Flight Safety Information - December 27, 2022 No. 248 In This Issue : Incident: Swiss A320 at Zurich on Dec 26th 2022, smoke in cabin : Incident: Delta B763 near New York on Dec 24th 2022, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Allegiant A319 at Cincinnati on Dec 23rd 2022, engine reverser problem : Incident: Spirit A321 at Philadelphia on Dec 23rd 2022, lightning strikes : Accident: Rimbun DHC6 at Moanemani on Dec 24th 2022, runway excursion : NTSB issues final report in plane crash that injured 7 people : Fire on board a JetBlue plane forces the evacuation of more than 160 passengers at New York’s JFK airport : Israel grounds 11 F-35 jets after US fighter crashes during test : U.S. to examine Southwest Airlines cancellations, calls 'unacceptable' : Why Southwest is melting down : FAA Survey Reveals Concerns About Its Approach To Southwest Airlines' Safety : Polaris Launches Advanced FlightRisk Safety App Features : Some Of Jet Airways’ Pilots, Crew, And Senior Employees Reportedly Quit : Chinese ARJ21 jetliner approaches 100 aircraft delivered : Australian satellites to be launched on SpaceX rocket in bid to close air traffic gaps : NTSB POSITION AVAILABLE: AEROSPACE ENGINEER (SYSTEMS), GS-0861-14 Incident: Swiss A320 at Zurich on Dec 26th 2022, smoke in cabin A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration HB-IJI performing flight LX-2806 from Zurich to Geneva (Switzerland), was climbing out of Zurich's runway 32 when the crew stopped the climb at FL150 reporting smoke in the cabin and returned to Zurich for a safe landing on runway 14 about 18 minutes after departure, stopped about 5 minutes clear of the runway for an inspection by emergency services and taxied to the apron. A replacement A320-200 registration HB-IJL reached Geneva with a delay of about 3:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Zurich about 5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=502dd322&opt=0 Incident: Delta B763 near New York on Dec 24th 2022, engine shut down in flight A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N172DZ performing flight DL-8861 from Providence,RI to Cincinnati,OH (USA) with 140 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 80nm north of New York's JFK Airport,NY (USA) when the crew decided to divert to JFK reporting the left hand engine (CF6) was out. The aircraft landed safely on JFK's runway 31L about 30 minutes after leaving FL360. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration N186DN continued the flight about 2 hours after landing of N172DZ and reached Cincinnati with a delay of about 2:30 hours. The aircraft were carrying the Cincinnati Bengals home after their win against the New England Patriots. https://avherald.com/h?article=502dab40&opt=0 Incident: Allegiant A319 at Cincinnati on Dec 23rd 2022, engine reverser problem An Allegiant Airbus A319-100, registration N323NV performing flight G4-426 from Cincinnati,KY to Saint Petersburg,FL (USA) with 130 people on board, was climbing out of Northern Kentucky Airport's runway 27 when the crew advised ATC they wanted to stop the climb at 6000 feet while working a thrust reverser issue on their #1 engine (left hand, CFM56). The crew subsequently declared emergency and proceeded to return to Cincinnati. The aircraft landed safely on runway 27 about 20 minutes after departure and taxied to the apron. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 20 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=502d9e11&opt=0 Incident: Spirit A321 at Philadelphia on Dec 23rd 2022, lightning strikes A Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N674NK performing flight NK-2214 from Philadelphia,PA (USA) to Cancun (Mexico), was climbing out of Philadelphia's runway 27L when the crew stopped the climb at about 8000 feet reporting they had been hit twice by lightning and were to return to Philadelphia. The aircraft entered a hold at 5000 feet for about 30 minutes, then proceeded to land back on Philadelphia's runway 27L about 50 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The airline confirmed the aircraft returned after the crew reported two suspected lightning strikes. The aircraft returned to service about 10 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=502cfe62&opt=0 Accident: Rimbun DHC6 at Moanemani on Dec 24th 2022, runway excursion A Rimbun Air de Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, registration PK-OTY performing a positioning flight from Timika to Moanemani (Indonesia) with 3 crew, landed on Moanemani's runway 03 but veered off the right edge of the runway, contacted the airport perimeter fence with its right hand wing and became disabled with the right main gear caught in a ditch. Local police reported the aircraft landed in strong winds. The nose tyres burst on landing, the aircraft went off the runway and its right hand main gear went into a ditch. There were no injuries. As the right hand wing got entangled with the airport perimeter fence, parts of the fence had to be taken down as well to be able to move the aircraft. The aircraft had been chartered to take troops from Moanemani to Timika. https://avherald.com/h?article=502c5906&opt=0 NTSB issues final report in plane crash that injured 7 people The NTSB report says quote: "Post-accident examination of the airplane and flight controls found no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures." (NTSB, FAA) JUPITER, Fla. (CBS12) — We have an update to a plane crash (Cessna 414) that occurred in October 2020 in Palm Beach County that left seven people injured. Federal investigators have issued their final report on the crash at the North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport near Jupiter. CBS12's Al Pefley has the NTSB report, it says the plane crash was due to human error, and there were no mechanical problems with the plane. (WPEC) The details of the investigation are spelled out in the Aviation Investigation Final Report from the National Transportation Safety Board. It says basically the plane crash was due to human error, and there were no mechanical problems with the plane. It appeared to be a normal takeoff at the North County Airport near Jupiter. But what happened just moments later almost cost the seven people on board their lives. See also: Flight delays and cancellations still seen at PBI after busy holiday weekend "The I guess tragic part of all this is that it was so easily preventable," said Robert Katz, a commercial pilot and flight instructor in Dallas, Texas about the eight-page NTSB report into the October 8, 2020 plane crash. The NTSB report says quote: "Post-accident examination of the airplane and flight controls found no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures..." The NTSB report says quote: "Post-accident examination of the airplane and flight controls found no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures." (NTSB, FAA) Surveillance video shows the plane — moments later going down the runway — but it never left the ground and it never took off. It ended up going off the runway, and you can see dirt flying up and the plane disappears from view. The Cessna ended up in rough, marshy terrain and it came to rest partially submerged in water. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be: "The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection during which he failed to detect a flight control abnormality and his failure to expediently abort the takeoff..." See also: Fatal crash in Jensen Beach, one dead, another injured The NTSB report says the pilot and co-pilot may have failed to remove the control lock, which is a metal rod in the cockpit that has a large red flag attached to it — so it's hard to overlook. The control lock must be removed before the plane takes off. "It's very easy for human beings to become complacent and that's what typically leads to unintended consequences, just like operating a motor vehicle," Katz said. Katz has over 40 years' flying experience. He says before taking off, the pilot and co-pilot are supposed to go through a safety checklist before the plane leaves the ground. The report says: "It is likely that the pilot failed to conduct a flight control check prior to takeoff." "It strikes me as next to impossible to overlook the fact that a control lock would be in place," Katz said. Katz says in his opinion, the crash could've been avoided. "Given the narrative of the NTSB report, this seems to be a very simple and preventable issue that has happened many times before, typically with tragic results. It's fortunate that nobody was killed in this incident," he said. We called the pilot — who lives in Indiana — seeking comment about the NTSB report. His wife answered the phone and said quote: "My husband has been flying for over 40 years and is retired from the U.S. Air Force. The NTSB assessment is inaccurate." See also: Housing Holdup: Real estate market in Martin County slowing as home prices rise She said she had no further comment. The NTSB report says the Cessna was manufactured in 1997 and its last inspection was on August 27, 2020, about two months before the accident. The pilot had 1987 hours flight time experience. The co-pilot had 149.3 hours flight time experience. https://cbs12.com/news/local/ntsb-issues-final-report-in-plane-crash-that-injured-7-people-in-jupiter-2020-december-26-2022 Fire on board a JetBlue plane forces the evacuation of more than 160 passengers at New York’s JFK airport A fire on board a JetBlue Airways plane forced more than 160 passengers to evacuate using emergency slides at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday, fire department officials said. The incident – which happened shortly after the flight from Barbados landed at the airport – may have started due to an electronic device (Laptop) and is under investigation, according to JetBlue. “On Saturday, JetBlue flight 662 with service from Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI) was evacuated shortly after landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) due to reports of a customer’s malfunctioning electronic device or battery,” company spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said in a statement to CNN. The New York City Fire Department reported a plane fire around 9 p.m. at the airport’s Terminal 5, saying the regional Port Authority agency evacuated the JetBlue plane. A total of 167 people were evacuated using emergency slides, the FDNY said. Five passengers had minor injuries. “Safety is always our number one priority,” Dombrowski said, adding JetBlue is coordinating with officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/25/us/jetblue-plane-fire-evacuation-new-york/index.html Israel grounds 11 F-35 jets after US fighter crashes during test Military says some of its fleet to be examined for issue that apparently downed a modified version of the plane in TexasThe Israeli Air Force on Sunday said it had grounded 11 of its advanced F-35 stealth jets after a similar model of the plane crashed during a test flight in the United States earlier this month. On December 15, an F-35B crashed on a runway at a US Navy base in Texas, reportedly during a test of its hovering capabilities being conducted by Lockheed Martin. The pilot ejected safely and was unharmed. The Israeli military on Sunday said 11 of its F-35I jets would be checked for a similar issue to the one that apparently caused the crash, before being returned to service, following recommendations by the F-35 Joint Program Office. “From the findings and the information given, it was found that these planes require a dedicated inspection in order to rule out the possibility of a repeated malfunction in the Israeli array,” the Israel Defense Forces said. The F-35I, the Israeli version of the F-35, is based on the F-35A, which has a conventional takeoff and landing system. The B variant, used by the US Marine Corps and other navies, allows for short takeoff and vertical landing on aircraft carriers. The military did not detail why only some of its jets may have the issue that caused the F-35B to crash. Earlier this year, the IAF grounded its entire F-35 fleet over a problem with its ejector seats, which was discovered by the US. The jets were returned to service after a week, after being examined for the issue. The fifth-generation F-35 has been lauded as a “game-changer” by the military, not only for its offensive and stealth capabilities, but for its ability to connect its systems with other aircraft and form an information-sharing network. Israel has agreed to purchase at least 50 F-35 fighter jets from the US defense contractor Lockheed Martin. So far, 36 aircraft have been delivered, and the remaining planes are slated to arrive in batches of twos and threes until 2024. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-grounds-11-f-35-jets-after-us-fighter-crashes-during-test/ U.S. to examine Southwest Airlines cancellations, calls 'unacceptable' (Reuters) -The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) said late on Monday it would examine the large number of Southwest Airlines cancelled and delayed flights in recent days to determine if they were in the airline's control, calling them "unacceptable." Southwest canceled 2,886 flights on Monday, or 70% of scheduled flights, after cancelling 48% on Sunday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. It has also already canceled 60%, or more than 2,400, of its planned Tuesday flights. "USDOT is concerned by Southwest Airlines’ disproportionate and unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays as well as the failure to properly support customers experiencing a cancellation or delay," the department said. It said it would "closely examine whether cancellations were controllable and whether Southwest is complying with its customer service plan as well as all other pertinent DOT rules." Southwest delayed 48% of flights on Sunday and 16% on Monday. Southwest declined to comment late on Monday on the USDOT statement but pointed to a statement it issued earlier offering "heartfelt apologies" and said "with consecutive days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, continuing challenges are impacting our customers and employees in a significant way that is unacceptable." The airline added it was working "to urgently address wide-scale disruption by rebalancing the airline and repositioning crews and our fleet ultimately to best serve all who plan to travel with us." Other major U.S. airlines suffered significant cancellations in recent days but not nearly at as high rates as Southwest and they have now largely recovered. USDOT on Monday pointed to Southwest Airlines customer service plan, which notes the airline will provide meal or hotel vouchers for extended delays that are due to issues within the airline's control but not for unforeseen issues like weather. In August, major U.S. airlines including Southwest told USDOT they would commit to provide meals for customers delayed by three hours and hotel rooms for stranded passengers if prompted by issues under the airlines' control. Many airlines have previously offered vouchers or hotel rooms for delays they caused but did not spell out all commitments in customer service plans. https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-examine-southwest-airlines-cancellations-022929235.html Why Southwest is melting down A punishing winter storm that dumped multiple feet of snow across much of America led to widespread flight cancellations over the Christmas holiday. By Monday, air travel was more or less back to normal – unless you booked your holiday travel with Southwest Airlines. More than 90% of Tuesday’s US flight cancellations are Southwest, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Southwest canceled 2,500 flights. The next highest: Spirit Airlines with 75. Southwest warned that it would continue canceling flights until it could get its operations back on track. The company’s CEO said this has been the biggest disruption he’s seen in his career. The Biden administration is investigating. Southwest had a combination of bad luck and bad planning. The storm hit Chicago and Denver hard, where Southwest has two of its biggest hubs – Chicago Midway airport and Denver International airport. More bad luck: The storm hit just as the so-called tripledemic surged across America, leaving people and their families sick with Covid, the flu and RSV. Although Southwest says it was fully staffed for the holiday weekend, illness makes adjusting to increased system stress difficult. Many airlines still lack sufficient staff to recover when events like bad weather cause delays or flight crews max out the hours they’re allowed to work under federal safety regulations. Underinvestment But Southwest (LUV) also hurt itself with an aggressive schedule and by underinvesting in its operations. Southwest’s schedule includes shorter flights with tighter turnaround times, which are causing some of the problems, Kathleen Bangs, a FlightAware spokesperson, told CNN. “Those turnaround times bog things down,” Bangs said. Stranded customers have been unable to get through to Southwest’s customer service lines to rebook flights or find lost baggage. Southwest Airlines continues canceling flights as New Year holiday approaches Employees also said they have not been able to communicate with the airline, the president of the union that represents Southwest’s Flight Attendants told CNN Monday. “The phone system the company uses is just not working,” Lyn Montgomery, President of TWU Local 556, told CNN’s Pamela Brown. “They’re just not manned with enough manpower in order to give the scheduling changes to flight attendants, and that’s created a ripple effect that is creating chaos throughout the nation.” The problems Southwest faces have been brewing for a long time, said Captain Casey Murray, the president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. “We’ve been having these issues for the past 20 months,” he told CNN. “We’ve seen these sorts of meltdowns occur on a much more regular basis and it really just has to do with outdated processes and outdated IT.” He said the airline’s operations haven’t changed much since the 1990s. “It’s phones, it’s computers, it’s processing power, it’s the programs used to connect us to airplanes – that’s where the problem lies, and it’s systemic throughout the whole airline,” he said. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, in a message to employees obtained by CNN, acknowledged many of Murray’s concerns, and promised the company will invest in better systems. “Part of what we’re suffering is a lack of tools,” Jordan told employees. “We’ve talked an awful lot about modernizing the operation, and the need to do that.” He said the airline is “committed to and invested in” improving its systems, but “we need to be able to produce solutions faster.” The US Department of Transportation said it is investigating. “USDOT is concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service,” the agency tweeted. “The Department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.” To recover, Jordan told the Wall Street Journal the company plans to operate just over a third of its schedule in upcoming days to give itself the ability for crews to get into the right positions. Not Southwest’s first rodeo If this is all ringing a bell, that’s because this isn’t the first time Southwest’s service melted down in epic fashion. In October 2021, Southwest canceled more than 2,000 flights over a four-day period, costing the airline $75 million. Southwest blamed that service meltdown on a combination of bad weather in Florida, a brief problem with air traffic control in the area and a lack of available staff to adjust to those problems. It has admitted it was having service problems caused by short staffing even before the thousands of canceled flights stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers. Similar to this month’s service mayhem, Southwest fared far worse than its competitors last October. While Southwest canceled hundreds of flights in the days following the peak of October’s disruption, competitors quickly returned to normal service. Later that month, on a call with Wall Street analysts, then-CEO Gary Kelly said the company had made adjustments to prevent a similar meltdown in the future. “We have reined in our capacity plans to adjust to the current staffing environment, and our ontime performance has improved, accordingly,” said Kelly on October 21. “We are aggressively hiring to a goal of approximately 5,000 new employees by the end of this year, and we are currently more than halfway toward that goal.” And, just like the latest disruption, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association claimed the cancellations were due to “management’s poor planning.” https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/27/business/southwest-airlines-service-meltdown/index.html FAA Survey Reveals Concerns About Its Approach To Southwest Airlines' Safety The majority of respondents have spoken of a lack of improvement. There are fresh concerns within the United States aviation industry. Now, certain employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are worried about how local staff members are approaching looking over Southwest Airlines. Internal woes According to the Wall Street Journal, an internal FAA survey raised concerns from some inspectors about how the agency oversees the Texan airline. Altogether, approximately 75% of those who responded highlighted that the culture in the FAA's Dallas-area location hasn't progressed recently. The journal writes about responses noting a toxic culture that sees FAA managers not listening to concerns raised by front-line inspectors. They are allegedly more interested in pandering to the operator. Recent issues Notably, in July this year, the US Office of Special Counsel shared a disclosure of wrongdoing. The disclosure stated that the FAA rushed oversight of accidents caused by pilot error and that it failed to inspect foreign-purchased planes for Southwest. Giving an example, the statement highlighted the following: “The FAA determined that pilot error caused a February 2019 accident involving a flight that suffered damage to both wings while attempting to land at the Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. Yet, the report was closed without further investigation by FAA's Event Review Committee, despite an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. FAA determined that Southwest and union officials resisted its requests for additional investigation and pushed for quick closures, contrary to program criteria." The document further adds that several reports were made in this manner, despite proof that the incident demonstrated “an intentional disregard for safety.” A word from Southwest According to The Street, Southwest Airlines has since shared the following statement when asked about the matter: “Southwest maintains a culture of compliance, recognizing the safety of our operation as the most important thing we do, and any implication that we would tolerate a relaxing of standards is unfounded.” Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. This report comes at a time when Southwest has been dealing with a multitude of flight cancellations. It even declared an operational emergency heading into the weekend amid a high number of absences. Southwest has also been dealing with issues surrounding the Boeing 737 MAX this year. Last month, a couple of lawsuits regarding this saga were thrown out. Nonetheless, following the 737 MAX tragedies and the subsequent investigations, the FAA's top management will be keen to address any potential oversights across the agency's departments. After all, The US Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has recently confirmed that it will conduct a review of the FAA’s supervision during the 737 MAXs development. Simple Flying reached out to Southwest for further comment on this week’s report. We will update the article with any announcements from the carrier. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) president Casey Murray offered the following statement: "SWAPA has had the same concerns and expressed as much repeated to the FAA for years. We also have felt our concerns have been trumped by the pandering to the airline. SWAPA is hopeful that this sunlight being shed on the local office and the FAA as a whole will be the ultimate disinfectant and change will finally be brought to bear." https://simpleflying.com/faa-survey-concerns-southwest-airlines/ Polaris Launches Advanced FlightRisk Safety App Features Macbook Pro displaying Polaris Aero's FlightRisk safety application Polaris Aero has expanded its Vocus app suite of aviation safety software with a sharable FlightRisk component. Polaris Aero has launched advanced features for its FlightRisk safety app expanding its Vocus app suite of aviation safety software. FlightRisk is designed to raise pilots’ awareness of potential aircraft, airfield, environmental, and human hazards that are relevant to the flight with built-in advisories generated by an advanced rules engine. “Using FlightRisk’s extensive library of rule-trigger conditions, pilots and dispatchers can supplement these built-in assessment advisories with their own custom advisories,” said Steve Bruneau, Polaris v-p of aviation services. “FlightRisk assessments go beyond traditional hazard scoring by giving pilots clear, contextual information to improve awareness and make better decisions. Polaris Aero understands the value of safety collaboration, and we are working on expanding sharing functionality within the Vocus application suite. Customers have asked for sharing features and we’ve delivered.” Advisory sharing provides a way to increase pilot knowledge of airfields or procedures with which they are unfamiliar and allows new pilots to benefit from the knowledge of more experienced pilots. “FlightRisk rule sharing not only benefits your operation, but enhances risk mitigation for the entire business aviation community,” said Andrew Sedlacek, a user of the app and the safety manager for H-E-B Flight Operations. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2022-12-27/polaris-launches-advanced-flightrisk-safety-app-features Some Of Jet Airways’ Pilots, Crew, And Senior Employees Reportedly Quit The airline is facing headwinds ahead of the planned relaunch. Jet Airways' plans for a relaunch have received another setback, with reports of many of its employees exiting the company as it tries to resolve its differences with lenders. Jet's winning bidder, the Kalrock-Jalan consortium, has been trying to resurrect the airline but has missed this year's target of restarting operations in September-October. Employees reportedly quit According to a report by CNBC-TV18, some of Jet Airways' senior management, pilots, and crew members have left the company, as its path to restarting operations remains blocked with hurdles. People aware of the matter have said that some top-level exits include heads of engineering and employees from the human resources department. The report states that the airline's CEO and CFO have both taken pay cuts, and its vice president of in-flight services has been sent on leave without pay. Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. Many other mid-level employees are also on reduced pay or leave without pay, and some have reportedly joined other airlines. Jet's CEO Sanjiv Kapoor did confirm to CNBC-TV 18 about some employees being on reduced salaries, and, in a separate tweet, said that two-thirds of its staff have not been impacted at all. Jet Airways' resolution plan was approved by India's National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in June 2021, but many differences have surfaced between the winning bidders and Jet's lenders over the last year. The Kalrock-Jalan consortium is keen on formally taking ownership of the carrier but has not been able to do so due to resistance from the lenders and previous employees. After a recent hearing, in which the consortium attempted to get ownership of Jet, the NCLT has reserved its decision. Both parties involved (Kalrock-Jalan consortium and the lenders) are claiming that the other is trying to modify the terms of the resolution plan, as agreed upon originally. Jet has also been unable to sell some of its assets, such as its Boeing 777 aircraft, as an airline union is trying to stop the sale of these aircraft until Jet clears its former employees' provident fund and gratuity dues. Jet's team has been discussing the source of these payments, with the airline insisting that the cost should be shared between the airline and the lenders. The banks – which have already taken a 95% haircut – do not want to take on any additional financial burden and want Jet to take full ownership of clearing employee dues. Jet Airways received its AOC earlier this year and has been in discussions with airports over slots. There were also reports of negotiations with aircraft and engine manufacturers ahead of the planned launch, but all that remains in limbo due to the tussle between Jet and its lenders. Hopefully, the new year will bring some positive development for all parties involved. https://simpleflying.com/jet-airways-employees-quit/ Chinese ARJ21 jetliner approaches 100 aircraft delivered COMAC accelerated deliveries in 2022, with at least 26 units completed. Absolute majority for Chinese airlines COMAC, China’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturer, is about to complete a hundred ARJ21-700 jets delivered. According to Planespotter records, the 90-seat aircraft has already had 97 units completed, including 10 that are registered with the company itself. In 2022, there are at least 26 records of deliveries of the twin-engine jet, the first considered to be designed by China – the ARJ21, however, is heavily “inspired” by the US MD-90 models. The delivery movement at the COMAC plant in Shanghai on the fourth quarter was intense. To date, 15 aircraft have been delivered to customers including Air China, Chengdu Airlines, OTT Airlines and China Express Airlines. As can be seen, all of them Chinese carriers, linked to the communist government, which determines which planes they should use, but weeks ago the delivery of the first ARJ21 took place for an external customer, TransNusa, from Indonesia. TransNusa first AR21 State “sponsorship” explains the success of the ARJ21 after years of slow development, but it is still a worrying situation for western competitors. With one of the largest air travel markets in the world, China is a priority for Airbus, Boeing and Embraer, however, the scenario promises to be difficult in the coming years. In addition to the ARJ21, the C919, with 168 seats, is also expected to follow a similar path, with hundreds of orders from Chinese airlines. Even if it depends only on the domestic market, COMAC should assume the position of the third largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft in the world, displacing Embraer. The ARJ21, whose first plane was delivered in June 2016, already easily surpasses the Brazilian manufacturer’s total E2 jets, which until last week totaled 66 aircraft sent to customers – including jets that are registered in the company’s name, for reasons of of isonomy with the COMAC figures. This year, COMAC delivered twice as many ARJ21s compared to the E2s – 13 E195-E2s delivered, including two to Porter Airlines. Embraer still maintains an advantage due to the E175, a popular 1st gen version that has been widely accepted in the USA, but with the pace of production accelerating and the start of deliveries of the C919, COMAC will certainly gain an advantage in the coming years. Customer ARJ21-700 COMAC 10 Chengdu Airlines 28 Air China 13 OTT Airlines 15 Jiangxi Air 5 Genghis Khan Airlines 5 China Southern Airlines 14 China Flight General Aviation Company Limited 2 China Express Airlines 5 Total 97 https://www.airdatanews.com/chinese-arj21-jetliner-approaches-100-aircraft-delivered/ Australian satellites to be launched on SpaceX rocket in bid to close air traffic gaps Constellation of 200 satellites set to improve flight safety and communication, including helping limit turbulence Australian satellites will launch in a project designed to close gaps in air traffic management. Australian-made satellites will soon be launched on a SpaceX rocket in a move designed to close gaps in the country’s air traffic management. The project, created by Canberra-based Skykraft and backed by Airservices Australia, will see a constellation of 200 satellites launched over the next two years to improve flight safety and communication. The initiative could also have unexpected benefits, in helping to limit turbulence for travellers and ensure planes take the most efficient routes. Skykraft chief executive, Michael Frater, said the company developed its satellite plan over 12 months in a project that would cost “something under $200m”. As it stands, aircraft can only be monitored up to 400km away from land and within sight of a radar. Moving air traffic management into space could deliver more comprehensive coverage, particularly over oceans and in regional and rural locations. “At the moment, there are holes in the coverage over Australia,” Frater said. “By putting it in space, we can cover a much larger area from the satellite than it’s possible to cover from a ground-based system. “For the first time, Airservices Australia will have full coverage for their surveillance service, they’ll know where every aircraft is in Australia.” The satellites would also be used to replace “radar and radios” used to communicate with pilots, which could eliminate long waits for approval to change course. “So if you’re flying from Sydney to Los Angeles and your aircraft hits turbulence, the pilot will now be able to get a clearance to change altitude much more quickly,” he said. The first satellites are due to be launched by a SpaceX flight from Florida’s Cape Canaveral in early January, and will go through a three-month testing process before they can be used by Airservices Australia. The national aviation safety body signed a deal to collaborate with Skykraft, a University of New South Wales Canberra spin-off, in December 2020. Commercial operations for the satellites, which will see air traffic management operations offered to agencies in other nations, are expected to begin in 2025. “We are taking giant leaps forward into a whole new era in space and creating a global industry from our nation’s capital,” Skykraft chairman, Mark Skidmore, said. The first five satellites, weighing 300kg, will also set a record for the largest Australian-made space objects when launched. The machines were created from components manufactured in regional Australia, with thermal coatings from Queanbeyan, printed circuit boards from Newcastle in NSW and parts of the chassis made in Wodonga, Victoria. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/27/australian-satellites-to-be-launched-on-spacex-rocket-in-bid-to-close-air-traffic-gaps POSITION AVAILABLE: AEROSPACE ENGINEER (SYSTEMS), GS-0861-14 www.usajobs.gov/job/693620000 www.usajobs.gov/job/693620500 Summary This position is located in the Office of Aviation Safety, Aviation Engineering Division in Washington, DC. Participates and directs engineering aspects of general aviation and air carrier accidents involving safety issues associated with aircraft flight control, hydraulic, electrical, avionics and pneumatic systems including design, manufacturing, certification, and maintenance conditions. Duties OAS investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents, including those involving unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), public aircraft, and commercial space launches, and other significant aviation incidents, proposes the probable causes of these events, and develops recommendations to minimize recurrence. As an Aerospace Engineer (Systems), GS-0861-14, you will perform the following major duties: • Participates and directs technical analyses of general aviation and air carrier accident and incidents in the specialty area of flight controls, avionics, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems. Serves as Group Chairman for limited scope investigations, documenting and analyzing airworthiness issues potentially involved in accidents and develops accident prevention strategies. • Coordinates efforts with other Group Chairman, the IIC, and the Team Lead to assure thoroughness of all investigations and that necessary documentation is accomplished as a result of the investigative activity. • Prepares factual and analytical reports covering specialty area on each accident. • Assists the IIC and report writers in the preparation of the Safety Board's accident report with particular emphasis on the accuracy of factual information and the logic of analyses of the evidence from the investigation. • Researches and develops appropriate safety recommendations to correct hazardous or unsafe conditions using information obtained in the course of investigations, personal observations, and knowledge of current aviation engineering trends and developments. Work Environment: The incumbent supports major go-team launches as well as significant international investigations. Major go-team launch teams commonly travel on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) jet from Reagan National Airport within two hours after an accident notification is received. Timely arrival at the scene of a major accident allows for timely documentation of a wreckage; a delay in this effort can have significant impacts, such as impeding the re-opening of an airport. International travel by US Government employees frequently requires the issuance of a visa from the host country, which is most efficiently obtained at the embassies located in Washington, DC. Additionally, security concerns in many locations make it essential that the investigative team travel together. Physical Demands: Occasionally the aircraft wreckage may contain hazardous materials that may be burning by the time the investigator arrives on-the-scene; therefore, the incumbent may be exposed to a variety of weather conditions and other environmental discomforts such as remote, rugged, snow, rain, temperature extremes, swampy or mountainous areas and hostile settings and may have to wear a hardhat, safety shoes, goggles, gloves, and other protective equipment. Curt Lewis