Flight Safety Information - March 25, 2021 No. 062 In This Issue : Incident: Jetblue A21N at Fort Lauderdale on Mar 23rd 2021, bird strike : Incident: ANZ B789 over Pacific Ocean on Mar 20th 2021, computer trouble : British military jet crashes in south west England, crew eject -reports : Naval training jet crashes near Orange Grove : Regional airline discouraged pilots from getting COVID vaccine : Fist fight breaks out on American Airlines flight as passengers get off plane in Phoenix : NTSB releases preliminary plane crash report : As Industry Rebounds, Commercial Pilots Begin Long Process of Getting Back to Work : BGSU aviation program receives national accreditation : Sea-Tac Airport gets busier as travelers credit vaccines and spring break as reasons to fly : Border patrol order means more Wichita aircraft work : NASA helicopter took a piece of the Wright brothers' plane to Mars Incident: Jetblue A21N at Fort Lauderdale on Mar 23rd 2021, bird strike A Jetblue Airbus A321-200N, registration N2039J performing flight B6-1825 from Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) to Lima (Peru), was climbing out of Fort Lauderdale's runway 10R when the crew just before hand off to departure reported they had a bird strike and needed to return as soon as possible. Tower cleared the flight to maintain 3000 feet and join a right downwind for runway 10R. The crew reported they had a bird hit into their left hand engine (PW1133G), the engine was reduced to idle power. The aircraft positioned for an approach to runway 10L, while on final to runway 10L the crew reported a lot of birds at their right hand side at about 700 feet. The aircraft landed safely on runway 10L about 10 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200N registration N2043J reached Lima with a delay of 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Fort Lauderdale about 18 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e4de7fa&opt=0 Incident: ANZ B789 over Pacific Ocean on Mar 20th 2021, computer trouble An ANZ Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9, registration ZK-NZI performing flight NZ-75 (scheduled dep Mar 19th, actual dep Mar 20th) from Auckland (New Zealand) to Seoul (South Korea) with 55 passengers, was enroute at FL400 over the Pacific Ocean about 50nm north of Manus Island (Papua New Guinea) just short of reaching the equator about 5:20 hours into the flight, when the crew decided to turn around and return to Auckland after two of three computers used for navigation suffered issues. The aircraft descended to FL390 for the return and landed safely back on Auckland's runway 05R about 5:45 hours after turning around. A replacement Boeing 787-9 registration ZK-NZK reached Seoul with a delay of 34 hours. The airline reported the crew returned to Auckland because of issues with two of the three computers used for navigation, they used a third, backup computer for the return. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e4ddf9d&opt=0 British military jet crashes in south west England, crew eject -reports LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - A British military jet has crashed in Cornwall, south west England, according to reports on Thursday, with media saying that the crew ejected before the plane went down in a field. Sky News reported that nobody had died as a result of the crash and local police said that emergency services were attending the scene. The Sun newspaper said that the plane involved was a Hawk T1 jet, usually used in training, which was part of a Royal Navy squadron based at Culdrose, not far from the site of the crash at Helston, on the most tip of England's most westerly point. "Emergency services are currently in the St Martins area of Helston following reports of a plane crash. Public are asked to avoid the area whilst first responders attend the scene," said local police on Twitter. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/1-british-military-jet-crashes-105649966.html Naval training jet crashes near Orange Grove ORANGE GROVE, Texas — The Naval Safety Center is investigating a crash in Jim Wells County Wednesday afternoon. The crash — happening around 2 p.m. — involved a student and instructor who were flying in a T-45 Goshawk jet trainer. The two were safely ejected from the aircraft and reported only minor injuries, a spokeperson for the Chief of Naval Air Training said. The crash occurred along near the 1600 block of County Road 308 — a rural area about 7 miles southwest of Orange Grove's city center. Debris from the crash was scattered along the road and into private property. A brush fire was also ignited from the crash, but was extinguished by area firefighters. Orange Grove resident Jennifer Green said the two pilots landed on the road — one of their parachutes ended up getting caught on a fence. Chief of Naval Air Training Public Affairs Officer Lt. Michelle Tucker said the jet was coming out of NAS Kingsville. “It was a normal area (where) the aircraft would operate and our students routinely fly there," Tucker said. "Its a naval outlying field so it’s one of our main training areas for the T-45.” There is no timetable to the investigation, but Tucker said the Chief of Naval Air Training is grateful there were no serious injuries. “Anytime something like this happens — we’re very thankful that (everyone) walked away from the scene,” she said. “We’re very thankful for our local — I believe it was Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department that came out to help extinguish the fire — and we’re very thankful for that community support we received today.” https://www.kristv.com/breaking-news-alerts/naval-training-jet-crashes-near-orange-grove Regional airline discouraged pilots from getting COVID vaccine American Airlines subsidiary Piedmont Airlines discouraged pilots from getting COVID vaccines last weekend "due to high demand" for flying, according to a memo obtained by CBS News. In the memo sent last Wednesday, Piedmont Airlines Chief Pilot John Pursell told the regional carrier's 500 pilots, "Piedmont will be unable to release any additional pilots for COVID vaccination for the weekend of March 19-21 due to high demand." Demand for travel has been on the rise throughout March, hitting a pandemic high of more than 1.5 million passengers screens at TSA checkpoints on Sunday. Pursell told pilots they would need to "attempt to schedule later in the month" so the airline could maintain "operational reliability." Piedmont is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines with bases in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The regional carrier operates 50 seat Embraer E-145 airliners. A source at the airline told CBS News that several pilots were denied the time off to get a COVID vaccine last weekend due to a lack of sufficient reserve pilots to cover their shifts. The source added that while employees are happy the airline is busy again, "pilots need to be allowed to be protected...without retribution." The FAA does not allow pilots to fly for 48 hours after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine shot, a regulation that could strain the airline's ability to keep pace with increasing travel demand that had it "operating at near capacity of both aircraft and available crews," according to the memo. "We fully recognize the desire to get vaccinated as soon as possible," said another memo titled "COVID-19 Vaccination Policy" sent to all Piedmont pilots on March 11 and obtained by CBS News. "While we encourage every pilot to get vaccinated, the requirement to wait 48-hours before returning to flight duty is causing serious crew coverage concerns." The memo says the airline will provide "maximum schedule flexibility," but told pilots they "must make every effort to schedule their single-shot vaccine or the first shot of a two-shot vaccine during their off-time and when the required 48-hour post period will not interfere with their flight schedule." Vaccine appointments in many states remain in short supply. The airline said that last weekend the Charlotte airport hosted a vaccination clinic for airport employees, including those working for Piedmont. The airline has a crew base at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and says it granted permission to as many pilots as it could without canceling flights, prompting the March 17 email. "Piedmont is strongly encouraging all of our team members to get vaccinated and offering an incentive to do so," Piedmont's director of corporate communications, Crystal Byrd, said in a statement. "Due to FAA requirements of our pilots to remain out of work post vaccine, we are doing our best to offer flexibility while serving the needs of our customers." Byrd said pilots are "encouraged to work with their leadership team to secure the necessary time off to receive their vaccine." The airline believes it is unlikely a similar situation involving a large vaccination event at a hub airport on a busy travel weekend will occur again. https://www.yahoo.com/news/regional-airline-discouraged-pilots-getting-030455455.html Fist fight breaks out on American Airlines flight as passengers get off plane in Phoenix A video posted to social media shows the end of a fight among airline passengers, the kerfuffle reportedly happening as they got off the plane in Phoenix, the Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication reports. It happened on American Airlines Flight 2275 from Los Angeles on Sunday. The plane arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport around 6:28 p.m. Passenger Annie Victoria Reso captured video of the scuffle from her seat and posted it on her Instagram account. In her post, Reso wrote that "reason for that fight...no concrete explanation." She told The Arizona Republic on Tuesday that the people involved had a misunderstanding over a seat assignment before the flight departed, though it appeared to her that the fight was over who would deplane first. "American received a report of an alleged altercation between two customers while waiting to deplane from Flight 2275 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Phoenix (PHX)," Derek Walls, spokesman for American Airlines, confirmed in an emailed statement. The airline provided no additional details about the incident. No airline personnel or passengers were reported to have been injured. https://www.yahoo.com/news/fist-fight-breaks-american-airlines-130535889.html NTSB releases preliminary plane crash report Mar. 25—The National Transpiration Safety Board has released preliminary aviation accident report on the plane crash four miles southwest of Palestine Saturday, March 6. At 1:40 p.m. March 6, a Beech 35 airplane, N3394V, operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, crashed just outside of Palestine at Gum Creek Ranch. The report states the airplane was recently purchased by the pilot and was being transported to the pilot's home in the greater Dallas area. The plane took off from Anahuac, with no filed flight plan, and the pilot reported that while enroute to Dallas, the engine lost power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing. During the landing, the plane struck trees and came to rest in a grass field on a ranch about four miles southwest of Palestine. The report states the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot was seriously injured. The report states the passenger was fatally injured. The NTSB previously confirmed the passenger's death Friday, March 12. The report does not identify the pilot or passenger. A Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector and an air safety investigator from Textron Aviation traveled to the accident site to investigate and document the scene. The wreckage was recovered from the accident site for a future examination of the airframe, engine and propeller. According to Elizabeth Isham Cory, a public affairs specialist with the Office of Communications for the Federal Aviation Administration, the crash is under investigation by the FAA. The National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause of the accident. Cory said these investigations take a year or more to complete. This is preliminary information and subject to change. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ntsb-releases-preliminary-plane-crash-051300832.html As Industry Rebounds, Commercial Pilots Begin Long Process of Getting Back to Work TAMPA, Fla. — A number of U.S. airlines are starting to lay the groundwork for a travel rebound. Even the most veteran pilots must still undergo retraining Process of getting planes ready also takes weeks Last year, the industry took a roughly $35 billion hit when the pandemic almost halted air travel. Planes have started to book up again over the last couple of months, but the process of getting the industry back to its pre-pandemic state will be both slow and methodical. Even with 38 years under his belt, the pandemic knocked Bradenton resident and commercial pilot Jim Shilling out of work for just shy of 12 months. While the demand for flights is coming back, it could outpace how quickly airlines can get their staff and planes ready to fly. Every pilot who was furloughed must complete six weeks of training before getting back into the cockpit. Because of that, getting a pilot back takes at least two months of planning. “It is six weeks of training to get back in the airplane, to get qualified and come back to fly and it’s a lot of work. It’s not just me, it's thousands and thousands of pilots who have to do this,” he said. Many of the planes themselves are parked in the desert and covered until they are needed again. The process of getting each plane out of retirement and tuned up also takes weeks. Shilling completed his training earlier this month and is now flying for a major airline once again. He said most airlines wait until their flights begin filling up before adding more planes to their fleet. “It’s a methodical and slow process because you don’t want to add the airplanes too soon because that costs money,” he said. In the meantime, Shilling says the skies are less crowded which means he can usually complete his routes a little quicker. “We do run a lot earlier now,” he said. https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2021/03/24/commercial-pilots-begin-long-process-of-getting-back-to-work BGSU aviation program receives national accreditation Bowling Green State University’s aviation program recently received the highest recognition possible for a collegiate program with accreditation by the Aviation Accreditation Board International. BGSU was granted a five-year accreditation through Feb. 2026, the longest interval possible, for its two aviation bachelor’s degree programs, aviation management and operations, and flight technology and operations. “This achievement reflects the hard work of BGSU’s faculty and staff,” said Joe B. Whitehead Jr., provost and senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs. “Receiving AABI accreditation affirms that our aviation students are receiving the highest quality of education and can be confident in their training upon entering the workforce. Airlines and other employers in the industry seek students who graduate from AABI-accredited aviation programs.” The more than a yearlong accreditation process included a five-day virtual site visit in which the AABI accreditation team met with students, faculty and staff to review everything from curriculum to facilities and learning outcomes. According to AABI, to achieve accreditation, aviation programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality criteria relating to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process and achievement of degree learning goals. “It is an extremely rigorous process from start to finish,” said Jennie Gallimore, dean of the College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering. “There is a tremendous amount of work and dedication that goes into accreditation based on AABI standards.” Major airlines look to aviation programs to meet industry demand, and Michael Ferguson, BGSU aviation program director, said the aviation industry often seeks AABI accredited programs to build a workforce pipeline, ensuring aspiring aviation professionals have received a high-quality, industry-standard training. “This is a significant accomplishment and recognition,” Ferguson said. “It can open doors of opportunities for our students because of the assurance the aviation industry has in their training with this prestigious accreditation.” BGSU has been training students for careers in the aviation industry for more than 40 years and is one of only a few universities in the country that has an airport on its main campus. Students take classes at the Bowling Green Flight Center located on campus at the Wood County Regional Airport. The Flight Center, which includes more than 20,000 square feet of hangar space, houses a fleet of 18 aircraft, classrooms, flight instruction offices, a full-motion RedBird simulator and a FRASCA simulator. Ferguson said the AABI accrediting team was particularly impressed with the fleet of aircraft students use for training. “Our planes are relatively new and feature modern technology, including a glass cockpit,” Ferguson said. “Our training aircraft reflects the majority of planes being flown in the aviation industry, and that is an important advantage for our students.” In addition to AABI accreditation, the Bowling Green Flight Center is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved Part 141 flight school, which means there is significantly less flight time needed to achieve a restrict airline transport pilot (R-ATP) certificate. Upon graduation, students earn a Bachelor of Science in aviation and an FAA private pilot certificate, FAA instrument rating and FAA commercial pilot single engine and multi-engine certificates. Students also have the opportunity to earn a certified flight instructor rating while at the university. BGSU is the only AABI-accredited program in northwest Ohio and only one of three in the state. https://www.sent-trib.com/news/bgsu-aviation-program-receives-national-accreditation/article_73d53a10-8d0b-11eb-b988-d7aa57034034.html Sea-Tac Airport gets busier as travelers credit vaccines and spring break as reasons to fly The TSA unveiled new technology at Sea-Tac Airport to keep lines moving and stay socially-distant. SEATAC, Wash. — Armed with a COVID-19 vaccination, more travelers are heading to Sea-Tac International Airport to jump on a flight. Spring break is also prompting people to take the kids and get out of town. According to the latest departure numbers from the airport, more than 25,000 people boarded planes at Sea-Tac this week. That is nearly 10 times the departure numbers during the low point of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020. That number is expected to hit 35,000 daily departures next week. To speed up the security lines that are already growing longer, and to provide more separation between passengers and Transportation Security Agency (TSA) agents, the TSA showed media the newest equipment at Sea-Tac. One is called Credential Authentication Technology, or CAT. You put your driver's license or passport into one of two scanners. That calls up your information and automatically confirms if you are cleared to head to your flight or not. It can also spot fake identification much more easily. For this step in getting out of town, a boarding pass is no longer required, but the pass is still required at the gate to actually board the plane. The second technology involves your carry-on luggage. How many times have you, or have you seen someone, have to stop while an agent opens up the bag and takes a look around because something potentially suspicious was detected by the X-ray? With this new 3-D imaging technology using a CT scanner, an agent can electronically see the object inside the bag and determine whether it is benign or not without having to take the time to open the bag. Here's the CDC travel guidance, which Washington state follows: • Get fully vaccinated for COVID-19 if you are eligible. • Get tested for COVID-19 one to three days before your trip. • Wear a mask over your nose and mouth while in public. • Avoid crowds and stay 6 feet apart from anyone who didn’t travel with you. • Get tested for COVID-19 three to five days after your trip and self-quarantine for seven days after your trip. Alternatively, if you don’t get tested, quarantine for 10 days. https://www.king5.com/article/travel/sea-tac-airport-gets-busier-as-travelers-credit-vaccines-and-spring-break-as-reasons-to-fly/281-b742702c-995d-4d64-91ba-4b5a53007769 Border patrol order means more Wichita aircraft work Textron Aviation on Wednesday announced that it has won an order for two more Beechcraft King Air turboprops from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. The locally built special mission King Air 350/360CER will be the 28th and 29th of those aircraft to join the CBP fleet The local division of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) said in a press release that the order completes its current acquisition expectation from the agency. The 26th and 27th King Air for CBP were ordered last October, with the first having already been delivered. A value of the contract for the final two aircraft was not immediately available. The King Air 360 is the upgraded version of the 350 that the company rolled out last year as its new flagship turboprop. The 360CER variant has an extended range, while the aircraft made for CBP are also equipped with an array of special sensors and other equipment for its specialized missions. https://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2021/03/24/border-patrol-order-king-air.html NASA helicopter took a piece of the Wright brothers' plane to Mars NASA is gearing up for a dramatic Mars test flight of Ingenuity as soon as April 8. NASA has traced the lineage of its innovative Ingenuity Mars helicopter all the way back to the first flight Orville and Wilbur Wright undertook at Kitty Hawk in 1903. A tiny piece of fabric from the famous Wright aircraft is now in residence on the red planet, tucked under Ingenuity's solar panel. In a NASA briefing on Tuesday, Ingenuity chief engineer Bob Balaram revealed the surprise package, which he described as being the size of a postage stamp. The unbleached muslin material, which comes from a wing covering, draws a connection between the first powered, controlled flight on Earth and what NASA hopes will be the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. Ingenuity could take off as soon as April 8, but first it has to be delivered to its Martian airfield location by the Perseverance rover. It'll also go through an extensive series of checks before it attempts to take off and hover about 10 feet (3 meters) above the planet's surface. The Perseverance rover is a couple of days away from the helicopter drop-off spot, a relatively flat and clear area in the Jezero Crater. Once Ingenuity is unfolded and set down on the ground, the rover will carefully move away to make sure the rotorcraft's solar panel can work to power its batteries and keep it warm through the cold night. The rotorcraft's mission is scheduled to last 31 Earth days, but the first night may be the most critical. "While getting deployed to the surface will be a big challenge, surviving that first night on Mars alone, without the rover protecting it and keeping it powered, will be an even bigger one," said Balaram. The rover will set up shop at an overlook site to attempt to capture images and video of Ingenuity's short first flight. If the initial hovering exercise goes well, then NASA will try out longer and higher flights. The entire flight zone covers an area about 300 feet (90 meters) long, which gives Ingenuity plenty of room to stretch its blades if needed. The 4-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter is a technology demonstration, an experiment that could show if this sort of flight is even possible under the tricky conditions of Mars. The planet's thin atmosphere and blustery winds make it a challenging place for Ingenuity to operate. If it works, it could open doors for new forms of exploration on other worlds. https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-helicopter-took-a-piece-of-the-wright-brothers-famous-plane-to-mars/ Curt Lewis