Flight Safety Information - March 16, 2021 No. 054 In This Issue : Incident: Jeju B738 at Pusan on Mar 10th 2021, wing tip strike on landing : Incident: S7 A20N at Novosibirsk on Mar 16th 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: KLM Cityhopper E175 near Amsterdam on Mar 14th 2021, engine problem : Boeing Inspects 787 Dreamliner Windows for Manufacturing Flaws : Pilots Could Be Eligible for Up to $420K to Stay in Service : Nigeria’s Azman suspends operations for safety audit : SkyWorks offers 17 LATAM aircraft for auction : Czech Airlines Declared Bankrupt After Previously Laying Off Staff : SevenBar Aviation earns validated Safety Management System : Boeing Inks Last VIP 747 Sale : FAA extends zero-tolerance policy for unruly airline passengers as cases top 500 : Learn Flight Data Monitoring (FOQA) And Save 20% until March 31st : Graduate Survey Incident: Jeju B738 at Pusan on Mar 10th 2021, wing tip strike on landing A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, registration HL8322 performing flight 7C-264 from Seoul Gimpo to Pusan (South Korea) with 138 people on board, was on final approach to Pusan's runway 36L at 12:08L (03:08Z) when the aircraft just before touchdown rolled left causing the left wing tip to contact the runway surface. The crew initiated a go around, climbed to 5000 feet, positioned for another approach to runway 35L and landed without further incident. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 90 minutes, then departed for the return flight 7C-265 with 158 people on board. Following the arrival in Seoul the aircraft is still on the ground 5 days and 7 hours later. South Korea's Ministry of Transport reported on Mar 15th 2021, the left winglet was damaged when the aircraft unexpectedly rolled to the left causing the left wing tip to contact the ground. Jeju's Maintenance did not detect any damage to the left wing tip in a post flight inspection after landing in Pusan and released the aircraft to flight. The winglet damage was discovered only after landing back in Seoul. ARAIB (Accident Investigation Board) have opened an investigation into the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e46fe78&opt=0 Incident: S7 A20N at Novosibirsk on Mar 16th 2021, engine shut down in flight A S7 Sibir Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration VQ-BDQ performing flight S7-5227 from Novosibirsk to Irkutsk (Russia) with 154 passengers and 6 crew, was in the initial climb out of Novosibirsk's runway 25 when the right hand engine (PW1127G) indicated failed prompting the crew to shut the engine down. The aircraft levelled off at FL060 and returned to Novosibirsk for a safe landing on runway 25 about 20 minutes after departure. West Siberia's Transport Prosecution Office reported the crew received an engine failure indication and returned the aircraft to Novosibirsk. The office is looking into the occurrence. A replacement A320-200N registration VQ-BRA reached Irkutsk with a delay of 2:40 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e47a64b&opt=0 Incident: KLM Cityhopper E175 near Amsterdam on Mar 14th 2021, engine problem A KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-175, registration PH-EXK performing flight KL-1659 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Venice (Italy), had just reached cruise level FL390 about 160nm southeast of Amsterdam and about 30nm from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) when the crew drifted the aircraft down to FL260 reporting a problem with the right hand engine (CF34), however, no assistance was needed. The crew turned around and returned to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 18C about 80 minutes after departure. A replacement Embraer ERJ-190 registration PH-EXC departed about one hour after PH-EXK landed back and reached Venice with a delay of about 2 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 12 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e47505d&opt=0 Boeing Inspects 787 Dreamliner Windows for Manufacturing Flaws Boeing (BA) - Get Report reportedly is scrutinizing the flight-deck windows of some of its 787 Dreamliners as the troubled plane maker expands its search for potential manufacturing flaws that have delayed deliveries of the highly anticipated jetliner. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that Boeing has been testing the cockpit windows in a limited batch of aircraft after learning in December that a supplier modified its production process. The Federal Aviation Administration launched a probe into manufacturing flaws in the 787 Dreamliner back in September. Boeing wants to ensure the windows still meet its requirements after the change, but the testing isn’t expected to affect March deliveries, according to Bloomberg. The emergence of yet another potential glitch comes as Boeing focuses on restarting 787 Dreamliner deliveries by the end of this month, in line with what executives promised during a January post-earnings conference call with analysts. It also comes as Boeing continues to struggle with the aftermath of two fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX aircraft, which grounded the planes globally for more than a year. In November, the FAA approved the 737 MAX to fly again. American Airlines (AAL) - Get Report was first to reintroduce the aircraft in the U.S. in December, followed by United Airlines (UAL) - Get Report in February and Alaska Airlines (ALK) - Get Report and Southwest Airlines (LUV) - Get Report earlier this month. Boeing has not delivered any Dreamliners since October 2020, after discovering tiny marks in the inner lining where the carbon-fiber fuselage barrels are fused to form the model's frame. The disruptions have forced Boeing to store more than 80 Dreamliners around its factories and in the California desert, creating a new worry just as the crisis surrounding the 737 MAX subsides. https://www.thestreet.com/investing/boeing-ba-787-dreamliner-production-flaws-inspections?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO Pilots Could Be Eligible for Up to $420K to Stay in Service The Air Force is offering bonuses of up to $420,000 to pilots who commit to staying in uniform for up to 12 years. The service wants to keep pilots in its cockpits longer as it continues to grapple with an ongoing pilot shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a breakdown of what’s being offered and who is eligible: • Bomber, fighter, mobility, special operations, and combat search and rescue fixed wing pilots: Annual payments of $25,000 for contract lengths of 5 to 7 years, or $35,000 for contracts of 8 to 12 years. These pilots could also opt for up-front payments of $100,000 for 5-7 year contracts, and $200,000 for 8-12 years. • Combat search and rescue rotary wing pilots: Annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 year contracts. • Remotely piloted aircraft pilots: Annual payments of $25,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $35,000 for 8-12 year contracts. RPA pilots could also choose an up-front payment of $100,000 for 8-12 year contracts. • Combat systems officers: Annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 years. • Air battle managers: Annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 year contracts. • Bomber, fighter, CSAR, mobility, RPA, and special operations pilots whose contracts have expired or who previously signed an aviation bonus contract that expired before this fiscal year are eligible for annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 year contracts, according to a USAF statement provided to Air Force Magazine. For those whose who are non-contracted or whose contract expired, there is a five-year minimum and 24 years of aviation service maximum, according to the Air Force. Previous bonus offers had allowed for three-year minimums. https://www.airforcemag.com/pilots-could-be-eligible-for-up-to-420k-to-stay-in-service Nigeria’s Azman suspends operations for safety audit Nigerian carrier Azman Air is temporarily suspending its operations in order to undergo a safety audit. The airline has given few details of the reason for the “comprehensive” audit of its internal safety processes which, it says, will be supervised by regulators. It has not indicated whether the suspension is voluntary or has been imposed on the airline. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has yet to comment. “These actions are imminent as there is need [to] reposition [in order to serve] you better,” the airline adds. “We understand the impact of these disruptions on your travels, and we deeply apologise.” Azman Air says it is aiming to demonstrate its “commitment” to safety. “We are working round the clock to ensure the [necessary tasks are] done and operations restored within a short period of time,” it states. Privately-owned Azman Air, based in Kano, operates a fleet of older-variant Boeing 737s as well as an Airbus A340-600 – a former Virgin Atlantic aircraft it acquired in March last year. Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau disclosed last month that it was looking into a 16 February incident involving an Azman 737-500 which burst tyres on landing at Lagos, but there is no immediate indication that the audit is connected to this event. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/nigerias-azman-suspends-operations-for-safety-audit/142917.article SkyWorks offers 17 LATAM aircraft for auction Aircraft lessor SkyWorks Leasing is offering 17 LATAM Airlines Group aircraft for auction. The aircraft are currently in storage in Victorville, California, and are being sold on an “as-is, where-is” basis via public auction to be held on 14 April, the lessor says on 15 March. LATAM to auction off 17 aircraft including four Boeing 787 Dreamliners The aircraft to be sold include two Airbus A350-900s, four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 11 A321-200s. The A321s are committed to long-term leases expected to begin in the second quarter 2021, but the other six aircraft are off-lease, SkyWorks says. Last week, the Santiago-based carrier reported a $4.55 billion loss for 2020, with revenue coming in at $4.33 billion, a decline of 58.4% from 2019. It carried 66% fewer passengers and 13% less cargo during the year. LATAM ended 2020 with 296 aircraft in its fleet and said at the time that it was “evaluating the adequate fleet needs for the following years” as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, which are ongoing. LATAM ended 2020 with $1.7 billion in cash and $1.3 billion in a fully committed and undrawn debtor-in-possession financing facility. It had gained bankruptcy-court approval for its DIP financing proposal in September 2020, receiving shortly afterwards the first instalment from its loan of up to $2.45 billion. https://www.flightglobal.com/fleets/skyworks-offers-17-latam-aircraft-for-auction/142908.article Czech Airlines Declared Bankrupt After Previously Laying Off Staff The fifth oldest airline in the world, Czech Airlines, has been declared bankrupt in Prague last week. The airline is in debt to 266 creditors, mostly suppliers, and 230,000 passengers who are awaiting refunds for canceled flights. The total debts equal $82 million. Czech Airlines (ČSA) declared bankrupt The Municipal Court in Prague has declared the fifth oldest airline in the world, Czech Airlines, bankrupt. The future now looks acutely uncertain for this 98-year old Prague-based airline. The Municipal Court’s Insolvency Register lists Czech Airlines as being “in bankruptcy”, with INSKOL being the insolvency administrator. The Court has asked ČSA’s creditors to register their claims ahead of their meeting in June. Meanwhile, the insolvency administrator is reportedly weighing up whether to ground the fleet and request the airline to sell its assets. At present, Czech Airlines flights are still operating but at a greatly reduced rate. The airline has taken its ATR aircraft out of it fleet and now only has three planes remaining. The Court has also formed an interim committee of the creditors for the process of insolvency proceedings. The committee contains representatives of ČSA’s suppliers, banks, and even a passenger named as Tomáš Hefr. The passenger was reported by Zdopravy.cz to be awaiting a refund of CZK7,273 ($320). Commenting on his place on the committee of creditors, the passenger said: “I use the debtor’s services on a regular basis. I consider myself a regular and loyal customer of the debtor and I believe that my membership in the Provisional Creditors’ Committee could contribute to the overall benefit and interest of all creditors, especially passengers.” Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests! The debts are just too high The insolvency proceedings have so far revealed that 266 of ČSA’s creditors are owed CZK 800 million ($36 million). This group contains all the suppliers to the airline. At the same time, there is as many as 230,000 passengers who have been identified as creditors too, because they are owed money for the flights that Czech Airlines had canceled. The total amount of money owed here is as high as one billion Czech Koruna ($46 million). Last month, ČSA sent a letter to the Employment Office of the Czech Republic to inform it that it would be dismissing its entire workforce of 430 people. The news was the first strong sign that the airline was on the brink of collapse. The news came just several days before the expiry of an emergency moratorium on the airline’s debts at the end of February. Then, just days later, Czech Airlines filed a reorganization proposal under the Czech Republic’s insolvency law. The carrier had exhausted all of its available survival options by that point: it faced a huge drop in revenue in 2020, but the Czech government has offered it no financial assistance. https://simpleflying.com/czech-airlines-bankrupt/ SevenBar Aviation earns validated Safety Management System SevenBar Aviation, part of the Global Medical Response family of companies, now has the Active Conformance designation for its Safety Management System (SMS). The FAA made the announcement on March 8, 2021. Active Conformance is the highest status a SMS can achieve and showcases SevenBar’s ongoing commitment to the highest safety standards. Having a fully functioning and validated SMS is currently only required for scheduled air carriers. This accomplishment places SevenBar Aviation among a small and elite group of FAR Part 135 operators to successfully navigate this years-long process. SevenBar Aviation has received the Active Conformance designation for its Safety Management System (SMS). SevenBar Aviation Photo “SevenBar Aviation’s choice to commit the time and resources necessary to build an SMS that could be validated by the FAA speaks to our commitment to the safety of our employees, our hospital customers and the patients that they care for each and every day,” said Kimberly Montgomery, SevenBar Aviation president. In a letter from the FAA’s Washington D.C., SMS Program Office, Division Manager Dale Whitmore congratulated SevenBar Aviation for achieving Active Conformance Status. “The FAA SMSPO and your Certificate Management Team congratulate you on your company’s significant accomplishment in implementing a fully functional SMS that is “accepted by the State” in accordance with international requirements,” Whitmore stated in his correspondence. Sean Mulholland, SevenBar Aviation’s director of safety, stated that the company has long sought conformation of its efforts to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to safety. “Our team has always felt we have managed our operation in a way that demonstrates safety is our highest value. Having our regulator confirm this gives our team added confidence in the safety culture we have worked very hard to achieve,” he said. https://verticalmag.com/press-releases/sevenbar-aviation-earns-validated-safety-management-system/ Boeing Inks Last VIP 747 Sale Boeing inked the last sale of a VIP 747-8i, marking the end of an era of opulence in private aviation. The airframer confirmed to AIN that the sale of the jumbo jet last month represented the last available executive variant of the iconic widebody, as production heads toward its scheduled end next year. According to Boeing, the green aircraft was not newly built but the company declined to disclose when it was produced or the delivery date. It also did not disclose the customer and origin, nor plans for the completion. Three companies have the past experience and current capabilities to outfit a 747-8i—AMAC Aerospace, Jet Aviation, and Lufthansa Technik (LHT). AMAC and Jet Aviation declined to comment on whether they know of or are part of the completion plans for the jumbo jet. LHT told AIN it is “aware of this project and familiar with the aircraft,” adding it is “certainly very interested in offering our services to the owner of the aircraft.” The announced BBJ777X notwithstanding, supersonic jets that could define the leading edge of global business aviation’s next evolution will be smaller and require substantially less time onboard, obviating the space and need for grand homes in the sky. With a production rate of six per year, thirteen 747-8is remain undelivered; the last four will be freighters ordered by Atlas Air. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-03-15/boeing-inks-last-vip-747-sale FAA extends zero-tolerance policy for unruly airline passengers as cases top 500 The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday said it would continue to crack down on unruly passengers, extending the zero-tolerance policy it implemented in January. Airlines have reported more than 500 cases since late December, according to the agency. Most of those cases were related to travelers who refused to wear face masks, which both airlines and the federal government require for commercial air travel, the FAA said. “I have decided to extend the FAA’s unruly-passenger zero-tolerance policy as we continue to do everything we can to confront the pandemic,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. “The policy directs our safety inspectors and attorneys to take strong enforcement action against any passenger who disrupts or threatens the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from fines to jail time. The number of cases we’re seeing is still far too high, and it tells us urgent action continues to be required.” The FAA will maintain its zero-tolerance policy at least as long as the federal mask mandate is in effect. Cases of unruly passengers were on the rise on a per capita basis throughout 2020, according to federal data. Flight attendants’ unions raised safety concerns about unruly travelers, most notably after the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot at the Capitol. “Administrator Dickson’s strong stand in January for zero tolerance backed us up and this is no time to let down our guard now,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents some 50,000 cabin crew members at more than a dozen airlines. “The patchwork, politically skewed discussion around masks has created confusion and conflict,” she said in a statement. “We don’t have time for failure to comply with the federal mask mandate. On an airplane, that behavior puts everyone at risk and we can’t stand for that.” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/15/faa-will-keep-zero-tolerance-policy-on-unruly-airline-passengers-as-cases-surge.html Graduate Survey Survey of Commercial and Airline Transport Pilot’s Perception of the Impact Cockpit Organizational Framework has on Flight Safety and Subordinate Pilot Behavior https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/COF-Survey Curt Lewis