Flight Safety Information - March 16, 2022 No.053 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa A343 at Frankfurt on Mar 14th 2022, cargo door open indication : Incident: THY B739 at Ankara on Mar 15th 2022, unusual observation on flap track fairing : Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Montreal on Feb 28th 2022, fuel imbalance : New On-Demand Video Series Serves Pilots and AMTs With FAA Credits : Safety board makes recommendations to curb mid-air plane crashes : Isle of Man deregisters 18 Russian private jets and helicopters : The Growing Importance of Airport Safety Measures : Drugs Smuggled Where Controls, Wires Are Kept Put Airplanes at Risk : LATAM Airlines expects to receive 72 new aircraft over the next six years : ISASI 2022 - Brisbane Australia - Call for Papers Incident: Lufthansa A343 at Frankfurt on Mar 14th 2022, cargo door open indication A Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, registration D-AIGS performing flight LH-772 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Bangkok (Thailand), was in the initial climb out of Frankfurt's runway 18 when the crew received a cargo door open indication. The crew continued the climb slowly and levelled off at FL110 initially to dump fuel, later climbing to FL130 and FL150 while dumping fuel. The aircraft subsequently landed safely on Frankfurt's runway 07C about 2 hours after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Frankfurt about 34 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f60d6dc&opt=0 Incident: THY B739 at Ankara on Mar 15th 2022, unusual observation on flap track fairing A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration TC-JYI performing flight TK-2111 from Ankara to Istanbul (Turkey), was climbing out of Ankara when the crew stopped the climb at FL260 and returned to Ankara after observations of parts of the bulb seal blowing around were made on the left hand inboard flap track fairing reminding passengers of small flames out of the fairing. The aircraft landed safely back about 30 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Ankara about 29 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f60d10f&opt=0 Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Montreal on Feb 28th 2022, fuel imbalance A Skywest Canadair CRJ-700, registration N718SK performing flight OO-9898 from Montreal,QC (Canada) to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), was in initial climb out of Montreal's runway 24R when immediately after becoming airborne the crew received a "R MAIN/SCAV" EICAS message, the crew observed that fuel was transferred from the left to the right hand fuel tank. Climbing through 15,000 feet a fuel imbalance message appeared, the crew declared emergency reporting a fuel imbalance problem and decided to return to Montreal. The crew worked the related checklists and determined the fuel imbalance was caused by the automatic fuel transfer system. While descending towards Montreal the fuel imbalance remained steady at 1200 lbs and began to decrease as the aircraft descended lower. The aircraft landed safely on Montreal's runway 24R about 30 minutes after departure. The Canadian TSB reported the crew did not experience any control or performance problems. The occurrence aircraft returned to service 5 days later. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f60ceef&opt=0 New On-Demand Video Series Serves Pilots and AMTs With FAA Credits SocialFlight’s free web and mobile app flags aviation events, restaurants and “interesting places to fly” for pilots and enthusiasts. The Marlborough, Massachusetts-based company recently announced a new product, the FAA Learning System, created in cooperation with the agency’s FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam). The video series includes free on-demand, accredited video education for pilots, A&P/IAs and other FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs). The new video series was created in cooperation with the FAASTeam’s WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program, a voluntary pilot safety initiative designed to encourage general aviation flying proficiency with online learning, in-person seminars and tailored flight training. On the aviation maintenance side, the FAA’s AMT Awards program prompts AMTs and their employers to participate in recurrent training by offering awards based on documented annual training. Endorsing the new program, pilot, author and aviation educator Barry Schiff said, “Embracing new technology is the key to reaching more pilots and educating them about aviation safety. By making the program free, on-demand, and offering FAA credit, SocialFlight’s FAA Learning System makes it easier than ever for pilots and mechanics to continue learning and refining their skills.” Along with the FAA, SocialFlight’s partners on the new initiative include Aspen Avionics, Avidyne, Bose, Continental Aerospace Technologies, Hartzell Propellers, Lightspeed, Masimo Health, Tempest, Wipaire, Barry & Brian Schiff, Savvy Aviation’s Mike Busch and many others. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/new-on-demand-video-series-serves-pilots-and-amts-with-faa-credits/ Safety board makes recommendations to curb mid-air plane crashes There are several CTAFs above Soldotna. The NTSB said there need to be requirements about tuning into and reporting on those frequencies. The investigation into the mid-air plane crash that killed Rep. Gary Knopp and six others in Soldotna is ongoing. But the federal board that investigates airplane safety released a set of recommendations based on that incident last month. In particular, the National Transportation Safety Board is asking the Federal Aviation Administration to require pilots to report where they are in the airspace when they’re flying within certain radio frequency zones, called CTAFs. CTAFs stand for “common traffic advisory frequencies.” They’re radio frequencies that pilots can use to communicate with each other while they’re in the air. "It’s a guide to say, 'OK, if you live in the boundaries of this particular area, you should be on this frequency if you have a radio to be listening for other aircraft so you can help avoid a mid-air collision,'" said Paul Minelga, a Sterling-based pilot who worked for years with the FAA. He said in most places in Alaska, reporting on CTAFs is highly recommended. But it’s not a requirement. The NTSB wants to change that. It said in its February report that requiring reporting could be a way to prevent mid-air collisions — of which there were 14 in Alaska between 2005 and 2020, including the accident in Soldotna. The NTSB said it was not clear what radio frequencies each plane was using at the time of that incident. Knopp’s plane, a Piper Aztec, departed from the Soldotna airport, which uses one CTAF — 122.5. The other plane, a de Havilland Beaver belonging to High Adventure Air Charters, took off from Longmere Lake. There’s technically no CTAF associated with the lake but the report says pilots who fly around Longmere typically monitor the same channel as the Soldotna airport. But that gray area is an example of how the boundaries between CTAF zones can be blurred. In the airspace above Soldotna, for example, there are five different and overlapping CTAFs. So it’s not necessarily a given that pilots flying near each other will be communicating on the same frequency, if they are at all. In its report, the NTSB said that could have played a role in the Soldotna crash. The report said “the airplanes departed from different locations, about 4 nautical miles apart, about the same time. They flew on converging flightpaths for about 2 minutes until the collision. If a CTAF area had been established for the Soldotna area and a requirement had been in place for pilots to communicate their positions when entering the CTAF, the accident may have been avoided. “ Minelga said pilots in the Soldotna area are generally good about reporting on the CTAFs and letting other pilots know they’re in the area. “But those are the local pilots," he said. "If you have someone flying from a different area, you might not necessarily know.” In addition to its suggestion about reporting, the safety board recommends the FAA designate single frequencies so pilots are on the same wavelength. Minelga said that’s a conversation pilots have had locally before. "There was a move by some of the people in the Experimental Aircraft Association chapter to actually designate an area around Soldotna bigger than the airport traffic area to have it on 122.5 and to kind of formalize the process where we are actually informally now," he said, adding that the effort stalled out. As for the reporting requirement, Minegla said he thinks it's a good idea, from a pilot’s standpoint. He has multiple radios in his own plane and an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B — a technology that allows aircrafts to send and receive three-dimensional data about where planes are in the airspace. It’s also not required by regulators. But he said a mandate might be unenforceable. For example, not all pilots have radios. And it’s unclear how often pilots should have to announce themselves on the frequency. “It’s not as easy as it sounds," he said. "It never is.” The FAA said it will review the NTSB’s recommendations. https://www.kdll.org/local-news/2022-03-14/safety-board-makes-recommendations-to-curb-mid-air-plane-crashes Isle of Man deregisters 18 Russian private jets and helicopters Following move to enforce sanctions, the aircraft can no longer be flown in UK or EU airspace Oleg Tinkov An aircraft belonging to Oleg Tinkov, founder of the online Tinkoff bank, has been deregistered by Iomar, although he is not subject to direct sanctions. Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters At least 18 private jets or helicopters linked to Russia have been struck from the Isle of Man’s aircraft register, as the offshore authorities enforce sanctions brought in by the EU and UK. Three aircraft have been removed in the last week, including a helicopter and private jets believed to be ultimately owned by Roman Abramovich, Oleg Tinkov – an oligarch not subject to direct sanctions – and Dmitry Mazepin. The cancellations ensure that the aircraft cannot be flown in UK or EU airspace, even though they are not directly owned or registered by individuals sanctioned for their connections to Russia. A spokesperson for the Isle of Man government said that aircraft with a connection to Russia were being “reviewed as a matter of utmost priority”. He said that the Isle of Man aircraft registry – favoured by the super-rich to avoid taxes liable elsewhere – had acted “proactively and robustly” since the imposition of sanctions, working in cooperation with the UK’s Department for Transport. He said the registry, known as Iomar, was “duty bound to act appropriately in accordance with such measures, and under these circumstances an aircraft would be de-registered following required legal and regulatory processes”. Iomar has so far cancelled the registration of 18 aircraft and said it was likely that further deregistrations may follow in a “rapidly evolving situation”. Among the latest were an Airbus helicopter which has previously been tracked landing on the Chelsea owner Abramovich’s Solaris yacht, and a Gulfstream G650 aircraft owned by Mazepin. Mazepin, a billionaire owner of mineral fertiliser company Uralchem, was added to the EU sanctions list last week, along with his son, the ex-F1 driver Nikita Mazepin. Mazepin Sr was described in the sanctions document as “a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin”. A Dassault Falcon business jet linked to Oleg Tinkov, the founder of Russian online bank Tinkoff, has also been deregistered. Tinkov is not sanctioned, but his wealth is estimated by Forbes to have fallen more than $5bn in a month as the rouble has collapsed since the invasion. Russian-owned and operated planes have been banned from UK airspace. Last week a private plane with suspected links to the country was impounded at Farnborough airport on the orders of the transport secretary, Grant Shapps. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/15/isle-of-man-authorities-deregister-russian-linked-private-aircraft The Growing Importance of Airport Safety Measures In recent decades, before the pandemic slowed down everyday life, general air traffic had significantly risen and an increasing number of passengers were choosing to travel by air. The high number of passenger flights meant high demands were placed on safety. This article discusses the safety measures that are crucial for flight safety. It is clear that technology has a major impact on the safety of passenger aircraft. All technical parts need to perform flawlessly, which means regular and precise maintenance and inspection work are necessary. Aircraft technology, however, is not the only factor to consider when it comes to flight safety. For example, risks are also presented by the high density of aircraft in the airspace and weather conditions. The performance of pilots and air traffic controllers also impacts overall safety. The runway condition is an additional factor. Structural defects can easily result in severe difficulties during landing and take-off processes. Regarding the runway, weather conditions are a further influencing factor. Strong winds and ice can pose significant risks to safety. De-icing - Airplane -Airport Schiphol; Image data KLM / Airport Schiphol Lufft CHM 15k and CHM 8k cloud height sensors are suitable for measuring networks for observation of flight weather. Lufft CHM 15k and CHM 8k cloud height sensors are suitable for measuring networks for observation of flight weather. Image Credit: OTT HydroMet The mobile road sensor Lufft MARWIS is also in use at Milan Bergamo Airport, Italy What are the Most Common Causes of Aviation Accidents? Many people instantly think of airplane crashes when it comes to accidents where airplanes are involved. For example, most people believe that the use of a mobile phone in an airplane disturbs the on-board electronics, which in turn could result in technology malfunctions. This is a misconception because there has been no proven scientific correlation between aircraft disasters and mobile phones. The prohibition of mobile phones, which has now been relaxed, is mainly connected to the well-being of passengers. Airplane crashes that occur in the air are a much more severe source of danger. It does not necessarily have to involve two planes simultaneously because collisions involving smaller objects can have serious consequences. For example, the US Airways flight 1549 in 2009 had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River because of a bird strike. Approximately one-fifth of all flight accidents occur during the vehicle’s take-off. In this event, the most common issues encountered are when crossing the runway or if the plane crashes instantly after take-off. The majority of collisions happen during the process of landing the plane. Landing complications account for approximately half of all aircraft collisions. In several examples, the touchdown is too hard, or the landing runway is missed, which can result in serious collisions. Aircraft collision on the ground is an additional type of accident. It is comparatively rare for two airplanes to collide on the ground in theory. How Can Technical Solutions Help to Prevent Accidents? The technical management of airport weather is an especially important factor related to the prevention of accidents. Using advanced weather sensors, harmful weather, such as ice or strong winds, can be detected in good time. Due to this, several airports utilize mobile and stationary runway sensors as regular pieces of equipment. Along with mobile and stationary runway sensors, special visibility sensors are the ideal solution to mitigate overshooting on runways. This type of sensor can quantify the amount of light that is scattered by dust or fog in real-time. The sensor quality is a crucial factor for all types of sensors. The measurement equipment must be simple to use but also reliable over long periods of time and maintenance-free. This is the reason that Lufft focuses on technical innovation and optimum quality when creating its products. Conclusion As it turns out, a significant number of flight safety concerns are specifically related to the ground level area. In particular, the runways of airports are critically important when considering safety and should be evaluated as precisely as possible. Contact OTT HydroMet to learn more about aviation weather sensors. This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by OTT HydroMet - Meteorology . For more information on this source, please visit OTT HydroMet - Meteorology. https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=21381 Drugs Smuggled Where Controls, Wires Are Kept Put Airplanes at Risk Inspections have revealed kilos of cocaine found jammed into the electronics bays of several passenger flights, right where the wiring for the aircraft is, according to Customs and Border Protection Investigators have found drugs hidden in electronic bays that help pilots maintain control of the plane. NBC New York’s Jonathan Dienst reports on the attempts to stop the dangerous smuggling schemes. Drug smugglers are putting passenger jets at risk, as federal investigators in recent weeks have uncovered cocaine shipments hidden in secure electronics bays of some planes — key electronics areas critical to helping pilots control the planes. It has happened on several flights into the New York area, including recently on American Airlines and JetBlue, with pilots operating passenger jets completely unaware of what was sitting beneath them amid their controls and wires. Inspections revealed kilos of cocaine found jammed into the electronics bays of several passenger flights, right where the wiring for the aircraft is, according to Frank Russo, the head of Customs and Border Protection for New York's airports. “What we've seen here in the last year alone is over 30 kilos of cocaine and heroin in the avionics section of the plane," Russo said. He said some planes get grounded because smugglers damage critical wires while rushing to conceal bricks of cocaine. “We know that these are individuals that don't care about the safety of the passengers that are flying," he said. Officials say the international flights in question can originate out of Latin America and the Caribbean. At JFK Airport, customs uses a specially trained officer – an airplane mechanic himself — to carry out drug searches in critical parts of the plane. Homeland Security Investigations said that at airports overseas, the drug cartels pay insiders to get drugs onto planes. And after landing in the U.S., others are paid to retrieve the hidden drugs. Five people have been charged in a scheme to smuggle millions of dollars in cocaine from Puerto Rico to New York and Massachusetts using the U.S. Postal Service. Investigators say when it comes to the sensitive avionics compartment, only a few — like mechanics — have access. “You obviously do not want to have anything that that can interrupt the flow or the operation of an airplane," said HSI Special Agent in Charge, Ricky Patel. Inspections and investigations are now increasing to stop the cartels, who have reached new heights in their brazen smuggling schemes. HSI said that to investigate these security breaches, a special unit is in place to try to track airport insiders — foreign or domestic — who might be corrupt. “We have plenty of ongoing investigations that I cannot speak about, but in the past, we've done we've done a few arrests and seizures and interdictions to make sure that the planes and our traveling public are as safe as they possibly can be," Patel said. Experts say an avionics bay secretly packed with illegal drugs could damage important controls. "You could lose communication radios or autopilot computers flight control computers," said aviation expert Capt. John Cox. But a fire or pilot losing total control mid-air is still unlikely. "I would say that it could cause certainly a diversion. Because if you start losing multiple systems, you don't really necessarily know the immediate cause. So you need to get the airplane on the ground," Cox said. Federal authorities are highlighting some of the ways smugglers move powerful opioids such as fentanyl into the tri-state. Marc Santia reports. JetBlue declined to comment on the recent cases, while an American airlines spokesman said its “corporate security team works in close partnership with law enforcement to prevent any such activity from occurring at our airline.” Officials said smuggling in an avionics compartment is rare, certainly compared to other sections of a plane. Other common smuggling areas include the cargo hold (in suitcases or shipments) as well as on board, hidden in life jackets under seats, or hidden behind panels in other parts of the cabin. But smugglers compromising the plane’s electronics hub remains an ongoing priority. “We need to dismantle the networks that are behind these cases so that this stops, it's really not safe for the traveling public," Russo said. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/drugs-smuggled-under-pilots-seats-where-controls-wires-are-kept-put-airplanes-at-risk/3600995/ LATAM Airlines expects to receive 72 new aircraft over the next six years On Wednesday, March 9, Latam Airlines released its financial results for year-end 2021, along with some other operational data, including an update on the company’s fleet plan for the coming years. It is worth recalling that Latam’s total fleet, considering its operations in several countries, has been reduced from 342 aircraft at the end of 2019 to 304 aircraft as of Dec. 31, 2021, mainly due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, as reported by our partner media in Brazil, Aeroin. Given the voluntary reorganization filing and restructuring of its debt under Chapter 11 protection in the U.S., LATAM is currently evaluating the appropriate fleet needs for the coming years. Incoming aircraft Agreements have been reached on its fleet commitments with Boeing for two 787 Dreamliner aircraft and with Airbus for a total of 70 A320-Neo family aircraft, which are 20% more fuel-efficient. Delivery dates are scheduled for 2028, although they may change as a result of ongoing discussions with aircraft manufacturers in the context of the current situation. Currently present in five regional markets – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – Latam can allocate the aircraft to any operation, depending on the recovery of each market. https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/03/latam-airlines-expects-to-receive-72-new-aircraft-over-the-next-six-years/ 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