Flight Safety Information - July 29, 2022 No.146 In This Issue : Incident: Southwest B738 at Rochester on Jul 28th 2022, engine problem : Incident: Moldova A319 at Tel Aviv on Jul 28th 2022, bird strike : Incident: Vietnam A321 at Da Nang on Jul 27th 2022, engine problem : Accident: Wizz A321N at Budapest on Jul 20th 2022, evacuation after bomb threat : A Delta Air Lines flight had to make a U-turn over the Atlantic and return to New York because of a fuel problem : Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: Federal Leadership Needed to Advance Research : NTSB: Michigan pilot of crashed airplane was not instrument-rated : Air India Set To Sell 3 Of Its Boeing 777-200 Aircraft : Russia Might Just Plunge the World Into a Dark Era for Space : Scaled Analytics - Flight Data Monitoring and FOQA Incident: Southwest B738 at Rochester on Jul 28th 2022, engine problem A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N8634A performing flight WN-3089 from Rochester,NY to Baltimore,MD (USA) with 124 people on board, was climbing out of Rochester's runway 22 when the crew requested to level off at 4000 feet to work with an issue, subsequently advising they wanted to return to Rochester due to a right hand engine (CFM56) oil filter bypass indication. The crew requested vectors around the aerodrome while working their numbers, then positioned for a safe landing on runway 22 about 20 minutes after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=4fc38f29&opt=0 Incident: Moldova A319 at Tel Aviv on Jul 28th 2022, bird strike An Air Moldova Airbus A319-100, registration ER-AXL performing flight 9U-548 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Chisinau (Moldova), was climbing out of Tel Aviv's runway 26 when an engine (CFM56) ingested a bird prompting the crew to stop the climb at about 4000 feet and returned to Tel Aviv for a safe landing on runway 30 about 20 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Tel Aviv due to a bird strike into an engine. As result subsequent flights to be performed by the occurrence aircraft (rotation from Chisinau to Paris) are being affected. https://avherald.com/h?article=4fc38d34&opt=0 Incident: Vietnam A321 at Da Nang on Jul 27th 2022, engine problem A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VN-A615 performing flight VN-7184 from Da Nang to Hanoi (Vietnam) with 111 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Da Nang's runway 35R when the right hand engine experienced engine surges prompting the crew to stop the climb at about 6000 feet and return to Da Nang for a safe landing on runway 35R about 15 minutes after departure. The airline reported a technical warning prompted the crew to return to Da Nang as precaution. The airport reported the aircraft appeared to have suffered surges of the right hand engine during departure. https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email#/edit/activity/2928af86-af94-48b7-9275-b966936eba99 Accident: Wizz A321N at Budapest on Jul 20th 2022, evacuation after bomb threat A WizzAir Airbus A321-200N, registration HA-LGA performing flight W6-5058 from Bari (Italy) to Krakow (Poland), was enroute at FL360 about 70nm southwest of Budapest (Hungary) when the crew decided to divert to Budapest following a bomb threat against the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on Budapest's runway 31R, vacated the runway the end and stopped on the parallel taxiway in a remote bay. The aircraft was evacuated causing two serious and 6 minor injuries. Hungary's KBSZ reported the occurrence was rated an accident and is being investigated writing: "A Wizzair A321 NEO aircraft traveling from Bari to Krakow received a bomb threat and interrupted its journey and landed safely at LHBP Budapest at 12:38 UTC and pulled into the B5 holding bay. Ground service staff did not wait for the aircraft with the stairs ready, the staff opened all 8 emergency slides and executed an evacuation. Some passengers were injured during the evacuation." and stating there were 2 serious and 6 minor injuries. A replacement A321-200N registration HA-LZR reached Krakow with a delay of about 10 hours. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 66 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=4fc38694&opt=0 A Delta Air Lines flight had to make a U-turn over the Atlantic and return to New York because of a fuel problem A Delta Air Lines plane had to U-turn over the Atlantic because of a fuel imbalance, per Newsweek. The flight to Ghana returned to New York after the fuel issue was discovered, the report said. One passenger said in a YouTube video that it was "the scariest day of my life." A Delta Air Lines flight was forced to make a U-turn over the Atlantic Ocean after the pilots discovered there was an issue with the fuel. Newsweek was the first to report the news. The Delta flight took off Sunday from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and was supposed to carry on to Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, per Newsweek. Instead, the plane turned around over the Atlantic and returned to New York, according to the report. A Delta spokesperson confirmed the incident to Insider. A representative for the airline told Newsweek the plane flew back to JFK "out of an abundance of caution due to a fuel imbalance in-flight." A fuel imbalance is when the amount of fuel between the left and right fuel tanks in aircraft wings is unequal, according to Boeing. "An emergency was declared on arrival at JFK to obtain priority handling from air traffic control," the Delta representative told Newsweek. The flight landed in New York safely, and the passengers disembarked the plane, the person added. Arieh Smith, a YouTuber who was on the flight, uploaded a video in which he said the plane turned around about two hours into the flight. "I see the captain come down the aisle and start looking out the window at the wing of the plane," Smith said in the video, adding that the captain then told passengers the plane had a fuel issue that meant it had to return to New York. Smith, who has more than 5 million YouTube followers, described it as "the scariest day of my life." After the plane landed in New York, Smith recorded himself peering into the plane's cockpit and talking to the pilots, who told him in the video: "We were not able to automatically or manually balance the fuel, so we could not continue the flight." Smith didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Fuel problems in aircraft aren't unheard of. Last week, a Qantas Airways plane came close to running out of fuel on approach to the Australian city of Perth, prompting the crew to declare an emergency for priority landing. https://www.yahoo.com/news/delta-air-lines-flight-had-101617633.html Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: Federal Leadership Needed to Advance Research GAO-22-104579 Published: Jul 28, 2022. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2022. Fast Facts Concerns about air travel's role in disease transmission have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have examined how factors like aircraft boarding methods affect the exposure risk of passengers and crew members. However, stakeholders said more research involving real-world situations and human behavior is needed and could guide actions to protect public health. Stakeholders noted a lack of federal leadership to advance such research. Congress should consider directing FAA to develop and implement a strategy for research on communicable diseases in air travel, in coordination with other federal agencies and external partners. a person wearing a facemask on an airplane What GAO Found GAO identified research conducted on communicable diseases in air travel in several areas. For example, research has examined how air moves in aircraft and studied the effect of different airline operations—such as boarding aircraft from back to front—on the risk of disease exposure. However, stakeholders GAO interviewed described the need for more research involving real-world situations and human behavior. Additional research could inform the development of evidence-based mitigation measures, policy, and regulations to protect public health. Stakeholders cited several challenges, particularly the lack of federal leadership to facilitate interdisciplinary research and address gaps, to conducting research on communicable diseases in air travel. Stakeholders said researchers' inability to access aircraft, airports, or data also poses challenges to performing needed research. Examples of Conditions or Behaviors That May Affect Disease Transmission on an Airplane Examples of Conditions or Behaviors That May Affect Disease Transmission on an Airplane Several agencies have focused on those research areas most relevant to their priorities and mission. Such agencies include the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). None of these agencies have undertaken efforts to advance needed research on communicable diseases in air travel more broadly. Officials with each of these agencies said a more coordinated federal approach to identify and advance relevant research could generate valuable information and inform policy development and guidance. In addition, bringing various federal agencies' assets to bear could link researchers with aviation stakeholders across areas of expertise, provide clearer access to federal funding for research, and help identify needed research across different disciplines. While FAA acknowledges that it has broad authority to conduct and sponsor research on communicable diseases in air travel, the agency has historically maintained that this work lies outside its core responsibility for aviation safety. Yet, FAA has prior experience conducting and supporting such research, as well as strong aviation industry ties critical to advancing needed research. In particular, FAA has undertaken related research in the past—usually in response to statutory mandates—including work on disease transmission in aircraft cabins. Moreover, leading the development of a coordinated strategy would be consistent with FAA's efforts to develop a national aviation-preparedness plan, in coordination with DHS and HHS, as GAO recommended. Such a strategy would help focus research efforts to better inform the development of policies and requirements to protect the health of passengers and crew. Why GAO Did This Study The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified ongoing concerns about air travel's role in spreading disease and raised questions about the safety of passengers and crew. Research that could provide quality information on communicable diseases in air travel can help to protect public health. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to monitor and report on federal efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO was also asked to review research on disease transmission in air travel. This report examines: (1) the status of research on communicable diseases in air travel, including stakeholders' views on additional needed research and challenges to conducting it, and (2) the extent to which FAA and other federal agencies are advancing such research. To conduct this work, GAO interviewed stakeholders, including federal officials, researchers, and aviation industry and union representatives. GAO also reviewed academic literature and agency documents, including research plans, as well as key considerations for interagency collaboration. Skip to Recommendations Recommendations Congress should consider directing FAA to develop and implement a strategy to identify and advance needed research on communicable diseases in air travel, in coordination with appropriate federal agencies—such as DHS and HHS—and external partners. Matter for Congressional Consideration Matter Status Comments Congress should consider directing FAA to develop and implement a strategy to identify and advance needed research on communicable diseases in air travel, in coordination with appropriate federal agencies, such as DHS and HHS, and external partners. In alignment with leading practices for interagency collaboration, this strategy should, at a minimum, clearly identify the roles and responsibilities for participating agencies, determine the resources needed, and document any relevant agreements. (Matter for Consideration 1) https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104579 NTSB: Michigan pilot of crashed airplane was not instrument-rated DETROIT – The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that the pilot of a small plane that crashed in western Michigan in poor weather, killing himself and a passenger, did not hold an instrument rating to fly in such conditions. The single-engine plane Cessna (Cessna 210C) crashed July 15 in Oceana County’s Shelby Township, killing pilot Raymond Gundy, 56, of Muskegon County, and his passenger, Troy Caris, 48, of Holton, Michigan State Police said. The flight departed from runway 9 at Oceana County Airport in Shelby with a destination of Warsaw, Indiana. Two commercial pilots at the airport observed the departure, the report said: One reported that the ceiling at the time was no higher than 100 feet (30.48 meters) and the other said the plane entered “instrument meteorological conditions” as it crossed a road about 1,300 feet (396.24 meters) past the departure end of the runway. Both witnesses reported visibility was poor and it was raining at the time, the report said. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan/2022/07/23/ntsb-michigan-pilot-of-crashed-airplane-was-not-instrument-rated/ Air India Set To Sell 3 Of Its Boeing 777-200 Aircraft The carrier is inviting bids for these airframes. The recently privatized flag carrier of India has put out a tender to sell all of its Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, according to Live Mint. Interested parties have up to August 16th to submit their bids for these airframes. Air India ordered all three aircraft from Boeing in December 2005 and has been operating them after delivery in June-August 2009, data from ch-aviation.com shows. Let’s investigate further. About the aircraft Air India wants to sell all three of its Boeing 777-200LR airframes. These planes are registered as VT-ALF, ALG, and ALH, with MSNs 36305, 36306, and 36307, respectively. The planes are all similarly configured in a three-class layout with a total of 238 seats, comprising 195 in economy, 35 in business class, and eight first class seats. All the planes were produced and delivered to the Indian flag carrier in mid-2009, making them approximately 13 years old. During its lifetime, VT-ALF has logged 45,177 flight hours, VT-ALG has raked up 42,825 flight hours, while VT-ALH has 36,448 flight hours to its name, according to data from ch-aviation.com. The popular aviation website values these aircraft at $32.24 million each, however, the actual value is likely to differ based on market trends and other specific information. Air India wants to sell all of its Boeing 777-200LRs. Notable routes Air India seems to have taken full advantage of the longest flying aircraft in its fleet. Back in early 2021, the flag carrier began using the 200LR to fly between Bengaluru (BLR) and San Francisco (SFO), its longest route yet. The launch service became especially well-known since the airline flew it with an all-female cockpit crew for all of 17 hours. The route was later dropped in May 2021 following the rise in COVID-19 cases in India. Air India again started flying the service a few months later in November, but not for long, as flights ended in March 2022, data from flightradar24.com shows. Currently, all three airframes are used to fly between Delhi (DEL) and San Francisco (SFO), in addition to occasional domestic hops. Air India fleet moving forward Air India has a fleet of around 120 aircraft, excluding the four Boeing 747s recently taken off active service. The fleet comprises around 45 widebody aircraft like the Boeing 787 and 777 that are used to support the bulk of AI’s international operations. The carrier operates two types of 777s: the 200LR and 300ER variants. Air India is quite possibly on the onset of a major fleet overhaul. In the past few weeks, rumor mills have been running in overdrive over a possible order for new widebodies for AI by the new management. However, the Tatas haven’t made a decision so far. If speculation is to be believed, Air India could soon become the first Indian carrier to fly the Airbus A350 in Indian skies. Only time will tell. In the meantime, AI’s new CEO has finally received government clearance to sit at the helm. It will be interesting to see how Campbell Wilson pilots the Indian flag carrier in the coming years. https://simpleflying.com/air-india-boeing-777-sale/ Russia Might Just Plunge the World Into a Dark Era for Space The first piece of the International Space Station ever launched into orbit didn’t come from NASA—it actually came from Russia. The 41.2 foot module—dubbed “Zarya,” the Russian word for sunrise—took off on a reportedly gloomy day from a launch facility in Kazakhstan on November 20, 1998. When it did, it was the culmination of nearly a decade of geopolitical wheeling and dealing that began with the end of the Cold War in 1989, and ended with a partnership between two former enemies that would last more than 30 years. The U.S. was committed to working with Moscow on the ISS project, not only because it represented peace between two previously adversarial nations but also because it could help strengthen democracy in Russia. Delegations from both countries met several times over the course of years in hushed, shadowy meetings to hammer out the details. When the dust cleared, Russia would be the one to thrust the world into a new era of space travel. So the Zarya launch wasn’t just the dawn of a new space age to study the cosmos. It was an olive branch—one that capped off decades of tensions, near nuclear conflict, and the complete reshuffling of world power as we knew it. If nations would never know peace on Earth, at least we could find it amongst the stars. And now, a little more than 20 years later, it all might end with Russia too. NASA On July 26, Yury Borisov, the newly minted head of Moscow’s space agency Roscosmos, formally announced that the country would be withdrawing from the ISS after 2024 to build their own space station. A day later, Russia clarified with NASA that it would remain with the ISS until at least 2028—which, while technically after 2024, defanged the initial announcement. “If they don’t withdraw until 2028, in a sense, it’s no big deal,” John Logsdon, the former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, told The Daily Beast. “The station is supposed to end in 2030 anyway. It’s likely the partners could agree on a termination date a bit earlier than 2030.” However, the country still plans to launch a new orbital outpost by 2030. In a recent interview, Vladimir Soloviev, the flight director for the Russian part of ISS, gave a few indications about the future of a Russian station, which they have dubbed Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS). For one, it would operate mostly autonomously without a permanent crew on board—something that he stressed would be a “step forward, not backwards” for humanity, according to one translation. However, this would be a clear break from one or more future commercial space stations that NASA plans to support. It’s also a departure from China’s new Tiangong space station, which is currently crewed by astronauts. Roscosmos There’s a reason these parties are sticking with people over intelligent machines. After all, having people at these orbital outposts allows for more hands-on research to be conducted. Plus, if something goes wrong on the station (which it often does), someone can be there to fix it immediately. The planned Russian station would also have a sun-synchronous orbit, which means it would pass over Earth’s surface during the local daylight hours. This would allow ROSS to study both Earth poles easily. It should be noted, however, there are plenty of research satellites orbiting the planet that do this already. While certainly less complex than the ISS or Tiangong, ROSS is still a massive undertaking—especially considering the ambitious goal of launching part of it into orbit by 2030. And that’s not even taking into account the arguably decrepit state of Roscosmos. “Given the state of their space industry, I would be shocked if they could carry it off at all—let alone by 2030,” Wendy Whitman Cobb, a space policy expert at the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, told The Daily Beast. She added that even NASA, which is better funded and equipped than Roscosmos, would struggle to meet a 2030 deadline. “So the fact that Russia would be trying to come up with an entirely new system on their own seems questionable.” “They’d have to start now,” Logsdon explained. “And they can’t start now because they have very limited money, and conducting operations on the ISS is very expensive.” Of course, Moscow could partner with the likes of China to get a station in orbit. But Cobb said that Beijing has no real incentive to help them. If anything, having the country cooperate on something like Tiangong might undercut China’s accomplishment, according to her. Russia would also have to essentially be beholden to the Chinese space program for the majority of the technology like launch vehicles—something they’d likely rather have control over. Still, the plans are significant in that they are the clearest indication yet that Russia plans to follow through with what former Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin could only bloviate about: The country is ending the decades-long practice of international collaboration and cooperation in space. Peace in the cosmos is gone. Tensions are back in orbit and they might be here to stay for a while… right? Well, maybe. More likely is that space continues to take a back seat to the consequences of geopolitical strife on terra firma. “Having an orbital outpost has lost its political significance,” Logsdon said. “NASA is going to have privately operated, commercial stations. That’s not high geopolitics. If Russia is building this facility, it almost makes orbital outposts so common that it’s not important.” Cobb echoed the sentiment. In fact, she believes that the more outposts, laboratories, and astronauts in orbit, the less likely they are to escalate tensions—at least in space. “You might think about astronauts as tripwire,” Cobb said. “I know it’s not nice to think about it in that sense. But having people up there, whose lives could be threatened, makes it harder to do dangerous things that might harm those people. That’s why the Russian anti-satellite test last year was so concerning. They did it very close to the ISS and there are still many pieces of debris up there that are actively threatening astronauts.” Think of it like nuclear deterrence theory. If you have Russian, Chinese, and American space stations up there, everyone has skin in the game—so everyone has something to lose. It’s the space age equivalent to mutual assured destruction so “all those actors think twice before doing anything really crazy,” Cobb said. Roscosmos For Logsdon, though, Russia’s withdrawal and goals to go at it on their own is a grim illustration of one of the great disappointments of the space station era: It sort of failed—at least when it comes to its original promise of uniting the entire world in a mission bigger than any one country. “The impact of the ISS on Earth-bound politics that was hoped for was very limited,” Logsdon said. “We don’t have a democratic Russia. We have Putin. We have the Ukraine invasion. The political significance of the international cooperation on the station has lost its potency—if it ever had it at all.” But maybe that’s fine. Russia still plans on being on the ISS for the next six years. Plus the orbital laboratory was never meant to last forever. Even before the messy breakup with Russia, it was living on borrowed time since it’s technically well past its original expiration date of 15 years in operation (though the Biden administration extended its operational life through 2030). So perhaps it’s fitting, then, that the very country that launched the first piece of it into orbit—a module named after the dawn—would then be there as the sun sets on it for the last time. https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-might-just-plunge-world-000433480.html Curt Lewis