Flight Safety Information - August 11, 2022 No.155 In This Issue : Incident: Westjet B38M enroute on Aug 6th 2022, two loud noises from gear : Incident: Azul A320N near Petrolina on Aug 4th 2022, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Delta B764 at Amsterdam on Aug 10th 2022, cabin pressurization problem : Incident: Lingus A333 at Windsor Locks on Aug 9th 2022, engine problem : Report: CareFlight pilot says he did not see power lines before Ohio crash : Russia Turns to Cannibalizing Aircraft to Keep Jets in the Air : FAA gets more than 57,000 applicants for air traffic control jobs : US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ORDERS LOUISIANA HELICOPTER AMBULANCE SERVICE TO REINSTATE UTAH PILOT WHO REFUSED TO FLY IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS : Boeing Resumes 787 Deliveries With Overdue Jet for American Air : Join our free Electronic Systems Investigation, 30-minute online mini course on August 15th, 2022. : Aviation Safety Community : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 4 Incident: Westjet B38M enroute on Aug 6th 2022, two loud noises from gear A Westjet Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration C-FEWJ performing flight WS-252 from Toronto,ON to Halifax,NS (Canada), was enroute about 30 minutes into the flight when a member of the operator's cabin crew, travelling as passenger, informed the crew about loud and abnormal noise from the left main gear. The crew consulted with maintenance suspecting the landing gear might have been damaged on departure, in the absense of abnormal indications the crew decided to continue the flight to destination. Descending through 10,000 feet on approach to Halifax the noise was heard again. The crew declared PAN PAN and requested emergency services to inspect the aircraft after coming to a stop on the runway. The aircraft landed safely and stopped, emergency services reported there was no visible damage to the landing gear, and the aircraft taxied to the apron. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance performed an inspection of the left hand main gear, found no faults and returned the aircraft to service. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fcbd8d0&opt=0 Incident: Azul A320N near Petrolina on Aug 4th 2022, engine shut down in flight An Azul Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200N, registration PR-YRF performing flight AD-4459 from Sao Luiz,MA to Belo Horizonte,MG (Brazil), was enroute at FL380 about 220nm west of Petrolina,PE (Brazil) when the crew needed to shut the left hand engine (LEAP) down. The aircraft drifted down to FL100 and diverted to Petrolinas for a safe landing on runway 13. The aircraft stopped on the runway, was checked by emergency services and subsequently towed off the runway. On Aug 10th 2022 Brazil's CENIPA reported the #1 engine showed a low oil pressure indication. The crew worked the related checklists and diverted to Petrolinas without "major complications". https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fc813fa&opt=0 Incident: Delta B764 at Amsterdam on Aug 10th 2022, cabin pressurization problem A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400, registration N837MH performing flight DL-71 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing out of Amsterdam when the crew stopped the climb at about FL190 and descended back to FL100 reporting cabin pressurization issues. The aircraft returned to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 06 about 55 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 9.5 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fcbc882&opt=0 Incident: Lingus A333 at Windsor Locks on Aug 9th 2022, engine problem An Aer Lingus Airbus A330-300, registration EI-FNG performing flight EI-133 from Windsor Locks,CT to Boston,MA (USA) with 314 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Windsor Locks' runway 06 when other pilots observed the right hand engine (CF6) suffered compressor stalls. The flight crew initially reported they had no abnormal indications, but subsequently declared PAN PAN reporting they were receiving engine stall indications, the engine did show some vibrations on takeoff, and requested an immediate return to runway 06. The aircraft stopped the climb at about 3500 feet and landed safely on runway 06 about 12 minutes after departure. The aircraft had previously diverted to Windsor Locks due to weather conditions at Boston while arriving from Dublin (Ireland) into Boston. The aircraft is still on the ground in Windsor Locks about 21 hours after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fcbc2e6&opt=0 Report: CareFlight pilot says he did not see power lines before Ohio crash All three Premier Health crew members had minor injuries, but the helicopter took "substantial" damage, the National Transportation Safety Board said Yesterday at 11:47 AM MILFORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The pilot of a CareFlight medical helicopter that crashed in Milford Township last month said he did not see the power lines before the main rotor blades hit them, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. At just before 5 a.m. on July 26, CareFlight was requested to the scene of a fatal crash at U.S. 127 and Hamilton Eaton Road in Butler County. According to the report, the pilot said that about nine miles from the crash scene, he asked for information about the site, and the fire department on the scene said there were high voltage wires on the south side of the landing zone. The pilot told the NTSB he knew the winds were calm, so he flew around the scene to approach from the south. He said he was watching for power lines but didn't think they would be in and around the landing zone. As he approached, he said he couldn't find the wires, even while wearing night vision goggles, the report said. He could see the electrical tower but did not know which direction wires were running away from it, and even by moving the landing light up and down could not find them. Ultimately, the report said, the pilot decided the wires were further out from the landing zone and descended. At about 30 to 50 feet from the ground, the main rotor blades hit the wires, severing one, and the helicopter fell and landed hard, the report said. All three crew members sustained minor injuries, the report said, but the helicopter received "substantial" damage. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector quoted in the report, all main rotor blades were snapped in half, and the main rotor gearbox and mounts were fractured. In addition, the left engine was hanging from the engine mounts, the stabilizer was bent and substantially damaged, the skids were damaged, and the helicopter was left lying on its left side, with all its weight on a single blade buried in the ground. On the day of the crash, Butler County Sheriff's Capt. Morgan Dallman said that two cruisers were damaged when the helicopter crashed — one by debris that shattered a window and another by the falling power lines that fell across it. No firefighters or officers were injured. https://www.ems1.com/helicopter-crash/articles/report-careflight-pilot-says-he-did-not-see-power-lines-before-ohio-crash-rQUCqtyBtosT4ADM/ Russia Turns to Cannibalizing Aircraft to Keep Jets in the Air The country's state-supported airline hopes to keep planes in the air until at least 2025. Russia hasn’t been able to import replacement parts for its fleet of commercial planes since March and now are beginning the possibly dangerous process of taking critical parts from other, weaker jets to squeeze out a few more miles in still functional aircraft. Russian airlines lease their aircraft from western companies. Those lease contracts dissolved as sanctions against the country over its invasion of Ukraine mounted in March. As the deadline to return the aircraft came and went, many companies in the EU gave their aircraft up for lost. Some $10 billion in aircraft was deemed a total loss, the largest theft of aircraft in history. But it wasn’t just Russian airlines keeping the planes that made them complete write-offs. Critical aircraft replacement parts are not reaching the country due to trade sanctions. Without these parts directly from the manufacturer with strict tracking via serial numbers and maintenance records, these aircraft would render the planes unsalvageable anyway. Experts have warned the sanctions would create an untenable situation for Russia for months, and we’ve now reached a critical juncture, according to Reuters: At least one Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 and an Airbus A350, both operated by Aeroflot, are currently grounded and being disassembled, one source familiar with the matter said. Equipment was being taken from a couple of Aeroflot’s Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s, as the carrier needs more spare parts from those models for its other Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s, the source said. Russian-assembled Sukhoi Superjets are also heavily dependent on foreign parts. An engine has already been removed from one Superjet to allow another Superjet to continue flying, the first source said. To be sure, engines are frequently swapped between aircraft and are usually supplied under separate contracts, industry experts said. They are not considered part of the core airframe. It is “only a matter of time” before Russia-based planes are cannibalised, a Western aviation industry source said. Eighty percent of the Russian carrier Aeroflot’s fleet is comprised of Aerobus and Boeing planes. Some 15 percent of that fleet have not flown since late July. Newer jets need constant updates to keep flying, and parts inevitably wear out and then run out. Experts told Reuters that within a year of sanctions the majority of Russia’s passenger jets may become unusable. Russia’s plan is to cannibalize a third of its fleet to keep the other planes in the air until at least 2025. https://jalopnik.com/russia-turns-to-cannibalizing-aircraft-to-keep-jets-in-1849389157 FAA gets more than 57,000 applicants for air traffic control jobs As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to deal with staffing issues on a nearly daily basis, the agency says it has received 57,956 applications for this year's 1,500 open air traffic controller positions. The median annual salary for air traffic controllers (ATCs) was $138,556 in 2021. All applicants must be under 30 years of age. In a speech last week in Washington, D.C., the head of the ATC union says the FAA is not hiring fast enough. "In 2011, there were over 11,750 Certified Professional Controllers and additional trainees yielding over 15,000 total controllers on board at the FAA," Rich Santa said at an industry conference last week. "By the beginning of 2022, there were more than 1,000 fewer fully certified controllers, and 1,500 fewer total controllers on board, a number that has declined for at least the past 11 years." However, the FAA said that its hiring goals are in line with targets. "The FAA annually hires new air traffic controllers, is on target to meet our hiring goal this year, and is reducing the backlog of training caused by COVID-19," the FAA said in a statement to ABC News. Air traffic controllers manage plane traffic at airports across the country, and they are vital to the safety of plane passengers and the ability of airlines to maintain a timely schedule. "Unfortunately, FAA staffing is not keeping up with attrition," Santa said. "With the introduction of new technology and new entrants into the [National Airspace System], we should have 1,000 more controllers, not 1,000 fewer than we had a decade ago." The applicant number was first reported by Reuters. The applications come after the FAA's annual hiring push, which is now closed for the year. During a summer plagued by delays and cancellations, many airlines pointed to air traffic control staffing levels as a reason for travel meltdowns. Airlines for America (A4A), an industry group representing major U.S. airlines, sent a letter to Congress in early June pointing the finger at the staffing of air traffic controllers. "Specifically, air carriers are taking great care to reduce their summer flight schedules while also accelerating efforts to hire and train new employees to meet the strong resurgence in travel demand," the letter said. "The FAA must also work to ensure that the air traffic control system is capable of meeting demand." However, the FAA pushed back on that narrative, saying that data points to delays and cancellations for other reasons. "Airline data show that the vast majority of delays are not due to air traffic controller staffing," the FAA told ABC News. "Where demand has increased, the FAA is adding additional controllers." Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has said that it is a priority for his agency to ensure that there is enough staffing to meet demand. "We're also working to make sure that FAA personnel, the air traffic control side, is ready to support these flights," Buttigieg told ABC News in early July. "So when we have an area where there's a staffing issue, it's been happening in Florida where you've had huge demand and a lot of weather and other issues like military and even commercial space launches affecting the airspace." Selected candidates from the 2022 hiring window will join the 14,000 air traffic controllers across the country. Successful candidates will then attend a training academy in Oklahoma City before being deployed to an air traffic control tower anywhere in the country. https://abc7chicago.com/faa-gets-more-than-57000-applicants-for-air-traffic-control-jobs/12116289/ US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ORDERS LOUISIANA HELICOPTER AMBULANCE SERVICE TO REINSTATE UTAH PILOT WHO REFUSED TO FLY IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS Metro Aviation LLC also ordered to pay pilot $188K in back wages, damages PARK CITY, UT– A federal whistleblower investigation has found a Shreveport, Louisiana-based provider of helicopter ambulance services retaliated against a pilot in Utah who refused to fly twice in 2021 amid concerns about limited visibility. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration examined the pilot’s complaint against Metro Aviation LLC after the employer forced them to resign, retire or be involuntarily separated from the company two weeks after the Aug. 10, 2021, refusals. OSHA found that Metro Aviation’s actions violated the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century. The department’s Administrative Review Board held that this federal law protects employees who refuse to perform work assignments when they reasonably believe these assignments would cause them to violate aviation safety regulations. The department ordered the company to reinstate the pilot and pay them more than $171,000 in back wages and $17,000 in other damages. “Employees must freely exercise their legal rights regarding workplace safety with no fear of retaliation by their employer,” explained OSHA Regional Administrator Jennifer S. Rous in Denver. “The outcome of this investigation and the action on the pilot’s behalf underscores the department’s commitment to protecting workers’ rights.” The company and the former employee may file objections or request a hearing with the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges within 30 days of receiving the agency’s order. Incorporated in 1982 as a helicopter charter, flight training and maintenance operation, Metro Aviation currently operates more than 140 aircraft in more than 25 states to serve hospitals and other customers. OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the AIR21 and more than 20 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, criminal antitrust and anti-money laundering laws. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage. https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20220809 Boeing Resumes 787 Deliveries With Overdue Jet for American Air Boeing Co.’s shares climbed after American Airlines Group Inc. took delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner since US regulators approved the planemaker’s plan to address tiny structural flaws in its carbon-fiber jetliner. American signed the paperwork for the Dreamliner Wednesday morning, marking the resumption of handovers of the jets, an important source of cash for Boeing. The carrier, which had voiced its frustrations over the extended halt, reaffirmed its plans to take delivery of nine of the long-range aircraft this year in an Instagram post by Chief Executive Officer Robert Isom. Deliveries of Boeing’s marquee widebody were disrupted when the issues first came to light about two years ago, and were halted by the Federal Aviation Administration in mid-2021 as more of the tiny gaps were discovered by Boeing engineers. Boeing plans to gradually ramp up work on its 787 final assembly line in North Charleston, South Carolina, as it clears a logjam of around 120 already-built Dreamliners parked around its factories and in desert storage lots. However, FAA inspectors rather than the company’s own employees will be conducting final reviews of each plane before delivery. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-10/boeing-resumes-787-deliveries-with-overdue-jet-for-american-air GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Hello! As part of an MIT survey, we are looking for experienced pilots to help evaluate past aviation convective weather interactions. Participants will be asked to evaluate flight segments which may (or may not) have deviated due to the tactical weather situation. Participation is entirely remote via email, and will take about 15-30 minutes, depending on the number of cases you wish to label. If you are interested in participating, please use the link at the bottom to read more about the study and let us know that you are interested! Link: https://forms.gle/kzQLLUi26JkR2sap9 Rachel Price MIT - Aeronautics and Astronautics GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Greetings, My name is Nurettin Dinler, Research Scholar and PhD student at Department of Aviation Science, Saint Louis University working with Nithil Bollock Kumar, PhD Candidate, Gajapriya Tamilselvan, PhD, and Stephen Belt, PhD. We are working on a research project titled “Low-Cost Airline Pilots on Exercising Fuel-Loading Policies during Flight: A Phenomenological Exploration Study.” I am writing this e-mail to invite you to participate in a research study that we are conducting at Saint Louis University. Your participation in this study will involve taking a semi-structured interview that lasts for about 30 minutes. During the interview, you will be questioned about your experiences with Low-Cost Airlines’ fuel-loading policies developed to minimize pilot discretionary (extra) fuel. There is no compensation provided for your participation in the study. However, your participation will be a valuable addition to our research and your findings could lead to greater understanding of risk management for pilots and the sources of stressors in commercial aviation. Participation is completely voluntary, and your participation will remain confidential throughout the process of research. If you are interested in participating in this research, please take a moment to complete the survey at the following link: https://slu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0l9Awl5UkXDiKRo If you have any questions, please contact me at 321-245-8628 or nurettin.dinler@slu.edu. Thank you for your time and consideration. Regards, Nurettin Dinler, M.S. Research Scholar Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science School of Science and Engineering McDonnell Douglas Hall, Lab 1046 3450 Lindell Blvd., St Louis, MO 63103 nurettin.dinler@slu.edu (321) 245-8628 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 Dear all, My name is Michail Karyotakis and I am research student at Cranfield University, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing. Currently, I am working on my research project and trying to obtain valuable information. My research project, entitled ‘A Flexible and Dynamic Safety Management Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations', aims to determining how UAS flights can become safe enough, so manned and unmanned air operations could be conducted simultaneously without compromising the safe performance of the entire aviation industry. The main focus areas of my research are: Urban Air Mobility, Transferring of Goods and Search & Rescue operations. To support my project research with data I have created a web survey for aviation stakeholders, and via this way, I kindly ask your help by participating in this survey. The survey is not affiliated with any airline, training organisation, or any other. Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous (if desired by the participant). The survey will take about 10 minutes of your time to complete. Also, I would be very grateful if you could forward this message to other pilots in your contact list or spread the word in the airline or air force you are working for. Please click the link below to enter the survey: Cranfield online: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wmR7hnC5mE3QyO Thank you in advance for your time and patience. Your participation is highly appreciated. GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 4 I am an air traffic controller by profession, currently studying an MSc in Safety and Human Factors in Aviation at Cranfield University. As part of my MSc, I am conducting research for my thesis. My objective is to capture stakeholder views on UTM regulation. Specifically on its implementation, development, and operations, partly based on ICAO common core framework and principles for global harmonisation and interoperability of UTM. I tried to develop a multi-item survey to collect responses. I will perform a statical analysis of the collected data and critically evaluate the results. I kindly ask for your time to answer the questionnaire and your help in sharing it with your UAS-UTM network would be highly appreciated. Please find the link below: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_00oihP8zXsynTO6 Curt Lewis