Flight Safety Information - January 2, 2023 No. 001 In This Issue : Incident: Avelo B737 near Washington on Dec 31st 2022, cracked windshield : Accident: Frontier A321 near Miami on Dec 31st 2022, 9 occupants became ill in flight : Accident: Envoy E175 at Montgomery on Dec 31st 2022, ground worker killed : Incident: Qatar B773 at Brisbane on Dec 31st 2022, flaps problem : Cessna 208B Grand Caravan - Runway Excursion (Uganda) : Canadair CL-600S Challenger 600 - Fatal Accident Enroute (Mexico) : Eurocopter EC 130B4 - Fatal Accident Collision (Australia) : Failed Pre-Flight Alcohol Tests For Indian Pilots Doubled In 2022 : TSA finds gun parts hidden in peanut butter jars at JFK Airport : Electric Charging for eVTOL Aircraft Is Different From Cars : Pakistan To Outsource Management Of Major Airports : American Airlines Pilots to Resume Using Expedited Crew TSA Checkpoints in Dispute Over ‘Random’ Screenings : COMAC announces delivery of 100th ARJ21 jet : NTSB POSITION AVAILABLE: AEROSPACE ENGINEER (SYSTEMS), GS-0861-14 Incident: Avelo B737 near Washington on Dec 31st 2022, cracked windshield An Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N703VL performing flight XP-433 from New Haven,CT to Nashville,TN (USA), was enroute at FL340 about 140nm northeast of Washington Dulles,DC (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Dulles Airport due to the right hand windshield, that had developed cracks. The aircraft landed safely on runway 19L about 50 minutes after leaving FL340. A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N7837A reached Nashville with a delay of about 7:20 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Washington about 26 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50323cd6&opt=0 Accident: Frontier A321 near Miami on Dec 31st 2022, 9 occupants became ill in flight A Frontier Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N702FR performing flight F9-111 from San Juan (Puerto Rico) to Orlando,FL (USA), was enroute at FL300 about 60nm east of Miami,FL (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Miami after 8 members of the crew and a passenger became ill. The aircraft landed safely on Miami's runway 09 about 17 minutes later. Miami Dade Fire Rescue reported paramedics treated 8 members of the crew and a passenger, who were feeling dizzy, before transporting them to hospital. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Miami about 19 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50323aa4&opt=0 Accident: Envoy E175 at Montgomery on Dec 31st 2022, ground worker killed An Envoy Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N264NN performing flight AA-3408 from Montgomery,AL to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA), was preparing for departure at the gate when a baggage handler was killed. Montgomery Airport reported a ground employee was involved in a fatality, no further information was available. The FAA confirmed a fatality occurred while flight AA-3408 was still at the gate. The airport was closed for several hours as result. The NTSB is investigating. According to local media reports the baggage handler was sucked into one of the aircraft's engines (CF34) and killed. A fellow ground worker witnessing the accident confirmed the baggage handler was ingested by one of the engines of the aircraft. https://avherald.com/h?article=50320e92&opt=0 Incident: Qatar B773 at Brisbane on Dec 31st 2022, flaps problem A Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300, registration A7-BAI performing flight QR-899 from Brisbane,QL (Australia) to Doha (Qatar), was climbing out of Brisbane's runway 19 when the crew stopped the climb at 10,000 feet maintaining relatively low speed (about 260-280 knots) over ground, dumped fuel and returned to Brisbane for a safe landing on runway 19 at high speed (about 200 knots over ground) about 80 minutes after departure already on Jan 1st 2023 local time. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Brisbane due to a technical problem. A passenger reported initially but later retracted his narrative, that something white was hanging off one of the wings, a pilot came from the cockpit to visually assess the passenger observation using his torch through the passenger windows, the aircraft subsequently returned to Brisbane. https://avherald.com/h?article=50320836&opt=0 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan - Runway Excursion (Uganda) Date: Saturday 31 December 2022 Time: 13:15 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: BAR Aviation Registration: 5X-GBR C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: Mweya Airport ( Uganda) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: ? Destination airport: Mweya Airport (HUMW), Uganda Narrative: A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan suffered an accident on landing at Mweya Safari Lodge. It overran the runway and impact a building. http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20221231-0 Canadair CL-600S Challenger 600 - Fatal Accident Enroute (Mexico) Date: Friday 30 December 2022 Time: c 15:00 Type: Canadair CL-600S Challenger 600 Operator: private Registration: XB-SGV C/n / msn: 1062 First flight: 1982 Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Venado ( Mexico) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Celaya-Capitán Rogelio Castillo National Airport (CYW/MMCY), Mexico Destination airport: Saltillo-Plan de Guadalupe International Airport (SLW/MMIO), Mexico Narrative: A Canadair Challenger 600 corporate jet, XB-SGV, was destroyed after it crashed near Venado, Mexico. Both pilots were killed. The aircraft departed Celaya Airport (CYW) on a flight to Saltillo Airport (SLW). Last contact with the flight was when it was en route at FL260, 25 nautical miles north of San Luis Potosi. The aircraft was previously registered N444ET and was sold to Mexico in September 2022. http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20221230-0 Eurocopter EC 130B4 - Fatal Accident Collision (Australia) Date: 02-JAN-2023 Time: c. 14:00 Type: Eurocopter EC 130B4 Owner/operator: Sea World Helicopters Pty Ltd Registration: VH-XKQ C/n / msn: 4639 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 7 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: near Sea World Marine Park, Main Beach, QLD - Australia Phase: Take off Nature: Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi Departure airport: Sea World Marine Park, Main Beach, QLD Destination airport: Sea World Marine Park, Main Beach, QLD Investigating agency: ATSB Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Two Eurocopter EC 130B4 helicopters of Sea World Helicopters suffered a mid-air collision near Southport, Queensland, Australia. One of the helicopters (likely VH-XH9) was approaching the Seaworld Heliport when it struck the main rotor blades of a departing helicopter (likely VH-XKQ). VH-XHQ fell onto a sand bank and VH-XH9 made an emergency landing on the same sand bank with severe damage to the front. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/305478 Failed Pre-Flight Alcohol Tests For Indian Pilots Doubled In 2022 India has some of the strictest alcohol-related rules for airline crews. India’s aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had a busy year in 2022, handing out notices to pilots and cabin crew for failed pre-flight alcohol tests. The regulator also took more than 300 enforcement actions against airlines and individuals in general for several non-compliances. The number of failed breathalyzer tests increased in 2022 The DGCA recorded 41 instances of Indian pilots failing pre-flight alcohol tests last year. This was more than double the figure for 2021 when 19 cases were reported. Data from Hindustan Times revealed that 35 of the 41 pilots worked for commercial airlines in the country. The instances of cabin crew failing breathalyzer tests increased almost three times, with 116 positive cases in 2022 against 39 in the previous year. Strict standards are maintained within the aviation industry when it comes to alcohol consumption. The tests are not limited to just pilots and cabin crew; even airport workers are tested regularly. Last year, it was also reported that between January 2021 and March 2022, a total of 84 people working at 42 Indian airports failed alcohol tests. The DGCA stated that the aviation personnel covered under these rules included aircraft maintenance engineers, vehicle drivers who drive fuelling and catering vehicles, equipment operators, aerobridge operators, marshallers, personnel guarding aprons, and ground handling services and ATC personnel. Current requirements India maintains one of the strictest alcohol limits for airline crew in the world. The DGCA allows zero alcohol levels in the blood of airplane crew before a flight. It also mandates a 12-hour gap between flying an aircraft and the intake of an alcoholic beverage. Rule 24 of the Aircraft Rules states: "No person acting as, or carried in aircraft for the purpose of acting as pilot, commander, navigator, engineer, cabin crew or the other operating member of the crew thereof, shall have taken or used any alcoholic drink, sedative, narcotic, or stimulant drug preparation within 12 hours of the commencement of the flight or taken or use any such preparation in the course of the flight…” Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. Pilots who fail the alcohol test the first time are barred from flying for three months. Second-time offenders are barred for three years, and the flying license is permanently revoked if a pilot fails the test a third time. A year ago, India also began random dope testing for aviation personnel, including pilots, cabin crew, and air traffic controllers. The tests cover substances such as amphetamine and amphetamine-type stimulants, opiates and metabolites, cannabis, cocaine, barbiturates, and benzodiazepine. 305 actions taken The DGCA was busy handing out notices and fines last year, with 305 enforcement actions against airlines and individuals, with total penalties amounting to almost ₹20 million ($242,000). Check out more Indian aviation news here. Some of these cases also made headlines, such as IndiGo’s handling of a differently abled passenger, Air India denying boarding to a passenger, and SpiceJet giving inadequate training to its Boeing 737 MAX pilots. Here’s hoping that 2023 sees a drop in such cases. https://simpleflying.com/failed-alcohol-tests-indian-pilots-2022/ TSA finds gun parts hidden in peanut butter jars at JFK Airport Parts of a disassembled .22 semiautomatic handgun were found hidden in two jars of peanut butter in a traveler's checked luggage. (CNN) — A traveler at New York City's John F. Kennedy International airport got into a sticky situation -- literally. A Rhode Island man was arrested last week after TSA agents discovered parts of a disassembled semi-automatic handgun disguised within two jars of peanut butter in his luggage, according to a news release from the TSA. The agency said a checked bag containing the peanut butter jars triggered an alarm in an X-ray unit at JFK airport on December 22. Closer inspection revealed the gun parts, wrapped in plastic and "jammed" into two jars of what appear to be Jif brand peanut butter. The gun's magazine was loaded with bullets, according to the TSA. "The gun parts were artfully concealed in two smooth creamy jars of peanut butter, but there was certainly nothing smooth about the way the man went about trying to smuggle his gun," said John Essig, TSA's federal security director for JFK Airport, in the release. "Our officers are good at their jobs and are focused on their mission -- especially during the busy holiday travel period." Port Authority Police confiscated the handgun parts and arrested the man, according to the TSA. Travelers planning to bring firearms onto a plane must have the proper permits, declare their weapons, and pack them according to TSA guidelines. The civil penalty for attempting to bring undeclared weapons onto a flight can be as high as $15,000. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/gun-hidden-peanut-butter-airport-trnd/index.html Electric Charging for eVTOL Aircraft Is Different From Cars If you think you can model eVTOL aircraft charging based on the same systems used for electric cars, think again. That is the message from Josh Portlock, the CTO of Electro, an Australia-based company that manufactures electric aircraft charging products. Portlock delivered his pitch at the recent Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST) conference. “The electric aviation revolution is coming and we are going to need high power standardized charging infrastructure to scale with global demand,” Portlock said. “Aviation charging is very different from automotive charging. Aircraft can’t drive right up to the charger like a car can, and they have wingspans to deal with. You need to move the charger and plug it into the aircraft because it’s likely out on the apron, with maybe half a dozen aircraft that might be in the way. You want to make sure that you can, as quickly as possible, start charging an aircraft.” EVTOL CHARGING SYSTEMS Aircraft are also going to need more power, which means thicker, longer, and heavier charging cables, perhaps integrated cooling systems for MW capability, high voltage to the site, and the ability to bank power on site from both the grid and on-site generation from sources such as solar. And the industry needs to continue its work on the standardization of charging hardware, including power plugs. “There’s more than half a dozen different DC fast- charging standards in the world,” Portlock noted. “Now that’s fine if you are a Tesla [electric car] and you’re building millions of cars, have hundreds of engineers, and can cater for all those different standards when you ship your cars around the world; but not so much when you’re a low-volume aircraft manufacturer with an international market. You want that same aircraft to be able to charge with the same standard anywhere in the world. As [eVTOL] aircraft range gets longer, you want to be able to fly between regions, between countries, without having to use adapters and carry additional charging hardware with you.” That philosophy includes eschewing AC/DC charging converters on the aircraft or AC couplers on power plugs in favor of wheeled, portable, DC fast chargers with dual ports that can be easily moved by one person up to the aircraft. Electro has developed several of these Rapid series DC chargers in the 30- 80-kW power range that are compatible with SAE AS6968 standards developed for the design and minimum performance requirements of the connection set of conductive charging systems used for charging electrically powered aircraft. The 80-kW charger features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity to enable telemetry reporting and over-the-air software updates and is rated IP53 for resistance to water sprays and dust. (IP or “International Protection” is the standard developed by the Comité Européen de Normalization Electrotechnique to rate the durability of electronic devices against external influences.) According to Portlock, focusing on DC charging eliminates the weight, cost, and complexity that come with the ability to plug directly into AC. “In the automotive industry there’s a lot of adapters out there and some were illegal and not recommended from a safety point of view. There’s something I want to avoid in aviation if you don’t have to carry around extra things,” he said. Concurrent with the chargers, Electro developed an Electro Management System (EMS) that Portlock calls “the brains of our charging system. It’s on our latest smart chargers and we as well are selling it to aircraft manufacturers to install on the [aircraft instrument panel] or the [charging] inlet, allowing [customers] to rapidly adopt AS6968 and work with their preferred battery management system to communicate with the redundant battery pairs. “The EMS can serve as an inlet management system on the outside of aircraft and allow the [ground] charging crew to quickly see the state of the batteries and decide whether it’s at the capacity required for the next mission,” Portlock explained. Having the EMS on the outside of the aircraft precludes the need for human presence in the cockpit during charging and allows ground crews “to monitor the charge and decide when to finish charging. The pilots can focus on piloting, the ground crew can focus on charging, and the operation can be a lot more time efficient.” The EMS combined with the charger allows remote monitoring, billing, and maintenance including over-the-air updates. It also facilitates remotely started charging. “The aircraft can be set to idle, sleep, or fully off and we can wake it up over the charger and start charging remotely if needed,” Portlock said. The company is also working on 200- and 400-kW superchargers for larger electric aircraft, but the ability to use such devices is dependent on having sufficient electric power at the vertiport or airport. “The real bottleneck in the charging infrastructure is the energy systems. Where is the energy going to come from?” Portlock asked. POWERING THE GRID He thinks the answer requires a multi-prong solution. “There’s often a limited amount of grid connectivity at airports, so adding energy storage systems to supplement the peak power is important. Obviously adding solar to recharge those energy storage systems is a sensible, cost-effective, renewable way of providing that energy. It’s a balancing act. You don’t want to have too much solar and not use it and you don’t want to have too many [storage] batteries and not utilize them. You have to size these systems right for the energy demand of your fleet,” he said. Rather than focus on whole-airport solutions, Electro is developing “smart hangars” designed to help airports, aircraft manufacturers, and operators size their solar and storage systems, Portlock said. The smart hangar is a scalable solution comprised of several components connected by smart communications systems and chargers. Not only can each hangar’s systems grow to meet changing fleet size, but systems in multiple hangars can be linked to create a “virtual power plant” on the airport. “Smart hangars are made up of more than half a dozen subsystems,” Portlock explained. “Our chargers and the smarts in them communicate to the energy storage systems and the renewable energy generation sources. But you also need solar inverters and smart meters connected to the grid to make sure you’re not going to brown-out the grid connection. The batteries can be very scalable to the point where you can start with, say, lithium-phosphate batteries for affordable fixed-energy storage systems and then utilize repurposed aircraft batteries as supplements in the future. This scalable battery architecture is really important for the future of airports. The virtual power plant is the overlaying cloud software that communicates to all of the systems, including multiple different airport hangars so that they can actually aggregate the power and share it.” Portlock stressed the need for “dynamic load management” to make the system work. “It is important to maximize your sustainable energy consumption, minimize your capital expense, and monetize smart hangars. By being able to distribute the energy locally, you can actually peer-to-peer trade the energy with your neighbors, so that you’re sharing that excess energy if you have oversized your solution,” even if that is done intentionally to future-proof for more self-consumption eventually. He said the typical smart hangar customer will develop capability in stages. “First, you want to size a smart hangar for self-consumption for your existing loads, enough energy to power the first couple of aircraft and all of your existing terminal loads, like your air conditioning and lighting, with sustainable energy. By doing this, you’re aggregating the existing grid connection with your sustainable energy and storage systems. Stage two is, once you have enough of those distributed energy solutions within the airport, you can trade peer-to-peer on the embedded network. This fully utilizes your excess solar with your neighbors, rather than necessarily fitting it back into the main grid with a minimal return on investment. “Once you’ve aggregated enough of these energy storage and solar systems at the airport, you are now multi-MW-capable of grid augmentation so virtual powerplant software can aggregate the distributed energy and allow peak demand and frequency control. You can also effectively be giving back to the community by providing battery backup systems for emergency services within the airport district,” Portlock said. But not even all this renewable peer-to-peer capability will completely ameliorate the need to upgrade from-the-grid electrical service at smaller airports and heliports, said Portlock. “It’s a mix of the two. You want that grid connection for overcast days and you want renewable energy for affordable power.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2023-01-02/electric-charging-evtol-aircraft-different-cars Pakistan To Outsource Management Of Major Airports A move that will see three major airports being managed by international operators. Pakistan is taking measures to outsource the management of its three key airports in a bid to enhance efficiency. The decision was also made to entice direct foreign investment and ensure travelers are provided with better airport facilities. Big changes in the country’s aviation sector On December 30, 2022, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, gave the green light to the country’s Aviation Ministry to begin the process of outsourcing operations of Jinnah International Karachi Airport (KHI), Islamabad International Airport (ISB), and Allama Iqbal International Airport (IHL). According to the Prime Minister's Office of Pakistan, Sharif mandated all appropriate organizations to prioritize the outsourcing of airports and ensure accountability throughout the process. During the meeting, the prime minister also emphasized that the outsourcing of airports is a common profit-driven practice around the world. It was told that initially, airports will be outsourced under a public-private partnership (PPP). Public-private partnerships are being implemented in 44 countries, including the United States, Britain, India, Bahrain, and Brazil, where airports are being managed on the basis of public-private partnerships, according to an official Facebook post from the Prime Minister's Office of Pakistan. On its official Twitter account, the Aviation Ministry of Pakistan stated that this is considered to be “a major decision to pave the way for foreign direct investment”, which will help to provide international standards and services at airports. It added, “International operators will help run these airports for a period of 20 to 25 years.” According to the local news media outlet, the possibility of outsourcing major airports was already discussed in 2017. But it was not until the country's prime minister gave their authorization that the proposal was formally adopted. Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. Reviving the faltering image At the meeting, the performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and plans for restoring the flagging reputation of the airline was also discussed. It was also made clear that a plan had been devised to make PIA a profitable airline, and efforts were being pursued to lift the ban enforced by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on PIA. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan met with the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium on October 25, 2022, to discuss the potential removal of a flight ban on PIA. In July 2020, the European Union added PIA to its Air Safety List following a scandal in 2020 related to pilot license forgery, resulting in the suspension of the airline's operations in the EU over safety worries. It is noteworthy that the US and UK followed Europe's lead and prohibited the airline from flying in their respective airspace. Founded in 1946, PIA is the country’s flag carrier and one of the oldest airlines in Asia. According to Planespotters.net, PIA has a total of 31 aircraft in its fleet with an average age of 14.9 years old. The airline’s fleet comprises 15 Airbus A320s, 12 Boeing 777s, three ATT 42s, and one ATR 72 aircraft. https://simpleflying.com/pakistan-outsource-major-airports/ American Airlines Pilots to Resume Using Expedited Crew TSA Checkpoints in Dispute Over ‘Random’ Screenings The Allied Pilots Association, which represents pilots at American Airlines, has told its members to resume using special expedited TSA security checkpoints that are reserved just for airline crew after a dispute over ‘random’ enhanced checks. Earlier this month, APA president Captain Ed Sicher told pilots at the Dallas Fort Worth-based carrier to bypass the expedited ‘Known Crewmember’ (KCM) lines and instead use normal passenger screening lanes in a move that threatened to overwhelm the TSA. The Known Crewmember program is meant to allow trusted airline personnel like airline pilots and flight attendants to breeze through airport checkpoints with virtually no screening at all but in recent months, the TSA has significantly increased the number of ‘random’ secondary screenings. Sicher blasted that KCM was no longer “expeditious” and that the privilege of using the program “has become anything but due to the rising number of secondary screenings our pilots are being subjected to on a regular basis”. Both APA and the Air Line Pilots Association suggested pilots stop using the KCM lane and instead use the normal passenger screening route. ALPA president Captain Joseph DePete warned this could quickly ‘overwhelm’ the system. But on Friday, Sicher had a change of heart and said his union was no longer recommending pilots to bypass the KCM lane. Created in 2011 as a joint initiative between industry trade group Airlines for America (A4A) and the ALPA, the KCM program was designed to expedite screening for crew members who have already undergone extensive security vetting. The program is now being brought in-house by the TSA and it could be renamed KCM the Expedited Crew Access program. The rise in secondary screenings is said to be in response to headline-grabbing breaches of the program and the TSA says it is “continuously working with our aviation partners to ensure Known Crewmember Program (KCM) compliance”. DePete has complained that ALPA is no longer being included in TSA discussions about the evolving KCM program but on Friday, Sicher said he needed the help of his members to help shape the new program. What that might look like remains to be seen. The APA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/12/30/american-airlines-pilots-to-resume-using-expedited-crew-tsa-checkpoints-in-dispute-over-random-screenings/ COMAC announces delivery of 100th ARJ21 jet First Chinese jetliner entered service in 2016 and had 32 planes delivered in 2022 COMAC, China’s state-owned commercial aircraft manufacturer, celebrated the delivery of the 100th ARJ21-700 jet on December 29. The milestone had been awaited for a few weeks, since the company accelerated deliveries of the 90-seat plane at the end of 2022. The 100th aircraft of the model, registration B-653M, was delivered to Air China, which now has 15 of these aircraft in its fleet. According to Planespotters records, the plane is the 102nd manufactured, including aircraft that are part of COMAC’s own fleet, such as a CBJ, a business version that appeared in the publicity photo. “The delivery of the 100th aircraft after the mass production is an important milestone for any commercial aircraft type. It means that the operating performance and operating level of the ARJ21 aircraft fleet are basically equal to that of mainstream aircraft, indicating that the safety and reliability of this aircraft have been fully tested by airlines and the civil aviation market,” said COMAC in a statement. COMAC celebrated the milestone on December 29 (COMAC) The ARJ21 is the first Chinese initiative to develop an aircraft on its own, however, the jet is actually an update of the MD-80/MD-90 family, from McDonnell Douglas, today Boeing, and which were previously produced under license. Development started in 2002 and five years later the first prototype was presented, performing the maiden flight on November 28, 2008. Flight tests, however, took a long time, due to the lack of experience in the Chinese aeronautical industry. The aircraft served as a learning curve for the more ambitious C919, which has just had its first aircraft delivered to China Eastern Airlines. Although it maintains many visual similarities with the old US jet, the ARJ21-700 has wings with a supercritical design and is equipped with GE CF34 turbofans, the same used in Embraer’s first-generation E-Jets. Chengdu Airlines is the largest operator of the ARJ21 After obtaining operational certification in December 2014, the ARJ21-700 entered service in early 2016 with Chengdu Airlines, which to date is the largest operator of the model, with 28 aircraft. Mass production, however, only started in July 2017 and at a rather slow rate. In the following year, only eight planes left the assembly line, but little by little COMAC has increased the pace of production. In 2021, there were 27 aircraft and in 2022, 32 ARJ21-700s were completed, however, delivered only in the second half. The annual production capacity is 50 aircraft, divided into two assembly lines. Currently, the ARJ21 only has one direct competitor in terms of capacity, the E175, from Embraer, which in a single-class version can carry 88 passengers. However, the two models have minimal chances of competing due to their focus on different markets. While the Embraer jet has the vast majority of orders coming from the US, where it is currently the only aircraft in production to meet the scope clause, the ARJ21 is mostly an aircraft aimed at Chinese airlines. The exception is TransNusa, a small low-cost company from Indonesia, which received the first export ARJ21-700 in December. The company, however, has a Chinese leasing company as one of its partners. https://www.airdatanews.com/comac-announces-delivery-of-100th-arj21-jet/ 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