Flight Safety Information - June 1, 2023 No. 105 In This Issue : Incident: American B738 at Dallas on May 30th 2023, tyre and wing damage on landing : Incident: Baltic BCS3 near Vienna on May 30th 2023, unreliable airspeed : Incident: Garuda B738 at Manado on May 31st 2023, engine problems : UNA AIRCRAFT WITH 50 PASSENGERS SKIDS OFF LAGOS RUNWAY : Congressman Cohen Introduces the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act : Denton flight school selected for Spirit Airlines pilot program : US set to allow GE to make engines in India for New Delhi's military jets : Boeing says certification of 737 MAX 7 is taking 'considerable amount of time' : Know any airplane mechanics? A wave of retirements is leaving some US industries desperate to hire : Man jumped fence at IAH, hid in landing gear of plane, court docs say : Flying Circling Approaches In The Real World, Part 1 Incident: American B738 at Dallas on May 30th 2023, tyre and wing damage on landing An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N984NN performing flight AA-860 from New York JFK,NY to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA), landed on Fort Worth Airport's runway 17C but burst a left main tyre. The aircraft vacated the runway via a high speed turn off and stopped clear of the runway. A post flight inspection also revealed damage to the left hand wing. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT LANDED AND THE LEFT REAR TIRE SHREDDED AND DAMAGED THE LEFT WING, DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX.", the damage was rated MINOR. The aircraft is still on the ground in Dallas about 27 hours after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=509e1359&opt=0 Incident: Baltic BCS3 near Vienna on May 30th 2023, unreliable airspeed An Air Baltic Bombardier C-Series CS-300 on behalf of Swiss, registration YL-ABC performing flight LX-2251 from Budapest (Hungary) to Zurich (Switzerland), was climbing out of Budapest when the crew stopped the climb at FL180 advising of difficulties with their airspeed indications and queried ATC about their indicated airspeed, the controller had 250 KIAS indicated. The crew decided to divert to Vienna (Austria) where the aircraft landed on runway 34 without further incident about 35 minutes later. The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 19 hours before returning to service. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=509dfe5f&opt=0 Incident: Garuda B738 at Manado on May 31st 2023, engine problems A Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800, registration PK-GMU performing flight GA-607 from Manado to Jakarta (Indonesia) with 88 people on board, was climbing through FL200 out of Manado when the crew stopped the climb due to one engine (CFM56) experiencing problems. The aircraft returned to Manado for a safe landing about 45 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Manado about 9 hours after landing. The airport reported the aircraft returned to Manado with engine problems. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=509ddd6c&opt=0 UNA AIRCRAFT WITH 50 PASSENGERS SKIDS OFF LAGOS RUNWAY A United Nigeria Airlines, UNA, aircraft, yesterday, skidded off runway 18L at the Murtala Mohammed Airport 2, in Lagos. Head of Corporate Communications of the airline, Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, in a statement, said: “The aircraft, 5N-BWW (Embraer ERJ - 145), with 50 passengers on board, was flying in from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, when the incident happened. “The aircraft landed safely but was forced to terminate its movement to the apron off the runway. All passengers disembarked safely and were transported to the arrival hall alongside their luggage. “Officials of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, are at the scene of the incident and alongside UNA engineers are working to move the aircraft to the hangar. NCAA and AIB have also been duly notified and are on the scene. “United Nigeria is collaborating fully with the authorities. United Nigeria wants to reassure the public that it maintains the strictest safety standards in its operations and shall continue to prioritize passenger safety at all times.” https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/06/una-aircraft-with-50-passengers-skids-off-lagos-runway/ Congressman Cohen Introduces the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act Assuring safe evacuation from aircraft for all passengers WASHINGTON -- As the summer travel season ramps up and millions of Americans continue to board crowded flights, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the Ranking Member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, today joined Senators Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin in reintroducing the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does more to prioritize passenger safety by appropriately considering carry-on baggage, people with disabilities, seniors and children in its emergency evacuation standards. Congressman Cohen authored Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act, the law that led the FAA to conduct evacuation-simulation tests. The FAA’s current standards require that passengers -- regardless of age or ability -- be able to evacuate aircraft within 90 seconds, but recent simulation tests failed to adequately take into account whether a flight is full or mostly empty, has passengers with mobility issues or many other real-life conditions that Americans deal with every time they fly. An identical companion bill was introduced in the Senate today by Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) – a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin). “I have long held doubts that the FAA’s 90-second evacuation standard can be met in most instances, which is why I previously introduced and passed the Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act to require the agency to establish minimum standards for seat sizes and distances between rows of seats in order to ensure passengers can safely evacuate,” said Congressman Cohen. “The EVAC Act will ensure the FAA’s emergency evacuation standards address the needs of all members of the flying public, including those with disabilities.” “Imagine being on a crowded flight when the worst-case scenario happens: the crew tells you that you have 90 seconds to evacuate -- but how can more than 150 passengers on a crowded flight actually safely evacuate in less time than it takes to brush your teeth?” said Senator Duckworth. “While we know that aviation is one of the safest ways to travel, we can’t put our heads in the sand and ignore the risks that come with ever-growing numbers of passengers on each individual flight. That’s why Senator Baldwin and I are reintroducing the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabins (EVAC) Act to require the FAA to finally establish evacuation standards that take real-life conditions into account like the presence of carry-on bags, children, seniors and passengers with disabilities. We must act to make flying as safe as we know it can be —and as safe as Americans deserve.” “Every American should be able to fly with dignity and peace of mind knowing that safety protocols are in place that take every passenger into account,” said Senator Baldwin. “That’s why in the event of an emergency, it’s critical the Federal Aviation Administration considers realistic circumstances like heavy luggage and passengers of different ages, sizes, and abilities when checking evacuation and safety plans are effective. Our legislation will ensure Americans and their loved ones are safe when flying because that is what they demand and deserve.” The EVAC Act would direct the FAA to issue a rule establishing evacuation standards that take into account certain real-life conditions including: Passengers of different ages, including young children and senior citizens Passengers of different heights and weights Passengers with disabilities Passengers who do not speak English Passengers who cannot speak, are non-vocal or non-verbal Presence of carry-on luggage and personal items like purses, backpacks and briefcases Seat size and pitch Seat configuration, location and other obstacles in pathway to exit Presence of smoke, darkness or other factors diminishing visibility This legislation is supported by a broad coalition: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Allied Pilots Association (APA), Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, FlyersRights.org, AARP, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), National League of Cities, Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Association of the Deaf, World Institute on Disability, Autism Society of America, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), American Foundation for the Blind, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), Muscular Dystrophy Association, All Wheels Up, Amputee Coalition, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, United Spinal Association, ALS Association, Access Ready and American Council of the Blind. Endorsee statements: “The safety improvements in the EVAC Act are essential and will enhance passenger and crew safety by making aircraft evacuation standards better reflect the reality of emergency evacuations -- full aircraft, people of all ages and physical abilities -- and it will save lives when seconds count,” said Ambassador and Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. “APFA, representing 26,000 dedicated Flight Attendants at American Airlines, fully supports the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) Act introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-9),” said National President of Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) Julie Hedrick. “Evacuation testing conducted in 2019 did not reflect the realities of everyday flying. By not including or even accounting for senior citizens, young children, passengers with disabilities, or carry-on luggage, the study was inconclusive. APFA believes that the passage of the EVAC Act is a significant step forward in addressing the evolving challenges and complexities associated with emergency evacuations. By supporting this legislation, we demonstrate our commitment to passenger safety and dedication to ensuring that Flight Attendants have the necessary tools and resources to fulfill their responsibilities.” “As professional pilots, safety will always be our highest priority, and we strongly support the common-sense recommendation that the FAA reevaluate transport-category aircraft evacuation standards,” said Allied Pilots Association President Capt. Ed Sicher. “The realities of commercial air travel today — including widely differing passenger ages and physical abilities, language barriers, seat pods blocking access across aisles, and ever-shrinking seat size and pitch — all come into play when an evacuation becomes necessary. We applaud Senator Duckworth, Senator Baldwin, and Representative Cohen for taking the lead on this critical safety issue.” “For too long, the needs of passengers with disabilities have been absent in the planning process for evacuating an aircraft in an emergency,” said Associate Executive Director of Government Relations Heather Ansley, Esq., MSW of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “We appreciate the efforts of Senator Duckworth to ensure the needs of all passengers, including those with disabilities, are fully considered and addressed.” https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-introduces-emergency-vacating-aircraft-cabin-evac-act Denton flight school selected for Spirit Airlines pilot program The flight school will join the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, a program aimed at fast-tracking pilots to a career at Spirit. Budget carrier Spirit Airlines is partnering with US Aviation Academy in Denton to train more pilots as the aviation industry faces an ongoing shortage. The flight school will join the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, a program aimed at fast-tracking pilots to a career at Spirit. Pilots would need to complete their training at US Aviation Academy with about 500 hours of flight time to apply for the program. After an interview, pilots could receive a conditional employment offer, a Spirit electronic flight bag and mentorship within the airline. Prospective pilots will work toward completing their hours for an airline transport pilot certificate. At the end of the program, pilots will join the team as a first officer for Spirit. Spirit is making the move as the airline industry faces a shortage of pilots, which will grow to a shortfall of nearly 80,000 by 2032 worldwide, according to Oliver Wyman. Spirit opened a crew base at DFW in 2012 to attract more pilots from the rich base of aviators in the region, a move that Frontier copied last year with a new crew base at DFW. Ryan Rodosta, senior director of flight operations and system chief pilot at Spirit Airlines, said that US Aviation Academy was the type of partner the carrier was looking for as it expands its pilot pipeline. “We’re adding new planes and new destinations, and our continued growth makes this the perfect opportunity to start working toward a career on the flight deck with us,” Rodosta said in a release. Texas Woman’s University in Denton also recently announced a $15 million donation to create an aviation program for pilots and aviation leadership roles. The university is anticipating its first class by fall 2024. Spirit flies to over 90 destinations across the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. The carrier offers about 33 daily departures from DFW International Airport, home to one of Spirit’s pilot crew bases. Scott Sykes, chief development officer for US Aviation Academy, said the Denton school is excited to create a career pathway for professional pilots for Spirit. “Both companies have a history of innovation and a commitment to safety and high-quality training, which makes for a great partnership,” Sykes said in a release. Along with Spirit, US Aviation Academy also has partnerships with United Aviate, Southwest Destination 225°, JSX Pilot Pathway, Breeze Airways, Avelo Airlines, Envoy Airlines and Republic Airways. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2023/05/31/discount-carrier-spirit-airlines-picks-denton-flight-school-to-train-more-pilots/ US set to allow GE to make engines in India for New Delhi's military jets WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI, May 31 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is poised to sign off on a deal that would allow General Electric Co (GE.N) to produce jet engines powering Indian military aircraft in that country, according to three people briefed on the decision. A deal finalizing the joint production of the engines is expected to be inked and announced by the time President Joe Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit on June 22, the people said on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been made public. The White House, which said in January that it had received the application to jointly produce the engines in India, declined to comment. GE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Washington is working to deepen ties with the world's largest democracy and sees deeper military-to-military and technology ties with the South Asian country as a key counterweight to China's dominance in the region. India, the world's largest arm importer, depends on Russia for nearly half its military supplies, and has bought fighter jets, tanks, nuclear submarines and an aircraft carrier over the decades. New Delhi has frustrated Washington by participating in military exercises with Russia and increasing purchases of the country's crude oil, a key source of funding for Moscow's war in Ukraine. India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) (HIAE.NS) had previously said it planned to use the GE-manufactured 414 engine on a second generation of light-combat aircraft and that it was in talks over domestic production of those engines. The deal is not finalized and also requires notification to the U.S. Congress, according to two of the people briefed on the arrangement. Washington maintains strict controls over what domestic military technology can be shared or sold to other countries. A broader joint partnership between the United States and India announced earlier this year is designed to encourage companies from both countries to collaborate, especially on military equipment and cutting-edge technology. While GE has offered some transfer of technology to HAL, which will produce the engines as a licensed manufacturer, India is pushing for more technology to be shared, according to one of the people with knowledge of the conversations. India is keen to get the know-how to make aircraft engines. Though it can manufacture fighter jets domestically, it lacks the ability to produce engines to power them. HAL is using a lighter GE engine for the 83 light combat aircraft it is manufacturing for the Indian air force. However, India intends to produce more than 350 fighter jets for its air force and navy over the next two decades, which could be powered by the GE 414. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-set-allow-ge-make-engines-india-new-delhis-military-jets-2023-05-31/ Boeing says certification of 737 MAX 7 is taking 'considerable amount of time' CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - The certification of the Boeing Co 737 MAX 7 is taking a "considerable amount of time" due to new documentation requirements, but the planemaker still believes it can be certified by the end of the year, a company executive said on Wednesday. Both the MAX 7 and MAX 10 are seen as critical for Boeing to compete against Airbus SE for orders at the larger and smaller ends of the narrowbody market. Stay ahead of the market Southwest Airlines Co was expecting to accept the first MAX 7 this year, although the airline's CEO has noted plans to put the aircraft into service could be delayed until 2024. Boeing is readying the final "handful of documents" required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as it proceeds through the regulatory process necessary to approve the 737 MAX 7 to enter service, Mike Fleming, Boeing's senior vice president for commercial development programs, told a press briefing. The planemaker is also "close" to receiving FAA approval to begin certification flights of its new longer 737 MAX 10, Fleming told reporters. Certification of that aircraft is still projected to occur in 2024, but will depend on when Boeing is approved to begin those flights, he said. "The amount of documentation that we're producing on these airplanes relative to what we had to produce in the past is considerably much larger than it has been," Fleming said. Asked about Boeing's comments, the FAA said "safety will dictate the timeline. We do not comment on ongoing certifications." Congress in December exempted the MAX 7 and MAX 10 from a new safety standard for modern cockpit alerts that applied to all planes certified after late 2022. The requirement had been imposed by Congress in 2020 after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-737-max-7-certification-180507789.html Know any airplane mechanics? A wave of retirements is leaving some US industries desperate to hire WASHINGTON (AP) — Kwasi Bandoh, a senior recruiter for an airline, stood before a group of aviation mechanic students at their graduation ceremony last month and congratulated them for all having jobs. As some of the students began nudging each other, Bandoh realized that perhaps not every one of them had already been hired. “Who doesn’t have a job?” Bandoh demanded, surveying the 15 graduates before him at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics’ training facility in Hagerstown, Maryland. “Who doesn’t? Because I have a job for you.” The crowd of about 70 friends and relatives, gathered in a hangar where the students had been trained, laughed appreciatively. Fourteen of the 15 graduates did have jobs, and the only one who didn’t had an interview lined up for the next day. As happy as the moment was for the graduates, it epitomized the struggles of recruiters like Bandoh, who are desperately seeking mechanics for the airlines, plane manufacturers and repair shops that need them. Most of their existing mechanics are aging, and demand for travel is growing. Across the U.S. economy, other industries, too, face the same formidable challenge: Replenishing a workforce diminished by a surge of retirements that began during the pandemic and has continued since. It’s a growing problem in such fields as construction, manufacturing, nursing and some professional industries like accounting. Since 2019, the proportion of retirees in the U.S. population has risen from 18% to nearly 20%, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — equivalent to about 3.5 million fewer workers. And the trend seems sure to accelerate: The percentage of workers who are 55 or older is nearly 24%, up from only about 15% two decades ago. The surge of retirements, along with a slowdown in immigration that began during the pandemic, are the primary factors behind the labor shortages that continue to bedevil some employers. The aging workforce also helps explain the confounding nature of the economy right now. Even as the Federal Reserve has relentlessly pumped up interest rates to fight high inflation, hiring has remained surprisingly robust. Regardless of where interest rates are, many employers simply need to replace people who have left. Job growth has been stronger, in fact, than economic growth would suggest. The economy expanded at a mediocre 1.3% annual rate in the first three months of 2023. Yet hiring was robust, averaging nearly 300,000 jobs a month. In April, the unemployment rate reached a half-century low of 3.4%. On Friday, the government will issue the May employment report, which economists predict will show another solid gain of about 190,000 jobs. Companies that must fill jobs tend to raise pay to attract and keep workers — a trend that can fuel inflation as those same employers typically raise their prices to cover their higher labor costs. That dynamic is complicating the Fed’s efforts to tame inflation. In the airline industry, more than one-third of mechanics are between 55 and 64, according to government data. Fewer than one in 10 are under 30. “Everybody’s getting ready to retire, and not enough people are coming in to take the jobs,” said Mike Myers, a maintenance manager for Piedmont Airlines, in Hagerstown, a regional feeder for American Airlines. The new graduates of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics have been awed by how much they’re in demand. One of them, Will Gower, said he weighed multiple job offers at nearly twice the $15-an-hour wage he had earned at the retail job he held while in school. “It was almost overwhelming how many companies were throwing jobs at you,” said Gower, 21. “Anywhere there’s an airport you can go work.” Next month, Gower will join Commute Air, Bandoh’s company, along with three of his classmates, and will receive further training in Houston. In the past year, the air travel industry has hired roughly 45,000 people, enlarging its workforce by 9%, to more than a half-million. That’s triple the pace of the U.S. economy’s overall hiring. United Airlines has said it plans to hire 15,000 workers this year and more in coming years. It expects to add 2,300 pilots, in part to offset about 500 retirements. Kate Gebo, United’s executive vice president of human resources, said she foresees a shortage of airplane mechanics, with up to half of United’s mechanics already eligible to retire. In the construction industry, the proportion of workers ages 55 and older doubled from 2003 to 2020, to nearly one-quarter, according to the government. Anirban Basu, chief economist for the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group, said that in addition to aging, industries like aviation maintenance and construction share another challenge: Fewer young people want to take jobs in what are often perceived as less-secure, blue-collar work. When the now-retiring baby boomers began working, Basu said, “there was the notion that being a blue-collar tradesperson was a solid and secure path to prosperity.” But as factories shut down across the country, “the notion increasingly became that for one to become part of the American middle class, one would likely need to have more formal education, namely, a bachelor’s degree.” The result, he said, is an economy short of factory workers, backhoe operators, welders, electricians and other skilled trade workers. If there’s one trend that might ease, if not solve, the problem it’s that Americans below retirement age have been re-entering the job market, likely drawn by steady hiring and higher pay levels. The proportion of these adults who either have a job or are looking for one now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. Yet for now, an aging workforce remains a problem even for some white-collar jobs, particularly accounting. About three-quarters of accountants are “nearing 60” and approaching retirement, according to the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. Tom Hood, an executive vice president of the association, said the industry is finding it hard to attract young college graduates. Many of them prefer data science or finance, while accounting struggles with a stuffier, more old-fashioned image. “We’re getting squeezed from the older part and the younger part as well,” Hood said. Nela Richardson, chief economist at the payroll provider ADP, said research shows that countries that have many retirees who spend money and consume and have fewer people working typically face higher inflation. In those countries, demand for goods and services tends to exceed the supply. “This is the missing piece in terms of our dialogue about, can the Fed drive inflation back down to” its 2% target? Richardson said. Some economists have said they worry that the job market’s resilience, and the resulting fear that inflation will remain high, will lead the Fed to send its benchmark rate even higher, which could derail the economy and cause a recession. Gower, who is from Covington, Louisiana, near New Orleans, isn’t exactly worried about a recession. His new job as a line mechanic at Commute Air will pay $30 an hour to start, plus higher wages for night shifts. “We’ve all got great futures ahead of us,” he said. Brian Prentice, a partner at the OliverWyman consulting firm, estimates that the aviation industry will endure a shortage of up to 18,000 mechanics this year — about 12% of current staffing levels. It will likely boost pay levels across the industry. Mindy Pavlonis, associate director of career services for the aeronautics institute, noted that entry-level pay has jumped from about $18 an hour in 2018 to the upper-$20s an hour now. More financial aid for young people to receive training can help address the worker shortfall, Prentice said, a benefit that some airlines are starting to provide. Myers, the manager at Piedmont, said his company now offers scholarships that pay full tuition to schools like the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics. In return, the student must work at Piedmont for two years. They will even set up new students with a $6,500 tool box, he added. Erik Hansen, a lobbyist for the U.S. Travel Association, says his group is pushing for more funding for a federal development program that would subsidize aviation maintenance training schools and support more outreach to high schools to promote the industry as a career. Without more workers, he said, further flight delays will inevitably result. “You have an airplane that has a mechanical issue, and it needs to be fixed before it’s turned around,” Hansen said. “It takes longer for the mechanics to get to it. There’s going to be a flight delay. So it’s absolutely something we need to address.” https://apnews.com/article/jobs-workers-shortages-hiring-manufacturing-airplane-mechanics-84176a760eaacd1b629e9cef2f6ee42c Man jumped fence at IAH, hid in landing gear of plane, court docs say According to court records, Jehffrey Gutirres has been arrested for trespassing a number of times in the last few months. HOUSTON — A man who was arrested after authorities said he was found hiding in the landing gear of an airplane remained in jail on Wednesday night. Jehffrey Gutirres, 26, was arrested Saturday at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Officials said he was hiding on an American Airlines plane, putting 166 passengers at risk. A judge set his bond at $1 million, which is higher than the state requested. An airport spokesperson said he jumped the fence to get in. They said they're beefing up security in the wake of the incident. A pilot who was performing pre-flight checks found Gutirres. The plane had to be de-boarded, resulting in delays and interruptions to airport operations in the middle of the busy Memorial Day weekend. It's not the first time Gutirres had been arrested for trespassing at the airport. According to court records, he was also found hiding in the landing gear of another American Airlines flight in 2021. That plane was arriving in Miami from Guatemala. Officials said that's how Gutirres got to the United States. It's unclear how he got to Houston. According to court records, on Jan. 11, Gutirres was arrested for trespassing at Cypress Falls High School On April 27, he was arrested at Bush Airport. After that arrest, he was required to wear an ankle monitor. But, on May 17, a week before the most recent incident, he was arrested again at IAH. According to jail records, Gutirres is homeless and was being evaluated for mental illness. Full AA statement: "The safety of our customers and crew is always our number one priority. As this is a law enforcement matter, we refer you to them for additional information." https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/man-hiding-landing-gear-plane-houston-airport/285-ff4cdf2e-8649-4188-982e-761e6c3794da Flying Circling Approaches In The Real World, Part 1 Earning an instrument and a type rating today still demands the applicant successfully fly a circling approach. Despite the FAA’s recent Advisory Circular (AC) 120-123 calling for an increased focus on flight-path management, circling approaches have fallen into a Catch-22 status in which a pilot’s lack of proficiency seriously increases the risks when he or she is required to fly one of these approaches. With the proliferation of cockpit automation enabling RNAV GPS and RNP approaches around the world, however, circling approaches are nearing extinction, exacerbating the safety problem facing the industry when pilots choose to fly one. The FAA’s Instrument Procedures Handbook (FAA-H-8083-16B) outlines the issue rather succinctly. “Circling approaches are one of the most challenging flight maneuvers conducted in the National Airspace System, especially for pilots of CAT C and CAT D turbine-powered, transport category airplanes. These maneuvers are conducted at low altitude, day and night, and often with precipitation present affecting visibility, depth perception and the ability to adequately assess the descent profile to the landing runway. Most often, circling approaches are conducted to runways without the benefit of electronic navigation aids to support the descent from the circling minimums decision altitude (CMDA) to the runway.” Between 2008 and 2023, there were 10 accidents involving FAR Part 91 and Part 135 operators that occurred during a circling approach, according to a March 2023 NTSB safety alert (SA-084). Those accidents cost 17 lives. The SKYbrary electronic portal of safety information, says: “Studies have shown that runway aligned approaches (LNAV only) are some 25 times safer than circling approaches and that once some form of vertical guidance is added to these, the safety margin is increased again by some eight times.” While the SKYbrary report is more than a decade old, it identified several circling approach accident risks that still exist for operators who fly them. Those threats include aircraft exceeding the obstacle clearance limits during the maneuver or a go-around and approaches that take the aircraft outside of its certified flight regime. All end the same way, with an aircraft experiencing controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Training vs. the Real World Following discussions with several real-world business aviation pilots familiar with the inherent risks of circling to the landing runway, it’s clear there’s a significant difference between flying a circling approach in training and flying one in the real world. Again, because pilots seldom fly them, understanding the background upon which these circling approaches are based is critical. The FAA published InFO 23001, “Use of Aircraft Approach Category During Instrument Approach Operations,” in January 2023 to spotlight one of the most important elements pilots must consider when a circling approach becomes a necessity: landing minimums. The agency reminded pilots that an aircraft’s certified approach category, and hence the landing minimums tied to that category, are completely independent of elements in the operating environment. Consider a Hawker 800 that normally circles as a Category C aircraft. Despite the ceiling, the winds and its landing weight on any given day, that airplane will always remain as a Category C. Even if the pilot were able to fly the aircraft slowly enough to meet the speed restrictions of a Category B, approach minimums will never be less than those of the higher category. If operational conditions such as gusty winds or icing exist, however, that Hawker 800 could be flown at a speed higher than the 120 kts. of Category C. This would demand the pilot fly the aircraft to the higher Category D landing minimums. The InFO also said: “Regardless of approach category when circling to land, the pilot must maneuver the aircraft within the circling approach protected area for that category to achieve the obstacle and terrain clearance provided by the procedure design criteria.” An advantage to pilots flying circling approaches today is that modern cockpit electronics allow them to draw circles outward from the runway threshold to aid them in staying within protected airspace. Additional information contained in NTSB SA-084 reminds pilots that they “sometimes do not evaluate the risks of these approaches fully before accepting them, which can result in unstabilized approaches.” When a pilot conducts a circling approach at a higher category speed limit, the FAA wants them to “consider several factors that can considerably alter the actual ground track flown, like bank angle. Using an excessively high bank angle when executing a circling approach can lead to an unstabilized approach and a possible loss of control.” Another factor is indicated airspeed. “Operating at a higher IAS demands pilots (positively) ensure they can still remain inside the circling approach’s protected airspace.” The FAA also highlighted downwind turns because they affect the aircraft’s turn radius and hence the ability to remain within protected airspace. If an aircraft loses visual reference during the circling portion of a procedure, the pilot must follow the standard missed approach procedure. That means a turn toward the landing runway first in order to remain within the protected airspace. The NTSB safety alert also reported faulty logic often pilots often used tied to circling approach accidents; the flight crew had many options available to them that would have increased the likelihood of executing a stabilized approach and a successful landing. For some reason, the pilots ignored these possibilities. https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/safety-ops-regulation/flying-circling-approaches-real-world-part-1 Curt Lewis