 January. UIA 737 crash in Iran A rescue worker at the scene of a Ukraine International Airlines crash near Tehran airport "What we really need is an independent, well-staffed and trained cross-border international accident investigation authority," adds Flight Safety Foundation general counsel Kenneth Quinn. Should the group approve the idea, it could recommend it to ICAO, which sets guidelines for aviation crash investigations. Those guidelines call for accidents to be investigated by the state in which they occur, though states may pass investigations to other states. Representatives of countries from which affected airlines and manufacturers hail are also entitled to participate. Many countries have accident investigation bureaus, but only several have the technical expertise and independence from political pressure needed to complete unbiased reviews, Quinn says. "The problem we really have, which is actually acute, is that we have accident investigation authorities that are too slow, that are too biased and are too inexperienced, and they don't have enough resources," he says. Forming independent investigation boards could help ensure international conflicts and diplomatic pressures do not influence investigations. Such groups could be counted on to complete their work "in a timely way that doesn't trash the reputation of manufacturers or an airline, and that can be treated with trust", says Quinn. Accident investigations involving international parties have long proved contentious, but recent crashes have spurred more discussion about a solution. For instance, experts have concern whether Iranian authorities will permit an unbiased review into the loss of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 on 8 January. Iran already said its military accidently downed the Boeing 737-800 with a missile. Likewise, some safety experts have faulted Indonesia's investigation team for placing outsize blame on Boeing for the October 2018 crash of a Lion Air 737 Max. They have raised similar concern about the still-ongoing investigation into the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max in March last year. https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/flight-safety-foundation-considers-calling- for-regional-accident-investigation-bureaus/136286.article Back to Top Passing out on a plane is pretty common. What happened with this drunk was not Flight attendants try to keep an eye on passengers, but sometimes the unexpected happens.(mbbirdy / Getty Images) On long-haul flights of six hours or more, it's not unusual for at least one passenger to lose consciousness. During my 30-year career as a flight attendant, no fewer than 300 passengers have passed out while I was on duty. (This is a conservative estimate based on about one fainting victim a month for the last three decades.) People faint for a variety of reasons, including dehydration, irregular heart beat, low blood sugar, hyperventilation, a sudden drop in blood pressure, standing up and, of course, drinking alcohol, according to WebMD.com. On an airplane, where air circulation is notoriously poor, the lack of oxygen to the brain because of high cabin pressure can exacerbate the problem. Warm cabin air can make matters worse, which is partly why the temperature in an airplane cabin is often set to an uncomfortably cold level. None of my fainting passengers suffered serious medical complications. Most woke within seconds after collapsing and were back to normal after drinking orange juice or water. Some required oxygen that my colleagues or I administered. Every fainting passenger did so publicly, in front of dozens of people. The person typically rose from his or her seat, stumbled down the aisle or leaned, on wobbly legs, against a bulkhead. And then ... bam! The person crumpled to the floor amid gasps from fellow passengers, who alerted the crew. But what happens when a passenger loses consciousness and no one witnesses the event? I found out on a recent flight from Miami to Saġ Paulo, Brazil. The incident occurred about 4 a.m., halfway through the eight-hour flight. The airplane cabin was dark, save a few flickering seatback monitors and passenger reading lights. Most of the 304 passengers dozed in their seats. For a few moments, I was the only crew member attending the first-class cabin. Our Boeing 777-300 had a first-class configuration of only eight seats. The 12 other flight attendants milled about in business class, the main cabin or slept in the crew bunks during a contractual break. While sitting on my jump seat, immersed in a novel, I heard a loud thumping. I stood up to scan the first-class cabin. All eight passenger seats were lying flat. Everyone appeared to be sleeping peacefully except the man in seat 1A. Moments earlier, he had left his seat to use the lavatory. The thumping persisted and the sounds were coming from the same lavatory the passenger had entered. Years earlier, on a different long-haul flight, I heard thumping noises originating from a lavatory. Concerned about the passenger's well-being, I banged on the door and shouted, "Are you OK?" After several seconds, the door opened. Two red-faced lovers stepped out. But the passenger on my Saġ Paulo flight was alone when he stepped into the lavatory. I approached and knocked softly on the door. "Are you OK?" I asked. No answer. I knocked harder. No response. Knocking on a lavatory door is a complicated proposition for a flight attendant. Perhaps the occupant is refusing to respond because he or she has a reasonable expectation of privacy and wants to be left alone. Perhaps he or she is wearing headphones and can't hear the knock. Or maybe the occupant assumes an impatient person is pressuring them to hurry nature's call. In this case, however, I was sure the occupant was in peril. The thumps sounded as though a heavy object had been thrown against the lavatory wall. I summoned Paulo, another flight attendant, and asked for his help. Standing together outside the lavatory, both of us knocked on the door. Still no response. Using the door lock override switch outside the lavatory, I opened the door. Paulo and I looked inside and said, "Oh, goodness" (or an approximation of that) in unison. The passenger's body was wedged between the toilet seat and wash basin. Eyes closed, mouth agape, he appeared to be unconscious. Following airline procedures detailed in our electronic in-flight manual, we shook him by the shoulders and asked whether he was OK. He did not respond. We then checked to see whether he was breathing. He was. We shook him again. "Are you OK? Are you OK?" Before we could drag his body from the lavatory, stretch him on the floor and alert the captain, the passenger woke up. Embarrassed, he apologized for drinking what he claimed to be "too much alcohol." After a few moments, the man regained his composure. Paulo and I escorted him to his seat where he slept soundly for the rest of the flight. About a third of all in-flight medical emergencies involve loss of consciousness, or syncope, according to the Journal of the American Medical Assn. Other common emergencies are classified as gastrointestinal (14%), respiratory (10%) and cardiovascular (7%). If the most common emergency is loss of consciousness, the most common reason passengers lose consciousness is drinking too much alcohol. Excess alcohol causes dehydration. Dehydration can limit the flow of oxygen to the brain. A lack of oxygen, combined with airplane cabin pressure, can make some passengers feel as though they're sitting on a cliff at 8,000 feet and can lead to an in-flight fainting spell. It's a scary situation for passengers and crew. Maybe the drink passengers should always order is water - and not as a chaser. Cheers. https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2020-01-22/passenger-plane-passes-out-causes Back to Top Dubai airport implements special screening for China flights FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2019, file photo, an Emirates jetliner comes in for landing at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, announced on Thursday that it's taking special precautions to screen the droves of Chinese tourists expected for the Lunar New Year holiday after the outbreak of a pneumonia-like virus that has led to China's lockdown of the entire city of Wuhan. Dubai Airports said that, following government guidance, all passengers arriving on direct flights from China will receive thermal screening at the gate upon arrival and be provided with informational brochures. The screening will be conducted at secured, closed gates by teams from the Dubai Health Authority and the Airport Medical Center, Dubai Airports said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. The airport authority would not say whether it expected a drop in passengers from China for the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins Friday, following China's decision to close off Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, where a newly identified coronavirus first appeared last month. Chinese are expected to take an estimated 3 billion trips during the 40-day spike in travel. China shut down train stations, the airport, subways, ferries and long-distance shuttle buses in the city, and local authorities have demanded all residents wear masks in public places. Measures similar to those enacted in Wuhan were being taken at nearby cities in Hubei province, with public transport suspended and theaters, internet cafes and other entertainment centers closed beginning Friday, according to state media reports. The coronavirus family includes the common cold as well as viruses that cause more serious illnesses, such as the SARS outbreak that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003 and killed about 800 people, and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, which developed from camels. So far, most of China's 571 cases have been in Wuhan and a total of 17 people have died, all of them in and around the city. The Lunar New Year is one of the world's largest annual movement of people, and previously Dubai Airports said it was "preparing to welcome thousands of Chinese travelers" ahead of the weekend. Preliminary figures show Dubai Airport welcomed some 3.7 million passengers from China, a 5% increase year-on-year. https://local12.com/news/nation-world/dubai-airport-implements-special-screening-for- china-flights Back to Top Federal proposal would let airlines block emotional support animals from flying A federal proposal unveiled Wednesday would significantly limit the types of animals entitled to fly in aircraft cabins as emotional support animals. It's a crackdown the industry has sought amid concerns some passengers are bringing their untrained pets aboard by fraudulently passing them as emotional support animals. The result, the industry and Transportation Department have said, is an increase in incidents such as bitings aboard planes. "The days of Noah's Ark in the air are hopefully coming to an end," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents 50,000 crew members. The proposal would free airlines from the requirement to accommodate passengers' emotional support animals and reclassify them as pets. Airlines have greater leeway to determine their pet policies, including charging passengers fees and setting size limits. It would continue to require airlines to accommodate service animals, but restrict that category to dogs only. The current regulations allow a limited list of service animals species, including miniature horses. The department is considering expanding the proposal to allow miniature horses, but is concerned they are less agile in the confined spaces of an aircraft, according to a Transportation Department official who briefed reporters on Wednesday morning. The proliferation of websites selling a doctor's certification that a passenger requires an emotional support animal "has enabled people who are not truly in need of animal assistance to abuse the rules and evade airline policies regarding animals in the cabin," said the Airlines for America industry group. Under the proposal, passengers traveling with a service animal would be required to fill out a government form certifying the animal has been trained specifically to assist them with a disability. Falsification of the form would be a crime, which the official said would serve as a deterrent. "When there are abuses in the system, it's individuals with disabilities who suffer," the Transportation Department official said. The department cited a number of reasons for the change, including the unusual status that emotional support animals enjoy in air travel. "Animals on aircraft may pose a risk to the safety, health, and well-being of passengers and crew and may disturb the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft," the proposal says. It cited data that show "increases in the number of behavior-related service animal incidents on aircraft, including urinating, defecating, and biting." The "many different unusual species of animals, such as a peacock, ducks, turkeys, pigs, iguanas, and various other types of animals" that passengers can bring aboard as emotional support animals causes confusion among passengers and burdened airline employees, it said. The proposal would explicitly prohibit airlines from banning specific breeds of dogs from traveling as service animals. In 2018, Delta attempted to ban pit bulls as emotional support animals, citing biting incidents. https://fox43.com/2020/01/23/federal-proposal-would-let-airlines-block-emotional- support-animals-from-flying/ Back to Top European Plan for Aviation Safety 2020 - 2024 The EPAS, a key component of the European Aviation Safety Programme, provides a coherent and transparent framework for safety management at regional and State level, supporting the goals and objectives of the ICAO Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP). The 2020-2024 edition includes 180 actions, among which the complete set of EASA rulemaking tasks. A new structure for the list of actions is presented to better highlight key risk areas and improve the link with the domain risk portfolios presented in the EASA Annual Safety Review. EPAS constitutes the regional aviation safety plan for EASA Member States, setting out the strategic priorities, strategic enablers and main risks affecting the European aviation system and the necessary actions to mitigate those risks and to further improve aviation safety. EPAS is a 5-year plan that is constantly being reviewed and improved and updated on a yearly basis. The plan is an integral part of EASA's work programme and is developed by EASA in close consultation with the EASA Member States and industry. The main objective of EPAS is to further improve aviation safety and environmental protection throughout Europe while ensuring a level playing field, as well as efficiency/proportionality in regulatory processes. EPAS' aspirational safety goal is to achieve constant safety improvement within a growing aviation industry. This EPAS edition, being the 9th edition of the plan, brings about the following novelties: * Strategic priorities are consolidated based on input from the EASA Advisory Bodies and to consider new technological developments and business models; * Strategic enablers are updated to reflect recent developments; * Safety information stemming from both the Standardisation Annual Report and the Annual Safety Review is better articulated; * Further alignment with the ATM Master Plan is achieved and the recommendations stemming from the Report of the Wise Persons Group on the Future of the Single European Sky and of the Airspace Architecture Study performed by SESAR JU considered; * New developments in the area of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and U-space are included; * The recommendations from the C-UAS (Counter Drones) Task Force are highlighted; * New or amended roadmaps are presented on rotorcraft safety, general aviation and artificial intelligence ; * A new structure is provided for Volume II (containing all EPAS actions): EPAS actions are grouped per domain, thereby strengthening the link with the domain risk portfolios in the Annual Safety Review. https://www.suasnews.com/2020/01/european-plan-for-aviation-safety-2020-2024/ Back to Top 737 Max engine software revised to address icing thrust loss Boeing 737 Max operators are to be instructed to update engine-control software to address a loss of thrust issue, attributed to icing, on the type's CFM International Leap- 1B powerplants. At least two occurrences have been investigated which Leap-1Bs suffered temporary loss of thrust control as a result of icing in engine pressure lines, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency states. This is despite a previous update to the Leap-1B software which was introduced after a similar problem affected the Leap-1A engine for the Airbus A320neo family. Instances of Leap-1As being unable to accelerate to target thrust during take-off had prompted analysis which determined that water could accumulate and freeze inside the pressure sensor lines or system, possibly resulting in erroneous pressure readings by the full-authority digital engine control. CFM developed new electronic engine control software to handle erroneous readings more effectively, and this was applied not just to the Leap-1A but also the similar -1B. But EASA says icing-related loss of thrust control has occurred on Leap-1Bs which had already been updated with the revised software. CFM has since revised the software to "improve detection and accommodation" of erroneous pressure readings, and EASA is to require 737 Max operators to modify the operating software configuration. The change is among a series of updates to the airworthiness limitations section of the Leap-1B engine shop manual. This revision enhances inspection of stage-two high-pressure turbine rotor discs, as a precaution against uncontained failure, after discovery of a sub-surface anomaly in a part manufactured from the same disc alloy. It also adapts instructions for high-pressure turbine static structure inspections after incidents relating to fuel-nozzle coking and "thermal distress", says EASA, and updates inspection and in-service limits to address radial drive shaft bearing cage failures. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/737-max-engine-software-revised-to-address- icing-thrust-loss/136301.article Back to Top Delta flight from Detroit to South Korea makes emergency landing in Alaska due to engine trouble DETROIT - A Delta Airlines flight from Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) to Seoul, South Korea had to make an emergency landing Tuesday afternoon at the Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) in Fairbanks, Alaska. Flight 159 made the landing at 3:46 p.m. with 189 passengers and crew on board, according to a statement from the airport in Alaska. No injuries were reported. The plane was experiencing "mechanical difficulties" with an engine, according to FAI. The airport said in a statement that it was first notified about 2:15 p.m. that the Airbus 350-900 was having problems. Passengers were staying the night in Fairbanks and planning to catch a replacement Delta flight to Seoul on Wednesday. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/01/22/delta-flight-from-detroit-to- south-korea-makes-emergency-landing-in-alaska-due-to-engine-trouble/ Back to Top American Airlines' Philadelphia Pilots Call For CEO's Removal Doug Parker speaks to airline summit American Airlines pilots have grown increasingly unhappy with the carrier's performance, leading Philadelphia pilots to call for the removal of CEO Doug Parker while the national union plans a demonstration in Dallas next week. Allied Pilots Association represents about 15,000 American pilots. It plans to demonstrate in Dallas on Jan. 29. Spokesman Dennis Tajer says pilot interest in participating is high. As for the call for removal, Tajer said, "This is the Philadelphia pilots showing frustration that exists across the system. "For now, our national leadership is calling for the repair of American Airlines and our relationship," he said. "That is why our current negotiations are so important. Our passengers deserve a better airline and so do our employees." With 1,400 members, the APA Philadelphia base is the fourth largest of the union's 10 bases, trailing Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles. While Charlotte has the second most flights, many are by affiliated regional carriers, so Charlotte APA membership is about 1,250. In the resolution approved Tuesday, Philadelphia pilots resolved that, "It's in the best interest of the American Airlines shareholders, employees, communities it serves, and the traveling public for Doug Parker and his management team to be replaced. Pilots "have lost confidence in Doug Parker and his management team's ability to successfully lead and manage American Airlines and have lost faith in their ability to provide long term job security for the employees, consistent financial returns for its investors, and most importantly enjoyable, reliable service for our customers," the resolution said. It said that the 2013 merger between American and US Airways took place only after the US Airways management team, headed by Parker, gained support from pilot unions at the two carriers. "In a leap of faith, the pilots of the new American Airlines supported Doug Parker's plan even though there were serious doubts as to his credibility with some pilots based on years of prior dealings," the resolution said. Before the merger, Philadelphia was a US Airways pilot base. The resolution said American shares have fallen 50% in the past 24 months, despite $12 billion in stock buybacks; the carrier's market capitalization is less than a third of Delta's; American operational performance has trailed peer performance; "Some airline financial analysts have questioned Doug Parker and his team's decision to put the company in such a risky leveraged financial position," and the management team has failed to improve the corporate culture. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2020/01/22/american-airlines-philadelphia- pilots-call-for-ceos-removal/#3cc7d191434c Back to Top Boeing to rethink proposals for new mid-market jet, new CEO says CEO David Calhoun says Boeing (NYSE:BA) will "start with a clean sheet of paper" on a decision whether to launch a new midsize airplane seating 220-270 passengers, effectively halting current plans worth $15B-20B that had been overtaken by the 737 MAX crisis. Calhoun "has asked the team to do an assessment of the future market and what kind of airplane is needed to meet the future market," according to a company spokesperson. Also hinting at a change of pace, a meeting between Boeing and a major potential supplier that originally was scheduled for next week was abruptly canceled with no new date set, Reuters reports. The NMA had been designed to address a gap between single-aisle workhorse jets such as the 737 MAX and long-haul wide-body jets such as the 787, but Boeing has fallen behind in sales for the largest category of single-aisle planes, such as the 200-240-seat Airbus (OTCPK:EADSY) A321neo. Analysts also have questioned whether Boeing, facing costs equivalent to a new program to fix the MAX crisis as well as delays on its large new 777X jet, would have the appetite for such a costly project at this time. https://seekingalpha.com/news/3533758-boeing-to-rethink-proposals-for-new-mid- market-jet-new-ceo-says Curt Lewis