Flight Safety Information - May 18, 2023 No. 096 In This Issue : Incident: Aeromexico B38M at Mexico City on May 10th 2023, rejected takeoff after operational error : Incident: UPS B744 at Anchorage on May 16th 2023, engine fire : Incident: Oman B739 at Shiraz on May 15th 2023, foreign object on runway at landing : Accident: India B788 enroute on May 16th 2023, severe turbulence injures 7 passengers : Incident: Brussels A320 enroute on May 16th 2023, hydraulic problems : FAA EASING MENTAL HEALTH BARRIERS FOR PILOTS : IATA marks 15 years of aviation safety programme : Air Canada Pilots Join Air Line Pilots Association : Jet Engine Printed As a Complete Assembly : Thousands of Russian Flights Using Expired Parts Because of Sanctions : Airbus Identifies Heat, Humidity As Causes Of A380 Wing-Spar Cracking Incident: Aeromexico B38M at Mexico City on May 10th 2023, rejected takeoff after operational error An Aeromexico Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration N868AM performing flight AM-117 from Mexico City to Ciudad Juarez (Mexico), was cleared for takeoff from runway 23R, commenced takeoff and was accelerating through 80 knots over ground when the crew rejected takeoff upon ATC instruction. The aircraft slowed safely and vacated the runway. Tower had previously cleared a Viva Aerobus Airbus A321-200, registration XA-VBU performing flight VB-1503 from Nuevo Laredo to Mexico City (Mexico), to land on Mexico City's runway 23L, vacate the runway via taxiway B4 and hold short of runway 23R, which the crew complied with and held short of the runway for more than 4 minutes while several takeoffs commenced. While issuing a series of instructions to various aircraft it appears the tower controller misspoke a callsign seemingly clearing VB-1503 to cross the runway, the crew commenced crossing the runway. Shortly afterwards AM-117 was cleared for takeoff, the VB-1503 crew attempted to radio a warning they were just crossing the runway, the transmission however was partially blocked and not heard. The tower controller became aware of the VB-1503 on the runway and instructed AM-117 to reject takeoff still believing VB-1503 had crossed the runway without clearance. AM-117 returned to the apron for a check and departed 4 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=5094c6f3&opt=0 Incident: UPS B744 at Anchorage on May 16th 2023, engine fire A UPS United Parcel Service Boeing 747-400, registration N581UP performing flight FX-6099 from Anchorage,AK to Louisville,KY (USA), was climbing out of Anchorage's runway 15 when the crew stopped the climb at about 7500 feet reporting a #2 engine (CF6, inboard left hand) fire and shut the engine down. The crew subsequently reported the fire was out, dumped fuel and landed safely back on Anchorage's runway 15 about 65 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground in Anchorage for about 17 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=50942078&opt=0 Incident: Oman B739 at Shiraz on May 15th 2023, foreign object on runway at landing An Oman Air Boeing 737-900, registration A4O-BI performing flight WY-2435 from Muscat (Oman) to Shiraz (Iran), landed on Shiraz's runway 29L but received damage due to some foreign object on the runway. The aircraft remained on the ground in Shiraz for about 30 hours, then returned to Muscat and returned to service about 15 hours after landing in Muscat. The airline reported due to damage caused by debris on the runway during landing the aircraft needed to be grounded. https://avherald.com/h?article=50941deb&opt=0 Accident: India B788 enroute on May 16th 2023, severe turbulence injures 7 passengers An Air India Boeing 787-8, registration VT-ANY performing flight AI-302 from Delhi (India) to Sydney,NS (Australia), was enroute when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence causing minor injuries to 7 passengers. The aircraft continued the flight to Sydney for a safe landing. The airline reported the flight encountered turbulence enroute causing discomfort to 7 passengers. India's DGCA reported 7 passengers received minor sprains due to severe turbulence. Cabin crew provided first aid together with a doctor and a nurse travelling as passengers on board. After landing only three passengers required further medical attention. https://avherald.com/h?article=50941c25&opt=0 Incident: Brussels A320 enroute on May 16th 2023, hydraulic problems A Brussels Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OO-TCH performing flight SN-3781 from Brussels (Belgium) to Tenerife South,CI (Spain) with 172 people on board, was enroute at FL330 about 10nm south of Nantes (France) when the crew decided to return to Brussels due to hydraulic problems. The crew reported, they needed to be towed off the runway after landing. The aircraft landed safely on Brussels' runway 25R about 2:15 hours after departure. The runway was also inspected after landing. The aircraft returned to service about 18 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50942602&opt=0 FAA EASING MENTAL HEALTH BARRIERS FOR PILOTS Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrup aims to get pilots who are grounded because of mental health issues back in the air. Northrup spoke about the FAA’s intentions to ease aeromedical rules for mental health concerns at the Business Aviation Safety Summit on May 9, AIN reported. She addressed concerns about pilot mental health and discussed upcoming revisions to certification procedures and rules from the FAA that will make it easier for pilots to regain their medical certificates and decrease wait times for pilots grounded for mental health issues. Additionally, Northrup spoke about the success of the four selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications approved for pilot use in 2010 and announced plans to add seven more SSRIs to the approved list. Northrup, a private pilot and retired U.S. Air Force colonel, has been focused on addressing mental health issues within the FAA since her 2021 appointment as the most senior medical certification official . In 2022, Northrup participated in an AOPA roundtable discussion on pilot mental health at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, where she said, "Mental health conditions remain high on my list of things we need to address within the FAA," emphasizing her focus on early intervention and the importance of changing the aviation culture around mental health issues. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that 56.1 percent of pilots reported a history of health care avoidant behavior related to fear of losing their aeromedical certificate, and nearly 27 percent indicated misrepresenting or withholding information on their aeromedical screening for the same reason. Northrup’s address at the Business Aviation Safety Summit, organized by the Flight Safety Foundation and National Business Aviation Association during Mental Health Awareness Month, also discussed the volume of pilots whose applications have a mental health component, aiming to “dispel the myths” about certification qualification so barriers to treatment can be destroyed, AIN reported. Currently, 30 to 40 percent of applicants reviewed by the FAA have a mental health component, yet only 0.1 to 0.2 percent are denied certification or recertification. However, AOPA recognizes the need for the FAA to provide transparent, repeatable, and logical decision paths for applicants to count on when self-identifying mental health issues. AOPA, NBAA, and several pilot unions including the Air Line Pilots Association, Allied Pilots Association, NetJets Association of Jet Aircraft Pilots, and Southwest Airlines Pilots Association are pursuing legislation to help address needed and long-overdue reforms to FAA’s medical practices and protocols. In the meantime, AOPA strongly supports the need for pilots to get the help they need, and will continue to report on advancements in FAA policies around mental health and provide resources for pilots. In addition, we encourage AOPA members to call our Pilot Information Center at 800-872-2672 for help in addressing these and other issues. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2023/may/18/faa-easing-mental-health-barriers-for-pilots IATA marks 15 years of aviation safety programme The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that its Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO), a global standard for ground handling service providers (GHSPs), has been advancing aviation safety for the last 15 years. It is based on the IATA's Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) standards. Since its launch in May 2008, over 3,000 audits have been conducted worldwide. “Over the past 15 years, ISAGO has matured and evolved to become a centre of excellence for safety auditing in ground handling. With 195 organizations onboard it is now the driving force in improving ramp safety, reducing ground damage and enabling standardized and sustainable operations. It also plays a role in mitigating the billions of dollars of damage to aircraft and equipment that happens each year and helps airlines to allocate resources efficiently. More and more governments and airports now recognize ISAGO as part of their safety oversight programs,” said Monika Mejstrikova, IATA’s Director of Ground Operations. ISAGO Registry Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) and dnata Dubai were the world’s first ISAGO-accredited ground handling service providers and have maintained their ISAGO registration for 15 years. Both companies acknowledge the positive impact of ISAGO in their operations. "ISAGO plays a vital role in enhancing aviation safety levels - in particular, by standardizing many different safety standards and recommended practices and minimizing the potential risks in ground handling around the world. It is an invaluable resource and significant safety driver for all parties," said Wilson Kwong, Hactl’s Chief Executive. The ISAGO Registry now includes 195 GHSPs that provide services at 324 accredited stations in 206 airports around the world. Over 100 ISAGO airline members have instant access to the ISAGO Registry, where they can access nearly 500 different ISAGO audit reports and drive more efficient oversight of outsourced ground handling services including risk, cost and audit reduction. "ISAGO has been an integral part of our journey towards continuous improvement, and we are proud to have achieved this significant milestone. The positive impact that ISAGO has brought to our operations cannot be overstated, and we remain fully committed to upholding its rigorous standards," said Jaffar Dawood, dnata Senior Vice President Airport Operations UAE, Middle East, and Africa. Future proofing ISAGO ISAGO is constantly evolving to reduce duplicate audits and drive greater standardization of ground handling processes worldwide. And to drive further simplification of audit processes and to ensure GHSPs’ readiness for the ISAGO audit, IATA launched the free Operational Portal to help GHSPs and airlines to perform a gap analysis between their ground operational procedures and IGOM. The tool helps to identify operational variations with the intention to reduce them and standardize procedures according to IGOM. In addition, a new checklist is being developed that mirrors IGOM and Airport Handling manual requirements, allowing for remote documentation validation through the Operational Portal. “We remain committed to evolving ISAGO,” said Mejstrikova. https://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_409544.html Air Canada Pilots Join Air Line Pilots Association A big move ahead of negotiations this summer. Air Canada Boeing 787 taking offPhoto: James Bombales via Shutterstock The Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) have finalized their merger after Air Canada pilots voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move earlier this month. ALPA is the world's largest pilot union, representing 40 pilot groups across North America. Air Canada pilots join ALPA ALPA's Executive Board has approved a merger with Air Canada's pilot union - following an agreement in principle reached in March, over 84% of eligible Air Canada pilots voted in favor of joining ALPA on May 1st. The merger is effective immediately and will see ALPA grow to include more than 73,000 members, with Air Canada becoming the union's 40th pilot group. Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA president, commented, "We are excited to welcome our colleagues at Air Canada to ALPA, and through this merger, we have reached another significant milestone in our work to advance the profession, keep flying safe, and promote the power of unionism. Together, our combined union will have greater strength in negotiating collective agreements, advancing pilots’ interests, and protecting labor rights." Air Canada employs over 4,500 pilots and is Canada's largest airline and flag carrier. Fellow Canadian carriers Air Transat, Flair Airlines and WestJet are also ALPA members, with Air Canada's inclusion meaning 95% of all professional Canadian pilots are now part of the union. Summer bargaining Air Canada pilots are eager to enter negotiations with the carrier as their decade-long contract nears its expiration. Following significant pay rises for pilots in North America, Air Canada pilots will be seeking "historic" gains to reflect their value. In a letter seen by Reuters, the Air Canada Pilots Association said, "Pilots at Air Canada are working at a steep discount compared to our North American competitors. Our membership will not accept concessions and expects the next agreement to be historic in terms of gains." Pilots have until May 29th to decide whether to stay within the framework of a 2014 agreement or invoke an escape clause that would precipitate full negotiations this summer. ACPA has previously said it was open to remaining in the framework provided Air Canada put forward a "substantial proposal." Air Canada released its first quarter results last week, revealing double passenger revenues and significantly lower losses of CA$17 million ($12.4 million) compared to its CA$550 million ($406 million) losses in Q1 2022. About ALPA Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest pilot association in the world with upwards of 73,000 pilots across 40 airlines in the US and Canada, including Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines and WestJet. Capt. Tim Perry, ALPA Canada president, added, "ALPA is committed to advancing the profession and aviation safety, and with the addition of our Air Canada colleagues, we have dramatically increased ALPA’s presence across the nation, making us stronger in negotiations and on Parliament Hill." Several of the union's pilot groups have secured improved contracts within the past year, aided by the pilot shortage, which has put their services at something of a premium. In March, Delta pilots approved a landmark four-year contract granting up to a 34% pay rise, worth an estimated $7 billion, which will set a benchmark for negotiations at other airlines. https://simpleflying.com/air-canada-pilots-join-air-line-pilots-association/ Jet Engine Printed As a Complete Assembly While the micro turbojet engine may be small – weighing only eight pounds – it remains a startling chunk of Inconel. The engine is a single, complete assembly, including all rotating and stationary components. The turbojet was designed in Creo CAD software, using Inconel as the material and an EOS 3D metal printer as the production machine. “The engine is about the size of a basketball. It would probably be used for drones,” Steve Dertien, chief technology officer at PTC, said during a presentation. Design News3D printed jet turbo engine The jet engine project was the brainchild of Ronen Ben Horin, a VP of technology at PTC and a senior research fellow at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – and Beni Cukurel, an associate professor of aerospace at Technion. The two took their scientific research in jet propulsion and their engineering expertise and designed the engine for additive manufacturing. When designing the engine, the researchers focused on: • A lightweight design: That required sophisticated lattice modeling and generative design for material and weight reduction while maintaining the appropriate strength and performance that could match designs with more material and heavier weight. • Self-supporting geometries for 3D Printing: That means the software had to optimize designs for printability. Creo needed to create self-supported formula-driven lattices that can be paired with printability checks and modifiers to adjust the design for printing efficiency. • 3D printing equipment interoperability: Creo software is compatible with most 3D printing equipment for printing and post-processing. Creo provides a variety of formats, including 3MF, for sending 3D models to the market’s various printer technologies, while also allowing users to create associative models for machining operations. This micro-jet engine was printed with an EOS printer. Design News3D printed jet turbo engine In a statement, Cukurel acknowledged that designing the engine with Horin was the culmination of many years of research that included staying on top of advancements in the supporting technology of 3D printing and design software. He noted that the design offers a viable way of producing micro turbojet engines. While this machine is not the first 3D-printed jet engine -- Monash University in Australia claimed that title in 2015, and GE claimed it in 2020 – Cukurel and Horin can probably claim bragging rights for doing it as one piece. Mechanical engineering has long been one of the more engineering disciplines, encompassing specialties such as acoustics, aerospace, automation, automotive, composites and materials, and autonomous systems. Mechanical engineers get involved in manufacturing, control, mechanical design, and system dynamics and control. The continuing emergence of autonomous systems, robotics, and advanced industrial control systems is helping to paint a bright outlook for degreed mechanical engineers. Mechanical engineering is a staple in almost all engineering programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. https://www.designnews.com/3dp/jet-engine-printed-complete-assembly Thousands of Russian Flights Using Expired Parts Because of Sanctions Russia Complains ‘We Can’t Buy What We Need’ As Sanctions Bit Russian airlines made 2,000 flights on aircraft equipped with spare parts in 2022 due to sanctions affecting the country's aviation industry, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant. The paper cited Viktor Basargin, the head of the Russian state transportation watchdog Rostransnadzor, as reporting the information about the flights to the State Duma's Transport Committee on Tuesday. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and dozens of other governments have imposed sanctions on Russia as punishment. These sanctions have sought to limit Moscow's ability to obtain and build weapons, but they also have curtailed shipments of parts needed for the country's automotive and aviation industries. Kommersant, which wrote that it had audio of Tuesday's meeting, reported that Basargin told the lawmakers that despite having limited access to obtaining certain new aircraft components, the civil aviation of the Russian Federation "is fulfilling its task of uninterrupted delivery of passengers." On Monday, The New York Times reported that even with sanctions in place, thousands of shipments containing aircraft parts made it into Russia in 2022. Using data compiled by the trade data aggregator Import Genius, the Times found that tens of millions of dollars worth of parts were sent through illicit networks to airlines named in sanctions by the U.S. government. Despite these Western parts making their way into the country, Russian aircraft have nonetheless flown with "violations that directly affect flight safety," Basargin reportedly said. "It is simply impossible to import some specific products," Basargin said, per Kommersant. The newspaper wrote that the Rostransnadzor official did not specify whether his figures for the the 2,000 flights that were performed with expired parts referred to commercial flights or all types of air travel. Kommersant also noted that Russia's state air traffic management corporation served 1.4 million flights—including transit and international routes—in 2022. Kommersant spoke with representatives at multiple large airlines in Russia, all of whom denied the use of "expired spare parts" in their aircraft. These sources also said they were unaware of other airlines being subjected to safety violations due to issues with aircraft parts. Basargin reportedly claimed that 2022 was the safest year in Russian flight safety over the past five years. However, the country also less aircraft in service. Last month, analysts at the U.S. consulting company Oliver Wyman said that Russia's commercial in-service air fleet had decreased 17 percent in 2022 year-over-year. Russia may also be under-reporting incidents with its aircraft that are in service. On Monday, the investigative news outlet Proekt reported that current and former employees of Aeroflot—Russia's flagship airline and the largest carrier in the nation—were instructed by management to not report aircraft malfunctions. (Newsweek was not able to independently verify Proekt's report.) https://www.newsweek.com/thousands-russian-flights-expired-parts-sanctions-1801056 Airbus Identifies Heat, Humidity As Causes Of A380 Wing-Spar Cracking FRANKFURT—A phenomenon called hydrogen assisted cracking or hydrogen embrittlement has been identified as the cause of accelerated crack development in certain wing spars of Airbus A380s that have been stored for extended periods of time. “The biggest driver is temperature; the second is moisture,” Pierre-Henri Brousse, head of the A380 program, told Aviation Week. When aircraft are on the ground and exposed to extreme weather conditions, hydrogen is diffused into the materials and causes embrittlement of the aluminum alloy, which in turn makes the propagation of cracks easier. The findings are behind a May 11 airworthiness directive (AD) issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) that introduced the concept of “factored time on ground” (FTOG) and required inspections and potentially repairs at intervals also linked to actual aircraft age and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) threshold of 510 tons. The affected areas are the top and bottom flanges of the outer rear spar (ORS) between ribs 33 and 49. Previous ADs also included instructions for other parts in which defects had been found—the outer inner front spar (OIFS) between ribs 8 and 14 and the outer front spar between ribs 38 and 49. EASA and Airbus had determined as early as 2019 that aircraft have to be inspected 15 years after the date of the wingbox assembly. Following the findings, the maintenance limit was pulled forward twice. EASA published an AD on Aug. 31, 2022, expanding on a 2019 directive. In the AD, EASA said: “Occurrences have been reported of finding cracks in the affected areas of the wing ORS on in-service A380 aeroplanes. This condition, if not detected and corrected, could reduce the structural integrity of the wing.” The 2019 AD, based on Airbus’ service bulletin A380-57-8263, had initially set the 15-year limit. However, “since that AD was issued, it has been determined that additional areas may be affected by the same unsafe condition, and that all MSN (manufacturer serial numbers) must be inspected.” EASA added in December 2022 that “recent inspection results have indicated the need for ORS inspection from 15 years to 12.5 years.” That was later revised to 11.5 years—with the initial date of wing box assembly as the reference point. But that remained insufficient. “We inspected some aircraft that were younger than the threshold described by the regulator,” Brousse said. “And we had some findings.” Airbus then launched a deep dive into the data to try to understand why aircraft as young as 10 years (after wing box assembly and therefore with sometimes significantly fewer years in revenue service) were developing the cracks. “We accumulated a sample that became statistically relevant,” Brousse said. Eventually, the research yielded results—namely that storage conditions have an effect on how fast the cracking develops. Importantly, the findings will not “substantially change” Airbus’ recommendations for storage of the A380 or any other type. The aluminum alloy of the affected spars is no longer used in any other Airbus aircraft and is changed to a different material when parts are replaced during repairs. “We have no concerns for other components,” Brousse said. Airbus has not disclosed which airlines are most affected by the defects. However, Emirates said in November 2022 that it is dealing with the issue. The airline had parked many of its A380s at the Dubai World Central airport during the coronavirus pandemic, where they were exposed to particularly high temperatures and humidity during summer. Qatar Airways and Etihad are two more Gulf carriers with A380 fleets, though Etihad is only now beginning to return its A380s to service. According to Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery database, 135 A380s are in active service, with Emirates operating 87 of them. Singapore Airlines and British Airways are flying 11 of the aircraft each. Qatar Airways and Qantas are following with seven and six, respectively. Most current A380 operators are in the process of returning more of the aircraft from storage, given how fast demand has rebounded on long-haul routes. Emirates has two more aircraft in parked/reserve status, six are parked and 26 are stored. According to Airbus, wing inspections take about one week. The non-destructive test inspections can typically be performed by airlines in-house. Affected parts can be repaired through local stopholes or reinforcements, or will be replaced. Stopholes can be introduced in one shift, while the more extensive repairs can take one week per area affected. Finding enough MRO capacity to deal with the repairs is an ongoing issue, Brousse said. However, he described the situation as manageable and now that A380s are being taken out of service because of the cracking, Airbus is trying to find more MRO providers globally that have the needed A380 capability and free capacity. The manufacturer is also helping with repairs of some aircraft that are performed in Toulouse. Emirates has returned younger aircraft first to avoid running into inspection intervals early. An Emirates spokesperson said the airline is reviewing the inspection requirements outlined in the May 11 EASA AD. “Currently, we see minimal disruption to our scheduled A380 operations,” the spokesperson told Aviation Week. “We are working on the mid-longer term MRO support requirements for our A380 fleet. We expect a large part of the work will be conducted at Emirates’ Engineering Center, and we are also looking at supplementary support from Airbus and our MRO partners.” https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/airbus-identifies-heat-humidity-causes-a380-wing-spar-cracking Curt Lewis