Flight Safety Information [October 12, 2020] [No. 206] In This Issue : Incident: Blue B734 at East Midlands on Oct 10th 2020, flaps problems : ProSafeT - SMS, Quality & Audit Management Software : Incident: Lufthansa Cargo B772 at Frankfurt on Oct 10th 2020, unreliable airspeed : Incident: Wisconsin CRJ2 near New York on Oct 9th 2020, cabin pressure problems : Incident: Aeroflot A320 near Ekaterinburg on Oct 9th 2020, pitot heating failure ; Incident: Aeroflot B738 near Krasnojarsk on Sep 30th 2020, electrical problems cause EEC and PFD/ND failure : de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 - Accident (Maldives) : Cessna 208B Grand Caravan - Takeoff Accident (South Sudan) : TSA: Screening Officials Detect Guns at 5 Florida Airports in 1 Day : National Center For The Advancement Of Aviation Legislation Introduced : FAA must do more to protect computer systems from hackers, GAO says : Delta’s final Boeing 777 flight is just 3 weeks away : Which US Airlines Are Expecting New Aircraft Fleets This Decade? : British Airways CEO replaced as company fights for survival : NASA Expert: Space Object Thought To Be Asteroid Or Mini Moon Is An Old Rocket Incident: Blue B734 at East Midlands on Oct 10th 2020, flaps problems A Blue Air Boeing 737-400, registration YR-BAZ performing positioning flight BLA-22P from Buchrest Baneasa (Romania) to East Midlands,EN (UK), was on approach to East Midlands when the crew stopped the descent at 4000 feet due to flaps problems and entered a hold to work the related checklists and prepare for the landing. The aircraft performed a safe landing on runway 27 about 20 minutes later. The aircraft is still on the ground in East Midlands about 9 hours later. The aircraft is estimated to continue the positioning flight to the United States of America via Keflavik (Iceland). http://avherald.com/h?article=4ddb225a&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa Cargo B772 at Frankfurt on Oct 10th 2020, unreliable airspeed A Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777-200 freighter, registration D-ALFG performing flight GEC-8402 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Shanghai Pudong (China), was in the initial climb out of Frankfurt's runway 25C when the crew declared Mayday, Mayday reporting unreliable airspeed. The crew subsequenty inquired with ATC what their altitude reading were, the controller responded 200 feet. The crew reported their standby altimeter was indicating 6100 feet and according to GPS they were at 6200 feet, so they should be around that altitude. The crew decided to return to Frankfurt and requested to dump fuel. The aircraft dumped fuel and returned to Frankfurt for a safe landing on runway 07C about 65 minutes after departure. According to ADS-B data transmitted by the aircraft the aircraft did not climb above 250 feet throughout the entire flight. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/GEC8402/history/20201010/0719Z/EDDF/L%2050.04066%208.54507 http://avherald.com/h?article=4ddae9b2&opt=0 Incident: Wisconsin CRJ2 near New York on Oct 9th 2020, cabin pressure problems An Air Wisconsin Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of United, registration N464AW performing flight UA-4867 from Washington Dulles,DC to Bangor,ME (USA) with 48 passengers and 3 crew, was climbing through FL310 out of Washington when the crew donned their oxygen masks and initiated an emergency descent due to problems with the cabin pressure. The aircraft diverted to New York's JFK airport for a safe landing on runway 22L about 15 minutes after leaving FL310. The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground at JFK about 13 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL4867/history/20201009/2145Z/KIAD/KBGR http://avherald.com/h?article=4ddae796&opt=0 Incident: Aeroflot A320 near Ekaterinburg on Oct 9th 2020, pitot heating failure An Aeroflot Airbus A320-200, registration VP-BNL performing flight SU-1762 (dep Oct 8th) from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Omsk (Russia) with 149 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL350 about 130nm east of Ekaterinburg when the aircraft began to deviate from its assigned flight level up to 150 feet. About 2-3 minutes later the crew reported the heating of their static and dynamic ports had failed, decided to turn around and divert to Ekaterinburg. The aircraft landed safely in Ekaterinburg about 50 minutes after the altitude deviations began. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration VQ-BWF just having arrived as flight SU-1410 from Sheremetyevo continued the flight, departed Ekaterinburg about 9 hours after the A320 landed and reached Omsk with a delay of about 09:45 hours. Ural's Transport Prosecution Office is checking the flight. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dda31d5&opt=0 Incident: Aeroflot B738 near Krasnojarsk on Sep 30th 2020, electrical problems cause EEC and PFD/ND failure An Aeroflot Boeing 737-800, registration VP-BRH performing flight SU-1482 from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Krasnojarsk (Russia), was enroute at FL310 about to reach the top of descent when the autopilot disconnected, right hand PFD and ND failed and an engine electronic control (EEC, CFM56) failed. The crew worked the related checklists, activated the backup power supply and recovered the systems. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Krasnojarsk about 30 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 6 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dda402d&opt=0 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 - Accident (Maldives) Date:Monday 5 October 2020 Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Operator:Trans Maldivian Airways Registration:8Q-TMFC/n / msn:657 First flight:1979-12-05 (40 years 11 months) Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Aircraft damage:SubstantialLocation:Malé-Velana International Airport (MLE) ( Maldives) Phase:Landing (LDG)Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport:? Destination airport:Malé-Velana International Airport (MLE/VRMM), Maldives Narrative: A Trans Maldivian Airways float-equipped DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 sustained serious damage to the right-hand wing tip. A photo of the damaged aircraft surfaced online on October 5, 2020. The date of the occurrence was not reported. Flightradar24 shows a flight on October 5, with no flights on the subsequent two days. The damage was reportedly incurred during landing in bad weather. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20201005-1 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan - Takeoff Accident (South Sudan) Date: Saturday 10 October 2020 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: Duk Air Travel Registration: 5H-NWA C/n / msn: 208B0891 First flight: 2001 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Mundri Airstrip ( South Sudan) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Mundri Airstrip, South Sudan Destination airport: Juba Airport (JUB/HSSJ), South Sudan Narrative: The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan suffered an accident on takeoff from Mundri Airstrip, South Sudan. The nose and right-hand main landing gear legs collapsed and the aircraft suffered extensive damage to both wing tips and propeller blades. The Tanzanian aircraft register shows the aircraft as being owned by Newton Air. Photos of the aircraft on social media suggest that 5H-NWA was operated by Care Aviation of Tanzania, on behalf of Duk Air Travel. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20201010-0 TSA: Screening Officials Detect Guns at 5 Florida Airports in 1 Day STATEWIDE — TSA officials offer some serious advice to airport travelers: Leave your gun at home. Or at least check it. What You Need To Know Security catches people with guns at metro area international airports They included Orlando, St. Pete-Clearwater, Jacksonville, Miami, Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood Government, airport officials say travelers seem to forget they’re carrying guns In terms of percentage of passengers, the trend is growing, TSA says Security officers on Thursday caught incidents of passengers with guns at security checkpoints in five Florida airports, including Orlando International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Friday. The other incidents happened at Jacksonville International Airport, Miami International Airport, and Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, TSA said. But officials suspect nothing nefarious — merely forgetfulness. “One of the main factors is people are stressed on more levels since the pandemic began, and they are not focusing on what is inside their bags before they head for a flight,” TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz told Spectrum News in an email. It’s happening more often, especially on a percentage basis, Koshetz said. Thursday’s incident at St. Pete-Clearwater International marked the ninth this year there compared with two cases during the same period last year, TSA said. Miami International Airport has seen 39 such incidents this year, compared with 32 during the same period last year. Compared with the same period last year, TSA said such incidents are down at Orlando International (61 this year vs. 69 last year), Tampa International (51 vs. 57), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (56 vs. 74), and Jacksonville International (23 vs. 31). But at the Orlando, Miami, St. Pete-Clearwater, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airports, the proportion of guns to passengers has increased, TSA said. The agency pointed out in a news release: “Across the state — and across the nation — passenger volumes are vastly lower at all airports this year.” Passengers who bring a firearm to a TSA security checkpoint receive a civil penalty up to $13,669, TSA said. It added that, “Passengers are responsible for knowing what the laws are on each side of their trip.” Orlando International Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell agreed it appears that passengers are forgetting that they’re toting their guns. “It isn’t necessarily a criminal attempt,” she said. In many reported cases, Fennell said, “they have their bags on a trip in the back of the car. They grab the bag, going on this air trip, and they had left their gun in it.” Any guns taken on planes must be tagged and checked, she said. They must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container, TSA said. Also, officials remind gun owners that laws on firearms possession vary by local, state and international governments. The Orlando airport posts signs in the elevator lobby and above the security screening area that tell passengers that they can’t take their guns through the screening process, Fennell said. Regarding Orlando International’s incidents of guns detected at checkpoints, she said: “Ninety-five percent of our passengers go through the checkpoints, as opposed to Chicago and Atlanta, where a number of their passengers are connecting. That in itself means we have more people being screened to a certain extent, and it means they’re coming from home or their cars, and many times say they had forgotten because they had their bag on a trip or a road trip.” The TSA’s Koshetz advises travelers to empty all bags, including purses and computer bags, before they pack for their next trip. That includes opening all zippered compartments, where security officers sometimes find guns. “Safety and security is No. 1,” according to Michele Routh, public relations director at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. “So it’s important for all people to know what the rules are.” https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2020/10/09/tsa--screening-officials-detect-guns-at-5-florida-airports-in-1-day National Center For The Advancement Of Aviation Legislation Introduced A bill to create a National Center for the Advancement of Aviation (NCAA) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. The legislation, HR 8532, was sponsored by Representatives André Carson, D-Ind.; Don Young, R-Alaska; and Rick Larsen, D-Wash., all members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Aviation Subcommittee. In addition to providing a forum to facilitate industry collaboration, the NCAA would focus on aviation workforce development—including supporting the development and distribution of aviation- and aerospace-oriented curriculums—along with acting as a central repository for economic and safety data research. “A National Center for the Advancement of Aviation would foster greater collaboration and technological innovation in U.S. airspace, help improve aviation safety, boost U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace, and prepare the next generation workforce to meet the demands of the 21st century aviation economy,” said Larsen. “As Chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure the future of aviation remains bright.” As previously reported by AVweb, a similar bill was introduced in the Senate last February by Senators James Inhofe, R-Okla., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. The proposal has received the support of more than 130 aviation organizations including the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/national-center-for-the-advancement-of-aviation-legislation-introduced/ FAA must do more to protect computer systems from hackers, GAO says • GAO: Computers on airliners pose risk Federal regulators have not taken adequate steps to protect computer systems on airliners from hackers, a government watchdog reported on Friday. The agency said the Federal Aviation Administration has not developed a training program for cybersecurity or tested airplane computer systems that could be vulnerable to attack. The Government Accountability Office said that without improvements, the FAA “may not be able to ensure sufficient oversight to guard against evolving avionics cybersecurity risks.” The GAO recommends that the FAA conduct a risk assessment and train inspectors to judge the security of avionics systems. It said the FAA should enact guidance that includes independent testing of cybersecurity on new plane designs. The GAO report focused on the vulnerability of systems on planes that automatically transmit data to air traffic controllers, airline maintenance crews and others on the ground. Advanced networks carry data used to track planes, tell pilots about weather ahead, and handle secure communication between pilots and people on the ground. The FAA said it agreed with most of the watchdog agency’s recommendations. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/faa-must-do-more-to-protect-computer-systems-from-hackers-gao-says/2020/10/09/a20d6360-0a31-11eb-859b-f9c27abe638d_story.html Delta’s final Boeing 777 flight is just 3 weeks away Come November, there will be one less Boeing 777 operator. In a pandemic-related fleet shakeup, Delta is gearing up to bid farewell to one of the largest planes it operates — the Boeing 777. This widebody jet was the workhorse on many of Delta’s flagship long-haul international routes, including flights from Los Angeles to Syndey and from Atlanta to Johannesburg. But then the coronavirus came stateside and nearly wiped out all demand for these routes. Although Delta recently completed a cabin retrofit project across its 18 777s, the Atlanta-based carrier later decided to simplify its fleet for cost-effectiveness. To that aim, in May, Delta announced the retirement of its entire fleet of 777s by the end of the year. Well, 2020 is nearly over (thankfully), and the carrier has scheduled its final two 777 flights. Sign up for TPG’s free new biweekly Aviation newsletter for more airline-specific news! If you’re looking to catch one final ride on this Boeing widebody, you better start planning now. The final two flights are as follows, according to Cirium schedules and confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. Oct. 30: Delta Flight 8787 ATL — LAX, 3 p.m. — 4:30 p.m. Oct. 31: Delta Flight 8807 JFK — LAX, 1 p.m. — 4 p.m. Of course, there’s a possibility that the dates and timing shift. Over the past few months, there’s been an increased number of pandemic-related schedule changes across airlines. So while these are the final scheduled flights, anything could theoretically change at the last minute. There are still seats left for sale in all cabins on the first retirement flight from ATL to LAX. The JFK to LAX flight is currently sold-out in business, but there are seats left in the other two cabins. Coach fares start at $149, premium economy starts at $350 and business class starts at roughly $1,200. Award availability is limited, though there are currently some coach seats available at saver rates on the JFK to LAX flight. Delta’s charging 16,000 SkyMiles, though you can book the flight through Virgin Atlantic for 12,500 points. You’ll still see plenty of these Boeing jets flying across the country. Aside from the myriad of international airlines that fly the 777 to the U.S., two of Delta’s biggest competitors — American Airlines and United — both operate the 777-200 and longer 777-300 variant. You’ll even find AA and UA 777s flying on domestic routes from time to time. Delta’s retirement of the 777 is just the latest in a long list of planes being sent to the boneyard across the world. With a full recovery not predicted for a few years, carriers are streamlining their fleets and saying goodbye to the gas-guzzling jets of yesteryear. In Delta’s case, the airline has so far retired the Boeing 737-700, McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and the MD-90. Aviation enthusiasts like me (case in point: check out my Instagram page) will mourn the fact that many Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s — two of the world’s largest passenger planes — are getting scrapped. Just this week, British Airways retired its final two Queens of the Sky. BA was previously the world’s largest operator of the 747. Going forward, it’ll have none, leaving just a handful of airlines still flying the 747. While long-time fans and enthusiasts will miss the flying the 777 in Delta’s livery, the carrier already has a swanky modern replacement, the Airbus A350. Going forward, the A350 will be DL’s flagship aircraft. The A350 burns 21% less fuel per seat than the 777s they’re replacing. Plus, these are some of the newest widebodies to enter the airline’s fleet. The cabins are outfitted with the latest Delta One Suites, Premium Select, Comfort+ and standard coach seating. It’s not all sad news; the A350 is actually opening up a new market for Delta: Cape Town. Though the A350 can replace almost every ultra-long-haul 777 route, the Atlanta to Johannesburg frequency requires a modification. Going forward, the airline’s South Africa service will follow a new circular routing that goes: Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Atlanta. The stop will allow for refueling at sea level before beginning the 8,130-mile trek back to the U.S. And it adds a new dot to Delta’s route map. So while Delta’s 777 retirement is sure to disappoint some flyers, it ushers in a new era for the carrier’s fleet — one focused on more modern, fuel-efficient aircraft. https://thepointsguy.com/news/delta-777-retirement-flights/ Which US Airlines Are Expecting New Aircraft Fleets This Decade? US airlines spent the last few years on an ordering spree with plans to open new routes, modernize their fleets, and improve their brand. As such, plenty of airlines are expecting brand new aircraft fleets this decade. Here are some of the most hotly awaited new aircraft coming to airlines this decade. Alaska Airlines Based out of Seattle, Alaska Airlines is one of the leading airlines out of the West Coast of the United States. The airline used to have an all-Boeing fleet consisting entirely of 737s, but after merging with Virgin America, the airline took over its first Airbus aircraft– all narrowbodies. Alaska Airlines currently has, on order, two brand new fleet types. There are 30 Airbus A320neo commitments taken over after the airline merged with Virgin America. From Boeing, the airline has a firm order for 32 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft on order. Alaska Airlines is weighing its future fleet plans, with the carrier showing a preference for going back to its basics with a Boeing fleet. The A320neo order is cancelable. Moreover, the airline’s CEO has no reservations about the 737 MAX and is awaiting the type’s arrival in the fleet. Alaska may also increase its MAX order, though that is not yet confirmed. American Airlines Dallas-based American Airlines is expecting a lot of new aircraft. The airline is focusing its future with the Airbus A320neo and 737 MAX family in the narrowbody segment, and the 787 when it comes to widebodies, though the airline does still have Boeing 777-200ERs and 777-300ERs in its fleet. While American is expecting more A321neos, 737 MAXs, and 787 Dreamliner, one new fleet that is entering the carrier’s fleet from 2023 onwards are Airbus A321XLRs. These planes, taking a similar position in American’s fleet as the Boeing 757s, which American recently retired, and unlock new long-haul routes such as to Casablanca in Morocco. Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines is expecting new Airbus aircraft this decade. The Atlanta-based carrier has over 240 aircraft on order, and a fair number of those will be a brand new type in the carrier’s fleet. In the coming weeks, Delta expects to take its first Airbus A220-300. This will complement the airline’s smaller A220-100, which is a passenger and airline favorite. Delta also has 100 firm A321neo aircraft on order. These planes, which will feature a brand new premium narrowbody domestic cabin, are also hotly awaited. The rest of Delta’s planes on order are Airbus A350s, A330neos A220s, and A321ceos. Frontier Airlines Ultra-low-cost-carrier Frontier Airlines is an all-Airbus A320ceo and A320neo fleet. The carrier prefers a single family of aircraft since it allows for greater operational efficiency. As such, Frontier is expecting A321neo aircraft. In particular, the carrier has 18 A321XLRs on order. The XLRs will allow Frontier to open up new long-haul routes that A320ceo and A320neo aircraft currently cannot serve. Hawaiian Airlines Based out of Honolulu, Hawaiian Airlines is the number one airline to, from, and within the state of Hawaii. A favorite tourist destination for many, the airline positions itself as a premium leisure carrier. It has the longest domestic scheduled route between Honolulu and Boston, though that is currently suspended. The only new aircraft type Hawaiian is expecting 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Though these aircraft are expected at the carrier from 2022 onwards, the airline has already released some juicy details about the aircraft, including an all-new lie-flat business class product. JetBlue JetBlue has an ambitious post-crisis network plan, and, as such, the carrier is expecting to take over 100 brand new aircraft, including new fleet types. Currently operating A320ceo, A321neo, and E190 aircraft, the airline expects three exciting new aircraft types to enter its fleet in the next decade. On the smaller aircraft side, JetBlue has 70 Airbus A220-300 aircraft on order. JetBlue will use these aircraft to replace the Embraer E190s. However, more exciting in terms of international long-haul growth, JetBlue has 26 long-haul international A321neos coming. This is split evenly between A321LR and A321XLRs. The A321LRs will be flying to London, with a first look at the exciting new aircraft released not too long ago. Southwest Airlines One of America’s largest carriers, Southwest Airlines, operates an all-737 fleet. With over 700 aircraft in its fleet, the airline also has a sizable order book of over 200 MAX aircraft with options to take on more. While the carrier’s MAX 8s are currently grounded, Southwest Airlines is also expecting 30 brand new 737 MAX 7 aircraft. The smaller variant of the MAX family, this jet rolled out back in early 2018 and was scheduled at Southwest in 2019, but the global grounding of the type has put the brakes on MAX deliveries. Spirit Airlines Known for its iconic yellow fleet of Airbus A320ceos and A320neos, Spirit Airlines is an ultra-low-cost-carrier that, like Frontier, operates a single type of aircraft to reduce operational inefficiencies. Spirit Airlines has two brand new fleets coming in this decade as part of the nearly 130 new jets the airline is expecting. This includes the A319neo – of which Spirit Airlines is one of the largest customers, and the A321neo. Both of these aircraft will complement the airline’s existing A320ceo family of aircraft. United Airlines Chicago-based United Airlines has over 200 aircraft on order, most of these are from Boeing. Operating both Airbus and Boeing jets, the airline spent the last few years building up a large widebody fleet driven mostly by 777-300ERs and 787 Dreamliners. United is awaiting 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10s, regarding which there are plenty of possibilities, though nothing has been explicitly confirmed yet. On the Airbus front, United also has 45 A350s on order, but the first of these are not expected until 2027. Coming sooner are 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft that are slated to fly out of Newark and Washington-Dulles primarily. Which airlines are missing? Sun Country Airlines and Allegiant Air are two carriers that are not expecting brand new types of aircraft. While they may order aircraft in the future, neither of these carriers have ordered new fleets. Both operate single fleet types with Sun Country going for the 737s and Allegiant for the A320 family. Both of these families also have next-generation models (the MAX and A320neo) that could be potential order options. https://simpleflying.com/us-airlines-new-fleets/ British Airways CEO replaced as company fights for survival LONDON (AP) — British Airways CEO Alex Cruz has been replaced after 4 1/2 years on the job as the COVID-19 pandemic pummels airlines around the world. International Consolidated Airlines Group, BA’s parent company, said Monday that Cruz had been replaced by Sean Doyle, previously the boss of Aer Lingus, another carrier in the group. BA has been criticized in recent months for its handling of 12,000 job cuts linked to the pandemic. The airline’s passenger traffic dropped 95% from a year earlier in the second quarter, leading to a first-half operating loss of 4.04 billion euros ($4.77 billion). Airlines around the world have seen passenger numbers plummet amid government-imposed travel restrictions and concerns about the safety of air travel during the pandemic. Earlier this year, Cruz told the House of Commons transport select committee that BA was “fighting for our own survival.” https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-airlines-440de2e93404777d9e4c8326d42a3721 NASA Expert: Space Object Thought To Be Asteroid Or Mini Moon Is An Old Rocket CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The jig may be up for an “asteroid” that’s expected to get nabbed by Earth’s gravity and become a mini moon next month. Instead of a cosmic rock, the newly discovered object appears to be an old rocket from a failed moon-landing mission 54 years ago that’s finally making its way back home, according to NASA’s leading asteroid expert. Observations should help nail its identity. “I’m pretty jazzed about this,” Paul Chodas told The Associated Press. “It’s been a hobby of mine to find one of these and draw such a link, and I’ve been doing it for decades now.” Chodas speculates that asteroid 2020 SO, as it is formally known, is actually the Centaur upper rocket stage that successfully propelled NASA’s Surveyor 2 lander to the moon in 1966 before it was discarded. The lander ended up crashing into the moon after one of its thrusters failed to ignite on the way there. The rocket, meanwhile, swept past the moon and into orbit around the sun as intended junk, never to be seen again — until perhaps now. A telescope in Hawaii last month discovered the mystery object heading our way while doing a search intended to protect our planet from doomsday rocks. The object promptly was added to the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center’s tally of asteroids and comets found in our solar system, just 5,000 shy of the 1 million mark. The object is estimated to be roughly 26 feet (8 meters) based on its brightness. That’s in the ballpark of the old Centaur, which would be less than 32 feet (10 meters) long including its engine nozzle and 10 feet (3 meters) in diameter. What caught Chodas’ attention is that its near-circular orbit around the sun is quite similar to Earth’s — unusual for an asteroid. “Flag number one,” said Chodas, who is director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The object is also in the same plane as Earth, not tilted above or below, another red flag. Asteroids usually zip by at odd angles. Lastly, it’s approaching Earth at 1,500 mph (2,400 kph), slow by asteroid standards. As the object gets closer, astronomers should be able to better chart its orbit and determine how much it’s pushed around by the radiation and thermal effects of sunlight. If it’s an old Centaur — essentially a light empty can — it will move differently than a heavy space rock less susceptible to outside forces. That’s how astronomers normally differentiate between asteroids and space junk like abandoned rocket parts, since both appear merely as moving dots in the sky. There likely are dozens of fake asteroids out there, but their motions are too imprecise or jumbled to confirm their artificial identity, said Chodas. Sometimes it’s the other way around. A mystery object in 1991, for example, was determined by Chodas and others to be a regular asteroid rather than debris, even though its orbit around the sun resembled Earth’s. Even more exciting, Chodas in 2002 found what he believes was the leftover Saturn V third stage from 1969′s Apollo 12, the second moon landing by NASA astronauts. He acknowledges the evidence was circumstantial, given the object’s chaotic one-year orbit around Earth. It never was designated as an asteroid, and left Earth’s orbit in 2003. The latest object’s route is direct and much more stable, bolstering his theory. “I could be wrong on this. I don’t want to appear overly confident,” Chodas said. “But it’s the first time, in my view, that all the pieces fit together with an actual known launch.” And he’s happy to note that it’s a mission that he followed in 1966, as a teenager in Canada. Asteroid hunter Carrie Nugent of Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts, said Chodas’ conclusion is “a good one” based on solid evidence. She’s the author of the 2017 book “Asteroid Hunters.” “Some more data would be useful so we can know for sure,” she said in an email. “Asteroid hunters from around the world will continue to watch this object to get that data. I’m excited to see how this develops!” The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Jonathan McDowell noted there have been “many, many embarrassing incidents of objects in deep orbit … getting provisional asteroid designations for a few days before it was realized they were artificial.” It’s seldom clear-cut. Last year, a British amateur astronomer, Nick Howes, announced that an asteroid in solar orbit was likely the abandoned lunar module from NASA’s Apollo 10, a rehearsal for the Apollo 11 moon landing. While this object is likely artificial, Chodas and others are skeptical of the connection. Skepticism is good, Howes wrote in an email. “It hopefully will lead to more observations when it’s next in our neck of the woods” in the late 2030s. Chodas’ latest target of interest was passed by Earth in their respective laps around the sun in 1984 and 2002. But it was too dim to see from 5 million miles (8 million kilometers) away, he said. He predicts the object will spend about four months circling Earth once it’s captured in mid-November, before shooting back out into its own orbit around the sun next March. Chodas doubts the object will slam into Earth — “at least not this time around.” https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/10/11/nasa-mini-moon-rocket/ Curt Lewis