Flight Safety Information - May 14, 2021 No. 097 In This Issue : Incident: Sunstate DH8D at Brisbane on May 13th 2021, unsafe gear : Incident: Uni AT72 at Nangan and Taipei on May 10th 2021, burst both right tyres on departure : Incident: Allegiant A320 near Lexington on May 13th 2021, unknown odour in cabin : JetBlue passenger fined $10,500 for blowing nose in blanket, not wearing mask : FAA OKs Fix For Electrical Issue That Grounded Some Boeing 737 Max Jets : Positive virus tests keep 75 Australians off flight home from India : Rolls-Royce Confirms It’s Discussing All-New Jet With Boeing : Amazon Air launches daily flight, brings new jobs to Kansas City International Airport : Delta Air Lines to mandate vaccines for new hires and will most likely bar its staff from international flights if they refuse a shot : SpaceX's inaugural moon-tour private astronaut is heading to the International Space Station first : RTCA - Webinar: Human Factors in Flight Deck Design & Certification : Royal Aeronautical Society - Maintaining Wellbeing: Opening up in the maintenance environment: 17 May 2021 - 18 May 2021 - Virtual Conference : Call for Nominations For 2021 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award : ESASI Annual Seminar : Graduate Survey Incident: Sunstate DH8D at Brisbane on May 13th 2021, unsafe gear A Sunstate de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Qantas, registration VH-QON performing flight QF-2420 from Newcastle,NS to Brisbane,QL (Australia) with 64 passengers and 4 crew, was on approach to Brisbane's runway 19L descending through about 1800 feet MSL when the crew initiated a go around indicated they had problems with their gear extension, they needed to do a manual gear extension. The crew subsequently entered a hold while working additional checklists after the manual extension did not clear the unsafe indication. About one hour after aborting the first approach the crew indicated they needed full emergency services and engineering on stand by, they requested an ILS approach and were cleared for the ILS approach to runway 19R. The passengers were instructed to brace for landing. The aircraft landed safely on runway 19R about 70 minutes after aborting the first approach and stopped on the runway. The landing gear was secured before the aircraft was towed to the apron. The airline reported the landing gear had worked normally, however, a faulty sensor had caused an alert of unsafe gear in the cockpit. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e755751&opt=0 Incident: Uni AT72 at Nangan and Taipei on May 10th 2021, burst both right tyres on departure A Uni Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration B-17010 performing flight B7-9091 from Taipei Songshan to Nangan (Taiwan) with 70 passengers and 4 crew, departed Songshan's runway 10, climbed to FL100 and was on short final to Nangan's runway 21 about 40 minutes after departure when both right main tyres were damaged. The crew climbed the aircraft back to FL070, returned to Taipei Songshan, performed a low approach to Songshan's runway 10 about 80 minutes after departure and landed safely back on runway 10 about 100 minutes after departure. Taiwan's TTSB reported: "On May 10, 2021, at 0927 Taipei time, UNI AIR flight B7-9091, an ATR72-600 aircraft, departed from Taipei Songshan Airport (RCSS) to Matsu Nangan Airport (RCFG) with two flight crew, two cabin crew, and 70 passengers on board. At 1007 hours, the right landing gear of the aircraft was broken during landing at RCFG, the aircraft go-around and returned back to RCSS Airport. The aircraft landed at RCSS Airport at 1110 hours. The right landing gear of the aircraft was damaged. No injuries to the persons on board." 5 investigators were dispatched to Songshan, subsequently an investigation was opened. Local Media stated Nangan Airport's Director said, the aircraft was too low on approach, struck a sea wall ahead of the runway causing both right hand main tyres to burst and returned to Songshan. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e72e264&opt=0 Incident: Allegiant A320 near Lexington on May 13th 2021, unknown odour in cabin An Allegiant Airbus A320-200, registration N290NV performing flight G4-1313 from Cincinnati,OH to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA) with 144 passengers and 6 crew, had just reached cruise FL350 when an unknown odour was noticed in the forward cabin prompting the crew to turn around and divert the aircraft to Lexington,KY (USA) for a safe landing about 30 minutes later. A replacement A320-200 registration N277NV reached Fort Lauderdale with a delay of about 6.5 hours. The airline reported an unknwon odour in the forward cabin prompted the diversion to Lexington as a precaution, the odour dissipated. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e75fede&opt=0 JetBlue passenger fined $10,500 for blowing nose in blanket, not wearing mask Bad behavior can be expensive. The Federal Aviation Administration recently announced another series of fines levied against disruptive passengers. One passenger is apparently facing a steep fine after blowing his nose into one of the plane’s blankets (amid other disruptive acts). The FAA issued a news release detailing its latest round of civil penalties, which includes a fine issued for an incident that occurred on a JetBlue flight on Dec. 27, 2020. According to the release, a passenger on the plane acted in a disruptive manner and interfered with the flight crew’s ability to do their jobs. "The FAA alleges the passenger repeatedly ignored and was abusive to flight attendants who instructed him to wear a facemask," the press release says. "At one point, while not wearing a mask, he coughed and blew his nose into a blanket." The FAA has proposed a fine of $10,500 against the passenger. When a fine is proposed by the FAA, the passenger has several options to respond, MSN reports. The passenger in question can reportedly request a lower penalty, attempt to prove that the alleged incident did not actually occur, or request a hearing with an administrative law judge. Of course, the passenger could simply choose to just pay the fine (if they can afford it). There have reportedly been 1,300 incidents of travelers behaving poorly on planes that required the incident to be reported to the FAA. The FAA instituted a zero-tolerance policy in January for unruly airline passengers, Fox News previously reported. That policy was originally intended to expire on March 30 of this year, but the FAA announced in mid-March that it would be extending the policy for as long as the CDC and TSA’s mask mandates were in effect. https://www.yahoo.com/news/jetblue-passenger-fined-10-500-164245507.html FAA OKs Fix For Electrical Issue That Grounded Some Boeing 737 Max Jets Boeing says it has received Federal Aviation Administration approval for a fix to about 100 of the company's 737 Max jets that were grounded last month due to an electrical issue. Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines – the only 737 Max operators in the U.S. — were among the carriers that temporarily pulled dozens of planes out of service after Boeing warned of the potential problem, which was linked to a backup power control unit in the cockpit of some recently-built airplanes. If not addressed, the FAA said last month that the problem "could affect the operation of certain systems, including engine ice protection, and result in loss of critical functions and/or multiple simultaneous flight deck effects, which may prevent continued safe flight and landing." Boeing, in a statement sent to NPR, said: "After gaining final approvals from the FAA, we have issued service bulletins for the affected fleet." "We'll continue to stay close to our customers as they complete the work to return their airplanes to service. We are also completing the work as we prepare to resume deliveries," the company said. The FAA confirmed the approval to NPR. On Wednesday, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told House lawmakers that the problem would need a "pretty straightforward fix." He said he was fully confident in the safety of the plane. The latest issue is unrelated to a faulty flight control system and faulty sensors blamed for two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people and grounded the 737 Max for 20 months until it was cleared to fly in November. On April 9, the FAA said it would ensure the issue was addressed after Boeing recommended some newly built 737 Max planes be temporarily removed from service. Reuters, quoting an unnamed source, said the potential problem emerged after Boeing changed its manufacturing process to speed up production of the jetliner. Greenlighting a fix will allow airlines to get the medium-haul workhorse back in the sky just in time for an expected summer surge as passengers numbers improve amid eased COVID-19 restrictions. According to Reuters, a total of 109 planes were affected by the electrical issue — about 60 of them operated by Southwest, American and United. As the wire service reported, the FAA said other carriers affected include Cayman Airways, Copa Airlines, GOL Linhas Aereas, Iceland Air, Minsheng Leasing, Neos Air, Shandong Airlines, SilkAir, Spice Jet, Sunwing Airlines, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Valla Jets Limited, WestJet Airlines and Xiamen Airlines. https://www.wkms.org/post/faa-oks-fix-electrical-issue-grounded-some-boeing-737-max-jets#stream/0 Positive virus tests keep 75 Australians off flight home from India Nearly half the 150 passengers booked on Australia's first repatriation flight from India were barred from boarding on Friday, after they or their close contacts tested positive for the coronavirus, an Australian government source said. Tests have returned positive results for at least 40 passengers, or about 26% of the total, said the source, who sought anonymity as he was not allowed to speak to media, a figure much higher than the 3.5% seen in March. By late afternoon, Australian media said that number was rising, with 9News and Sky reporting 48 infections and about 25 close contacts. Reuters was unable to verify that information. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) did not immediately respond to request for comment from Reuters. Qantas (QAN.AX), which is operating the flights on behalf of DFAT, directed queries to the government. It is not yet clear if authorities had a stand-by list of passengers for the rest of the nearly 9,000 Australians and permanent residents looking to get home from COVID-ravaged India. Media said DFAT was trying to accommodate other passengers but the requirement of two negative test results in order to board was making that difficult. Over the past three weeks, India has reported more than 300,000 infections each day, overwhelming its health system. By contrast, Australia's efforts to curb the pandemic have ranked among the most successful in the world, with just over 29,950 infections and 910 deaths since March 2020. A military plane left Australia on Friday carrying aid to India, the source added. It will return with the stranded citizens, who must all test negative before boarding. The passengers will then head to a converted mining camp in Howard Springs for quarantine, a spokeswoman for the Northern Territory health department said. The government aims to more than double the capacity of the Howard Springs facility, 25 km (16 miles) southeast of the city of Darwin, to handle 2,000 people every two weeks from June. Two more Royal Australian Air Force repatriation flights to the Northern Territory are scheduled this month, with about 1,000 people planned to return by the end of June. Australia shut its international borders in March 2020 to all but citizens and permanent residents. Most returning travellers, except those from New Zealand, have had to quarantine in hotels for two weeks at their own expense, a measure that has helped keep infections low. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/first-australian-repatriation-flight-india-arrive-saturday-2021-05-14/ Rolls-Royce Confirms It’s Discussing All-New Jet With Boeing Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc said it’s holding discussions with Boeing Co. about a new aircraft program, lending more weight to rumblings that the U.S. planemaker is stepping up work on all-new model that would plug a gap in its lineup. “It is fairly well documented that Boeing is exploring the opportunity for a new aircraft,” Rolls Chief Executive Officer Warren East said at its annual meeting on Thursday. “Like the other engine manufacturers, I am sure, we are in dialog with Boeing about that.” The latest discussions are different from those in early 2019, when Rolls-Royce pulled out of the running to supply Boeing’s then-planned midrange model, East said. At the time, the U.K. company decided its UltraFan engine wouldn’t be ready in time for the mid-decade timetable Boeing had planned for its so-called NMA. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun scrapped the project shortly after joining the planemaker last year. The engine-maker is the first major supplier to confirm it’s involved in talks for a follow-on concept that would sit between Boeing’s largest 737 Max single-aisle and smallest 787 Dreamliner wide-body jets. About 20% of aerospace suppliers are discussing participating in the program with Boeing and are hopeful the new plane gets launched, Ken Herbert, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity, found in a recent survey. Boeing stock reversed an early gain of as much as 3.8% to trade down 0.4% to $219.81 as of 1:42 p.m. in New York. Rolls-Royce shares dipped less than 1% at the close of London’s trading session. Mulling Designs The U.S. manufacturing titan has been mulling designs to replace its twin-aisle 767 and out-of-production 757 for nearly a decade, while chief rival Airbus SE racked up orders with its A321neo, a plane that sits virtually unopposed in that space. The Toulouse, France-based planemaker said this week the A321 variant now accounts for more than half its order backlog in the A320 family. Boeing has said it continues to invest in initiatives critical to its future, even as it slashed its overall research and development budget as the coronavirus pandemic hit and the grounding of its 737 Max battered its finances. With Airbus building a commanding narrow-body lead, “we believe sooner than later Boeing will be sinsforced to address its product portfolio and strategy” Herbert said in a research note. “The effort appears to be building on the work done as part of the NMA studies and initially looks to be a 757 replacement.” A spokeswoman for Boeing declined to comment on East’s remarks, referring instead to Calhoun’s commentary during the company’s first quarter earnings call last month. Incremental Improvements The Chicago-based company plans to rely on incremental cost and performance advantages derived from the way its next new airplane is engineered and manufactured, Calhoun told analysts. It doesn’t intend to wait for the type of propulsion breakthrough that would deliver 15% to 20% gains in efficiency over current technology, as has been its pattern in recent decades, he said. Calhoun pointed to the company’s deep experience in carbon-composite structures and engineering modeling that’s already shortening manufacturing time for military aircraft like the T-7A trainer. “In my view those are going to be the advantages to that next airplane that gets developed,” Calhoun said. “And I just love where Boeing is positioned on that front when the time comes.” Bloomberg News reported last year Rolls had expressed interest in providing the engines for a new, midrange jetliner if the U.S. planemaker decides to go ahead with one. Rolls has also said it’s talked with Airbus about a possible new program. East said Thursday that while the UltraFan’s development is further along than it was several years ago, the engine was designed with wide-body planes in mind and might not be suitable for smaller designs. He’s keeping an open mind, he said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-13/rolls-royce-confirms-talks-with-boeing-on-new-aircraft-program Amazon Air launches daily flight, brings new jobs to Kansas City International Airport Amazon Air has launched daily flight service to Kansas City in an effort to more quickly move packages to customers. The e-commerce giant’s branded Boeing 737-800 touched down Thursday morning at Kansas City International Airport, where Amazon Air has leased 34,000 square feet of space to manage package deliveries. That operation will be managed by Amazon’s logistics partner, PrimeFlight Cargo, and is expected to support more than 50 jobs. Amazon Air helps the company to transport items quickly across longer distances. The company owns and leases a fleet of aircraft and contracts with third-party carriers to provide dedicated air cargo services for Amazon packages. “Growing the network of sites where Amazon Air flies is essential to supporting fast, free shipping for our customers,” Chris Preston, director of Amazon Gateway Operations, said in a news release. “Today, with Kansas City International Airport as part of our Amazon Air network, we are closer to our customers and can support fast shipping for the items they rely on. We are proud of the investments Amazon has made in the Kansas City region and look forward to continued growth.” Amazon operates multiple fulfillment centers across the Kansas City area, including locations in Edgerton, Lenexa and Kansas City, Kansas, where it plans to add 500 jobs at a second facility. “The addition of Amazon Air at the airport strengthens KCI’s impact as a regional economic engine,” Kansas City aviation director Pat Klein said in a news release. “We are grateful to the Amazon team’s commitment to Kansas City and look forward to a strong partnership.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/amazon-air-launches-daily-flight-124809528.html Delta Air Lines to mandate vaccines for new hires and will most likely bar its staff from international flights if they refuse a shot Delta Air Lines will require all new employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, its CEO said. Delta's current workforce will be exempt from the mandate, CEO Ed Bastian told CNN. Workers who refuse a shot, however, may be barred from international flights, he said. Delta Air Lines will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for new hires, and the company may stop current staff members from working on international flights if they refuse a vaccine, its CEO said. "Any person joining Delta in the future, a future employee, we're going to mandate they be vaccinated before they can sign up with the company," CEO Ed Bastian told CNN on Thursday. Bastian said "well over" 60% of Delta employees already had at least one shot and he expected that up to 80% of all workers would be vaccinated eventually. He said unvaccinated employees would "probably" be prevented from working on international flights, because destination countries might require people to be vaccinated to enter. In March, Delta said it would offer daily flights to Iceland from Boston, New York, and Minneapolis starting in May. United Airlines announced last month that it would offer flights this summer to Greece and Iceland for Americans who could prove they'd had a shot. Employers have grappled with the question of whether to make vaccinations mandatory. Last month, a hospital in Houston said staff members who refused a vaccine could be fired unless they were exempt for religious or medical reasons. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says employer vaccine requirements are legal and workers can be barred from the office if they refuse to get jabbed. https://www.yahoo.com/news/delta-air-lines-mandate-vaccines-094132206.html SpaceX's inaugural moon-tour private astronaut is heading to the International Space Station first SpaceX private spaceflight ambitions got a big boost in 2018 when Japanese entrepreneur and billionaire Yusaku Maezawa announced he'd be taking a trip aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon on a round-trip flight passing the moon. Maezawa is still on track to make that trip by 2023, according to current schedules, but he's so eager to get to space that he just announced he'll make a visit to the International Space Station as a private astronaut this December. Maezawa will go as a client of Space Adventures, on a Russian Soyuz rocket set to take off from Kazakhstan on December 8, and he'll be accompanied by his production assistant Yozo Hirano. Space Adventures is the same company behind prior Soyuz commercial spaceflight missions, including the trip made by Anousheh Ansari in 2006 and Guy Laliberté in 2009, among others. Laliberté's trip was the most recent, with space tourism at the station officially on hold since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 since Soyuz has been the only means to access the ISS. Now that SpaceX is flying regular astronaut shuttle missions, however, tourist trips are back on. SpaceX’s first paying moon flight customer wants to give away eight seats aboard his spaceship The trip that Maezawa plans to take will take place over the course of 12 days, and he'll be doing three months of training in Russia to get ready for the experience. In addition to being the first private astronaut visit to the ISS in more than 10 years, this is also the first time that two private astronauts will fly onboard the same Soyuz at the same time. Maezawa and Hirano will also be the first Japanese citizens to make the journey as private individuals. It may seem like overkill to get to visit space twice in a lifetime as a private astronaut, but Maezawa says he's driven by a curiosity of "what's life like in space?" which will of course be useful information to have on the planned moon mission, which will spend three days getting there, make a loop around our natural satellite, and then spend three days coming back. He's also planning to post the experience to YouTube, which is why Hirano is accompanying him to document the trip. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/spacexs-inaugural-moon-tour-private-112758468.html Webinar: Human Factors in Flight Deck Design & Certification Wednesday, May 19, 1pm ET Free to attend The role of ergonomics in flight deck design continues to remain a critical safety priority in aviation. RTCA brings together key stakeholders including FAA, Airbus, Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, and Applied Ergonomics Group to identify how we can work together to enhance the integration of Human Factors from concept of design through product certification. An audience Q&A session follows the discussion. After the session, Captain Bob Fox of ALPA presents a Tech Talk: “Airline Pilots – The Most Important Safety Feature on An Aircraft “. Register: https://bit.ly/3tvK4HH Maintaining Wellbeing: Opening up in the maintenance environment 17 May 2021 - 18 May 2021 Virtual Conference 13:30 - 17:00 BST Ever since the tragic Germanwings accident in 2015 there has been growing interest in the mental health and wellbeing of pilots, even to the extent that EASA has recently introduced new rules on the mental fitness of aircrew. Of course, pilots are not the only aerospace professionals whose wellbeing has a direct impact on safety. There are many humans in the chain equally vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life, and not least aircraft maintainers. However, are their needs being recognised, never mind being addressed? Following a successful recovery from an airborne incident the passengers and crew are rightly given every assistance to get over the traumatic experience, but what about the engineers worried that something they might have done was the cause of the incident? They are frequently the ones who have to immediately recover the aircraft, perhaps without a thought by anyone as to how they might feel about it and the impact this could have on their performance. This Conference takes a unique look at wellbeing and mental health from the maintainers point of view. What are the specific challenges faced by aircraft engineers and the business case for addressing these challenges? How widespread is the problem? Individual and organisational coping mechanisms will be discussed and we will hear thoughts from the CAA. This is a significant opportunity to shine a light on the challenges faced by maintainers who can often be taken for granted. Your attendance would help us to start a new conversation at a time when arguably the need is at its greatest. Please do see the full programme below using the blue button. Delegate fees: RAeS Member: £40+VAT Non Member Engineers special offer 50% off £40+VAT Non Member: £80+VAT RAeS Corporate Partner: £60+VAT RAeS Student/Apprentice Affiliate Member: £20+VAT BOOK NOW View the full programme now Call for Nominations For 2021 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award is scheduled to be presented during Flight Safety Foundation’s annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS). Presented annually since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and/or a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition for their achievement. Nominations that were not selected as past winners may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us identify and honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-to-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 4th, 2021. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 75 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956 her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., in close association with The Flight Safety Foundation, established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. For the past 65 years, this long distinguished award recognizing crowning achievements in aviation safety worldwide has been presented at Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Summit. In 2013, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed as an independent, non-profit, charitable organization composed of members of the Award Board, the aviation community, and the Barbour family. In addition to annual presentation of the Award, in 2019 the Foundation initiated a scholarship program that provides tuition support to worthy students pursuing professional aviation studies leading to a career. As the Foundation broadens the scope of its intent, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. For more information on the Foundation, the Award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org ESASI Annual Seminar Dear ESASI Members and Friends, The ESASI Committee has decided to convert the ESASI Annual Seminar into a webinar. The dates remain the same. It will be held on Zoom on the afternoons of the 1st and 2nd of July 2021. The ESASI Committee has been working with our hosts in Hungary to organize ESASI 2022 in Budapest in Spring 2022. CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS • Challenges faced by air safety investigators. • The environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in. • Practical experience of applying investigation techniques. • New techniques to aid the investigation. • Investigating UAVs. • Investigating accidents involving manned spacecraft. • Topical cases studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to Thorkell Agustsson and Brian McDermid by the 14th May 2021 at presentations@esasi.eu Best regards Steve Hull - ESASI Secretary Graduate Survey My name is Pierre DION, I am an airline Captain and student at City, University of London doing an MSc in Air Safety Management. Department of Mathematics of City, University of London We are looking for volunteers to participate in a study of "Artificial Intelligence in Safety Management System". As a participant in this study, you would be asked to answer 18 questions for an anonymous questionnaire. Your participation would involve one session of approximately 10 minutes of your time. Please follow the link below. Thank you. Survey Link: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UCz8cT2NDRdIxg Thank you. Pierre DION Curt Lewis