Flight Safety Information - May 3, 2021 No. 088 In This Issue : Incident: Aeroflot B738 at Moscow on Apr 30th 2021, slat failure : Incident: American B772 over Gulf of Mexico on Apr 26th 2021, hydraulic failure : Accident: Spirit A321 near Dallas on Apr 29th 2021, turbulence injures two passengers : Airbus A330-941 - Ground Collision (Guinea) : Rockwell Sabreliner - Ground Collision (Florida) : Incident: American A319 at Dallas on May 1st 2021, rejected takeoff due to compressor stall : Bomb Threat Causes EL AL 787 Fighter Jet Escort : Fire onboard American Airlines flight at MAF leads to evacuation : Pilot, other man detained after TSA finds gun at JAX : FAA to audit Boeing's 'minor' design changes after latest MAX issue : Air Force Quietly Ends Program Allowing Retired Pilots to Return to Service : NASA tells SpaceX to halt lunar lander work pending contract challenges : Boeing says it fired 65 employees for racist, discriminatory conduct Incident: American B772 over Gulf of Mexico on Apr 26th 2021, hydraulic failure An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N755AN performing flight AA-163 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Miami,FL (USA), was enroute at FL390 over the Gulf of Mexico about 120nm southeast of New Orleans,LA (USA) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Houston Intercontinental,TX (USA) due to a hydraulic failure. On approach to Houston the crew advised they needed to stop on the runway and requested emergency services and a tow on stand by for landing on runway 08R. A few minutes later the aircraft was subsequently able to taxi off the runway on own power. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N776AN reached Miami with a delay of about 9 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 27 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e6c1b69&opt=0 Incident: Aeroflot B738 at Moscow on Apr 30th 2021, slat failure An Aeroflot Boeing 737-800, registration VP-BRF performing flight SU-2168 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Brussels (Belgium), was climbing out of Sheremetyevo's runway 24C when the crew stopped the climb at 7000 feet due to the slats not moving when being retracted. The aircraft burned off fuel and returned to Sheremetyevo for a safe landing on runway 24R about 55 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration VP-BRR reached Brussels with a delay of 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Moscow about 37 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e6c1d89&opt=0 Accident: Spirit A321 near Dallas on Apr 29th 2021, turbulence injures two passengers A Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N661NK performing flight NK-208 from Las Vegas,NV to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA), was entoute at FL310 about 120nm west of Dallas about to reach the top of descent, when the aircraft encountered moderate turbulence causing an altitude deviation of 200 feet below assigned level and minor injuries to two passengers. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 35L about 23 minutes later. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURBULENCE, ABILENE, TX.", two passengers received minor injuries. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e6c1929&opt=0 Rockwell Sabreliner - Ground Collision (Florida) Date: 01-MAY-2021 Time: Type: Rockwell Sabreliner Owner/operator: Registration: MSN: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, FL - United States of America Phase: Unknown Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The aircraft suffered a runway excursion. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/256491 Incident: American A319 at Dallas on May 1st 2021, rejected takeoff due to compressor stall An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N816AW performing flight AA-2467 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Pittsburgh,PA (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Dallas' runway 17R when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (78 knots over ground) due to an engine (V2524) compressor stall, possibly caused by a bleed air issue. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. A replacement Airbus A319-100 registration N808AW reached Pittsburgh with a delay of 2.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e6cdf1d&opt=0 Bomb Threat Causes EL AL 787 Fighter Jet Escort EL AL Yesterday I first wrote about a rather alarming situation that unfolded on an EL AL flight a couple of days ago, and we now have more details of what happened. In this post: EL AL flight received a bomb threat This incident involves an April 29 EL AL flight from New York to Tel Aviv. Flight LY2 was operated by a Boeing 787-9 with the registration code 4X-EDH, which is a roughly two year old aircraft that was delivered to the airline in October 2018. While the plane was in the air, US authorities received a phone call warning that there was a bomb on the plane — “I’m telling you there’s a bomb on the plane,” a caller allegedly said. While there were questions of the legitimacy of the call, the pilots, Israeli security agencies, and others, were informed of this. While flying over Spain, the EL AL pilots informed air traffic control about the bomb threat, which is when the situation was escalated. A bomb threat was called in for an EL AL flight from New York Fighter jets were dispatched to escort EL AL 787 As a result of the information provided, NATO allegedly made the decision to dispatch fighter jets, which intercepted and escorted the EL AL 787. Fighter jets from four different countries took part in this: • Spanish fighter jets escorted the aircraft from Spain to Italy • Then Italian fighter jets escorted the aircraft from Italy to Greece • Then Greek fighter jets escorted the aircraft through Greek airspace • Then when the plane entered Cyprus airspace, Israeli fighter jets escorted the aircraft back to Israel Fortunately the plane landed safely in Tel Aviv about four hours after the original call was made to air traffic control about a bomb, and just under 10 hours after departing New York. After landing at Ben-Gurion Airport, searches were conducted of the plane, but nothing was found, so it was determined that this was a false alarm. I have some questions… We now have more information about this incident than we did when details were first published, though I still have a few questions. First of all, if there’s a concern about a bomb being onboard, why would you keep flying for several hours rather than landing? Is there a fear that it’s pressure activated? If so, are there further precautions that can be taken when landing? I totally get that it was probably suspected that this was a fake threat, but logistical challenges aside, it still seems safer and cheaper to just land and search the plane than to dispatch multiple fighter jets, no? Speaking of fighter jets, what exactly were they supposed to do, especially since we’re talking about an alleged bomb? Presumably it would be on the interior of the aircraft, so it’s not like they could do a visual inspection. Lastly, it’s my understanding that passengers weren’t made aware of what’s going on, though I can’t help but wonder what was going on in the cabin? EL AL flights all have air marshals, so did they perform some sort of a cabin inspection inflight, or was it business as usual in the cabin? An EL AL 787 had quite an eventful flight from New York to Tel Aviv Bottom line An EL AL Boeing 787 flying from New York to Tel Aviv had quite an eventful flight. Someone called in a bomb threat. While the pilots made the decision to continue the flight, they were escorted by at least four sets of fighter jets. Fortunately the plane landed safely in Israel, and it was determined that there was no bomb (thank goodness). https://onemileatatime.com/bomb-threat-el-al-787-fighter-jet/ Fire onboard American Airlines flight at MAF leads to evacuation MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - A fire onboard an American Airlines flight at Midland International Air & Space Port this morning resulted in the flight being evacuated before takeoff. All passengers and crew are safe, and no injuries have been reported. A passenger tells CBS7 that AA 5757, departure time 6:20 a.m., had just started to pull away from Gate 5 at MAF for Dallas-Fort Worth when passengers began to smell smoke. A spokesperson for the City of Midland said the plane, a Bombardier CRJ900, experienced a right engine fire at the terminal and was immediately evacuated. The call was made at 6:20 a.m., and the fire was extinguished at 6:31 a.m. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. In a response to CBS7′s request for comment, American Airlines said: American Eagle flight 5757, operated by Mesa Airlines from Midland-Odessa, Texas (MAF) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), encountered an engine-related issue prior to departure. The 43 passengers and four crew members deplaned via the forward stairs, and no injuries were reported. We are taking care of our customers and crew members, and are re-accommodating our passengers on other flights to DFW. https://www.cbs7.com/2021/05/02/fire-onboard-american-airlines-flight-at-maf-leads-to-evacuation/ Pilot, other man detained after TSA finds gun at JAX Because gun’s owner had concealed carry permit, he was not arrested but could face a fine JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When a viewer alerted News4Jax that two men in pilot uniforms were detained by authorities near the TSA checkpoint at JIA at around 7 a.m. Thursday, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority confirmed that a loaded gun was found in one of the men’s carry-on bags. The men, one of them a part-time employee of a St. Augustine flight school called Florida Flyers, were in separate TSA security lines about 7 a.m. when a revolver was indicated on the X-ray screen of the pre-check line. According to the incident report, the firearm turned out to be a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson that had five rounds in the cylinder. A 59-year-old Ponte Vedra Man in the pre-check security line told officers the bag belonged to his “co-pilot,” who was going through a separate line. Airport police located the second man, a 71-year-old from Jacksonville, who admitted the gun belonged to him and he forgot it was in his bag. Both men were taken to the airport police office where it was determined they were not trying to intentionally bring the gun through the checkpoint and both had Florida concealed-carry permits. The gun’s owner was allowed to secure the gun and continue on to his flight to Washington, D.C., but he could face a fine of up to $13,669. “This civil penalty is independent of whether you are arrested or face criminal charges from our law enforcement partners. Fines may also be assessed for other threat items brought to the checkpoint such as illegal knives or martial arts devices,” the TSA said in a statement. “Passengers are responsible for knowing what the laws are on each side of their trip. This is especially important if you are leaving the state. Even after learning that you may bring your gun to your destination, the only way it can be transported is in checked luggage. The gun must be declared to the airline at check-in, unloaded and placed in a locked, hard-sided case.” “Very alarming,” is how traveler Monica Bernhardt described seeing the men led away in handcuffs. Bernhardt said she made small talk with the pilots minutes before the incident happened. “They were talking about how they gained the ‘COVID 30′ and they had lost it and just had a few pounds left to go,” Bernhardt said. “I joked with them. ... There was nothing weird about them when they were walking down to security.” News4Jax left messages for both men involved. The flight school sent a statement saying their employee was not on duty at the time and do not wear pilot uniforms when on the job. “We believe he was working as a pilot for a separate employer during this morning’s incident,” Florida Flyers wrote. One traveler passing through the airport later Thursday called this “irresponsible behavior.” “It’s just another example of why we have to be more careful with firearms when traveling on an airplane,” Rosemarie Mazor said. According to TSA data, this was the ninth gun discovered this year at Jacksonville International. In 2020, 36 guns were stopped by security screeners at JAX -- the 24th highest number of all United States airports. https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/04/29/flight-school-pilots-detained-after-tsa-finds-gun-at-jax/ FAA to audit Boeing's 'minor' design changes after latest MAX issue US air safety regulators are auditing Boeing's procedures for making "minor" design changes to planes in the wake of the latest problem with its troubled 737 MAX, regulators said Thursday. The Federal Aviation Administration's review aims to help Boeing identify "areas where it can improve its processes," an agency spokeswoman said. "These initiatives are part of our commitment to continually evaluating and improving our oversight of all aspects of aviation safety, recognizing that catching errors at the earliest possible point enhances what is already the world's safest form of transportation." The audit is in addition to the agency's ongoing investigation into the issue that led to grounding of more than 100 MAX planes after Boeing earlier this month alerted 16 airlines of an electrical problem with some of the planes. Boeing remain under heavy scrutiny after two fatal crashes that led to a 20-month grounding of the MAX jets. A congressional investigation also blasted the FAA for "grossly insufficient oversight" of Boeing throughout the certification of the MAX. The agency recertified the aircraft in November after a lengthy review that included a test flight piloted by FAA director Steve Dickson. Boeing said it is working with regulators on the latest MAX issue and that it appreciates "ongoing engagement with, and direction from, the FAA as we continuously improve safety and quality in our processes," a company spokeswoman said. The FAA on Wednesday released an airworthiness directive that requires modifications to ensure "sufficient electrical grounding" for plane equipment and "address the unsafe condition on these products." The Boeing spokeswoman said the company has been working closely on two service bulletins to address the problem. Once the FAA signs off on the bulletins, Boeing will provide them to airlines "with detailed instructions on completing the work to return their airplanes to service," she said. The problem, which surfaced during the manufacturing process, has so far not significantly affected airlines given the still-lackluster travel volume during Covid-19, but demand is expected to pick up significantly this summer. https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-faa-boeing-minor-latest-max.html Air Force Quietly Ends Program Allowing Retired Pilots to Return to Service The U.S. Air Force has pulled the plug on a program that allowed retired pilots to come back to service. The service quietly canceled its Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty Program, or VRRAD, program back in December, spokeswoman Ann Stefanek confirmed to Military.com. The service began the program in 2017 in an effort to fill flight staff positions with those who had prior pilot experience and expertise, thus allowing more active-duty pilots to focus on training and missions. Over the course of its roughly three-year duration, the VRRAD program received 326 applications, and 120 pilots were approved to return, Stefanek said. Of those 120 officers, 99 are still serving, added Maj. Holly Hess, another spokeswoman. Thirteen pilots will conclude their duty this fiscal year, and 51 more will complete their required tour by fiscal 2022, Hess said. Twenty-four will finish out their tour in fiscal 2023, and the remaining 11 in fiscal 2024, according to statistics provided to Military.com. "Officers previously approved to serve a specified tour length under the VRRAD program were not impacted or dismissed early," Stefanek said in an email. "These officers were permitted to serve their approved tour length. The Air Force is simply not accepting additional applications at this time." VRRAD was open to pilots under the age of 60 who retired between 2012 and 2017 at the rank of captain, major or lieutenant colonel. Applicants also had to pass a flying Class II physical and had to have either served in a position within the past 10 years or been qualified in an Air Force aircraft within five years of applying. The Air Force said it selected qualified candidates on a first-come, first-serve basis. The returning retirees were not eligible for aviation bonuses. Last year the Air Force saw record retention rates -- the highest in two decades. Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, attributed retention gains in part to economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the Air Force moved airmen out of some "overmanned" career fields and expanded voluntary force management programs in an effort to transfer some airmen into the Reserve. But the pilot shortage continues. While the Air Force is developing tailored programs aimed at streamlining training for incoming pilots through virtual reality and simulation, it's also looking to outsource training to private industry in an effort to churn out 1,500 new pilots a year. The Air Force fell short of that production goal -- first set in 2018 -- in fiscal 2020, producing 1,263 pilots. In fiscal 2020, the Air Force came up 1,925 pilots short of the roughly 21,000 it needs overall, spokeswoman Lt. Col. Malinda Singleton told Military.com in March. The service could not provide specifics about which aviation communities within the Air Force faced the most pressing gaps. The service first acknowledged a pilot shortfall in 2016, ending the year 1,555 pilots shy of its target. The gap then grew to a whopping 2,000 pilots in fiscal 2017, the same year it introduced programs like VRRAD. The pilot shortage totaled 1,937 at the end of fiscal 2018, 2,100 the following year. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04/30/air-force-quietly-ends-program-allowing-retired-pilots-return-service.html NASA tells SpaceX to halt lunar lander work pending contract challenges SEATTLE (Reuters) - U.S. space agency NASA has told Elon Musk's SpaceX to halt work under a contract it won to develop a lunar spacecraft, pending the outcome of challenges by rival bidders at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the agency said on Friday. NASA's decision means SpaceX has to stop any work specifically related to the moon program contract until the GAO makes a ruling, expected Aug. 4 at the latest. A SpaceX spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, NASA awarded SpaceX the lunar contract over billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics. The high-profile project aims to put humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972. Blue Origin on Monday filed a protest with the GAO, arguing among other things that NASA gave SpaceX the chance to revise its bid but did not give that chance to Blue Origin. Blue Origin also argues the decision extends SpaceX's "monopolistic" control in space exploration. The GAO confirmed that Dynetics has also challenged the NASA contract award to SpaceX. "Pursuant to the GAO protests, NASA instructed SpaceX that progress on the HLS (human landing system) contract has been suspended until GAO resolves all outstanding litigation related to this procurement," the agency said on Friday. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/nasa-tells-spacex-halt-lunar-210013042.html Boeing says it fired 65 employees for racist, discriminatory conduct (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Friday it fired 65 employees over the last year for engaging in or being part of racist, discriminatory or hateful conduct. In a company-wide report that reveals the first demographic breakdown of its workforce, the planemaker said the employees were terminated between June 2020 and April 21, 2021. American companies have come under pressure from investors to publicly disclose information about diversity among employees in the wake of racial justice and movements such as Black Lives Matter. Boeing said about 69% of its U.S. workforce was made of white employees and 31% from other races, including about 6.4% Black employees. Boeing has previously said it aims to take the number of Black employees up by 20%. Boeing, which has seen the ranks of its senior female executives shrink in recent years, also said data showed women made up 13.6% of its executive council, a drop from about 30% over the past year. Part of the reason for the gender gap in the council is its expansion to 22 members, with just three female executives, from 13 members, with four female executives, as of March 1, 2020. Overall, women represented between 23% and 25% of Boeing U.S. and non-U.S. workforce, the company said. (https://bit.ly/3u9GGDj) https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-says-fired-65-employees-162846460.html Curt Lewis