Flight Safety Information - March 24, 2023 No. 057 In This Issue : Incident: Southwest B737 near Las Vegas on Mar 22nd 2023, captain incapacitated : Incident: British Airways A320 near Zurich on Mar 23rd 2023, steam on the flight deck : Incident: El Al B738 over Mediterranean on Mar 23rd 2023, smoke in cockpit : How Turbulence From An Airbus A380 Once Caused A Private Jet To Roll In Mid-Air : How Many Hours Must Pilots Fly Annually To Retain Their Various Certifications? : FAA investigates loss of 'standard separation' between 3 aircraft near DFW Airport : Woman carried off plane in Miami after trying to fight passenger, bite cops : Short on fuel, F100 flew below landing minima : Emirates expands flight training academy’s aircraft fleet : THE TEAMSTERS STRONGLY SUPPORT THE GLOBAL AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT : Boeing, Embry-Riddle Partner on $5.1 Million Center to Advance Aviation Safety Incident: Southwest B737 near Las Vegas on Mar 22nd 2023, captain incapacitated A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7855A performing flight WN-6013 from Las Vegas,NV to Columbus,OH (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 160nm northeast of Las Vegas when the first officer advised ATC that the captain was complaining about stomach pain and subsequently became incapacitated. An fully licensed off-duty pilot of another airline assisted the first officer by taking over radio communication, while the first officer returned the aircraft to Las Vegas and the captain was treated in the back of the cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Las Vegas runway 26R about 65 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Las Vegas when one of the pilots needed medical attention. A licensed pilot from another airline with full credentials assisted with radio communication. A replacement crew operated the aircraft to Columbus. https://avherald.com/h?article=506dc0ac&opt=0 Incident: British Airways A320 near Zurich on Mar 23rd 2023, steam on the flight deck A British Airways Airbus A320-200, registration G-EUUC performing flight BA-718 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Zurich (Switzerland), was descending towards Zurich when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting steam on the flight deck. The aircraft continued towards Zurich for a safe landing on runway 14 about 20 minutes later. Emergency services inspected the aircraft before the aircraft continued to taxi to the apron. https://avherald.com/h?article=506db66b&opt=0 Incident: El Al B738 over Mediterranean on Mar 23rd 2023, smoke in cockpit An El Al Boeing 737-800, registration 4X-EKI performing flight LY-383 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy), was enroute at FL360 about 210nm west of Larnaca (Cyprus) when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke on the flight deck, turned around and diverted to Larnaca for a safe landing on runway 04 about 35 minutes after the decision to divert. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped clear of the runway for an inspection by emergency services before taxiing to the apron. https://avherald.com/h?article=506dba14&opt=0 How Turbulence From An Airbus A380 Once Caused A Private Jet To Roll In Mid-Air The aircraft landed safely but had to be written off. Recent stories have seen the danger of turbulence thrust back into the public eye, such as incidents involving a Condor Airbus A330neo that saw 20 passengers injured due to turbulence. However, did you know that a private jet once rolled in mid-air due to turbulence from a passing Airbus A380? This is how the events unfolded. The aircraft were heading in opposite directions The incident occurred just over six years ago, on January 7th, 2017. The private jet that would later get caught up in an A380's turbulence was a Bombardier Challenger 604 that, according to the Aviation Safety Network, bore the registration D-AMSC. It had six passengers and three crew onboard, and first flew in 2000. The aircraft's operator at the time was MHS Aviation, and it was flying from Malé's Velana International Airport (MLE) in the Maldives to Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) in the UAE. Meanwhile, the Airbus A380 whose turbulence it encountered was an Emirates aircraft flying out of Dubai International Airport (DXB). This double-decker quadjet bore the registration A6-EUL, and it was flying to Australia's Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) as Emirates flight EK412, a service that still operates today. Interestingly enough, the Bombardier Challenger and the Airbus A380 departed just three minutes apart, at 06:52 and 06:55 UTC respectively. Turbulent terror As the two aircraft cruised towards their respective destinations, the Challenger 604 was flying at an altitude of 34,000 feet. Meanwhile, traveling in the opposite direction, the A380 was just 1,000 feet higher, at flight level 350. The two aircraft crossed paths at 08:38 UTC, while flying over the Arabian Sea in Indian airspace. As the OPS Group notes, the turbulence generated by the Airbus A380 didn't impact the Challenger immediately. Indeed, its effects were instead first felt some 48 seconds after their paths crossed, by which time the two aircraft were already 15 NM (27.8 km) away from each other. Nonetheless, it significantly impacted the jet. Indeed, CNBC reported at the time that the impacts of the superjumbo's wake turbulence had caused the private jet to roll at least three times. This movement threw the jet's passengers and other objects around the cabin causing multiple hospitalizations and one serious injury among those onboard the luxurious aircraft. The end of the line despite a safe landing The Flight Safety Foundation notes that, equally terrifyingly, the aircraft also lost around 9,000 feet of altitude as it rolled over and over in mid-air. The incident also caused multiple instrument failures, with the pilots only able to tell the difference between the sea and the sky by identifying the presence of clouds in the vicinity. Needless to say, it was imperative to get the aircraft on the ground promptly after such a serious incident. As such, rather than continuing to Abu Dhabi as planned, the pilots of the stricken Bombardier Challenger 604 instead opted to divert to Muscat International Airport (MCT) in Oman. Despite landing safety, AINonline reports that the aircraft ultimately had to be written off and sold for parts. https://simpleflying.com/how-airbus-a380-turbulence-caused-private-jet-roll/ How Many Hours Must Pilots Fly Annually To Retain Their Various Certifications? The FAA values recent experience over quantity of experience. Here's a quick look at how. It would be natural to assume this question would have a straightforward, quantitative answer; surely, there is a clear number of flight hours codified in law somewhere, that a pilot can clearly see if he or she has met the required time to stay current. This assumption, though reasonable, would be incorrect. This question on maintaining certifications is far from easy to answer. The difficulty lies, in part, that rules for maintaining certifications – what I will often refer to as maintaining ‘currency’ – differ for pilots operating at an airline from pilots operating privately. Because of this, we will look at the requirements for both airline pilots and pilots operating privately. This is a basic guide and not an exhaustive look at the law. But first, it is important to distinguish that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) values recent experience over a pilot’s logbook size. Said another way, for example, a pilot with 10,000 hours has vast experience, but if they haven’t flown in a year, they are not as current as a pilot with 1,000 hours, all of which he flew in the last 3 years. This is because flying is a complex task requiring both physical and mental excellence. Plus, regulations around flying, airspace, and other rules tend to change frequently, and active, recent pilots often have a better handle on the latest rules or regulatory guidance. With this said, the FAA does not require a minimum number of flight hours per year for a pilot to maintain currency in his or her certifications. Recent experience trumps hours. Flying for fun Keeping certifications required for the recreational pilot – the term I’m using to describe flying for fun – generally comes down to the basic rules of Part 61, the part of the law dealing with pilot qualifications and certifications. Simplified, a pilot must have logged 3 takeoffs and landings to carry passengers in the last 90 days. If carrying passengers at night, the pilot must have logged 3 takeoffs and landings at night in the last 90 days. Further, the pilot must receive a flight review every 24 calendar months. This event is a minimum of 1 hour of ground instruction and a minimum of 1 hour of flight time with a certified flight instructor. The ground time is meant to review relevant or new regulations, and the time in the air is meant to review the proficiency of the pilot. Another set of requirements must be met if the pilot has an instrument rating – simplified, 6 instrument approaches and a holding pattern in actual or simulated instrument conditions are required within the last 6 months. Flying for airlines Airline pilots must also log 3 takeoffs and landings in the last 90 days, with no distinction between day and night, and these can be done in a qualified full-motion simulator. All airline pilots have an instrument rating, but the required currency mentioned above does not apply to airline operations, often referred to as ‘Part 121,’ referring to the section of the law regulating airlines. Airline pilots must also attend recurrent ground school and simulator events, at least annually but sometimes as often as every 6 months, depending on the program operated by the pilot’s airline. The subject and frequency of this training are spelled out in the airline’s Advanced Qualification Program, or AQP, an FAA-approved airline training and recurrent program run by the airline. An FAA-approved AQP program is an alternate means of recurrent compliance with Part 121 regulations. The FAA estimates that nearly 90% of all U.S. airline pilots participate in AQP through their respective employer airlines. https://simpleflying.com/pilots-minimum-hours-per-year-guide/ FAA investigates loss of 'standard separation' between 3 aircraft near DFW Airport IRVING (CBSNewsTexas.com) – CBS News Texas has confirmed that the Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into a situation involving three commercial jetliners that were in holding patterns near DFW Airport on March 16, due to inclement weather. Preliminary information from the FAA shows the pilots of FedEx flight 3952 took corrective action after an automated alert in the cockpit from the onboard Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alerted the pilots that UPS Flight 5510, a Boeing 747, was closer than normal required separation distances. In responding to the alert, the FedEx pilots descended into a 1,000 foot vertical safety buffer between it and United Airlines Flight 2319, a Boeing 737. The crew of the United flight then descended in response to their own alert prompted by the FedEx descent, according to the FAA. While it is common for aircraft to be placed in holding patterns during weather events and at times, be "stacked" at different altitudes using the same navigation fix for holding, the FAA has minimum separation requirements to insure the safety of all aircraft. The FAA says "According to a preliminary analysis of the event, the closest proximity between the FedEx 3952 and UPS 5510 was 1.1 miles laterally and 900 feet vertically. The closest proximity between FedEx 3952 and United 2319 was 1.3 miles laterally and 1,000 feet vertically." The agency goes on to share that the TCAS alerts on board the aircraft do not indicate an imminent collision, but are rather a predictor of "potential conflict based on current flight paths." UPS and United Airlines said that they are referring all questions about the event to the FAA. CBS News Texas has also reached out to FedEx seeking comment, but we have not heard back. https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/faa-investigates-loss-of-standard-separation-between-3-aircraft-near-dfw-airport/ Woman carried off plane in Miami after trying to fight passenger, bite cops Four cops dragged off a woman off a Frontier Airlines flight by her limbs after she threatened to attack a fellow passenger and tried to bite responding cops. Simone Bryna Kim, 24, of Killeen, Texas, was caught on camera Tuesday arguing with a man aboard a flight bound for Philadelphia on the tarmac at the Miami International Airport. “I’ll beat you the f–k up. What you trying to be on,” Kim yelled at a male passenger. “I’m going to rock your s**t.” “‘If you’re real, show me what’s up. I’m going to beat you the f–k up on this s–t, I guarantee you, I guarantee you,’ she continued. “You’re not even from Philly,” she said to the man at one point, as a woman tried to intervene. Kim could then be seen refusing to leave the plane after a crew member tried to defuse the situation, with police later called in to remove her. Simone Bryna Kim was dragged off a Frontier Airlines flight after she threatened to attack a fellow passenger and tried to bite responding cops. Simone Bryna Kim faces two charges for battery on a police officer and one charge of resisting an officer with violence. Miami-Dade Police said that during the arrest, Kim began to struggle, pushing and pulling officers away as they tried to get her off the plane, police said. Police reportedly noted that she scratched an officer and tried to bite and kick others, with one nearly being knocked down during the arrest, according to Local 10 News. A passenger filmed her through the window being carried by a group of officers like a rag doll as they attempted to put her flailing body in a cruiser. Spectators could be heard expressing their shock and bewilderment by the whole incident as they watched the arrest. Kim also faces three misdemeanor counts of assault on an officer and a trespassing charge and was released from jail after posting bond. Police reportedly noted that she scratched an officer and tried to bite and kick others, with one nearly being knocked down during the arrest. Kim faces two charges for battery on a police officer and one charge of resisting an officer with violence, both felonies, according Miami cops. She also faces three misdemeanor counts of assault on an officer and a trespassing charge and was released from jail after posting bond. The incident was one of many erupting at US airports since the post-pandemic travel surge, with many unruly passengers caught on camera fighting with each other or with flight staff. The Federal Aviation Administration reported 2,456 such incidents last year. But passengers are not the only ones behind the outbursts; ESPN anchor Ashley Brewer filmed two flight attendants getting into a heated argument that caused her Houston-bound flight to get delayed by two hours last week. https://nypost.com/2023/03/23/frontier-airlines-passenger-dragged-off-plane-after-fight-bit-cops/ Short on fuel, F100 flew below landing minima Qantas Group carrier Network Aviation has taken several safety actions after a Fokker F100 set down below landing minima in bad weather and short on fuel. The below minima landing at Western Australia’s Paraburdoo Airport occurred on 22 November 2021, after aircraft VH-NHV (MSN11482) operated a service from Perth, with 92 passengers and five crew aboard, according to an Australia Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) probe into the serious incident. The flightpath of VH-NHV prior to the below minima landing The below minima landing on runway 24 occurred at 08:43 local time after three missed approaches owing to unexpectedly low-lying cloud at Paraburdoo. After the second missed approach the crew had asked for a weather update for their diversion airport at Newman, but by the time this arrived – the crew failed to express urgency and air traffic control’s workload was high at the time – it was too late to divert. “The ATSB found that, after having completed 2 missed approaches at Paraburdoo, the flight crew had lost confidence in their flight plan weather forecasts and were reluctant to attempt a diversion to an alternate airport without current weather information,” says ATSB. “After the third missed approach, the aircraft did not have sufficient fuel to reach a suitable alternate and the flight crew were committed to landing at Paraburdoo.” Prior to the fourth and final approach, the crew discussed either complying with missed approach criteria and declaring a MAYDAY fuel situation “if not visual at the missed approach point”, or to continue below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) for a landing. “They agreed to continue the below the MDA for a landing,” says ATSB. As the aircraft descended there were several ground proximity warning alerts. At 08:42, the pilot announce that the runway was visible, when the aircraft was 293ft above the ground and 291ft below the MDA. Subsequently the aircraft landed without further incident. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft recorded. Following the incident, Network Aviation introduced of new tools to help with diversion decision making, revised its risk assessment of Paraburdoo Airport, and made several other updates. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/short-on-fuel-f100-flew-below-landing-minima/152610.article Emirates expands flight training academy’s aircraft fleet Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA) continues to live up to its promise of offering cutting-edge tech and state-of-the-art aircraft to train pilots of the future and help close the industry’s skills gap. The Academy is now bolstering its current fleet with an order for three twin-engine DA42-VI and its corresponding flight simulator from Diamond Aircraft Industries – a leading manufacturer of aircraft in general aviation, based in Austria. The total deal is worth EUR 4 million in list prices. The AUSTRO jet-fuel powered DA42-VI aircraft is slated to be the flagship that ushers in multi-engine piston (MEP) training at EFTA. Capt Abdulla Al Hammadi, Vice President Emirates Flight Training Academy, said: “Our new fleet from Diamond Aircraft is part of our larger strategic intent for our cadet programme. It helps us design a bridging MEP programme for cadets to gain more flying experience while progressing from a single engine to a light jet aircraft. It strengthens our offering and makes it more unique, rounded and robust. Our cadets will benefit hugely as they gain experience on three different types of aircraft, even before they’re licensed. The new fleet also helps us go above and beyond on complying with the new GCAA guidelines. The DA42-VI is reliable, eco-friendly and a practical platform for MEP training. We’re confident we’ve made the right choice.” “We are thrilled that our DA42-VI is the choice for Emirates’ flight training. This, once again, solidifies the aircraft’s position as the industry leading multi-engine piston trainer,” said Liqun (Frank) Zhang, CEO Diamond Aircraft Austria. “With Emirates we are adding another premier flight academy to our long list of renowned training operators and are looking forward to support them with the most advanced and eco-friendly aircraft available on the market today.” The 4-seat DA42-VI is the newest version of Diamond’s technology leading light piston twin-engine aircraft. It’s the first certified general aviation piston aircraft to combine modern technology airframe, avionics, and power plants. With its unique combination of performance and utility, the jet fuel powered DA42-VI is designed to make transitioning from single to twin engine much easier. The aircraft generates fuel savings of up to 50% compared to conventional AVGAS powered twins, and its panoramic canopy provides excellent visibility during all flight manoeuvres. Since its introduction, well over 1,100 DA42 aircraft have been delivered, outselling all other certified piston twins combined. The all-composite DA42-VI is equipped with efficient, silent, clean and reliable 168hp jet fuel AUSTRO engines AE300, Garmin G1000 NXi with 3-axis Automatic Flight Control System and optional electrically driven air conditioning. Aircraft delivery is expected to commence soon, with all three slated to be received by EFTA in the first half of 2023. More than 100 cadets have successfully graduated from EFTA since 2020, creating a strong pilot recruitment pipeline for Emirates and the industry. https://www.emirates247.com/lifestyle/travel/emirates-expands-flight-training-academy-s-aircraft-fleet-2023-03-23-1.706050 THE TEAMSTERS STRONGLY SUPPORT THE GLOBAL AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT The Teamsters Union strongly supports the Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act, which removes incentives for airlines to pursue low quality work at overseas repair stations. The passage of this legislation will safeguard a bright future for Teamster-represented technicians, the aircraft maintenance industry, and aviation safety. https://teamster.org/2023/03/the-teamsters-strongly-support-the-global-aircraft-maintenance-safety-improvement-act/ Boeing, Embry-Riddle Partner on $5.1 Million Center to Advance Aviation Safety The Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University The Boeing Company has provided Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a $5.1 million donation for a research center that will drive safety improvements throughout the industry. The newly named Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle, charged with advancing the safety of all who fly, will conduct independent research aimed at mitigating known and emerging operational safety risks. As examples, research may focus on topics such as data analytics to predict and potentially prevent safety incidents; runway safety; safety management systems; risk management; the safe integration of new entrants into the global airspace system; and more. “By its nature, aviation is self-correcting in that we must continuously apply lessons learned to keep all who fly as safe as possible,” said Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D. “The Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle will provide an infrastructure for systematically investigating and reducing safety risks, from technological challenges to human factors. We are grateful to Boeing for supporting independent research in this field.” “We continuously work to move the needle in strengthening the safety of the air transportation system,” said Michael Delaney, Boeing chief aerospace safety officer. “We’re pleased to be a part of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle, because the best solutions to the important challenges our industry faces come to life when we work together with our partners.” The Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle will be housed in a 13,000-square-foot building on Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida, campus that is currently under renovation. This building, which is expected to open in January 2024, will feature offices and lab space as well as a dedicated classroom for safety-related professional education courses. The center will foster collaboration across academia, industry and government entities, establishing research partnerships — involving graduate and undergraduate students who will gain real-world exposure to the industry through hands-on research projects — that will benefit all who depend on air transportation. Findings of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle will be shared with the broader aviation community to advance knowledge and practices across the industry. Research projects will also foster thought leadership and encourage innovative ways to approach aviation safety challenges. Work conducted by the center will remain autonomous from, and independent of Boeing. The center, headed by the Honorable Robert L. Sumwalt, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, will also focus on attracting and retaining high-quality faculty and students from diverse and underrepresented populations who are interested in careers in aviation safety and related fields. “By forging partnerships with industry and government, the center will leverage Embry-Riddle's faculty of more than 1,300 aviation and aerospace experts to address urgent safety challenges,” said Sumwalt, the center’s executive director. Further, Embry-Riddle's graduate and undergraduate students will contribute expertise in related fields such as engineering, human factors, aviation safety, data science and risk management. Joining Sumwalt in leading the center is Kristy Kiernan, Ph.D. Kiernan also serves as program coordinator for the Master of Science in Aviation Safety at Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide Campus and as an associate professor in the Department of Aeronautics, Graduate Studies. A former Coast Guard aviator, she was an aviation safety officer, crew resource management instructor and chief pilot for technical issues in the Falcon 20. Her current research investigates the positive contribution of human performance to aviation safety and the safety aspects of integrating un-crewed systems into the national airspace. A pilot of both crewed and un-crewed aircraft, Kiernan holds a B.S. in neuroscience from Brown University as well as a Ph.D. in Aviation from Embry-Riddle. An industry advisory board comprised of high-level professionals representing all sectors of aviation, including a Boeing representative, has been appointed and tasked with directing, reviewing and ensuring the relevance and integrity of the center’s four areas of activity: research, education, training and consulting. In addition, the board provides guidance on key areas of focus and directs the development of academic courseware on topics such as the ethics of safety and the building blocks of an effective safety culture, among others. The debut of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle is the latest development in Boeing’s partnership with the university. Other examples include Embry-Riddle’s participation in Boeing’s Engineering Accelerated Hiring Initiative as well as the Boeing Career Mentoring Program; the Boeing Scholars program; a Boeing program to serve ROTC graduates; and internships through an Engineering Development Program. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/boeing-embry-riddle-partner-on-more-than-5-million-center-to-advance-aviation-safety Curt Lewis