Flight Safety Information - November 10, 2022 No. 218 In This Issue : Incident: Berniq A320 at Benghazi on Nov 9th 2022, bird strike causes cracked windshield : Incident: Transwest SF34 near Prince Albert on Nov 3rd 2022, smell and smoke in cockpit : Incident: Lufthansa A346 at Boston on Nov 8th 2022 and Nov 9th 2022, returned twice due to engine trouble : Mechanics May Have Accidentally Forced the Air Force to Ground More Than 100 C-130s : Indonesia Blames 2021 Jet Crash On Mechanical Issues, Pilot Complacency : Report: Failure to fix throttle led to Indonesia plane crash : Airbus Begins A321 Production In China : NASA on Track to Test Its Inflatable Heat Shield in Space Tomorrow Mornin : Call for Papers – ISASI 2023 : Research Study: Professional Pilot Occupational Risk(s) Survey Incident: Berniq A320 at Benghazi on Nov 9th 2022, bird strike causes cracked windshield A Berniq Airways Airbus A320-200, registration 5A-BRA performing flight NB-101 from Benghazi (Libya) to Tunis (Tunisia), was climbing out of Benghazi's runway 33L when the aircraft received a bird strike against the first officer's windshield. The aircraft continued the climb at first but stopped the climb at about FL160 and returned to Benghazi for a safe landing on runway 15R about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration 5A-BRC reached Tunis with a delay of about 7 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 8.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=500cd892&opt=0 Incident: Transwest SF34 near Prince Albert on Nov 3rd 2022, smell and smoke in cockpit A Transwest Air Saab 340A, registration C-GKCY performing a flight from Saskatoon,SK to Mc Arthur River,SK (Canada) with 22 people on board, was enroute at FL200 about 44nm from Prince Albert,SK when the crew noticed a faint smell of hot rubber in the cockpit, scanned the instruments and lowered the cockpit temperature, the odour however increased in intensity becoming an acrid smell of melting plastics with an ozone smell similiar to electrical odour, however, no smoke was visible. As the flight continued with the sun shining through the right hand windshield the first officer noticed smoke at the rear corner of the right hand windshield. The crew performed the memory items for electrical fire or smoke, declared PAN PAN, donned their oxygen masks and decided to divert to Prince Albert,SK (Canada). During the descent towards Prince Albert the right windshield annunciator illuminated, the crew pulled the associated circuit breaker and the smoke and odour began to dissipate. The cabin was prepared for an emergency landing, the aircraft landed safely in Prince Albert and taxied to the apron, where passengers disembarked normally. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found the terminal block of the right windshield burnt and was the source of the smoke as soon as power was applied. The aircraft was released under Minimum Equipment List requirements and was positioned to maintenance base for repairs. https://avherald.com/h?article=500ce5fc&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa A346 at Boston on Nov 8th 2022 and Nov 9th 2022, returned twice due to engine trouble A Lufthansa Airbus A340-600, registration D-AIHP performing flight LH-425 from Boston,MA (USA) to Munich (Germany), stopped the climb out of Boston at FL270 initially without explaining. About 12 minutes later, at about 190nm east of Boston the crew advised they needed to return to Boston due to a technical failure and needed to dump fuel. The aircraft turned around to return to Boston, descended to FL260, dumped fuel and positioned for an approach to Boston's runway 33L. On final approach the crew advised tower in case of a missed approach they needed to continue straight ahead on runway heading and climb to 3000 feet, otherwise the crew maintained routine communication, landed safely on runway 33L about 80 minutes after departure and taxied to the apron. The aircraft departed again about 3.5 hours after landing, already on Nov 9th 2022, and again stopped the climb at FL270 reporting a minor engine issue, they wanted to return to Boston again. The aircraft dumped fuel again and landed safely again on Boston's runway 33L about one hour after second departure. The flight was cancelled. https://avherald.com/h?article=500cafe2&opt=0 Mechanics May Have Accidentally Forced the Air Force to Ground More Than 100 C-130s A longtime practice by Air Force mechanics is likely the reason propeller blades on C-130 Hercules have cracked, leading to more than 100 of the aircraft being grounded in late September. Mechanics using electric arc pens to etch numbers into the propeller barrels during inspections caused some of the issues, an Air Force spokesperson told Military.com on Wednesday. That practice was stopped several months ago. "The process used to engrave serial numbers on the propellers caused the cracking that is being found on the C-130Hs," Air Force spokesperson Maj. Beau Downey said in an emailed statement. "That process…was stopped about six months ago and will not be used going forward." In total, 116 C-130Hs were grounded last month after a technician at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia noted a crack in a propeller barrel assembly during an engine run check. Additional inspections showed that two other propeller assemblies also had cracks. This led to the service ordering widespread, one-time inspections on some of its older C-130H aircraft. The process to fix the propellers is complicated and will take some time. "When the depot at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex receives an unserviceable propeller hub and blade set from a field unit, they are inspected, overhauled, tested, and then prepared for shipment to the affected unit," Downey said in an emailed statement. "This process involves complex inspections and repairs that cannot be accomplished at the unit level outside the depot." As of mid-October, two planes had returned to service. It's not yet clear how long it will take Air Mobility Command to replace the propeller assemblies on all affected C-130Hs. Lockheed's C-130 Hercules has been used by the Air Force since the mid-1970s. Finding parts for older models isn't easy, adding to the delay in getting the aircraft back in the sky. Similar issues have popped up for C-130Hs in the past. More than 100 of the cargo aircraft were temporarily removed from service after wing cracks were discovered during routine maintenance in August 2019, Military.com previously reported. Earlier that year, 60 C-130H Hercules aircraft were taken out of service to examine and replace engine propeller blades that inspectors deemed dangerous because they had been manufactured before 1971. The C-130 Hercules is just the latest aircraft to be grounded by the service. In mid-August, Air Force Special Operations Command ordered all its CV-22 Ospreys to stop flying after recording four hard clutch engagements since 2017, an issue in which power surges into one of the two engines on the aircraft. None of those incidents happened in combat, and none was fatal. By September, the Ospreys were cleared to fly again, but the root problem still hasn't been identified. In late July, Air Combat Command grounded its fleet of F-35A Lightning II jets, and the 19th Air Force's Air Education and Training Command stopped flying nearly 300 of its T-38 Talon and T-6 Texan II training planes over concerns about their ejection seats after a recall was issued on a part. By mid-August, the F-35s and training planes were back in the air. https://www.yahoo.com/news/mechanics-may-accidentally-forced-air-185738014.html Indonesia Blames 2021 Jet Crash On Mechanical Issues, Pilot Complacency Indonesian investigators on Thursday blamed mechanical problems and pilot complacency for a deadly plane crash last year that killed all 62 passengers and crew. The Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 nosedived 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) into waters off the capital Jakarta just minutes after takeoff on January 9, 2021. In its final report, Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) pointed to several factors that contributed to the crash, starting with mechanical issues. The twin-engine airliner's autothrottle system suffered a malfunction, which caused it to tilt off course, KNKT said in a press release. The 26-year-old jet ended up sharply deviating from its intended flight path just before its deadly plunge. Investigators said complacency may have resulted "in less monitoring" by the pilots, meaning the course change went unnoticed and they were not able to act quickly enough. Their report further blamed a lack of regulation and official guidance for the lack of skill and knowledge in pilots to react to such situations. Crews on previous flights had described the jet's throttle system as "unserviceable" and that it had been repaired several times before its fatal final flight, according to a preliminary report after the crash. Indonesia is a vast archipelago with a poor air safety record despite relying heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands. The country has suffered three major commercial plane crashes since 2014. In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX plunged into the sea. That accident -- and another in Ethiopia -- led to the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX model over a faulty anti-stall system. And in 2014, an AirAsia A320 jet crashed into the Java Sea during bad weather, killing all 162 people on board. https://www.barrons.com/news/indonesia-blames-2021-jet-crash-on-mechanical-issues-pilot-complacency-01668066607 Report: Failure to fix throttle led to Indonesia plane crash JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian aviation investigators concluded Thursday that a nearly decade-long failure to properly repair a malfunctioning automatic throttle, pilots' overreliance on the plane's automation system, and inadequate training contributed to the crash of a Boeing 737-500 last year that killed 62 people. National Transportation Safety Committee investigators said in their final report that the Sriwijaya Air jet's maintenance record showed the problem with the automatic throttle had been reported by pilots 65 times since 2013 and was still unsolved when the 26-year-old plane plunged into the Java Sea after taking off from Jakarta on Jan. 9, 2021. Lead investigator Nurcahyo Utomo said at a news conference that the pilots’ last conversation with air traffic control was about 4 minutes after takeoff, when they responded to an instruction to go up to 13,000 feet. The plane’s flight data recorder showed it reached an altitude of 10,900 feet and then began declining, Utomo said. He said the plane required less engine thrust as it neared its target altitude, but that the automatic throttle was unable to reduce the right engine’s power because of friction in the mechanical system. The automatic throttle attempted to compensate by reducing the left engine's power further, cutting its output to as low as 34%. The right engine’s power remained at its climb setting, or about 92%, resulting in sharply unequal thrust, the report said. The pilot fought to bring the plane up, but “was unable to recover from the situation,” and the jet rolled onto its left side, the report said. A minute later, the flight data recorder showed that the automatic throttle had been disengaged as the plane pitched down. The recorder stopped recording a few seconds later. The automatic throttle can be used by pilots to set the speed automatically, thereby reducing their workload and wear on the engines. Movements of the automatic throttle are linked to 13 other components of the plane, the report said. Many of the problems leading to the crash were disclosed in a preliminary report issued by Indonesian authorities last year. The final report released Thursday provided new details of the pilots' response to them. Utomo said inadequate training "contributed to the inability of the pilot to prevent and recover from the condition.” The pilots’ overreliance on the plane's automation system may have resulted in inadequate monitoring in the cockpit, so that the flight deviation was not immediately noticed, the report said. Utomo said the voice data recorder only worked on one audio channel, and another channel that was supposed to record all voices in the cockpit was filled with an unknown buzzing sound that prevented investigators from fully analyzing the coordination between the two pilots. The report concluded that repeated attempts to repair the automatic throttle over the years had failed because they had not properly fixed the mechanical issue. Investigators worked with Boeing and engine maker General Electric to review information from the flight data recorder. A team from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration also joined the investigation. The plane had been out of service for almost nine months because of flight cutbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Regulators and the airline said it underwent inspections before resuming commercial flights in December 2020. The disaster reignited concerns about safety in Indonesia’s aviation industry, which expanded quickly after the country's economy was opened up following the fall of dictator Suharto in the late 1990s. The United States banned Indonesian airlines from operating there in 2007 but lifted the measure in 2016, citing improvements in compliance with international aviation standards. The European Union lifted a similar ban in 2018. Sriwijaya Air, an Indonesian domestic airline founded in 2003, has had only minor safety incidents in the past, though a farmer was killed in 2008 when a plane went off the runway while landing due to a hydraulic issue. In 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air crashed, killing 189 people. An automated flight control system played a role in that crash, but the Sriwijaya Air jet did not have that system on board. https://news.yahoo.com/report-failure-fix-throttle-led-114407887.html Airbus Begins A321 Production In China Airbus' production line in Tianjin has become a successful role model in Sino-European cooperation, and it continues to show how and why. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has started commissioning the production of the Airbus A321 aircraft at its Final Assembly Line Asia facility in Tianjin, northern China. The significant milestone expands and deepens Airbus' growing partnership with China's aviation industry and further demonstrates both parties' commitments to enhancing this strategic collaboration. The new commission was unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow 2022, where Airbus also took the opportunity to sign several cooperation agreements on post-sales services with its Chinese partners that cover a wide range of services, including maintenance, material services, and cabin seat solutions. A strengthening presence in Tianjin Inaugurated in 2008, the Final Assembly Line in Tianjian was the first-ever Airbus commercial aircraft assembly plant outside Europe. Within the same year, the first aircraft sections arrived promptly on site, and the first Airbus A320 was delivered from the facility in 2009. And 14 years of operations later, the facility has handed over more than 600 aircraft and has become a successful role model for Sino-European cooperation. Last November, Airbus had plans to ensure the facility in Tianjin would be able to handle and assemble all members of the A320 family to make it on par with the rest of its assembly facilities worldwide. And in August this year, the Final Assembly Line in Tianjin officially began the adaption works required to become A321-capable and received its first two large portions of the aircraft - the nose and the fuselage, in mid-September. Finally, the facility became A321-capable, and the Airbus Tianjin team expects the first A321 aircraft to be delivered within the first quarter of next year. George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus China, said: "The Airbus Tianjin team has successfully completed the adaptation work on schedule by working closely with European experts and our suppliers to overcome the impact of COVID-19. The A321 is currently one of the most popular aircraft in the A320 family, and this is our latest step in China to show our unwavering support for the Chinese market." Enhancing supply to meet the growing demand The demand for Airbus narrowbody aircraft has been surging within China, with just over half of China's active passenger aircraft made by the French manufacturer at 2,097. As of end-October this year, Airbus delivered more than 90 aircraft to Chinese carriers, which accounted for over 20% of global deliveries, and at least 60% of those were produced in Tianjin. However, Airbus' current backlog of A321 aircraft accounts for an estimated 60% of its total worldwide backlog for the A320 family aircraft, for which production had slowed down quite a bit this year due to supply chain disruptions and labor shortages. With the Final Assembly Line in Tianjin now capable of producing the largest member of the aircraft family, Airbus is optimistic that its handover rates are likely to increase substantially. The developments are significant, since China's aviation industry has been advancing monumentally within the past few years. The Chinese market's promising potential has allowed worldwide upstream and downstream aircraft production companies to settle in Tianjin, enabling Airbus to readily team up with local aluminum and titanium suppliers to reduce the effects of supply chain shortages. Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today! Bottom line It will certainly be exciting to see the first Airbus A321 aircraft emerge from the Final Assembly Line in Tianjin next year. The aircraft will likely be handed over to a Chinese carrier, doubling the excitement. And while the production of the A321 aircraft within the Tianjin facility marks a significant milestone in the partnership between Airbus and China, a new milestone is steadily coming. Having started construction in July, Airbus' aircraft full lifecycle service center in Chengdu is scheduled to be ready within the fourth quarter of next year. The center's completion will bring Airbus' partnership with China into a complete circle to cover the entire industrial chain. https://simpleflying.com/airbus-begins-a321-production-china/ NASA on Track to Test Its Inflatable Heat Shield in Space Tomorrow Morning The final flight of an Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California will see the launch of an advanced weather satellite, in addition to the heat shield experiment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) mission and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) will launch aboard United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket on Thursday, November 10 at 4:25 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to NASA. Should you be awake at that ungodly hour, you can catch the action at NASA TV or at the live feed provided below. JPSS-2 will join a fleet of satellites in a Sun-synchronous orbit from where it will gather data for global weather models by monitoring wildfires, measuring sea surface temperatures, and noting harmful algal blooms in the ocean. Scientists will use this data to generate weather forecasts across the globe and track extreme weather events. As JPSS-2 separates from the rocket to reach its orbit, its payload companion will begin its journey back down to Earth. The LOFTID heat shield will separate from the rocket’s upper stage following a deorbit burn. LOFTID will then inflate and reenter Earth’s atmosphere to demonstrate its capabilities. The experiment is designed to slow down spacecraft, thereby protecting their payloads from the scorching-hot temperatures caused by atmospheric reentries—and not just Earth’s atmosphere, but those of other planets as well. VIDEO NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator - LOFTID Animation “The technology could be further developed to support crewed and large robotic missions to destinations such as Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as returning heavier payloads to Earth,” according to NASA. The launch of the Atlas 5 rocket was originally scheduled for November 1, but it was delayed due to a faulty battery. On October 29, NASA announced that the Centaur’s upper stage battery needed to be replaced and the rocket was cleared for launch five days later. This will be NASA’s 23rd launch on an Atlas 5 rocket, but the last time the space agency will use ULA’s Atlas 5 for its Launch Services Program (commercial launches of uncrewed missions). In its place, ULA is hoping to debut its upcoming Vulcan Centaur rocket by early next year. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-track-test-inflatable-heat-223000095.html International Society of Air Safety Investigators https://www.isasi.org/ Call for Papers – ISASI 2023 Nashville, Tennessee: Renaissance Nashville Hotel August 21 – August 25, 2023 The 2023 Theme is “Accidents: The Current Which Lies Beneath” This will be an in-person event with Tutorials on Monday the 21st, Seminar presentations from Tuesday the 22nd through Thursday the 24th and various gatherings throughout the week. Please find the official Call for Papers here: Call for Papers 2023 Final.pdf Please submit expressions of interest to isasi2023@isasi.org Thank you, Your ISASI 2023 Annual Seminar Committee Research Study: Professional Pilot Occupational Risk(s) Survey My name is August Parker, and I am a Doctor of Occupational Therapy Student at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. I am inviting employed professional pilots to participate in this study by completing an internet survey for a project entitled, “An Occupational Perspective: Therapeutic Interventions to Facilitate Job Performance in Aviators and Astronauts”. The purpose of this study is to assess professional pilots experience with risk(s) in musculoskeletal functioning, mental health, and overall well-being for flight performance. This is a one-time, voluntary survey that is anticipated to take no more than 10 minutes to complete. If you agree, your identity as a participant will remain anonymous during and after the study. This survey is not affiliated with any aviation-related organizations or facilities. I would be grateful if you could forward this message to other pilots in your workforce. If you have any questions, please contact me, August Parker by email at a.parker@usa.edu. For more information and access to the survey, please access the link provided below: https://sway.office.com/ksURu4OaOEAXm7mC?ref=Link THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE FOR HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT THE INSTITUTIONAL IRB CHAIR, DR. LORI KUPCZYNSKI, EMAIL: LKUPCZYNSKI@USA.EDU, PHONE: 904-330-1559 Thank you for your participation! August Parker, OTDS a.parker@usa.edu The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Curt Lewis