Flight Safety Information - April 1, 2021 No. 067 In This Issue : Incident: American A21N at Honolulu on Mar 19th 2021, flaps did not retract, crew reports flight control problem : Incident: Spirit A320 at Atlantic City on Mar 30th 2021, bird strike : Feds: Owners must get helicopter wreckage off Alaska slope : Airline pilots union proposes advanced safety policies for commercial operations : How does wildlife mitigation at an airport keep travelers safe? : Faulty Flaps Has American Airlines A321 Return To Honolulu : Pilots invited to participate in an anonymous research study about pilot health and aversion to healthcare : Canada on track to pick new fighter jet next year despite COVID-19 : Swiss robots use UV light to zap viruses aboard passenger planes : U.S. FAA approves design of 737 MAX 8200 variant Incident: American A21N at Honolulu on Mar 19th 2021, flaps did not retract, crew reports flight control problem An American Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration N409AA performing flight AA-284 from Honolulu,HI to Los Angeles,CA (USA) with 199 people on board, was climbing out of Honolu's runway 08R when the crew reported a mechanical problem and requested to remain in the airspace. A conflict developed with a private aircraft at 5000 feet, the controller instructed the aircraft to turn left onto a heading of 080 (parallel to the private aircraft), the crew replied "Listen, we turn south, west!" and advised they had flight control problems. ATC turned them onto a heading of 260, which resolved the conflict. The crew requested runway 08L for the return and advised they got the aircraft controllable at a reasonably normal speed, their flaps had not retracted, and landed safely on runway 08L about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200N registration N418AN reached Los Angeles with a delay of about 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service the following morning about 18 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e537b4d&opt=0 Incident: Spirit A320 at Atlantic City on Mar 30th 2021, bird strike A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N604NK performing flight NK-303 from Atlantic City,NJ to Orlando,FL (USA), was climbing out of Atlantic City's runway 22 when the crew stopped the climb at 10000 feet advising they needed to reduce their speed to perform some flight control checks. The crew subsequently advised they needed to return to Atlantic City, no assistance was needed though. The crew advised they did have damage to outboard right leading edge slat due to a bird strike, no assistance was needed, ATC nonetheless dispatched emergency services. The aircraft returned to Atlantic City for a safe landing on runway 13 about 25 minutes after departure. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD ON TAKEOFF DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ." No injuries occurred, the damage was "unknown". https://avherald.com/h?article=4e53433e&opt=0 Feds: Owners must get helicopter wreckage off Alaska slope ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The wreckage of a helicopter that crashed last weekend, killing five people, will have to be hoisted off a mountain by the company that owned it, a U.S. investigator said. The Airbus AS350 BB helicopter crashed near Knik Glacier, north of Anchorage, on Saturday, killing the pilot and four passengers, including the richest person in the Czech Republic. There was one survivor. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash in rugged terrain only accessible by helicopter just north of Anchorage. The downed helicopter is owned and operated by Soloy Helicopters of Wasilla, according to Tom Chapman, an NTSB board member. Clint Jonson, chief of the agency’s Alaska division, said Soloy’s insurance company will be responsible for hoisting the wreckage off the mountain with the expectation it will be turned over to investigators. Weather permitting, the hope is to have it off the mountain by the end of the week, he said. The helicopter appears to have hit the mountain 10-15 feet (3.05-4.57 meters) below a ridgeline at an elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,676 meters). The helicopter then rolled 800-900 feet (244-274 meters) downhill, Chapman said. Chapman said the last satellite-based signal broadcast from the helicopter was at 6:34 p.m. The helicopter, which was on a heli-ski adventure trip with two guides and three guests from Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, was reported overdue at 8:30 p.m. Someone searching for the aircraft found it an hour later. Volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and the Alaska National Guard recovered the bodies Sunday ahead of a predicted snowstorm. Among items federal investigators will look into are why the craft wasn’t reported overdue for two hours, weather conditions, pilot experience and history and the airworthiness of the helicopter. The half-day heli-skiing flight was arranged through the lodge which contracts with Soloy Helicopters for excursions. Packages start at $15,000 per person. The helicopter was required to either file a flight plan or use electronics so officials could keep track of the aircraft. “Soloy Helicopters extends its sincere condolences to the families of those lost in the March 27 accident in Alaska, including our treasured colleague who also died in the crash,” a previous company statement said. “Safety is our top priority and it is in that spirit that we will be working alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other local officials as the investigation into this accident ensues.” A spokesman for Soloy said the company would have no additional comment since the crash is under investigation. Killed in the crash were frequent lodge guests Petr Kellner, 56, a billionaire from the Czech Republic, and Benjamin Larochaix, 50, also of the Czech Republic. Also killed were guides Gregory Harms, 52, of Colorado; and two Alaska residents, Sean McManamy, 38, of Girdwood, and the pilot, Zachary Russell, 33, of Anchorage, Alaska State Troopers said. The survivor was David Horvath, 48, also from the Czech Republic. He was listed in serious condition Wednesday at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. Horvath was found alive inside the helicopter when rescuers arrived about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, said Alaska Air National Guard Lt. Col. Keenan Zerkel, director of the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center. https://www.yahoo.com/news/feds-owners-must-helicopter-wreckage-205628714.html Airline pilots union proposes advanced safety policies for commercial operations Airline pilot union the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) recently highlighted policy recommendations for advancing aviation safety and security for commercial passenger operations. The union also calls for efforts to achieve one level of safety for all-cargo pilots. Most of the same federal regulations are used for commercial passenger and cargo airlines, but all-cargo operations have fewer requirements. “Cargo airlines fly the same aircraft, take off from the same airports, utilize the same airspace, and fly over the same cities as passenger aircraft,” ALPA president Capt. Joe DePete said. “However, there are many safety and security protections that are not extended to pilots operating all-cargo flights. This double standard has to change, and it has to change now.” Safety gaps include pilot flight, duty, and rest regulations; Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting not being required at many airports during cargo aircraft operations; many all-cargo aircraft lacking intrusion-resistant cockpit doors; animal handlers are not screened properly despite carrying large needles and tranquilizers; and some ramp areas are not properly designated security identification display areas. ALPA urges lawmakers and regulators to enact cargo pilot fatigue legislation and the federal standards to protect cargo pilots’ health and well-being. The union also is working to increase ramp and flight deck security. https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/22013-airline-pilots-union-proposes-advanced-safety-policies-for-commercial-operations/ How does wildlife mitigation at an airport keep travelers safe? SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News) – It’s not uncommon for a bird and plane to collide, but the damage to the Utah Jazz’s plane was more than the Salt Lake International Airport had seen in at least 10 years. This incident serves as a reminder of why wildlife mitigation efforts are crucial to keeping travelers safe. The plane carrying Utah Jazz players struck a flock of birds Tuesday, causing an engine fire and failure – the plane returning to the airport for an emergency landing. No injuries were reported. Nearly 277,000 planes flew in and out of Salt Lake last year. The airport reporting 163 bird strikes and only eight aircraft being damaged. “We do see strikes regularly. But this one was significant,” said Candace Deavila, the airport’s wildlife manager. The Federal Aviation Association reports 39 strikes happen daily, almost all involving birds. The news of Tuesday’s situation tough for her to hear, but to an extent out of their control. “It was about three miles out,” Deavila said. “We’re talking about 4,000 feet that the strike happened. Which is a lot higher than we have tools to reach when you’re talking three miles off the airport environment.” Throughout the airport’s five miles of property, traps are set, catching a variety of animals – not just birds. “We’ve seen skunks, racoons, foxes – even stray cats,” Deavila said. These traps are set to keep wildlife off the runways and from interfering with air traffic and keeping travelers safe. “A lot of people think, oh they’re a little bird, they’re not gonna cause as much damage and that’s not the case,” she said. “Even a bird the size of a starling can significantly damage an aircraft.” Deavila showed ABC4 News Two Red-tailed Hawks that were caught at the airport Tuesday, along with several Starlings and House Sparrows. The hawks were to be released Wednesday afternoon with a tag – entering them into the United States Geological Survey. Deavila said that data is used to track lifestyle and migratory patterns. It’s not known yet what kind of species hit the Jazz plane. An investigation is underway and Deavila said that information will allow them to better understand how to work with the birds and their flight path. https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/how-does-wildlife-mitigation-at-an-airport-keep-travelers-safe/ Faulty Flaps Has American Airlines A321 Return To Honolulu An American Airlines Airbus encountered several problems on a climb out of Honolulu in mid-March. After experiencing mechanical issues on the initial climb, the A321 came close to another plane, then found its flaps wouldn’t retract. The pilots then decided to return to Honolulu. The incident occurred on Friday, March 19. According to a report in The Aviation Herald, the Airbus A321-200 (registration N409AA) was climbing from Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and bound for Los Angeles. The aircraft was operating American Airlines flight AA284. That flight is American’s 13:05 departure from Honolulu. According to flight tracking site RadarBox.com, N409AA left Honolulu on March 19 and quickly climbed to 3,675 feet. The Aviation Herald says the pilots reported an undisclosed mechanical problem. The plane’s altitude dropped to around 3,000 feet while it did a large figure-of-eight loop over the sea southwest of Honolulu. While holding, the Airbus came into conflict with a private aircraft. The initial instruction from air traffic control was to fly parallel to the private plane. But the crew advised further mechanical issues and the American Airlines flight was directed away from the private plane, resolving any potential safety issues. The pilots advised the flaps had not retracted and requested to land back at Honolulu. Less than 30 minutes after departure, the Airbus was safely back on the ground. There were 199 passengers and crew onboard the flight. No injuries were reported. https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-a321-flaps-honolulu/ Pilots invited to participate in an anonymous research study about pilot health and aversion to healthcare THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA PRESS RELEASE | MARCH 31, 2021 Researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada and their collaborators are currently conducting academic research studies about pilot health and aversion to health care. They are inviting Vertical readers to participate in their study. Participants in this study must hold a Canadian or American pilot’s license or student pilot permit and be at least 18 years old. The survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. All responses will be completely anonymous as no identifying information will be obtained. The study itself will ask a series of questions to determine how pilots perceive aeromedical care and whether the risk of losing their license due to medical complications inhibits the seeking of medical advice. Participate in the Canadian study at: https://redcap.link/PilotHealthCAN Participate in the American study at: https://survey.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bJxYXAp4zsy0GjP Pilot medical health is an ever-important issue and has been the cause of multiple aviation accidents. Furthermore, pilots may be receiving less than the standard of care because they aren’t able to openly share pertinent medical information. This study will help expand the current scientific knowledge regarding pilot health and aeromedical standards. The validity of this study is entirely dependent on a large number of pilots responding and your support through participation would be invaluable. The Canadian study has been reviewed and approved by the University of Alberta Research Ethics board (Pro00106457) while the American study is exempt from ethics approval. Please contact the researchers with any questions or comments: Parth Patel – pkpatel@ualberta.ca https://verticalmag.com/press-releases/pilots-invited-to-participate-in-an-anonymous-research-study-about-pilot-health-and-aversion-to-healthcare/ Canada on track to pick new fighter jet next year despite COVID-19 OTTAWA — Canada's top military procurement official says he is optimistic the federal government will finally end its decade-long search for a new fighter jet for the Royal Canadian Air Force next year despite challenges and delays from the pandemic. Three fighter-jet makers submitted their bids last summer to provide the military with 88 new aircraft to replace the Air Force’s aging CF-18s, and government evaluators are now busily assessing those proposals to determine which best fits Canada’s needs. The government had hoped to finish that evaluation process later this year and sign a contract with one of the bidders in 2022, with the first jet slated for delivery starting in 2025 and the last arriving in 2032. Despite some recent hiccups in the process thanks to COVID-19, Troy Crosby, the assistant deputy minister of materiel at the Department of National Defence, says officials remain on track to meet that schedule and finally select a winner next year. "That is a project where COVID has created some challenges," Crosby said in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press. "Despite all of that, I still see the evaluation being completed this year. And that would get us to a point where we could enter whatever the resulting agreements or contracts are next year in 2022." The aircraft competing to replace the CF-18 are Lockheed Martin’s F-35, the Boeing Super Hornet and the Saab Gripen. The successful selection of a new fighter jet next year would mark the culmination of more than a decade of stop-start efforts marked by mismanagement and political controversy under two successive federal governments. COVID-19 posed the latest threat to that process, with fighter-jet makers asking the government for more time to submit their bids last year as they scrambled to finish their proposals while keeping staff safe and secret information private. The pandemic has also created problems for those evaluating the bids, Crosby said. "Quite a bit of the information is classified," he said. "So that requires bringing people into workplaces. And we have to do that very deliberately and carefully. But the team that's doing the evaluation has made significant progress, impressive progress." That includes recently going back to bidders to offer them an opportunity to clarify some points in their proposals or provide missing information, Crosby said, in much the same way as other military procurement projects. Officials are on the clock to finish their work sooner rather than later as the CF-18s approach the end of their lives. The last of the aircraft was supposed to have been retired last year, but Ottawa has been investing to keep them flying for another decade thanks in large part to delays in the purchase of a replacement. Work is currently underway to upgrade the avionics over the next few years on all 76 CF-18s as well as 18 F-18s that Canada has purchased used from Australia, Crosby said. Thirty-six will receive further upgrades to their combat systems. The total cost of that effort is expected to run about $1.3 billion. As for the Australian aircraft, Crosby said 15 of the 18 have been delivered. Three are now flying with the Air Force while the remainder are still going through upgrades and changes to make them compatible with Canada’s needs. https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/canada-on-track-to-pick-new-fighter-jet-next-year-despite-covid-19-1.24302019 Swiss robots use UV light to zap viruses aboard passenger planes ZURICH (Reuters) - A robot armed with virus-killing ultraviolet light is being tested on Swiss airplanes, yet another idea aiming to restore passenger confidence and spare the travel industry more pandemic pain. UVeya, a Swiss start-up, is conducting the trials of the robots with Dubai-based airport services company Dnata inside Embraer jets from Helvetic Airways, a charter airline owned by Swiss billionaire Martin Ebner. Aircraft makers still must certify the devices and are studying the impact their UV light may have on interior upholstery, which could fade after many disinfections, UVeya co-founder Jodoc Elmiger said. Still, he’s hopeful robot cleaners could reduce people’s fear of flying, even as COVID-19 circulates. “This is a proven technology, it’s been used for over 50 years in hospitals and laboratories, it’s very efficient,” Elmiger said on Wednesday. “It doesn’t leave any trace or residue.” Elmiger’s team has built three prototypes so far, one of which he demonstrated inside a Helvetic jet at the Zurich Airport, where traffic plunged 75% last year. The robot’s lights, mounted on a crucifix-shaped frame, cast everything in a soft-blue glow as it slowly moved up the Embraer’s aisle. One robot can disinfect a single-aisled plane in 13 minutes, start to finish, though larger planes take longer. Dnata executives hope airplane makers will sign off on the robots -- Elmiger estimates they’ll sell for 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,930) or so -- as governments require new measures to ensure air travellers don’t get sick. “We were looking for a sustainable, and also environmentally friendly solution, to cope with those requests,” said Lukas Gyger, Dnata’s chief operating officer in Switzerland. While privately owned Helvetic has not needed bailouts like much of the industry, its business has also been gutted, with its fleet sitting largely silently in hangars. UVeya’s UV robots may help change that, said Mehdi Guenin, a Helvetic spokesman. “If our passengers, if our crew know our aircraft are safe -- that there are no viruses or bacteria -- it could help them to fly again,” Guenin said. ($1 = 0.9418 Swiss francs) https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-swiss-robot/swiss-robots-use-uv-light-to-zap-viruses-aboard-passenger-planes-idUSL8N2LT5KV U.S. FAA approves design of 737 MAX 8200 variant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday it had approved the design for the Boeing 737-8200, part of the Boeing 737 MAX series, a necessary step before the U.S. planemaker can begin delivering the airplanes to Ryanair. The FAA said the 737-8200 incorporates all of the design improvements that were part the 20-month review of the 737 MAX that led to the ungrounding of the MAX in November, more than a year after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. Ryanair first ordered the 737-8200 plane, which seats 197 passengers, in 2014. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency still must approve the aircraft, a move that could come soon after the FAA approval. Boeing said Wednesday it would "continue to work with global regulators to safely return the 737-8 and -9 to service. Our teams are also focused on ensuring future members of the 737 family meet all regulatory requirements." In December, Ryanair - Europe's largest airline - said it was is placing a firm order for 75 additional 737 MAX 8200 planes, a higher-passenger capacity version of the 737-8 MAX. Ryanair Group Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said last week the airline expected to receive eight of the MAX aircraft in April, another eight in May and none in June. Ryanair is the launch customer for the 737-8 variant after the carrier placed its first order for 100 airplanes and 100 options in late 2014, followed by firm orders of 10 airplanes in 2017 and 25 in 2018. Ryanair did not immediately comment late Wednesday. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-faa-approves-design-737-233200920.html Curt Lewis