Flight Safety Information - January 29, 2021 No. 022 In This Issue : Incident: J-Air E170 at Sapporo on Jan 29th 2021, overran runway on landing : Incident: American A319 near New Orleans on Jan 28th 2021, fuel leak : Incident: Mango B738 enroute on Jan 25th 2021, loss of cabin pressure : Beechcraft (Raytheon) B300 King Air 350 - Runway Excursion on Takeoff (Iowa) : Cessna 414A Chancellor - Runway Excursion (Mexico) : Beechcraft B200GT King Air 250 - Gear-up Landing (Canada) : UK bans direct flights from UAE, shutting world's busiest international route : American Airlines subsidiary grounds most of its planes, canceling 182 CLT departures : American Airlines regional jet carrier grounds planes for overdue inspections : Airline executives say COVID tests for passengers on US flights not feasible, fair or needed: 'It's wholly impractical' : Most of the world’s pilots are no longer flying for a living : Honolulu woman sentenced after intentionally severing FAA communication lines : Investigator blames exhaust leak for Sydney seaplane crash : ALL VIETNAM AIRLINES PASSENGERS MUST NOW WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT RHINO HORN : Hong Kong’s airport raises $1.5 billion in bond sale to fund third runway : NASA’s Perseverance Rover Just 20 Days From Mars Landing : Position: Assistant/Associate Professor of Aerospace and Occupational Safety : 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Incident: J-Air E170 at Sapporo on Jan 29th 2021, overran runway on landing A J-Air Embraer ERJ-170, registration JA216J performing flight JL-2903 from Sendai to Sapporo (Japan) with 28 passengers and 4 crew, landed on Sapporo's runway 19R at 11:13L (02:13Z) but overran the end of the runway and came to a stop on the paved surface of the runway end safety area in deep snow. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration JA338J performing flight JL-2501 from Osaka to Sapporo (Japan), was on short final to runway 19R behind the Embraer and needed to go around from about 1000 feet AGL, entered a hold and landed safely 2 hours later. The occurrence aircraft was subsequently towed back onto the runway and to the apron, where passengers disembarked. There was heavy snowfall at Sapporo causing one of the two available runways to be temporarily closed for snow removal with only one runway remaining available for operations. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e24b274&opt=0 Incident: American A319 near New Orleans on Jan 28th 2021, fuel leak An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N9022G performing flight AA-1237 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) to Saint Thomas (US Virgin Islands), was enroute at FL370 about 110nm north of New Orleans,LA (USA) when the crew received indications of a fuel leak on the left hand engine (CFM56), shut the engine down and diverted to New Orleans for a safe landing on runway 11 about 30 minutes later. A replacement A319-100 registration N709UW is estimated to reach Saint Thomas with a delay of 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 7 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1237/history/20210128/1500Z/KDFW/TIST http://avherald.com/h?article=4e246352&opt=0 Incident: Mango B738 enroute on Jan 25th 2021, loss of cabin pressure A Mango Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration ZS-SJF performing flight JE-251 from Johannesburg to Durban (South Africa), was enroute at FL350 about 140nm southeast of Johannesburg when the crew initiated an emergency descent due to the loss of cabin pressure, the passenger oxygen masks were released. The aircraft continued to Durban for a safe landing on runway 24 about 35 minutes after leaving FL350. The airline confirmed the aircraft suffered a depressurization incident during the flight, the aircraft landed safely and the passengers disembarked normally. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e22c227&opt=0 Beechcraft (Raytheon) B300 King Air 350 - Runway Excursion on Takeoff (Iowa) Date: 28-JAN-2021 Time: c. 16:15 Type: Beechcraft (Raytheon) B300 King Air 350 Owner/operator: MM-Air LLC Registration: N217US C/n / msn: FL-519 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Davenport Municipal Airport (DVN/KDVN), Davenport, IA - United States of America Phase: Take off Nature: Test Departure airport: Davenport Airport, IA (DVN/KDVN) Destination airport: Narrative: The aircraft experienced a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion during a takeoff attempt at Davenport Municipal Airport (DVN/KDVN), Davenport, Iowa. The two occupants onboard were uninjured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage upon impact with snow berms. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=247210 Cessna 414A Chancellor - Runway Excursion (Mexico) Date: 28-JAN-2021 Time: c. 12:00 Type: Cessna 414A Chancellor Owner/operator: Sun Valley Freight Inc Registration: N414GP C/n / msn: 414A0331 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Guerrero Negro Airport (GUB/MMGR), Baja California - Mexico Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Hermosillo-Gen Pesqueira Garcia Airport (HMO/MMHO) Destination airport: Guerrero Negro Airport (GUB/MMGR) Narrative: As a result of a problem with the nose landing gear, a Cessna 414A Chancellor (325hp RAM IV conversion) plane veered off the runway upon landing at Guerrero Negro Airport (GUB/MMGR), Baja California. There were no personal injuries to the six POB.. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=247211 Beechcraft B200GT King Air 250 - Gear-up Landing (Canada) Date: 27-JAN-2021 Time: c. 17:00 Type: Beechcraft B200GT King Air 250 Owner/operator: CanWest Air Registration: C-GLUT C/n / msn: BY-318 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: High Level-Footner Lake Airport (YOJ/CYOJ), AB - Canada Phase: Landing Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Fort Vermilion Airfield, AB (CEZ4) Destination airport: Edmonton International Airport, AB (YEG/CYEG) Narrative: A Beechcraft B20GT King Air 250, performing ambulance flight CWA925, diverted to High Level-Footner Lake Airport (YOJ/CYOJ), Alberta, and made a belly landing after the right-hand main landing gear did not extend. The flight crew decided to make a gear-up landing. None of the four POB were injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=247176 UK bans direct flights from UAE, shutting world's busiest international route Outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London LONDON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Britain is banning direct passenger flights from the United Arab Emirates from Friday, shutting down the world's busiest international airline route from Dubai to London. Britain said it was adding the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda to its coronavirus travel ban list because of worries over the spread of a more contagious and potentially vaccine-resistant COVID-19 variant first identified in South Africa. "This means people who have been in or transited through these countries will be denied entry, except British, Irish and third country nationals with residence rights who must self-isolate for ten days at home," U.K. Transport Minister Grant Shapps said on Twitter on Thursday. On its website, Emirates said it would suspend all U.K. passenger flights from 1300 GMT, when the ban takes effect. Etihad Airways said it would only suspend flights to Britain, with those from the U.K. remaining unaffected. In a statement, Dubai airport advised those booked on flights due to arrive in Britain after the ban not to go to the airport and instead contact their airline. Britain's transport department advised nationals now in the UAE to use indirect commercial routes to fly back to Britain. Border closures caused by COVID-19 made Dubai to London the world's busiest international route in January, with 190,365 scheduled seats over the month, airline data provider OAG said. Emirates and Etihad normally carry large numbers of passengers connecting from Britain to destinations like Australia through their airport hubs, meaning the decision to cancel those flights will have far-reaching implications. The Australian government said it will add more charter flights from Britain if needed as a result of the Emirates and Etihad cancellations. Eran Ben-Avraham, an Australian stranded in Britain due to strict limits on the number of arrivals in Australia, said his options for getting home were continually shrinking. "At the moment it is only giving us three options of flying Qatar, ANA or Singapore Airlines," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "Every day it is making it more difficult to get home. The flights back are anywhere from like 4,000 pounds ($5,487)." https://www.yahoo.com/news/uk-adds-uae-burundi-rwanda-020954629.html American Airlines subsidiary grounds most of its planes, canceling 182 CLT departures American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines grounded most of its planes Thursday after discovering what the Federal Aviation Administration described as “a maintenance item that required immediate attention.” PSA Airlines canceled about 230 flights systemwide — including 182 departures from Charlotte Douglas International and one departure from Raleigh-Durham, according to officials and the flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. The aircraft were voluntarily removed from service to inspect and and re-torque three nuts and bolts on the nose-gear doors, officials said. “The airline voluntarily disclosed the matter to the FAA, and the agency is working with the airline to address the situation,” the FAA said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. The planes are Bombardier regional jets, according to the FAA. The PSA Airlines website says its fleet includes Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900s. On Twitter, PSA Airlines said the planes “have temporarily been removed from service” to complete what the airline called “a standard inspection.” PSA Airlines operates under the American Eagle name and has 130 planes, officials said. “We’re working to resolve the issue and sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” the airline tweeted. American Airlines tweeted that it was “working to accommodate” PSA passengers “as quickly as possible.” The airline has yet to say when it expects PSA flights to resume and urged passengers to check their flight status at AA.com. In the statement to the Observer, American Airlines said PSA removed most of its planes “out of an abundance of caution” to complete “a necessary, standard inspection on the nose gear door.” “We are working with PSA and the FAA to immediately address the issue,” AA said in the statement. “We are working with our customers to arrange new accommodations on other flights and we are working to return the impacted aircraft to service.” Only flights operated by PSA Airlines are affected, officials said, and all other American Eagle flights are continuing to operate. https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-subsidiary-grounds-most-210332326.html American Airlines regional jet carrier grounds planes for overdue inspections About 200 American Eagle flights have been canceled as a result. An American Airlines subsidiary grounded most of its planes Thursday to conduct overdue inspections of bolts that secure doors on the nose gear. The grounding affected two models of Bombardier regional jets operated by PSA Airlines, which operates flights under the American Eagle name. PSA has 130 of the planes, and all but a few were grounded, according to American. Fort Worth-based American said it is working with PSA and the Federal Aviation Administration to fix the issue. It said a few of the planes have returned to service but gave no precise numbers and did not offer a timetable for finishing inspections on the remaining planes. Tracking site FlightAware.com said 200 PSA flights were canceled by midafternoon Thursday. American said it was trying to arrange new flights for displaced customers. PSA is based in Dayton, Ohio, and operates many American Eagle flights in the eastern United States including at American’s hub airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2021/01/28/american-airlines-regional-jet-carrier-grounds-planes-for-overdue-inspections/ Airline executives say COVID tests for passengers on US flights not feasible, fair or needed: 'It's wholly impractical' "A mistake." "Wholly impractical." "A real goat rodeo.'' Southwest Airlines' top two executives had choice words Thursday about mandatory COVID-19 testing on flights within the U.S., a policy the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week said is under consideration. And they weren't alone. The president of JetBlue Airways bluntly said the airline doesn't support the measure. The CEO of American Airlines took a more diplomatic stance but said testing all passengers would be difficult and "would have us testing Americans on airplanes that we all know are safe to be on.'' The airline officials, asked about the CDC proposal by Wall Street analysts and reporters on their earnings conference calls Thursday, said they didn't have much, if any, information on what's on the table. "It's not clear if, when, what, how we'd be asked to do that,'' Southwest Airlines President Tom Nealon said. "It hasn't been floated to us,'' American CEO Doug Parker said. "We haven’t heard anything directly from regulators or others about that possibility.'' Parker and others have said they supported the addition of COVID testing on international flights to the U.S. because it was seen as a way to reopen international borders. Industry officials had hoped the new testing regime would result in a reduction in quarantines and other international travel restrictions, especially for Europe travel, but those have not yet been relaxed. The prospect of domestic testing was raised in a media briefing on Tuesday with Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. His comments came the same day a COVID testing requirement went into effect for all passengers boarding international flights to the U.S. Travelers will be denied boarding unless they provide a negative test result taken no more than three days prior to their flight or show proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months. On Wednesday, new CDC director Rochelle Walensky, appeared to double down on the idea of mandatory testing on domestic flights during a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper. Walensky said there is money in the budget to boost the availability of COVID-19 tests, with much of it designated for testing in schools. "But I would like to really see much of that budget, and I think the Biden administration (does) as well, to use it for high-risk activities, and one of those high-risk activities would be for travel and domestic flights.'' Despite talk of new testing to help fight the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the CDC and the U.S. State Department have a more urgent message for Americans: don't travel at all. "I want to emphasize that now is not the time to be traveling period, internationally or domestically,'' Walensky said. Here are the reasons airlines cite for opposing or expressing concern about COVID-19 testing on US flights Lack of tests JetBlue President Joanna Geraghty said COVID-19 testing slots in many parts of the country are scarce and results can take days. "When you start thinking about a framework that‘s already overburdened and you add domestic travel into that, this puts a ton of pressure on an already fragile system.'' Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said he thinks mandatory testing "would be a mistake" because of testing access and the costs of administering the tests. "I just think it’s wholly impractical,'' he said. Kelly said the focus should be on the rollout of the COVID vaccines. "I would hate for us to take our eye off that ball,'' he said. It's not fair to single out airlines Kelly suggested mandated testing for airline passengers would "pick on travel.'' "If you want to test people, test them,'' he said. "But test them before they go to the grocery store. Test them before they go to restaurants. Test them before they go to a sporting event.'' He and JetBlue's Geraghty noted that air travel is just one mode of transportation, with trains and road trips also carrying travelers across the country. "People need to travel. They'll figure out a way to get there. They'll figure out a way to see Mom, Dad,'' Geraghty said. "And,frankly, putting this burden on air travel is, we think, far too cumbersome.'' Ticket bookings will take a hit As evidenced by billions of dollars in losses in 2020 and a relatively weak outlook for the first few months of 2021, airlines are struggling to fill planes. A testing requirement on flights within the country would prompt some travelers to cancel planned trips and hurt future bookings, airlines say. There is already evidence that is happening in Mexico and other countries since the international testing requirement was announced on Jan. 12 as travelers don't want to risk not being able to find a test or testing positive and being stranded at their own expense. If any domestic restrictions are proposed, Parker said, "we certainly would want to make sure it's not something that would restrict demand.'' A logistical nightmare With international travel already severely restricted due to global travel reservations, there are far fewer international flights to the U.S. than flights within the U.S. Airlines say gearing up for mandatory testing requirements would be a big challenge. Airlines and international airports were more prepared for the CDC's international testing requirement because there are already several processes in place to check documents needed for international flights, before and during the pandemic. "We have real concerns about this,'' Geraghty said. "We are open to reasonable measures, but we don't believe a domestic-testing regime is feasible given the existing framework.'' Southwest's Nealon said it would be important to have streamlined policies across airlines, airports and cities, which would require a big technology push so passengers aren't confused. "I think, as we say in Texas, that could be a real goat rodeo,'' he said. Too much additional stress on employees Geraghty said airline workers don't need anything else on their to-do list during the pandemic. "We already have them as the mask police. We already have them as the social distance police,'' she said. "Adding document checks and testing validations put them, frankly, in an untenable position and in an environment where we’re trying to promote social distancing.'' https://www.yahoo.com/news/airline-executives-covid-tests-passengers-231747656.html Most of the world’s pilots are no longer flying for a living More than half of the world’s airline pilots are no longer flying for a living, according to a worldwide survey highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the profession. The Pilot Survey 2021, by aviation recruitment firm Goose and publisher FlightGlobal, showed just 43% of pilots remain in their job. The October poll covered almost 2,600 flight crew worldwide. While vaccinations remain aviation’s great hope for a recovery, infection flare-ups and mutant variants of the virus have dashed prospects for a steady return of scheduled services. The International Air Transport Association has said flying may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, putting a lengthy strain on the pilot profession. In the survey, 30% of respondents described themselves as unemployed and 17% said they were furloughed. Another 6% still work in aviation but in a nonflying role, and 4% had switched to a different industry altogether. Of the regions represented in the survey, the U.S. was least hardest hit, with 20% of pilots unemployed. China had the largest group of furloughed pilots at 24%. In a sign of some optimism, almost three-quarters of pilots expect the industry to fully recover in one to three years. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/most-of-the-worlds-pilots-are-no-longer-flying-for-a-living/ Honolulu woman sentenced after intentionally severing FAA communication lines HONOLULU (KHON2) — A former Federal Aviation Administration employee has been sentenced for intentionally and maliciously severing communication between air traffic control and several aircrafts in flight. The worker, identified as 48-year-old Joelyn Decosta of Honolulu, will serve two years on probation and be required to pay a fine of $5,000 for her interference with the communication systems. Decosta was an airway transportation systems specialist and had worked for the FAA for approximately 26 years. According to federal prosecutors, Decosta’s actions severed communication between Air Traffic Control in Honolulu and ten aircrafts flying in section 4, which covers flights between all major Hawaiian islands. As a result, pilots were not able to hear air traffic control for two minutes. In Thursday’s sentencing, one pilot described the danger she caused to himself and his 40 passengers. “The United States Attorney’s Office takes any threat to the safety of the air travelling public very seriously, and will vigorously enforce federal criminal laws against any federal employee who abuses their position and, in doing so, puts air travelers in harm’s way,” said U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price. As part of her plea deal, Decosta also resigned from the FAA and lost her retirement benefits, estimated to have been worth more than half-a-million dollars. https://www.khon2.com/local-news/honolulu-woman-sentenced-after-intentionally-severing-faa-communication-lines/ Investigator blames exhaust leak for Sydney seaplane crash CANBERRA, Australia — A pilot was confused and disoriented from inhaling poisonous fumes in the moments before his seaplane plunged into a river near Sydney in 2017, killing him and his five British passengers, an Australian crash investigation found Friday. Canadian pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, and the passengers had elevated levels of carbon monoxide in their blood. Investigators found cracks in the exhaust system of the DHC-2 Beaver plane that was built in 1963 and bolts missing from a firewall that would have allowed carbon monoxide to leak from the engine bay into the cabin. "The pilot would have almost certainly experienced effects such as confusion, visual disturbance and disorientation," Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said. "Consequently, the investigation found that it was likely that this significantly degraded the pilot's ability to safely operate the aircraft." The crash occurred during a joy flight on New Year's Eve when the plane flew low into Jerusalem Bay, which is surrounded by steep terrain, and crashed into the Hawkesbury River. The crash investigator said the plane likely stalled while turning in the bay before crashing. The passengers were catering giant Compass Group chief executive Richard Cousins, his fiancee Emma Bowden, her 11-year-old daughter, Heather Bowden-Page, and his two sons William, 25, and Edward, 23. The daughter's father is suing the aircraft's owner, Sydney Seaplanes, for the tragedy in the New South Wales state Supreme Court. Sydney Seaplanes has since installed advanced carbon monoxide warning systems on their planes. It blamed maintenance company Airag Aviation Services, accredited by the Australian aviation safety regulator, for the tragedy. "This report confirms that Airag failed in its most basic and important responsibilities, which were to properly maintain our aircraft in accordance with the required standards to protect the safety of our passengers and crew," Sydney Seaplanes said in a statement. "This is incredibly disappointing." Sydney-based Airag did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The crash investigator recommended that the Australian safety regulator mandate carbon monoxide detectors in all piston-engine planes that alert pilots through an alarm or flashing lights. The investigator noted that no other country has mandated such devices. The wrecked plane had a disposable detector designed to change color to indicate dangerous carbon monoxide levels. The investigation found that the detector was faded by sunlight and probably wouldn't have been effective even if the pilot had been monitoring it. https://www.startribune.com/investigator-blames-exhaust-leak-for-sydney-seaplane-crash/600016463/ ALL VIETNAM AIRLINES PASSENGERS MUST NOW WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT RHINO HORN For the next six months, Vietnam Airlines travelers will be shown a short, emotionally charged video urging them to stop using rhino horn for medicinal purposes. This month, Vietnam Airlines, in partnership with animal-rights group Humane Society International (HSI), launched a campaign to reduce the consumption of rhino horn in Vietnam with the goal of ending rhino poaching in Africa. As part of the campaign, Vietnam Airlines will play a short film, When I Grow Up, on all passenger flights as well as in premium airline lounges in an effort to target more affluent travelers. The video features children describing their goals for the future with one boy making an emotional plea to older generations about ending the rhino horn trade. “Vietnam is one of the biggest rhino horn users, which I don’t want,” the boy says. “So when I grow up, I want to protect rhinos, then Vietnam can be truly proud.” VIDEO Award-winning British-American filmmaker Toby Wosskow served as the creative director on the campaign, which will run for six months. “I’m grateful to have been part of such a special project. I was inspired by the passionate team in Vietnam who brought this story to life,” Wosskow said. “In the commercial, when the young boy stands in front of the rhinos, the look he shares with his father and grandfather sends a universal message: it’s never too early or too late to stand up for what is right.” Rhino horn trade In Vietnam and other areas such as China, rhino horn is considered to possess medicinal properties and is purchased for a high price on the black market. “By reaching the targeted demographic of mostly affluent air travellers with our tailored campaign messages, we expect to achieve demand-reduction results,” Tham Hong Phuong, HSI Viet Nam Country Director, said. “We strongly believe that reducing rhino horn demand will reduce the number of rhinos poached in Africa.” The campaign was funded by the Glen and Bobbie Ceiley Foundation and is part of HSI’s ongoing effort to protect rhinos. Since 2013, HSI has partnered with the Vietnamese government on a rhino-horn reduction campaign which the organization said has reached an estimated 37 million people (or approximately one third of the country’s population). Prices for rhino horn have also fallen as a result. In 2016, for the first time in its history, the Vietnamesse government destroyed more than two tons of ivory and rhino horn, and other seized wildlife specimens. As part of its effort, HSI—with the help of His Royal Highness Prince William Duke of Cambridge—also distributed The Little Rhino book to schoolchildren to help them connect to the widely poached species and the effort resulted in the book becoming offered as part of the national curriculum. “The increased demand for wildlife products in Vietnam and other Asian countries is one of many key threats to endangered species over the world,” HSI Vice President of Wildlife Teresa Telecky, PhD, said. “I hope our message can touch emotions and gradually change behavior.” https://vegnews.com/2021/1/vietnam-airlines-rhino-horn Hong Kong’s airport raises $1.5 billion in bond sale to fund third runway HONG KONG (Reuters) - The operator of Hong Kong's main airport has sold bonds for $1.5 billion to fund development of a third runway, its first deal offering U.S. based investors the opportunity to participate. Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a statement it had raised $900 million in 10 year notes and $600 million in 30 year bonds, the longest paper it has issued. The transaction was the second aviation deal in Hong Kong this week after Cathay Pacific raised $870 million in five year convertible bonds to help the airline shore up liquidity. Demand for the 10 year notes reached $4.4 billion and the 30-year demand was $4.1 billion, the statement said. At those levels, the deal was 4.9 times and 6.8 times oversubscribed. Final pricing was set with a yield of 1.71% for the 10 year note and 2.64% for the longer date bond, respectively 35 and 40 basis points tighter than initial guidance given by bookrunners earlier this week. Construction of the airport's third runway is expected to be finished in 2022 and should be fully operational by 2024, according to the airport's website. The project is estimated to cost HK$141.5 billion ($18.3 billion). https://kfgo.com/2021/01/29/hong-kongs-airport-raises-1-5-billion-in-bond-sale-to-fund-third-runway/ (Illustration courtesy: NASA/JPL-CalTech) NASA’s Perseverance Rover Just 20 Days From Mars Landing Seven minutes of harrowing descent to the Red Planet is in the not-so-distant future for the agency’s Mars 2020 mission. NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission is just 20 days from landing on the surface of Mars. The spacecraft has about 23.9 million miles (38.4 million kilometers) remaining in its 292.5-million-mile (470.8-million-kilometer) journey and is currently closing that distance at 1.6 miles per second (2.5 kilometers per second). Once at the top of the Red Planet’s atmosphere, an action-packed seven minutes of descent awaits – complete with temperatures equivalent to the surface of the Sun, a supersonic parachute inflation, and the first ever autonomous guided landing on Mars. Only then can the rover – the biggest, heaviest, cleanest, and most sophisticated six-wheeled robotic geologist ever launched into space – search Jezero Crater for signs of ancient life and collect samples that will eventually be returned to Earth. “NASA has been exploring Mars since Mariner 4 performed a flyby in July of 1965, with two more flybys, seven successful orbiters, and eight landers since then,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. “Perseverance, which was built from the collective knowledge gleaned from such trailblazers, has the opportunity to not only expand our knowledge of the Red Planet, but to investigate one of the most important and exciting questions of humanity about the origin of life both on Earth and also on other planets.” Jezero Crater is the perfect place to search for signs of ancient microbial life. Billions of years ago, the now-bone-dry 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) basin was home to an actively-forming river delta and lake filled with water. The rock and regolith (broken rock and dust) that Perseverance’s Sample Caching System collects from Jezero could help answer fundamental questions about the existence of life beyond Earth. Two future missions currently in the planning stages by NASA, in collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency), will work together to bring the samples back to Earth, where they will undergo in-depth analysis by scientists around the world using equipment far too large and complex to send to the Red Planet. “Perseverance’s sophisticated science instruments will not only help in the hunt for fossilized microbial life, but also expand our knowledge of Martian geology and its past, present, and future,” said Ken Farley, project scientist for Mars 2020, from Caltech in Pasadena, California. “Our science team has been busy planning how best to work with what we anticipate will be a firehose of cutting-edge data. That’s the kind of ‘problem’ we are looking forward to.” VIDEO Testing Future Tech While most of Perseverance’s seven science instruments are geared toward learning more about the planet’s geology and astrobiology, the mission also carries technologies more focused on future Mars exploration. MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment), a car-battery-size device in the rover’s chassis, is designed to demonstrate that converting Martian carbon dioxide into oxygen is possible. Future applications of the technology could produce the vast quantities of oxygen that would be needed as a component of the rocket fuel astronauts would rely on to return to Earth, and, of course, the oxygen could be used for breathing as well. The Terrain-Relative Navigation system helps the rover avoid hazards. MEDLI2 (the Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation 2) sensor suite gathers data during the journey through the Martian atmosphere. Together the systems will help engineers design future human missions that can land more safely and with larger payloads on other worlds. Another technology demonstration, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, is attached to the belly of the rover. Between 30 and 90 days into the rover’s mission, Ingenuity will be deployed to attempt the first experimental flight test on another planet. If that initial flight is successful, Ingenuity will fly up to four more times. The data acquired during these tests will help the next generation of Mars helicopters provide an aerial dimension to Mars exploration. Getting Ready for the Red Planet Like people around the world, members of the Mars 2020 team have had to make significant modifications to their approach to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. While a majority of the team members have performed their jobs via telework, some tasks have required an in-person presence at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which built the rover for the agency and is managing the mission. Such was the case last week when the team that will be on-console at JPL during landing went through a three-day-long COVID-adapted full-up simulation of the upcoming Feb. 18 Mars landing. “Don’t let anybody tell you different – landing on Mars is hard to do,” said John McNamee, project manager for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission at JPL. “But the women and men on this team are the best in the world at what they do. When our spacecraft hits the top of the Mars atmosphere at about three-and-a-half miles per second, we’ll be ready.” Less than a month of dark, unforgiving interplanetary space remains before the landing. NASA Television and the agency’s website will carry live coverage of the event from JPL beginning at 11:15 a.m. PST (2:15 p.m. EST). More About the Mission A key objective of Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 mission is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration plans. JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. https://scitechdaily.com/nasas-perseverance-rover-just-20-days-from-mars-landing/ Position: Assistant/Associate Professor of Aerospace and Occupational Safety The Applied Aviation Sciences Department of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, FL invites applications for Assistant/Associate Professor of Aerospace and Occupational Safety (AOS) to begin August 2021. This is a nine-month position. Teaching assignments may include, but not be limited to, graduate and undergraduate courses in occupational safety and/or aviation safety/accident investigation, and related areas. These position will also include advising students as they explore different options with internships, research, coursework, and career trajectories. The Applied Aviation Sciences Department offers four bachelor's degree programs, each unique: Spaceflight Operations, Air Traffic Management, Aerospace and Occupational Safety, and Meteorology. Each program is very different from the others, however, all are good choices for students who want challenging and rewarding careers. Aerospace and Occupational Safety gives students opportunities to gain the knowledge and the expertise needed to address safety concerns in aviation, aerospace operations, as well as most businesses and industries across the globe. Graduates of the AOS program have gone on to fill key safety management roles in both the public and private sectors. Qualifications Master’s Degree required, PhD Preferred. The preferred candidate will have a Doctorate degree in Safety, Health, Environmental, Public Health, or closely related field. ABDs with a clear plan for completion are encouraged to apply. Prior aviation and/or aerospace workplace, including risk management experience is a plus. Demonstrated or potential excellence in teaching, research, service, and mentoring undergraduate students is expected. The position will begin in August 2021. Applications will be reviewed immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Interested individuals should submit a letter of application clearly showing that the applicant meets the minimum qualifications, a current resume or curriculum vitae, and a statement of teaching and research interests. Please include three professional references with contact information and unofficial transcripts from accredited institutions. Official transcripts will be required at a later date should the applicant be selected. Applications must be submitted online at https://embryriddle.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Daytona-Beach-FL/Assistant-Associate-Professor-of-Aerospace-and-Occupational-Safety--Daytona-Beach-Campus-_R-00104 . 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Registration Now Open ** Thanks to our generous sponsors, registration is currently free, so book today! ** 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference 15 to 18 March 2021 1500 to 2000 GMT daily via Zoom (0700 to 1200 PST) Four online days of powerful talks given by industry and subject matter experts. Registration is open and currently FREE, so book today! https://www.aircraftcabinair.com/ Following on from the success of the 2017 and 2019 Aircraft Cabin Air Conferences, the 2021 conference will be an essential four-day free modular online event via Zoom. Providing an in-depth overview or update for all those seeking to understand the subject of contaminated air, the flight safety implications, the latest scientific and medical evidence investigating the contaminated air debate and the emerging solutions available to airlines and aircraft operators. The 2021 conference will be the biggest conference ever held on the issue. Who should participate? Airline Management - Aircraft Manufacturers - Safety equipment providers - Health & Safety Regulators - Maintenance Companies - Airline Safety Departments - Air Accident Investigators- Crew & Unions - Policy Makers- Press & Media - Aircraft Insurers - Leasing Companies - Scientists - Occupational Health Professionals - Academics & Researchers - Engineers Register Curt Lewis