Flight Safety Information - March 14, 2022 No.051 In This Issue : Incident: Fedex MD11 at Sydney on Mar 12th 2022, flaps disagree on approach : Accident: Wizz UK A21N at Belgrade on Mar 11th 2022, hard landing : Incident: Alliance AT72 at Jabalpur on Mar 12th 2022, overran runway on landing : Incident: Transat A332 at Cancun on Mar 7th 2022, hot brakes after departure : Incident: KLM B789 at Kuwait on Mar 12th 2022, vacated runway onto closed taxiway : Jet’s collision with bird forces emergency landing at Portland jetport : FAA to Undergo Audit of Air Taxi Certification Process : Satco opens $10 million Air Cargo Safety Research Center in Ohio : Germany to buy up to 35 Lockheed F-35 fighter jets - sources : ISASI 2022 - Brisbane Australia - Call for Papers Incident: Fedex MD11 at Sydney on Mar 12th 2022, flaps disagree on approach A Fedex Federal Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11, registration N576FE performing flight FX-9075 from Singapore (Singapore) to Sydney,NS (Australia), was on approach to Sydney's runway 34L when the crew aborted the approach and declared emergency reporting a flight control problem. The aircraft positioned for another approach to runway 34L and landed overspeed (about 198 knots over ground) but safely and vacated the runway. After landing the crew explained they did have a flight control malfunction, they had a flaps disagree indication. The aircraft is still on the ground in Sydney about 32 hours after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f5ee94a&opt=0 Accident: Wizz UK A21N at Belgrade on Mar 11th 2022, hard landing A Wizz Air UK Airbus A321-200N, registration G-WUKO performing flight W9-4002 from London Luton,EN (UK) to Belgrade (Serbia), was on final approach to Belgrade's runway 30 at 11:36L (10:36Z) when the pitch attitude and vertical speed changed significantly below 100 feet AGL resulting in a hard touchdown. The aircraft bounced, the crew performed a balked landing and climbed out for a go around. The aircraft positioned for another approach to runway 30 and landed without further incident about 20 minutes later. The aircraft is still on the ground in Belgrade 56 hours after landing. A pilot on the ground observing the landing told The Aviation Herald that the approach looked normal until about 100-150 feet AGL, then the aircraft increased its pitch angle. Crossing over the runway threshold the aircraft rapidly pitched down into a nose down attitude, the sink rate increased to about 1100 fpm (according to ADS-B readout), at about 20 feet AGL a rapid and strong pitch up occurred. The aircraft touched down "violently", lifted off again with a possible tail strike (the pilot believes there was an actual tail strike but isn't entirely sure about it due to his position when observing the touchdown). The aircraft rejected landing and went around. The aircraft landed a couple of minutes later. ADS-B data transmitted by the aircraft's transponder suggest the aircraft was descending through 150 feet AGL at about 750 fpm at 122 knots over ground, the vertical speed reduced to about 500 fpm at 50 feet AGL (averaged between 150 and 50 feet AGL readings), the aircraft touched down at about 122 knots over ground at above 1000 fpm sink rate. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f5edb75&opt=0 Incident: Alliance AT72 at Jabalpur on Mar 12th 2022, overran runway on landing An Alliance Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration VT-AIW performing flight 9I-617 from Delhi to Jabalpur (India) with 55 passengers and 5 crew, landed on Jabalpur's runway 24 at about 13:13L (07:43Z) but overran the end of the runway. The crew attempted to steer the aircraft to the left and stopped the aircraft off the left edge of the pavement of the runway end safety area in gravel about 60 meters past the runway end. There were no injuries. The damage to the aircraft is being assessed. The airline reported the aircraft "shot off" the runway by about 10 meters. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f5e26ad&opt=0 Incident: Transat A332 at Cancun on Mar 7th 2022, hot brakes after departure An Air Transat Airbus A330-200, registration C-GUBC performing flight TS-327 from Cancun (Mexico) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 315 people on board, was climbing out of Cancun's runway 12R when the crew received a Brake Hot ECAM indication. The crew worked the related checklist, the brakes cooled down and the gear was retracted. However, the warning re-appeared two more times, each time the checklist was completed. The crew declared PAN PAN, stopped the climb at FL150 and returned to Cancun for a safe landing on runway 12R about one hour after departure. The Canadian TSB reported: "Once landed, ARFF inspected the landing gear and released the aircraft for taxi to a parking position. Maintenance inspected Brake #8 on arrival and was found free and cold, no tire fuse plugs melted and the tire pressure was found normal. The #8 brake unit temp sensor was deactivated and put on MEL." The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then departed again and reached Toronto with a delay of about 5 hours. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f5deeaa&opt=0 Incident: KLM B789 at Kuwait on Mar 12th 2022, vacated runway onto closed taxiway A KLM Boeing 787-9, registration PH-BHE performing flight KL-497 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Kuwait (Kuwait), landed on Kuwait's runway 33R, slowed to taxi speed and attempted to vacate the runway via high speed exit E5, which however was closed. The aircraft stopped on the turn off just past the hold short line, a tow truck was needed to push the aircraft back onto the runway. About 30 minutes after turning off onto the wrong taxiway the aircraft was pushed back and was able to vacate the runway via the next taxiway E6 and taxi to the apron on own power. The aircraft was able to continue for its next leg to Dubai on time. A passenger reported the aircraft had landed on runway 33R well ahead of time but then turned off onto the last high speed turn off, which was closed for maintenance works. The aircraft was immediately stopped and needed to be pushed back onto the runway from where it taxied to the terminal via the next turnoff with about 45 minutes delay. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f5f4f58&opt=0 Jet’s collision with bird forces emergency landing at Portland jetport The regional carrier had 52 passengers aboard when a bird struck the nose of the plane Sunday morning, an airport spokesman says. A bird strike forced a regional jet carrying 52 passengers to make an emergency landing at the Portland International Jetport on Sunday morning. Jetport spokesman Zachary Sundquist confirmed that the plane collided with a bird around 8:37 a.m. and that an emergency response team, which included equipment and crews from the Portland Fire Department, responded. The plane landed safely and no injuries were reported. The jet was inspected for damage and departed about an hour later, Sundquist said. It wasn’t immediately clear where the plane was headed. Typically following a bird strike at the jetport, the “snarge” – or remains of the bird – are collected and sent to a laboratory at the Smithsonian Institution, where scientists conduct DNA tests on blood and body parts to determine what species of bird collided with a jet, according to Sundquist. The bird on Sunday hit the nose of the plane, and its remains likewise will be sent to the Smithsonian, Sundquist said. The jetport routinely consults with biologists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a wildlife management plan that aims to discourage wildlife from entering airspace over the airport. “Harassment” methods may involve activating loud horns or setting off pyrotechnics, Sundquist said. “We work as much as possible to mitigate the wildlife habitat,” Sundquist said. Mitigation plans have been in place for years. Scientists at the Smithsonian examined the feather remains from the Jan. 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 bird strike, which resulted in the pilot, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger ditching the plane in a daring, but dangerous emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York. Smithsonian scientists were able to determine that the birds the plane struck shortly after takeoff were a flock of migrating Canada geese. The incident became known as the” Miracle on the Hudson.” Bird strikes pose a danger to commercial air traffic. Some airports remove seed-bearing plants to eliminate food sources, while others use insecticides or pesticides to eliminate food sources. The Portland jetport cuts grassy areas to reduce wildlife habitat. In the United States alone, more than 20,000 wildlife strikes are reported each year. They can involve birds, bats, reptiles, and terrestrial mammals and cost hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and occasional loss of human lives, according to Bird Strike Committee USA. Quieter engines, increased populations of large birds such as waterfowl and raptors and increased numbers of flights have challenged efforts by Bird Strike Committee USA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and USDA to reduce the number of bird strikes. https://www.pressherald.com/2022/03/13/bird-strike-forces-jet-to-make-emergency-landing-at-portland-international-jetport/ FAA to Undergo Audit of Air Taxi Certification Process The Office of Inspector General for USDOT will examine how the FAA is progressing in establishing certification rules for eVTOLs. The Department of Transportation Inspector General’s Office is about to examine the FAA’s certification process for electric air taxis. [Courtesy: EASA] An audit aimed at examining the FAA’s certification process for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis is expected to begin by the end of this month, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Office of Inspector General (IG). The USDOT IG audit intends “to determine FAA’s progress in establishing the bases for certification of [urban air mobility] aircraft, including ensuring the safety of novel features and providing guidance to applicants,” the office said in a memo released Monday. The FAA told FLYING it “will cooperate fully with the Office of the Inspector General’s audit and looks forward to providing information about our extensive safety work in this area.” The audit, which was requested by ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and its Subcommittee on Aviation, was requested in August 2020 and is only now being executed by the IG. 19-month Delay The more than a yearlong delay between requesting the audit and its execution, industry insiders said, shines a light on the need for timeliness and agility in a world increasingly disrupted by new technology. Analysts suggested that the audit request may be partially driven by Washington’s wish to publicly demonstrate its oversight in this very new and dynamic sector. In the summer of 2020, when the audit was requested, OEMs and the aviation regulatory system were under heightened scrutiny as the FAA was in the midst of recertifying Boeing’s 737 Max. Meanwhile, during the audit delay, 2021 was arguably the most active year in the short history of the eVTOL industry. U.S.-based air taxi developers made significant progress toward earning FAA certification for their electric air taxi designs. Typical designs for eVTOL air taxis incorporate lithium-ion batteries as a power source and carry about four passengers. Several developers also raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund eVTOL development through mergers with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). Traditional Aircraft vs. New Technology The USDOT IG memo points out that “using existing federal aviation regulations…primarily intended for traditional small aircraft with a pilot onboard, whereas eVTOL aircraft may be entirely autonomous.” The FAA and Congress have been working for years to create a smooth pathway to certification for eVTOL developers without having to completely revamp existing rules that were intended for traditional aircraft. Currently, the agency is developing guidance for eVTOL type certification with respect to 14 CFR Part 21.17(a)—airworthiness standards for Normal Category Airplanes under 14 CFR Part 23—or Part 21.17(b), with special conditions. Many of the air taxi designs currently under development are winged aircraft augmented with vertical lift provided by rotors or tilt-rotors driven by battery-powered motors. Also, it’s worth mentioning that an overwhelming number of electric air taxi developers plan to fly their aircraft with onboard pilots initially, before transitioning to autonomous flight years later. ‘New and Complex Safety Challenges’ The IG acknowledges that eVTOLs promise “many benefits, such as reduced commuting times and urban congestion.” But the technology “creates new and complex safety challenges for the FAA’s aircraft certification process.” The audit is expected to be completed sometime next year. In the long term, the audit could reveal lessons learned from the certification process as it was experienced by initial eVTOL applicants, one industry insider said. Those lessons might give the FAA an opportunity to decide whether existing certification procedures for small, electric air taxis should be tweaked for future applicants via the formal rule-making process. https://www.flyingmag.com/faa-to-undergo-audit-of-air-taxi-certification-process/ Satco opens $10 million Air Cargo Safety Research Center in Ohio Opening expands innovation and launches first manufacturer-owned fire safety test facility. The safety and innovation of the air cargo industry impacts everyone from the pilots flying the planes to the passengers they carry and the communities they fly over. That understanding is why Satco Inc. made a $10 million investment culminating in the recent opening of the world’s first manufacturer-owned Air Cargo Safety Research Center (ARC) in Miami Township, Ohio. The Satco ARC facility places an emphasis on optimizing the manufacturing process and safety of unit load devices (ULDs), ultimately increasing the safety of air cargo transportation. “Our goal has always been to provide world-class, safe products that airlines, cargo and freight companies can trust to protect their employees, assets and the general public,” said Mike Proctor, president and CEO of Satco. “This new facility houses state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and increases our testing capabilities, providing the space we need to continue pushing innovation to move the industry forward.” With the massive increase of products using lithium-ion batteries, the risk of fire in cargo carried on aircrafts has become more prominent, which is why a focus point of the Satco ARC facility is the fire safety test facility or burn lab. Satco is the only ULD manufacturer with its own fire safety test facility, which is one of only a handful of testing facilities in the country. The lab is a 50ft x 60ft room with 36ft ceilings. During a test, a controlled fire is set inside a ULD within the lab. The facility is monitored by 12 thermal imaging and HD video cameras and multiple thermal sensors to understand how a ULD is impacted by a fire during a test. The tests run for a minimum of six hours and temperatures can reach more than 1,400°F. The burn lab is just a component of the testing that happens in the Satco ARC facility. The facility also houses a component testing area where the parts that make up a ULD can be tested for fire resistance and safety. This ensures every part of the ULD is fire resistant before a complete container is made and retested in the burn lab. “This facility gives us even more control over the safety of our products,” said Michael Howell, senior vice president of operations and maintenance services at Satco. “We don’t have to wait in line at other testing facilities because we have our own. We can run tests whenever we need to and can quickly evaluate our products and get them to market faster.” The Satco ARC facility’s location was chosen for its proximity to several airports known for cargo distribution from some of the world’s largest companies. This will allow Satco to meet the high product demand in the region and add to the advanced manufacturing talent already present. The facility will be home for up to 120 jobs including engineers, IT specialists and software developers. “The Satco ARC facility allows us to ensure we are manufacturing the safest ULDs on the market,” Proctor said. “It also gives us a resource to anticipate new potential fire hazards in flight and plan for them. We can’t just wait for a catastrophe to happen to advance the industry; we have to be proactive.” https://www.aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com/article/have-manufacturing-lunch-brian/ Germany to buy up to 35 Lockheed F-35 fighter jets - sources BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany will purchase F-35 fighter jets built by U.S. firm Lockheed Martin to replace its ageing Tornado aircraft, according to two government sources, with one of the sources saying Berlin aims to buy up to 35 of the stealth jets. A German defence source told Reuters in early February that Germany was leaning toward purchasing the F-35 but a final decision had not been taken. The Tornado is the only German jet capable of carrying U.S. nuclear bombs, stored in Germany, in case of a conflict.[nL8N2SD2XD] But the air force has been flying the jet since the 1980s, and Berlin is planning to phase it out between 2025 and 2030. The F-35 buy will be a blow for Boeing, whose F-18 was favoured by former German defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to replace the Tornado. The decision could also upset France. Paris has watched Germany's deliberations over the F-18 or more advanced F-35, concerned a deal could undermine the development of a joint Franco-German fighter jet that is supposed to be ready in the 2040s. Chancellor Olaf Scholz two weeks ago backed the ongoing joint programme with Paris. At the time, Scholz also announced that the Eurofighter jet, built by Franco-German Airbus, would be developed further to be capable of electronic warfare, a role the Tornado also fulfils. https://www.yahoo.com/news/germany-decides-principle-buy-f-063253519.html ISASI 2022 Brisbane Australia Current Challenges for Aviation Safety Call for Papers ISASI 2022 will b e a fully interactive "hybrid” conference for delegates to meet either face to face at the Pullman Hotel King George Square Brisbane Australia or to register and participate “ on line August 30 to September 1 , 2022 The committee welcome s the offer of presentations that will address the challenges for contemporary aviation safety in the new normal including: · Recent accident/incident investigations. · Novel and new investigations techniques. · Data investigation and analysis. · Future technological developments for aviation safety. · Investigator training and contemporary selection criteria. · Wreckage recovery and analysis. · Developments in analysis and understanding of human performance with specific reference to pandemics. Abstracts should include the author’s current short CV and be sent to ISASI2022@isasi.org or if you have any questions pmayes@isasi.org April 20th Closing date for receipt of abstracts May 30th Presenters informed of successful selection and instructions for final papers issued July 20th Completed paper and power point presentation required Curt Lewis