Flight Safety Information May 25, 2020 - No. 104 In This Issue PIA A320 landed gear-up and performed go-around before fatal accident at Karachi, Pakistan Data recorder found in Pakistan jet crash Crashed PIA aircraft's pilot ignored warnings from air traffic controllers thrice Incident: Wizz A320 at Bucharest on May 22nd 2020, disagreeing airspeeds Incident: Hong Kong A333 and Fedex MD11 at Hong Kong on May 22nd 2020, loss of separation Incident: KLM Cityhopper E190 near Amsterdam on May 23rd 2020, anti ice leak NTSB: Intoxicated pilot lost control of his CitationJet in night Mitsubishi Aircraft closing overseas locations, cutting jobs Fiji Airways to cut more than half its staff, seek aircraft payment deferrals Lufthansa, German government agree on $9.8 billion rescue package: sources China set to launch Mars probe and rover mission in July GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY PIA A320 landed gear-up and performed go-around before fatal accident at Karachi, Pakistan Status: Preliminary Date: Friday 22 May 2020 Time: 14:40 Type: Airbus A320-214 Operator: Pakistan International Airlines - PIA Registration: AP-BLD C/n / msn: 2274 First flight: 2004-08-17 (15 years 9 months) Total airframe hrs: 47124 Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-5B4/P Crew: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 Passengers: Fatalities: 89 / Occupants: 91 Total: Fatalities: 97 / Occupants: 99 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 1,4 km (0.9 mls) E of Karachi-Jinnah International Airport (KHI) ( Pakistan) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Lahore-Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE/OPLA), Pakistan Destination airport: Karachi-Jinnah International Airport (KHI/OPKC), Pakistan Flightnumber: PK8303 Narrative: Pakistan International Airlines flight 8303, an Airbus A320, crashed on approach to Karachi-Jinnah International Airport (KHI), Pakistan. The airline stated there were 91 passengers on board and 8 crew members. Officials involved in the rescue operation reported that 97 bodies have been recovered and that two passengers have survived the accident. The flight departed Lahore at 13:05 hours local time (08:05 UTC) and was expected to arrive at Karachi about 14:45 (09:45 UTC). About 14:32 the flight reported to the air traffic controller of Karachi Tower that they were descending from 3500 to 3000 feet and established on the ILS for runway 25L. The controller replied: "copy that, turn left heading 180". Because that would take them away from the ILS approach the flight replied, "Sir, we are established on ILS 25L". The Tower controller then stated they were 5 miles from touch down and subsequently cleared the flight to land. According to the ILS approach chart for Karachi Airport, an aircraft a distance of 5 DME should be at an altitude of about 1680 ft. Transponder altitude data captured by Flightradar24 suggests that the aircraft was descending between 4050 and 3725 feet at the time the controller reported that the flight was 5 miles out. The aircraft continued the approach. What exactly transpired is unclear at this time, but ARY News quoted from a CAA Pakistan report that stated scrape marks from the no.1 engine started on the runway at 4500 feet (1370 m) from the threshold followed by no.2 engine scrape marks at 5500 feet (1675 m). At 14:35 the flight crew radioed that they were going around and requested another ILS approach to runway 25L. The controller instructed the flight to turn left heading 110 and climb to 3000 feet. Four minutes later the flight reported they had "lost engines" and subsequently declared a Mayday. The controller cleared the flight to land with both runways (25L and 25R) available. The aircraft crashed in a residential area named Model Colony, about 1360 m short of the threshold of runway 25L. The aircraft broke up and a large post-impact fire erupted. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200522-0 Back to Top Data recorder found in Pakistan jet crash Pakistani officials said Saturday that they retrieved the flight-data recorder of the Airbus SE A320 jet that crashed into a residential neighborhood of Karachi, killing all but two people on board. The search is still on for the voice recorder, said Abdul Sattar Khokhar, spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority. The two recorders make up the so-called black box and store details of a plane's path as well as its mechanical systems and computers. Analysis of the devices may give investigators clues why Flight PK 8303 decided to go around for a second approach. The pilot also reported losing power from both engines before the crash, which killed 97 travelers on board the state-run Pakistan International Airlines Corp. aircraft en route from the northern city of Lahore. "There was fire everywhere, and everyone was screaming after the crash. I opened my seat belt and headed toward the light," Muhammad Zubair, a survivor who was sitting in the eighth row, said on a local television broadcast. Pakistan has set up a four-member panel, which will report on the disaster in three months, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said in a televised briefing Saturday. The crash happened as the nation went into holidays to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the annual Muslim festival. It also resulted in people getting injured on the ground as the plane plunged into a residential neighborhood, affecting 25 houses. These houses have been cleared and their residents have been sheltered at various places, the Pakistan army's media wing, the Inter Services Public Relations, said in a Twitter update on rescue work. Television footage showed cars and homes on fire in the neighborhood near the airport in the nation's commercial hub. The narrow-body jet entered service in 2004 and was operated by Pakistan International since 2014, Airbus said. The pilots in Friday's crash reported losing power from both engines, according to a recording from LiveATC.net, which collects audio feeds from air-traffic controllers. Airbus said it was providing technical assistance to France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses and to Pakistani authorities in charge of the investigation. The company is working on getting a team to the crash site, according to a person familiar with the matter. Engine manufacturer CFM International and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board are monitoring the situation, representatives for both said. CFM is a joint venture of General Electric Co. and Safran SA. A probe into the accident will be conducted soon, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Twitter. https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/may/24/data-recorder-found-in-pakistan-jet-cra/ Back to Top Crashed PIA aircraft's pilot ignored warnings from air traffic controllers thrice The national flag carrier's PK-8303 tragedy on Friday, in which 97 people were killed and two miraculously survived, is one of the most catastrophic aviation disasters in the country's history. The pilot of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)'s crashed plane ignored three warnings from the air traffic controllers about the aircraft's altitude and speed before the landing, saying he was satisfied and would handle the situation, according to a report on Monday. The national flag carrier's PK-8303 tragedy on Friday, in which 97 people were killed and two miraculously survived, is one of the most catastrophic aviation disasters in the country's history. The Airbus A-320 from Lahore to Karachi was 15 nautical miles from the Jinnah International Airport, flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet above the ground instead of 7,000 when the Air Traffic Control (ATC) issued its first warning to lower the plane"s altitude, Geo News quoted an ATC report as saying. Instead of lowering the altitude, the pilot responded by saying that he was satisfied. When only 10 nautical miles were left till the airport, the plane was at an altitude of 7,000 feet instead of 3,000 feet, it said. The ATC issued a second warning to the pilot to lower the plane's altitude. However, the pilot responded again by stating that he was satisfied and would handle the situation, saying he was ready for landing, the report said. The report said that the plane had enough fuel to fly for two hours and 34 minutes, while its total flying time was recorded at one hour and 33 minutes. Pakistani investigators are trying to find out if the crash is attributable to a pilot error or a technical glitch. According to a report prepared by the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the plane"s engines had scraped the runway thrice on the pilot's first attempt to land, causing friction and sparks recorded by the experts. When the aircraft scraped the ground on the first failed attempt at landing, the engine's oil tank and fuel pump may have been damaged and started to leak, preventing the pilot from achieving the required thrust and speed to raise the aircraft to safety, the report said. The pilot made a decision "on his own" to undertake a "go-around" after he failed to land the first time. It was only during the go-around that the ATC was informed that landing gear was not deploying, it said. "The pilot was directed by the air traffic controller to take the aircraft to 3,000 feet, but he managed only 1,800. When the cockpit was reminded to go for the 3,000 feet level, the first officer said "we are trying"," the report said. Experts said that the failure to achieve the directed height indicates that the engines were not responding. The aircraft, thereafter, tilted and crashed suddenly. The flight crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir on Friday afternoon, minutes before its landing in Karachi's Jinnah International Airport. Eleven people on the ground were injured. The probe team, headed by Air Commodore Muhammad Usman Ghani, President of the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board, is expected to submit a full report in about three months. According to the PIA's engineering and maintenance department, the last check of the plane was done on March 21 this year and it had flown from Muscat to Lahore a day before the crash. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pakistan government had allowed the limited domestic flight operations from five major airports - Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta - from May 16. After the plane tragedy, the PIA has called off its domestic operation. https://www.thestatesman.com/world/crashed-pia-aircrafts-pilot-ignored-warnings-from-air-traffic-controllers-thrice-1502892205.html Back to Top Incident: Wizz A320 at Bucharest on May 22nd 2020, disagreeing airspeeds A Wizzair Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LWI performing flight W6-3201 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Stockholm Skavsta (Sweden) with 152 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Bucharest's runway 08L when the crew requested to remain with tower frequency and stop climb at 3000 feet advising they had issues with the airspeed indications. The crew subsequently requested to climb to FL060 and enter a hold to burn off fuel and positioned for an approach to runway 26R about one hour after departure, however, needed to go around. The crew advised they'd call tower on phone once on the ground for the reason for the go around. The aircraft positioned for another approach and landed safely on runway 26R about 15 minutes after the go around. A replacement A320-200 registration HA-LYV reached Stockholm with a delay of 4:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Bucharest about 60 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d7c4517&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Hong Kong A333 and Fedex MD11 at Hong Kong on May 22nd 2020, loss of separation between takeoff and go around A Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration B-LNM performing flight HX-765 from Hong Kong (China) to Bangkok (Thailand), was lined up on runway 25L for departure cleared for takeoff. A Fedex Federal Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11, registration N595FE performing flight FX-9741 (dep May 21st) from Anchorage,AK (USA) to HOng Kong (China), was on final approach to Hong Kong's runway 25L when the crew initiated a go around from about 250 feet AGL, about 0.7nm before the runway threshold, due to the Airbus A330-300 still on the runway just commencing their takeoff run. The A330 continued their takeoff, became airborne and was restricted to climb to 2000 feet by ATC. The MD-11 overtook the A330 over the runway and was ahead of the A333 by about 0.5nm when the A333 climbed just past the runway end, the vertical separation between the aircraft was 800 feet at that point. The conflict was resolved shortly afterwards when the MD-11 had sufficiently climbed to establish more than 1000 feet vertical separation between the aircraft, at which point the A330 was cleared to continue climb, both aircraft were vectored onto diverging trajectories. The MD-11 positioned for another approach to runway 25L and landed without further incident about 23 minutes after the go around. The A330 continued to Bangkok for a safe landing without further incident. Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department rated the occurrence a serious incident and opened an investigation. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d7c3ead&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: KLM Cityhopper E190 near Amsterdam on May 23rd 2020, anti ice leak A KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-190, registration PH-EZD performing flight KL-1601 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy), was enroute at FL370 about 90nm southeast of Amsterdam, already in German Airspace, when the crew decided to turn around and return to Amsterdam reporting an "anti ice leak in the wing", they would not have been permitted to enter icing conditions or leave Rome after landing, hence they were returning. The aircraft landed safely in Amsterdam about 25 minutes later. A replacement E190 registration PH-EZF reached Rome with a delay of 2:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam 14 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d7b8f43&opt=0 Back to Top NTSB: Intoxicated pilot lost control of his CitationJet in night IMC Status: Final Date: Sunday 15 April 2018 Time: 20:54 Type: Cessna 525 CitationJet Operator: private Registration: N525P C/n / msn: 525-0165 First flight: 1996 Total airframe hrs: 3311 Engines: 2 Williams International FJ44-1A Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: NW of Crozet, VA ( United States of America) Phase: Unknown (UNK) Nature: Private Departure airport: Richmond-Chesterfield County Airport, VA (KFCI), United States of America Destination airport: Staunton-Shenandoah Valley Airport, VA (SHD/KSHD), United States of America Narrative: The Cessna 525, N525P, was destroyed after it impacted mountainous terrain in Albemarle County, northwest of Crozet, Virginia, USA. A fire ensued. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, died in the crash. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Richmond-Chesterfield County Airport (FCI), Virginia, about 20:35 and was destined for Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD), Virginia. According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot had "a couple of drinks" while they were preparing dinner. The pilot left her home about 19:30. The pilot's friend thought that the pilot would be going to a hotel because it was getting dark, but FCI security video showed that the pilot arrived at the airport at 20:02 and walked to the airplane at 20:04. The pilot then walked around the airplane for about 3 minutes, boarded the airplane, closed the main cabin door, and initiated the engine start sequence at 20:17. About 2 minutes later, the airplane began to taxi to the departure end of runway 15 and then taxied back to the departure end of runway 33. The takeoff roll began on runway 33 at 20:33. The airport security video showed the windsock, which indicated that the wind favored a departure from runway 15. According to an airport line service employee, the airplane departed with a tailwind. The employee also stated that the pilot did not communicate on the Unicom frequency. According to air traffic control data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a radar target identified as the accident airplane departed FCI and reached a maximum altitude of about 11500 ft mean sea level (msl) at 20:40. The airplane then began to descend and, at 20:44, leveled off at an altitude of about 4300 ft (which was below the minimum safe altitude of 5700 ft msl for SHD). The airplane remained at 4300 ft until 20:53, when it began a descending left turn. The last two radar returns were 5 seconds apart and showed the airplane at 3300 ft and 2800 msl, which indicated that the airplane was descending about 6000 ft per minute. Radar contact was lost at 20:54. Throughout the flight, the pilot did not have any contact with air traffic control. The FAA prohibits any person from acting or as a crewmember of a civil aircraft while having 0.040 gm/dl or more ethanol in the blood. In addition, the regulation states that no person can act as a crewmember of an aircraft within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage. Probable Cause: Probable cause: "The pilot's loss of control while operating in night instrument meteorological conditions as a result of spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to operate an airplane after consuming alcohol and his resulting intoxication, which degraded the pilot's judgment and decision-making." Final Report: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20180416X75158&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180415-1 Back to Top Mitsubishi Aircraft closing overseas locations, cutting jobs Officials say Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will cut hundreds of jobs in Washington state and close its U_S_ operations for the troubled SpaceJet project as it "consolidates all activities back to Japan." SEATTLE -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is cutting hundreds of jobs in Washington state and shuttering its U.S. operations for the troubled SpaceJet project, the company said Friday. "Due to the budget directives, Mitsubishi Aircraft will close its overseas locations and consolidate activities at its headquarters in Nagoya, Japan," company spokesman Jeff Dronen told The Seattle Times via email. "This will impact the majority of our employees in the United States." The Mitsubishi Aircraft U.S. headquarters in Renton will close, and flight test operations in Moses Lake will cease, he said. Dronen said Mitsubishi will retain "a small crew" at Moses Lake to store and maintain the four flight test aircraft there. Mitsubishi is still working out the details of its budget cuts and did not disclose the number of employees affected nor whether severance packages will be offered. Dronen said management "will provide this information directly to employees in the coming weeks." The program had at one point supported about 400 jobs flight testing the initial M90 model in Moses Lake, along with 200 jobs in Seattle at Mitsubishi's U.S. partner AeroTEC, which provided testing, engineering and certification support. "We have had to make difficult decisions that will significantly reduce our global activities and will have a major impact on our organization," Dronen said. The news comes after the Japanese industrial giant announced last week an overall loss of $275 million for the fiscal year ending in March. Management deemed that not acceptable as it faces the pandemic-driven downturn affecting all of Mitsubishi's aviation operations, including its supply of major parts for Boeing jets. Last week's financial results showed the SpaceJet bleeding cash, with development costs of $1.3 billion in the last fiscal year. The aircraft was launched as the Mitsubishi Regional Jet in 2008 with a sleek new design and a roomy passenger cabin. The goal was to enter service five years later. After setbacks, it began flight tests in 2015 in Japan, then in 2016 moved the flight testing to Moses Lake in eastern Washington. Mitsubishi last year rebranded the plane as the SpaceJet and revamped the concept, but has continued to face setbacks. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/mitsubishi-aircraft-closing-overseas-locations-cutting-jobs-70844961 Back to Top Fiji Airways to cut more than half its staff, seek aircraft payment deferrals SYDNEY (Reuters) - South Pacific carrier Fiji Airways said on Monday it would cut 51% of its staff permanently as it negotiates with lenders and aircraft lessors for payment deferrals and seeks to arrange more debt financing due to the pandemic-driven downturn. "The sad reality of prolonged flight suspensions means that we simply do not have work for a large segment of our workforce now, and for the foreseeable future," Fiji Airways Chief Executive Andre Viljoen said in a statement. The airline said the staff cuts would affect 758 employees, including 78 expatriate pilots and eight expatriate executives. Remaining staff will have their salaries cut by 20% permanently effective June 1, and the airline will extend flying cuts to August, the carrier said. Viljoen said the measures would help ensure the survival of the Fijian airline, which is a backbone of the island nation's tourism industry. "Many large and respected airlines around the world are collapsing as a consequence of this unprecedented crisis," he said. "However, we will do everything within our power to ensure that Fiji Airways does not suffer the same fate." Fiji's Attorney-General and Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyu last week told The Australian Financial Review that his country wanted to be included in a proposed "travel bubble" being discussed by Australia and New Zealand that would allow trips between the countries without the need for quarantines. Fiji has had only a small number of coronavirus cases. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/fiji-airways-cut-more-half-022440092.html Back to Top Lufthansa, German government agree on $9.8 billion rescue package: sources FRANKFURT/BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government and the management of flagship carrier Lufthansa , which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, have reached a preliminary deal on a 9 billion euro ($9.8 billion) bailout, two people close to the matter said. The agreement is still pending approval by the German coronavirus rescue fund's steering committee, which is expected to meet on Monday, as well as Lufthansa's boards and the EU commission. Lufthansa declined to comment. The German economy ministry said that negotiations were in their last phase but have not yet formally concluded. Shares in the company were up 6.2% at 8.56 euros by 1230 GMT. The carrier said last week it was in advanced talks on a deal that would involve the government taking two seats on its supervisory board, but only exercising full voting rights in exceptional circumstances, such as to protect the firm against a takeover. Lufthansa has been in talks with Berlin for weeks over aid to help it cope with what is expected to be a protracted travel slump, but has been wrangling over how much control to yield in return for support. Rivals such as Franco-Dutch group Air France-KLM and U.S. carriers American Airlines , United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have also sought state aid. Lufthansa has said it expected conditions of the deal to include the waiver of future dividend payments and limits on management pay. The plan includes Germany taking a 20% stake in Lufthansa. Germany will buy the new shares at the nominal value of 2.56 euros apiece, for about 300 million euros ($327 million), a person close to the matter said. The government will also inject 5.7 billion euros in non-voting capital, dubbed silent participation, into the company. Part of this silent participation could be converted into an additional 5% equity stake. The silent participation will carry a coupon of 4% in 2020 and 2021, increasing to 9.5% by 2027 to incentivise a fast repayment, the person added. Separately, Lufthansa will get a 3 billion euro loan from state-backed bank KfW. While the deal is expected to be formally finalised by the German government on Monday, an EU decision is still pending. The company and the competition watchdog are still discussing which slots at which airports Lufthansa will have to waive as a remedy to ensure the bailout does not hamper competition. "Scrutiny is extremely thorough as it is the first large equity-based bailout in the pandemic," the source said. According to business daily Handelsblatt, German chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany would fight for remedies not being too stringent. Separately, Germany's environment minister said on Monday that climate protection will play a role in Lufthansa's rescue. German news agency dpa earlier reported that a deal has been agreed. https://www.yahoo.com/news/lufthansa-german-government-agree-rescue-095612933.html Back to Top China set to launch Mars probe and rover mission in July China's space program will launch a Mars mission in July, according to its current plans. This will include deploying an orbital probe to study the red planet, and a robotic, remotely-controlled rover for surface exploration. The U.S. has also been planning another robotic rover mission for Mars, and it's set to take off this summer, too - peak time for an optimal transit from Earth to Mars thanks to their relative orbits around the Sun. This will be the first rover mission to Mars for China's space program, and is one of the many ways that it's aiming to better compete with NASA's space exploration efforts. NASA has flown four previous Mars rover missions, and its fifth, with an updated rover called 'Perseverance,' is set to take place this years with a goal of making a rendezvous with Mars sometime in February 2021. NASA's mission also includes an ambitious rock sample return plan, which will include the first powered spacecraft launch from the red planet to bring that back. The U.S. space agency is also sending the first atmospheric aerial vehicle to Mars on this mission, a helicopter drone that will be used for short flights to collect additional data from above the planet's surface. China has a number of plans to expand its space exploration efforts, including development and launch of an orbital research platform, its own space station above Earth, by 2022. The nation's space program also recently test-launched a new crew spacecraft, which will eventually be used in its mission to land Chinese astronauts on the surface of the Moon. Meanwhile, NASA has issued a new set of draft rules that it is proposing for continued international cooperation in space, particularly as they related to reaching the Moon and setting up a more permanent human presence on Earth's natural satellite. The agency is also hoping to return human space launch capabilities to the U.S. this week with a first demonstration launch of astronauts aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft on Wednesday. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/china-set-launch-mars-probe-114203384.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions and attitudes about stress and mental health. This research started almost two years ago. The purpose of this study is to examine mental health issues in aviation, specifically Part 121 airline pilots. During this study, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about your opinions on various life circumstances, stress, and mental health topics. This study is expected to take approximately 15 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must possess an FAA issued Airline Transport Certificate (ATP) and you must also be currently working as a pilot for a Part 121 air carrier that is headquartered within the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary and data will be collected anonymously, stored confidentially, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study, as it is another small but important step towards increasing safety in aviation. Please click on the link below to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZG6M6L For more information, please contact: Tanya Gatlin - Student Researcher Gatlint1@my.erau.edu 281-924-1336 Dr. Scott Winter - Faculty Advisor winte25e@erau.edu 386-226-6491 Curt Lewis