Flight Safety Information - September 15, 2022 No.178 In This Issue : Incident: Breeze E190 near New Orleans on Sep 11th 2022, depressurization issue : Incident: Israir A320 at Tel Aviv on Sep 12th 2022, gear problem : WILL RUSSIAN PILOTS HAVE TO DOUBLE AS MECHANICS?! : United Airlines signs deal with Illinois college to develop more pilots : Worker at LAX pulled unconscious from FedEx aircraft fuel tank : American Airlines to close SFO base, displacing over 400 flight attendants : SAS considers adding electric aircraft to regional fleet : It’s crucial to reintegrate Taiwan into the ICAO : Air Canada ordered to pay passengers $2,000 for flight cancellation caused by crew shortage : PASSENGERS ENDANGER LIVES TAKING BAGS OFF DURING FIRE EMERGENCY : ISASI - 2023: Save The Date Incident: Breeze E190 near New Orleans on Sep 11th 2022, depressurization issue A Breeze Airways Embraer ERJ-190, registration N116BZ performing flight MX-314 from New Orleans,LA to Richmond,VA (USA) with 81 people on board, was climbing through about FL230 out of New Orleans when the crew stopped the climb and rapidly descended back to 10,000 feet subsequently maintaining 8000 feet while returning to New Orleans. The crew advised they needed no assistance on the ground, they just had a depressurization issue. The aircraft landed safely on New Orleans' runway 11 about 50 minutes after departure. A replacement Embraer ERJ-190 registration N193BZ reached Richmond the following day with a delay of 28 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 79 hours (3 days 7 hours) after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fe4155b&opt=0 Incident: Israir A320 at Tel Aviv on Sep 12th 2022, gear problem An Israir Airbus A320-200, registration 4X-ABG performing flight 6H-176 from Tivat (Montenegro) to Tel Aviv (Israel) with 160 people on board, was descending towards Tel Aviv when the crew stopped the descent at 12,000 feet due to a problem with the undercarriage and entered a hold for about 40 minutes. The aircraft subsequently positioned for an approach to Tel Aviv's runway 26, the crew instructed the passengers to take brace positions for landing, and landed safely on runway 26 about 65 minutes after stopping the descent at 12,000 feet. Israel's media offer various explanations of the problem with the undercarriage from the nose gear being unsafe to massive brakes malfunction. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 19.5 hours after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4fe328ec&opt=0 WILL RUSSIAN PILOTS HAVE TO DOUBLE AS MECHANICS?! Is it really going to be necessary for Russian commercial pilots to train and also work as mechanics while operating their aircraft? And why? A lot of unusual stories are coming out of Russia these days. Concentrating on aviation, we have seen how challenging these times are, as airlines struggle to keep their aircraft operational. Parts for western aircraft, which make up the vast majority of the commercial fleet, are in short supply. Aeroflot started grounding even essentially brand-new A350s, to keep others operational. But this story about Russian pilots and mechanics is a bit different. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Oleg Bocharov, recently made this statement: “Together with the Ministry of transport we should prepare and certify pilots as universal soldiers: they should be pilots and mechanics at the same time. And the equipment should include the possibility of field repairs.” Will Russian Pilots Have To Double As Mechanics?! RUSSIAN PILOTS AS MECHANICS – BUT FOR WHAT? Now – at the time, it appears that the context of the discussion that Bocharov made these statements, involved smaller aircraft, operating regional flights. One aircraft that he mentioned as an example where pilots and mechanics could be one, is the Russian Baikal LMS-901 (LMS: Light Multifunction Aircraft). Touted as a replacement for the venerable An-2, the LMS-901 looks like a cross between that and a Pilatus Porter. The prototype first flew in January this year. If Bocharov’s comments stayed there, this story would have probably attracted little attention. It is not unusual for pilots of small aircraft in remote locations to have a background as mechanics – Russian or not. However, Bocharov appears to have framed these comments as a wider strategy, for regional Russian aviation. Will Russian Pilots Have To Double As Mechanics?! The Ilyushin Il-114-300, another new (sort of) aircraft for Russia’s regional fleet needs. He went on to say that Russian aviation authorities should review how new aircraft are designed, to apply the same principle more widely. They may not be mechanics, but Russian pilots should benefit from aircraft design that allows them to replace more parts, including adding and removing seats. Bocharov appeared to suggest that the Baikal LMS-901 could be the first example of an aircraft using these principles. But the idea of Russian pilots also operating as mechanics drew criticism, even within Russia. There certainly is a mystique about older “utilitarian” Soviet aircraft designs – like the Antonov An-2. Newer but still old Soviet aircraft designs have a reputation of being rugged. But this doesn’t mean that they didn’t need a large crew to operate and maintain them. In addition to the two pilots, most old Soviet turboprops had two more crew members. It’s not clear how training Russian pilots to do even simple tasks as mechanics, might relate to this today. But more importantly, is this necessary? We have seen that Russian authorities worry about a future lack of pilots – does the same apply to engineers and mechanics? Western countries have also seen a lack of interest in younger generations for such jobs. The same factors that created a pilot shortage, had similar effects on aviation maintenance positions. This isn’t entirely surprising, since pay for these jobs doesn’t compare to that of pilots. Another upcoming Russian design is the Ilyushin Il-112V. Unfortunately, this plane crashed in 2021. Photo: UAC In all likelihood, it will be difficult to apply Bocharov’s ideas to much of Russia’s fleet. However, he also said that new systems to maintain the flightworthiness of different regional aircraft are underway. We will have to wait to see what effects this might have on Russian aircraft crews – of all types. https://mentourpilot.com/will-russian-pilots-have-to-double-as-mechanics/ United Airlines signs deal with Illinois college to develop more pilots Twelve other U.S. colleges are also part of the Aviate training program, none of which are in Illinois or Missouri. CARBONDALE, Ill. — United Airlines has partnered with Southern Illinois University Carbondale in a deal to provide training for SIU students to more easily become pilots needed by the airline. According to the school, SIUC's School of Aviation is joining the Chicago airline's (Nasdaq: UAL) Aviate pilot-training program. Twelve other U.S. colleges are also part of the Aviate training program, none of which are in Illinois or Missouri. SIUC said its aviation students and certified flight instructors in the program will have the opportunity to gain experience and build their hours toward a pilot rating that allows pilots to serve as co-pilots until they obtain 1,500 flight hours. United Airlines, like other airlines, is suffering from a lack of pilots. The airline bought Goodyear, Arizona-based Westwind School of Aeronautics in 2020, changing its name to United Aviate Academy and becoming the only major United States-based airline to operate its own flight academy. https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/business-journal/united-airlines-deal-southern-illinois-university-carbionale-more-pilots/63-92f9f850-73d8-4e1f-8699-57be765c1bc6 Worker at LAX pulled unconscious from FedEx aircraft fuel tank A man had to be rescued early Wednesday after falling unconscious while working on a FedEx fuel tank at LAX. The Los Angeles Fire Department was called out to the FedEx Express Hub, 5927 W. Imperial Highway, at about 12:40 a.m. to help a 30-year-old man who had been pulled unconscious from inside an aircraft fuel tank while he was performing maintenance. Five other people were also evaluated by firefighters, but were not taken to the hospital. The man was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. It's not clear what type of maintenance work the man was doing. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/lax-worker-unconscious-rescued-fedex-aircraft-fuel-tank/ American Airlines to close SFO base, displacing over 400 flight attendants SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — American Airlines announced that over 400 San Francisco-based flight attendants would be forced to transfer to new locations after it closes its Bay Area base, according to a union representative for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. The Flight Attendant base at SFO will be closing on January 21, 2023. The base currently serves as a home base for flight attendants from Sacramento, San Jose and the San Francisco area. This closure will displace around 403 locally-based flight attendants, forcing them to choose a new home base or retire. The SFO APFA Base President Tim Schwartz says that the flight attendants will be able to bid for nearby bases except LAX, which the company says is already overstaffed. Schwartz says that he has been working at the San Francisco base since 1998. He says he has seen the airline business ebb and flow over the years, including economic slowdowns in 2008 and 2020. “As we’ve gone through the roller coaster of financial issues that have plagued airlines, the market just hasn’t returned to what the company wants. Then COVID hit,” Schwartz said. One problem that many of the flight attendants will be facing is uprooting their lives entirely. “I would probably say the top 250 out of the 400 are rooted and grounded here in the Bay Area. They own homes here, they have kids that have been born and raised here,” Schwartz said. He also mentioned the challenges that could come up for some of the flight attendants who now need to be based somewhere that isn’t near their home. “When you have to travel to a new base, the company does not provide a seat on the plane. Flight attendants would have to travel on standby with everyone else who wants to travel that day,” Schwartz tells KRON4. As a union representative, Schwartz has been a part of efforts to maintain jobs in our area. He says the union has suggested that American Airlines turn the SFO base into a satellite base for Los Angeles. Schwartz says that for many of the flight attendants who will be impacted by this closure, it feels like a kick in the teeth. “They feel after 30 years of dedicated service to the company they feel let down,” he told KRON4. Schwartz expects more information will be made available in the coming days, including exactly which bases flight attendants will be eligible to transfer to. For now, he’s also considering new plans for his own future. “It’s been a great ride, but for myself I look at where am I gonna go? Do I commute for a while? Too young to retire, I’m only 50. So do I give up my home? Do I rent my home out?” he said. American Airlines provided a comment on the closure to KRON4. Over the past few years, American’s network and schedule have evolved based on a number of factors, including our size, shifting customer demand and changes to our fleet. As we look at the future of our network, we expect that San Francisco will maintain the same level of flying it does today, but there are no plans to grow San Francisco and no future flying prospects based on our current network strategy. Because of that, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our San Francisco flight attendant base. Importantly, any SFO-based flight attendant who wants one will have a spot at another base. This isn’t a decision we take lightly and we’re committed to working with the SFO team to ensure a smooth transition to another base if they choose to continue flying.” AMERICAN AIRLINES For now Schwartz says that he and his colleagues will have to celebrate the memories that they have made here in the Bay Area. “It’s one of those things that most everyone who wanted to be in SF really wanted to be here. We’re a happy little base, we all took care of each other,” he said. https://www.kron4.com/news/american-airlines-to-close-sfo-base-displacing-over-400-flight-attendants/ SAS considers adding electric aircraft to regional fleet HELSINKI, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Scandinavian airline SAS (SAS.ST) said on Thursday it was considering adding an undisclosed number of 30-seat electric aircraft from Swedish start-up Heart Aerospace for shorter routes in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Heart's new electric aircraft ES-30 has a 200-kilometre range with the option to extend the range to as much as 800 kilometres by combining electricity and fuel and reducing the number of passengers, SAS said. The plane is expected to be certified for commercial flights by 2028, it added. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/sas-considers-adding-electric-aircraft-regional-fleet-2022-09-15/ It’s crucial to reintegrate Taiwan into the ICAO BY JULIAN SPENCER-CHURCHILL, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR - 09/14/22 12:30 PM ET THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL The scale of Taiwan’s involvement in civil aviation in East Asia makes its exclusion from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) petty, and contrary to the basic principles of the United Nations and world order. One can justify the isolation of a rogue regime but Taiwan is a key exporting and innovative research country, and disproportionately reliant on airline traffic to bring its goods to market. Taiwan is also a busy air hub linking other industrial centers along the East Asian littoral. Taiwan’s seat in the world’s international institutions was replaced by Communist China in 1971. This change was influenced in part by Western interest in rehabilitating China during the height of the Cold War, when Beijing was thought to be useful to counterbalance the Soviet Union. But now it is time for the U.S. and its allies to reintegrate Taiwan into the framework of international institutions, especially those dealing with emerging technologies upon which air passenger safety depends. Taiwan is excluded from the ICAO’s 41st Assembly Session, scheduled from Sept. 27 to Oct. 7, 2022, in Montreal. The organization is the principal forum for the formulation of aviation-related standards brought about by the accelerating pace of technological innovations. The session theme is “Reconnecting the World,” after the reduction in flights caused by COVID, but its primary focus will be on issues reinforcing the priority of safety. The exclusion of Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration means Taipei will be blocked from contributing and coordinating issues related to technical interoperability, environmental standards, anti-terrorism, and new technological developments such as remotely piloted vehicles and cybersecurity. Taiwan’s invitation to, and active participation in, the ICAO 38th Assembly Session in 2013 was welcomed by many United Nations members, and was an important precedent for what was essentially an apolitical conference. Notwithstanding tensions, China has not excluded Taiwan from shared air traffic and policies to harmonize their procedures, given the obvious commercial benefits to Beijing. Air traffic flights have been coordinated between the two countries since December 2008, and these have grown from three direct cross-strait flight paths into the involvement of 10 Taiwanese and five Chinese airports (Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Chengdu and Xiamen). This interaction includes 890 passenger and 84 cargo flights per week, and points to the safety benefits that accrue to China. Global air traffic control is managed through the ICAO’s 300 Flight Information Regions (FIR), comprising networks of radar and air traffic controllers. Taiwan is responsible for the Taipei FIR, supervising 18 international and four flight routes for 1.85 million aircraft flights in 2019, in coordination with those of its neighbors, including China, Hong Kong, Japan and the Philippines. In 2019, Taiwan’s 17 airports saw almost 72 million passengers, of whom 49 million passed through Taoyuan International Airport, almost 5 percent more than in 2018. Taipei has air service agreements with 57 countries, hosting 97 airlines with flights into Taiwan, on 324 routes and connecting to 148 cities around the world. COVID reduced these totals to 66 airlines through 172 routes to 76 cities, but numbers are expected to rebound. Taiwan’s China Airlines and EVA Airways ranked 30th and 40th, respectively, in global passenger traffic. In 2020 and 2021, Taiwanese air cargo reached totals of 2.44 and 2.92 million metric tons, respectively. Airport Council International statistics indicate that in 2020, Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport handled the world’s fourth-largest volume of international air cargo. International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2020 statistics reveal that Taiwan’s China Airlines and EVA Airways were fifth and 16th heaviest carriers, respectively. Taiwan’s exclusion from ICAO’s technical meetings — primarily at the behest of China and its few allies — can cause delays in the application of safety measures. ICAO’s 2016 policy direction on air cargo security, and its 2017 provisions against portable lithium devices, were made known to Taipei only by its diplomatic allies within the organization. Similarly, ICAO’s rapidly evolving policy on remotely piloted vehicles has compelled Taiwan to anticipate ICAO in the formulation of its own measures, in this case in 2020. Despite these challenges, Taipei has consistently met ICAO’s Standards and Recommended Practices. Its current effort is to develop a next-generation air traffic control automation system, to enable the Taipei FIR to remain interoperable through to 2032 by meeting the requirements of ICAO’s Global Air Navigation Plan and Aviation System Block Upgrades. Taiwan’s reintegration into ICAO would require the U.S. and its democratic allies to exert their influence on the member states in the UN General Assembly and within the ICAO secretariat, to mobilize votes for the initiation of proceedings for the reinvitation of Taipei. Taiwan is already as integrated in the actual day-to-day operation of air traffic coordination as China, but both countries will suffer easily avoidable consequences if Taiwan encounters a delay in the implementation of key safety measures. Julian Spencer-Churchill, Ph.D., is associate professor of political science at Concordia University, director of the Canadian Centre for Strategic Studies and a former Canadian Forces captain. He has taught multiple courses on aviation safety and security for CATSA (The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority). https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3638825-its-crucial-to-reintegrate-taiwan-into-the-icao/ Air Canada ordered to pay passengers $2,000 for flight cancellation caused by crew shortage Crew shortages are generally within an airline's control, Canada's transport regulator says The Canadian Transportation Agency has ordered Air Canada to compensate a B.C. passenger and her son $1,000 each following a flight cancellation that invovled a crew shortage. (Mike Hillman/CBC News) A recent ruling by Canada's transport regulator in favour of two Air Canada passengers whose flight was delayed is the latest development in the ongoing battle over whether airlines must compensate passengers for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages. In a decision published on Aug. 25, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) ordered Air Canada to compensate passenger Lisa Crawford and her son $1,000 each following a flight cancellation that delayed their August 2021 trip from their home city of Fort St. John, B.C., to Halifax by almost 16 hours. According to the CTA, Air Canada initially told Crawford the flight cancellation was caused by a crew shortage linked to COVID-19, and was safety-related — so she wasn't eligible for compensation. The airline's response prompted Crawford to take her case to the CTA, a quasi-judicial tribunal. "Staffing and other aspects of operations are the employer's responsibility to manage," said Crawford in an email to CBC News. The CTA agreed, stating in its decision that Air Canada failed to provide evidence "establishing that the crew shortage was unavoidable despite proper planning," so Crawford and her son must be compensated. Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), airlines only have to pay compensation — up to $1,000 per passenger — if a flight cancellation or delay is within the airline's control and not required for safety reasons. "I was thrilled with the CTA's finding," said Crawford, though she and others question if the case will carry much weight. WestJet launches legal battle to overturn order to compensate passenger $1,000 That's because WestJet recently filed a request to appeal a similar CTA ruling in July where WestJet was ordered to compensate a passenger for a flight delay involving a crew shortage. The airline argues the CTA's decision was flawed, because it was based on a misinterpretation of Canada's air passenger rules. "Given the ongoing disagreement on how the regulations are to be interpreted and/or applied, I believe the real outcome for my case and likely many others, remains to be seen," said Crawford. Experts call for overhaul of rules on compensating travelers for flight disruptions The Canadian Transportation Agency says it has received more than 7,000 complaints from airline passengers about flight disruptions since May. It’s expected that new refund rules coming next month will help some passengers, but there are still growing concerns that airlines have too much wiggle room to avoid paying. Court battles raise questions According to the CTA, it has received 13,743 air passenger complaints since May 1, of which 87 per cent are related to flight disruptions. The CTA's ruling in the WestJet case, issued on July 8, was supposed to help clear the air on some of those compensation disputes. In that case, WestJet initially denied passenger Owen Lareau of Ottawa compensation for a cancelled flight, stating it "was impacted due to flight crew member availability and required for safety purposes." In its decision, the CTA clarified that staffing issues typically warrant compensation because, in general, they are an airline's responsibility and can't be categorized as a safety matter. The agency also ordered WestJet to pay Lareau $1,000. "Training and staffing are within airline control and therefore crew shortages are within airline control, unless there's compelling evidence" to the contrary, said CTA spokesperson Tom Oommen in an interview. "It's a high threshold." But in a motion filed in the Federal Court of Appeal on Aug. 10, WestJet argued that, according to the APPR, the CTA can't presume crew shortages warrant compensation and then put the onus on airlines to disprove it. Consumer advocate and lawyer, John Lawford said WestJet is offering a narrow reading of the rules, and that the CTA ruling in July set out to clarify them. "[The airline is] saying, 'That's nice, the actual wording of the regulations is all we will follow and we're going to court.' " WestJet, the CTA and passenger Lareau have each declined to comment on the case. John Gradek, a lecturer in aviation management at McGill University, believes some airlines will continue to deny passengers compensation for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages — unless a court lays down the law. (François Sauve/CBC) Former Air Canada executive John Gradek said he believes some airlines will continue to deny compensation for flight disruptions caused by crew shortages — unless a court lays down the law. "They're going to continue down this path until they're told otherwise," said Gradek, a lecturer and program co-ordinator for the aviation management program at McGill University. "They'll keep trying to get away without paying, because it is a very serious expense." 'Minister should be spanking these guys' CBC News asked Air Canada if, like WestJet, it planned to appeal the CTA's ruling that it must pay Crawford and her son compensation. Spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick replied that the airline was unable to comment as it's still reviewing the ruling. But Air Canada is already taking part in a legal battle that calls into question Canada's compensation regulations. The airline is one of more than a dozen applicants, including the International Air Transport Association, which filed a motion in 2019 to appeal the APPR. In that case, which is still before the Federal Court of Appeal, the applicants argue the regulations are "invalid" for international flights because they differ from the Montreal Convention, a treaty adopted by many countries — including Canada — which establishes airline liability for flight disruptions. "I suspect before Christmas, we will find out from the Federal Court of Appeal if the entire APPR regime gets tossed or not," said Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Travellers say they’re being unfairly denied compensation for Air Canada flight cancellations Some travellers say they’re being denied compensation for cancelled Air Canada flights as the airline claims the flight disruptions were 'due to crew constraints' and beyond their control. Lawford said federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra should assist passengers with compensation claims by sending a stern message to airlines that they must abide by the compensation rules set out by the CTA. "The Minister should be spanking these guys, these airlines, and saying, 'How dare you, how dare you screw up my regulations,'" said Lawford. More complaints Air Canada, WestJet unfairly denying passengers compensation Customers cry foul as Air Canada, WestJet deny certain compensation claims despite new directive. Since August, Alghabra has repeatedly issued public warnings to airlines that they must follow the rules. "Passengers have rights and they need to be respected," he said in a statement just last week. "We will continue to protect the interests of passengers when travel doesn't go according to plan." But, so far, the warnings haven't curtailed the flood of air passenger complaints pouring in to the CTA; it currently faces a backlog of more than 23,000 grievances. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/air-canada-cta-compensation-1.6583231 PASSENGERS ENDANGER LIVES TAKING BAGS OFF DURING FIRE EMERGENCY Once again thoughtless passengers have endangered their and others’ lives by taking off their bulky carry-on bags while evacuating from an Air India Express Boeing 737-800, that suffered an engine fire during take-off. According to Aviation Herald, the 737 was performing flight IX-442 from Muscat (Oman) to Kochi (India) with 145 passengers and was accelerating for takeoff from Muscat’s runway 08L at about 11:35L (07:35Z) when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 40 knots over ground) due to a right-hand engine (CFM56) fire indication. “The crew slowed the aircraft and vacated the runway via the next high speed turn off about 1800 meters/6000 feet down the runway and stopped clear of the runway on the adjacent taxiway. “An emergency evacuation via slides followed. 14 passengers are reported to have sustained injuries during the evacuation, Aviation Herald reported. Despite cabin crew telling passengers to leave all bags behind, thoughtless passengers insist on taking their bags dramatically slowing the process and possibly risking hurting themselves – or others – when they have to jump onto the slide. And any sharp objects or edges on the bag could puncture the slide rendering it useless. About AirlineRatings.com Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world. Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information. The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations, as well as the airlines, own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate. Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating. Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/passenger-news/thoughtless-passengers-endangered-lives-taking-carry-on-bags/ International Society of Air Safety Investigators https://www.isasi.org/ SAVE THE DATE: 2023 ISASI Annual Seminar Save the Date.pdf ISASI Annual Seminar 2023 Accidents: The Current Which Lies Beneath Nashville, TN August 21 – 25, 2023 Monday, August 21st – Tutorials Tuesday, August 22nd – General Session Wednesday, August 23rd – General Session Thursday, August 24th – General Session Friday, August 25th – Optional Tour Renaissance Nashville Hotel 611 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Hosted by the Southeast Regional Chapter (SERC) of the International Society of Safety Investigators (ISASI) Thank you, Your 2023 ISASI Annual Seminar Committee Curt Lewis