Flight Safety Information [November 17, 2020] [No. 232] In This Issue : Incident: United B738 at Newark on Nov 12th 2020, post flight inspection reveals bird strike : ProSafeT - SMS, Quality & Audit Management Software : Incident: Aeroflot A320 near Khanty-Mansiysk on Nov 17th 2020, smell of smoke in cockpit : Timeline: Events in Boeing's 737 MAX Crisis : Airlines hiding name of Boeing’s 737 MAX as planes set to resume flying : AFCAC, IATA, AFRAA promote jointly aviation safety and connectivity in Africa : FAA appears poised to recertify the 737 Max this week : Textron delivers Citations to Thrive Aviation : Vietnam lawmakers approve capital injection plan for national airline : U.S. tentatively approves adding Aer Lingus to Oneworld alliance group : Virgin Galactic delays key test flight after pandemic causes shutdowns Incident: United B738 at Newark on Nov 12th 2020, post flight inspection reveals bird strike A United Boeing 737-800, registration N76519 performing flight UA-655 from Boston,MA to Newark,NJ (USA), departed Boston's runway 27 and completed a seemingly uneventful flight with a safe landing on Newark's runway 04R. The FAA however reported a post flight inspection revealed the left hand engine (CFM56) had ingested a bird, there was also damage to the leading edge of the left hand wing. The aircraft is still on the ground in Newark about 19 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL655/history/20201112/2110Z/KBOS/KEWR http://avherald.com/h?article=4df27bc1&opt=0 Incident: Aeroflot A320 near Khanty-Mansiysk on Nov 17th 2020, smell of smoke in cockpit An Aeroflot Airbus A320-200, registration VP-BTC performing flight SU-1513 from Surgut to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) with 60 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL360 about 120nm westsouthwest of Khanty-Mansiysk when the crew smelled smoke in the cockpit, descended the aircraft to FL200, turned around and diverted to Khanty-Mansiysk for a safe landing about 35 minutes after leaving FL360. Ural's Transport Investigation Committee reported the aircraft commander smelled smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Khanty-Mansiysk, where the aircraft landed safely. Investigators of the Committee are on scene to establish the causes and circumstances of the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4df4fcf2&opt=0 Timeline: Events in Boeing's 737 MAX Crisis (Reuters) - U.S. aviation authorities are poised as early as Wednesday to lift a grounding order (https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN27Q00H) on Boeing Co's 737 MAX, a long-delayed major step in a crisis caused by fatal crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia just five months apart in 2018 and 2019. The disasters killed 346 people, slashed Boeing's profit, prompted lawsuits and investigations, including an active criminal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice. Here is a timeline of events surrounding the 737 MAX: 2017 MARCH 8 - The 737 MAX gains U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. MAY 22 - The 737 MAX enters commercial service on Lion Air subsidiary Malindo Air. 2018 OCT. 29 - A Lion Air 737 MAX plane crashes in Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board. NOV. 13 - FAA, Boeing say they are evaluating the need for software or design changes to 737 MAX jets following the Lion Air crash. NOV. 30 - Boeing weighs plans for a software upgrade for its 737 MAX in six to eight weeks that would help address a scenario faced by crew of Indonesia's Lion Air. 2019 MARCH 10 - An Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crashes, killing all 157 people on board. MARCH 12 - FAA says will mandate that Boeing implement design changes on the 737 MAX by April that have been in the works for months. MARCH 13 - FAA joins other major global regulators in grounding the 737 MAX, citing evidence of similarities between the two fatal crashes. APRIL 3 - The FAA says it is forming an international team to review the safety of the now-grounded 737 MAX that will be headed by a formal top U.S. safety official. APRIL 6 - Boeing says it will cut monthly 737 MAX production by nearly 20%; U.S. and airline officials say they believe the plane could be grounded for at least two months. APRIL 24 - Boeing abandons its 2019 financial outlook, halts share buybacks and says lowered production due to the 737 MAX grounding has cost it at least $1 billion so far. MAY 5 - Boeing did not tell U.S. regulators for more than a year that it inadvertently made an alarm alerting pilots to a mismatch of flight data optional on the 737 MAX, instead of standard as on earlier 737s. JUNE 17 - Boeing executives take turns apologizing for the loss of life in two 737 MAX crashes and pledge to apply lessons of the crisis to future planes. JULY 24 - Boeing posts its largest-ever quarterly loss due to the spiraling cost of resolving issues with its 737 MAX. SEPT. 25 - Boeing's board of directors creates a new permanent safety committee to oversee development, manufacturing and operation of its aircraft and services. OCT. 22 - Boeing fires Kevin McAllister, the top executive of its commercial airplanes division, marking the first high-level departure since the two fatal crashes. DEC. 12 - Boeing abandons its goal of winning regulatory approval for the 737 MAX to resume flying in December after the FAA said the plane would not be cleared to fly before 2020. DEC. 16 - Boeing says it will suspend 737 production in January, its biggest assembly-line halt in more than 20 years, as fallout from two fatal crashes of the now-grounded aircraft drags on. DEC. 23 - Boeing fires Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg following a year of intense scrutiny and industrial setbacks set off by twin fatal crashes of the 737 MAX. 2020 MARCH 9 - Ethiopian investigators single out faulty systems on a 737 MAX plane in an interim report on the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, piling pressure on the U.S. jetmaker on the eve of the disaster's anniversary. MARCH 11 - Boeing is freezing new hiring and overtime except in certain critical areas to preserve cash, as the coronavirus outbreak compounds the MAX fallout. - Boeing plans to separate 737 MAX wiring bundles, flagged by regulators as potentially dangerous, before the jet returns to service. MAY 27 - Boeing says it has resumed 737 MAX production at a "low rate", after halting production in January. JUNE 16 - U.S. senators introduce legislation to strengthen FAA oversight of aircraft certification. JUNE 17 - FAA chief Steve Dickson acknowledged Boeing and the U.S. air safety agency both made mistakes on the 737 MAX. JUNE 29 - Boeing begins a series of long-delayed flight tests of its redesigned 737 MAX with regulators at the controls. JULY 7 - Boeing has reached settlement agreements in more than 90% of the wrongful death claims filed in federal court after the 2018 Lion Air 737 MAX crash in Indonesia that killed all 189 people on board. SEPT. 16 - An 18-month investigation by a U.S. House of Representatives panel finds Boeing failed in its design and development of the MAX as well as its transparency with the FAA, and that the FAA failed in its oversight and certification. SEPT. 28 - The leaders of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure introduce bipartisan legislation to reform the FAA's aircraft certification process. SEPT. 30 - FAA Chief Steve Dickson conducts a nearly two-hour evaluation flight at the controls of a Boeing 737 MAX. OCT. 6 - The FAA issues a draft report on revised training procedures for the 737 MAX. OCT. 18 - American Airlines Group says it plans to return 737 MAX jets to service for passenger flights by the end of this year. NOV. 9 - The FAA says it is in the final stages of reviewing proposed changes to the 737 MAX, with sources telling Reuters the FAA was set to lift its grounding order as early as Nov. 18. https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2020-11-16/timeline-events-in-boeings-737-max-crisis Airlines hiding name of Boeing’s 737 MAX as planes set to resume flying Boeing’s troubled 737 MAX is expected to take flight again next week — but in an apparent rebranding move, some airlines are already trying to hide the name. The jetmaker first slapped the “MAX” title to its latest 737 as a marketing strategy in 2011. Billed for its stellar performance, the branding name took a hit after two fatal crashes that left 346 people dead. But after being grounded for nearly two years during a safety-review, Boeing is set to win approval to get the commercial planes back in operation. American Airlines plans to relaunch their MAX flights on Dec. 29 from Miami to New York City. The MAX name will appear on booking systems, but was removed from seat pocket safety cards, sources told Reuters. An American spokeswoman confirmed the move the Reuters, chalking it up as a simplicity measure. “We changed the Boeing 737 safety cards to simplify the cards and ensure the correct card is placed on each aircraft,” the spokeswoman said. “This approach is consistent with other fleet types where we do not have different safety cards for sub-fleets,” she added. In August, Poland’s Enter Air referred to the MAX only as the “737-8” in a news release. The same numbered designation was used last week by Air Canada in a press release on quarterly earnings. “MAX” only appeared in footnotes. Industry insiders predicted to Reuters that the “MAX” name will eventually be phased out. “If Boeing’s customers want it dropped, it will be dropped,” a source told Reuters, adding that some key “customers are saying the name MAX is tainted.” https://nypost.com/2020/11/16/airlines-hide-name-of-boeings-737-max-as-planes-set-to-resume-flying/ AFCAC, IATA, AFRAA promote jointly aviation safety and connectivity in Africa The project will identify eligible airlines, conduct gap analyses, and recommend corrective actions for each participating carrier to prepare them for IATA Operational Safety Audits The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and African Airlines Association (AFRAA) have joined forces with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) on a three-year safety project. The objective is to provide technical support to the African air operators of states party to the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) to ensure that they achieve and maintain global aviation safety standards.Launched today, the initiative is backed by African Development Bank grant funding provided to AFCAC and is specifically for carriers in countries that have signed up to the African Union’s (AU) flagship Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) program. The project will identify eligible airlines, conduct gap analyses, and recommend corrective actions for each participating carrier to prepare them for IATA Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) or IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) evaluation.In addition, participating airlines’ personnel will receive quality and safety management systems training. IATA, AFRAA, and AFCAC will also host workshops and training sessions held at their facilities in Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Dakar.“Depending on the size of their organization and aircraft they operate, airlines wanting to take advantage of the SAATM’s market and commercial expansion benefits are required to be certified either through IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) or Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) programs. Both safety programs are globally recognized, and part of the African Safety Targets of Abuja Ministerial Declaration hallmarks of aviation safety. We are committed to opening up Africa’s skies through SAATM and supporting the region’s airlines in doing so,” explained Tefera Mekonnen Tefera, Secretary-General of AFCAC. “This project will not only bolster safety standards in line with the Abuja Declaration on Safety in Africa. It will also help operationalize the SAATM and reinforce the development of sustainable commercial air transport in Africa, which is crucial to the recovery and future growth of economies throughout the continent that have been devastated by the COVID-19 crisis,” said IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Muhammad Ali Albakri.“The ultimate goal of the project is to improve safety levels for the airline sector in Africa. Indeed, the 2012 Abuja Declaration safety targets stipulate that all African-based airlines, attain IOSA or ISAA certification by the end of 2022,” said Abdérahmane Berthé, Secretary-General, AFRAA.IOSA is an internationally recognized evaluation system that assesses airlines’ operational management and control systems from a safety perspective. The auditing process creates a single worldwide standard. IOSA’s roll-out and adoption across Africa over the past eight years has led to a significant improvement in the region’s safety performance for commercial airlines. African carriers on the IOSA registry had an accident rate of nearly half that of non-IOSA operators for 2015 -2019. IOSA has also minimized the number of duplicate audits improving operational efficiency and reducing costs for participating airlines.ISSA is a voluntary safety evaluation program derived from IOSA but tailored for operators of smaller aircraft that are not eligible for IOSA.IOSA is a requirement for IATA and AFRAA membership. Therefore, the primary beneficiaries of this initiative are non-member airlines of these organizations in Africa. SAATM was launched in January 2018 and is critical to the AU’s integration agenda. It provides a logistics pillar which is crucial to the success of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is envisaged to be the world’s largest single market for goods and services, facilitated by the movement of people and promoting trade and economic integration. To date, 34 of the AU’s 55 member countries have signed the commitment to establish the SAATM. https://www.tornosnews.gr/en/transport/airlines/42077-afcac-iata-afraa-promote-jointly-aviation-safety-and-connectivity-in-africa.html FAA appears poised to recertify the 737 Max this week The Federal Aviation Administration appears poised to recertify the flight worthiness of the 737 Max this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday morning, said sources familiar with an expected FAA announcement. American Airlines hopes to return 737 MAX to service by end of 2020 The commercial aircraft, which was grounded after two deadly crashes and ongoing reports of safety mismanagement, has not flown nationally or internationally since March 2019. The FAA did not return calls seeking comment. The grounding of the aircraft followed the deaths of 346 passengers and crew across two catastrophic flights, Lion Air Flight 610 in late 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in early 2019. In the months following the crash, numerous reports — including award-winning coverage by The Seattle Times — outlined a series of management decisions and lax FAA oversight that contributed to the twin disasters. Ryan Rule, president of one of Boeing’s largest unions, said getting the passenger airplane back in the air will be a boost for the company and employee morale. “I think people took this very personally,” said Rule, the president of the Society of Professional Engineering and Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA). “If this is happening this week, that’s great news,” Rule said. In a statement, a Boeing spokesperson said the company, “didn’t have anything to add at this point.” Recertification does not mean the single-aisle airplane will return to service immediately. Thousands of pilots worldwide will require retaining on the Max’s new flight software, originally the issue that helped get the aircraft grounded. According to a BBC report following the Lion Air crash, a faulty sensor “fed information to the plane’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System – or MCAS. That software repeatedly pushed the plane’s nose down, leaving pilots fighting for control.” Boeing officially announces plan to move 787 production out of Everett by mid-2021 The grounding of the 737 Max, an airline industry workhorse and Boeing’s biggest selling passenger plane, hit the company hard financially, culturally, and reputationally: Victims’ families sued, airlines canceled orders and asked for billions in compensation, and critics lashed the 104-year-old company with allegations of coverups and a corporate culture that put profits over safety. Those hits, later coupled with the subsequent pandemic which decimated the airline industry, put the nation’s largest aerospace company in dire straights with thousands of layoffs and billions in losses. https://mynorthwest.com/2314704/faa-appears-poised-recertify-737-max/ Textron delivers Citations to Thrive Aviation By the end of 2020 fourth quarter, Thrive Aviation will operate 11 Cessna Citation jets. Use thisTextron Aviation and Las Vegas-based private aviation charter operator, Thrive Aviation, announced the delivery of three preowned Cessna Citation Sovereign+ business jets. Thrive Aviation is a private aviation company operating across North America and has a newly opened corporate headquarters at Henderson Executive Airport and a private 21,000 square foot hangar at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. “The delivery of these Citation business jets is a significant milestone for Thrive, which can now support a greater range of customers and accommodate their every aviation need – a vision we share at Textron Aviation,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president, Sales and Flight Operations, Textron Aviation. “We appreciate the work that Thrive does and it’s exciting to witness their continued growth as they deliver passenger solutions for various mission profiles.” By the end of 2020 fourth quarter, Thrive Aviation will operate 11 Cessna Citation jets. The three Sovereign+ aircraft are currently going through extensive interior and exterior overhauls, including paint to match Thrive Aviation’s flagship livery design. These jets will join the company’s existing array of aircraft, including two Cessna Citation M2 entry-level jets, four Cessna Citation CJ3+ light-jets, and one Cessna Citation XLS+ midsize business jet. https://asianaviation.com/textron-delivers-citations-to-thrive-aviation/ Vietnam lawmakers approve capital injection plan for national airline HANOI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Vietnam’s National Assembly approved on Tuesday a plan to boost the capital of state carrier Vietnam Airlines after it was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the plan, the government will buy new shares from the country’s flag carrier through its State Capital Investment Corp (SCIC), the National Assembly, the country’s lawmaking body, said in a statement. The statement didn’t say how much the plan would cost, but state media reports earlier this month said that Vietnam Airlines was in need of 12 trillion dong ($518 million). The State Bank of Vietnam, the country’s central bank, will also indirectly provide low-interest loans to Vietnam Airlines through financial institutions, the lawmakers’ statement said. Last month Vietnam Airlines, 86% owned by the government, reported a net loss of $453 million for the first nine months of this year as the coronavirus pandemic hammered air travel globally. SCIC’s deputy chief executive Dinh Viet Tung said last week that SCIC could invest up to 6.8 trillion dong to buy new shares from the airline as part of the support plan. He said Vietnam Airlines would need to raise 12 trillion dong, including four trillion dong in bank loans and eight trillion dong via new share sales. ($1 = 23,163 dong) https://www.reuters.com/article/vietnam-airlines/vietnam-lawmakers-approve-capital-injection-plan-for-national-airline-idINL1N2I30QI U.S. tentatively approves adding Aer Lingus to Oneworld alliance group WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Irish airline Aer Lingus received tentative U.S. approval on Monday to join the Oneworld carrier alliance, the U.S. Transportation Department announced, a move that will give the joint venture control of more than half of the U.S.-Ireland flight market. Airlines are expected to expand capacity on some existing routes while introducing service on several new routes, allowing more options for travel between the United States and Ireland as well as the rest of Europe, the department said. The alliance includes American Airlines , British Airways, OpenSkies SAS, Iberia, and Finnair. The carriers requested the U.S. agency extend the joint venture's antitrust immunity to include Aer Lingus. The approval will integrate Aer Lingus into Oneworld's network planning, pricing and sales. Aer Lingus did not immediately comment. Aer Lingus controls 44% of the U.S.-Ireland flight market, a figure that will rise to 60% for the alliance. In 2015, International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) , the parent company British Airways, Iberia and OpenSkies, acquired Aer Lingus. The group petitioned in 2018 to allow Aer Lingus join the alliance. Despite the alliance's majority market share, the U.S. regulator noted steps that it said would support competition. As a condition of approval, the department proposed Oneworld maintain commitments to release landing and takeoff gate slots at London airports to competitors. Those were imposed when the alliance was first approved in 2010. In addition, the U.S. Transportation Department noted the presence of a strong competitor outside the alliance. It said the second-largest carrier in the Irish-U.S. market, low-cost airline Norwegian , "has shown an aggressive ability to challenge established carriers in the transatlantic market with its low-fare pricing model." The Transportation Department also argued that new aircraft models will allow airlines to fly transatlantic routes with fewer seats and lower costs. The public can comment on the tentative decision for two weeks before it is finalized. https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-tentatively-approves-adding-aer-191430551.html Virgin Galactic delays key test flight after pandemic causes shutdowns New York (CNN Business)Virgin Galactic said Monday that it no longer plans to conduct a key test flight of its spacecraft this week because of a surge in new Covid-19 cases and resulting related restrictions in New Mexico, home to the company's glitzy spaceport. New Mexico has reported over 1,000 new cases each day for the past ten days, according to Johns Hopkins University. Business activity and large gatherings have been banned in the state through at least November 30. Virgin Galactic, which had been operating as an "essential business" at its manufacturing and development facilities in California, was expected to conduct its first-ever test flight at its New Mexico spaceport. That's the location that Galactic hopes wealthy thrill seekers will flock to before they board one of the companies rocket-powered planes for a brief trip to the edge of space. That test flight was expected to take off this week, but the company said in a statement they had consulted with New Mexico officials and decided to reschedule the flight. There is no new predicted test flight date in place. But operations in California, where the company still has large facilities and is working to manufacture several more space planes, will continue, a Virgin Galactic spokesperson told CNN Business. More than 10,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by the California Department of Public Health Sunday. California is also implementing new guidelines urging residents to stay home and restrict travel during the Thanksgiving holiday. The United States overall is experience a surge in Covid-19 infections, making virtually the entire country a hotspot for the virus. US Surgeon General Jerome Adams said all Americans must wear masks and double down on safety precautions, as the next few months are expected to be the worst of the pandemic. "Record cases over the past week will be record hospitalizations soon. Our/ YOUR communities and hospitals simply can not sustain high level care at this rate of increase," Adams said in a tweet Monday. Nationwide, more than 11 million people in the US have been infected with coronavirus, and more than 246,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Investors appeared to be displeased by Virgin Galactic's decision to follow state health official's advice. The company's stock price plunged 6% during trading hours on Monday. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/16/tech/virgin-galactic-stock-test-flight-scn/index.html Curt Lewis