Flight Safety Information March 12, 2020 - No. 052 In This Issue Incident: Transat A321 at Fort Lauderdale on Mar 5th 2020, rejected takeoff due to loss of direction control Incident: Volaris A320 near Cancun on Mar 9th 2020, engine fire indication Cessna 404 Titan - Fatal Accident (Australia) Horse trailer crashes into airplane at Blue Grass Airport Boeing to separate 737 MAX wire bundles before jet's return to service - sources Civil Aviation Authority grounds 21 helicopters over safety concerns (New Zealand) Coronavirus: China airline passenger numbers fall 84.5% Kuwait to close international airport, suspend all commercial flights VoltAero starts flight testing of hybrid-electric aircraft WestJet freezes hiring, discretionary spending as coronavirus curbs air travel American suspends pilot hiring as coronavirus takes a toll on travel Incident: Transat A321 at Fort Lauderdale on Mar 5th 2020, rejected takeoff due to loss of directional control An Air Transat Airbus A321-200, registration C-GEZO performing flight TS-783 from Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) to Quebec City,QB (Canada) with 185 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Fort Lauderdale's runway 28L when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 15 knots over ground) due to losing directional control. The crew declared Mayday but advised they did not need assistance. The crew subsequently advised they had an issue with the nose wheels and requested an inspection of the landing gear. Airport operations were called by tower to perform a runway inspection and check the nose gear of the aircraft. The crew explained their nose wheels were way off, the crew cancelled Mayday. The Canadian TSB reported: "During take-off roll at approximately 15 kts, Flight crew rejected take off due to loss of directional control. The aircraft was brought to a full stop and flight crew declared a MAYDAY. After assessment of the situation and inspection, flight crew taxied the aircraft to the ramp." The aircraft remained on the ground for about 80 minutes, then departed and reached Quebec with a delay of about 90 minutes. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d45d864&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Volaris A320 near Cancun on Mar 9th 2020, engine fire indication A Volaris Airbus A320-200, registration N524VL performing flight Y4-824 from Mexico City to Chetumal (Mexico) with 170 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 130nm west of Chetumal and about 260nm southwest of Cancun (Mexico) when the crew changed course to divert to Cancun due to problems with the left hand engine (V2527). The aircraft descended to FL350 for the diversion. About 130nm southwest of Cancun the aircraft began the descent into Cancun. At some stage the crew received a fire indication for the left hand engine and shut the engine down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Cancun's runway 12R about 50 minutes after changing course to Cancun, emergency services responded and followed the aircraft while it taxied to the apron. At the gate the left engine was seen emitting smoke through its inlet. The passengers disembarked normally. A replacement A320-200 registration XA-VLK reached Chetumal with a delay of about 3 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VOI824/history/20200309/2204Z/MMMX/MMCM http://avherald.com/h?article=4d453c5d&opt=0 Back to Top Cessna 404 Titan - Fatal Accident (Australia) Date: 11-MAR-2020 Time: c. 09:40 Type: Cessna 404 Titan Owner/operator: Airconnect Aviation (operator) Aerohire Pty Ltd (owner Registration: VH-OZO C/n / msn: 404-0653 Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 4 nm SE of Lockhart River Airport, QLD (IRG/YLHR) - Australia Phase: Approach Nature: Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Cairns Airport, QLD (CNS/YBCS) Destination airport: Lockhart River Airport, QLD (IRG/YLHR) Narrative: The wreckage of a Cesna 404 Titan was found on a beach just south of Lockhart River, Queensland, about 800 kilometres north of Cairns, around 1:30pm. The aircraft crashed during it's third landing attempt at Lockhart River Airport (IRG/YLHR) in bad weather conditions and the five occupants were killed. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/233865 Back to Top Horse trailer crashes into airplane at Blue Grass Airport LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - One person was injured Thursday when a horse transport trailer crashed into a plane at Blue Grass Airport. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. A spokeswoman for the airport said the transport trailer hit the wing of an aircraft. The driver of the trailer was taken to UK Hospital with unspecified injuries. The plane came from San Bernardino, California. The airport spokeswoman said the crash did not have any impact on airport operations. https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Horse-trailer-crashes-into-airplane-at-Blue-Grass-Airport-568731571.html Back to Top Boeing to separate 737 MAX wire bundles before jet's return to service - sources SEATTLE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co plans to separate 737 MAX wiring bundles, flagged by regulators as potentially dangerous, before the jet returns to service, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. The decision to change clusters of wiring that control key aircraft systems marks a reversal from the U.S. planemaker's initial recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration and poses a fresh hurdle to the jet's already-delayed return to service. The FAA and Boeing first said in early January they were reviewing a wiring issue that could potentially cause a short circuit on the 737 MAX, and in certain remote circumstances lead to a crash if pilots did not react in time. Earlier on Wednesday, FAA chief Steve Dickson confirmed that the agency had rejected Boeing's initial proposal to leave wiring bundles in place and said the decision on next steps was up to the planemaker. Pending final approvals from the FAA, Boeing will move to physically separate the wiring bundles before the MAX is cleared for service, two people familiar with the matter said. Boeing does not view the retrofits as delaying the plane's estimated return to service in the middle of the year at the earliest, one of the people added. Boeing expects changes to take roughly one week per aircraft, but it will do some of the work as it goes through the process of removing aircraft from storage, he said. Representatives for Boeing and FAA declined to comment on whether the planemaker intends to separate the wiring bundles. Boeing has noted in talks with the FAA that the same wiring bundles are in the 737 NG, which has been in service since 1997 and logged 205 million flight hours without any wiring issues. Boeing's 737 MAX was grounded worldwide a year ago after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people within five months. The worldwide safety ban wiped billions off the company's value and sparked hundreds of lawsuits from bereaved families. Boeing has spent months updating the stall-prevention software known as MCAS linked to both crashes, but fresh issues have surfaced during intense scrutiny on the aircraft, pushing back regulators' re-approval of the plane by months. Wiring was one such issue. There are more than a dozen different locations on the 737 MAX where wiring bundles may be too close together. Most of the locations are under the cockpit in an electrical bay. Boeing was already weeks into developing a backup plan in case the FAA rejected its arguments, the people said. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-boeing-separate-potentially-risky-212155467.html Back to Top Civil Aviation Authority grounds 21 helicopters over safety concerns (New Zealand) The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has grounded 21 helicopters over safety concerns. Newshub understands it follows a spot audit on New Zealand's biggest aviation maintenance provider, Oceania Aviation. CAA inspectors recently visited Oceania Aviation's turbine factory where they established "departures from engine maintenance instructions" that "adversely affect the airworthiness of engines". Independent aviation commentator Irene King told Newshub these findings can be harmful for some businesses. "That's really serious for small businesses. It will put a number of businesses to the wall," she says. An emergency airworthiness directive has been issued noting that certain engines are "at risk of failure". Those engines are "all Rolls Royce Allison 250 series engines", primarily those used in Hughes 500 and Bell Jet Ranger Helicopters. That means dozens of helicopters in New Zealand and overseas need to be checked. There are 41 engines currently in service that have incorrectly had parts maintained. Twenty-five are in New Zealand, 13 in Australia, two in Indonesia and one in Papua New Guinea. Twenty-one helicopters around the wider Asia-Pacific region are grounded. Seventeen of these will be grounded in New Zealand and eight others need urgent checks. If you have more information and would like to contact Michael Morrah in confidence, email Michaelmorrah@mediaworks.co.nz. King says it's a "significant" proportion of the New Zealand fleet. CEO of Oceania Aviation Nick Mair sent an email to customers informing them of CAA's audit. The email states that safety and compliance are the company's priorities, but that its turbine shop has been temporarily closed so it can rectify the issues identified by the CAA before it continues its operations. Aviation New Zealand says it'll have a big impact on the aviation industry and on the company. "Oceania is a major company in New Zealand. It's very important in New Zealand and very important internationally," CEO John Nicholson says. So after plenty of criticism of the CAA for not carrying out its regulatory role - a significant intervention has been enforced that will impact many businesses across the country. Oceania Aviation CEO, Nick Mair, told Newshub in a statement the company takes its responsibility to address any concerns "seriously" and that it's cooperating with the CAA. "An Airworthiness Directive was issued this afternoon to which we have acted upon immediately and contacted all affected customers. We can confirm that a total of six of our New Zealand customers will be directly impacted by the immediate grounding of affected engines," Mair told Newshub. CAA's director Graeme Harris said the main issue with the work being done by Oceania Aviation was "unauthorised drilling and grinding work" done on key components. The CAA has come under major scrutiny for failing to properly take action when it's identified issues with operators in the past. In 2015, a helicopter in Fox Glacier crashed killing 7 people. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission found the CAA knew of issues with the operator but did nothing. But Harris is now warning more enforcement action may be on the cards. He says the CAA is now undertaking "thorough review" of all engine maintenance organisations to ensure their work is up to scratch. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/03/civil-aviation-authority-grounds-21-helicopters-over-safety-concerns.html Back to Top Coronavirus: China airline passenger numbers fall 84.5% Chinese airline passenger numbers slumped by 84.5% last month, highlighting the huge economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. China's aviation regulator said on Thursday that the drop has caused a 21bn yuan (£2.35bn) fall in revenue. Earlier this week the Chinese government announced fresh measures to support its struggling carriers. The global airline industry is facing a massive downturn in passenger numbers due to travel restrictions. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it will provide subsidies to Chinese airlines and give additional funding for international flights. Take-off and landing charges are also being reduced to help carriers cut costs during the downturn, while airport infrastructure spending will be increased by 100bn yuan during 2020. China was the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak and has seen flights drastically cut inside the country as well as internationally since late January as the pandemic spreads across the globe. China's biggest airlines include China Southern, China Eastern, Air China and Hainan Airlines. China is reportedly planning to take control of Hainan's parent company, HNA Group, and sell off its airline assets. Chinese government officials recently took on key management roles at heavily-indebted HNA Group, according to the Financial Times. Most international carriers have cancelled services to mainland China with several pushing these suspensions into April. The airline industry was dealt another major blow on Thursday following US President Donald Trump's travel ban between the US and Europe, excluding the UK. This ban is likely to hit American and European airlines, more than Asian-based ones. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51813483 Back to Top Kuwait to close international airport, suspend all commercial flights This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Kuwait International Airport (KWI) is set to become the largest airport to suspend commercial operations amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As of March 13, 2020, Kuwait Airport will close for passenger operations indefinitely. The Gulf Arab state said on Wednesday that it would suspend all commercial flights to and from its capital airport, largely sealing itself off from the rest of the world. According to state news agency KUNA, cargo flights will continue to operate. As of Wednesday afternoon, flights to and from the airport appeared to operate as normal. KWI is a modern airport with about 335 flights per day. In 2019, it transported just fewer than 15.5 million passengers, according to the Kuwait Times - a 4% increase versus the year prior. The airport is the hub for the nation's flag carrier Kuwait Airways. British Airways flies to KWI from London Heathrow, a route that will be canceled indefinitely until the airport reopens for operations. There have been 72 cases of coronavirus diagnosed in Kuwait as of Wednesday. After the airport closes for commercial operations as of March 13, there will be some exceptions, such as Kuwaiti nationals attempting to return home. Reuters reports that government authorities had announced a public holiday from March 12-26, with work set to resume on March 29. Currently, those in Kuwait are banned from going to restaurants and cafes, including those inside malls. While some airlines have taken to reducing operations, Kuwait is the first country to completely shut down its major international airport as a preventative measure. https://thepointsguy.com/news/kwi-closes-coronavirus/ Back to Top VoltAero starts flight testing of hybrid-electric aircraft VoltAero hybrid-electric flight testing with the Cassio 1 testbed aircraft Aircraft developer VoltAero has made the first hybrid-electric flight of its prototype aircraft in the west of France, as it aims for certification within three years and to be manufacturing 150 aircraft a year by 2025. VoltAero plans to have started production of the final aircraft by the start of 2023 and to be producing around 150 aircraft a year by 2025. The startup, which is headquartered in Royan, France aims to be one of the first companies to market with its 4-9 seater hybrid aircraft called Cassio, which VoltAero CEO Botti believes could radically alter the general and business aviation market. VoltAero has been using two platforms so far in the development of its Cassio hybrid-electric aircraft - a ground-based iron bird for systems integration testing and a flight testbed. The flight testbed is a modified Cessna 337 Skymaster, which was chosen for the airframe's adaptability to Cassio's "push-pull" propulsion concept. The flight testbed was flown in electric mode using Safran Electrical and Power's EngineUS 45 electric motors. A nacelle has been installed on each wing of the Cessna that accommodates two EngineUS 45 electric motors, along with lithium-ion batteries to provide "pull" propulsion. Flight-test plan Earlier in the year, VoltAero engineers removed the 337 Skymaster's original front-facing internal combustion engine and replaced it with a smooth nose fairing. The original rear-mounted internal combustion motor was substituted by the hybrid power module - which incorporates three 60-kW EMRAX electric motors and a 250hp (184kW) internal combustion engine, both of which drive a common shaft for the "pusher" propeller. VoltAero is headed up by former Airbus chief technology officer Jean Botti and technical director Didier Esteyene. Botti led the development of the E-Fan electric aircraft while at Airbus. The Airbus E-Fan, which first flew in 2014, was built by Esteyene at French company Aéro Composites Saintonge. "I am very pleased with the testing as we accumulate time aloft and open up the aircraft's flight envelope," said Botti. "The current test phase is with the powertrain for our six-seat Cassio version, to be followed by validation of the final aerodynamic and powertrain configurations on both the four- and nine-seat Cassio versions." The testbed aircraft is expected to fly for around 20 hours before engineers modify it for its final 100 hours of flight testing by adding an optimized propeller on the rear hybrid power module. "We picked the 337 as our testbed because we wanted distributed propulsion and nine seats. We wanted to be able to maximize power output and efficiency," said Botti. In the configuration to be validated during flight testing, the "pull" electric motors' propellers will be used mainly during the Cassio's takeoffs and landings, where it will operate in all-electric mode to reduce emissions. Batteries in the wings will provide electrical power. For the 9-seat version an aft-mounted hybrid power module, three more electric motors and a rear propeller will provide the "push" during cruise, with electrical power coming from the batteries installed in the nose fairing. The power module's thermal motor will serve to recharge all of the aircraft's batteries. Business market The final version of the Cassio will weigh 2.5 tons to qualify for EASA's CS-23 certification, will have a cruising speed of 200 knots, faster than aircraft made by direct competitors such as Cirrus and Cessna and a range of 800km. It will use 600kW of power and produce 20% less emissions than similar aircraft. "The hybrid configuration means if there is a big issue with the electric side you can still land safely. We also want to stay in the kilowatt range for battery power. Certification in the MW range will take much longer," he said VoltAero is targeting the general and business aviation market with Cassio. The aircraft will require a maximum 1,800ft. runway length for takeoff, opening up the possibility of using it at smaller airports. "I am convinced this is the future of general aviation. The lower cost of ownership and the business case work really well. We need to better use the small airport infrastructures. Most of them are idle," said Botti. There are around 30 hybrid fixed wing aircraft in development around the world. Only a few series-hybrid electric aircraft have been successfully flight tested, including the Diamond E-Star and Ampaire's Electric EEL. https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/news/electric-hybrid/voltaero-starts-flight-testing-of-hybrid-electric-aircraft.html Back to Top WestJet freezes hiring, discretionary spending as coronavirus curbs air travel Airline says it won't risk guest or employee safety as it struggles with financial blow WestJet has frozen discretionary spending and hiring as it deals with the fallout of coronavirus, which has dramatically curtailed air travel worldwide. The rapid spread of novel coronavirus has many Canadians cancelling travel plans, and some companies have suspended non-essential travel. The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued travel warnings about countries with high levels of infection, and is asking all travellers to monitor their health for any symptoms. The effect on WestJet's business has been "dramatic" and requires "immediate cost reduction initiatives," spokesperson Morgan Bell said by email Wednesday. All discretionary spending and company-wide hiring has been frozen, and employees have been offered voluntary leave options, the Calgary-based company said. WestJet is also considering how to reduce and temporarily pause 12 per cent or more of its flight capacity. That may include domestic, transatlantic and cross-border flights as well as flights to sun destinations. In the statement, the spokesperson did not comment on whether or not layoffs are a possibility. "This situation remains extremely fluid," Bell said. "We will not speculate on additional measures we may need to take." The company says it will not compromise guest or employee safety during the spread of the respiratory illness, known as COVID-19. On Tuesday, WestJet told customers it had increased sanitization of aircraft and was using "hospital-grade Clorox wipes and spray." WestJet says guests may be eligible for refunds for conoravirus-related cancellations. Air Canada, Air Transat and Sunwing have offered similar promises for those who need to change their flights. The uncertainty from COVID-19 has sent shockwaves through the travel industry, and the global economy as a whole. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has gone to Ottawa to ask for urgent help from the federal government to deal with the economic consequences of the coronavirus spread and plunge in global oil prices. Kenney said he spoke with WestJet CEO Ed Sims this week about the dramatic effect on the company. "Their loads and revenue and cash flow are down dramatically, so this is right across the economy," Kenney told reporters Wednesday. WestJet was already dealing with the financial impact of the grounding of the its 13 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. The company statement said it had "battled relentlessly to ensure the business could cope." There is no vaccine for coronavirus, which has killed more than 4,000 people of the nearly 114,000 infected worldwide, according to the World Health Organization's latest situation update. As of early Wednesday morning, Canada has reported 101 cases of COVID-19, including one death. In Alberta, 14 cases had been reported by Tuesday. For more information about coronavirus prevention, follow the news coverage on CBC.ca, and check the websites for the Public Health Agency of Canada and Alberta Health. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/westjet-hiring-spending-freeze-coronavirus-1.5493694 Back to Top American suspends pilot hiring as coronavirus takes a toll on travel • American Airlines is suspending pilot hiring as the rapid spread of coronavirus hurts. • This is the latest measure by a major carrier to stem the pain of the coronavirus travel slump. American Airlines is suspending pilot hiring as the rapid spread of coronavirus hurts the travel industry, according to a note from the company, the latest measure by a major carrier to stem the pain from a sharp drop in travel demand. Airlines around the world are reeling from travel restrictions and a plunge in demand for air travel, aviation's biggest crisis since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Even U.S. carriers who boast stronger balance sheets than in previous crises are taking drastic steps, including deep flight cuts and unpaid, voluntary leave, to cut costs. Airline executives warned at the JP Morgan Industrials Conference, which was held online because of coronavirus, warned booking trends could worsen before they improve. "As you are aware, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our flight loads," said a note to American's pilots, which was viewed by CNBC. "The impact is substantial, and unfortunately, the decision has been made to temporarily suspend new hire pilot hiring beyond our March 17, 2020 class." American did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The airline isn't the only carrier to push back hiring. United and JetBlue last week announced hiring freezes and offered employees unpaid, voluntary leave. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/11/american-suspends-pilot-hiring-as-coronavirus-takes-a-toll-on-travel.html Curt Lewis