Flight Safety Information - March 1, 2022 No.042 In This Issue : Incident: Lauda Europe A320 near Vienna on Feb 27th 2022, dropped panel in flight : Incident: American A320 at Fort Myers on Feb 27th 2022, bird strike on final : Incident: Delta B763 at Cincinnati on Feb 26th 2022, rejected takeoff due to bird strike : Accident: Alkan D228 at Whitehorse on Feb 22nd 2022, nose gear up landing : Ukraine says its pilots are in Poland picking up donated MiG-29 fighter jets. Poland isn't commenting. : FAA expands use of review boards in certifying airplanes : Hundreds of Russia plane leases to be axed after Western sanctions : Teen tracking Musk’s jet launches account to follow oligarchs planes : U.S. to extend international minimum flight requirement waivers over COVID : Report: Boeing's Emirates deal in jeopardy as wait for 777X jets drags on : Position Available: Safety Evaluator Incident: Lauda Europe A320 near Vienna on Feb 27th 2022, dropped panel in flight A Lauda Europe Airbus A320-200 on behalf of Ryanair, registration 9H-LOZ performing flight FR-500 from Vienna (Austria) to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain), departed Vienna's runway 29 and landed on Palma Mallorca's runway 24R about 1:50 hours later. Following the flight parts of a panel covering the upper side of the left wing root was missing. Passengers reported about 10 minutes into the (delayed) flight there was a loud bang from outside the aircraft, the aircraft continued normally to Palma Mallorca. Before the departure they had boarded another aircraft, technicians were working for two hours on that aircraft before they left the aircraft again and boarded the occurrence aircraft. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Palma Mallorca about 31 hours after landing in Palma Mallorca. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f5545de&opt=0 Incident: American A320 at Fort Myers on Feb 27th 2022, bird strike on final An American Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N121UW performing flight AA-1866 from Philadelphia,PA to Fort Myers,FL (USA), was on final approach to Fort Myers' runway 24 when a bird impacted the aircraft. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD ON FINAL APPROACH LEAVING A DENT ON THE NOSE, FORT MYERS, FL.", the damage was "UNKNOWN" and the occurrence was rated an incident. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 5 hours, then departed for the return flight. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f551f4c&opt=0 Incident: Delta B763 at Cincinnati on Feb 26th 2022, rejected takeoff due to bird strike A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N193DN performing flight DL-1709 from Cincinnati,KY to Atlanta,GA (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport's runway 27 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 135 knots over ground) following a bird strike. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT WAS ON TAKE OFF ROLL AND ABORTED DUE TO STRIKING A BIRD, COVINGTON, KY.", the damage was "UNKNOWN" and the occurrence was rated an incident. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then departed and reached Atlanta with a delay of 4 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f551daf&opt=0 Accident: Alkan D228 at Whitehorse on Feb 22nd 2022, nose gear up landing An Alkan Air Dornier Do-228, registration C-FUCN performing a flight from Dawson City,YT to Whitehorse,YT (Canada) with 2 crew, was on approach to Whitehorse's runway 14R when the crew did not receive indication the nose gear had extended. The crew performed a low approach which confirmed the nose gear was not extended. The aircraft positioned for another approach to runway 14R and nose gear up landing, and landed without nose gear about 20 minutes after the low approach. On Feb 25th 2022 the Canadian TSB reported the nose landing gear failed to extend when the gear was selected down on approach. The aircraft performed a touch and go on the main landing gear, however, the nose landing gear still did not extend. The aircraft positioned for another approach with emergency services on stand by and landed successfully. The aircraft sustained minor damage and was removed from the runway within 45 minutes. The operator will reported maintenance findings to the TSB. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f51f07e&opt=0 Incident: Comair B734 at East London on Feb 20th 2022, could not retract landing gear A Comair Boeing 737-400, registration ZS-OTG performing flight MN-252 from East London to Johannesburg (South Africa) with 111 people on board, was climbing out of East London when the crew could not retract the landing gear and returned to East London for a safe landing. The airline reported the landing gear failed to retract. The passengers were rebooked for a later flight. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f52f2f0&opt=0 Ukraine says its pilots are in Poland picking up donated MiG-29 fighter jets. Poland isn't commenting. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Burrell said Sunday that individual EU countries had agreed to donate Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's invasion, and Ukraine's parliament said Monday that Bulgaria, Poland, and Slovakia had agreed to give the country more than 70 MiG-29s and Su-25s. A Ukrainian government official told Politico Monday that Ukrainian pilots were already in Poland to start the process of taking control of the 28 MiG-29s they are expecting to be donated. (Joseph Trevithick at The Drive explains why he's skeptical.) "The potential transfer of older Russian-made planes to be used in combat against Russian forces could be the most significant moment yet in a wave of promised arms transfers over the past 24 hours that includes thousands of anti-armor rockets, machine guns, artillery, and other equipment," Politico reports. But representatives from Poland and Slovakia did not respond to Politico's request for confirmation and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said Monday he had rejected Ukraine's request for fighter jets. Other Western countries have promised to send anti-tank weapons and other lethal armaments to Ukraine, including Germany and, it was announced Monday, Finland, Sweden, Australia, and Canada. "President Zelensky said: 'Don't give me a ride, give me ammunition,' and that's exactly what the Australian government has agreed to do," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday in announcing that the "overwhelming majority" Australia's $50 million in aid will now "be in the lethal category." https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-says-pilots-poland-picking-054947409.html U.S. FAA expands use of review boards in certifying airplanes WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday it is expanding the use of independent safety expert groups to review new designs and technologies in certifying commercial aircraft. The FAA said it is expanding use of Technical Advisory Boards (TAB) to help ensure it has a "consistent and thorough approach for all aircraft certification projects." The FAA convened a TAB soon after the second Boeing 737 MAX crash in March 2019 to assist in its review of the grounded airplane. Boeing Co said on Monday it will continue to work transparently through the FAA's "detailed and rigorous processes ... We will continue to engage with the FAA to ensure we meet their expectations and all applicable requirements." The FAA plans to establish the boards earlier in the certification process and use them on aircraft that are largely like current models and typically referred to as derivative aircraft. The FAA has a board in place for the certification review of the Boeing 777X. The boards review numerous issues including identifying new technologies or designs "that could be catastrophic if they failed," the FAA said, and to determine "whether similar systems have caused problems on other aircraft" and to ensure the proper FAA offices were involved in the certification process. Boeing continues to face scrutiny from the FAA following two fatal 737 MAX crashes in the space of five months in 2018-2019 that killed 346 people. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told Congress last year the agency is delegating fewer responsibilities to Boeing for aircraft certification and "demanding more transparency" from manufacturers. The FAA is currently scrutinizing a number of issues involving Boeing airplanes. The agency said earlier this month it will retain authority to issue airworthiness certificates for Boeing 787s until it is confident "Boeing’s quality control and manufacturing processes consistently produce" planes that meet FAA "design standards." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/faa-expands-independent-review-boards-193613212.html Hundreds of Russia plane leases to be axed after Western sanctions Feb 28 (Reuters) - Aircraft leasing firms are set to terminate hundreds of leases with Russian airlines following Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine that give the sector a month to act. Dublin-based AerCap (AER.N), the world's biggest aircraft leasing company, saw its New York-listed shares tumble 12.7% after it said it would cease leasing activity with Russian carriers, while U.S.-based Air Lease (AL.N) fell almost 8%. Russian airlines have 980 passenger jets in service, of which 777 are leased, according to analytics firm Cirium. Of these, two-thirds, or 515 jets, with an estimated market value of about $10 billion, are rented from foreign firms. AerCap said that by net book value, 5% of its fleet was leased in Russia as of Dec. 31. The company, which recently strengthened its leadership of the specialist aviation leasing industry by buying rival GECAS, has the largest exposure to Russia and Ukraine with 152 planes, consultancy IBA said. Its Russian clients include Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Rossiya, Azur Air and Ural Airlines, its website showed, involving aircraft worth an estimated $2.5 billion, according to aviation services firm ACC Aviation. Leasing companies control about half of the world's fleet and are a vital source of financing for airlines that lack sufficient capital to buy or prefer to pay a monthly rent. The European Union on Sunday gave leasing companies until March 28 to wind up current rental contracts in Russia, presenting lessors with a major new headache hard on the heels of crises over Boeing 737 MAX safety and the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia warned the West it would retaliate against sanctions targeting its aviation industry. REPOSSESSING JETS Bankers have said Russian airlines have been among the most reliable in paying bills during the pandemic, but leasing companies face the prospect of having to abruptly wind up deals and recover aircraft in an uncertain climate post-sanctions. Russia is a member of the Cape Town Convention, a specialist but vital treaty underpinning the fast-growing air finance industry by making it easier for lessors to recover jets when airlines cannot pay, in return for cheaper finance for airlines. But the cooperation of courts is often still needed to enforce the rules and it remains unclear how Russia's courts would react to a request to recover jets under sanctions. ACC Aviation Vice President Viktor Berta said repossessing aircraft could prove challenging, especially if Russian aviation authorities and airlines do not cooperate with lessors. Given the airspace bans, even sending staff to Russia to repossess aircraft could also be a headache, Berta added. Financial restrictions may also prove a burden. Avolon, the world's second-biggest leasing company, has fewer than 20 airplanes in Russia and one or two in Ukraine out of a total fleet of more than 550 aircraft, CEO Domhnal Slattery told Reuters this month. read more Slattery said at the time that Avolon was concerned that sanctions on international payment transfers through SWIFT could be disrupted, making it hard for airlines to pay their bills. Avolon declined to comment when asked about the sanctions. G7 leaders said on Sunday that Western allies had decided to cut off "certain Russian banks" from the SWIFT secure messaging system to ensure rapid cross-border payments, which has become the principal mechanism to finance international trade. read more Lessor BOC Aviation (2588.HK) said it had 18 planes representing 4.5% of its owned fleet based in Russia. It also manages one other plane. "Our policy is to fully comply with all laws applicable to our business," BOC Aviation said in a statement. "The practical consequences of the new EU sanctions are complex and at the present time we are unable to provide further information." Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has at least three Russian airline customers, including Aeroflot, according to its website. The Dubai-owned lessor did not respond to a request for comment. Novus Aviation Capital Co-Chief Executive Mounir Kuzbari told Reuters the firm has no aircraft in Russia but that mass cancellation of leases in Russia could hit global lease rates and aircraft values. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/hundreds-russia-plane-leases-be-axed-after-eu-sanctions-2022-02-28/ Teen tracking Musk’s jet launches account to follow oligarchs planes Jack Sweeney first gained notoriety for his account that keeps tabs on Elon Musk's private jet. Jack Sweeney, the 19-year-old who ran afoul of Elon Musk for tracking his private jet on Twitter, has launched another account to monitor planes belonging to Russian oligarchs amid the invasion of Ukraine. The tech-savvy college student told Bloomberg News that he launched Russian Oligarch Jets — @RUOligarchJets — after receiving requests as Washington and US allies announced crippling sanctions on Moscow and its elite. “The aircrafts these oligarchs have are absolutely crazy,” Sweeney told the news outlet, saying that Russia’s wealthy travel in commercial-sized planes like the Airbus A319 and Boeing 737. “Their planes are huge compared to other jets,” he added. Among the notables tracked by the University of Central Florida student are Vladimir Potanin, who is Russia’s wealthiest person, Chelsea soccer team owner Roman Abramovich and steel magnate Alexander Abramov, Bloomberg reported. “The aircrafts these oligarchs have are absolutely crazy,” Sweeney said. The president of Paragon Intel — which provides corporate aviation intelligence through its product JetTrack — said Sweeney’s accounts are the “People Magazine version” of corporate aviation intelligence. “People are obsessed with wealth more than ever. It’s almost a form of paparazzi, that’s why this is popular,” Colby Howard told Bloomberg. He noted, however, that the student’s account doesn’t reveal who may actually be on the flights and other information that would be needed by intelligence agencies or investors to make critical decisions. Sweeney’s new account has reportedly amassed more than 53,000 followers in just a few days. “One jet flying through Miami holding who knows who doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t tell you what information matters and what context do you need to make an decision,” Howard told Bloomberg. Sweeney’s new account has reportedly amassed more than 53,000 followers in just a few days. Sweeney had previously turned down the Tesla chief’s offer of $5,000 to delete his @ElonJet Twitter account and was then blocked by the mogul after stating a counter-offer of $50,000. Sweeney also has been tracking the private jets of other A-list celebrities and billionaires, including Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. After @ElonJet account went viral, he snagged a job offer from Stratos Jet Charters, an Orlando-based private charter flight firm, The Post has reported. https://nypost.com/2022/03/01/teen-tracking-musks-jet-launches-account-to-follow-oligarchs-planes/ U.S. to extend international minimum flight requirement waivers over COVID WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States government on Monday proposed extending temporary waivers of international minimum flight requirements at some U.S. airports through late October due to COVID-19. Airlines can lose their slots at some congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. The waivers have been in place since the pandemic began in March 2020. International passenger air travel in 2021 was down 46% to 61 million over 2019 levels, but up over the 34 million international air passengers in 2020. The Federal Aviation Administration said it proposed extending temporary waivers of the requirements at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that were set to expire in October after petitions from airlines. At four other U.S. airports where the FAA has a formal schedule-review process - Chicago O’Hare, Newark in New Jersey, Los Angeles and San Francisco - the agency proposes to extend credits to airlines for flights that were canceled in the pandemic as though those flights were operated. The FAA said "based on global vaccination rates, changing infection rates and the threat of new virus strains, continued unpredictability of travel restrictions, and the disparity between demand for domestic air travel and demand for international air travel, extending the current limited, conditional waiver for international operations by all carriers, is reasonable." The government said that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines submitted a joint petition to "urgently request continued relief from standard international slot usage rules" during the 2022 summer season. The airlines said the "COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact worldwide air travel; the Omicron variant has caused governments to significantly restrict or control entry of passengers and airline crew members and unfortunately, the future remains unpredictable." https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-extend-international-minimum-flight-162303361.html Report: Boeing's Emirates deal in jeopardy as wait for 777X jets drags on The Boeing Co.’s long-awaited 777X program is facing criticism from its earliest customer. Emirates CEO Tim Clark has warned in an interview last week that any fresh delays in regulatory certification could lead the airline to pull its 115-plane order. That puts a significant portion of the plane’s 375 gross orders at risk, in what would be a “huge blow” to the Everett-built program, said Scott Hamilton, director of aerospace advisory firm Leeham. “We don’t want to cancel the 787s or the 777-9s, we want the airplanes,” Clark told Airline Ratings, adding “but we want the aircraft in the shape that the contract requires.” The 777-9 is a variant of the 777X. If the new 777s aren't cleared to fly before 2024, he said, the airline is likely to back out of the contract, which initially called for the planes to be delivered in 2020. As reported by Reuters and other outlets in July, Federal Aviation Administration officials have flagged issues with the 777X's flight control software, particularly stemming from an “uncontrolled pitch event” in a flight test in late 2020. The 777 line is built in Everett at a rate of around two per month, which the company has said it plans to increase in response to a surge in demand for freighter versions of the jets. Emirates has already moved to convert 35 of the jets it initially ordered to 787 Dreamliners, but Clark said around 30 of the South Carolina-built widebody jets the company expected to receive in May 2023 are looking increasingly uncertain as the FAA retains its authority to certify the planes individually, slowing deliveries even further. Timothy Clark, the president of Emirates Airlines, said recently he doubts that the Dubai-based airline will get any new Boeing 777X jets in 2020. He was correct. Boeing said it now won't deliver until 2021. His airline has ordered 150 back in 2013. Clark is seen here standing with an Emirates Airbus 380 double-decker jet. In Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) fourth quarter earnings call Jan. 26, Chief Financial Officer Brian West said the company is working to attain type inspection authorization for the 777X, which would enable it to begin flight testing for certification. He said initial deliveries were still expected to take place in late 2023. “Our team remains focused on executing the comprehensive series of tests and conditions to demonstrate the safety and reliability of the airplane’s design," a Boeing spokesperson told the Business Journal in an email statement. "We will continue to work closely with our customers." The FAA isn’t the only regulator weighing in, Hamilton said. That's a legacy of the 737 Max crisis in which 349 people died in two crashes in 2018 and 2019, triggering a worldwide grounding of the jets for 20 months. “Boeing is completely at the mercy of the FAA in the certification review of the 777X, and EASA, the European regulator, is throwing its weight around on the airplane as well,” Hamilton said. Clark’s threat isn’t an idle one, he added. “He means what he says,” Hamilton said. Having already modified the order to receive 787 Dreamliners, the delays to both widebody programs have left the airline “doubly unhappy.” https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2022/02/27/emirates-boeing-777x-deal-jeopardy.html?ana=yahoo Position Available: Safety Evaluator Job Description At Republic Airways, our vision is to be America’s regional airline of choice, and our 6,000 associates work together each day to achieve that by providing a safe, clean and reliable flying experience. Whether the role is on the aircraft or in the office, every person at Republic contributes to our success and our family-oriented work environment. Since our founding in 1974, we’ve grown to become the world’s largest operator of the Embraer 170/175 jet, flying more than 1000 flights daily for our partners, American Airline, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Beyond our operations, we’re focused on sharing our time, talents and treasures with our community—both locally and globally. Join Republic Airways where you will find opportunities, reach new heights and be part of something bigger than yourself. Republic Airways, opportunity elevated. #WhyRepublic POSITION PURPOSE Conducts internal evaluations of operational divisions to ensure adherence to federal regulations, company policies and procedures. Conducts aircraft damage investigations, tracks regulatory correspondence and completes special projects as assigned. ESSENTIAL DUTIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Conducts internal evaluations of operational divisions to ensure compliance with federal regulations as well as company policies and procedures. Communicates company policies/procedures, Federal Aviation Regulations and other Standards including but limited to International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) standards, Department of Defense Standards etc. facilitating fair resolutions and imparting quality expertise to all operational departments. Coordinates Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - Safety Assurance System (SAS) inspections conducted by the FAA Coordinates IOSA conducted by appointed Audit Organization Coordinates DOD inspections conducted by the DOD Communicates with external audit organizations, the FAA and DOD Identifies, tracks, and solves quality and safety concerns, issues or hazards (this includes, but not limited to, interviews, reviews of past evaluation/audit records and compliance data for trends) Reviews changes to applicable regulations in order to recommend appropriate actions to ensure company compliance. Ensure adherence to all Safety and Security regulations Develops and maintains Data Analysis Group key performance indicators, and continuous improvement initiatives for data analysis and visualization. Provides technical leadership to team and department members. Leads through example; monitors, influences and trains others. OTHER DUTIES Performs data analysis on aircraft ground damage to identify trends & systemic causes of aircraft damage. Participates in investigations of aircraft ground damage. Leads investigations into company controllable damage and participates in conference calls for codeshare partner damages. Contributes to the development of SMS training modules for all company associates covered under SMS. Responsible for the continuous improvement of Republic’s Safety Management System Assists with development of SMS structured risk assessment and safety assurance processes, including facilitating Data Analysis Groups Participates in special projects including but not limited to: special request audits, Codeshare meetings and initiatives, Safety Management System (SMS) implementation, monthly safety newsletter and manual reviews using SAS tools. Performs various other duties as assigned. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE. Bachelor’s degree with at least 2 years of Aviation experience required. Knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations for Title 14 and 49 and associated regulatory materials. Knowledge in aviation safety systems including, but not limited to: Safety Management System (SMS), System Safety, Safety Assurance System (SAS) and IOSA. Skills in Microsoft Office applications is a must. PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree in an aviation or safety related discipline is preferred. At least 3 years of previous experience in aviation. Airframe and Powerplant, Dispatch License or Pilot’s License is preferred. Previous auditing and evaluating experience. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. REASONING/PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. DECISION MAKING Makes decisions and determines best methods to solve problems by referring to established precedents and policies. Decisions tend to be medium range and of medium significance with moderate consequences. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Able to move about the work environment. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically not exposed to extreme environmental conditions. Work in an open air hangar and outdoor weather conditions occasionally. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Travel up to 15% of the time, including overnight stays. Equal Opportunity Employment and Disability Accommodations Republic Airways is committed to achieving a diverse workforce by providing equal employment opportunities to all Associates and applicants, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type with regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We are committed to providing applicants and Associates reasonable accommodation to enable the individual to perform the essential duties of the job. If you require accommodation, please contact Human Resources. Curt Lewis