Flight Safety Information - January 25, 2023 No. 018 In This Issue : Incident: Canada A321 near Montreal on Jan 12th 2023, hydraulic problems : Incident: Canada B772 near Quebec City on Jan 12th 2023, cabin pressure problems : Incident: British Airways A320 near Verona on Jan 23rd 2023, strange odours on board : Incident: Gol B737 near Port Seguro on Jan 22nd 2023, engine shut down in flight : Incident: American B773 at Sao Paulo on Jan 22nd 2023, cabin did not pressurize : US airport worker warned before being sucked into jet engine : What Is A Designated Pilot Examiner & Why Is There A Shortage Of Them? : Long Beach man arrested for shining lasers at aircraft : ISASI - Kapustin Memorial Scholarship : RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Canada A321 near Montreal on Jan 12th 2023, hydraulic problems An Air Canada Airbus A321-200, registration C-FLKX performing flight AC-418 from Toronto,ON to Montreal,QC (Canada), was enroute when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting a problem with a hydraulic system. The aircraft continued to Montreal for a safe landing. The aircraft stopped on the runway for an inspection by emergency services before continuing to the apron. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=504368bb&opt=0 Incident: Canada B772 near Quebec City on Jan 12th 2023, cabin pressure problems An Air Canada Boeing 777-200, registration C-FNND performing flight AC-42 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Delhi (India) with 307 passengers and 16 crew, was enroute at FL310 about 60nm southeast of Quebec City,QC (Canada) when the crew received multiple status messages regarding the left hand air conditioning pack and and cabin altitude control and declared PAN PAN. The crew decided to return to Toronto, descended the aircraft to FL300 initially and dumped fuel near Toronto. The aircraft landed safely back in Toronto about 3:20 hours after departure. The Canadian TSB reported the air supply and cabin pressure controller was replaced. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=504367df&opt=0 Incident: British Airways A320 near Verona on Jan 23rd 2023, strange odours on board A British Airways Airbus A320-200, registration G-GATS performing flight BA-2596 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Verona (Italy) with 151 passengers and 7 crew, was descending towards Verona when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Verona's runway 04. The airline reported a minor technical issue. Passengers reported there were strange odours on board, they could see the flight crew wearing their oxygen masks. The airport confirmed the crew had requested priority for landing. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 8 hours, then performed the return flight to London reaching Gatwick with a delay of about 7.5 hours. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=504363f9&opt=0 Incident: Gol B737 near Port Seguro on Jan 22nd 2023, engine shut down in flight A Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-800, registration PR-GED performing flight G3-9171 from Joao Pessoa,PB to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) with 137 passengers and 5 passengers, was enroute at FL360 about 140nm west of Porto Seguro,BA (Brazil) when the crew observed a low oil quantity indication for the left hand engine (CFM56) followed by a low oil pressure indication. The crew shut the engine down and diverted to Porto Seguro for a safe landing on runway 10 about 30 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft returned to service after about 43 hours on the ground. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=5043614c&opt=0 Incident: American B773 at Sao Paulo on Jan 22nd 2023, cabin did not pressurize An American Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration N730AN performing flight AA-950 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was climbing out of Sao Paulo when the aircraft initiated a rapid descent at about FL210 down to FL120 due to the cabin not pressurizing normally, the passenger oxygen masks deployed. The aircraft returned to Sao Paulo for a safe landing on Guarulhos' runway 28R about 45 minutes after departure. As result of the landing roll brakes overheated causing a number of main tyres to deflate. Passengers reported the captain announced a cabin pressure problem, the oxygen masks were released. The airline reported mechanical problems as cause for the return. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=50435b9e&opt=0 US airport worker warned before being sucked into jet engine Alabama crew had ‘safety huddle’ about how to move around the plane and employee who was killed received warning to stay back The pilots of the American Eagle jet had decided to leave the plane running at the airport gate for a cool-down period of two minutes because an auxiliary power unit on board wasn’t working. A worker at an airport in Alabama who died after being sucked into a jet engine this past New Year’s Eve had been warned repeatedly about the dangers of going near it, federal investigators revealed this week. The Montgomery regional airport employee, along with other colleagues of the facility’s ground crew, had undergone a “safety huddle” about how to move around the plane at the center of the case 10 minutes before it arrived at the gate on 31 December, and there was another similar briefing just before the aircraft arrived at the gate, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a report Monday. The pilots of the American Eagle jet had decided to leave the plane running at the airport gate for a cool-down period of two minutes because an auxiliary power unit on board wasn’t working, and the engines needed to stay on until the plane could be linked up to a power source on the ground, said the report from the agency which investigates aviation-related deaths. According to the report, the pilots of the plane alerted airport workers that the engines would stay on for a time. The American Eagle manual warns ground crew to stay at least 15ft back from the front of an engine until its blades stop spinning. The airport crew also had two safety huddles where they were told to not go by the plane until the engines turned off, and rotating beacons on the plane warned employees that the engines were still firing, the report noted. The employee who was ultimately killed received one more warning to stay back from a co-worker after nearly getting knocked over by exhaust from the jet. Nonetheless, the report added, the admonished employee soon walked in front of one of the engines. The employee was sucked into the engine and killed, investigators said. The co-worker described hearing a “bang” as the engine shut down, and the pilots said they felt the plane shake violently before they realized what happened. The plane was carrying 63 passengers and crew members while being operated by American Airlines affiliate Envoy Air. The report doesn’t name the killed worker. But, according to the local news website al.com, the union that represented her identified her as Courtney Edwards. Edwards was a ground handling agent for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines. A statement from the Communication Workers of America union provided to al.com called Edwards’ death “heartbreaking” and a “terrible tragedy”. “Courtney … was away from her family working on New Year’s Eve making sure passengers go to where they needed to be for the holidays,” the union statement said. “She represents the very best of our [airport workers], who constantly make sacrifices to serve the flying public.” An online GoFundMe campaign established to assist Edwards’ family had raised nearly $100,000 as of Tuesday. Her survivors included three children and her mother. Neither officials with the airport nor Edwards’ employer immediately responded to the NTSB report. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/25/alabama-airport-worker-killed-jet-engine-safety-warnings What Is A Designated Pilot Examiner & Why Is There A Shortage Of Them? Designated Pilot Examiners DPE) serve an important role in pilot certification. They conduct practical flight tests, yet their numbers are shrinking. In The United States, pilots working toward a new flight certificate will usually need to take two tests: a computerized knowledge test that covers theoretical subjects and a practical flight test to assess their airmanship skills. The latter often referred to as ‘checkrides’ are conducted by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors or seasoned aviators designated by the agency to provide this testing. These non-government pilots are called Designated Pilot Examiners (DPE) and often conduct the majority of the checkrides on behalf of the FAA. However, pilots may choose to instead elect an inspector. Why? The FAA doesn’t charge nearly as much as a DPE, and that alone could be enough to sway some pilots. The 123 of DPEs Since DPEs are acting under the auspices of the FAA, the government sets high standards to apply, become and maintain DPE status. According to the FAA, all applicants must meet the following criteria: • Holds all pertinent category, class, and type ratings for each aircraft related to their designation; • Meets requirements of 14 CFR part 61, sections 61.56, 61.57, and 61.58, as appropriate; • Is current and qualified to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of each aircraft for which they are authorized; • Maintains at least a third-class medical certificate, if required, and maintains a current flight instructor certificate, if required. • A DPE for a rotorcraft/helicopter designation must hold the appropriate category, class, and, if appropriate, type ratings. • Flight time requirements are at least 2,000 hours of total pilot-in-command (PIC) time (100 during the previous 12 months) and 500 hours of dual instruction given. DPE candidates focusing on conducting practical tests for rotorcraft will have their examination authorization issued based on each make and basic model of helicopter, regardless of the aircraft's size and power. Even after having their application accepted, DP candidates are required to pass an evaluation review panel before being allowed to begin their next stage of processing which includes an interview and proficiency flight training with an FAA inspector. A shortage of DPEs creates checkride backlog The ongoing pilot shortage in the United States was the impetus for a substantial spike in flight training across the nation. The result is a considerable increase in pilots seeking new certificates, which requires DPEs to conduct practical tests. However, while the country continues to see increasing pilot applicants, there has been a reduction in DPEs over the last few years. This has created a slowdown in checkrides. Full-time DPEs can earn a good living conducting practical tests since it is common for each examiner to charge $500-$800 per session. So, why is there a shortage? One reason may be age since a large number DPEs are reaching retirement years, which means either reduced work hours or leaving the world of testing altogether. Another reason has been an issue building over the past few years. Before 2018, the FAA limited the geographical region in which DPEs were allowed to work. In addition, they were limited in checkride numbers per day. The aviation agency noticed a need for more DPEs starting to take place. As a result, the government’s policies changed and lifted the geographic limitation. This allows DPEs to conduct practical tests anywhere in the country. Also, in 2018, the FAA increased the daily test limit to three per day per DPE. The streamlined programme will ease the process for student pilots looking to join airlines. Photo: Piper Aircraft So, will these changes help increase the number of DPEs? The Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) hopes so, but is putting forward its effort to recruit examiners. Last October, the organization held the first-ever Designated Pilot Examiners Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona. Hoping to entice seasoned and novice pilots to consider careers as a DPE, the FSANA held several workshops to inform would-be examiners about the requirements and benefits of reaching this distinguished level of flight certification. Will these government and private-sector efforts pay off? Time will tell. For now, the shortage continues, and pilot applicants must learn stick and rudder skills and some much-needed patience in scheduling a checkride. https://simpleflying.com/designated-pilot-examiner-shortge-guide/ Long Beach man arrested for shining lasers at aircraft The Long Beach Police Department has arrested a 46-year-old man for pointing a laser at passing aircraft, including a police helicopter. On Jan. 18, detectives and FBI agents arrested Long Beach resident Mark Allen Barger outside his residence in the 1600 block of Silva Street. They claimed they witnessed him shine a high-powered laser at LBPD's "FOX" helicopter multiple times. According to police, Barger has been doing this to commercial airliners and private planes near the Long Beach Airport for nearly a year. They believe went to the extent to anticipate the arrival of aircraft and intentionally pointed his laser into the cockpit of those aircraft. Bargers has been booked on one count of felony discharge of a laser at an occupied aircraft. He's also accused of violating his parole and is being held with no bail. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/long-beach-man-arrested-for-shining-lasers-at-aircraft/ ISASI - Kapustin Memorial Scholarship The Kapustin Memorial Scholarship for 2023 is now open! Royal Aeronautical Society: Human Factors Group: Engineer conference 2023 Better by Design: Designing Out Maintenance Error 9 February 2023 at 4 Hamilton Place, London, W1J 7BQ and online 0900 - 1730 GMT Are you or your Company, or Organisation involved in designing aircraft and their systems, or in maintaining aircraft that you think could be designed in a way that would make maintenance more efficient and less prone to mistakes? Do you educate or train people who go on to design aircraft or their systems? Have you an involvement in setting standards or regulating design organisations? When things do go wrong, are you involved in trying to understand why? Then this is the conference for you. RAeS Human Factors Specialist Group Conference: Better by Design - Designing Out Maintenance Error (aerosociety.com) RESEARCH SURVEY Greetings, My name is Nurettin Dinler, Research Scholar and PhD student at Department of Aviation Science, Saint Louis University working with Nithil Bollock Kumar, PhD Candidate, Gajapriya Tamilselvan, PhD, and Stephen Belt, PhD. We are working on a research project titled “Low-Cost Airline Pilots on Exercising Fuel-Loading Policies during Flight: A Phenomenological Exploration Study.” I am writing this e-mail to invite you to participate in a research study that we are conducting at Saint Louis University. Your participation in this study will involve taking a semi-structured interview that lasts for about 30 minutes. During the interview, you will be questioned about your experiences with Low-Cost Airlines’ fuel-loading policies developed to minimize pilot discretionary (extra) fuel. There is no compensation provided for your participation in the study. However, your participation will be a valuable addition to our research and your findings could lead to greater understanding of risk management for pilots and the sources of stressors in commercial aviation. Participation is completely voluntary, and your participation will remain confidential throughout the process of research. If you are interested in participating in this research, please take a moment to complete the survey at the following link: https://slu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0l9Awl5UkXDiKRo If you have any questions, please contact me at 321-245-8628 or nurettin.dinler@slu.edu Thank you for your time and consideration. Regards, Nurettin Dinler, M.S. Research Scholar Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science School of Science and Engineering McDonnell Douglas Hall, Lab 1046 3450 Lindell Blvd., St Louis, MO 63103 nurettin.dinler@slu.edu (321) 245-8628 Curt Lewis