Flight Safety Information - February 9, 2022 No. 028 In This Issue : Incident: Alliance AT72 at Mumbai on Feb 9th 2022, lost engine access door on departure : Incident: THY B739 at Sofia on Feb 6th 2022, flight control problems : 2022 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference : Incident: Azimuth SU95 at Kazan on Feb 7th 2022, rejected takeoff due to engine vibrations : Incident: PSA CRJ9 at Jacksonville on Feb 7th 2022, brakes overheat : Antonov An-26 - Left Wing Broke Off On Landing (South Sudan) : Jet Airways Opens Job Applications For Boeing 737 Trained Crew : Disruptive group of passengers delays flight from Omaha : No Apparent Slowdown Seen In Laser Strikes On Aircraft : Elon Musk’s jet tracker gains FAA approval to continue tracking flights : SpaceX loses 40 Starlink satellites to a geomagnetic storm : NASA puts its back into next Artemis moon mission as rocket assembly continues : Virgin Atlantic captain accused of having sex with air stewardess during flight wins unfair dismissal case : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Alliance AT72 at Mumbai on Feb 9th 2022, lost engine access door on departure An Alliance Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration VT-RKJ performing flight 9I-625 from Mumbai to Bhuj (India) with 65 passengers and 5 crew, was departing Mumbai's runway 27 when the inboard right hand engine lost it's inboard engine door. The crew continued the flight and landed safely in Bhuj about 90 minutes after departure. Mumbai Airport reported parts of an engine cowl were recovered alongside the runway after the flight's departure, the aircraft was still in flight at that time. India's DGCA have opened an investigation into the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f461776&opt=0 Incident: THY B739 at Sofia on Feb 6th 2022, flight control problems A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration TC-JYF performing flight TK-1030 from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Istanbul (Turkey), was climbing out of Sofia's runway 27 when the crew declared emergency reporting flight control problems, stopped the climb at about 6000 feet and requested to return to Sofia. The controller queried the crew about their indicated airspeed (the crew reported 190 KIAS) and queried whether they were able to fly the aircraft, which the crew affirmed. The controller advised they would be landing back on runway 09 (he several times mentioned runway 27 correcting himself instantly) and vectored the aircraft for an approach to runway 09. The aircraft landed safely at a normal speed on runway 09 about 15 minutes after departure. When queried by the controller after landing the crew advised again they had flight control problems without elaborating further. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 22 hours before positioning back to Istanbul, remained on the ground in Istanbul for another about 8 hours (over night) and resumed service in the morning of Feb 8th. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f461289&opt=0 Incident: Azimuth SU95 at Kazan on Feb 7th 2022, rejected takeoff due to engine vibrations By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Feb 9th 2022 09:32Z, last updated Wednesday, Feb 9th 2022 09:32Z An Azimuth Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, registration RA-89136 performing flight A4-216 from Kazan to Rostov (Russia), was accelerating for takeoff from runway 29 when the crew rejected takeoff at about 80 knots over ground due to engine (SaM146) vibrations. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 6.5 hours, then departed for the flight again and reached Rostov with a delay of about 6 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f460fc5&opt=0 Incident: PSA CRJ9 at Jacksonville on Feb 7th 2022, brakes overheat A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N567NN performing flight AA-5681 from Jacksonville,FL to Philadelphia,PA (USA) with 76 people on board, was climbing out of Jacksonville's runway 32 when the crew requested to level off at 3000 feet advising they had received a message during takeoff. The crew subsequently reported they had a brakes overheat message, had lowered their gear to cool the brakes and decided to return to Jacksonville. The aircraft landed safely back on runway 26 about 30 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 2:20 hours, then positioned to Philadelphia as flight AA-9954, remained on the ground in Philadelphia for about 50 minutes and resumed service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f458467&opt=0 Antonov An-26 - Left Wing Broke Off On Landing (South Sudan) Date: Tuesday 8 February 2022 Time: ca. 09:00 Type: Antonov An-26 Operator: South Sudanese Air Force Registration: SP-402 MSN: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 12 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Agok Airstrip ( South Sudan) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Military Departure airport: Ajongthok Airstrip, South Sudan Destination airport: Agok Airstrip, South Sudan Narrative: A South Sudan Air Force Antonov An-26 suffered a severed wing during landing at Agok Airstrip, South Sudan. The aircraft was delivering examination papers from Juba to Rubkona, Ajongthok and Agok. On board were five crew members, five teachers and two security personnel. Preliminary information suggests the aircraft hit a pothole on landing, causing the left hand wing to snap off, outboard of the no.1 engine. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20220208-0 Jet Airways Opens Job Applications For Boeing 737 Trained Crew The carrier is pushing ahead with its revival plans by posting a recruitment advertisement on Twitter for 737-trained pilots. Jet Airways has moved a step closer to its relaunch following an announcement to hire trained pilots for immediate joining. The job advertisement on Twitter is likely to make many pilots, many of whom have either lost their job or are looking to change airlines, happy. The latest communication from Jet could also be seen as an indication that the carrier is gradually overcoming teething problems as it gets ready to restart operations. Pilots needed Jet Airways is hiring pilots for its second stint. In an official tweet, the carrier announced that it is looking to onboard experienced trainers, captains, and co-pilots with a 737NG type rating. The new employees are expected to join immediately, hinting that the airline's relaunch plans are on track at the moment. The carrier's revival strategy has long been shrouded in skepticism, with many not entirely convinced of its successful comeback. From being a much-loved airline at the peak of its operational years to going down dramatically in 2019, few had expected it to fly again in the near future, if at all. But in late 2020, Murari Lal Jalan joined hands with Kalrock Capital to resurrect the downed carrier. Until then, the general public outside of the business world had not heard much about Jalan, who had always kept a low profile. He was also inexperienced in the airline industry, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his plans. In June 2021, the National Companies Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved Jet's revival plan, and the company began taking further steps such as revalidating its Air Operator Certificate (AOC), negotiating airport slots, and hiring people for key management positions. The latest move to hire pilots is another indication that the company is finally overcoming obstacles to take to the skies again. Where will they come from? As expected, the carrier wants trained and experienced pilots for its 737 fleet. While it was always anticipated that Jet would look to Boeing again for its fleet expansion, there were whispers of it having talks with Airbus as well. The new advertisement makes things pretty clear on that front. The carrier could be eyeing other airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet to lure pilots. In fact, stories of some SpiceJet pilots looking to leave for other carriers have been on the grapevine for some time now. IndiGo is slightly better protected from poaching attempts as it flies only the A320s, and Jet would probably not want to spend time and resources to train its pilots for the 737. Many SpiceJet pilots have expressed their concerns in the past about not being paid their full dues and could likely make a move. Of course, Jet won't be the only new kid on the block to be flying the 737, with Akasa also aggressively hiring pilots for its 737 MAX airplanes. It'll be interesting to see how industry dynamics play out with these new entrants in the coming few months. https://simpleflying.com/jet-airways-boeing-737-crew-openings/ Disruptive group of passengers delays flight from Omaha OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Delta confirmed its flight bound for LaGuardia Airport returned to the gate Tuesday because of a group of disruptive passengers. The airline said all passengers on Flight No. 5593 deplaned and the “unruly customers” were removed from the flight. “Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior at our airports and on our flights,” the airline said in a response to 6 News. Local employer Buildertrend responded to tweets tagging the company, saying: “These reports are distressing to hear and we do not stand by any such behavior. Such comments and actions do not align with our values.” Buildertrend Twitter account Delta has advocated for the prosecution of such passengers, noting in a letter sent last week to Attorney General Merrick Garland that the company has seen a nearly 100% increase in such reports compared to 2019. “Any disruption or act of violence on our planes and at our airports warrants full and public prosecution of the offenders, with zero tolerance for any behavior that interferes with flight safety,” the letter from Delta CEO Edward Bastian states. “...We fully support using the full force of the law in these cases.” Read Delta’s full response “Delta Connection flight 5593 operated by Republic Airways from Omaha to LaGuardia on Feb. 7 returned to the gate due to unruly customers. All customers were deplaned for their safety, and the flight later continued safely to LaGuardia after the unruly customers were removed from the flight. Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior at our airports and on our flights as nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and flight crews. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have had for our remaining customers.” https://www.wowt.com/2022/02/09/disruptive-group-delays-flight-omaha/ No Apparent Slowdown Seen In Laser Strikes On Aircraft Incidents involving lasers illegally aimed at aircraft increased by 41 percent last year over 2020. Pilots reported a total of 9,723 laser incidents in 2021, according to an FAA report. Over and above the danger of temporary incapacitation that could result in an accident, pilots have reported 244 laser-related injuries since 2010 when the FAA began recording laser strikes. The FAA can fine perpetrators of laser attacks on aircraft up to $11,000 per violation and as much as $30,800 in total for multiple incidents. Violators are also subject to criminal penalties—potentially involving jail time—from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The FAA issued fines for laser strikes totaling $120,000 last year. There’s a link on the FAA website for the public to report laser strikes to the agency, as well as to state, county and local law enforcement. The FAA has also developed a visualization tool for identifying trends in illegal use of lasers. The platform shows laser-strike data starting with 2010 and running through 2021 to illustrate trends by geographic area, per capita data, time of day, and year. The FAA website also offers per-year data on laser strikes on its website. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/no-apparent-slow-down-seen-in-laser-strikes-on-aircraft/ Elon Musk’s jet tracker gains FAA approval to continue tracking flights Elon Musk’s flight-tracking rival Jack Sweeney won a small victory today after receiving approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to continue tracking the billionaire’s flights. Sweeney announced that his permission from the FAA, which was submitted via a Freedom of Information Act request, was approved via Twitter. “My FAA FOIA request went thru, Now I have all the registration and airworthiness documents for all the SpaceX jets,” Sweeney Tweeted to his ballooning follower count. In the last 30 days, Sweeney has gained 38,764 new followers on Twitter. He currently has roughly 42,200. That is an increase of over 61,000 percent. As Musk inspires people everywhere, he unleashes the next generation of thinkers, and one of them, Jack Sweeney to be exact, could not be more excited to make himself official through requesting approval from the FAA. Until the government entity’s approval, Sweeney had been engaging in public discourse on Twitter and educating the masses on the rights to information, including tracking that of a billionaire’s travels by private jet. Initially, Musk offered the aspiring 19-year-old a sum of $5,000 to remove the now-infamous @ElonJet Twitter account. The unbudging teenager raised the stakes by ten times the amount despite pleas from the Tesla leader via Twitter. Exchanges through Twitter document the ongoing drama that public figures must face in negotiating for their own privacy with cash. Along with the $50,000 demand to close out the flight-tracking Twitter page, the teen proposed a potential internship opportunity with Tesla or SpaceX or a new Model 3 as a consolation. However, Musk has yet to respond to Sweeney’s conditions. “He didn’t have to block me,” said Sweeney to New York Post. “I can get why he’s mad.” Sweeney had not singled out only Musk’s travel plans like a starstruck kid. Accounts following the flights of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Cuban are also in service to Twitter audiences. In light of new abilities from regulators, the innovative programmer, who goes to the University of Central Florida, is expanding his own business. “Lately, I have been adding people that have requested,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-jet-tracker-faa-approval/ SpaceX loses 40 Starlink satellites to a geomagnetic storm Almost all of the Starlink internet satellites that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried beyond the atmosphere on February 3rd won't reach their intended orbit. SpaceX has revealed that a geomagnetic storm that took place a day after the liftoff had a severe impact on the satellites, and up to 40 of them will re-enter or have already entered Earth's atmosphere. United States Geological Survey describes geomagnetic storms as periods of "rapid magnetic field variation" typically caused by a strong surge of solar winds. These storms can be damaging to electronics and satellites in orbit. In this particular case, it warmed up the atmosphere and caused atmospheric drag — or the friction acting against the satellites' movement — to increase up to 50 percent higher compared to previous launches. SpaceX explained that its Starlink team tried to save the newly deployed satellites by putting them in safe mode, which adjusts their movement so they'd fly edge on like a sheet of paper, to minimize drag. Unfortunately, the increased drag prevented the satellites from leaving safe mode. The deorbiting satellites pose no collision risk, SpaceX said, will completely burn up as they re-enter the atmosphere and will create no orbital debris. No satellite parts are expected to hit the ground. "This unique situation demonstrates the great lengths the Starlink team has gone to ensure the system is on the leading edge of on-orbit debris mitigation," the company wrote in its announcement. SpaceX has launched over 2,000 Starlink satellites as of January this year for its first-gen constellation. Launches with Starlink satellites as payload have become a routine for the company, and they'll become even more common if it gets approval to form a second constellation with up to 30,000 satellites meant to provide global internet coverage. While Starlink could provide internet connection even to people in far-flung locations, astronomers said megaconstellations have become a worse threat to their studies than urban light pollution. In fact, the International Astronomical Union has just formed the Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference. Since the main issue is that telescopes will pick up the light reflected by these satellite constellations, making it difficult to observe the rest of the universe, the center will focus on software and technical mitigation solutions that observatories can implement. SpaceX added "sunshades" to its Starlink satellites in 2020 to make them look less bright. According to Sky & Telescope, they do look fainter now, but they're still visible to telescopes. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/spacex-loses-40-starlink-satellites-geomagnetic-storm-112059901.html NASA puts its back into next Artemis moon mission as rocket assembly continues While NASA aims to send its first-ever Space Launch System rocket to the moon in just a few months, things are coming together for rocket No. 2. While the combined hardware of the SLS core stage and solid rocket boosters along with the Orion capsule await launch from Kennedy Space Center for Artemis I, the core stage for Artemis II, the mission that will send humans back to orbit the moon targeting 2024, is begin assembled at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The largest part of the core stage, a 130-foot-tall liquid hydrogen tank, was moved into the vertical assembly area at Michoud on Jan. 30, preparing to be mated to a 66-foot-long forward assembly, which combines the forward skirt, intertank and liquid oxygen tank, and arrived earlier in January to the facility. The core stage’s main contractor Boeing will join the two with only the engine section to come. That section, which includes four RS-25 engines developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne from existing engines used in the Space Shuttle program, combined with the rest of the core stage will see it stand at 212 feet tall. The core stage holds more than 700,000 gallons of propellants to power more than 2 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. The two solid rocket boosters developed by Northrop Grumman combine with the core stage to give SLS 8.8 million pounds of thrust, which is more powerful than the Saturn V rockets used during the Apollo missions. The Artemis I launch would become the most powerful rocket to ever launch from Earth, at least until Elon Musk’s SpaceX manages to fly its new Starship with Super Heavy rocket, which would nearly double the power of SLS. NASA remains focused, though, on getting the hardware together for the next two Artemis missions, both set to fly with humans. Artemis II will combine the SLS and a crewed Orion capsule that is targeting May 2024 for liftoff. It will fly to and orbit the moon but not land. Artemis III aims to send the first astronauts back to the lunar surface, including the first woman, in 2025. Artemis I still has to go through a wet dress rehearsal at KSC, during which it’s rolled out to Launch Pad 39-B from the Vehicle Assembly Building and run through a simulated countdown including filling the core stage with propellants, but not igniting them. NASA will then drain the propellants and roll the rocket back to the VAB to analyze the test. If all goes well, NASA will then send it back to the launch pad for what it aims to be its last time on Earth. NASA said the wet dress rehearsal is targeting March, and potential launch windows are being examined for April and May. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-puts-back-next-artemis-221000809.html Virgin Atlantic captain accused of having sex with air stewardess during flight wins unfair dismissal case Mike Lawson won an unfair dismissal case after he was rumoured to have had sex with an air stewardess during a long-haul flight Mike Lawson was alleged to have had sex with the air stewardess while two of his co-pilots lay unconscious in the flight deck during a trip to Hong Kong in 2015. But the hearing in Croydon, south London ruled the veteran pilot of almost 20 years had been sacked over “unsubstantiated rumours”. He was awarded £90,323 in compensation. 'Shocking' to hear rumours The tribunal heard that before take-off, Mr Lawson’s two co-pilots complained of suffering from upset stomachs. Their conditions worsened during the flight, with one of them fainting. There were incorrect rumours that they had been poisoned by the cabin crew in revenge for being made redundant. The 50-year-old father of two made the decision to continue, but discovered afterwards that rumours about what had happened on the flight had started to circulate. Mr Lawson was also said to have let the stewardess fly the plane, which had 200 passengers on board, while he took a break. On October 13, he was called into a meeting with the flight safety manager and head of aircraft operations, who asked if he had had “40 winks” on the flight. The tribunal heard that in Mr Lawson’s view, “to ask him if he had slept while in charge of 200 passengers and crew was shocking”. "He wondered why the head of aircraft operations would think that any pilot in the company would do that,” it was said. "He had heard personal rumours before. Pilots like to gossip. He knew that it was necessary to be thick-skinned in the job. Rumours from other pilots about his professional competency was a new experience for him. His abilities had never been questioned before." 'Remarkable' that claims were allowed to influence process Bosses at the airline, who feared he was not fit to fly, launched an investigation and fired him after he later failed two flight simulation exercises. However, the tribunal found the tests were unfair and the hearing was told he had never failed such an exercise before. Mr Lawson claimed the process had been designed for him to perform poorly. The following March, he went off sick and in May 2017, he was dismissed by the airline. Mr Lawson then sued Virgin for unfair dismissal. The airline argued it had held long-standing concerns about the captain's performance. But the panel, headed by Employment Judge Brian Doyle, concluded these were “undocumented and unsubstantiated”. The judge said Mr Lawson’s “fate may have been covertly and indirectly decided on unattested, undocumented specious grounds...and that he was not going to get a 'fair crack at the whip'”. The judge added: "The tribunal regards it as remarkable that this undocumented and unsubstantiated so-called 'historical' material was allowed to influence the process in any way." Mr Lawson originally made a claim for £2.4 million. https://www.yahoo.com/news/virgin-atlantic-captain-accused-having-164946569.html GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Calling all Part 135 Operators, are you concerned about having an effective SMS? With safety management system (SMS) regulations on the near horizon for 14 CFR 135 operators, it is important to identify barriers to having an effective SMS. A significant challenge to implementing and maintaining a robust SMS is obtaining frontline employee participation. An SMS needs that frontline information to help identify hazards, mitigate risks, and monitor risk controls. My name is Jason Starke, and I am a doctoral candidate at Northcentral University. Please help me in my research to determine if there is a relationship between servant leadership, organizational commitment, and engagement in the SMS (i.e., safety citizenship behavior). If you meet all the following criteria, I would really appreciate your participation: · 18 year of age or older; · Employed by an organization that conducts operations under 14 CFR 135; · Employed by an organization that has implemented a safety management system; and · Employed as a flight crew member (cockpit or cabin) and/or as an aircraft mechanic. The survey only takes roughly 10 minutes to complete and will ask you questions about: · Servant leadership characteristics of your immediate supervisor or manager; · Your current level of commitment to your organization; and · Your perception of the degree to which you feel certain safety behaviors and safety management activities are part of your job responsibilities. Again, please help with the research on this important topic so that we can understand how servant leadership positively influences employee engagement in the SMS. If you are interested in participating in this study, please click this link: https://ncu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cCJTGDxqF6wUk8m If you have questions, please contact me at J.Starke8609@o365.ncu.edu. I can’t thank you all enough for your participation! Jason Starke Curt Lewis