Flight Safety Information - March 29, 2022 No.062 In This Issue : Incident: Western Global MD11 enroute on Mar 19th 2022, electrical problems : Incident: Delta B763 at Atlanta on Mar 26th 2022, hit foreign object on landing : Accident: Spirit A321 at Newark on Mar 25th 2022, bird strike : Incident: Lufthansa A343 over Atlantic on Mar 27th 2022, smoke on board : Starved of pilots, Cathay launches biggest-ever training program : Canada to Call for Improvements to Global Air Investigation Rules : Russia May Commit 'Largest Theft Of Aircraft In History' By Keeping Over 400 Leased Planes : Air Force wants to send Tyndall’s F-22 jets to the boneyard : Boeing's defense head to retire, global services head to take over : Saudi airline flynas in talks to buy more jets - CEO : Position Available: CNS President and Head of Cargo, The Americas Incident: Western Global MD11 enroute on Mar 19th 2022, electrical problems A Western Global Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, registration N545JN performing flight KD-7326 from Anchorage,AK to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), was enroute at FL330 near Whitehorse,YT (Canada) when the crew received an "AC TIE 1" alert. About 30-60 minutes later the crew received additional multiple system warnings, alerts and failure indications including the #2 display unit, autopilot and flight director. The crew declared MAYDAY, worked through several checklists and eventually restored the electrical power and the failed systems. Once the systems were restored the crew cancelled MAYDAY and continued to Chicago with the AC Bus TIE 1 and DC Bus Tie 1 off. The aircraft landed without further incident about 3:45 hours after the onset of trouble. The Canadian TSB reported: "The operator's maintenance subsequently inspected the aircraft and replaced both flight control computers (FCC)." https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f6a2abf&opt=0 Incident: Delta B763 at Atlanta on Mar 26th 2022, hit foreign object on landing A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N172DZ performing flight DL-482 from New York JFK,NY to Atlanta,GA (USA), landed on Atlanta's runway 26R when the aircraft struck a foreign object. The aircraft rolled out without further incident. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT HIT A FOREIGN OBJECT ON LANDING DAMAGING LEFT WING INBOARD SPOILER, ATLANTA, GA." and rated the occurrence an incident. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f6a2187&opt=0 Accident: Spirit A321 at Newark on Mar 25th 2022, bird strike A Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N657NK performing flight NK-1215 from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Newark,NJ (USA), was landing on Newark's runway 22L when the aircraft sustained a number of bird strikes. The aircraft continued for a safe landing runway 22L. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK BIRDS WHILE LANDING AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO CAPTAINS SIDE WINDOW AND NOSE CONE, NEWARK, NJ.", rated the damage substantial and rated the occurrence an accident. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f6a230d&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa A343 over Atlantic on Mar 27th 2022, smoke on board A Lufthansa A340-300, registration D-AIGN performing flight LH-438 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA), was enroute at FL330 about 350nm southsouthwest of Keflavik (Iceland) when the crew decided to divert to Keflavik due to smoke on board. The aircraft descended to FL300 initially and landed safely on Keflavik's runway 01 about 80 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Keflavik for about 24 hours, then positioned back to Frankfurt. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f6a0310&opt=0 Starved of pilots, Cathay launches biggest-ever training program Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. is seeking to train more pilots than ever in its 75-year history, as the Hong Kong-based carrier struggles to hire enough cockpit crew after mass resignations due to strict Covid measures in the Asian financial hub. The airline will recruit and train 800 new junior pilots by 2025, working with Hong Kong Polytechnic University to revive a cadet program that was halted during the pandemic, according to a statement Monday. That marks a major expansion of the airline’s cockpit training plans as a global shortage of flight crew emerges as a major challenge. Cathay said in January it will seek a steady recruitment plan for the longer term following high levels of employee resignations. Globally, airlines are taking action to backfill roles that vanished almost overnight via buyout packages or early retirements. Hong Kong is following China is adopting a so-called Covid-zero strategy, even as other nations take measures to live with the virus. A resurgence in community infections, which led to fresh curbs, has frustrated the city’s residents, prompting many to leave the financial center for good. Cathay will now hire in four years about four-fifths of the “more than 1,000” cadets it has trained in the previous 35 years. The airline, a representative of Hong Kong’s standing as a global business hub, employs 2,700 pilots currently, down from more than 3,100 in early 2021. Cathay has previously flagged a “very strong pipeline of talent” to support operations, without providing details. Typical pilot training takes as many as 60 weeks, with Cathay arranging for classroom lectures in Hong Kong and practical flight school training in Adelaide, Australia or Phoenix, Arizona. The airline is set to hire 190 cadet candidates in 2022, and as many as 300 a year for the next few years, compared with just 180 cadets hired in 2019. As part of its existing recruiting efforts—which started in the summer of last year—the company hired 200 pilots, making up most of the 300 people hired across the airline. They included many from the now-defunct Cathay Dragon. The carrier is also in the process of hiring 150 former trainee pilots who couldn’t join two years ago due to the pandemic. The pilot shortage is a global problem. Airlines in the U.S. have started looking beyond their shores to Australia to hire cockpit crew. Within Hong Kong, Cathay’s pilots have suffered from a collapse in morale throughout the pandemic as pay and benefits were slashed, while foreign staff have faced increasing scrutiny of their work permits. Cathay eliminated close to 6,000 jobs in an restructuring in 2020. The airline has also closed down most of its overseas pilot crew bases as part of additional cost-saving measures. https://ajot.com/news/starved-of-pilots-cathay-launches-biggest-ever-training-program Canada to Call for Improvements to Global Air Investigation Rules MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canada is expected to call on Tuesday for improving global rules governing air accident investigations, telling a virtual safety forum that such changes are needed in cases like the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian jetliner, a government source told Reuters. Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is to tell the Safer Skies forum that the rules need reform in cases where the main country investigating a crash caused or participated in the downing of the aircraft, the source said. Hosted virtually by Transport Canada and the Safer Skies Consultative Committee, the forum brings international representatives and the civil aviation industry, including the International Air Transport Association, to mitigate airspace risks over conflict zones. Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB), an independent agency, called for such changes in 2021, arguing that while the rules known throughout the industry by their legal name "Annex 13" work well, Iran's downing of PS752 showed their limitations. Under those rules, Iran retained overall control of the investigation into the crash which killed 176, even as the country's military was implicated in the event leading to an "unprecedented" situation, the TSB argued. Iran's civil aviation body in 2021 blamed misalignment of a missile launcher's radar and an error by an Iranian air defense operator for the January 2020 downing of the aircraft. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-03-28/canada-to-call-for-improvements-to-global-air-investigation-rules Russia May Commit 'Largest Theft Of Aircraft In History' By Keeping Over 400 Leased Planes The $10 billion in aircraft could already be completely worthless Officials in Russia had until Monday to return aircraft leased to the country by companies in EU nations, but many have already given up their planes as lost causes. Especially after President Putin signed a law allowing airlines to register leased aircraft as Russian in defiance of international law. Russia leases most of the aircraft that operate in its fleet from the rest of the world. Those contracts dissolved as sanctions against the country over its invasion of Ukraine mounted, leaving over 400 airplanes in legal limbo. Companies recalled their aircraft and Russia just kept flying them. Putin made it clear they were going to hold on to the planes. It seems to be a mass theft of historic proportions. From Reuters: Aviation was an early business casualty of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as the West and Russia imposed tit-for-tat airspace bans. Now, lessors face big writedowns or a long insurance battle as the March 28 deadline looms for terminating plane leases under European Union sanctions. “I’m afraid that we are going to witness the largest sort of theft of aircraft in the history of commercial civil aviation,” said Volodymyr Bilotkach, an associate professor of air transport management at Singapore Institute of Technology. Dual registration is not allowed under international rules, but Russia has already moved more than half of the foreign-owned aircraft to its own registry after passing a law permitting this, Russia’s government said on Wednesday. read more The government also said 78 planes leased to Russian carriers had been seized while abroad and would not fly back to Russia, Interfax news agency said on Tuesday. read moreMajor aircraft lessor Avolon has terminated all its Russian airline leases and repossessed four of the 14 owned aircraft on lease with Russian airlines outside the country, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. Even if the over 400 aircraft were returned, it’s unclear if they would hold their original estimated $10 billion value. Commercial aircraft require detailed maintenance records to prove every part used is traceable and genuine. Considering Russia hasn’t had access to such parts since the invasion began and the planes haven’t stopped flying in that time, the entire fleet may already be a loss. Some private Russian airlines have signaled they’d like to return the aircraft, but it’s unclear if the Russian government would approve the action. Russia’s UTair Airlines withdrew nine Boeings from service on March 14. The planes haven’t flown since then, but remain in Russia. Another 78 planes leased to Russia have been seized in foreign airports. As for the lessors of the aircraft, they are likely out millions of dollars in the near term, as such massive insurance payouts will take years to work through the courts. https://jalopnik.com/russia-may-commit-largest-theft-of-aircraft-in-history-1848712419 Air Force wants to send Tyndall’s F-22 jets to the boneyard The Air Force plans to retire nearly three dozen of Tyndall Air Force Base’s F-22 fighter jets in fiscal 2023, ending tentative plans to move them to Virginia that have been on hold for more than three years. The Raptors have been flying out of nearby Eglin AFB in Florida since a hurricane destroyed Tyndall in October 2018. Officials want to divest 33 of the service’s oldest F-22s and use that money to instead research cutting-edge combat jet designs under the “Next-Generation Air Dominance” program. If Congress approves the idea, it would send all but three Block 20 Raptors to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona, and shrink the overall fleet from 186 to 153 fighters. It’s too expensive to upgrade the stealth jets from their usual status as training planes so they can hold up in combat, said Maj. Gen. James Peccia, the Air Force’s deputy assistant budget secretary. That investment would cost $1.8 billion over eight years, which the Air Force believes is money better spent on upgrading newer F-22s with more advanced sensors and improving the F-35A Lightning II. “We will take operational jets and use them for training, but yet we can also take them and use them in the fight,” Peccia told reporters March 25. “It’s really using every dollar as smart as we can in our fighter portfolio when we’re trying to modernize that portfolio.” Airmen, F-22s struggle at Eglin nearly three years after Hurricane Michael The Air Force’s remaining F-22s would be redistributed across the Raptor squadrons, which include units at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Eglin. Each base would operate fewer jets than before, Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he doesn’t expect further F-22 retirements in the short-term, adding that the jet remains the service’s premier air-to-air combat platform. Eglin has hosted flying operations for the 325th Fighter Wing since Hurricane Michael destroyed their previous home at Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. That includes the Air Force’s only F-22 training unit, the 43rd Fighter Squadron. After the Category 5 storm, the military pledged to rebuild Tyndall as a “base of the future” and F-35 hub. It took steps toward relocating the F-22 training enterprise to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, but the idea faltered during environmental inspections. “The transition of the F-22 [formal training unit] mission to JBLE is still being coordinated and we don’t have a specific timeline regarding the move at this point in time,” Air Combat Command spokesperson Alexi Worley said March 23. Air Force approves Joint Base Langley-Eustis as new home of F-22 training Air Force Times reported last June that the service was considering retiring the 325th Fighter Wing’s planes as part of phasing out the F-22, which it doesn’t envision as part of its future inventory after more than 20 years. “That drives a lot of uncertainty about what’s going to happen,” a former official told Air Force Times. “Are they actually going to move all those people in the FTU up there? Or are they going to retire the airplanes in place and send the people somewhere else?” The yearslong limbo has stressed airmen personally and professionally, complicated their housing and financial situations, and potentially contributed to a string of jet mishaps at the 325th. Of particular concern are situations where F-22 landing gears fail to deploy or collapse upon landing. An inspection of the Raptors at Eglin, and 10 percent of the fighters at other F-22 bases, found that at least one in five jets in the total F-22 inventory had an incorrectly rigged landing gear, Air Combat Command said last year. Worley said March 24 that over the past year, “a combination of inspections were performed across the fleet to help determine root cause, assess fleet health, evaluate system performance, and prevent future incidents.” F-22 jet pilot OK after apparent landing gear collapse at Eglin “Analysis of the data identified that nose landing gear rigging can change over time, and as a result, technical data was updated to clarify rigging procedures following maintenance actions,” she said. Overall, the Raptor fleet suffered 26 Class A and 36 Class B accidents between fiscal 2011 and 2021, according to the Air Force Safety Center. That equals about eight Class A and 11 Class B mishaps for every 100,000 flying hours. Class A mishaps cost at least $2 million, involve a destroyed aircraft or cause death or permanent and total disability. Class B mishaps are those that cost between $500,000 and $2 million, lead to a permanent, partial disability, or cause inpatient hospitalization of at least three people. One noncommissioned officer who works in F-22 maintenance said last summer that crews sometimes felt they could defer some upkeep until their short-term posting at Eglin was done. “This step here or a step there might be overlooked, because we’re only going to be here for so long. … It would be put off,” the NCO said. “Now, it’s all starting to catch up.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/air-force-wants-send-tyndall-190253153.html Boeing's defense head to retire, global services head to take over (Reuters) -Boeing Co said on Monday the head of its big defense division, Leanne Caret, will retire after nearly 35 years with the aviation company. Caret, who is 55 years old, will be succeeded by Ted Colbert effective April 1. Stay ahead of the market Caret oversaw development of the successful MQ-25 drone program and the U.S. Air Force's new training jet. She was also in charge of the KC-46 midair tanker, which has been plagued by numerous problems and cost overruns. Boeing's defense unit, which has the U.S. government as one of its biggest customers, generated revenue of $26.5 billion in 2021, overtaking its commercial airplane business. Colbert, who now heads Boeing Global Services, will become president and chief executive officer of Boeing's Defense, Space & Security business. The global services unit handles jet maintenance, repair and overhaul, data analytics and pilot training. Caret, who had taken over the defense and space role in 2016, will serve as executive vice president and senior adviser to Boeing Chief Executive David Calhoun, until her retirement later this year. The segment provides military aircraft and network and space systems to customers around the globe. The company named Stephanie Pope as president and CEO of Boeing Global Services, succeeding Colbert. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-appoints-ted-colbert-ceo-203120748.html Saudi airline flynas in talks to buy more jets - CEO RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi budget airline flynas is in negotiations with both Boeing and its current supplier Airbus to buy aircraft worth $13 billion to $15 billion, Chief Executive Bander al-Mohanna told Al Arabiya in an interview published on Monday. The carrier has increased the number of planned new orders to 250 aircraft and also plans to increase the number of destinations to 165 from 70, al-Mohanna was reported saying. Stay ahead of the market The acceleration in the airline's growth plans, which coincides with ambitions by Saudi Arabia to develop its airline industry and become a hub for tourism, was first reported by Bloomberg. Flynas, part-owned by the investment firm of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, was launched as Nas Air in 2007 with an all-Airbus fleet. The Riyadh-based discount carrier, which competes with state-owned Saudi carrier flyadeal, ordered 80 A320neo-family jets in 2017, with purchasing options for 40 more. In November, the airline's chief executive said flynas was in talks to exercise some or all of the 40 options, and industry sources said it had already reached an agreement that would see some of those extra planes include the long-range A321XLR model. As of the end of February, flynas operated a partially leased fleet of 39 Airbus jets, with further 76 yet to be delivered from the manufacturer, according to Airbus data. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/saudi-airline-flynas-talks-buy-134021310.html CNS President and Head of Cargo - The Americas Miami, United States of America Employment Type: Permanent Contract Duration: N/A About the team you are joining Reporting directly to the CNS Executive Board of Directors and in a matrix relationship to the RVP The Americas, the CNS President and Head of Cargo the Americas will be responsible for management of the CNS Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary of IATA) providing services that benefit and foster air transportation in the U.S. The successful candidate will be responsible for the development of the cargo agenda in The Americas Region based on the industry’s local and regional needs keeping in mind the IATA Cargo priorities as well. The successful candidate will ensure the necessary separation of duties between the CNS and the IATA activities. What your day would be like • Lead the CNS Corporation in the roles of President and Corporate Secretary, ensuring the application of CNS’ corporate formalities and secretarial duties. • As the Secretary of the CNS Advisory Board, ensure active participation and engagement from the U.S. industry stakeholders and CNS Board Members. • Fulfil CNS’ obligation to provide support to IATA’s cargo agenda and programs under secondment to IATA. • Represent CNS in the U.S. and IATA Cargo in The Americas with key stakeholders including Governments, international Organizations, and other Associations. • Oversee the agency program, the Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS) and other settlement activities in the U.S. ensuring that airlines, agents, and commercial accounts are managed satisfactorily. • Manage and expand the CNS Partnership Conference and Focus magazine on a yearly basis ensuring it remains the most relevant air cargo forum and publication in the U.S. ensuring strong adoption by current and potential subscribers at the time P&L objectives are attained. • Develop the strategy for the U.S. aligned with the Board mandated goals as well as for the Americas aligned with the IATA Cargo Agenda. • Implement a roadmap aligned with the strategy focusing on settlement (e.g., CASS 2.0), safety (e.g., DGR, Lithium Battery), Customer Satisfaction (e.g., Cargo 360), Digitalization (e.g., eManifest, eDGD) and on Security as well as any other issues that would surface (e.g., airport congestion). • Hold responsibility for the CNS P&L delivering on the approved 3-year business plan, budget, revenues, margin, target penetration, target setting and achievement of sales targets, to be communicated separately. • Deliver approved projects on time, scope and within budget to introduce new industry initiatives and products. • Roll-out existing industry initiatives and products in close collaboration with the IATA Cargo Team and Commercial Products and Services Department as per the set targets. • Manage internal and external suppliers to ensure that the CNS services up to the expectations and the KPIs for CNS operations are met. • Engage with external stakeholders as well as with internal (CNS and IATA) stakeholders such as Customer Service, Global Delivery Center, Regional Stakeholders, Financial Controllers, PPD, Legal Counsel, Products & Services team, etc. • Lead, motivate and coach a team of professionals as well as develop capabilities through effective talent management, recruitment, and succession planning We would love to hear from you if • College degree (undergrad) in Business, Financial, Logistics, Engineering, or other relevant subject, preferably with a postgraduate degree or MBA. • A minimum of 15 years of international working experience in the air cargo or logistics field with at least 10 years at a senior executive level in a similar cargo position (with P&L responsibility), and extensive knowledge of the [commercial] aviation industry, preferably in the Americas Region. • Proven experience in managing multiple lines of business, successful product development and product management oversight. • Proven ability to lead and motivate large teams and to foster collaboration across functional and culturally diverse lines. • Outstanding leadership and management experience in a high-pressure, multicultural, and international environment. • Strong communication, relationship management, advocacy and negotiation skills with experience in interacting with "C" level stakeholders. • Comfortable operating under pressure, driving multiple projects simultaneously, and delivering to tight deadlines. • Ability to work in a complex, business critical and high profile commercial and operational environment, as well as in ambiguous situations. • Fluent in English is essential, whilst knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese languages would be an asset. • Be people and team oriented, focused on results, embrace innovation, and change, and demonstrate leadership and personal integrity • U.S. security clearance would be a plus. • Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This is a CNSC (Cargo Network Services Corporation) position and not an IATA role Travel Required: Y Diversity and Inclusion are one of our key priorities and we want to role model it. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills in which you can contribute at your best and be who you are. The more inclusive we are, the better we will be able to thrive to represent, lead and service the airline industry. If there is anything we can do to create a more comfortable interview experience for you, please let us know. Curt Lewis