Flight Safety Information - May 23, 2023 No. 099 In This Issue : Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Toulouse on May 21st 2023, bird strike : Incident: PIA A320 at Quetta on May 22nd 2023, rejected takeoff due to windshear warning : Incident: Brussels A333 near Paris on May 22nd 2023, engine vibrations : US pilots shun promotion to captain’s chair over quality-of-life concerns : Delta unveils newly expanded flight attendant training center by Atlanta airport : On The Newest Engines, More Repairs Are Needed—And Welcomed : Jet It Grounds Fleet of Honda Aircraft : FAA giving airports more than $100M to help prevent runway incursions : A teenager tried wearing 13 pounds of clothing onto a budget airplane to avoid the baggage fee. The failed travel hack ended with a $40 fine. : Russian airlines running on ‘expired components’ as sanctions wreak havoc on aviation safety : Manufacturing defect prompts FAA to issue AD for LEAP 1-A engine used on A320neo : RTCA Webinar: From ConOps to Operational Deployment Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Toulouse on May 21st 2023, bird strike An Easyjet Europe Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IJR performing flight U2-4943 from Toulouse (France) to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain), was in the initial climb out of Toulouse's runway 32R when the aircraft stopped the climb at 5000 feet due to a bird strike into one of the engines (CFM56). The aircraft returned to Toulouse for a safe landing on runway 32L about 25 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Toulouse about 28 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=50980013&opt=0 Incident: PIA A320 at Quetta on May 22nd 2023, rejected takeoff due to windshear warning A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BMV performing flight PK-326 from Quetta to Islamabad (Pakistan), was accelerating for takeoff from Quetta's runway 31L when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 110 knots over ground) due to a windshear warning. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron with overheating brakes. Pakistan's CAA reported: "Pilot aborted the take-off after warning indication in the cockpit in response to shearing winds and plane's overheating brakes." The aircraft is still on the ground in Quetta about 10 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=5097fdde&opt=0 Incident: Brussels A333 near Paris on May 22nd 2023, engine vibrations A Brussels Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration OO-SFC performing flight SN-357 from Brussels (Belgium) to Kinshasa N'djili (DR Congo) with 206 passengers, was climbing out of Brussels about 140nm south of Brussels near Paris (France) when the crew observed high N2 and N3 vibrations of the right hand engine (Trent 772), decided to return to Brussels, reduced the right hand engine, drifted down to FL220 for the return and landed safely back on Brussels' runway 25R about 75 minutes after departure. The airline reported the crew received indications of too high vibrations on one engine and returned to Brussels on one engine, although the engine was not shut down and working at reduced capacity. The passengers will depart for Kinshasa later the day. https://avherald.com/h?article=5097e4db&opt=0 US pilots shun promotion to captain’s chair over quality-of-life concerns Union leaders insist on scheduling changes in contract talks with United Airlines The pandemic ‘changed the way a lot of workers feel about work-life balance,’ a United captain said © David Paul Morris/Bloomberg Winning a lucrative promotion to captain might seem like an easy choice for an airline pilot. But at United Airlines, members of the pilots’ labour union engaged in drawn-out contract talks say the higher pay and status that come with the rank are not worth the personal cost. Captains share cockpits with first officers, the second-in-command pilots who assist them with navigation and scheduling. But more first officers are reluctant to become captains because it could require longer flying assignments on short notice and more hours on call, union officials say. “The pandemic changed the way a lot of workers feel about work-life balance, and it certainly took place with our pilot group,” said Garth Thompson, a captain and chair of the United unit of the Air Line Pilots Association union. “It’s going to start snowballing and affect the company’s pretty aggressive growth plans.” The quality-of-life concerns are wrapped up in negotiations between United, one of the largest US airlines, and its pilots’ union. They reflect a broader shift in the pandemic as workers seek better working conditions in addition to higher pay. United has 5,900 captains and 7,500 first officers flying planes, according to Thompson. A first officer who has flown wide-body jets at the airline for six years makes about $210,000 a year, while a captain flying narrow-bodies for six years would earn about 22 per cent more if they fly the same number of hours, according to aviation consultant Kit Darby. Yet rising from senior first officer to junior captain entails sacrificing some control over when and where they fly, pilots say. For some, the pay improvement is not worth the added disruption to their home life. Quincy Fleming, a United first officer who flies Boeing 777s out of San Francisco, said a promotion to captain would make it more likely that she would be denied some holiday requests and be forced to fly on a day off. “What I’m reluctant to do is put myself back in the bottom of any seniority pile at this point in my life,” Fleming said. “I’ve got ageing parents. I’ve got school-aged kids.” United plans to add 470 aircraft in the coming years. Joseph Rohlena, a Fitch Ratings analyst, said that United had historically not struggled to fill its captain ranks. He dismissed any threats from a captain shortage to the airline’s growth, saying that it would be able to “source pilots [so] that they can grow to the extent that they’re planning to”. Contract negotiations with United’s pilots began in 2019, and the membership voted against a proposed contract in November by 94 per cent to 6 per cent. Among the union’s priorities are rules giving on-call pilots more time to arrive at airports and relieving them of being forced to wait at airports on standby service, in addition to a pay boost. United said it continued “to work with the Air Line Pilots Association on the industry-leading deal we have put on the table”. Concerns over scheduling and workplace conditions have been at the centre of the surge in union activity since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. A labour shortage has empowered unions to demand better working conditions, in addition to higher wages, from employers. Freight railway workers nearly went on strike last year over attendance policies that required them to come to work with as little as 90 minutes’ notice, and penalised sick days. Hospital administrators were forced to recruit more nurses after 7,000 in New York City walked out in January, citing burnout from heavy patient loads. “Workers want some degree of control over their time, and then they want better wages and benefits,” said Rebecca Givan, a labour relations professor at Rutgers university. The heavily unionised airline industry typically engages in pattern bargaining for pilots, where standards for pay and working conditions established at one carrier set the standard for the rest. The pilots at Delta Air Lines ratified a contract in March that, in addition to a pay rise of 34 per cent over four years, partly limited the airline’s ability to assign some pilots to longer trips. At American Airlines, pilots reached an agreement in principle on Friday after four years of negotiations. The deal included pay to at least match Delta’s, as well as scheduling improvements, said Dennis Tajer, an American captain and spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association. American’s pilots wanted to limit the number of four- and five-day trips they were assigned because they dislike being away from their families. In the past, trips were shorter, but scheduling software introduced since 2020 has increased the number of long assignments. The hours pilots fly monthly has risen from about 75 per month to 85 or more, Tajer said. “This meets the new standard, not only for compensation, but also, almost more importantly, for work-life balance,” he said. At United, first officer John Young said he was reluctant to jump to the captain’s seat because the move might disrupt his work-life balance. He said the move was likely to leave him with more time on call, with just two and a half hours to report to work. “Unless you’re right next door to the airport, you’re sitting there with your shoes on,” he said. “You burn people out.” https://www.ft.com/content/b3e3b340-ae9f-4ac6-bc6c-f2367608530b Delta unveils newly expanded flight attendant training center by Atlanta airport ATLANTA - The Delta Air Lines flight attendant training center just underwent a multi-million-dollar expansion near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The facility is used to train new and current crew members. They learn a variety of safety and service aspects of the job, like emergency water evacuations. "It’s something that we don’t want to see, but if it happens, we need to be ready," said Zane Wells, a Delta flight attendant training program manager. Wells helps lead the 6-week training program for all newly hired flight attendants. The program puts a huge focus on hands-on learning, and it is not just for trainees, but also current flight attendants who have to come back every 18 months to remain qualified. "We want it to be second nature for our flight attendants, so they can keep themselves safe while also keeping our customers safe," Wells said. Every simulation is about safety to make sure flight attendants are prepared should something happen in the sky – anything from a medical emergency to cabin depressurization, even to an emergency evacuation. "Safety is our priority," said TJ Johnson, director of inflight hiring and learning at Delta. With that focus in mind, Johnson says new hires get put through a lot to get them ready for the job. One specific training focus is unruly passengers as cases are on the rise. "We ensure our flight attendants are trained on different scenario-based training that involves deescalation tactics," Johnson said. Besides safety skills, flight attendants also learn another important aspect of the job here, service. All of this happens at a facility that just underwent a multi-million-dollar expansion. The upgrades will allow the airline to hire and train a record 4,000 to 6,000 flight attendants this year. "We feel really good about the number of flight attendants that we have onboarded and trained to be ready to meet the demands of the summer," Johnson said. Over the last few years, staffing, COVID and other challenges impacted operations. Delta says more team members means a better experience for everyone. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/delta-flight-attendant-training-center-atlanta-airport On The Newest Engines, More Repairs Are Needed—And Welcomed In fall 2023, GE Aerospace will open a new facility that it sees as a key to ensuring its newest engines live up to customer expectations—both in efficiency and ownership costs. Announced late in 2022 and located near Cincinnati, the Services Technology Acceleration Center, or STAC, will be the de facto research and development lab for engine repairs. GE has developed repairs for years, of course. So, why a stand-alone facility, and why will it play such a key role going forward? There are several reasons, says Nicole Tibbetts, chief manufacturing engineer-MRO and leader of the company’s time-on-wing group. One, it gives GE a spot to develop and hone repair processes without bogging down shop floors or taking up technicians’ time. “It’s really meant to provide a space outside of an active production environment where we can not only incubate [new-technology repairs] but grow and scale them to the point where they can be seamlessly introduced into production both within our network and our partner networks,” Tibbetts said at the recent Aviation Week MRO Americas event. Counting on repairs in lieu of using new parts has long played an important role in keeping engine maintenance costs down. Repairs are even more prevalent on new-generation engines, which require myriad complex materials and coatings to run hot enough to meet ever-rising customer expectations for operating efficiency. Those complex design elements have driven demand for more repairs to develop more quickly than for previous generation engines. For example, by the time the Leap-1A family hit its 90-month mark following entry into service, GE and its partners had developed about 1,000 repairs for the variant. By contrast, the CFM56-5B’s repair stockpile did not reach 1,000 until about 270 months after service entry. And it’s not simply a question of getting the same work done more quickly, Tibbetts says. “Technology drives the steepness of the slope—how fast you have to do it,” she said. “But the total number will be higher on the Leap engine than it is on the CFM56 engine because we want to ensure that even with that much more complex of an engine, a customer still has the same shop visit cost of ownership as it moves from CFM to Leap.” Once open, the STAC will not only develop new repairs, but serve as a training center for both GE and third-party mechanics to learn. Such centralization will pay long-term dividends. “Our vision is to create an up-skilled labor force, where we’re doing things smarter and not harder, and that we have equivalency in terms of how we provide MRO services across the globe, both within GE MRO shops and our partner networks,” Tibbetts said. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/maintenance-training/daily-memo-newest-engines-more-repairs-are-needed-welcomed Jet It Grounds Fleet of Honda Aircraft The NTSB is investigating an accident involving a HondaJet that hydroplaned off a runway in South Carolina. Fractional business jet operator Jet It has voluntarily grounded its HondaJet fleet, according to a report, and now upon confirmation from the company to its stakeholders. The company, one of the largest HondaJet fleet operators, reportedly notified employees internally of the aircraft “stand-down” following an accident involving another operator’s HA-420 model in Summerville, South Carolina, on Thursday, according to Private Jet Card Comparisons. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the Thursday accident that involved a HondaJet, listed as owned by Upfrunt Services LLC of Dover, Delaware. The aircraft hydroplaned at the end of Summerville Airport’s (KDYB) Runway 24, struck a berm, and caught fire, according to Aviation Safety Net. None of the five people onboard the aircraft were injured in the event. “We are instituting a safety stand-down while we request further information from Honda. This means we will not be operating the Honda Aircraft until further notice,” Jet It said in an internal message, according to Private Jet Card Comparisons. “During this stand-down, we will be reviewing all information, procedures, and specific data as it becomes available. We will update you with more information as it becomes available.” The stand-down was to occur over the weekend, and no date for the resumption of operations had been determined, according to the report. In the days following the pause in operations, Jet It notified its stakeholders. “After careful consideration of this and other recent similar events, we have made the difficult decision to implement a safety stand down as of May 18, and ground this aircraft type in our fleet effective immediately,” Jet It CEO Glenn Gonzales told company stakeholders in an email Monday. “Jet It has taken this precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of our passengers, pilots, and the integrity of our operations. The stand down will be focused on reviewing policies and procedures for the safe operation of the HondaJet aircraft and gathering more information.” Jet It’s action was voluntary and not made at the recommendation of an aviation authority, according to Honda Aircraft Company. “Jet It’s decision to ground their HondaJet fleet was made independently by Jet It. Importantly, neither Honda Aircraft Company nor any aviation authority has recommended this grounding. Therefore, we have no comment about the decision by Jet It to ground its fleet,” the company told FLYING in a statement Monday. “In all closed investigations of previous runway events, investigators found no causal factors from the aircraft’s design or any system malfunction. Our engineering and analysis supports our product as a safe aircraft to operate,” it said, adding that the rest of its feel will continue with normal operations. “Honda Aircraft holds the safety and reliability of our aircraft as our top priorities and our dedicated team is working closely with the NTSB and FAA to determine the cause of the recent occurrence and to implement any necessary measures.” The report of Jet It’s pause in HondaJet operations comes just weeks after Honda Aircraft Co. reached a confidential settlement with Jet It that ended its breach-of-contract lawsuit against the North Carolina-based operator. In the lawsuit, Honda alleged Jet It had violated agreements and made “disparaging comments” about the aircraft manufacturer. https://www.flyingmag.com/report-jet-it-grounds-fleet-of-honda-aircraft/ FAA giving airports more than $100M to help prevent runway incursions The money will help reconfigure confusing taxiways, install lighting and more. The Federal Aviation Agency called for new technology to be rolled out to prevent runway incursions. More than $100 million will go to airports across the country to reduce potential runway incursions, the Federal Aviation Administration told ABC News exclusively. The funding, announced Monday, will be allocated to 12 airports in the wake of a series of close calls involving passenger planes earlier this year. Runway incursions occur when an aircraft, vehicle or person is incorrectly on the protected areas at an airport designated for takeoff. This round of grant money from the agency -- as part of its annual distributions -- will fund projects that will reconfigure taxiways that cause confusion, install better airfield lighting and construct new taxiways to provide more flexibility on the airfield, the FAA said. "It's a matter of perspective for pilots most of the time because when you land at a large or small airport, while you can make out the runways and taxiways pretty easily looking at a paper diagram, when you're down on the surface it becomes a lot more difficult, especially at night or especially at night in rain," ABC News contributor and former commercial pilot John Nance said. Grant recipients include Miami International Airport (MIA), which will receive $6 million to shift one taxiway and fix an intersection between two other taxiways, the FAA said. Jose Ramos, the division director for planning, land use and grants at MIA, called the area a "hot spot" that can be confusing for pilots. The new funding will "enhance the safety in the area of a very complex part of the airport," he said. "What this project is going to do is basically reconfigure the area, provide clear delineation of the taxi lanes where the aircraft transit through," Ramos told ABC News. "It's going to better identify the approach areas to the runway, so generally it's a safety improvement to that area." Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport will also receive $13.4 million to reconfigure four taxiways, shift two runways and install runway status lights that alert pilots and others if it's safe to enter the runway. Tucson International Airport in Arizona will get $33.1 million -- the largest FAA grant -- to construct a new taxiway and shift and rebuild a runway to be further away from a parallel runway. Following a slew of runway incursions at airports this year, the FAA's acting administrator, Billy Nolen, launched a safety review team to examine the national aerospace system's structure, culture, systems and integration of safety efforts. "We are experiencing the safest period in aviation history, but we cannot take this for granted," Nolen said at the time. "Recent events remind us that we must not become complacent. Now is the time to stare into the data and ask hard questions." Nolen also faced scrutiny from lawmakers during testimony on Capitol Hill in February. Data from the FAA shows the number of the most serious close calls at U.S. airports has actually been decreasing even as overall incidents have risen. Last year, there were at least 1,633 runway incursions at U.S. airports, according to the data -- up from the 1,397 incursions reported a decade prior, in 2012, and the 987 reported in 2002. Recent Stories from ABC News But the most serious incursions in which a collision was "narrowly avoided" or in which "there is significant potential for a collision" have decreased over the past 20 years, according to the FAA. In 2022, there were 18 serious runway incursions in the U.S., agency data shows. That number is up from a low of five reported in 2010 but down from a high of 32 reported in 2007. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/faa-giving-airports-100m-prevent-runway-incursions/story?id=99369806 A teenager tried wearing 13 pounds of clothing onto a budget airplane to avoid the baggage fee. The failed travel hack ended with a $40 fine. • The 19-year-old is seen chuckling as she piles on layer after layer in her TikTok video. @feeling.lucki/TikTok • Adriana Ocampo, 19, wore over 13 pounds of clothing in an attempt to avoid paying the baggage fee. • Ocampo was on a domestic Jetstar flight in Australia and posted her attempt at the baggage hack on TikTok. • Jetstar told Insider that while they 'certainly see the funny side,' they have to be fair. Airline baggage hacks are rampant on social media, but this particular one just didn't fly. Jetstar Airways fined Adriana Ocampo and Emily Altamura a total of $40 after they tried to avoid paying the baggage fee by donning over 13 pounds of clothing. The 19-year-olds were on their way back to Adelaide from Melbourne after a girls' trip, per the New York Post. Both of their bags were way over the weight limit of 15 pounds, so they decided to wear their clothes to avoid paying a $40 fine. In a viral TikTok video Ocampo posted on May 8, she's seen laughing as the pair piled on layer after layer of T-shirts and jackets. Ocampo even stuffed an iPad in her pants, and had to go through another round of piling on more clothes after she was told her baggage was over the limit a second time. "I absolutely gutted out my entire luggage, to the point where there was only like three things in my luggage — a pair of shoes, a couple of socks, a bag, and maybe a pair of jeans," Ocampo told Insider. Unfortunately, their plan was a flop. "Before we went on the flight, they were like 'sorry, we can't let you on the flight like this'," Ocampo said. The girls were then dealt an ultimatum — either get rid of everything on their body and pay a fine, or they can't catch the flight, Ocampo told Insider. So they went with the former, removing some — but not all – of the items they had stuffed in the pockets of their jackets and pants, said Ocampo. "As soon as I sat down (in the airplane), I started ripping all my layers off and stuffing it in my tote bag. And my friend sat the whole flight in her hundred layers," Ocampo told Insider. They were already upset that their previous flight had been canceled but were now more upset that they had to pay the fee. The two travelers were not expecting the weight of their bags to be checked. Ocampo's baggage was over 28 pounds when it was first weighed, per her TikTok video. "Every other time I've flown with them they haven't checked," wrote Ocampo in the comments of her viral TikTok video, which has garnered over 1.4 million views as of May 23. Though amused, the budget airline said that they had to be fair to the other passengers. "While we certainly see the funny side, we have limits to carry-on to make it fair for everyone," a Jetstar spokesperson told Insider. "Keeping track of how much baggage passengers bring onboard means everyone has room for their belongings and we're meeting our safety requirements," said Jetstar. https://www.insider.com/airline-passenger-fined-40-dollars-wearing-13-pounds-clothing-jetstar-2023-5 Russian airlines running on ‘expired components’ as sanctions wreak havoc on aviation safety Over 95 million passengers flew on aircraft with potentially faulty equipment, an explosive new leak has confirmed. New leaks have shone light on how the West’s sanctions on Russia have affected crucial industries following the invasion of Ukraine. Western nations have continued to push for sanctions on trade in response to the war, which have reportedly made it difficult for Russian companies to purchase spare parts for aircraft maintenance. The issues with supply have reportedly impacted the nation’s most prominent airlines for over a year, forcing companies to resort to desperate measures to keep their assets in the air. Despite this, Russian airlines have continued to fly, transporting 95.1 million passengers last year alone. Inspections by the Transportation Ministry’s agency, Rostransnadzor, have discovered that over 2,000 flights took off with components that had exceeded their operational lifespan. Additionally, an investigation found that Aeroflot, Russia’s flagship airline, instructed its personnel not to record in-flight malfunctions unless directed by the captain. The limited availability of spare parts has led Russian airlines to resort to temporary fixes, including using stockpiled components and smuggling in parts from other countries. However, these are short-term solutions, and the planes still require regular maintenance. In tapes accessed by the publication Kommersant, Rostransnadzor head Viktor Basarguin could be heard admitting sanctions placed on Russia had directly impacted the safety of civilians on commercial flights. “It is impossible to import a number of specific products. As a consequence, numerous aircraft operations have been performed involving irregularities that directly affect flight safety,” he said in the tape. “For instance, they have been allowed to operate with expired components. More than 2,000 of these flights have been recorded.” According to El Pas, former company employees spoke on the condition of anonymity about the crisis, revealing one aircraft captain refused to register a safety because it was deemed “an insignificant problem”. The airline in question was an Aeroflot flight from the United Arab Emirates that was not carrying the required amount of oxygen cylinders in the event of depressurisation. Russia has begun plans to replace Boeing and Airbus aircraft with domestic-built models. However, these will likely take at least a decade to implement. President Vladimir Putin has gone on record blasting the industry for lagging production times, claiming “some companies don’t even have orders for 2023”. The situation has raised concerns about flight safety, particularly as Russia’s ability to monitor and certify its aircraft has been called into question. Russia remains a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), but it was expelled from the governing council in 2022 due to safety concerns. The country issued its own airworthiness certificates, but this double registration is prohibited by the ICAO. As a result, Russian airlines continue to operate to certain countries where civil aviation authorities turn a blind eye to the situation. Roman Gusarov, head of the Russian website Aviation Explorer, claimed “extensive engine repairs” had not been carried out for over a year. “There are some types of maintenance that are not carried out in Russia. For example, extensive engine repairs,” Gurasov told El Pas. The lack of maintenance capabilities in Russia has led to unconventional practices, including maintenance being carried out in Iran. Furthermore, over 10 per cent of the fleets of Russia’s largest airlines have been grounded for more than three months, potentially indicating cannibalisation of parts from these aircraft for others. President Vladimir Putin has gone on record blasting the industry for lagging production times, claiming ‘some companies don’t even have orders for 2023’. These practices may result in unauthorised modifications that could prevent Russian airlines from operating in European skies once they open up again. The Russian government‘s plan is to acquire domestically produced aircraft and lease them to the airlines. However, the factories are currently at a standstill, and there is a lack of orders for 2023. The industry is also facing the challenge of redesigning aircraft to comply with the sanctions. Projects to develop new aircraft, such as the Yakovlev MC-21 and the Sukhoi Superjet 100, are underway but face uncertainties. Engine development is another major hurdle for Russian aviation, as their current engines fall short of international standards. The clock is ticking for Russian airlines, with reports suggesting that Superjets may soon be grounded due to a shortage of engine spark plugs caused by the sanctions. https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/russian-airlines-running-on-expired-components-as-sanctions-wreak-havoc-on-aviation-safety/news-story/c3b3bb4b7bd2303d9e82c482fc9ef343 Manufacturing defect prompts FAA to issue AD for LEAP 1-A engine used on A320neo FAA issued an AD on the CFM International LEAP 1-A, used exclusively on the Airbus A320neo aircraft The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an airworthiness directive (AD) relating to all CFM International LEAP 1-A engines, which are used exclusively on the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft. The FAA said it was prompted to issue the AD following the discovery of certain parts of the engine being manufactured with materials with reduced properties due to iron inclusion. The list of parts includes certain high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor stage 1 disks (HPT stage 1 disks), forward outer seals, and compressor rotor stages 6–10 spools of the LEAP 1-A engines. CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and Safran Aircraft Engines, made the initial discovery that “iron inclusion was detected in three non-LEAP–1A HPT rotor disks,” read the AD. However, further analysis by the manufacturer showed that “the iron inclusion is attributed to deficiencies in the manufacturing process” and affects more parts. The FAA warned that the reduced material properties of the HPT stage 1 disks, forward outer seals, and compressor rotor stages 6-10 spools could have “lower fatigue life capability due to iron inclusion, which may cause premature fracture and subsequent uncontained failure” of the components. The FAA is addressing a potential condition where the Boeing 737 MAX's fuel tanks could explode in a final rule AD FAA issues final rule AD to prevent potential 737 MAX fuel tank explosions To address the problem the FAA has ordered operators to replace the three affected parts, which affects 38 engines installed on aircraft registered in the US. According to the agency’s estimates, replacing the HPT stage 1 disk (a total of 38 affected parts) will cost $216,315 per product ($680 labor and $215,635 in parts), the forward outer seal (24 affected parts) $48,180 per engine ($680 labor and $47,500 in parts), and the compressor rotor stages 6-10 spool (15 affected parts) will set back operators $38,340 per engine ($680 labor and $37,660 in parts). All costs related to parts were estimated on a pro-rated basis. The effective date of the AD, which was issued on May 19, 2023, is June 23, 2023. The CFM International LEAP 1-A is one of two engine options available to Airbus A320neo aircraft family operators. Airlines can also choose to power their A320neo aircraft with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G, which has experienced several supply chain issues, forcing carriers to ground their aircraft and search for wet lease alternatives. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/faa-issues-final-rule-ad-to-prevent-potential-737-max-fuel-tank-explosions-2 RTCA Webinar: From ConOps to Operational Deployment As the industry moves closer to realizing AAM Systems as part of our airspace, manufacturers, customers and regulators are exploring how Operational Deployment will differ based on the initial Concept of Operations. Join us for a discussion with IATA, Wisk and Zipline on the different paths required for crewed, partially crewed and completely autonomous operations when moving from Concept of Operations to Operational Deployment. Register free: https://bit.ly/3IcsKkS Curt Lewis