Flight Safety Information - September 9, 2021 No. 182 In This Issue : Incident: Azul AT72 at Porto Alegre on Sep 1st 2021, engine oscillations : Incident: Ryanair Sun B738 near Bucharest on Sep 8th 2021, lavatory blues : Incident: Delta B738 at Columbus on Sep 7th 2021, piece of flap missing : Incident: THY A333 at Istanbul on Sep 8th 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Canada BCS3 at Toronto on Sep 7th 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Nostrum CRJX at Palma Mallorca on Sep 4th 2021, gear problem : Bell 206L LongRanger - Wire Strike (Oregon) : Navy helicopter rotor hit flight deck in incident that killed five sailors : United employees receiving COVID-19 vaccine religious exemption face unpaid leave : Man without pilot’s license sentenced for landing plane in Waterloo : Another gun caught at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint : Renewal of aviation safety rating threatened by airport deficiencies (Mexico) : Pakistan achieves 75% aviation safety score : Flight Safety Foundation’s 2021 Summit to Study Safety Leadership : Global Aerospace Names Rachel Barrie as New Group Chief Executive : Frontier Airlines Retires Its Smallest Aircraft Type: The A319 : Kansas university receives 777 aircraft for passenger-to-freighter conversion : Lufthansa Grows Its 777F Fleet With Former Emirates Jet : Cathay Pacific to close London pilot base, review U.S. bases : Smoke alarms sound at International Space Station : NASA will finally launch the James Webb Space Telescope on December 18th : POSITION AVAILABLE: Decision Science Lead, Flight Safety : POSITION AVAILABLE: FOQA Specialist Incident: Azul AT72 at Porto Alegre on Sep 1st 2021, engine oscillations An Azul Linhas Aereas Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration PR-AKC performing freight flight AD-2014 from Porto Alegre,RS to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) with 2 crew, was climbing out of Porto Alegre when the crew stopped the climb at 12500 feet due to right hand engine parameters starting to oscillate. The crew worked the relevant checklists and decided to return to Porto Alegre where the aircraft landed safely about 30 minutes after departure. The aircraft returned to service about 35 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ecf5be6&opt=0 Incident: Ryanair Sun B738 near Bucharest on Sep 8th 2021, lavatory blues A Ryanair Sun Boeing 737-800, registration SP-RKK performing flight RR-5351/FR-5351 from Katowice (Poland) to Antalya (Turkey), was enroute at FL350 just crossing the border between Romania and Bulgaria into Bulgaria about 90nm southwest of Bucharest Otopeni Airport (Romania) when the crew decided to divert to Otopeni Airport requesting ATC to contact their company with the message that their lavatories needed to be blocked as the waste system was no longer working. The aircraft turned around and landed on Otopeni's runway 08R about 21 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then continued the journey to Antalya reaching their destination with a delay of 4:40 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ecf554c&opt=0 Incident: Delta B738 at Columbus on Sep 7th 2021, piece of flap missing A Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N3740C performing flight DL-2239 from Atlanta,GA to Columbus,OH (USA), completed a seemingly uneventful flight with a safe landing on Columbus' runway 28R. The FAA reported however, that a post flight inspection revealed "A PIECE OF THE RIGHT WING CENTER FLAP WAS MISSING". The damage was rated minor, the occurrence was rated an incident. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2239/history/20210907/2349Z/KATL/KCMH http://avherald.com/h?article=4ecf4b5d&opt=0 Incident: THY A333 at Istanbul on Sep 8th 2021, engine shut down in flight A THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration TC-JOB performing flight TK-42 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Johannesburg (South Africa), was climbing out of Istanbul's runway 36 when the crew stopped the climb at about 6000 feet after the left hand engine (CF6) had emitted a number of bangs. The engine was shut down. The aircraft entered a hold to burn off fuel and returned to Istanbul for a safe landing on runway 35R about 4:25 hours after departure. A replacement A330-300 registration TC-JNK departed Istanbul about 5 hours after TC-JOB landed and is estimated to reach Johannesburg with a delay of about 9:45 hours. A passenger reported the left hand engine emitted large booms, it also emitted streaks of flames through the engine inlet for about 20 seconds. Some time later the captain announced they'd return to Istanbul due to a technical problem and would be holding to burn off fuel. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ecf402b&opt=0 Incident: Canada BCS3 at Toronto on Sep 7th 2021, engine shut down in flight An Air Canada Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration C-GMZN performing flight AC-1040 from Denver,CO (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada), was descending towards Toronto when the crew reported they had to shut one of their engines (PW1521G) down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 24R, the crew requested to stop on the runway for emergency services to inspect their left hand engine. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA1040/history/20210907/2305Z/KDEN/CYYZ http://avherald.com/h?article=4ecf1004&opt=0 Incident: Nostrum CRJX at Palma Mallorca on Sep 4th 2021, gear problem An Air Nostrum Canadair CRJ-1000 on behalf of Iberia, registration EC-LJS performing flight IB-8517 from Ibiza,SP to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain), was on final approach to Palma's runway 24L when the crew went around from low height (about 300 feet AGL) due to a problem with the landing gear. The aircraft entered a hold at 3000 feet for about 25 minutes before commencing the approach to Palma's runway 24R, where the aircraft landed safely. Passengers reported the crew announced they could not land in Palma due to a technical problem, the aircraft entered a hold. When the aircraft landed about 30 minutes later emergency services awaited the aircraft. It subsequently transpired that the aircraft had a problem with the landing gear. The aircraft remained on the ground in Palma Mallorca for about 29 hours before returning to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ecf0ce6&opt=0 Bell 206L LongRanger - Wire Strike (Oregon) Date: 08-SEP-2021 Time: 11:00 Type: Bell 206L LongRanger Owner/operator: Private Registration: MSN: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Tillamook County, OR - United States of America Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Agricultural Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: While spraying pesticides, a Bell 206L LongRanger hit electric wires in Tillamook County, Oregon, and crashed. The pilot survived the crash. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/267466 Navy helicopter rotor hit flight deck in incident that killed five sailors The Navy helicopter crash that killed five sailors began when the main rotor hit the flight deck. As the MH-60S helicopter touched down on the USS Abraham Lincoln, it experienced “side-to-side vibrations causing [the] main rotor to strike [the] flight deck,” before falling overboard, according to a center mishap report. The crash occurred on Sept. 1 roughly 60 nautical miles off the coast, and it led to a joint Navy and Coast Guard rescue operation, which was called off on Saturday when the Navy declared them deceased. The Navy announced the identities of the five service members who died: Lt. Bradley A. Foster, 29, a pilot from Oakhurst, California; Lt. Paul R. Fridley, 28, a pilot from Annandale, Virginia; Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class James P. Buriak, 31, from Salem, Virginia; Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns, 31, from Severna Park, Maryland; and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker, 21, from St. Louis, Missouri. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of five Sailors and those injured following the MH-60S helicopter tragedy off the coast of Southern California,” Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, said in a statement. “We stand alongside their families, loved ones, and shipmates who grieve.” Five additional sailors were hurt in the incident. Two had to be transported ashore for treatment, while the other three suffered minor injuries and were able to remain on the ship. The helicopter operators were "conducting routine flight operations" at the time of the accident. There is an investigation underway. https://www.yahoo.com/news/navy-helicopter-rotor-hit-flight-151000506.html United employees receiving COVID-19 vaccine religious exemption face unpaid leave WASHINGTON (Reuters) -United Airlines employees who receive religious exemptions from the company for COVID-19 vaccinations will be placed on temporary, unpaid personal leave from Oct. 2, the U.S. airline said in a Wednesday memo to staff. The company said the employees will be allowed to return to their work location once new testing and safety procedures are in place. The U.S. carrier is taking a tough line on employees who decline to get vaccinated and became the first U.S. carrier in early August to announce it would mandate vaccines for employees. United said in the memo "more than half of our employees who were unvaccinated on the day (Aug. 6) we announced the requirement are now vaccinated." "Given the dire statistics listed above, we can no longer allow unvaccinated people back into the workplace until we better understand how they might interact with our customers and their vaccinated coworkers," the airline said the memo. For pilots and flight attendants and other customer-facing employees winning religious exemptions they will remain off work indefinitely. "Once the pandemic meaningfully recedes, you will be welcomed back to the team on active status," United said. For some employees in non-customer facing roles, United will more quickly allow return to work but require unvaccinated employees to "undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, wear a mask at all times." United said for some employees an "official return to work date might be significantly later" than mid-October. Employees whose requests for religious exemptions are denied must be vaccinated within five weeks or they will be fired, United said. United said the restriction and requirements are similar for employees seeking medical exemptions but employees winning exemptions will be placed on temporary medical leave. On Friday, American Airlines said it would not provide special leave starting next month to unvaccinated employees who have to quarantine due to COVID-19. Last month, Delta Air Lines said employees will have to pay $200 more every month for their company-sponsored healthcare plan if they choose to not be vaccinated against COVID-19. On Wednesday, WestJet Group in Canada said effective Oct. 30 employees will be required to be fully vaccinated. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-employees-religious-exemption-213759634.html Man without pilot’s license sentenced for landing plane in Waterloo A New Mexico man has been fined $5,000 and sentenced to two years probation for flying a plane without a pilot’s license and making an emergency landing in Waterloo. Court records show 44-year-old Keith Alexander Thomas flew from New Mexico to Wisconsin with a friend in June of 2018. The friend bought a Cessna and Thomas, who did not have a pilot’s license, agreed to fly it back to New Mexico. According to the U.S. Justice Department, the Cessna was not air-worthy, the engine failed and the landing gear didn’t work. Thomas was able to do an emergency landing in Waterloo and no one was hurt, but he didn’t establish radio contact to warn crews on the ground before the landing. https://www.radioiowa.com/2021/09/09/man-without-pilots-license-sentenced-for-landing-plane-in-waterlo/ Another gun caught at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint For the second straight day, a passenger was caught trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at Pittsburgh International Airport, officials said. Early Wednesday, officials say Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a traveler with a loaded .40-caliber handgun with six bullets in his carry-on bag. The man, a Beaver resident, told officials he had the gun with him while he was hunting and forgot he still had it with him. After TSA officers spotted the gun in the checkpoint X-ray machine, they alerted Allegheny County police, who then confiscated the weapon and held the man for questioning. The man, whom officials did not identify, was cited and issued a summons to appear in court. The gun caught Tuesday was detected in an Ohio man’s backpack, officials said. “Two days in a row our officers have prevented loaded guns from being carried onto flights by individuals who didn’t realize that they had their loaded guns with them,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security director for Pittsburgh International Airport. “Responsible gun owners know where their firearms are at all times and don’t make these sorts of careless mistakes. Now each individual faces significant penalties from TSA that could cost them thousands of dollars.” Passengers are not allowed to carry their guns onto airplanes. However, they can transport their firearms as checked baggage if they are properly packed and declared at the ticket counter. https://triblive.com/local/another-gun-caught-at-pittsburgh-international-airport-checkpoint/ Renewal of aviation safety rating threatened by airport deficiencies (Mexico) • State-owned airport operator says its 19 facilities lack safety equipment Mexico’s capacity to return to a first tier aviation safety rating from the United States government could be hampered in the short term by deficiencies at 19 airports operated by a state-owned company. The United States’ Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Mexico’s safety rating from Category 1 to Category 2 in May after finding that it doesn’t meet standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. The move prevents Mexican airlines from adding new flights to the United States. Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard has pledged that Mexico will regain its Category 1 rating in the first half of next year but that could be complicated by the prevailing conditions at the airports operated by Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA). The newspaper El Universal obtained ASA documents via the National Transparency Platform that highlight a lack of safety equipment at its airports, which include Puebla, Campeche, Puerto Escondido, Colima, Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo. They lack thermal imaging cameras, equipment to remove damaged aircraft, self-contained breathing apparatuses and binoculars, among other items, according to the ASA documents. “No airport in the ASA network has any kind of equipment for the recovery of aircraft, designed to remove aircraft that have suffered structural damage and which obstruct the airport’s main routes,” ASA said. “[That is] a great disadvantage for air terminals because they have to hire general use hydraulic equipment with the risk of causing more damage to said aircraft,” the company said, adding that delays in the arrival of such equipment can cause airports to close and generate massive economic losses. The airports in Campeche, Ciudad Obregón, Ciudad Victoria, Colima, Guaymas, Ixtepec, Loreto, Matamoros, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo, Poza Rica, Puebla, Puerto Escondido, Tamuín and Uruapan have experienced “recurrent and dangerous failures” due to the obsolescence of their existing equipment and insufficient funds to purchase replacements, according to ASA. The company has alerted authorities to the problems it faces and requested funding of 29.4 million pesos (US $1.5 million) to purchase the equipment it needs. The funding, which could be included in the federal government’s 2022 budget, is needed to guarantee the safety and security of the airports, ASA said. To ensure the safety of operations, maintaining the different areas of an airport in perfect condition and free of obstructions caused by damaged and immobilized aircraft is essential, the company said. It also said that the lack of self-contained breathing apparatuses, or damage to those in the possession of ASA airports, hinders the capacity to fight fires on airplanes. https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/renewal-of-aviation-safety-rating-threatened-by-airport-deficiencies/ Pakistan achieves 75% aviation safety score ICAO 2020 report says plane accidents rose by 16% in 2019 than previous year ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made it to the list of countries achieving the aviation safety targets with a 75% score, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) report for the year 2020. According to the report, 46 countries, including Pakistan, have succeeded in implementing more than 75% of safety standards. The report further disclosed that the aviation accidents rose by 16% in the year 2019 in comparison with the previous year. The proportion of accidents was 2.9% in one million flights, it added. The report assesses the safety standards based on aviation rules, staff training, licensing aircraft operations, probing the accidents and navigation services. In July this year, the PIA passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for the resumption of flights to the European Union, the UK and the US. However, the national flag carrier is waiting for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to get its audit done by the ICAO. Read Aviation policy to offer more business opportunities In late June 2020, PIA came under pressure when Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan declared during a session of parliament that 30% of pilots were working on fake licences out of 860 active pilots in the country. The minister unveiled a report in this regard one month after a plane crash on May 22 in Karachi, which claimed lives of 98 people. After a series of incidents, Pakistani airlines, especially PIA, came under scrutiny of international organisations, which demanded safety audits. Until then, PIA flights were banned to the European Union and the UK while the US slashed its category. Earlier, PIA was struggling to start direct flights to the US, but Transport Safety Administration officials visited the Islamabad airport several times and were willing to allow PIA to fly directly to the US, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan told The Express Tribune. However, after those incidents, the US also banned flights coming through third country, mostly the UK. The UK was authorised to check all safety standards before the aircraft left for the US. Also In July, the aviation minister said the visit by a team of the ICAO to Pakistan had been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Talking to the media, the minister said the ICAO team was to visit Pakistan from July 5 to 15, but it was expected to come in September or October. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2319328/pakistan-achieves-75-aviation-safety-score Flight Safety Foundation’s 2021 Summit to Study Safety Leadership • The virtual event will be the safety foundation’s 74th annual conference. The Flight Safety Foundation is set to present their 74th annual International Air Safety Summit on September 21 to 22 as a virtual event on the GoToWebinar platform. The 2021 theme is “Safety Leadership” and will explore the need for leaders to play a vital role when it comes to managing aviation safety. “Leadership’s involvement is key to safety cultures,” the foundation said. “While commitment to safety and operational integrity begins with management, management alone cannot drive the entire culture. For a culture of safety to flourish, it must be embedded throughout the organization—and that is why safety leadership matters. “A safety culture can’t sustain itself without great safety leaders.” The summit has been held annually since 1947 and is said to be one of aviation’s premier safety summits, drawing as many as 325 representatives from more than 50 countries. Among the issues for scheduled airlines, manufacturers and equipment suppliers, trainers, flight crews, maintenance personnel, and industry executives covered by the summit: Safety Training Practical solutions Management Human factors Highlighted Sessions ”New Entrants into the Airspace System: Embedding Safety Culture,” will be moderated by Deborah Kirkman, Flight Safety Foundation director, advanced aviation systems. Joining Kirkman will be Jon Hanlon, the director of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) maintenance & airworthiness at Zipline, and Tim Logan, spaceline safety director at Virgin Galactic. This session will dive deep into the topic of how to get a better understanding of the current and future safety risk management needs for commercial and civil UAS operations and commercial space programs. “Whether crewmembers are operating vehicles remotely or the vehicle is operating autonomously, managing risks starts well ahead of executing the flight,” the foundation said in a statement. “How can we lead the next generation of new entrants into the airspace system and help to form a safety culture that builds on the best of what is in place today?” In their “Current Cybersecurity Landscape in the Aviation Industry” session, Speaker Steve Luczynski of Aerospace Village will dig into the “increasing adoption of connected technologies” and how these technologies expose the aviation industry to new types of risks. The session will look at how these risks can affect anything across the aviation infrastructure, including: Aircraft Airport Airspace Ground operations Operational scheduling systems Luczynski will also discuss ways to better manage aviation cybersecurity risk globally by building stronger relationships. How to Attend All non-members who register for IASS 2021 automatically receive Flight Safety Foundation membership through 2022. A look at all of the seven IASS 2021 sessions is available here. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/flight-safety-foundation-2021-summit/ Global Aerospace Names Rachel Barrie as New Group Chief Executive to Succeed Retiring CEO Nick Brown London, United Kingdom – Global Aerospace, a leading provider of aerospace insurance, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Rachel Barrie as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 January 2022, to succeed retiring CEO Nick Brown. This appointment is subject to regulatory approval. Nick began his 17-year tenure at Global Aerospace as Chief Underwriting Officer and has served as Group Chief Executive since 2009. He has played a key role in developing a nimble, global organization with a unique culture that is focused on innovation and collaboration both internally and with its clients and brokers. He also led the company’s digital transformation to face the demands of an ever-evolving aerospace insurance market. “Nick has played an integral and pivotal role in guiding Global Aerospace. The company owes a huge debt of gratitude to him, and we respect his personal decision to retire,” said John Wilkinson, Chairman of the Board of Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers Ltd. “We thank him for his steadfast leadership and for developing a team that is poised to continue its future success. We wish him all the best for the future.” Nick will be succeeded by Rachel Barrie, who is based in London. Rachel’s selection is the culmination of a robust succession planning process led by the Board. “Rachel is the right choice to lead Global through its next phase of continued growth and drive the future strategy for the company,” said John Wilkinson. “Her deep market knowledge and expertise give the Board full confidence that she will continue to provide dynamic leadership for our customers, employees, pool members, and shareholders." Since 2007, Rachel Barrie has served in a variety of roles at Global Aerospace and most recently served as Group Chief Underwriting Officer. With her extensive proficiency in underwriting and innovation management, she brings over 18 years’ experience in aviation insurance to her role. "It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Global Aerospace and I want to offer my sincere thanks to my colleagues whose hard work and dedication have allowed us to deliver on our commitments to our customers," said Nick Brown. "I have worked with Rachel for many years and am confident she will be an excellent leader." "I want to thank Nick for his eminent leadership and also the Board for its confidence in me as I step into this role," said Rachel Barrie. "I am honoured and enthusiastic to have the opportunity to work with our talented team around the world and to serve our stakeholders to the highest level." About Global Aerospace Global Aerospace is a leading provider of aerospace insurance with a worldwide portfolio of clients who are engaged in every aspect of the aviation and space industries. Headquartered in the UK, we have offices in Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland and throughout the United States. Across the world, we employ over 300 people. With experience dating back to the 1920s, the company’s underwriting is backed by a pool of high-quality insurance companies representing some of the most respected names in the business. For additional information about Global Aerospace, please visit www.global-aero.com. To learn more about the company’s SM4 safety program, please visit sm4.global-aero.com. http://www.global-aero.com/ Frontier Airlines Retires Its Smallest Aircraft Type: The A319 The Airbus A319 has reached the end of the line at Frontier Airlines. On Wednesday, the airline officially retired its last Airbus A319 with a special send-off from Nashville. The end of Airbus A319 operations comes as Frontier focuses on the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft that offers improved fuel efficiencies and better economics. Frontier Airlines retires its final Airbus A319 Frontier flight 391 from Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Denver International Airport (DEN) was a special one. This was the final flight ever of an Airbus A319 in Frontier’s fleet. According to data from RadarBox.com, the flight on Wednesday took two hours and 22 minutes. Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial at Frontier Airlines, stated the following: “The retirement of Frontier’s last Airbus A319 aircraft is a proud and symbolic moment for our team as we look ahead towards a greener future. Our ultra-modern fleet is already the most fuel-efficient in the U.S. skies and, as we continue the transition to A320neo (New Engine Option) and A321neo aircraft, our fuel savings and operational efficiencies continue to evolve.” Frontier A319 final The final flight was a memorable one for passengers and crew. Photo: Frontier Airlines Passengers on the final flight were made aware of the special occasion via an onboard announcement. There were also giveaway items, including a frameable certificate commemorating the occasion. Denver-based Frontier crew members were also invited to greet the aircraft on arrival at a gate celebration in Denver. The final Airbus A319 in Frontier’s fleet bore the registration N949FR. It was originally delivered to the airline in 2006, making it 15 years old. Frontier’s aircraft are known for featuring animals on the tail. This aircraft featured Erma the Ermine. Moving to the A320neo The Airbus A320neo family of aircraft is powering Frontier’s push toward a greener airline. Part of that strategy has included Airbus A319 retirements. In March, Frontier revealed it would retire all A319s by the end of 2021. By May, the airline accelerated that plan to retire all A319s by the third quarter, and that day has finally come. The Airbus A319s were the smallest aircraft in Frontier’s fleet in 2021. The jets had room for 150 passengers. Now, the airline is moving to the Airbus A320neo family of jets, which seat 180 passengers at the lower end in Frontier’s fleet. At the upper end are the Airbus A321s. With this upgauging, Frontier Airlines is not worried about having too large aircraft for its markets. On the airline’s first-quarter earnings call, Mr. Shurz was asked about the carrier’s retirement of the A319s and whether it would limit its ability to fly to smaller destinations. He stated the following: “As we go to a lot higher gauge, we get lower costs, and we already have a strategy of applying the right frequency to the right market … We fly our smaller markets, in general, today on the A320neo which is the bulk of our fleet today – the majority of our fleet today, and we found that works. “We fly some small markets at low frequency on the A321 and find that works. We have the lowest cost, we are going to be a low cost leader, and that enables us to fly as many markets as we can, and I think that’s the right strategy to maximize our opportunity.” Frontier Airlines has no plans to fly the next generation of the A319, the A319neo. The carrier has instead placed its bets on the A320neo, A321neo, and the A321XLR. With these higher-gauge aircraft, Frontier gets lower unit costs, which can make them incredibly economical. Plus, given the carrier’s dense layout, the A321XLR will enable the airline to bring its services to more destinations. Not the smallest Airbus jet ever in Frontier’s fleet Before the Airbus A319, Frontier’s smallest aircraft was the Airbus A318. The smallest variant of the A320ceo family, these aircraft did not garner huge orders, but Frontier Airlines flew 11 of the type, according to data from ch-aviation.com. The aircraft was officially retired from Frontier’s fleet in 2013. The carrier took its first A318 in 2003, but deliveries continued until 2007. Since then, A318s have become harder to find in the sky. Now, Frontier Airlines has put its name down as the next airline retiring smaller aircraft in favor of upgauging the network and leveraging lower-cost, newer, fuel-efficient aircraft to support its low fares. https://simpleflying.com/frontier-a319-retired/ Kansas university receives 777 aircraft for passenger-to-freighter conversion WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) WERX has received its first Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft. As part of its rapidly growing Maintenance Repair and Overhaul program (MRO), WSU-NIAR WERX, in conjunction with the Kansas Modification Center, will convert the passenger aircraft into a freighter that will be transferred to an external client to meet the growing needs of the e-commerce and express cargo market. The Kansas Modification Center, led by President and CEO Jim Gibbs, is a newly formed business aimed at meeting the industry’s growing need for MRO and conversion programs. Leaders say this will provide student opportunities, economic growth, and cement Wichita’s future as the Air Capital of the World. “Wichita is and will remain the Air Capital of the World because of the assets we just talked about. We are on the path for a better future, a brighter future based upon our past, but based upon what we are doing to make sure we don’t lose that designation,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “Today is just the beginning of something big which will boost our economic development opportunities for our state for many years to come,” said Gov. Laura Kelly. “We are really excited to see this project move forward and become just one of the many reasons why Wichita is known as the Air Capital of the World.” The 777 conversion program will provide unique applied learning opportunities for WSU engineering and WSU Tech airframe and powerplant mechanics students. “These applied learning experiences for our students also help mitigate the cost of higher education. They’ll earn a paycheck for their work and will relieve a significant financial burden for many of them in their lives,” Wichita State University President Dr. Richard Muma. https://www.ksnt.com/news/kansas/kansas-university-niar-receives-777-aircraft-for-passenger-to-freighter-conversion/ Lufthansa Grows Its 777F Fleet With Former Emirates Jet Lufthansa’s cargo plans have flipped due to the pandemic. Once planning to reduce capacity, the carrier announced that it will now grow its 777F fleet to meet demand. With the last MD-11s retired, Lufthansa is adding two more freighters to the fleet. Let’s find more about these aircraft and where they are coming from. Lufthansa Cargo 777F Lufthansa is now a 777F-only operator, making the aircraft key to its operations. Secured In June, Lufthansa announced that it plans to add two more 777Fs to its fleet to meet the surging cargo demand. The news came just weeks before the airline announced that its last three MD-11Fs had found a buyer, ending the jet’s long operations at the German carrier. According to aeroTELEGRAPH, we now know where these jets will be procured from amid record demand. One 777F will come directly from Boeing, as announced earlier this year. The other is a leased solution, with Lufthansa Cargo procuring the jet from Dubai Aerospace, a state-owned lessor. As you might guess, the aircraft is coming from another major 777 operator: Emirates. Emirates 777F A6-EFF Emirates retired A6-EFF in June 2021 after just under a decade of service. Lufthansa Cargo will add a 10-year-old 777F, previously registered A6-EFF. The aircraft will now be repainted into Lufthansa’s colors and join the fleet as D-ALFJ. The introduction of this means both Lufthansa Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo have the same number of planes until the former’s Boeing order is complete. High demand Lufthansa’s cargo plans have been thrown into disarray due to the pandemic. The airline originally planned to retire all of its MD-11Fs in favor of nine 777Fs in 2020. However, with freight demand being the only major source of revenue last year, the MD-11Fs stayed on for a year longer, and 777F deliveries remained on track. However, the MD-11Fs officially made their exit in mid-June this year, leaving Lufthansa will lower available capacity. To offset this, the airline opted to grow its 777F from nine to 11, with both deliveries scheduled for 2021 itself. After 23 years of cargo service, Lufthansa sold its last three MD-11Fs this summer. In a statement about the aircraft orders in June, Lufthansa Cargo CEO Dorothea von Boxberg said, “We are very pleased that we will be able to offer our customers additional freighter capacity in the future. The Corona crisis has impressively underlined how important these aircraft are for global supply.” Changes As Lufthansa charts its path out of the pandemic, efficient aircraft is the name of the game. The carrier plans to retire six long-haul aircraft types and shrink the fleet by up to 150 aircraft in the coming months. This will mean saying goodbye to the 747-400s, A330-200s, A340s, and many more across the group. Cargo remains the only part of business growing, and Lufthansa wants to keep it in the back pocket to protect from passenger revenue falls. For now, the 777F is the flagship of the fleet, and more are on the way. https://simpleflying.com/lufthansa-777f-fleet-growing/ Cathay Pacific to close London pilot base, review U.S. bases (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd will close its London pilot base and review the last remaining overseas pilot bases in the United States, the airline said on Thursday, as it grapples with the impact of coronavirus. The closure comes after Cathay put the London base under review in July and shut bases in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Germany this year in a bid to focus operations in Hong Kong, where pilots have taken permanent pay cuts to retain jobs. The London-based pilots, many of whom had not been flying since April 2020, will be offered a redundancy or the opportunity to move to Hong Kong, Cathay said in a statement. "The decision is not one we have taken lightly and does not reflect on the professionalism of the pilots based in London," the airline said. Cathay added that it would review its U.S. bases later in the year. It declined to say how many jobs were affected. In June, Cathay resumed recruiting pilots with Hong Kong residency rights as part of its medium- to long-term planning, even though much of its fleet has been parked because of the pandemic. In July, it reported a fall of 98.4% in passenger numbers from the corresponding 2019 month, before the pandemic hit, attributing the drop to tight border controls. But its air cargo business has performed better than before the pandemic. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/cathay-pacific-close-london-pilot-065334474.html Smoke alarms sound at International Space Station MOSCOW (AP) — Smoke alarms went off at the Russian segment of the International Space Station in the early hours of Thursday, and the crew reported noticing smoke and the smell of burnt plastic. Russia's space agency Roscosmos said the incident took place in the Russian-built Zvezda module and occurred as the station's batteries were being recharged. According to Roscosmos, the crew activated air filters and returned to their “night rest" once the air quality was back to normal. The crew will proceed with a space walk Thursday as planned, the agency noted. The space station is currently operated by NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur; Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov of Russia’s Roscosmos; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet. Novitsky and Dubrov are scheduled to carry out a six-hour-long space walk on Thursday to continue integrating the Russian-built Nauka science lab that docked with the space station in July. Shortly after docking, the lab briefly knocked the orbital outpost out of position by accidentally firing its engines — an incident Russian space officials blamed on a software failure. https://www.yahoo.com/news/fire-alarms-sound-international-space-085403637.html NASA will finally launch the James Webb Space Telescope on December 18th NASA's long-delayed James Webb Space Telescope is close to entering service. The agency now plans to launch the telescope on December 18th, 2021, just a few months after testing completed in late August. The hardware will reach orbit aboard an ESA-supplied Ariane 5 rocket lifting off from French Guiana. NASA still has to ship the telescope to the launchpad, although much of the rocket has already arrived. The JWST was deemed complete in 2016 ahead of an expected 2018 launch, but faced a number of delays due to its elaborate construction. It wasn't assembled until 2019, and factors like the COVID-19 pandemic further hindered NASA's efforts. That's not including earlier setbacks — development started in 1996 with an expected 2007 deployment, but the team scrapped much of its work and redesigned the equipment in 2005. The telescope's importance hasn't changed. It's considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It includes a much larger mirror along with a focus on lower-frequency observations (particularly mid-infrared) that will help it detect early galaxies that even Hubble can't find. That priority also helps explain some of its technical challenges. The JWST's instruments will need to stay extremely cold (-370F) to avoid interference with infrared measurements, requiring both a large sunshield and an insertion near a Sun-Earth Lagrange point. The mission will be relatively short. As the JWST needs propellant to maintain orbit, it can't last indefinitely like a telescope circling Earth. NASA would consider a five-year lifespan "nominal," although it's hoping for 10 years. All the effort might just pay off. In addition to shedding more light on the early Universe, the JWST should also help astronomers and astrophysicists fill gaps in studies where Hubble wasn't enough. Infrared waves are more likely to cut through cosmic dust, and they're the primary radiation from cooler celestial bodies like brown dwarfs and planets. There's a very real chance the JWST will help solve a string of cosmic mysteries during its brief lifetime. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-launch-date-145148575.html POSITION AVAILABLE: Decision Science Lead, Flight Safety Atlanta, GA This position will support the delivery and continued evolution of products based on the safety data, classifications, and models built with Flight Safety metrics and data science. The Technical Lead will help develop the safety data best practices for adoption and training within Flight Safety as well as Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance. This requires a deep knowledge of aviation safety metrics and models, classification models, statistical processes, and core data science/data engineering skill sets. This role will report directly to the Manager, Data and Decision Science. Primary responsibilities: • Bridge the gap between data collected from operations and the risk analysis needed for Delta to make informed decisions about areas of flight safety risk. • Design, develop and implement software products based on data science/machine learning models. • Help develop best practices for flight safety data architecture, data stewardship, and data presentation. • Define and execute the data modeling roadmap. • Build data sets from multiple data sources, both internally and externally. • Partner with Operational data analysis teams to optimize and enhance the data environment for addressing known safety risks and applying methods to discover potential new risks. • Work with operational leaders to ensure that the data products are produced with optimal efficiency and best practices. • Leverage emerging technologies and identify efficient and meaningful ways to disseminate data and analysis in order to satisfy the business' needs. • Provide technical leadership to the Flight Safety department and Corporate Safety. • Practice safety-conscious environment resulting in employee safety and well-being. • Embraces diverse people, thinking and styles. What you need to succeed: • Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or equivalent experience. • Must have at least 2 years of relevant analytical/project management experience. • Must have a working knowledge of Flight Operations and Flight Safety metrics. • Proficiency in working with relational databases and query authoring (SQL). • Proficiency in data visualization best practices and commercially available tools (e.g. Tableau). • Proficiency in Python, Bash script or other basic functional programming tools. • Strong written, oral communication, and interpersonal skills. • A natural curiosity towards constant improvement. • Strong project management, organizational, and prioritizations skills. • Must be able to interact and collaborate at all levels within Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance, Flight Operations, cross-divisional working groups and outside entities. • Must be performing satisfactorily in current position. What will give you a competitive edge: • PhD degree/candidate preferred. • Working knowledge of statistical/machine learning tools (e.g. scikit-learn) preferred. To apply, please visit: https://delta.avature.net/careers/JobDetail/Decision-Science-Lead/6087 APPLY HERE FOQA Specialist (NJUS) Purpose of Position The FOQA Specialist processes day-to-day Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) data using the Ground Data Replay Analysis System (GDRAS) and performs routine data analysis. The FOQA Specialist creates weekly and monthly deliverables in addition to working with Gatekeepers and other members of Safety and FOQA Management Team (FMT). Tasks and Responsibilities · Supports the FOQA Program Manager with daily administration of the FOQA efforts to ensure analysis of flight data for improved flight safety including validation of FOQA events, identification of events for Gatekeeper contacts and identification of events for Maintenance reporting. · Performs data analysis, root cause analysis and determines corrective actions of digital flight data to determine adverse events, trends in flight and maintenance operations. Coordinates and validates aircraft specific event definitions. Maintains and identifies new FOQA events, and manages documentation supporting these functions. · Prepares flight operations trending analysis charts and reports. Compiles and presents FOQA data summaries to enhance training, maintenance, flight operations. Performs specialized studies and fulfills special data requests. Assists in the creation of safety and FOQA department publications. Prepares reports, presentations, and statistical data required to identify trends for safety enhancement. · Oversees data collection process of aircraft fleet in conjunction with Maintenance. Education Bachelor's in Aviation or Engineering Certifications and Licenses Years of Experience 0-2 years of experience Core Competencies Adaptability Collaboration Curiosity Service-Oriented Strives for Positive Results Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other (KSAOs) · Basic computer programming and statistical methods experience · Strong work ethic, ability to work in a fast-paced environment and a positive attitude toward teamwork · Previous experience maintaining and enhancing corporate safety standards and safe operation practices · Extensive working knowledge of Microsoft Office Programs, including spreadsheet and database applications · Travel up to 10% of the time, including overnight stays · FAA Commercial Pilot License or higher preferred · Prior experience with Austin Digital or equivalent GDRAS platforms preferred · Knowledge of aircraft flight data recorders preferred · Previous work experience, preferably in 14 CFR Part 121 or 135 air carrier operations; quality control, maintenance, operations, safety or a combination of these areas. APPLY HERE Curt Lewis