Flight Safety Information - May 4, 2022 No.088 In This Issue : Incident: Envoy E175 near Birmingham on May 3rd 2022, dropped winglet in flight in turbulence : Incident: Jazz DH8D at Vancouver on Apr 9th 2022, cargo door handle opened in flight : Incident: Spicejet DH8D at Mumbai on May 3rd 2022, rejected takeoff due to engine failure : Incident: Finnair A359 at Amsterdam on Apr 30th 2022, bird strike : Shorts 360-200 - Gear Up Landing (Puerto Rico) : Man goes to jail for 1 year for trying to open airplane door on his flight : Ohio man gets 60 days in jail for outburst during Frontier Airlines flight : INCIDENT: NATIONAL AIRLINES A330 HITS LIGHT POLE! : Lessor Avolon Records $304M Impairment Over Russian Aircraft : U.S. Transportation Secretary Pitches Federal Support to Ease Pilot Shortage Incident: Envoy E175 near Birmingham on May 3rd 2022, dropped winglet in flight in turbulence An Envoy Embraer ERJ-175, registration N233NN performing flight MQ-3729/AA-3729 from Charleston,SC to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA), was enroute at FL360 almost overhead Birmingham,AL (USA) when the aircraft encountered moderate to severe turbulence, the crew subsequently issued a pilot's report and advised ATC they had lost part of a winglet. The crew decided to divert to Birmingham for a safe landing on runway 24 about 35 minutes after leaving FL360. A replacement Embraer ERJ-175 registration N246NN reached Dallas with a delay of about 4 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Birmingham about 10 hours after landing. No right hand winglet seen after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f84e603&opt=0 Incident: Jazz DH8D at Vancouver on Apr 9th 2022, cargo door handle opened in flight A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GJZG performing flight QK-8161 from Vancouver,BC to Victoria,BC (Canada) with 27 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through about 1000 feet out of Vancouver's runway 26L when the cargo door handle released causing the aircraft to lose pressurization and activating the master caution light. The crew declared emergency, stopped the climb at 2000 feet and returned to Vancouver for a safe landing on runway 26L about 7 minutes after departure. The Canadian TSB reported the cargo door handle had opened, however, the door hooks had remained on the latches. The door mechanism was tested and found serviceable. No faults were found with the door handle or door assembly. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f846af6&opt=0 Incident: Spicejet DH8D at Mumbai on May 3rd 2022, rejected takeoff due to engine failure A Spicejet de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration VT-SUG performing flight SG-2871 from Mumbai to Kishangarh (India), was accelerating for takeoff from Mumbai's runway 27 when the crew rejected takeoff due to the stall of the right hand engine (PW150A). The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The aircraft was able to depart later and reached Kishangarh with a delay of 3:10 hours. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f845ce1&opt=0 Incident: Finnair A359 at Amsterdam on Apr 30th 2022, bird strike A Finnair Airbus A350-900, registration OH-LWB performing flight AY-1305 from Helsinki (Finland) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was on approach to Amsterdam's runway 06 when a bird impacted the aircraft. The crew continued for a safe landing on the runway. The aircraft was unable to perform the return flight due to damage to the radome, which needed to be replaced. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 28 hours, then performed the return flight AY-1306. Passengers reported they needed to book a hotel night in Amsterdam, subsequently returned to the aircraft for a 13:00L departure as told by the airline however did not repart until 20:00L. The airline apologized that the delivery of the new radome took longer than anticipated. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f845637&opt=0 Shorts 360-200 - Gear Up Landing (Puerto Rico) Date: 03-MAY-2022 Time: 10:49 LT Type: Shorts 360-200 Owner/operator: Air Cargo Carriers Registration: N744LG MSN: SH3744 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: San Juan-Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU/TJSJ) - Puerto Rico Phase: Landing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: San Juan-Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG/TJIG) Destination airport: San Juan-Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU/TJSJ) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news or social media reports Narrative: Air Cargo Carriers flight 2Q787, a Shorts 360, made a gear-up landing on runway 08 at San Juan-Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU/TJSJ). https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/277852 Man goes to jail for 1 year for trying to open airplane door on his flight Last week a Virginia man was sentenced to one year in prison, after he attempted to open the door on a passenger plane while it was landing, prosecutors shared Monday. The incident took place on a plane landing in Pensacola, Florida, on April 16, 2021. The man, Kameron Stone, 30, was restrained by an off-duty federal marshal and other passengers before he got the door open, according to court documents. This was thanks to a flight attendant who pulled the door closed and began yelling for help after Stone had pushed her aside in an effort to open the door. During the altercation, he reportedly yelled, "I'm trying to get out of here," while reaching for the door, documents say. When the marshal and passengers apprehended him, he reportedly smelled of alcohol, with three small bottles of vodka falling out of his pocket, the documents said. Stone shared with investigators he had been drinking and wanted to apologize after being arrested. He also told them he had a couple of drinks at the airport and then drank the vodka in the bottles, according to the documents. After the incident, he was charged with two counts, interfering with a flight crew and assault by striking and wounding in special aircraft jurisdiction. In February, he pled guilty, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida shared with NBC News. Stone received his sentence of one year in prison, any civil penalties still to be assessed by the Transportation Security Administration, and a fine of $7,500, court documents said. https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/national/man-goes-to-jail-for-1-year-for-trying-to-open-airplane-door Ohio man gets 60 days in jail for outburst during Frontier Airlines flight MIAMI, Florida — A Norwalk, Ohio, man was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in jail for an outburst on a Frontier Airlines flight which ended with him taped to his seat, reports say. Max Berry, 23, also will spend one year on supervised release after he pleaded guilty to three counts of assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction, ABC News reports. Maxwell had faced a maximum sentence of 1½ years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The incident occurred on Aug. 1, 2021, during a flight from Philadelphia to Miami, Local 10 reports. A police report says Berry went to the restroom on the plane after spilling alcohol on his shirt. He later emerged from the restroom shirtless. ABC News reports that when flight attendants tried to help him, he began to grope them. A male flight attendant reportedly asked Berry to sit down and Berry responded by punching the attendant. Other passengers then became involved and grabbed Berry, and he reportedly was taped to his seat. Two flight attendants testified in court on how the incident had impacted them. Both said they were not pleased with the 60-day sentence, Local 10 reports. “He made an enemy of everyone on that flight,” flight attendant Jordan Galarza, whom Berry punched, tells Local 10. “The people on that aircraft saw justice happen — more than what we saw today. I think it’s a disgusting miscarriage of justice, in my opinion.” Local 10 reports Berry apologized for his actions in court, saying he “feels very remorseful and embarrassed.” Berry’s lawyer has said his client has been having difficulty finding work because of the publicity surrounding the case. https://www.cleveland.com/crime/2022/05/ohio-man-gets-60-days-in-jail-for-outburst-during-frontier-airlines-flight.html Lessor Avolon Records $304M Impairment Over Russian Aircraft DUBLIN –– Major aircraft lessor Avolon recorded a first-quarter impairment of $304 million to cover the full financial impact of having 10 jets still stuck in Russia following European Union sanctions that forced the termination of all Russian leases. Ireland’s Avolon said on Tuesday it cut the carrying value of the jets to zero having repossessed four aircraft to date. It also struck an optimistic tone on the outlook for the sector as air travel largely resumed after a series of COVID-19 lockdowns. “While we continue to make every effort to recover these assets, we are recognizing the full impairment this quarter, putting the financial impact of Russian sanctions firmly behind us,” Chief Executive Dómhnal Slattery said in a statement. Over 400 leased planes worth almost $10 billion remained in Russia after a March 28 deadline to cancel the contracts in line with Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, leaving lessors facing heavy potential writedowns or a longinsurance battle. Avolon reported a net loss of $182 million for the quarter but said adjusted net income of $80 million, excluding the impact of Russia, was its strongest quarterly underlying performance since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Slattery said the improved performance was largely driven by the rapid reopening of borders in Asia and increased flying globally, which resulted in higher cash collection rates. Avolon owned and managed a fleet of 592 aircraft at the end of March. “This performance re-affirms the inherent strengths of our business and the absolute resilience of the aircraft leasing model, providing us with confidence in the outlook for the remainder of the year,” he said. https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2022/05/03/310234.htm INCIDENT: NATIONAL AIRLINES A330 HITS LIGHT POLE! A National Airlines A330 was involved in a ground collision after a flight from the United States, colliding with a light pole while taxiing. This incident happened on Sunday, the 1st of May. It involved National Airlines flight N8-761, which appears to have been a chartered service. The aircraft flew from Portsmouth International Airport (KPSM) in New Hampshire, United States, to Basseterre Robert L. Bradshaw International (TKPK) in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in the Caribbean. The chartered flight itself appears to have been uneventful. Three hours and forty-six minutes after departing from runway 34 at Portsmouth, the National Airlines A330 flight landed on runway 07 at Basseterre. Its crew were taxiing it to the ramp when the aircraft hit a light pole with its left wing. The event happened at a fairly low speed. NATIONAL AIRLINES A330 – FIRST PASSENGER JET The crew stopped their aircraft immediately. It isn’t clear how many passengers were on the flight. National often flies executive customers, military personnel or sports teams. In any case, there were no reported injuries from the flight. The National Airlines A330 remained in the same position, while ground crews ensured that the light pole wouldn’t cause more damage. The extent of the damage the aircraft suffered in the incident is unclear. By its nature as a charter carrier, National flies in many airports that its crews aren’t familiar with. This particular aircraft had not flown for almost two days, before this flight. The National Airlines Airbus A330-200, tail number N819CA, is the only Airbus in the company’s fleet. The thirteen-year-old jet first flew for Avianca, in May 2009. Just under ten years later, Thomas Cook then picked it up, months before closing its doors. National got it in March 2020. The acquisition of this aircraft marked a departure for the airline, from its previous operations. Until recently, the airline was a cargo-only operator, with a fleet of 747-400 Boeing converted freighters. The A330 was the first passenger aircraft for National Airlines. About a year after picking it up, the airline also got a Boeing 757. The airline still has only eight aircraft, but it seems to be expanding to a new market. https://mentourpilot.com/incident-national-airlines-a330-hits-light-pole/ U.S. Transportation Secretary Pitches Federal Support to Ease Pilot Shortage Secretary Buttigieg promises federal support to help ease the pilot shortage. The federal government finally recognizes that there is a shortage of pilots in the U.S. But beyond platitudes, there are few new funds directed at easing it yet. ministration is moving forward with grant funding aimed at boosting the supply of pilots in the U.S. The move, highlighted by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is the first recognition by a Cabinet member that more needs to be done to bolster the aviation workforce. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is seeking proposals for $5 million in Aviation Workforce Development Grants, Buttigieg told the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee during a hearing on Tuesday. These funds aim to boost the supply of pilots, and complement initiatives by airlines and other industry players. “There won’t be a quick fix but we’ve got to work on shoring up that domestic aviation workforce,” Buttigieg said in response to a question from Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.). In response to a question from Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Buttigieg acknowledged that the situation is not new and was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. “We think it’s related to a number of issues from the pipeline in to the thinning out of workforces that happened during the worst periods of Covid-related flight cancellations, to some questions about pay and conditions,” he said. Workforce issues are forcing U.S. airlines to cull summer schedules just as pandemic-weary travelers are expected to fill planes for summer vacations. Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways have all cut summer schedules citing staffing shortages, including of pilots. Major carriers American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have also reduced flying, saying their regional affiliates — the airlines that fly American Eagle or Delta Connection flights — face unusually high levels of pilot attrition. Raymond James analyst Savanthi Syth estimated in April that U.S. airlines will hire roughly 13,000 new pilots annually this year and in 2023. However, the current training and certification process only produces roughly 5,000 to 7,000 new pilots per year. The balance are expected to come from regional airlines and, to a lesser degree, smaller airlines like Alaska and JetBlue. During the hearing, Sens. Capito, Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Tester highlighted SkyWest Airlines’ notice in March that it would end flights to 29 subsidized Essential Air Service (EAS) destinations due to a lack of pilots. Those cancellations would affect at least four destinations in their states. The Department of Transportation has barred SkyWest from ending the flights until it can secure a new airline operator to the destinations, which are mostly small and remote communities. “I drive four-and-a-half hours sometimes to get a flight that gets back out here so I don’t have to fly halfway around the world to get to Washington, D.C. And if I’m doing that, every business person in the state is doing that too,” Tester said. SkyWest did not include any EAS communities in Montana, many of which are served by Cape Air, in its exit notice. Buttigieg did not specify any new or additional sources of funding to address pilot supply issues beyond the FAA grant program, which was created in 2018. However, he did say that the DOT needs to act to help alleviate the shortage and that FAA funding was “being aligned” to increase the supply of pilots. Other efforts in Washington, D.C. to boost the pilot supply include an airline industry push to expand federal financial aid rules to cover living and other expenses for pilot trainees. In addition, regional airlines are working on a training credit program that new pilots could apply towards the 1,500-hour requirement for new commercial airline pilots. And, in response to criticisms over low wages for new pilots, many airlines have negotiated new agreements with their pilot unions that significantly raise pay rates. Carriers big and small also offer lucrative signing bonuses and incentives for new crew members to come and stay at an airline. “This is a national issue,” Buttigieg said. “It’s affecting the whole domestic aviation industry but disproportionately affecting smaller regional carriers.” https://skift.com/2022/05/03/u-s-transportation-secretary-pitches-federal-support-to-ease-pilot-shortage/ Curt Lewis