Flight Safety Information - April 25, 2022 No.081 In This Issue : Incident: Eurowings A320 at Zurich on Apr 22nd 2022, rejected takeoff due to bird strike : Incident: United B789 at Houston on Apr 16th 2022, gear did not come up : Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 near Pittsburgh on Apr 22nd 2022, smoke in cockpit : Two Pilots' Attempt to Swap Planes in Midair Goes Wrong as Aircraft Crashes : FAA: Hawaii has the nation’s highest per capita incidence of laser strikes at pilots : FAA lowers air safety rating for Russia : Air Lease to write off more than $800 million in aircraft in Russia : Russian Airlines May Be Forced To Ground This Sukhoi SSJ Fleets : FAA proposes combined $159K fine – the most ever – against two unruly passengers : Commercial crew heads home from space station : Call for Nominations For 2022 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Incident: Eurowings A320 at Zurich on Apr 22nd 2022, rejected takeoff due to bird strike An Eurowings Airbus A320-200, registration D-AEWV performing flight EW-9763 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Dusseldorf (Germany), was accelerating for takeoff from runway 28, when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (120 knots over ground) due to a bird strike into the left hand engine (CFM56). The aircraft slowed safely and came to a stop short of the intersection of runway 28 with runway 16. Emergency services responded and checked the aircraft, which subsequently taxied to the apron. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 34 hours, then positioned to Dusseldorf. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f7d4b20&opt=0 Incident: United B789 at Houston on Apr 16th 2022, gear did not come up A United Boeing 787-9, registration N27957 performing flight UA-5 from Houston Intercontinental,TX (USA) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was climbing out of Houston's runway 15L when the crew reported their gear did not come up, it was still down, they did not have any problem but needed to return to Houston. The crew levelled off at 5000 feet and returned to Houston for a safe landing on runway 26L about 30 minutes after departure. The rotation UA-5/UA-4 was cancelled. The aircraft returned to service after about 41 hours on the ground in Houston. The aircraft had suffered a similiar issue two days earlier, see Incident: United B789 at London on Apr 14th 2022, indicator light needed maintenance. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f7c859a&opt=0 Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 near Pittsburgh on Apr 22nd 2022, smoke in cockpit An Endeavor Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N298PQ performing flight DL-5090 from New York La Guardia,NY to Saint Louis,MO (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 20nm southeast of Pittsburgh,PA (USA) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Pittsburgh. The aircraft landed safely on Pittsburgh's runway 28R about 25 minutes after leaving FL360. The airline reported the aircraft diverted due to smoke in the cockpit, the landing was safe. A replacement aircraft was dispatched. A replacement CRJ-900 registration N147PQ reached Saint Louis with a delay of about 4 hours. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f7d48bb&opt=0 Two Pilots' Attempt to Swap Planes in Midair Goes Wrong as Aircraft Crashes A Red Bull plane crashed after spinning out of control during a stunt that was supposed to see two pilots swapping positions midair—a move banned by authorities amid safety fears. The plan was for each pilot to put their Cessna 182 into a nosedive, jump out of it, then skydive across and enter the other plane to land in a different aircraft than the one they had taken off in. But the stunt went horribly wrong, with one of the planes spinning as it plunged to the ground in a crash landing in Arizona on Sunday, April 24. The pilots, Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, are cousins, whose World War II fighter pilot grandfather set up a skydiving school. Farrington was forced to parachute to safety, although onlookers feared he was at risk from the plummeting plane. Aikins managed to skydive across to the other aircraft—which was also in a nosedive—and was able to land safety. The event was livestreamed, and video footage recorded by stunt fans and posted online showed how the risky move went wrong almost immediately. The two planes were shown steeply angling down to enter a nosedive—but while one plane headed straight down, the other began to spin. An onlooker who shared the footage online can be heard saying: "Oh, that plane's not good." While radio communications can be heard calling: "Out of control!" As the camera zooms in on the falling pilot, the onlooker says: "He's got a parachute, right?" Footage in the other plane's cockpit shows the anxious-looking pilot talking into his microphone and craning out of his own door to see what happened to his cousin and the other plane. The footage then shows the falling pilot's parachute deploy. "Woah," the onlooker can be heard saying over the recording. "[Is he] out of the way of the plane?" The plane crashed into Arizona scrubland. Nobody was injured in the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now investigating after denying a request from Red Bull seeking a safety exemption to carry out the stunt. A refusal letter from the FAA stated the stunt "would not be in the public interest" and added that officials "cannot find that the proposed operation would not adversely affect safety." It went to state that practice runs involved having an extra pilot on each plane, to take control should something go wrong. So the FAA concluded: "Because the FAA cannot conclude that the operations for which relief is sought (i.e. an operation without a pilot in the airplane and at the controls) would not adversely affect safety, and because the petitioner can continue to perform this demonstration in compliance with FAA regulations by including an additional pilot for each airplane, there is no public interest in granting the exemption request." Red Bull promoted the stunt beforehand on its website, saying: "On Sunday, April 24th, Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington will go down in history as the first pilots to take off in one aircraft and land in another after sending their airplanes into a nosedive and jumping out of them! ....Plane Swap has been a year in the making with hours and hours put in by [the team] to ensure the plan goes off without a hitch." Red Bull's famous slogan is "Red Bull gives you wings"—although the company lost a 2014 lawsuit after it was accused of false advertising. After the failed stunt at the weekend, Red Bull posted a short statement on its website, titled: "Pilot Luke Aikins successfully achieves 'Plane Swap.'" The statement said: "Two pilots, Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, attempted to Plane Swap mid-air for the first time. The feat was partially accomplished as one pilot successfully swapped planes and landed the aircraft in the Arizona desert. The second pilot (and skilled skydiver) was unable to enter the plane he was approaching. He skydived into a safe landing. The second plane's safety mechanisms activated but the plane was damaged." Newsweek has reached out to Red Bull and the FAA. https://www.newsweek.com/red-bull-plane-crash-pilot-swap-midair-1700458 FAA: Hawaii has the nation’s highest per capita incidence of laser strikes at pilots Laser strikes at aircraft are on the rise everywhere, including Hawaii, which tops the nation in per capita incidents, according the FAA. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Laser strikes at aircraft are on the rise everywhere, including Hawaii, which tops the nation in per capita incidents, according the Federal Aviation Administration. Through March 32, there have been 40 reports of someone using a laser pointer aimed at an aircraft. The practice ― often a prank ― is dangerous, aviation experts warn. “Imagine you’re in a dark room and somebody takes a flash photo and your eyes are trying to adjust to the sudden blinding light, that’s what a laser strike’s like,” said Ian Gregor, spokesman for the FAA. Peter Forman, a veteran commercial pilot, said it puts all the passengers and people on the ground at risk too. “You can cause temporary blindness in a pilot who’s flying 300 people,” he said. Laser strikes happen during the most dangerous times of a flight ― when a plane is taking off and when it’s landing and they’re closest to the ground. Last year, the FAA reported 9,723 nationwide, the highest ever. Most of the reported cases in Hawaii this year were in Honolulu and Kahului. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime. Fines can be up to $250,000 and five years in jail. When a pilot reports the incident mid-air, the traffic control tower will send local law enforcement to the area. Even a picture of the person using the laser pointer can be enough for an arrest. “People don’t realize how serious it is,” said Forman. The cases tend to happen in places with better weather, since more people are outside throughout the year and at night. Another factor: Airports that are close to neighborhoods. And it’s not just planes that are targeted. Air ambulances and police chopper pilots have also reported laser strikes. The FAA says there have bee no major incidents because of laser pointers, but with the growing numbers there is a higher risk. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2022/04/23/faa-hawaii-has-nations-highest-per-capita-incidence-laser-strikes-pilots/ FAA lowers air safety rating for Russia The US federal agency said that Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport does not comply with ICAO safety standards. Understand the impact of the Ukraine conflict from a cross-sector perspective with the Global Data Executive Briefing: Ukraine Conflict The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US has downgraded Russia’s air safety rating saying the country’s Federal Agency for Air Transport does not comply with the safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO is a technical agency for aviation under the United Nations (UN). It sets international standards and recommends safety practices for aircraft operations as well as maintenance. Under its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme, the FAA evaluates civil aviation authorities of various nations whose carriers have applied to fly to the US, currently operate in the country or have code-sharing arrangements with US partner airlines. The IASA programme assesses whether foreign civil aviation authorities meet all the safety standards of ICAO. The FAA noted that flights from countries with Category 2 ratings are not allowed to start any new service in the US and will be confined to only current levels of existing service in the country. It further added that such air carriers will not be allowed to carry the code of US carriers on any flights. The Federal agency said that currently no airlines operate regularly scheduled flights between Russia and the US. Air carriers of countries rated as Category 1 are allowed to operate in the US, as the civil aviation authority of that country meets ICAO standards. The rating allows flights to establish services to the US as well as carry the code of US carriers through code-sharing arrangements. https://www.airport-technology.com/news/faa-lowers-air-safety-rating-for-russia/ Air Lease to write off more than $800 million in aircraft in Russia Air Lease Corp. AL, -2.08% disclosed Monday that it will record a charge of $802.4 million to write off 27 aircraft in Russia, including 21 in its owned fleet. The stock was still inactive in premarket trading. The California-based air craft leasing company said it has determined that "it is unlikely" it will regain possession of the aircraft in Russia, after the company terminated leasing of all aircraft to Russian airlines following sanctions imposed by the U.S., U.K. and European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Air Lease said it did not expect the write off of its assets in Russia to result in material future cash expenditures. The company said it was "vigorously pursuing insurance claims" to recover the losses. To put the write off in context, Air Lease recorded 2021 net income of $501 million and revenue of $2.02 billion. The stock has edged up 0.3% year to date, while the S&P 500 SPX, -2.77% has dropped 10.4%. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/air-lease-to-write-off-more-than-800-million-in-aircraft-in-russia-2022-04-25 Russian Airlines May Be Forced To Ground This Sukhoi SSJ Fleets Carriers are becoming worried about potential repair issues. Russia's aviation market is proud of its homegrown Sukhoi Superjet 100. However, the country's airlines may soon have to ground the type due to a critical factor laying at the hands of French entities. Airline anxieties IrAero General Director Yuri Lapin warned Igor Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region that airlines flying the SSJ100 "won't be able to ensure the repair and mechanical suitability" of the PowerJet SaM146 engines. Russian media outfit RBC shares that the director's concerns relate to sanctions in place by the United States and European Union. Notably, the SaM146 turbofan engine was introduced following a joint venture between what is now Safran, a French aerospace powerhouse, and Russia's NPO Saturn. It is a development from the CFM International CFM56. Safran is responsible for the overall design and certification of all versions of the SaM146. The company also notes that it oversees “the development and production of the engine core, control systems and power transmission, system integration and flight testing.” A regional figure Incidentally, this month marks 11 years since the SSJ100 entered service with Armavia. Across the industry, the plane has the capacity for 87 passengers in a typical two-class configuration. However, in a single-class setting, the capacity rises to 108. The standard variant has a range of 3,048 km (1,645 NM), while the long-range variant has a range of 4,578 km (2,470 NM). Today, Aeroflot, along with its subsidiary Rossiya are prominent holders of the type. Other regional outfits such as Azimuth, Red Wings Airlines, Yamal Airlines, Seversal Aircompany, Yakutia Airines, Gazpromavia, and Comlux KZ. IrAero holds two SSJ100s and five SSJ100LRs. Therefore, it's not a surprise that it's keen to address any operational issues. After all, the plane dominates the fleet. Other than the SSJ, the airline holds a CRJ100LR and an A319, and the latter is also grounded. Market updates Sanction-compliant Airbus and Boeing aircraft already dominate several Russian fleets. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s aviation industry was already keen to overhaul its domestic operations with homegrown aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-114-300 and Irkut MC-21. A new version of the SSJ100 has already been touted, powered by Russian PD-8 engines. Earlier this year, this core engine completed first-stage certification testing. Rostec, the conglomerate behind Sukhoi, has denied prospects of a possible suspension of SSJ100 services. It told Russian news agency TASS that it is doing everything it can for carriers to continue operating the plane without interruption. Altogether, in the current climate, Russia’s aviation scene will be keen to catalyze developments to become more self-sufficient. Airlines and manufacturers will be keeping a close eye on conditions in the coming months. Simple Flying reached out to Rostec for further comment. We will update the article with any announcements. https://simpleflying.com/russian-airlines-ground-sukhoi-ssj-fleets/ FAA proposes combined $159K fine – the most ever – against two unruly passengers (NEXSTAR) – Two airline passengers accused of assaulting crew members and fellow passengers face two of the largest fines ever proposed, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday. The FAA said it will levy penalties of $81,950 and $77,272, respectively, against the unnamed passengers. The first passenger was flying from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, to Charlotte, North Carolina on July 7, 2021 when the FAA says the woman fell while she was out of her seat during the flight. She then allegedly threatened to hurt a flight attendant who offered help, shoved the flight attendant aside and tried to open the cabin door. Passengers behaving badly: Worst in-flight incidents of 2021 When two other flight attendants tried to restrain her, she allegedly struck one on the head repeatedly. The crew managed to get her in zip-tie style restraints, but the woman “spit at, headbutted, bit and tried to kick the crew and other passengers,” the FAA said. Officers arrested her after the plane landed in Charlotte. Another female passenger, who faces a $77,272 fine, was flying Delta from Las Vegas to Atlanta on July 16, 2021 when the FAA says she tried to hug and kiss the passenger next to her. She’s also accused of walking to the front of the aircraft and trying to leave the airplane mid-flight. The crew had to restrain her after she allegedly bit another passenger multiple times. “If you are on an airplane, don’t be a jerk and don’t endanger the flight crews and fellow passengers. If you do, you will be fined by the FAA,” U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg told The View Friday. The passengers must respond within 30 days after receiving the FAA’s letter. The fines are part of the roughly $2 million in proposed penalties the FAA announced Jan. 1. https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/faa-proposes-combined-159k-fine-the-most-ever-against-two-unruly-passengers/ Commercial crew heads home from space station A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four non-professional astronauts, the first fully commercial, non-government crew to visit the International Space Station, undocked from the outpost Sunday, heading for re-entry and splashdown Monday to close out an extended 17-day mission. Capsule commander Michael López-Alegría and co-pilot Larry Connor, flanked on the left by Israeli Eytan Stibbe and on the right by Canadian Mark Pathy, undocked from the space station's Harmony module at 9:10 p.m. EDT and slowly backed away. "Thanks once again for all the support through this amazing adventure that we've had, even longer and more exciting than we thought," López-Alegría radioed ground teams shortly after undocking. "We really appreciate your professionalism. And with that, we'll sign off." After spending a final "night" in space, the Crew Dragon fliers planned to monitor an automated nine-minute firing of the spacecraft's braking rockets at 12:16 p.m. Monday, slowing the ship by about 132 mph to drop the far side of the orbit into the atmosphere. After a half-hour freefall, the Crew Dragon will plunge back into the discernible atmosphere and descend across the heartland of America along a northwest-to-southeast trajectory toward a landing site off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. Splashdown is expected at 1:06 p.m. Landing will come a week later than originally planned thanks to high winds and rough seas in the available splashdown zones and to avoid conflicts with a Russian spacewalk carried out last week. Good weather was expected Monday. SpaceX landing personnel stationed nearby will be poised to haul the capsule onto a company recovery ship and help the returning station fliers out of the spacecraft for initial medical checks and satellite phone calls home to family and friends. They'll then be flown to shore via helicopter. Because this is a private charter, NASA will have no on-site role in the recovery. The Axiom-1 mission is the sixth piloted flight of a SpaceX Crew Dragon, the second carrying non-professional astronauts on commercial missions to low-Earth orbit and the first to make a fully commercial visit to the space station. The mission was carried out with NASA's cooperation and encouragement, part of an agency initiative to spur private-sector utilization of the International Space Station and the eventual development of commercial research stations in Earth orbit. Unlike wealthy "space tourists" who have previously visited the space station while escorted by Russian cosmonauts, the Ax-1 crew carried out multiple biomedical experiments, technology demonstrations and public outreach, mirroring the sort of work future NASA-sanctioned commercial crews are expected to carry out aboard the space station. Houston-based Axiom Space paid for the mission, buying the Falcon 9 rocket that launched the crew on April 8 and paying for use of the Crew Dragon and SpaceX training and ground support. The company also paid NASA for space station resources and assistance by the lab's professional crew. López-Alegría, a former astronaut and Axiom vice president, flew as a company representative while Connor, Pathy and Stibbe paid for their seats. No cost figures were released by Axiom, NASA or the three paying passengers. Axiom Space plans to launch several "private astronaut missions" as the company develops research and habitation modules that will initially be attached to the International Space Station and then fly on their own as a stand-alone lab complex after the ISS is retired. https://www.yahoo.com/news/commercial-crew-heads-home-space-023407673.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | March 28, 2022 CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Call for Nominations For 2022 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2022 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award is scheduled to be presented during Flight Safety Foundation’s annual International Air Safety Summit this fall. Presented annually since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study, or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers, and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Award Committee, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us identify and honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-to-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted through June 3, 2022. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back more than 75 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956 her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., in close association with The Flight Safety Foundation, established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. For the past 65 years, this distinguished award recognizing outstanding achievements in aviation safety worldwide has been presented at Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Seminar. In 2013, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed as an independent non-profit charitable organization composed of members of the Award Board, the aviation community, and the Barbour family. In addition to the annual presentation of the award, in 2019 the Foundation initiated a scholarship program that supports worthy students pursuing professional aviation studies. As the Foundation broadens its scope, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to recognize those who significantly contributed to aviation safety. For more information on the Foundation, the award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org Curt Lewis