Flight Safety Information [October 22, 2020] [No. 214] In This Issue : Incident: TUI Nederland B788 near London on Oct 21st 2020, unusual noise and vibrations : ProSafeT - SMS, Quality & Audit Management Software : Bell 206B JetRanger II - Forced Landing (New York) : Boeing 777 - Ground Damage (Brazil) : Airbus A321 - Struck Jetbridge (Florida) : Robinson R44 Raven II - Fatal Accident (Russia) : Arctic survival: Eielson F-35s get new kits for ejected pilots : Bombardier Names Antonio Cortés as Recipient of 2020 Safety Standdown Award : NTSB moves forward in meeting federal requirements for open data : One year later: The crash of Flight 3296 : Japan’s Narita airport to waive landing fees on domestic flights to prop up airlines : American Airlines reports $2.4 billion net loss in third quarter, cuts cash burn : United Airlines Is Selling Bonds Backed by Spare Airplane Parts. That Could Be a Stretch. : Dallas-based private jet service will soon provide cheap round-trip flights to Houston : Cathay Pacific to slash workforce, end Cathay Dragon brand due to pandemic : Soyuz crew lands from space station ahead of ISS 20-year milestone : MU-2 Aircraft - Accident Analysis Webinar : SCSI Online Courses - Aircraft Accident Investigation : Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation & Fatigue Survey (Round 1) : PIREP SURVEY Incident: TUI Nederland B788 near London on Oct 21st 2020, unusual noise and vibrations A TUI Airlines Nederland Boeing 787-8, registration PH-TFK performing flight OR-363 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Curacao (Curacao), was enroute at FL340 about 30nm north of London,EN (UK) when the crew decided to return to Amsterdam reporting an unusual noise and vibrations on board, the source of which could not be determined. The crew advised no assistance on the ground would be needed, however, they were heavier than normal, their approach speed would be around 161 knots. Upon contacting approach the crew declared PAN PAN and continued for a safe landing on runway 18R with emergency services on stand by, the crew reported normal operation after landing and taxied to the apron. A replacement Boeing 787-8 registration PH-TFL is estimated to reach Curacao with a delay of about 5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4de2473f&opt=0 For more information, contact WYVERN at Info@wyvernltd.com www.WYVERNltd.com Bell 206B JetRanger II - Forced Landing (New York) Date: 21-OCT-2020 Time: 16:11 Type: Bell 206B JetRanger II Owner/operator: Airwayplanner.com LLC Registration: N716VL C/n / msn: 4203 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Nassau County's Point Lookout, Hempstead, Long Island, NY - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Farmingdale-Republic Field, NY (FRG/KFRG) Destination airport: Narrative: The aircraft experienced an apparent forced landing to shallow water terrain at Nassau County's Point Lookout in Hempstead on Long Island, New York. The helicopter sustained unreported damage and the sole pilot onboard received minor injuries. Weather may have been a factor to the incident. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/244286 Boeing 777 - Ground Damage (Brazil) Date: 20-OCT-2020 Time: Type: Boeing 777-3DEER Owner/operator: Swiss International Air Lines Registration: HB-JNK C/n / msn: 66091 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Sao Paulo Guarulhos İnternational Airport - Brazil Phase: Standing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Zürich-Kloten Airport (ZRH/LSZH) Destination airport: São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, SP (GRU/SBGR) Narrative: A Swiss Boeing 777-300 sustained damage to the leading edge of the left-hand wing following an impacy by mobile airstairs at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos Airport, Brazil. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/244274 Airbus A321 - Struck Jetbridge (Florida) Date: 20-OCT-2020 Time: 14:05 UTC Type: Airbus A321-231 (WL) Owner/operator: Spirit Airlines Registration: N684NK C/n / msn: 8047 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Fort Lauderdale International Airport, FL (FLL/KFLL) - United States of America Phase: Taxi Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, TX (DFW/KDFW) Destination airport: Fort Lauderdale International Airport, FL (FLL/KFLL) Narrative: Spirit Airlines flight NK972 struck a jetbridge while taxiing to the gate at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Florida. The engine nacelle was damaged. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/244277 Robinson R44 Raven II - Fatal Accident (Russia) Date: 20-OCT-2020 Time: Type: Robinson R44 Raven II Owner/operator: Aerosouz Company Registration: RA-04327 C/n / msn: 12907 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Category: Accident Location: Suhona River, Nyuksensky district, Vologda region - Russia Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: Vologda Destination airport: Veliky Ustyug Investigating agency: MAK Narrative: A Robinson R44 Raven II crashed into the Suhona River, Nyuksensky district, Vologda region. The Russian investigation site shows that all four POB were killed. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/244248 Arctic survival: Eielson F-35s get new kits for ejected pilots Staff Sgt. Victor Benitez and Tech. Sgt. Rylee James install the new Arctic survival seat kit for the F-35A on Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Sept. 28, 2020. (Senior Airman Beaux Hebert/Air Force) F-35A fighters at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska are getting newly developed Arctic survival kits to help pilots survive and be found after ejecting in the cold climate. The new kits, which are now being installed in Eielson’s F-35s, contain winter-geared survival tools and equipment, such as a knife for gathering food, a poncho and signal flares to alert rescue teams, Eielson said in a Friday release. The base’s F-35s are the first in the Air Force to be stationed in the Arctic, which prompted the base’s 354th Fighter Wing to create the new kits last year. But they also had to be tailor-made for the F-35′s smaller seat size, which limited how many items could be packed in there, Staff Sgt. Ross Dugger, an aircrew flight equipment craftsman from the 354th Operations Support Squadron, said in the release. “Over the years, we’ve worked with [survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists] to develop this kit and decided what is the most essential equipment needed to survive,” Dugger said. “It’s been a learning curve, with the seats being so new they are not as easy to pack. With time we will become more efficient and continue to ensure our pilots' safety.” The new kits were developed in November 2019, the release said. After months of research, development and testing, the new kit’s design was sent to the commander of the 354th Operations Group, who approved it in April. Airmen from the 354th Maintenance Squadron Aircrew Egress Flight will swap out the summer kits, already installed in the F-35s, with the new winter survival kits after they are packed and fitted to the fighter’s seat. The airmen also inspect the seat during that process to make sure pilots are able to eject safely. “Hopefully they never have to use these items, but I take a lot of pride in my work, which could potentially save a pilot’s life,” Dugger said. All Eielson F-35s will receive the new Arctic survival kits, the release said. Allied nations and other partners who also operate F-35s in similar cold climates could use the new kits as well. Eielson will ultimately have 54 F-35s. The first fighters began arriving this spring, and the rest will follow over the next two years. The base reactivated the 356th Fighter Squadron, which is nicknamed the Green Demons and assigned to Pacific Air Forces, last October in preparation of the fighters' arrival. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/10/21/arctic-survival-eielson-f-35s-get-new-kits-for-ejected-pilots/ Bombardier Names Antonio Cortés as Recipient of 2020 Safety Standdown Award • A long-time Safety Standdown supporter, Cortés has demonstrated exceptional safety leadership throughout aviation career that spans more than 30 years • Influential award recognizes exceptional efforts to improve aviation safety throughout the industry MONTREAL, Oct. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Antonio Cortés has been named the 2020 winner of the influential Bombardier Safety Standdown Award, as selected by the Safety Standdown Advisory Council members. Cortés, a Senior Advisor (U.S., Canada, South America) for GMR Aviation Consulting, is a long-time supporter of Bombardier’s Safety Standdown, delivering presentations and teaching workshops, as well as serving as chair of the Advisory Council. Cortés accepted the award on October 21 during the virtually presented 24th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown. This award is presented annually to an aviation professional who has demonstrated exemplary dedication to improving aviation safety through the Safety Standdown principles of learn, apply and share. Cortés was nominated by Safety Standdown Vice Chairman Ed Coleman for his outstanding leadership in aviation safety management over the course of his more than three-decade aviation career. At GMR Aviation Consulting, he offers aviation safety management, business processes and expert witnessing to clients worldwide. Cortés has a varied aviation background as both a military and airline pilot, as well as a safety officer. His various professional roles include air safety investigator, university professor teaching and researching safety and human factors and, most recently, Director of Safety for Mitsubishi Aircraft. “On behalf of Bombardier, I wish to congratulate Antonio Cortés for his unwavering commitment not only to Safety Standdown, but also to promoting aviation safety and professionalism at all levels of our industry,” said Andy Nureddin, Vice President, Customer Support, Bombardier Aviation. “Antonio perfectly embodies what the Safety Standdown Award stands for: celebrating individuals who are role models in the field and have made a real difference day-to-day.” Bombardier’s Safety Standdown is one of the most comprehensive safety conferences in the industry. Due to the realities presented by COVID-19, this year’s event was held virtually, enabling more aviation professionals from around the world to take part in the event. This year’s theme, “Safety in Focus 20/20,” encourages aviation professionals and organizations to be even more aware of standards to put them on the path for a safer, more productive future. Please click here for more information on the virtual event. About Safety Standdown Originally conceived in 1996 as a human factors safety-training event for the Learjet flight demonstration team, the conference quickly garnered a reputation for excellence beyond Bombardier’s customer base. In 1999, in response to growing interest within the industry, Bombardier opened the seminar to all pilots. In 2010, Safety Standdown expanded beyond the seminars into a year-round global human factors program offering online resources. Since 1996, more than 10,000 corporate, commercial and military aviation professionals have attended Safety Standdown seminars around the world, live and through the webcast, including in Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, Switzerland and the USA. About Bombardier With nearly 60,000 employees across two business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in over 25 countries across the segments of Aviation and Transportation. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Bombardier posted revenues of $15.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. Notes to Editors Visit the Bombardier Business Aircraft website for more information on our industry-leading products and services. Follow @Bombardierjets on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Business Aircraft. To receive our press releases, please visit the RSS Feed section. Bombardier, Learjet, Challenger, Global and Global 7500 are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. For information Matthew Nicholls Bombardier Aviation +1 514-243-8214 Matthew.Nicholls@aero.bombardier.com https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/10/21/2112168/0/en/Bombardier-Names-Antonio-Cort%C3%A9s-as-Recipient-of-2020-Safety-Standdown-Award.html NTSB moves forward in meeting federal requirements for open data The National Transportation Safety Board announced last week the successful launch of its new public-facing database query system for NTSB investigations, safety recommendations and dockets across all of the NTSB’s investigative modes. The new query system, Case Analysis and Reporting Online – or CAROL – not only helps users more easily access NTSB data, but it also changes the way the NTSB shares its information with other agencies. Previously, there were three distinct and separate query systems customers could use to access NTSB data; the docket query system, the aviation database query system, and the NTSB safety recommendations query system. That meant there was no way to submit queries for investigative details or for findings in non-aviation investigations. CAROL allows users to conduct queries for all modes (rail, pipeline, hazardous materials, marine, highway and aviation) and to move seamlessly through the information. CAROL allows users to quickly find data to questions like, “to what degree are safety management systems, or impairment, or fatigue a factor in NTSB-investigated accidents across all modes of transportation?” Development of the CAROL query system has taken a little more than two years with a mandate and funding coming from Congress in the NTSB’s reauthorization where Congress charged the NTSB to develop and maintain a multi-modal accident database management system for investigators to improve the quality of accident data the NTSB makes available to the public. Before the reauthorization, the NTSB was looking for ways to improve data collection and retrieval. The Office of Marine Safety sought the ability for customers to better search marine accident investigation data and the Office of Aviation Safety was looking to streamline its reporting processes. CAROL, an acronym with a nod to Carol Floyd, an analyst who retired in 2017 after a four-decade career at the NTSB, is the query tool, which gathers data from the NTSB’s new investigations management system known as SAFTI (System for Analysis of Federal Transportation Investigations). The appropriation of funds allowed the NTSB to invest in streamlining its internal processes, which resulted in SAFTI. Without that standardization internally, the NTSB would not have been able to get the functionality it now has with CAROL. CAROL’s three search options are keyword search, basic search and query builder. The keyword search allows users to search one value from one of six fields, while basic search allows users to search any of seven available fields. The query builder allows users to select from a variety of investigative and safety recommendation fields. The NTSB will also publish queries that address particular topics such as safety recommendations associated with the NTSB’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. All of the more than 15,000 safety recommendations the NTSB has issued since its inception in 1967 are available in CAROL. Investigative data from rail, pipeline, hazardous materials, highway and marine is currently being migrated into CAROL and will continue in the coming months. In aviation, all of the investigations since 2008 are also available with the exception of investigations involving multiple aircraft. These had previously been written up as two accident reports, one for each aircraft involved, each referencing the other report. Analysts are in the process of combining each of the 350 accident reports that were generated from 175 investigations involving multiple aircraft since 2008, into single documents containing both reports. Although these newly combined reports are not currently available, they will again be accessible as soon as the work is completed, which is expected by the end of October. CAROL also provides a self-service way for partner agencies to download data through APIs published on the NTSB’s website. The capability will give the NTSB better control over what the agency is publishing, a better understanding of who is interested in our data and a better way of authenticating data with other agencies. “The tool provides several user-friendly options to access agency information and moves us way ahead in meeting the federal government’s data strategy and requirements for open data,” said Rahiq Syed, Chief of the Enterprise Architect Division in the NTSB’s Office of the Chief Information Officer. Access the CAROL query system from the NTSB website at https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/keyword-search. https://www.workboat.com/news/government/ntsb-moves-forward-in-meeting-federal-requirements-for-open-data/ One year later: The crash of Flight 3296 Twelve months ago, on Oct. 17, 2019, PenAir Flight 3296 overran the runway while landing at the Dutch Harbor airport, resulting in one passenger killed and four others injured. Since then, Ravn Alaska, which owned PenAir along with sister companies Corvus Airlines and Hageland Aviation, declared bankruptcy and auctioned off or sold the bulk of its assets. Company executives blamed Ravn’s failure on the coronavirus, but on the Flight 3296 anniversary, it is worth considering just what happened to PenAir in the single year it was owned by Ravn, and what we have learned since the accident that exposes problems within the company in the months leading up to the tragedy. Soon after the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board released an investigative update detailing the flight crew’s minimal experience in the aircraft. Ravn stopped all flights of the Saab 2000 into Unalaska and Alaska Airlines dropped the lucrative Capacity Passenger Agreement (CPA) it had with Ravn. The loss of the CPA, which paid Ravn for the Unalaska flights at “predetermined rates plus a negotiated margin, regardless of the number of passengers on board or the revenue collected," had serious financial ramifications for the company. Questions raised by the NTSB’s preliminary investigation, however, left Alaska Airlines with little choice. According to the NTSB’s initial report, and heavily covered in the media, the pilot in command (PIC) for Flight 3296 had an estimated 20,000 hours total flight time, but only 101 hours in the Saab 2000 (the co-pilot, with 1,446 hours total time, had 147 hours in the aircraft). Under PenAir’s previous ownership by the Seybert family, PICs were required to have 300 hours minimum in the Saab 2000 before operating into Dutch Harbor. (Similar requirements have existed for other companies operating at the challenging airfield.) Based on the PenAir Operations Manual, flight-time minimums could be waived if approved by the company Chief Pilot. While the existence of such a waiver has not been addressed publicly, one month after the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that Chief Pilot Crystal Branchaud had been replaced and no longer held a position of operational control with PenAir. The extent to which she or any other management personnel played a role in assigning the PIC to Flight 3296 will likely receive serious attention in the accident’s final report. Another area of significant interest for investigators will be the flight crew’s decision to land in turbulent weather conditions. In the report, the NTSB stated that when Flight 3296 first attempted to land on Runway 13, the winds were at 10 knots from 270 degrees. After initiating a go-around, the winds were reported at 16 knots, gusting to 30, from 290 degrees. While on final approach the second time, the winds were 24 knots from 300 degrees, providing almost a direct tailwind. The aircraft was configured for approach with 20 degrees of flaps both times. Aircraft landing performance standards are based on multiple factors including weight and balance, wind and runway conditions. While Flight 3296′s weight and balance has not been released, it is possible to determine a conservative estimate of its total weight from available data. According to the manufacturer, the aircraft has a basic empty weight of about 30,500 pounds (this includes the three-member crew). Adding fuel for required reserves and Cold Bay as an alternate destination (about 2,000 pounds) and weight for 39 passengers at the FAA standard for summer adults (195 lbs x 39 = 7,605 pounds), a total weight of 40,105 pounds can be calculated. This excludes any baggage that may have been onboard. For Runway 13 at Dutch Harbor, PenAir’s company performance standards permitted a landing weight, with 20 degrees of flaps, of 40,628 pounds with zero wind, 35,402 pounds for 5 knots of tailwind and 29,955 pounds for 10 knots of tailwind. It recommended a reduction of 1,031 pounds for each additional knot of tailwind. There is thus no discernible calculation that would recommend landing on Runway 13 with the reported winds at the time of the crash at the aircraft’s approximate weight. According to the NTSB, the flight crew reported touching down about 1,000 feet down the runway, with skid marks first appearing at about 1,840 feet. From there, the marks continued 200 feet before the aircraft crossed a grassy area, impacted the airport’s perimeter fence, crossed a ditch, hit a large rock and then crossed Ballyhoo Road. It was on the opposite shoulder of the road, over the rock seawall and nearly into the waters of Dutch Harbor, that Flight 3296 finally came to rest. After the aircraft stopped and a desperate but ultimately unsuccessful effort was underway to save the life of passenger David Oltman, the flight crew waited with forward passengers for assistance in exiting. It was at that point, according to passenger Steve Ranney, that a brief verbal exchange occurred. “A passenger asked the captain why he landed,” explained Ranney in an email, “and he calmly said the computer showed he was within the safety margin.” According to Ranney, who was interviewed by NTSB investigators, neither the captain nor co-pilot spoke another word. There is no onboard computer that calculates landing performance for the Saab 2000; the PIC could only have been referring to an app likely used on his company-issued iPad. “Electronic flight bags” are commonly utilized by pilots, but the use of any software for the purposes of formal flight planning in commercial operation would have to be approved by the FAA. When asked if PenAir had authorization to utilize performance calculation software, the FAA referred the question, as part of an ongoing investigation, to the NTSB. The NTSB would state only that “crew performance standards equipment procedures and a host of other factors” would be part of the investigation. Decision-making is always an area of particular inquiry following a commercial crash, both on the part of the flight crew and company management. As investigators moved from the aircraft to the cockpit and back to the offices of PenAir, Ravn Air Group and even the FAA, there are other events in 2019 that may have garnered interest and point to further issues within the newly acquired company. In February last year, PenAir Flight 3298 suffered an engine loss about an hour after departing King Salmon. In a statement to ADN at the time, FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the aircraft “experienced engine trouble, so pilots shut it down." The flight crew then returned to the village. In a subsequent Service Difficulty Report (SDR), the company reported a “right engine auto shutdown in flight, did not attempt restart. Troubleshooting in progress.” It is unknown what the final remedy was for that engine. In July, PenAir Flight 2051 was en route from Anchorage to Dillingham when it suffered the loss of the right engine near its destination. As later detailed in a passenger complaint submitted to the FAA, the flight crew chose to turn around and fly all the way back to Anchorage on only one engine. PenAir subsequently reported in an SDR that there was a “RT engine overtemp in cruise with auto shutdown” and that the engine was to be removed and replaced. Additionally, in a separate SDR the same day, the company reported a problem with the aircraft’s left engine, which went to “0 PU’s 5SEC." The remedy was for that engine also to be replaced. No mention of the problems with the left engine nor the necessary replacement of both engines was passed on to the passenger who filed the complaint. Neither was an explanation provided for the flight crew’s decision to forgo immediate landing at the nearest suitable airport (as required by federal regulation 121.565). FAA Safety Inspector David Friend wrote to the passenger, a licensed pilot from the Bristol Bay region, that “it has been determined that the flight crew acted within the scope of all applicable Federal Aviation Regulations and associated PenAir Operations Specifications.” In a subsequent Freedom of Information Act request I submitted for a deviation of 121.565 report, the FAA responded that nothing pertaining to my request existed. Months later, in the days after the crash of Flight 3296, Ravn announced a shift to using Dash-8 aircraft on the route and company management initiated a concerted effort to deflect blame to the Saab 2000. In an October 25 town hall meeting, CEO Dave Pflieger said Ravn would “need to go through a multifaceted process to ensure it is safe to land Saabs in Unalaska before they can return to service there.” This negative sentiment was echoed by Ravn’s new management, which acquired the PenAir and Corvus Airlines certificates along with several Dash-8 aircraft in a private sale last summer. In a July interview with KUCB, that company’s CEO, Rob McKinney, responded to questions about safe operations in rural Alaska by commenting on the crash of Flight 3296. “The Saab 2000 has a narrower margin of safety,” he asserted, “so that... potentially was a contributory cause of that unfortunate accident last year.” Both Pfleiger and McKinney’s assessments ran sharply counter to the more than two years of accident-free flying with the aircraft under the Seyberts' ownership, including thousands of flights into Unalaska. Further, from the time the Saab 2000s were acquired by the Seyberts and long before they were put into service, there was extensive flight testing, upgrades, modifications and certifications required for their transition to Part 121. All of this was heavily supervised by the FAA. By the time PenAir was purchased by Ravn in October 2018, there was nothing left for the Saab 2000 to prove; the aircraft simply needed the company to assign pilots who were trained how to fly it. For now, Alaska Airlines flies scheduled service into Cold Bay, with continuing service to Unalaska provided by Grant Aviation. Alaska Central Express offers both regular cargo flights and passenger charter service and other operators, including Dena’ina Airtaxi, Alaska Air Transit, Resolve Aviation and Security Aviation also fly passenger charters. The Saab 2000s, which were leased by PenAir, have been parked at Anchorage International by their Florida-based owner since Ravn’s collapse. They will likely be relocated to the Lower 48 for maintenance and storage in the near future. The NTSB’s final report on Flight 3296 should be released early next year. What it will reveal about problematic risk management assessments at all levels of the company is of great interest to anyone following aviation safety in Alaska. And while the detrimental fallout from the subsequent pandemic can not be ignored, it must be noted that Ravn was the only Alaska aviation company of significant size to file for bankruptcy after the virus. Further, although Ravn destroyed numerous financial, professional and customer relationships, many other companies shouldered the pieces it left behind while still continuing to navigate the current uncertain economic landscape. The easiest thing in the world would be to dismiss PenAir’s summer engine problems and the decisions leading up to the Unalaska crash, disregard how long Ravn’s $90 million worth of unpaid bills were accruing, pay no attention to the likely sky-high fleet insurance the company was paying and simply blame everything that happened to it on the coronavirus. But just like the transparent attempt to shift responsibility of the Flight 3296 tragedy onto the aircraft, this would also require a determination to blindly ignore so many events leading up to Ravn’s demise, including its 16 accidents and incidents over the previous ten years. It is worth noting the most recent of those was not Flight 3296, but rather a gear-up landing by Hageland Aviation in Fairbanks, four months before Ravn shut down. It was easy to miss that one when the company was so loudly insisting everything was COVID-19′s fault. https://www.adn.com/opinions/2020/10/21/one-year-later-the-crash-of-flight-3296/ Japan’s Narita airport to waive landing fees on domestic flights to prop up airlines Japan’s Narita airport operator said on Thursday it would waive landing and parking fees for all domestic flights, in a bid to support airlines which have been hit by the coronavirus outbreak. The measure will be applied retroactively from April, the company said in a statement, adding the aviation network needs to be maintained as it is essential for Japan’s economy. While Japanese airlines have seen some rebound in domestic flight demand, helped by a government travel campaign, bookings remain below last year’s levels. That means carriers are burning through cash to maintain jets that are either grounded or flying with too few passengers. Japan’s biggest airline, ANA Holdings, said earlier Thursday it was considering revamping its business including reducing its fleet size, as it grapples with a plunge in travel demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A source had told Reuters that ANA was expected to suffer a net loss of around 500 billion yen ($4.8 billion) this fiscal year and cut its fleet of more than 300 aircraft by about 25 to reduce costs. Separately, the government said last week it would reduce airport landing fees by a record 45% on all domestic flights for seven months through February in government-operated airports, excluding Narita. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/22/japans-narita-airport-to-waive-landing-fees-on-domestic-flights-to-prop-up-airlines.html American Airlines reports $2.4 billion net loss in third quarter, cuts cash burn Airline losses are mounting as the coronavirus keeps a lid on demand. American Airlines started furloughing 19,000 employees earlier this month. The carrier’s management team will hold a call with analysts at 8:30 a.m. to discuss results. American Airlines on Thursday posted another big quarterly loss as the coronavirus pandemic hurt summer travel demand, but the carrier trimmed its cash burn. Revenue dropped 73% in the three months ended Sept. 30 to $3.17 billion from $11.9 billion a year ago. The carrier swung to a $2.4 billion net loss in the third quarter from a $425 million profit a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, American posted a per-share loss of $5.54, better than analysts expected. American’s shares fell 2.7% in premarket trading. Fort Worth-based American earlier this month began furloughing 19,000 of its employees after the terms of $25 billion federal aid for the struggling airline sector expired. American has been the most vocal about urging lawmakers and the Trump administration to provide another $25 billion in aid for airlines, but so far no deal has been reached. Here’s how American performed compared with what Wall Street expected, based on average estimates compiled by Refinitiv: Adjusted results: a loss of $5.54 versus an expected loss of $5.86. Revenue: $3.17 billion versus $2.81 billion, expected. American trimmed its cash burn to about $44 million a day in the third quarter from $58 million in the previous three-month period. It expects that to go down to $25 million to $30 million a day in the fourth quarter. American will discuss its results with analysts at 8.30 a.m. ET. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/21/american-airlines-aal-results-3q-2020.html United Airlines Is Selling Bonds Backed by Spare Airplane Parts. That Could Be a Stretch. • The airline is marketing bonds with a structure that has been traditionally used to finance newer aircraft. United Airlines Holdings is selling a $3 billion seven-year bond to refinance loans it took out during the pandemic panic. But CreditSights argues that the company has gotten too creative in its attempts to draw buyers. The company is marketing bonds with a structure that has been traditionally used to finance newer aircraft, called an enhanced equipment trust certificate, or EETC. United (ticker: UAL) wants to use the proceeds of this offering to repay roughly $2.8 billion in loans that mature in early 2021. The twist is that these bonds are going to be backed by spare parts and engines, along with 352 older aircraft. CreditSights analyst Roger King argues that’s a stretch. “We believe this is an inappropriate use of the EETC format,” he wrote in an Oct. 19 note. “Collateral for an EETC is typically...a select group of new or young aircraft.” United didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Investors who follow airline finance may remember that United pulled a $2.5 billion bond deal secured by older airplanes a little more than five months ago. Many of the older planes from the canceled May deal are now being used to back this debt sale, says King. At the time, analysts said the deal wasn’t attractive to investors because of the age of the airplanes in the collateral pool. United’s newer jets had already been used to secure other debt. United’s balance sheet has changed since then. It has borrowed $5 billion against its mileage program, and recently secured a loan of up to $5.2 billion from the Treasury Department. But those developments may be tangential, because these bonds are more of a claim on United’s collateral assets than a claim on United itself. What might matter most is the broader amount of demand for debt. Corporate bonds have climbed in price since May, pushing down yields—even with record-setting volumes of investment-grade debt hitting the market. The corporate-bond market now yields just 2%, with a maturity of 12 years. If investors are hungry enough for income, they may buy the bonds even with nontraditional collateral. Moody’s rates the new bonds A3, four tiers above junk, citing its view that “the inclusion of the spare parts and engines helps mitigate the financial risk associated with the advanced age of the aircraft collateral.” CreditSights’ King is more skeptical about the sale, even though he has a Buy rating on United’s unsecured debt. “We do not recommend purchasing this bond styled as an EETC,” he wrote. https://www.barrons.com/articles/united-airlines-is-selling-bonds-backed-by-spare-airplane-parts-that-could-be-a-stretch-51603209959 Dallas-based private jet service will soon provide cheap round-trip flights to Houston Are you ready for a mini vacation? Dallas-based private jet service will soon be providing flights to Houston for just $99. Prepare to travel around Texas in style, beginning with routes to and from Space City. Starting November 20, jet service JSX plans to launch daily round-trip flights between private terminals at Dallas Love Field and Houston's William P. Hobby Airport, as reported by Culture Map Dallas's Stephanie Allmon Merry. The affordable flights start at just $99 each way with no middle seats at all. JSX moved its headquarters from Irvine, California to Dallas in 2018, and initially only offered flights to Las Vegas and North Carolina. They're in the process of expanding around Texas, starting with the new Houston route. One of the great features of the jet, as reported by Merry, is that there are no lines and crowds, giving passengers the chance to arrive just 20 minutes before departure and “hop on” a flight. (This would have been lovely when I missed my flight from Dallas a week ago). In an effort to provide travelers with a luxurious first-class experience throughout, JSX offers valet parking, Wi-Fi lounges and speedy baggage retrieval. Passengers will also be able to enjoy complimentary drinks, snacks and cocktails once on board. We all know Texans love their animals, so you'll be happy to know small dogs and cats can tag along at no extra cost. "Traveling by private jet became popular for travelers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring and summer, experts say," as reported by Merry. "JSX's safety standards, dubbed 'Simpli-Fly,' include contactless temperature screenings, an advanced air circulation system, and no middle seating. Masks are required in lounges and on board flights." JSX flights can be booked directly through the website or the app. https://www.chron.com/travel/article/Dallas-based-private-jet-service-will-soon-15664874.php Cathay Pacific to slash workforce, end Cathay Dragon brand due to pandemic SYDNEY (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Wednesday it would slash 5,900 jobs and end its regional Cathay Dragon brand, joining peers in cutting costs as it grapples with a plunge in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. The airline would also seek changes in conditions in its contracts with cabin crew and pilots as part of a restructuring that would cost HK$2.2 billion ($283.9 million). Overall, it will cut 8,500 positions, or 24% of its normal headcount, but that includes 2,600 roles currently unfilled due to cost reduction initiatives, Cathay said. "The actions we have announced today, however unpalatable, are absolutely necessary to bring cash burn down to more sustainable levels," Cathay Chairman Patrick Healy told reporters. Cathay shares jumped almost 7% during early trading and closed 2.3% higher, with broker Jefferies saying the announcement removed a key overhang on the stock. Singapore Airlines Ltd and Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd have already announced similarly large payroll cuts, as the International Air Transport Association forecasts passenger traffic will not recover until 2024. Cathay, which has stored around 40% of its fleet outside Hong Kong, said on Monday it planned to operate less than 50% of its pre-pandemic capacity in 2021. After receiving a $5 billion rescue package led by the Hong Kong government in June, it had been conducting a strategic review. The airline said it was bleeding HK$1.5 billion to HK$2 billion of cash a month and the restructuring would stem the outflow by HK$500 million a month in 2021, with executive pay cuts continuing throughout next year. BOCOM International analyst Luya You said she had expected more strategic insight from the airline on its fleet plans and route network as part of the restructuring. "Had they revealed more on fleet planning for 2021-22, we would get a much better sense of their outlook," she said. Cathay will postpone the delivery of its 21 Boeing Co 777-9 jets on order beyond 2025, Healy said. EXIT THE DRAGON The decision to end regional brand Cathay Dragon is in line with rival Singapore Airlines' pre-pandemic move to fold regional brand Silkair into its main brand, though in this case 2,500 Cathay Dragon pilots and cabin crew will lose their jobs. Cathay Dragon, once known as Dragonair, operated most of the group's flights to and from mainland China and had been hit by falling demand before the pandemic due to widespread anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Plans to merge Cathay Dragon into Cathay's main brand earlier this year hit roadblocks from China's aviation regulator because of infractions during last year's pro-democracy protests, two sources told Reuters in May. Cathay said the airline would cease operating immediately and it would seek regulatory approval to fold the majority of Cathay Dragon's routes in Cathay Pacific and low-cost arm HK Express. Healy said there would be "substantial savings" from combining Cathay Dragon's narrowbody fleet with Cathay Pacific's longhaul fleet and focusing on marketing of a single premium brand. In the short-term, the closure of the Cathay Dragon brand will result in it being unable to carry cargo to Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur and Fukuoka, and it will only send dedicated freighters to Xiamen, Chengdu and Hanoi, it told cargo customers in a memo, indicating the routes were cut for now. Like Singapore Airlines, Cathay lacks a domestic market to cushion it from the fall in international travel due to border closures. In September, Cathay's passenger numbers fell by 98.1% compared with a year earlier, though cargo carriage was down by a smaller 36.6%. Cathay shares have fallen 41% since the start of January. The airline's share register is dominated by Swire Pacific Ltd, Air China Ltd, Qatar Airways and the Hong Kong government, with only a 12% free float. https://www.yahoo.com/news/cathay-pacific-cut-5-900-000300106.html Soyuz crew lands from space station ahead of ISS 20-year milestone NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner are back on Earth. A NASA astronaut "sealed" 20 years of crewed operations on the International Space Station with his and his two crewmates' safe return to Earth. Chris Cassidy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, left the space station and landed on the steppe of Kazakhstan with cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of the Russian federal space corporation Roscosmos on Wednesday (Oct. 21). Their Russian Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft touched down southeast of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan at 10:54 p.m. EDT (0255 GMT and 8:54 a.m. on Oct. 22 Kazakh time). The trio's landing came just 10 days before the 20th anniversary of the launch of the first crew to take up residency aboard the International Space Station (ISS), an expedition that was also comprised by one American and two Russians. Russia's Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft lands from the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020 on the steppe of Kazakhstan. (Image credit: NASA TV) "Twenty years ago my astro-SEAL mentor, Captain Bill Shepherd, assumed command of Expedition 1. Now we are book-ending those two decades of manned ISS operations with U.S. Navy SEAL astronauts in space," Cassidy wrote on Twitter a day before his return to Earth. Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner's departure from the space station marked the end of Expedition 63, with NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos on board the ISS to start Expedition 64. The Soyuz MS-16 crew undocked their spacecraft from the space-facing port of the station's Russian Poisk module at 7:32 p.m. EDT (2332 GMT). Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner were met after landing by recovery forces, who helped them out of the Soyuz and provided initial medical checks as they began to readjust to the pull of gravity after 196 days off the planet. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos on the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft before putting on their Sokol spacesuits and undocking from the International Space Station on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. Launched in April, Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner initially joined the Expedition 62 crew of Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos and NASA astronauts Drew Morgan and Jessica Meir before beginning Expedition 63. Over the course of their six months, they were joined by five more crewmates. "Our time on board has been very interesting," Cassidy said during a change-of-command ceremony on Tuesday (Oct. 20). "We've had some time as a three-person crew, some time as a six-person crew, both at the beginning with Drew and Jessica and Oleg, and now with Sergey, Sergey and Kate. In the middle, we had time as a five-person crew with Bob [Behnken] and Doug [Hurley], and we had the privilege of welcoming the SpaceX Demo mission on board the International Space Station." The SpaceX Dragon Demo-2 mission, on which Behnken and Hurley flew, marked the first commercially operated crewed flight to the space station and the first flight of NASA astronauts from a U.S. launchpad in the nine years since the retirement of NASA's space shuttle. "Sprinkle in there some spacewalks and some Progress cargo vehicles and some American cargo vehicles and some crazy situations with the space station's systems, it has just been an incredible six months of our lives," Cassidy said, referencing a broken toilet, a faulty Russian oxygen supply system and the recently concluded search for the source of a slow air leak that was first detected in September 2019. (The leak was ultimately traced to a small fracture inside the Russian Zvezda service module.) The Expedition 63 crew also helped conduct hundreds of science experiments and technology demonstrations. Cassidy worked on many research investigations, including one that leveraged microgravity to identify targeted cancer therapies and the evaluation of water droplet formation and water flow for Delta Faucet's showerhead technology. Back on Earth, the Soyuz MS-16 crew will be taken by Russian helicopters to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. From there, Cassidy will board a NASA plane for a flight back to Houston, while a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft will return Ivanishin and Vagner to their homes in Star City, Russia. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy gives a salute after returning to Earth on a Russian Soyuz MS-16 space capsule, landing in the remote steppes of Kazakhstan, on Oct. 21, 2020. Cassidy, 50, has now logged 378 days in space over the course of his three missions, including a 2009 space shuttle flight and a previous ISS stay in 2013. He now ranks fifth among all NASA astronauts for total time in space. Ivanishin, 51, also completed his third spaceflight, adding to his previous ISS expeditions in 2012 and 2016 for a total of 476 days. This was the first spaceflight for Vagner, who is 35. Soyuz MS-16 was the 62nd Soyuz to launch for the International Space Station. It traveled 83 million miles (133.5 million km) spanning 3,136 orbits of Earth. https://www.space.com/space-station-astronauts-return-to-earth-soyuz-ms16 MU-2 Aircraft - Accident Analysis Webinar ACCIDENT ANALYSIS WEBINAR Live virtual presentation by Pat Cannon SESSION 1 Thursday, October 22, 2020 @ 4:00PM (CST) SESSION 2 Saturday, October 24, 2020 @ 4:00PM (CST) Registration is open! Free Admission REGISTER HERE The Accident Analysis Webinar is an extraordinary live virtual event featuring an accident at Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado in 2004. During this webinar, you will take an in-depth look at the circumstances and decisions that lead up to this accident. As a webinar attendee, you will have an opportunity to provide your opinions via polling and participate in a Q&A discussion. We will also discuss recently developed technology that could prevent similar accidents in the future. "I am fascinated by the important decisions leading up to this accident and how recent developments could have altered the outcome. I am looking forward to seeing all of you at this live webinar and forging ahead with our mission to promote the MU-2 flight-safety culture!" Pat Cannon - MU-2 Pilot, Instructor, and Webinar Presenter Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation & Fatigue Survey (Round 1) As a longitudinal survey, we will send you links to shorter follow-up surveys each month as the industry adapts to changes in regulations and public demand. For more information about the survey, please contact Dr. Cassie Hilditch at cassie.j.hilditch@nasa.gov or see below for FAQs. We thank you for your time and support of this survey addressing the effects of this unprecedented time in aviation history. All the best, Cassie Hilditch FAQs Overall purpose of the survey To assess the impact of operational changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic on fatigue in US commercial pilots. Any additional background on the study Discussions with airline representatives and pilots have highlighted several unique changes to operations as the industry attempts to adapt to reduced demand and travel restrictions. Many of these changes are unprecedented, therefore, understanding how they impact crew fatigue is important in order to manage the impact of such changes and potentially recommend safeguards to their implementation. Who will have access to the raw data? Only staff from NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Research Laboratory approved by the Institutional Research Board will have access to the raw data. All data will be stored anonymously, with a unique ID code assigned to each participant to track responses over time. Who will make the final conclusions? NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Research Laboratory staff will summarize and analyze the survey responses. Where will the information be published? We hope to publish the results as a NASA Technical Memorandum, and also in safety-focused peer-reviewed journals and industry newsletters to reach a wide range of audiences to maximize the learning opportunities from this survey. We also aim to present the results at relevant scientific and industry conferences where possible. Cassie J. Hilditch, PhD Senior Research Associate Fatigue Countermeasures Lab SJSU Research Foundation NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035 PIREP SURVEY Greetings, Please consider participating in our online survey on PIREPs available at this link, https://fit.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6y8tcXQXgr1Q6lT. The survey will take approximately 10-minutes. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Florida Institute of Technology & Purdue University Dr. Debbie S. Carstens, PMP Graduate Program Chair & Professor, Aviation Human Factors College of Aeronautics|321.674.8820 Faculty Profile: https://www.fit.edu/faculty-profiles/2/debbie-carstens/ Curt Lewis