Flight Safety Information - May 22, 2023 No. 098 In This Issue : Incident: Canada A333 at Toronto on May 18th 2023, electrical odour in cabin : Incident: Alaska B738 at Brownsville on May 19th 2023, bird strike : Incident: Cargolux B748 at Luxembourg on May 20th 2023, unsafe gear : Incident: Easyjet A319 near Manchester on May 19th 2023, burning odour on board : A 'belligerent' Frontier passenger was arrested after grabbing an intercom and hitting a flight attendant with it, airline says : F-18 fighter jet accident at Zaragoza airbase as pilot ejects successfully : 2 pilots killed on Hawaii-bound plane from Santa Rosa reported fuel problems before crashing off San Mateo coast : Pilots Union Challenges Qantas' Decision To Let Finnair Crew Operate Routes : Runway Excursions: Pilots Should Get Back to Basics : San Francisco Airport Terminal Evacuated After Suspicious Package Report : Jet Linx achieves three elite safety ratings : FAA Reprimands Charter Airline True Aviation Over Compliance Issues : Two private citizens, two Saudis blast off on commercial flight to space station Incident: Canada A333 at Toronto on May 18th 2023, electrical odour in cabin An Air Canada Airbus A330-300, registration C-GFAH performing flight AC-490 from Toronto,ON to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 297 passengers and 12 crew, was climbing out of Toronto cleared to climb to FL230 when the crew stopped the climb at 11,000 feet declaring emergency and reporting an electrical odour in the cabin. The crew advised they were to stop on the runway. The aircraft returned to Toronto's runway 23 for a safe landing about 27 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 6 hours, then departed again for flight AC-490 and reached Montreal with a delay of about 7 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50973f23&opt=0 Incident: Alaska B738 at Brownsville on May 19th 2023, bird strike An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N514AS performing flight AS-9540 from Brownsville,TX to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was climbing out of Brownsville's runway 13 when the left hand engine (CFM56) ingested a bird prompting the crew to stop the climb at about 2000 feet and return to Brownsville for a safe landing on runway 13 about 6 (!) minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-9 MAX registration N928AK reached Los Angeles with a delay of about 6:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft received a number of bent fan blades and is still on the ground in Brownsville about 15 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=50965e16&opt=0 Incident: Cargolux B748 at Luxembourg on May 20th 2023, unsafe gear A Cargolux Boeing 747-8, registration LX-VCB performing flight CV-5486 (dep May 19th) from Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) to Luxembourg (Luxembourg), was on final approach to Luxembourg's runway 06 when the crew aborted the approach and turned left off the approach due to an unsafe gear indication. The aircraft subsequently performed a low approach to runway 06 to have the gear inspected from the ground. Ground observers reported all landing gear appeared in place, the aircraft subsequently performed a full stop landing on runway 06 about 25 minutes after aborting the first approach. The airline reported: "Cargolux confirms that short after noon on Saturday 20th May, B747-8F LX-VCB declared an emergency in coming to land at Findel Airport. They had an indication of the aircraft’s landing gears not being properly deployed. They executed a low fly past to confirm that all gears were down. The aircraft landed safely with the emergency services on hand. No injuries were sustained to people." The aircraft is still on the ground in Luxembourg about 5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50965817&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet A319 near Manchester on May 19th 2023, burning odour on board An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration G-EZBT performing flight U2-619 from Glasgow,SC to London Luton,EN (UK), was enroute at FL250 about 80nm northnorthwest of Manchester,EN (UK) when the crew decided to divert to Manchester reporting a burning odour on board and a generator failure (engine CFM56). The aircraft landed safely on Manchester's runway 23R about 30 minutes after departure from Glasgow. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 5.5 hours, then continued the flight and reached Luton with a delay of about 5:15 hours. Passengers reported there was a burning odour in the cabin due to a generator failure. The airline reported a technical issue. https://avherald.com/h?article=50964f37&opt=0 A 'belligerent' Frontier passenger was arrested after grabbing an intercom and hitting a flight attendant with it, airline says Frontier said a "belligerent" passenger was asked to deplane a flight to Tampa, Florida on Sunday. A woman grabbed an intercom and struck a flight attendant when asked to deplane, the airline said. She was arrested by Denver law enforcement, Frontier told Insider. An unruly Frontier Airlines passenger assaulted a flight attendant after she was asked to deplane a Sunday flight to Tampa, Florida, the airline told Insider. Frontier Airlines said the plane from Denver, Colorado, was delayed by about four hours because a woman became "belligerent." Flight 708 was scheduled to take off at 00:55 a.m., but departed from the airport at 5:30 a.m. instead. "As she was deplaning, she picked up an intercom phone and struck a flight attendant with it," the airline said. The passenger, whose identity wasn't disclosed, was arrested by Denver law enforcement, Frontier said. The police department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. A fellow passenger in the second row told Insider the disruptive passenger attempted to switch seats. Despite being asked to return to her assigned seat, she refused to comply, according to the passenger. A different Frontier passenger made headlines earlier this month when she was flown to a foreign country 900 miles away with no passport after being directed to the wrong place without her passport. https://www.yahoo.com/news/belligerent-frontier-passenger-arrested-grabbing-164908519.html F-18 fighter jet accident at Zaragoza airbase as pilot ejects successfully The Spanish defense ministry says an F-18 fighter jet has crashed at an airbase in the Spanish city of Zaragoza but the pilot ejected successfully BARCELONA, Spain -- An F-18 fighter jet crashed at an airbase in the Spanish city of Zaragoza but the pilot ejected successfully, the Spanish defense ministry said Saturday. The aircraft landed within the perimeter of the base, the defense ministry said on Twitter. The base, which is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) outside the city, belongs to the Spanish Air and Space Force. Videos posted on social media showed a plane in flames falling towards the ground. The air force said several hours after the crash that the pilot was “recovering favorably” but would remain in the hospital under observation for “a few days.” Spain’s public news agency EFE said the F-18 was training for a flying exhibition when the crash occurred. The Guardia Civil told The Associated Press that one of its patrols was the first to reach the pilot, who fell outside the exterior fence surrounding the airbase. According to the Guardia Civil, the pilot suffered injuries to his legs, apparently because he ejected with a parachute from a low altitude. He was evacuated to hospital in a helicopter. The Guardia Civil said it would collaborate with the military in investigating the crash. It said that the initial information provided by the pilot was that the plane had apparently suffered a malfunction. The American-made F-18 Hornet has formed a part of the air defenses of the United States since the 1980s and has been purchased by the air forces of several allied countries. Spain’s air force acquired its first 72 models of F-18 manufactured by McDonnell Douglas in 1983. The fighters, known for their versatility, entered service three years later. Spain's air force later purchased an unspecified number of additional F-18s. The Zaragoza base is home to a unit of Spain’s F-18s. Spain’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to questions by the AP about the crash. https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/18-fighter-jet-accident-zaragoza-airbase-pilot-ejects-99477801 2 pilots killed on Hawaii-bound plane from Santa Rosa reported fuel problems before crashing off San Mateo coast The pilot and copilot reported they knew they were not going to make it to shore due to a fuel line malfunction, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Tracking by Flightradar shows the last portion of the Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter’s return toward the San Mateo Coast on Saturday afternoon, May 20, 2023. The pilot and co-pilot of a small twin-engine utility plane that departed Santa Rosa Saturday morning for Hawaii radioed authorities they were nearly out of fuel shortly before their aircraft crashed into the ocean off the San Mateo County coast, killing both men. Authorities received a distress call from the Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter when it was about 70 nautical miles west of Pacifica — when the men realized they weren’t going to make it to shore, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt.j.g. Jillian Stuckey. The pilot and co-pilot were the lone people aboard and reported their plane had only about 15 minutes of fuel left, Stuckey said. They were preparing to ditch into the water. The men told authorities to look out for a yellow life raft which they had stored in their aircraft, according to the Coast Guard. Around 2:30 p.m. a Coast Guard search crew spotted the plane in the Pacific Ocean about 40 nautical miles southwest of San Francisco. It was upside down and no life raft was in sight. The plane identified in Saturday's crash off the San Mateo Coast is a Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter, tail number N153QS, shown at Atlanta Fulton County (Brown Field) on August 14, 2022. Two people aboard Santa Rosa plane bound for Hawaii killed in crash off Bay Area coast A rescue swimmer looked into the plane and saw the pilot and co-pilot still strapped in. The swimmer shook one of the men’s legs. He didn’t move, Stuckey said. The men were pronounced dead at the scene, said National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Sarah Taylor Sulick. Their names were not immediately available. A call Sunday to the spokesperson for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, which is in charge of releasing the identities of the victims, was not returned. National Transportation Safety Board investigators are working to recover the plane and determine the cause of the crash. The plane is registered to a trust managed by the Bank of Utah, according to FAA records. The men took off in the Twin Otter about 8:20 a.m. Saturday from the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport on a flight path to Honolulu, Hawaii, according to preliminary flight data. The STOL turboprop plane was originally designed to travel about 700 nautical miles. However, the aircraft had been refitted with an auxiliary fuel system to allow for longer flights, according to FAA records. The plane flew southwest for about two hours before turning around about 10:40 a.m., according to tracking by Flightradar. They were running low on fuel and later would report “a fuel transfer system malfunction,” according to Stuckey. The pilots radioed that they were heading back to Santa Rosa. Eventually, they changed course and directed the plane to Half Moon Bay. At 1:30 p.m., the Coast Guard received a report from the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center about the aircraft. The guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast asking for boaters southwest of the Farallon Islands to look for a potentially downed plane. A Coast Guard helicopter crew was the first to spot the aircraft, which had gone into the water about 2:15 p.m. and had significant damage, Stuckey said. In addition to the aircrew, the Coast Guard deployed two of its boats to assist with the search. “We needed as many eyes as we could get to find this plane,” Stuckey said. She said the plane’s owner had hired a salvage company to recover the aircraft. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/2-dead-after-plane-that-took-off-from-santa-rosa-crashes-40-miles-off-half/ Pilots Union Challenges Qantas' Decision To Let Finnair Crew Operate Routes Qantas and Finnair deal has angered the Australian pilots union. The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has criticized Qantas' decision to let the Finnair crew operate Qantas services between Sydney, Bangkok, and Singapore. According to a report by Australian Aviation, Captain Tony Lucas, the President of AIPA, voiced his disappointment over the decision made by the national carrier to outsource Australian jobs. In a statement seen by Australian Aviation, Lucas said: "Qantas' decision to wet lease two Finnair aircraft is shocking, bitterly disappointing, and could have been avoided with more effective management decisions. It beggars' belief that Qantas is outsourcing the Spirit of Australia while simultaneously converting two of our own A330 passenger aircraft into freighters." Lucas also added that "getting another carrier to operate our routes is also significantly more expensive than operating the services within Qantas." Simple Flying reached out to the AIPA for a comment, but no response had been received at the time of publication. Qantas and Finnair wet lease deal The flag carrier of Australia made an announcement on May 19 regarding its plans to restore its capacity in alignment with the broader recovery of the aviation industry. As part of this plan, Qantas has opted to wet lease two Airbus A330s from the Finnish flag carrier. The two wet-leased A330s will take charge of operations on two specific routes with the Finnish crew. Starting in late October 2023, the wet-leased aircraft will operate flights between Sydney and Singapore, and from late March 2024, it will exclusively serve all flights connecting Sydney and Bangkok. Commenting on the new deal, the chief executive of Qantas, Alan Joyce, said: "While airlines globally are working to restore capacity to meet demand, there is still a mismatch between supply and demand for international flying. But with more of our aircraft back in the air, new 787s joining our fleet, and our contract with Finnair, we've got more seats for our customers and more opportunity for Qantas crew as we increase our own flying." Following the wet lease agreement, Qantas will later enter into a new deal involving the dry lease of two Finnair A330s. These aircraft will be operated by Qantas pilots and cabin crew starting in late 2025, with the lease expected to last for up to three years. For Qantas customers traveling on flights between Sydney, Bangkok, and Singapore, this means they will have the opportunity to enjoy Finnair's recently introduced premium economy and business class cabins, receiving Qantas' inflight food and beverage service, amenities, inflight entertainment, and baggage allowance. In the meantime, this agreement assists Finnair in maximizing the utilization of its A330 fleet. Currently, the deployment of these aircraft for Finnair's long-haul operations is restricted due to the closure of Russian airspace. https://simpleflying.com/pilots-union-challenges-qantas-finnair/ Runway Excursions: Pilots Should Get Back to Basics This year’s NBAA EBACE in Geneva will take a deep dive into the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPRE). The recommendations span the industry and may take time to implement. But there are things we pilots can do right now to reduce the chance of a runway excursion. Run the numbers. We are taught to predict aircraft takeoff and landing performance using a wide variety of methods. Many of us began with old fashioned “spaghetti charts,” which were time consuming and prone to error. These days we are more likely to feed inputs into computers, which are fast but also prone to error. Either way, the processes basically tell us “yes” or “no.” Using the wrong aircraft weight or configuration, as well as the wrong environmental conditions can result in a “yes” decision that should be a “no.” I recommend at least two crewmembers compute the data independently, preferably using different methods. The first officer, for example, can use the aircraft flight management computer (FMC) while the captain uses an iPad application. The answers should be reasonably close. Dealing with a last-minute change that invalidates the planned data can result in rushed data input or pressure to skip the calculations altogether. The solution is to precompute alternatives and to accept delays for unplanned changes. If, for example, an airport has four possible takeoff or landing runway options, it would be wise to calculate the shortest acceptable option and then input the planned option. If a last-minute change puts you on a different runway that is at least as long as your shortest option, you will be able to accept the change with greater confidence. Otherwise, you should ask for a few minutes to “run the numbers.” Say the numbers. Takeoff runway excursions can be caused by crews failing to configure flaps correctly, failing to set enough thrust, or failing to line up on the correct runway. We can improve our odds by articulating the critical items when programming the FMC, briefing the takeoff, and configuring the aircraft. When programming the numbers, for example, say to the other pilot, “Data is based on 10 degrees of flaps, 98% rated thrust, and Runway 28 full length.” When setting the flaps, instead of saying “flaps set,” articulate the number “10 degrees of flaps.” When lining up on the runway, when you see the runway number on the pavement, say “Runway 28, confirmed.” Each articulation increases your odds of noticing an error. Likewise, articulate the runway number when you see it during landing. Don’t get cross with the winds. There comes a time in many professional pilot careers where basic stick and rudder skills are assumed and no longer trained. The problem, however, is that we might forget the basics or the basics you learned may no longer apply to the aircraft you are flying. For example, directional control during takeoff in many aircraft requires a three-point attitude until a minimum control speed; unloading the nose wheel early can be a fatal mistake in some aircraft. The old maxim, “ailerons into the wind” during takeoff is usually true but may have limits if spoilers deflect at some point, increasing drag and yaw. Crosswinds during landing can be especially vexing for pilots moving from one type to another. The “wing low” sideslip is procedure in some aircraft, but a recipe for a wingtip strike or loss of control in others. If these topics are assumed to be understood during your initial training, it is up to you to ask. Learn to say no. An insidious cause of runway excursions happens many miles before the runway and can take the form of one or more requests from Air Traffic Control. “Maximum forward speed until the marker.” “Proceed direct to the numbers, you’re number one.” “Increase your rate of descent.” “Plan minimum time on the runway.” While we are trained to say “unable,” sometimes we are reluctant to do so, fearing a vector out of the arrival pattern and having to start the process over, reducing our arrival fuel and margin for error. The schoolhouse solution is the stable approach, but in the real world we are prone to rationalize that we can save it in the end. “Hold 200 till the marker” might be doable, but it might not. How do we know? It may be helpful to construct personal limits on how far you can be pushed before saying “unable.” I won’t exceed 250 knots below 10,000 ft. or 200 kts within 4 nm of a runway, because both those restrictions are based on existing regulations that may or may not be applicable legally, but always apply with me flying. I also refuse to start down on any glide path if I am at a speed that exceeds my landing flap limit or my descent rate exceeds 1,000 ft. per min. If my “unable” gets me sent around, fine. If it happens again and fuel is critical, I will declare an emergency and let any investigations examine just how ATC tried—and failed—to set me up for a runway excursion. The GAPRE recommendations are well worth reading and are targeted at the entire industry. But we pilots don’t have to wait; there are things we can do right now to prevent the next runway excursion. https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/safety-ops-regulation/runway-excursions-pilots-should-get-back-basics San Francisco Airport Terminal Evacuated After Suspicious Package Report Police responded to a food court in Terminal 2 of San Francisco International Airport and the area was cleared after an "unattended item" was found. The airport wrote in a tweet at 12:53 p.m. Sunday that the Terminal 2 food court and "D gate" areas were cleared "out of abundance of caution" but didn't give further information on the incident. A spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department said that officers responded to Terminal 2 at approximately 11:30 a.m. regarding a suspicious package, subsequently investigating the incident and evacuating the area. The spokesperson followed up at approximately 2:30 p.m. and said the area was deemed safe and being reopened. The airport posted an update on Twitter indicating that the issue had been resolved. https://sfstandard.com/transportation/san-francisco-airport-food-court-evacuated-after-unattended-item-found/ Jet Linx achieves three elite safety ratings Jet Linx Aviation has set a new standard in aviation safety with its newest WYVERN Wingman PRO certification. Adding to existing IS-BAO Stage 3 and ARGUS Platinum Elite top safety ratings, the company becomes the first and only operator in the aviation industry to receive top ratings from all three major third-party auditors. “We are immensely proud to have achieved WYVERN Wingman PRO certification,” said Jamie Walker, president & CEO of Jet Linx Aviation. “Safety has always been our top priority, and this certification is a testament of our commitment to providing the highest level of safety and service to our clients. Now holding the three most elite safety ratings in aviation, we look forward to continuing to advance our safety programs and encourage the highest safety practices throughout the industry.” WYVERN Wingman PRO is the most advanced safety culture evaluation tool recognized by safety experts and regulatory bodies worldwide. This certification recognizes Jet Linx’s commitment to safety, as evidenced by its excellence in ongoing participation in WYVERN’s Flight Leader Program (FLP). Jet Linx is one of only 12 operators in the industry to earn this safety rating. Setting a safety benchmark above WYVERN’s flagship Wingman program, WYVERN Wingman PRO validates organizational safety culture, and is only issued once an already established Wingman operator demonstrates effectiveness in all areas of SMS; excellence in the addressing of Human Factors and Organizational Safety Culture; and continuous conformity to international standards by way of an internal audit program. Jet Linx’s WYVERN Wingman PRO certification becomes its third elite safety rating, following its designation as IS-BAO Stage 3 and ARGUS Platinum Elite. IS-BAO is the gold standard for business aviation worldwide, developed by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and endorsed by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Jet Linx has maintained the highest level of Stage 3 rating since 2015, demonstrating a fully engrained safety management culture sustained over time. The Company was also the first to attain ARGUS Platinum Elite status in November 2021, previously earning Platinum recertification from ARGUS in every cycle since 2007. Building upon the elements of the ARGUS Platinum rating, the Platinum Elite rating requires an active monitoring system to assure standards are continuously met. “Our award-winning safety culture is maintained and enriched thanks to the work of many different team members at Jet Linx. As we celebrate these third-party validations, we also want to recognize the behind-the-scenes investments into pilot fatigue monitoring software, voluntary self-reporting programs and our decision to maintain dedicated aircraft assignments – a practice in place at fewer than 5% of Part 135 Operators. We believe our Safety Management System, pound for pound and dollar for dollar, lives up to the same exacting standards of most major airlines,” said RD Johnson, vice president of Safety at Jet Linx. The company also remains the only aircraft operator to conduct an all-team Safety Summit each year since 2017, pausing revenue operations and grounding its fleet of over 100 aircraft to bring its entire nationwide team together for education and collaboration on safety. The 2023 Safety Summit will take place June 13, 2023. https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/jet-linx-achieves-three-elite-safety-ratings.html FAA Reprimands Charter Airline True Aviation Over Compliance Issues The airline is currently applying for commuter air carrier authorization. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has rebuked charter airline True Aviation over a compliance failure. The infractions involve a falsified flight log submitted in an authorization application. True Aviation compliance problem As reported by ch-aviation.com, US-based charter carrier True Aviation has been reprimanded by the FAA after falsifying data in its commuter air carrier authorization application. In a May 17th letter to True Aviation President and Founder Jesse Gallagher, FAA Air Carrier Fitness Division Associate Director Lauralyn J. Remo demanded to know "why it kept quiet about this information." The letter then asks True Aviation to review its previous submission and provide an affidavit correcting its false statements. The airline was subject to an FAA order in September 2020, which revoked True Aviation’s and ground instructor's certificates after discovering a pilot flight instructor falsified flight logs. The carrier has an ongoing commuter air carrier authorization application - this has been deferred until True Aviation can resolve this issue. A commuter air carrier authorization is necessary for any airline to operate at least five roundtrip flights per week with small aircraft of under 60 seats - True Aviation is applying for permission to operate five weekly services between Bozeman and Kalispell with a nine-seater Cessna turboprop. What exactly is the issue? The true nature of the compliance infraction is unknown; all we know at this stage is that it involves falsified flight log data. We also don't know if the falsified data was submitted knowingly or through administrative negligence, although reports have described the issue as a "blunder," suggesting the latter. As a result of this week's FAA reprimand, True Aviation will have to report "any accident, incident, or enforcement action" within the past ten years, either involving itself or key personnel and partners and will need to submit this information within the next 30 days. Depending on how this proceeds, the carrier could face anything from further authorization delays to fines, loss of authorization, or worse. However, True Aviation has played down the significance of the compliance order, claiming it has already been dismissed by a National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) judge. Simple Flying reached out to True Aviation founder Jesse Gallagher for comment on this report - Gallagher responded, "The compliance order you are referring to was dismissed by a NTSB Law Judge." About True Aviation Aviation expert Jesse Gallagher founded True Aviation Charter Services. The company claims to have offered "expertise and guidance for the private aviation industry for over 30 years" through private aircraft charter, management, and maintenance services. The certified US Part 135 operator utilizes a fleet of Falcon 50 and heavy Falcon 900 jets and plans to introduce Cessna aircraft to its operations. According to its LinkedIn page, the company has 11-50 employees and is based in Avoca, Pennsylvania, with additional offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. https://simpleflying.com/faa-reprimands-charter-airline-true-aviation/ Two private citizens, two Saudis blast off on commercial flight to space station A legendary astronaut, two Saudis and a wealthy adventurer blasted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Sunday for a trip to the International Space Station, the second "private astronaut mission" aimed at opening the high frontier to commercial development. The nine Merlin engines powering the Falcon 9's first stage roared to life at 5:37 p.m. EDT, quickly throttled up to 1.7 million pounds of thrust and smoothly pushed the rocket away from historic pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Arcing away on a northeasterly trajectory, the slender rocket put on a spectacular weekend sky show, thrilling thousands of area residents and tourists lining nearby roads and beaches before disappearing into a high deck of clouds. Monitoring the automated ascent from their seats in the Crew Dragon "Freedom" capsule were commander Peggy Whitson and co-pilot John Shoffner, flanked on the left and right by first-time Saudi fliers Ali Alqarni, a veteran F-16 fighter pilot, and biomedical researcher Rayyanah Barnawi. Whitson, now retired from NASA, is America's most experienced astronaut, with 665 days in space and 10 spacewalks to her credit during three earlier missions. Shoffner, a retired fiber optics entrepreneur, is a veteran private pilot, high-performance race car driver and skydiver. Shoffner paid Axiom an undisclosed amount for his seat aboard the Crew Dragon while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia covered the costs of its two astronauts. Whitson, now director of human spaceflight for Axiom Space, flew as part of the company charter. "I wanted to be able to fly in space again," Whitson said after her final NASA mission, "but the realistic part of Peggy said, no, you're not likely to be able to. And so, it's just a thrill and a half to have this opportunity to fly for Axiom." After boosting the rocket out of the thick lower atmosphere, the reusable first stage, making its maiden flight, fell away and headed for landing back at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station while the Falcon 9's second stage continued the push to orbit. In past Crew Dragon flights, booster stages landed on offshore barges and were towed back to shore for refurbishment and reuse. But past experience showed actual performance was better than expected, leaving enough propellant on board to reverse course and return to the launch site. Heralded by twin sonic booms, the Ax-2 first stage dropped out of the clouds and settled to a picture perfect touchdown eight minutes after liftoff. One minute later, the Crew Dragon capsule slipped into orbit and separated from the Falcon 9 second stage. "Thanks for putting your trust in the Falcon 9 team, hope you enjoyed the ride to space," radioed SpaceX chief engineer Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's former director of spaceflight operations. "Have a great trip on Dragon. Welcome home to zero G, Peggy." "It's good to be here," Whitson replied from orbit. "It was a phenomenal ride!" If all goes well, the crew will monitor an automated rendezvous with the space station, catching up with the lab complex Monday morning and moving in for docking at the forward Harmony module's space-facing port at 9:16 a.m. They'll be welcomed aboard by Expedition 69 commander Sergey Prokopyev and his two Soyuz MS-23 crewmates, Dmitri Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, along with NASA Crew 6 fliers Steve Bowen, Woody Hoburg, cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi. Alneyadi, the second UAE flier to reach space, is the first Arab astronaut to serve as a long-duration crew member aboard the ISS. With the arrival of Alqarni and Barnawi, three of the station's 11 crew members will represent the Middle East. "I think it is a great opportunity that the three of us can be aboard the International Space Station," Alqarni said. "(That) will hold a big message that we can be sending out to inspire people. And that means for us, as the Arab world, we are holding hands, we are working together for the betterment of humanity." The Ax-2 flight is the second private astronaut mission, or PAM, to the International Space Station chartered by Axiom. NASA plans to sanction up to two PAM missions each year to encourage private-sector development in low-Earth orbit. Axiom Space is using the missions to gain the expertise needed to begin building a stand-alone commercial space station that can be used by government and private-sector astronauts and researchers after the International Space Station is retired at the end of the decade. In the near term, the missions also provide a way for serious, technically competent private citizens and governments without access to space to visit the ISS for research and public outreach — goals encouraged by NASA. Alqarni and Barnawi are the second and third Saudis to fly in space after Sultan Salman Al-Saud flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1985. They will be the first Saudis to visit the space station and Barnawi will become the first Saudi woman to fly in space. During an eight-day stay, Whitson, Shoffner, Alqarni and Barnawi plan to carry out 20 research projects, 14 of them developed by Saudi scientists, that range from human physiology, cell biology and technology development. "Research has been my passion in life," Barnawi said at a pre-launch news conference. "This is a great opportunity for me to represent the country, to represent their dreams. ... This is a dream come true for everyone." Along with a full slate of experiments, the crew will participate in live broadcasts to school kids across Saudi Arabia as part of a STEM initiative to build interest in science and technology. "This is a huge, huge event in Saudi Arabia," said Derek Hassmann, Axiom chief of mission integration and operations. "During the time they're docked to ISS, there is a whole series of media events scheduled. "One of the focuses of many of these events is interacting with school-aged children in Saudi Arabia. And that was one of the reasons, just the timing of the school year, that we're very interested in getting this flight done in May. They have a whole series of post-flight events planned as well." Barnawi said, "We are here as STEM educators for the kids to be (attracted) to math and science, technology, to know that they can do more." Whitson and her crewmates plan to undock from the station on May 30. After a fiery plunge back into the lower atmosphere, the Crew Dragon will make a parachute descent to splashdown off the coast of Florida where SpaceX recovery crews will be standing by. "I'm honored to be heading back to the ISS for the fourth time, leading this talented Ax-2 crew on their first mission," Whitson said in an Axiom statement. "This is a strong and cohesive team determined to conduct meaningful scientific research in space and inspire a new generation about the benefits of microgravity." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-commercial-flight-space-station-launch-private-citizens-saudis-axiom/ Curt Lewis