Flight Safety Information - June 14, 2021 No. 118 In This Issue : Incident: Delta A320 at Minneapolis on May 27th 2021, landing gear issues, brakes not working : Incident: Ryanair B738 near Bordeaux on Jun 10th 2021, suspected fuel leak : Incident: Lufthansa Cargo MD11 at Frankfurt on Jun 11th 2021, rejected takeoff due to nose wheel steering trouble : Incident: AZAL A320 at Baku on Jun 12th 2021, rejected takeoff due to birdstrike : Incident: Virgin Australia B738 near Darwin on Jun 10th 2021, cracked windshield : Delta passenger allegedly makes terroristic threats, assaults flight attendants: Police : Jet that crashed near Nellis Air Force Base had flap issue : “Enough is Enough”: U.S. Pilots Demand More Protection After Surge in Unruly Passenger Behavior : 2 Arrested For Allegedly Pointing Lasers At CHP Aircraft In Roseville : N.J. man tried to sneak gun belt buckle into airport, TSA says : American Airlines partners with CareNow for pre-flight rapid COVID-19 testing : Canadian Regulators Urged To Be ‘Skeptical’ Of FAA Findings : Mozambique's national airline to sell aircraft to cut cost: report : Why Airlines Didn’t Like The Boeing 757-300 : Position Available: Investigator/Senior Investigator, Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) Incident: Delta A320 at Minneapolis on May 27th 2021, landing gear issues, brakes not working A Delta Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N342NW performing flight DL-1205 from Minneapolis,MN to Baltimore,MD (USA) with 142 people on board, was climbing out of Minneapolis' runway 12L when the crew requested to level off at 4000 feet indicating they may have a mechanical issue and needed some time to troubleshoot A few minutes later the crew declared emergency reporting they had a landing gear shock absorber fault, the landing gear did not retract, several of their brakes weren't working, reversers were not working and normal braking was not working, they needed the longest runway available. Runway 04 was not available due to construction work, the crew thus opted for runway 12R. The crew landed safely on runway 12R about 55 minutes after departure. The crew advised they wanted emergency services to check their brakes and needed to stay on the runway until a tug towed them off. A replacement A321-200 registration N301DV departed Minneapolis the following morning about 11 hours after landing and reached Baltimore with a delay of 13 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 23 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e8daa37&opt=0 Incident: Ryanair B738 near Bordeaux on Jun 10th 2021, suspected fuel leak A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EKI performing flight FR-2925 from Brussels (Belgium) to Lisbon (Portugal), was enroute at FL370 over the Bay of Biscay about 140nm west of Bordeaux (France) when the crew declared emergency and decided to divert to Bordeaux. The aircraft landed safely on Bordeaux's runway 29 about 40 minutes later, vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. Tower told emergency services the arriving emergency aircraft had reported they suspected a fuel leak, emergency services should expect fuel on the runway. A replacement Malta Air Boeing 737-800 registration 9H-QEF reached Lisbon with a delay of about 3 hours. THe occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 12 hours, then resumed service performing a scheduled flight from Bordeaux to London Stansted. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e8d9e03&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa Cargo MD11 at Frankfurt on Jun 11th 2021, rejected takeoff due to nose wheel steering trouble A Lufthansa Cargo McDonnell Douglas MD-11, registration D-ALCA performing flight GEC-8160 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Frankfurt's runway 25C when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed due to trouble with the nose wheel steering. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway about 250 meters/820 feet down the runway and remained in that position for about 30 minutes before it was towed to the apron. The aircraft is still on the ground in Frankfurt about 26 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e8ce372&opt=0 Incident: AZAL A320 at Baku on Jun 12th 2021, rejected takeoff due to birdstrike An AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration 4K-AZ79 performing flight J2-125 from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Antalya (Turkey) with 142 passengers, was accelerating for takeoff from Baku's runway 34 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (more than 122 knots over ground) after the left hand engine (CFM56) ingested a bird. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. A replacement A320-200 registration 4K-AZ83 reached Antalya with a delay of 2.5 hours. The airline reported the captain decided to not rotate for takeoff due to vibrations of the left hand engine. A later examination found evidence of a bird strike. A replacement aircraft took the 142 passengers to Antalya. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e8ce005&opt=0 Incident: Virgin Australia B738 near Darwin on Jun 10th 2021, cracked windshield A Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800, registration VH-VUY performing positioning flight VA-9945 from Darwin,NT (Australia) to Hong Kong (China), had just reached cruise level 400 when the crew decided to return to Darwin reporting a cracked windshield. The aircraft performed a VOR T approach to Darwin's runway 11 and landed safely back about 70 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Darwin about 37 hours after landing back, but is scheduled to depart for the journey again at Jun 12th noon (local time). https://avherald.com/h?article=4e8c4708&opt=0 Delta passenger allegedly makes terroristic threats, assaults flight attendants: Police A cross-country Delta flight was diverted to Oklahoma after an unruly passenger allegedly made terroristic threats and assaulted two flight attendants, according to police. The suspect, Stephon Jamar Duncan, allegedly said he was going to take down the plane Friday evening while it was en route from Los Angeles to Atlanta, Oklahoma City police spokesman Jermaine Johnson said. After Duncan allegedly assaulted two flight attendants, an off-duty pilot helped subdue him, Johnson said. Delta said crew and passengers onboard flight 1730 also helped overpower the suspect. No one was hurt. The plane landed in Oklahoma City without incident and the passenger was removed by law enforcement, a Delta spokesperson said. The plane was searched and cleared and then allowed to resume travel to Atlanta, Johnson said. Duncan was arrested and taken to a hospital after reporting chest pains and exhibiting signs of mental health issues, police said. This incident comes as the TSA screened over 2 million people at airport security checkpoints Friday -- the first time topping 2 million since the start of the pandemic. https://www.yahoo.com/gma/delta-passenger-allegedly-makes-terroristic- Jet that crashed near Nellis Air Force Base had flap issue LAS VEGAS — Investigators say the fatal crash of a jet into a home near Nellis Air Force Base nearly three weeks ago was the result of a flap issue. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary findings Friday on the crash that killed 43-year-old pilot Nicholas Hunter Hamilton of Las Vegas. Investigators believe the jet, which was operated by military contractor Draken US, was part of a two-plane formation finishing weapons school support flights. Moments before the May 24 crash, Hamilton reported the jet had no problems. But as Hamilton started his final turn, he reported a flap issue. The Dassault Mirage F-1 that crashed Monday was owned and operated by Draken US, a military contractor providing “adversary air support” during aerial war games. Investigators believe the pilot ejected, and the jet crashed about a mile and a half from Nellis. They said the wreckage was consumed by a post-crash fire. The plane crashed into a home, leaving the homeowner with nightmares of the crash, which he said sounded like a bomb going off in his backyard. Hamilton was the only person on board the jet. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2021/06/13/jet-that-crashed-near-nellis-air-force-base-had-flap-issue/ “Enough is Enough”: U.S. Pilots Demand More Protection After Surge in Unruly Passenger Behavior U.S.-based pilots are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transport (DOT) to hurry up and make secondary flight deck barriers a legal requirement on all new commercial passenger aircraft after a series of recent terrifying incidents in which unruly and out of control passengers have needed to be restrained. “Enough is enough” tweeted Captain Joe DePete president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) which represents more than 59,000 flight crew at 35 airlines including Delta where a passenger on a flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta on Friday night had to be tackled by flight attendants after he attempted to open an emergency exit. Only a week before Friday night’s serious incident, another Delta flight from Los Angeles had to be diverted after an unruly passenger attempted to breach the flight deck. A flight attendant has been hailed a hero for managing to subdue the suspect before he was able to threaten the safety of the aircraft. “There should be zero tolerance for airline passengers who threaten the safety of others,” Captain DePete tweeted on Saturday. “Nearly 20 years after 9/11, airlines have failed to fully protect the flight deck and the FAA has dragged its feet implementing a law passed in 2018,” DePete continued, referencing a law that should make it mandatory for airlines to install a secondary flight deck barrier on all new airplanes. Although the flight deck door is reinforced with bulletproof material and heavily secured, pilots remain concerned that the flight deck is vulnerable to attack and could still be breached by a terrorist or out of control passenger with malicious intent. A secondary barrier is designed to separate the flight deck from the passenger cabin when the main flight deck door is open – say for when a pilot needs to use the lavatory or get something from the galley. At least two U.S. airlines have secondary barriers installed on some airplanes (see picture above) but they remain an exception rather than the norm. “These in-flight incidents are increasing – both in number and severity – and at some point the flight deck door will be breached,” DePete warned. “Just a matter of time before a mentally ill passenger or suicidal terrorist simply waits for a pilot to get food or use the lavatory and breaches.” Unusually, the FAA responded directly to criticism it is taking too long to act and said in a tweet that it was “committed to protecting U.S. workers, including keeping pilots safe”. The issue of secondary flight deck barriers is on the DOT’s Spring regulatory agenda to be discussed at some point this year. There is still no timeline for when secondary barriers might be mandated despite the FAA Reauthorization Act requiring the relevant rules to be in place back in 2019. The FAA says it is taking a zero-tolerance approach to unruly passengers and has the power to slap disruptive airline customers with a civil penalty of up to $35,000. So far this year, the FAA has received a record-breaking 2,500 unruly passenger reports – the vast majority of which are connected to passengers refusing to wear a face mask. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2021/06/13/enough-is-enough-u-s-pilots-demand-more-protection-after-surge-in-unruly-passenger-behavior/ 2 Arrested For Allegedly Pointing Lasers At CHP Aircraft In Roseville ROSEVILLE (CBS13) – Two people were arrested after lasers were pointed at a California Highway Patrol airplane in Roseville, authorities said on Saturday. According to the CHP, the incident happened Friday night. The aircraft was reportedly struck by a laser several times, and the CHP said there has been a significant number of laser strikes so far in 2021. The flight officer spotted the individual who was pointing the laser and alerted the Roseville Police Department of their location. While Roseville police were responding, a second individual began pointing a laser at the aircraft, the CHP said. Both suspects got in a car and left the scene before officers arrived. The CHP said Roseville police eventually located and stopped the vehicle and took both suspects into custody. Their identities were not released. https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2021/06/12/2-arrested-for-allegedly-pointing-lasers-at-chp-aircraft-in-roseville/ N.J. man tried to sneak gun belt buckle into airport, TSA says A New Jersey man was arrested this week after trying to sneak a gun belt buckle through airport security in Newark, authorities said. The Ridgefield Park man was stopped on Friday while trying to enter the airport at Terminal C, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in a release. The gun was packed inside a zippered case in his backpack and initially looked like a belt buckle, the agency said. But the gun on the belt buckle was a functioning gun that could be popped out of the frame and used, officials said. The man told TSA agents he had just forgotten that the gun was packed away. TSA did not identify the man. “Claiming to forget that you have a gun with you is inexcusable,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “If you own a gun you need to know where it is at all times. Each of these individuals now faces a stiff federal financial penalty that could cost them thousands of dollars.” The Ridgefield Park man was not the only traveler to claim they had forgotten they’d packed a gun at the Newark airport. On June 3, a Pennsylvania man attempted to bring a handgun through an airport check point, also telling officials he had forgotten it was packed. Five guns have been confiscated at Newark Liberty International Airport as of June 12, officials said. Last year 11 guns were confiscated, although airport traffic was seriously depressed due to the pandemic. https://www.nj.com/essex/2021/06/nj-man-tried-to-sneak-gun-belt-buckle-into-airport-tsa-says.html American Airlines partners with CareNow for pre-flight rapid COVID-19 testing LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — While we approach some of the busiest months of the year, people who are not vaccinated have an option when traveling. Urgent care facility CareNow is offering pre-flight COVID-19 rapid testing for American Airlines passengers traveling to 13 international destinations. That includes places throughout Central America and the Caribbean — and on domestic destinations, including Hawaii. “A lot of our Las Vegas community are traveling right now and the COVID-19 requirements are so confusing,” said Jami Rimer of Las Vegas CareNow. “So this partnership with American Airlines is really wonderful because we take all the guesswork out of it for our community.” Dr. Lamont Tyler, the Market Medical Director of HCA | CareNow explains the quick process: “They have to have proof and come in with their ticket and reservation,” Tyler said. “We allow for our patients to do what we call a web check-in. Then we can bring them back and get the testing done for them, and then facilitate with them with their results and test in hand.” Travelers can request two types of COVID-19 tests: the on-site rapid test or PCR lab send-outs. Rapid test results are ready in less than 15 minutes. As for other airlines jumping on board and doing the same, Tyler says the possiblity is definitley there. “We have been very successful with our American Airlines platform, so it would not surprise me if other airlines look at what we have been able to perform, facilitating safe travel,” Tyler said. There are 16 CareNow clinics in the Las Vegas area for American Airlines passengers to use and while this is a quick fix for those who need results right away, it is an out-of-pocket expense of $139. Travelers can schedule an appointment by utilizing web check-in at CareNow.com and selecting one of three options, including: • American Airlines Rapid Test (Hawaii) – specifically for Hawaii passengers due to state specific form requirements • American Airlines Rapid (International) – for approved destinations that allow a rapid COVID-19 test • American Airlines PCR lab send out (International) – for approved destinations that require a laboratory send out COVID-19 test • After completing a rapid test, people will receive a physical and electronic copy of their test results before leaving the clinic. Those taking a PCR lab send out test will receive an electronic-only copy of results. The program is available for American Airlines passengers headed to these destinations: · Aruba · Nassau, Bahamas · Bogota, Colombia · Roatan, Honduras · Belize · San Salvador, El Salvador · Guatemala · San Pedro Sula, Honduras · Hawaii, United States · Santiago, Chile · London, England · St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands · Montego Bay, Jamaica · Tegucigalpa, Honduras Visit aa.com for more information on local COVID-19 requirements. For more information about COVID-19 testing and other CareNow services, visit CareNow.com. https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/american-airlines-partners-with-carenow-for-pre-flight-rapid-covid-19-testing/ Canadian Regulators Urged To Be ‘Skeptical’ Of FAA Findings Canadian politicians say its regulators should be “skeptical” of FAA aircraft certifications and do their own validation of new designs. The House of Commons transport committee wants Transport Canada to do its own recertification design changes rather than just accept the FAA’s recommendation. “The committee heard numerous concerns regarding the involvement of manufacturers in the certification process and the possibility of industry pressure on Transport Canada as the regulator,” the report said. Canada was slow to ground the MAX after two fatal crashes in late 2018 and early 2019 and it also delayed the return to service in early 2021 so it could do a thorough review of the FAA’s recertification data. There were 18 Canadians aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which crashed near Addis Ababa. The parliamentary committee said many witnesses testified that Transport Canada is “overly reliant” on the FAA and other foreign authorities for certification, “raising concerns of rubber stamping” certifications. Among the other recommendations were including pilots and flight attendants in the certification process, more collaboration with safety organizations in other countries and the reestablishment of an “aviation regulatory council” to review the work. It also wants a report from Transport Canada on what it learned from the MAX experience. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/canadian-regulators-urged-to-be-skeptical-of-faa-findings/ Mozambique's national airline to sell aircraft to cut cost: report MAPUTO, June 14 (Xinhua) -- 's national flag carrier, LAM, will sell its Embraer-branded aircraft to standardize its fleet and minimize operation costs, daily newspaper Jornal Noticias reported on Monday. "It doesn't make sense that a small company like LAM is flying planes with three to four different brands," Raimundo Matule, administrator of the Institute for the Management of State Holdings (IGEPE), told the paper, admitting that the company is facing structural problems. LAM's current fleet has six aircraft of three different brands, two of which are of the Embraer-190 model. The IGEPE administrator did not give the exact number of aircraft that would be involved in the sale, but said the reduction brings great cost rationalization, and will enable the company to operate with two types of aircraft at most. The IGEPE injected about 700 million meticais (over 11 million U.S. dollars) in 2020 into the national airline, whose revenues plummeted due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2021-06/14/c_1310007225.htm Why Airlines Didn’t Like The Boeing 757-300 The narrowbody 757 has been a great success for Boeing. Across all variants, the planemaker sold 1,049 aircraft. And it remains popular with many airlines today, never really having a true replacement for its size and range. It’s not all been a success story, though. One of the two variants launched by Boeing was not at all popular, with just 55 sales. Read on to find out what went wrong. The two 757 variants The Boeing 757 was designed as a more efficient, twin-engine successor to the popular Boeing 727. It first flew in 1982 and entered service with Eastern Air Lines in January 1983. This first variant was the 757-200. It offered a typical two-class capacity of 200 passengers (and a maximum of 239) and a maximum range of 7,250 kilometers. The larger 757-300 entered service in 1999. This stretched the fuselage by just over seven meters (and at 54.5 meters, it is still the longest narrowbody twinjet produced). Typical capacity increased to a massive 254 (with a maximum of 295), but the range took a hit down to 6,295 kilometers. The 757-300 launched with European charter airline Condor, highlighting the intended market; high capacity use on leisure routes. Condor ordered it as a replacement for its DC-10s, but it could also be considered as a replacement for aging 767-200 aircraft. In total, Boeing built and delivered 1049 757 aircraft (including freighter models). The 757-300 however saw only a fraction of these sales, with total family sales as follows (according to Boeing sales data): • 757-200: 913 aircraft • 757-200M (convertible version): 1 aircraft • 757-200PF (freighter version): 80 aircraft • 757-300: 55 aircraft Was the 757-300 just too long? Boeing’s bet that the larger size would be popular just didn’t work out. Apart from a few niche areas, airlines were just not interested in the extra capacity, given the reduction in range (and higher operating cost). It was useful for high-capacity routes and for operating at smaller airports (at that capacity, opting for the 767 was, of course, possible). This is evident from its take-up by charter airlines such as Condor and Thomas Cook. Schedules airlines struggled, though. This was not just an economics and route decision for airlines. The simple fact was that the long single-aisle concept just didn’t work for many airlines. With single door access at gates, turnarounds were longer with aisle congestion. And passengers were less satisfied with the longer aisle and slower boarding and service as a result. Timing played a major part too It was not just the specifications that let the 757-300 down. It was also a very late release by Boeing, entering service some 16 years after the 757-200. Perhaps if the 757-300 had been offered at launch, things would have worked out differently. Many airlines that would have been interested were already operating the 757-200. And by that time, there was a lot more choice in the large narrowbody market. Airbus was offering the A321 and Boeing the high capacity variants of the 737 Next Generation series. And don’t forget the events of 11th September 2001. This had a significant effect on all aircraft sales, and the 757-300 had only been in service for two years at that point. Sales dried up and production ended in 2004. Perhaps it was ahead of its time It’s clear that with just 55 sales that the 757-300 was not popular. In fact, it is the second-lowest sales for any Boeing narrowbody, other than the short-lived 737-100 initial variant. But that is not the whole story. It has gone on to be very popular with the airlines that operate it, as demonstrated by the fact that so many still remain in service today. Launch customer Condor still has 13 aircraft. And Delta Air Lines and United Airlines both operate large fleets, although many have been parked in 2020. And the high capacity, high range narrowbody model remains popular. The new Airbus A321XLR will offer only a slightly smaller capacity, but with a much-improved range, and has sold well ahead of its launch. Boeing has not missed this, and (having shelved plans for the 797) is even considered re-launching the 757. Simple Flying considered this recently, perhaps as a 757X or 757 MAX version. This would be based on the popular 757, but with capacity more in the area of the 757-300. Of course, engine and technology improvements would address the range issues and also improve efficiency. https://simpleflying.com/boeing-757-300-popularity/ Investigator/Senior Investigator, Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) Date: Jun 1, 2021 Location: Flight Training Academy (DFW-SV03) Requisition ID: 42594 Intro Are you ready to explore a world of possibilities, both at work and during your time off? Join our American Airlines family, and you’ll travel the world, grow your expertise and become the best version of you. As you embark on a new journey, you’ll tackle challenges with flexibility and grace, learning new skills and advancing your career while having the time of your life. Feel free to enrich both your personal and work life and hop on board! Why you'll love this job • This job is a member of the Investigating team within the Integrated Operations Division. • Responsible for providing analysis of operational flight data as well as producing reports and presentations for the Flight Operation Quality Assurance (FOQA) Program. What you'll do • Conducts daily work flow processes for the FOQA program • Assesses events and trends, identifies operational hazards, and validates corrective actions • Develops new data analysis products and methodologies for data mining • Coordinates with the Flight Operations Department for data analysis needs • Coordinates regularly with Allied Pilots Association (APA) FOQA gatekeepers • Coordinates with Technical Operations regarding support of the FOQA program and maintenance analysis • Creates flight animations of actual events for use in operational departments • Assists with accident and incident investigations • Participates in monthly FOQA Monitoring Team meetings • Participates and contributes to the American Airlines Safety Management System (SMS) process • Develops, prepares and presents analysis of flight data • Creates enhanced reports and dashboards using Tableau or Microsoft BI • Represents American Airlines at industry meetings • Assists with accident and incident investigations, to include occasional weekend and holiday duty All you'll need for success Minimum Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience • Bachelor's Degree in related field or equivalent experience/training • 3 years related job experience • Experience working with data mining tools such as Tableau, Business Objects, Access, etc. • Experience performing data analysis and building various related reports in MS Office products Preferred Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience • Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Mathematics, Engineering, or Statistics • Basic Programming knowledge/experience • Master's degree in related field • Previous experience within a FOQA/Flight Data Monitoring program • Expertise in flight data monitoring software • Experience using CEFA animation software • Private pilot license or higher • Previous job experience at an air carrier Skills, Licenses & Certifications • Knowledge of aeronautical theory and aviation operations as applied to commercial aircraft • Proficient using MS Office software • Must fulfill background checks to qualify for unescorted access privileges to airport security identification display areas (SIDA), if applicable • Must be able to secure appropriate airport authority and/or US Customs security badges, if applicable • Must be able to handle multiple projects with changing deadlines What you'll get Feel free to take advantage of all that American Airlines has to offer: • Travel Perks: Ready to explore the world? You, your family and your friends can reach 365 destinations on more than 6,800 daily flights across our global network. • Health Benefits: On day one, you’ll have access to your health, dental, prescription and vision benefits to help you stay well. And that’s just the start, we also offer virtual doctor visits, flexible spending accounts and more. • Wellness Programs: We want you to be the best version of yourself – that’s why our wellness programs provide you with all the right tools, resources and support you need. • 401(k) Program: Available upon hire and, depending on the workgroup, employer contributions to your 401(k) program are available after one year. • Additional Benefits: Other great benefits include our Employee Assistance Program, pet insurance and discounts on hotels, cars, cruises and more Feel Free to be yourself at American From the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity are the foundation of the dynamic workforce at American Airlines. Our 20+ Employee Business Resource Groups are focused on connecting our team members to our customers, suppliers, communities and shareholders, helping team members reach their full potential and creating an inclusive work environment to meet and exceed the needs of our diverse world. Are you ready to feel a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction as you do your part to keep the largest airline in the world running smoothly as we care for people on life’s journey? Feel free to be yourself at American. Additional Locations: None Requisition ID: 42594 Nearest Major Market: Fort Worth Nearest Secondary Market: Dallas Job Segment: Operations Manager, Engineer, Quality Assurance, Operations, Engineering, Technology, Aviation APPLY NOW Curt Lewis