Flight Safety Information January 28, 2020 - No. 020 In This Issue Incident: British Airways A320 at Marrakesh on Jan 25th 2020, could not fully retract gear Incident: Sky Regional E175 near Toronto on Jan 17th 2020, park brake set indication in flight Incident: Iran Airtour A306 near Tehran on Jan 25th 2020, problem with the landing gear Pilot of Bryant helicopter tried to avoid heavy fog So many drones and aircraft swarmed the site of Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash that the FAA was forced to close the airspace NTSB investigator: Helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant did not have black box EMS Pilot's Organization Debuts New Website EASA issues safety bulletin on Wuhan coronavirus outbreak Family of airline worker killed in CLT accident sues American Airlines FAA Proposes $120,000 Penalty For UPS Dangerous Goods Violation Three New Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks Grace Heli-Expo Freespeed Aviation joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation NASA's advanced vision system for its supersonic test jet is undergoing a key stress test Two old satellites could collide over US, space debris tracker warns MITRE - SMS Course - March 2020 ACSF Safety Symposium Incident: British Airways A320 at Marrakesh on Jan 25th 2020, could not fully retract gear A British Airways Airbus A320-200, registration G-MIDS performing flight BA-2667 from Marrakesh (Morocco) to London Gatwick,EN (UK), was climbing out of Marrakesh's runway 28 when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet reporting they were unable to fully retract the landing gear. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew worked the related checklists and returned to Marrakesh for a safe landing on runway 10 about 30 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for 48 hours, then positioned to Casablanca (Morocco) and is still on the ground in Casablanca 3 hours after landing there. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2873cc&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Sky Regional E175 near Toronto on Jan 17th 2020, park brake set indication in flight A Sky Regional Embraer ERJ-175, registration C-FEJD performing flight RS-7531 from New York La Guardia,NY (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 80 people on board, was descending towards Toronto when the crew received an EICAS message that the park brake had not been released. The crew worked the related checklists but was unable to clear the message. The crew declared PAN PAN and continued for a safe landing on Toronto's runway 15L. Emergency services checked the aircraft, that subsequently taxied to the apron on own power. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance identified the emergency/park brake pressure switch was at fault. The switch was replaced. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKV7531/history/20200117/2200Z/KLGA/CYYZ http://avherald.com/h?article=4d286e59&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Iran Airtour A306 near Tehran on Jan 25th 2020, problem with the landing gear An Iran Airtour Airbus 300-600, registration EP-MDN performing flight B9-9716 from Tehran Imam Khomeini (Iran) to Istanbul (Turkey), had just levelled off at FL300 about 110nm northwest of Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport when the crew descended back to FL110 and entered a hold to burn off fuel due some problem with the landing gear. After holding for an hour the aircraft positioned for a safe landing at Tehran Mehrabad's Airport. The aircraft stopped on the runway. A passenger reported the aircraft stopped on the runway for about one hour before the aircraft returned to the apron. Another passenger reported there was an announcement the aircraft returned to Tehran due to a landing gear malfunction. Another passenger there was a problem with one of the wheels. A replacement Airbus A300-600 registratin EP-MNI reached Istanbul with a delay of about 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Tehran about 17 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2774fc&opt=0 Back to Top Pilot of Bryant helicopter tried to avoid heavy fog CALABASAS, Calif. (AP) - A veteran pilot who plunged into a Los Angeles-area hillside, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others, had tried to avoid fog so heavy that it had grounded police choppers, authorities said. But even experienced pilots may have only seconds to act when they are blinded by weather, an expert said as investigators began scouring the wreckage for clues to Sunday morning's crash. The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of the retired superstar and the other victims. Bryant's death at age 41 was mourned around the world in an outpouring of shocked grief. And while the official investigation into the cause of the crash was just beginning and crews were still working to recover the bodies, experts and armchair pilots alike already were flooding social media and the airwaves with speculation. One popular theme was the weather. Dense fog had settled along part of the flight path. The chartered Sikorsky S-76B was a luxury twin-engine aircraft often used by Bryant in traffic-jumping hops around the LA area's notoriously congested sprawl. It was heading from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to Camarillo Airport in Ventura County when it crashed in Calabasas. Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the other passengers were heading to Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy, a youth sports center in Thousand Oaks. Bryant was to coach a basketball tournament there in which his daughter was supposed to play. Bodies being recovered from helicopter wreckage Also killed were John Altobelli, 56, longtime head coach of Southern California's Orange Coast College baseball team; his wife, Keri; and daughter, Alyssa, who played on the same basketball team as Bryant's daughter; and Christina Mauser, a girls' basketball coach at a Southern California elementary school. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, was chief pilot for the craft's owner, Island Express Helicopters. He also was a flight instructor, had more than 8,000 hours of flight time and had flown Bryant and other celebrities several times before, including Kylie Jenner. "He was such a nice man," Jenner wrote on Instagram. Randy Waldman, a helicopter flight instructor who lives in Los Angeles, said the radar tracking data he's seen leads him to believe the pilot got confused in the fog and went into a fatal dive. The aircraft's speed "means he was completely out of control and in a dive," Waldman said. "Once you get disoriented your body senses completely tell you the wrong thing. You have no idea which way is up or down," he said. Map shows timeline of the flight with details of altitude, speed and direction. (AP graphic) "If you're flying visually, if you get caught in a situation where you can't see out the windshield, the life expectancy of the pilot and the aircraft is maybe 10, 15 seconds," Waldman said. Some experts raised questions of whether the helicopter should have even been flying. The weather was so foggy that the Los Angeles Police Department and the county sheriff's department had grounded their own choppers. "He could have turned around and gone back to a safer place with better visibility," Waldman said. However, "a lot of times somebody who's doing it for a living is pressured to get their client to where they have to go," Waldman said. "They take chances that maybe they shouldn't take." The helicopter was flying around Burbank, just north of Los Angeles, when the pilot received air traffic control permission to use special visual flight rules, allowing the helicopter to fly in less-than-optimal visibility and weather conditions. Zobayan was told to follow a freeway and stay at or below 2,500 feet (762 meters), according to radio traffic. The pilot didn't seem overly concerned although at one point, he asks air traffic controllers to provide "flight following" guidance but is told the helicopter is too low for that radar assistance. About four minutes later, "the pilot advised they were climbing to avoid a cloud layer," Jennifer Homendy of the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday. It was his last message to air traffic controllers. "When ATC asked what the pilot planned to do, there was no reply," Homendy said. "Radar data indicates the helicopter climbed to 2,300 feet (701 meters) and then began a left descending turn." Two minutes later, someone on the ground called 911 to report the crash. The helicopter had slammed into a hillside and burst into flames. Details of what followed are still under investigation but there are indications that the helicopter plunged some 1,000 feet (305 meters). It was flying at about 184 mph (296 kph) and descending at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute when it struck the ground, according to data from Flightradar24. The helicopter's rapid climb and fast descent suggest the pilot was disoriented, said Jerry Kidrick, a retired Army colonel who flew helicopters in Iraq and now teaches at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. Disoriented pilots must instantly switch from visual cues to flying the aircraft using only the machine's instruments, he said. "It's one of the most dangerous conditions you can be in," Kidrick said. "Oftentimes, your body is telling you something different than what the instruments are telling you." On Monday, NTSB investigators scoured the area to collect evidence and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies on horseback patrolled the brushy Calabasas hillside. Homendy said the NTSB expected to be on the scene for five days. "It was a pretty devastating accident scene," she said of the widespread wreckage. "A piece of the tail is down the hill. The fuselage is on the other side of that hill. And then the main rotor is about 100 yards (91 meters) beyond that." Homendy urged people with photographs of weather in the area at the time of the crash to send them to the NTSB. However, she said investigating teams would look at everything, from the pilot's history and actions to the state of the helicopter and its engines. "We look at man, machine and the environment," she said. "And weather is just a small portion of that." https://apnews.com/86ff5b1a17513d79c7a2bbf2e7bc6d0c Back to Top So many drones and aircraft swarmed the site of Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash that the FAA was forced to close the airspace * The Federal Aviation Administration closed the airspace surrounding the area where the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant crashed. * The crash killed Bryant and eight other passengers, including his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant. * News, rescue, and law-enforcement helicopters are a common sight above crash scenes, but the FAA told Business Insider that a large number of aircraft, including drones, operating around the crash site led to the airspace closure. * Drones have been involved in numerous recent incidents involving aircraft and bystanders. After the crash of a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an airspace restriction for 5 nautical miles in every direction from the crash site, effectively closing the airspace above Calabasas, California. The crash killed Bryant and eight other passengers, including his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant. The restriction, known as a temporary flight restriction, was placed at 2:15 p.m. PT, according to the FAA's website, shortly after the crash as news, rescue, and law- enforcement helicopters flooded the scene. While those types of helicopters frequently fly near crash sites, a spokesperson for the FAA told Business Insider that the agency decided to close the airspace, partly because of the "significant number of aircraft, including drones, operating over the accident site." The restriction extends 5 nautical miles in each direction from the site up to 5,000 feet above sea level. While it's unclear how many drones were operating in the area, the devices have become commonplace in the skies because they can be used for aerial photography and videography. Most drones feature cameras with video-recording capabilities, enabling their operators to get closer footage of the crash scene than a normal helicopter could. The drones are lightweight, nimble, and don't produce the downdrafts that helicopters do, making them favorable for filming. Drones, however, have proven to be unreliable and dangerous for nearby aircraft and bystanders on the ground. The operator does not typically have a 360-degree point of view, which makes preventing crashes with other aircraft difficult. Five collisions were reported in the vicinity of the helicopter crash site, according to data from FlightRadar24. Though mostly small and compact, drones can have a devastating effect on aircraft. Researchers from the FAA released a report saying that the harder materials found in drones often do the most damage. In response to the threat, airports and airlines have been coming up with ways to detect and avoid drones, CNN reported. Lawmakers have even recommended mandating the installation of devices on drones to keep them out of sensitive airspace. https://www.businessinsider.com/drones-cause-faa-close-airspace-around-kobe-bryant- helicopter-crash-2020-1 Back to Top NTSB investigator: Helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant did not have black box NTSB investigator Jennifer Homendy held a news conference Monday evening, just over a day following a helicopter crash that ended the life of all nine on board, including NBA legend Kobe Bryant. As part of the update, Homendy said that the helicopter did not have a black box, but added that there was an iPad onboard which may contain some navigation information to assist investigators. Homendy added that the helicopter was not required to carry a black box. Homendy said that the NTSB plans on combing through the wreckage for five days, but added that an official cause of the crash will take longer. The FBI is on hand assisting the NTSB, but Homendy stressed that they're doing so as a "force multiplier," and not as part of a criminal investigation. Homendy told reporters that the helicopter took off from John Wayne Airport en route to southeast of Burbank Airport. The helicopter lost radar contact at 9:45 a.m. PT. Moments before contact was lost, Homendy said that the pilot requested to climb to 2,500 feet. According to NTSB findings, the helicopter crashed at an altitude of 1,085 feet above sea level. The NTSB is interested in the weather conditions at the time of the crash, and Homendy requested any members of the public who may have photos of the weather near the location and time of the crash to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov. Preserving the scene has become an issue, according to LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva. Villanueva said that members of the public have attempted to reach the crash scene, but his deputies are keeping the scene secure as the NTSB conducts its investigation. https://wtvr.com/2020/01/27/ntsb-investigator-helicopter-carrying-kobe-bryant-did- not-have-black-box/ Back to Top EMS Pilot's Organization Debuts New Website The National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA, Booth 6416) has launched its new website, "updating to today's technologies, including mobile responsive design and a new look that is user-friendly," it said this week at Heli-Expo 2020. NEMSPA also announced it is expanding its membership base and building partnerships "to put more resources in our pilots' hands." The new site and the organization's social media accounts will highlight the initiatives behind its planned growth, as well as give members "an opportunity to tell us what they want from NEMSPA," said Jill Dunagan, the non-profit group's general manager. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-01-28/ems-pilots- organization-debuts-new-website Back to Top EASA issues safety bulletin on Wuhan coronavirus outbreak As the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV) continues both in China and across the world, Europe's safety regulator has issued a safety information bulletin with recommended measures for airlines and airports to take in dealing with the outbreak. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in its bulletin, recommends that airlines be equipped with universal protection kits - for crew members who are assisting with potentially infectious cases - for flights to and from affected countries. The protection kits usually contain items such as protective clothing, wipes, disinfectants, as well as biohazard waste disposal products. "Such kits may be used to protect crew members who are assisting potentially infectious cases of suspected communicable disease and in cleaning up and correctly discarding any potential infectious contents," EASA states. It recommends that airlines provide crew members on layovers in China with necessary updates and information on the outbreak, as well as the universal protection kits. Airlines should also inform its crew members about how to "manage a case of acute respiratory infection on board an aircraft". The identification of potential infectious cases on board aircraft and at airports should be encouraged as well, the agency adds. These include those who were recently in China or in contact with people coming from China. Lastly, EASA urged airlines and airport operators to cooperate with public health authorities "in providing support in passenger tracing and epidemiological investigation in the event of flights where a [2019-nCOV] infection has been confirmed". According to Chinese state media, as of 28 January, the death toll in China from the 2019-nCOV surpassed 100, with the number of confirmed cases to be more than 4,500. Apart from China, other countries affected by the outbreak include Singapore, Australia, Canada the United States, France, Japan and Thailand. Sri Lanka is the latest country to report a case. In the wake of the outbreak, the city of Wuhan, which is the epicentre of the outbreak, has been placed on an indefinite lockdown, with all transport links in and out of the city - including its airport and train stations - shut off. At least 10 other cities have been placed on similar lockdown measures. Other major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai have suspended major long- distance domestic bus services, in an attempt to curb the virus' spread. Airlines, too, have suspended flights in and out of Wuhan, most of them until the end of February. Hong Kong-based Cathay Dragon on 26 January said it will extend the cancellation of all Wuhan flights till the end of March. Wuhan is a major transportation hub in China and receives 55 international flights each week from over 20 countries, Cirium schedules data shows. https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/easa-issues-safety-bulletin-on-wuhan- coronavirus-outbreak/136392.article Back to Top Family of airline worker killed in CLT accident sues American Airlines, city The family of Kendrick Hudson, who died in a luggage vehicle accident at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, is now suing American Airlines and the City of Charlotte. (Source: David T. Foster III) CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Hannah Smoot/Charlotte Observer) - The family of a man who died in a baggage vehicle accident at Charlotte Douglas International Airport last year has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines and the city of Charlotte. The victim of the Aug. 11 accident was 24-year-old Kendrick Hudson. Texas law firm Hilliard Martinez Gonzales filed the suit last month in Mecklenburg County Court on behalf of Hudson's mother and father, Erika Vernon and Leon Hudson, according to the complaint. Hudson was an employee of Piedmont Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines. He was transporting baggage on an airport vehicle called a tug near E Concourse, police have said, when he made a hard turn to avoid a piece of luggage and the vehicle rolled over and pinned him. Airport workers say conditions at the airport haven't improved after the accident. Donielle Prophete, vice president for CWA Local 3645, which represents 1,700 Pidemont Airlines agents, said the lighting near E Concourse is so bad, agents call it "Death Valley." And Prophete said there hasn't been any change in lighting since Hudson's death. ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS The airport commissioned a lighting study last year, and airport officials told the Observer they received the completed evaluation this month, but have not implemented any changes. "We are now working to confirm the lighting study's recommendations will pose no threat to aircraft movement or safety on the ramp before implementing any changes," the airport said in a statement. The North Carolina Department of Labor is investigating the death, but has not yet released its findings, spokeswoman Dolores Quesenberry said last week. American Airlines spokeswoman Crystal Byrd said no cause has been determined yet by the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Division. "Our condolences are with the family of Mr. Hudson," Byrd said in a statement last week. "Safety is our number one priority and the first consideration in every decision we make and we are committed to providing a safe work environment for all of our team members." https://www.wbtv.com/2020/01/27/family-airline-worker-killed-clt-accident-sues- american-airlines-city Back to Top FAA Proposes $120,000 Penalty For UPS Dangerous Goods Violation The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday said it intends to fine integrated logistics giant UPS $120,000 for shipping a consignment of lithium batteries in an unsafe manner. The decision comes on the heels of airfreight interests stepping up pressure on governments to enforce violations of regulations governing dangerous goods, especially lithium ion batteries, on cargo aircraft, as FreightWaves highlighted this week. Acting as a freight agent on behalf of a customer, UPS allegedly tendered the shipment to the company's in-house airline for transport from Ontario, California, to its Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky. Employees at the UPS Inc (NYSE: UPS) facility in Louisville examined the contents of the shipment and discovered that it contained multiple loosely packed lithium batteries that had no protection from short circuit, were damaged and several of which were in a reactive state, the FAA alleged. Lithium ion batteries that are damaged, defective and likely to generate a dangerous buildup of heat are forbidden for air transportation on cargo and passenger aircraft. The FAA alleges the shipment was not properly packaged, was not accompanied by a Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods and was not properly described, marked or labeled to indicate the hazardous nature of its contents. The FAA also alleges UPS failed to include emergency response information with the shipment. "UPS disagrees with FAA's assertion. We discovered the unauthorized shipment through UPS's compliance process and immediately reported the issue to the FAA. Safety is our highest priority. In addition to complying with all federal regulations, UPS goes beyond what federal regulations require to help ensure the safety of our employees and the general public. We are reviewing the FAA's notification and will respond within the required timeframe," the company said in a statement provided to FreightWaves. UPS has 30 days after receiving the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency, after which a final decision will be made. The International Air Transport Association and other freight-related trade groups have expressed increasing frustration with governments for not aggressively enforcing rules on air transport of lithium batteries, especially those that willfully disguise the shipment's content in documentation. IATA recently created a database to capture such incidents and alert authorities. In related news, the FAA proposed a $57,400 penalty against Alaska Airlines for alleged drug and alcohol testing violations. The agency alleged Alaska transferred four employees into safety-sensitive functions in January 2018 but failed to initially include them in the company's random drug and alcohol testing pool. Three of the employees performed aircraft maintenance duties and one served as a ground security coordinator. All four performed safety-sensitive duties when they were not included in the drug and alcohol testing pool, the FAA alleges. Alaska has asked to meet with the FAA to discuss the case. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/faa-proposes-120-000-penalty-153815424.html Back to Top Three New Sikorsky S-70i Firehawks Grace Heli-Expo Sikorsky S-70i Photo: Barry Ambrose Three new Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk helicopters delivered to separate California fire departments are on display this week at Heli-Expo 2020. The new version of this multi- mission helicopter provides improved engine power (T700-GE-701D powerplants), greater maneuverability, more lift at higher altitudes, reduced pilot workload, and a newly designed 1,000-gal external water tank. Other improvements include wide-chord rotor blades; four-axis, fully coupled flight controls; terrain awareness warning; and an integrated digital cockpit. The helicopters were delivered in 2019, one each to the State of California's Department of Forestry (Cal Fire), the city of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFR), and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD). Cal Fire plans to acquire a fleet of 12 aircraft to be positioned across the state. Dennis Brown, senior chief of aviation at Cal Fire, explained, "With the S-70i Firehawk, we have the capability to carry 1,000 gallons of water, so we'll be able to carry approximately three times the amount of water compared to our single-engine UH-1H helicopters with water buckets. Because the S-70i is twin-engine, we have increased capability at those higher altitudes, a fly-away safety margin and over time, the ability to fly at night under night vision goggles." CAL Fire, which operates the largest fleet of aerial firefighting assets. LACoFD is adding two S-70is to its existing fleet of three 20-year-old S-70A Firehawks, which are also used for search and rescue, EMS, and medical transport. All three of the services intend to operate their new Firehawks single pilot. The S-70i can carry 12 to 14 firefighters in the cabin. The new Firehawks will be immediately available to siphon and drop water, perform hoist rescues, and provide medical transport. The Kawak Aviation Technologies water tank is rated for 4g turns with a full load of water. Other improvements in the water tank include an auto water snorkel reel system, a refill pump that siphons 1,000 gallons in 45 seconds (versus 60 seconds) while hovering. The cockpit displays show the fill status and diagnostic feedback. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2020-01-28/three-new- sikorsky-s-70i-firehawks-grace-heli-expo Back to Top Freespeed Aviation joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation California-based aviation firm Freespeed Aviation has become the newest member of the Air Charter Safety Foundation The company joins ACSF's roster of more than 220 member companies whose joint mission is to enable the highest levels of safety in personal, charter and business aviation. "Freespeed Aviation, like so many of our rapidly growing ACSF members, has an ironclad commitment to safety," said ACSF president Bryan Burns. "We're grateful that our safety-focused mission, vision and programs are finding so much currency among hundreds of Part 91 and Part 135 operators." "Safety is the cornerstone of our business," said Robert Martin, president of Freespeed Aviation. "Our unofficial motto is: 'We won't put you in an aircraft that we wouldn't personally fly ourselves with our own families on board.' Our ACSF membership is just one more important means of demonstrating that commitment to safety." https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/freespeed-aviation-joins-the-air- charter-safety-foundation.html Back to Top NASA's advanced vision system for its supersonic test jet is undergoing a key stress test NASA is keeping things moving with its X-59 program - the one where it's developing a modern supersonic aircraft that proves the viability of lessening the traditional supersonic "boom" to a mere supersonic "thump," in order to show that supersonic commercial passenger flights over land could be a real thing. The agency has already developed and flight-tested an innovative eXternal Vision System (XVS), which replaces a traditional transparent windshield to provide the X-59 pilot with a view as they fly, and now they're subjecting that system to a high-frequency shake test to ensure it's rigorous enough to work under the typical range of in-flight conditions. The XVS has actually already flown - last August, it was loaded aboard a decidedly non- supersonic aircraft (the Beechcraft King Air UC-12B to be exact), which let the team working on the system show that it could do everything they needed it to in terms of providing pilots with real-time visibility of the air in front of them. Those tests showed that the XVS theory, technology and implementation all worked as intended, through use and feedback from real test pilots, but they didn't show that the XVS hardware was able to withstand the kinds of stresses it might encounter when loaded in a fully built X- 59 that's flying faster than the speed of sound. Obviously, NASA doesn't want to wait until the X-59's first flight to figure out if the XVS can handle said flight. That's why things like the shake testing it's doing now are so important. The shake test will expose the VS computer, displays and cameras to the kinds of vibrations it would experience during a typical flight. This is technically "pre- qualification" testing, which just means that it's not supposed to strain the equipment to any extremes just yet. Provided everything goes to plan with this round of vibration tests, the next step will be qualification testing - in which the equipment will indeed be tested to its failure point on purpose. All of this is prelude to the XVS being installed on the X-59 itself (there will still be temperature and altitude testing before that happens, though) and eventually, flying the aircraft. That's when NASA hopes to show that the technologies it has developed in building the X-59 could usher in an entirely new era of commercial air travel - one in which supersonic planes regularly zip across populated stretches of land without scaring the crap out of the people on the ground. https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/27/nasas-advanced-vision-system-for-its-supersonic- test-jet-is-undergoing-a-key-stress-test/ Back to Top Two old satellites could collide over US, space debris tracker warns A space telescope and an experimental US payload are getting dangerously close. IRAS (13777), a decommissioned space telescope, is at risk of colliding with an experimental US payload, LeoLabs says. NASA Two satellites could potentially collide just above Pittsburgh on Wednesday, according to space debris tracker LeoLabs. IRAS (13777), a decommissioned space telescope launched in 1983, and GGSE-4 (2828), an experimental US payload launched in 1967, will pass incredibly close to each other at a relative velocity of 14.7 km/s, LeoLabs said in a tweet Monday. The company said it's monitoring the approach, and that its latest metrics "show a predicted miss distance of between 15-30 meters." That distance is concerning given the size of IRAS, which is 3.6 meters by 3.24 meters x 2.05 meters, LeoLabs said. The combined size of IRAS and GGSE-4 increases the chances of a collision, which stands at around 1 in 100. "Events like this highlight the need for responsible, timely deorbiting of satellites for space sustainability moving forward," LeoLabs tweeted. "We will continue to monitor this event through the coming days and provide updates as available." https://www.cnet.com/news/two-old-satellites-could-collide-over-us-space-debris- tracker-warns/ Curt Lewis