Flight Safety Information - February 2, 2023 No. 024 In This Issue : Accident: Sunstate DH8D at Brisbane on Feb 1st 2023, turbulence injures two people : Incident: British Airways B789 near Halifax on Feb 1st 2023, smoke in cabin : Incident: Jazz CRJ9 near Thunder Bay on Jan 14th 2023, brakes overheat in cruise flight : Incident: American B773 at Sao Paulo on Jan 22nd 2023, cabin did not pressurize : Incident: Delta BCS1 near Kansas City on Jan 31st 2023, cracked passenger window : Despite the hype, Qantas’ mid-air turnbacks are a sign of strong safety systems : US aviation agency visit to Mexico postponed after domestic system failure : Aircraft damaged as it tried to land at Stansted in strong wind : British Airways Bans Social Media Posting While ‘Flying the Aircraft’ : U.S. House committee to hold aviation safety hearing : The FAA Warns Super Bowl Fans To Leave Their Drones At Home : Singapore Airlines Rolls Out Free WiFi For Business Class Passengers And PPS Club Members : Airbus, Qatar Airways Settle A350 Surface Degradation Dispute : Turkey warns of risks of servicing Russian aircraft : RESEARCH SURVEY Accident: Sunstate DH8D at Brisbane on Feb 1st 2023, turbulence injures two people A Sunstate Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Qantas, registration VH-LQG performing flight QF-2376 from Brisbane,QL to Hervey Bay,QL (Australia), was enroute at FL160 about 90nm north of Brisbane when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. The aircraft subsequently turned around and returned to Brisbane for a safe landing on Brisbane's runway 01L. Five people (passengers and crew) were treated by paramedics, two people were taken to a hospital. The airline reported one flight attendant and a passenger were taken to hospital. A woman with neck pain and a man with head lacerations were taken to a hospital in stable conditions. https://avherald.com/h?article=50498b3a&opt=0 Incident: British Airways B789 near Halifax on Feb 1st 2023, smoke in cabin A British Airways Boeing 787-9, registration G-ZBKL performing flight BA-216 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute at FL380 about 80nm southwest of Hailfax,NS (Canada) when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting smoke in the cabin and decided to divert to Halifax. The aircraft entered a holding at 6000 feet and landed safely on Halifax's runway 05 about 35 minutes after leaving FL380. Fire fighters inspected the aircraft cabin after landing but found no trace of an active fire. Halifax's Fire Services reported an aircraft was inbound with smoke in the cabin (but not in the cockpit) and was holding. After landing all occupants de-planed safely. https://avherald.com/h?article=5049838d&opt=0 Incident: Jazz CRJ9 near Thunder Bay on Jan 14th 2023, brakes overheat in cruise flight A Jazz Aviation Canadair CRJ-705, registration C-FUJZ performing flight QK-8172 from Winnipeg,MB to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 69 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute at FL290 about 200nm northwest of Thunder Bay,ON (Canada) when the crew received a brakes overheat indication. The crew descended the aircraft to FL210, extended the landing gear and lost the temperature indication. Being unsure about the status of the brakes the crew decided to divert to Thunder Bay where the aircraft landed without further incident about 40 minutes after leaving FL290. The Canadian TSB reported the right inboard proximity sensor harness was replaced after a short circuit was discovered. https://avherald.com/h?article=50490a3e&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) with 225 passengers and 14 crew, 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. On Feb 1st 2023 Brazil's CENIPA reported the aircraft suffered a failure in the pressurization system during the climb, the related checklists were accomplished and the aircraft returned to Sao Paulo. The occurrence was rated an incident. https://avherald.com/h?article=50435b9e&opt=0 Incident: Delta BCS1 near Kansas City on Jan 31st 2023, cracked passenger window A Delta Airlines Bombardier CS-Series CS-100, registration N105DU performing flight DL-2699 from Saint Louis,MO to Salt Lake City,UT (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 40nm north of Kansas City,MO (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Kansas City reporting a cracked passenger window. The aircraft landed safely on Kansas City's runway 01L about 25 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Kansas City for about one hour, then continued the journey and reached Salt Lake City with a delay of about 75 minutes delay. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT PASSENGER WINDOW HAD A CRACK AND DIVERTED TO MCI, PAWNEE CITY, NE." https://avherald.com/h?article=504901d3&opt=0 Despite the hype, Qantas’ mid-air turnbacks are a sign of strong safety systems When you’re the CEO of Qantas, people are always keen to tell you how they think the airline is doing. Whatever their feedback is, I always see it first and foremost as a reflection of the strong connection Australia has with its national carrier. To be honest, we know that connection has been tested at times. Six months ago, a lot of people felt we’d let them down and the figures showed why. Almost half our flights were late, our rate of misplaced bags had more than doubled and we were cancelling up to 7 per cent of our schedule. Perception-wise, it didn’t help that this came after some controversial restructuring decisions to make sure we survived COVID. And it didn’t matter that airlines around the world had the same problems as travel restarted. If your flight to the Gold Coast has just been cancelled, it doesn’t make you feel any better to hear the delays are worse in Amsterdam. Knowing that we were routinely letting customers down was hugely disappointing for everyone at Qantas. Last August, we apologised and promised to fix it. And almost every week after that, things improved. We’ve now been the most on-time of the major domestic airlines for five months in a row. Our service levels – bags, cancellations, catering and the call centre – are back to what customers expect from us. As this turnaround was happening, people were talking to me less about flight delays and more about higher fares. The two are related. In order to make our operations more reliable, we had to reduce our flights to give us more buffer. We have more aircraft and crew on standby to step in to deal with the supply chain and sick leave issues that remain. Less supply and lots of demand meant fares went up. Two Qantas flights turned back to Melbourne in less than two hours Two Qantas flights from Melbourne have been hit by mid-air mechanical issues, forcing the planes to turn around and land back at Tullamarine. Higher fares also reflect inflation in general and higher fuel prices in particular, which are up 65 per cent in the past six months compared with pre-COVID. Naturally, that flows through to how much you pay for a flight. There’s not much we can do about the cost of things such as fuel, but the fact our operations have stabilised means we can steadily put capacity back in. Two more Qantas flights turned back to Melbourne Airport on Friday Domestically, we’re almost back to 100 per cent of pre-COVID flying levels. Internationally, we’ll be about 80 per cent by the middle of the year, and we’ve recently seen most of our competitors announce a major ramp up in their capacity – so you can expect to see fares trend down, keeping in mind we’re all paying more for most things at the moment. More recently, the conversation has been about Qantas mid-air turnbacks, in which a plane returns to its departure city due to safety concerns. These have received a huge amount of attention because we had several in quick succession, but despite the hype, they are actually a symptom of strong safety systems. Our pilots always err on the side of caution because that’s what we train them to do. If an onboard system isn’t working the way it should, they will often decide to land rather than pressing on to the destination. I encourage them to keep doing it. And despite the obvious inconvenience, I think most of our customers do, too. Globally, the industry sees well over 10,000 air returns a year. Looking at our data, there’s no change from our average rate of turn-backs before and after COVID, which for Qantas is about 60 a year, or one in 2000 flights. Our regional arm QantasLink has more, at over 200 a year, because they have more flights and it makes more sense to return to a major city than fly on to a remote town that doesn’t have the same level of technical support. If you’re flying on an aircraft that has an issue, it’s not because it’s not well looked after. It’s because they are incredibly complex pieces of equipment with many layers of redundancy. Our approach to engineering hasn’t changed since pre-COVID. There are multiple safeguards for everything that happens in and around an aircraft, which is critical because no one is perfect. And that is ultimately why aviation in this country is so safe. We will always put safety before schedule. But as the figures and our record shows, Qantas is back to delivering on both. https://www.smh.com.au/national/despite-the-hype-qantas-mid-air-turnbacks-are-a-sign-of-strong-safety-systems-20230202-p5chfz.html US aviation agency visit to Mexico postponed after domestic system failure A meeting originally scheduled for Thursday to assess the corrective action plan that could help Mexico regain its Category 1 of aviation safety rating was canceled last-minute by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Billy Nolen, acting head of the FAA who was supposed to arrive in Mexico City on Thursday morning, canceled the trip due to an overnight system collapse on Tuesday that left pilots, airlines and airports in the United States without crucial safety information. “The FAA requested to reschedule the meeting and make the visit to Mexico as soon as possible,” the Mexican aviation agency AFAC said in a statement. The meeting had been scheduled as part of a plan to recover the coveted Category 1 air safety rating given by the FAA, which was downgraded for Category 2 (the lowest level) in May 2021. At that time, the FAA said that they demoted Mexico because its civil aviation authority didn’t meet the safety standards set by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Holding a Category 2 rating has prevented Mexican airlines from opening new routes to the U.S., increasing flight frequencies and adding new aircrafts that can enter the country. It also limits Mexican airlines to carry out marketing agreements with U.S. carriers. According to Minister of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Jorge Nuño Lara, who made an appearance before Congress in December 2022, a final audit is expected for February after which a decision on whether Mexico can recover Category 1 would be reached. The rating would be then granted by April. However, it is yet to be seen if the cancellation of Thursday’s meeting would have any repercussions on the action plan or approval timeline. https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/faa-visit-mexico-postponed-system-failure/ Aircraft damaged as it tried to land at Stansted in strong wind The incident happened as the aircraft came into land at London Stansted Airport An aircraft was severely damaged after losing control as it attempted to land in strong wind, investigators said. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the Challenger 604 was coming into land at London Stansted Airport in Essex on 31 January 2022. It said the aircraft "floated above the runway at about 10ft above ground level" and "diverged off the runway". A go-around was then executed and the aircraft diverted to London Gatwick Airport. After successfully landing at Gatwick in East Sussex with no injuries reported, the aircraft was described by the AAIB as "severely damaged" after the left wing had made contact with the grass at Stansted after it rolled off the runway. The AAIB said its investigation was "nearly complete" and the final report would be published later this year. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-64483789 British Airways Bans Social Media Posting While ‘Flying the Aircraft’ CABIN PRESSURE Commercial pilots and cabin crew have amassed armies of loyal followers on social media by giving insights into their high-flying jobs, but one airline would like their workers to be a little more grounded. British Airways updated its social media guidelines this week to ask employees not to “post on social media or capture content when [they] are professionally engaged in [their] job,” according to Simple Flying, which has seen the policy. While some lamented the new restrictions, the airline defended its decision. “We’ve given our people clarity about what’s appropriate and when,” a British Airways spokesperson told Simple Flying. “For example, when our colleagues are flying an aircraft, they’re responsible for the safety of everyone onboard. It’s not unreasonable to ask them to wait until their break to take photos.” The spokesperson added that the rules haven’t really changed, just that it’s now clearer “what is and isn’t acceptable.” “The guidelines ask colleagues not to post to social media when professionally engaged in their job (e.g. serving customers onboard, flying the aircraft),” they said. https://www.thedailybeast.com/british-airways-bans-social-media-posting-while-flying-the-aircraft U.S. House committee to hold aviation safety hearing WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Federal Aviation Administration safety official, National Transportation Safety Board chair and head of the largest pilots union are among those who will testify on Feb. 7 before Congress. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing "Enhancing America’s Gold Standard in Aviation Safety" comes amid growing scrutiny of the FAA after a computer outage last month led to the first nationwide groundstop since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and disrupted more than 11,000 flights. Associate FAA Administrator for Aviation Safety David Boulter, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, Air Line Pilots Association President Jason Ambrosi, National Business Aviation Association CEO Ed Bolen and General Aviation Manufacturers Association CEO Pete Bunce are among the witnesses, the committee said Wednesday. Lawmakers are considering possible reforms to the FAA ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize the agency. "The FAA is running on autopilot. You can only run on autopilot so long before you run out of gas, you wake up and you're over Utah," said Representative Sam Graves, a Republican who chairs the transportation panel. Billy Nolen, the head of aviation safety, has been acting FAA administrator since April 1 when Steve Dickson left halfway through his five-year term. The Senate Commerce Committee has yet to schedule a hearing on President Joe Biden's FAA nominee who has drawn fire from Republicans. Nolen declined to respond to Graves' criticism. After two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, Congress passed sweeping legislation to reform how the FAA certifies new aircraft. Lawmakers said in a 2020 report "the FAA failed in its oversight of Boeing and its certification of the aircraft." Last month, the FAA named two dozen experts to review Boeing’s safety management processes and safety culture. On Friday, the FAA told lawmakers it made changes to prevent a repeat of a computer system outage that led to the Jan. 11 groundstop. https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/business/reuters/us-house-committee-to-hold-aviation-safety-hearing-100820468/ The FAA Warns Super Bowl Fans To Leave Their Drones At Home Restrictions will cover the area surrounding the stadium on game day and parts of downtown Phoenix over the weekend. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is introducing significant flight restrictions ahead of the NFL Super Bowl this month. The Temporary Flight Restrictions for Super Bowl LVII are centered around State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles on February 12th. The game will be the stadium's third time hosting the Super Bowl and its first since 2015. The Super Bowl LVII will be a No Drone Zone. The game has been designated as a designated National Security Special Event, prompting additional unmanned aircraft restrictions to be implemented before, during, and after the game, which kicks off at approximately 16:30 local time. Drone activity will be prohibited unless otherwise authorized for several days before and after the event. The use of unmanned ariel surveillance will not be allowed in the vicinity of the stadium and downtown Phoniex for all operations on Game Day, Sunday, February 12th: Restrictions begin at 11:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST) within two nautical miles around the stadium up to 2,000 feet in altitude. The restrictions expand as the game approaches, with an expanded zone of 30 nautical miles radius and up to 18,000 feet in altitude coming into effect from 15:30 until 21:00 MST. Restrictions for downtown Phoenix will be in effect for several days surrounding the event. Drone flying will be prohibited on McDowell Road, W. Lincoln Street, North Ninth Street, and North Ninth Avenue. Those will be up to an altitude of 1,000 feet for the following times: February 9th, 2023, 06:00-24:00 MST February 10th, 2023, 06:00-24:00 MST February 11th, 2023, 06:00-24:00 MST February 12th, 2023, 06:00-24:00 MST The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed that any person who knowingly and willingly violates these restrictions may be subject to criminal and civil penalties with fines up to $30,000. General aviation and commercial flight restrictions The FAA is also ramping up flight restrictions in the Phoenix area ahead of an influx of flights to the area surrounding the game. A ramp reservation program is in effect for arrivals and departures, including drop-and-goes, to and from airports in the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas between Thursday, February 9th, and Monday, February 13th. Training flights and student solo cross-country flights are highly discouraged in the Phoenix metro area. Practice approaches, touch-and-go landings, and other training operations may be limited or suspended. However, flight restrictions will not affect regularly scheduled commercial flights and air taxi operations in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Emergency medical, public safety, and military aircraft will still be able to enter the restricted zone in coordination with air traffic control. The special air traffic procedures to minimize delays and ensure safety will be in effect for the following airports: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT) Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR) Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) Scottsdale Airport (SDL) Glendale Municipal Airport (GEU) Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD) Falcon Field Airport (FFZ) The reservation program to facilitate aircraft parking will also extend to the following Nevada airports from February 9th to 13th. Private pilots are instructed to contact the Fixed Base Operator at the respective airports to obtain reservations and additional information. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) North Las Vegas Airport (VGT) Henderson Executive Airport (HND) Pilots who violate the security procedures may be intercepted, detained, and interviewed by Law Enforcement/Security Personnel. Rulebreakers may also be subject to penalties, including the suspension or revocation of airmen certificates and criminal charges. In extreme instances, the United States Government may use deadly force against the airborne aircraft if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat. Source: Federal Aviation Administration https://simpleflying.com/faa-warns-against-super-bowl-drones/ Singapore Airlines Rolls Out Free WiFi For Business Class Passengers And PPS Club Members The carrier's improved inflight WiFi offering is now available on almost its entire fleet. Singapore Airlines is already renowned for its exceptional inflight experience, winning accolades such as World’s Best Airline Cabin Staff and World’s Best First Class at last year’s Skytrax World Airline Awards. The carrier is now taking its onboard offering one step further, and has become one of the first in the world to roll out complimentary WiFi access across its fleet. Passengers traveling in the airline’s Suites, First Class, and Business Class, as well as members of its PPS Club, will now enjoy complimentary unlimited inflight WiFi. The benefit is also partially extended to KrisFlyer members, who will receive a free three-hour WiFi plan when traveling in Premium Economy, and a free two-hour plan when traveling in Economy Class. Inflight WiFi is available on all of Singapore Airlines’ 153 aircraft, with the exception of its seven Boeing 737-800s, which are not WiFi-enabled. The airline’s senior vice president of customer experience, Yeoh Phee Teik, welcomed the move, saying, “Staying connected, even at 35,000 feet in the air, has become an essential aspect of the travel experience. With our enhanced Wi-Fi offerings, SIA’s customers can stay in touch with their loved ones, post photos and videos on their social media channels, or keep updated on the latest news. These changes are in response to customer feedback, and part of SIA’s continuous investment to enhance their travel experience and maintain our leadership position.” A simplified approach to inflight WiFi PPS Club members KrisFlyer members Non-KrisFlyer members Suites and First Class Unlimited free WiFi Unlimited free WiFi Unlimited free WiFi Business Class Premium Economy Class 3 hours' free WiFi WiFi packages available for purchase Economy Class 2 hours' free WiFi This is a significant upgrade to the airline’s offering. Previously, Business Class passengers and PPS Club members were given 100MB worth of complimentary WiFi, while KrisFlyer members traveling in Premium Economy and Economy Class were offered a two-hour complimentary WiFi plan that was optimized only for messaging services. What about non-KrisFlyer members? WiFi plans are also available for purchase for passengers who are not KrisFlyer members or who have consumed their complimentary package. These range from $3.99 for one hour to $13.99 for the entire duration of the flight. Non-KrisFlyer members are encouraged to sign up as a KrisFlyer member to enjoy complimentary inflight WiFi. KrisFlyer status is earned by accumulating flying miles, whereas PPS Club status is generated by spending on the airline’s premium cabins – Suites, First Class, and Business Class. Staying ahead of the competition Singapore Airlines prides itself on being at the forefront of rolling out complimentary WiFi access to its premium passengers and KrisFlyer members. However, there are a small (but growing) number of airlines around the world to offer free inflight WiFi to all passengers, regardless of travel class or frequent flyer status. JetBlue is currently the only US carrier to do so across its entire fleet. A number of other airlines offer the service only on certain WiFi-enabled aircraft types, such as Hainan Airlines’ Boeing 787s and Air New Zealand’s Airbus A320neos. https://simpleflying.com/singapore-airlines-free-wifi-business-class/ Airbus, Qatar Airways Settle A350 Surface Degradation Dispute Airbus and Qatar Airways have reached what they call an amicable and mutually agreeable settlement of their legal dispute over A350 airframe surface degradation and the grounding of 21 aircraft, the European airframer said on Wednesday. The settlement paves the way for Airbus to proceed with deliveries of 50 A321s and resume shipments of 23 A350s to the Qatari flag carrier, an Airbus spokesman confirmed to AIN. A repair project for Qatar’s grounded A350s has begun, said Airbus, which added that the settlement details will remain confidential. As part of the settlement, neither party admits any liability. Qatar grounded the Airbus A350s in the summer of 2021 due to what it called an “accelerated” condition affecting the surface of the composite aircraft below the paint, as mandated by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA). As a result, the national airline said it would “reluctantly” reintroduce to temporary service five of its 10 grounded Airbus A380s due to what it called a capacity shortage caused by its grounding of A350s. Airbus, however, insisted that it thoroughly assessed the surface paint-related findings and that the European Aviation Safety Agency confirmed it presented no airworthiness effect on the A350 fleet. The rift widened yet further with comments in late 2021 by the airline’s CEO, Akbar Al Baker, suggesting that the problem affects A350s flying for other carriers as well, and that Airbus had yet to understand the underlying cause. The sides reached a total impasse in December 2021, when Qatar filed suit in the High Court in London over surface degradation in 21 of the airline’s A350s. The $600 million claim came 11 days after Airbus said it would seek “an independent legal assessment” over what it called Qatar’s mischaracterizations of the issue as an airworthiness concern. “The attempt by this customer to misrepresent this specific topic as an airworthiness issue represents a threat to the international protocols on safety matters,” said Airbus in a statement, without naming Qatar Airways directly. The OEM insisted that it had “worked actively” with customers to minimize the effect of the condition and any inconvenience it might have caused. “These solutions have all been dismissed by the above-mentioned customer without legitimate justification,” it added. “In parallel, Airbus is working to re-establish a constructive dialogue with its customer on this matter but is not willing to accept inaccurate statements of this kind to continue.” Airbus kept its word in January of last year when it canceled an order for 50 A321neos from Qatar. The contract, which called for first deliveries this year, originally specified 40 smaller A320neos and was renegotiated in 2017 to increase the number and size of airplanes to 50 A321neos. Finally, in September last year, Airbus canceled the remaining 23 A350s scheduled for delivery to Qatar. In Wednesday’s statement, Airbus welcomed the prospect of a return to a normalized relationship with the airline. “This agreement will enable Qatar Airways and Airbus to move forward and work together as partners,” it said. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-02-01/airbus-qatar-airways-settle-a350-surface-degradation-dispute Turkey warns of risks of servicing Russian aircraft Turkey may refuse to service Aeroflot airliners Earlier, NV reported that U.S. officials are putting pressure on Turkey to ban Russian airlines from flying in and out of the country on American-made aircraft. Erna warns that it may stop accepting approximately 170 Boeing aircraft in the fleets of airlines from Russia, Belarus, Iran, and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. Airbus-made aircraft may also fall under this cessation of service, he added. Most of the listed aircraft in the letter belong to Russian national aviation carrier Aeroflot. There were also aircraft from Belarus' Belavia and Iran's Iran Air and Mahan Air. In addition to planes from various airlines, the Havaş list also includes Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Gulfstream G650 business jets. According to the company, they belong to the sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, though a representative of Abramovich told RBC that the oligarch does not have any aircraft in Turkey. Havaş is owned by TAV Airports, the leading operator of Turkish airports. This company operates 90 airports in 29 countries and serves aircraft at the airports of Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, and others. Russian airlines, due to sanctions and other restrictive measures, are able to fly to only eight countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, the UAE, and Uzbekistan. https://www.yahoo.com/news/turkey-warns-risks-servicing-russian-102100255.html 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