Flight Safety Information - June 12, 2023 No. 112 In This Issue : Incident: Spirit A320 at Orlando on Jun 8th 2023, engine failure : Incident: Delta B763 near Salt Lake City on Jun 10th 2023, sensor problem : Incident: Indigo A21N at Delhi on Jun 10th 2023, engine failure : United Airlines-Airbus A320-232 - Fumes in the Cockpit (Kansas) : United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Smoke Enters Cockpit : FAA Proposes Pilot Training Requirements and Operational Rules for Powered-Lift Aircraft : Chinese airline defends flight attendant weight restrictions after backlash : AIR FRANCE LAUNCHES A NEW CADET PILOT RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN : Delta aircraft slide accidentally deploys after plane diverted to Salt Lake City : 11-year-old boy dies after flight to New York makes emergency landing : Plane contact leads to runway closure at Tokyo's Haneda airport : U.S. Cargo and Passenger Airlines Added 2,867 Jobs in April 2023; Employment Remains 8.4% Above Pre-Pandemic April 2019 : Safer Skies initiative integral to preventing shooting down of civilian aircraft Incident: Spirit A320 at Orlando on Jun 8th 2023, engine failure A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N624NK performing flight NK-1351 from Orlando,FL to New York La Guardia,NY (USA) with 163 people, was climbing out of Orlando's runway 17R when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet reporting they had a left engine (V2527) failure and needed to return to Orlando. The aircraft landed safely on runway 18L about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration N644NK reached New York with a delay of about 4:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Orlando 3 days later. https://avherald.com/h?article=50a54f22&opt=0 Incident: Delta B763 near Salt Lake City on Jun 10th 2023, sensor problem A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N189DN performing flight DL-520 from New York JFK,NY to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute at FL380 about 160nm east of Salt Lake City,UT (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Salt Lake City due to problems with a temperature sensor needed for icing conditions. The aircraft landed safely on Salt Lake City's runway 16R about 40 minutes later. Passengers reported the captain announced a backup system's temperature sensor needed for icing conditions was playing up. The aircraft landed without further incident, the passengers were asked to disembark, later to embark the aircraft again after the sensor was repaired. When everybody was back on board and the aircraft was preparing for departure, an evacuation slide accidentally deployed inside the cabin causing minor injuries to a cabin crew. The passengers needed to disembark again and were taken to another aircraft. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N390DA reached Los Angeles with a delay of about 7 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50a5392a&opt=0 Incident: Indigo A21N at Delhi on Jun 10th 2023, engine failure An Indigo Airbus A321-200N, registration VT-ILN performing flight 6E-2789 from Delhi to Chennai (India) with 230 people on board, was climbing out of Delhi's runway 28 when the crew stopped the climb at about 13,000 feet due to the failure of one of the engines (Leap). The aircraft returned to Delhi for a safe landing on runway 28 about 35 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights. India's Civil Aviation Authority reported the aircraft returned due to an "engine snag". https://avherald.com/h?article=50a53738&opt=0 United Airlines-Airbus A320-232 - Fumes in the Cockpit (Kansas) Date: 11-JUN-2023 Time: c. 18:55 LT Type: Airbus A320-232 Owner/operator: United Airlines Registration: N410UA MSN: 0463 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 37 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: E of Kansas City, MOf - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport, MO (STL/KSTL) Destination airport: Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: United Airlines flight UA464, an Airbus A320-232, diverted to Kansas City International Airport (MCI) after the flight crew noticed fumes in the cockpit. A safe landing was made at 19:13. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/315143 United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Smoke Enters Cockpit A flight made an emergency landing in Missouri on Sunday evening, reportedly because of smoke in the cockpit. The United Airlines flight from St. Louis was heading to Denver, but made the emergency landing at Kansas City International Airport just after 7 p.m., KCTV reported. According to the station, fumes in the cockpit prompted the landing. There were 37 people on the flight, the station reported, and all were clear to leave. No injuries were reported. An investigation is underway. A spokesperson for United Airlines told Newsweek: "On Sunday, United flight 464 traveling from St. Louis to Denver diverted to Kansas City. After being cleared by our maintenance team, the flight continued to Denver." Newsweek has contacted the Kansas City Fire Department for comment via email. It comes a day after a Delta Air Lines flight made an unscheduled landing in Utah on Saturday due to technical difficulties. The flight was en route to Los Angeles from New York City when the pilot announced that it would need to make the impromptu landing because of issues with a backup system's temperature instrument, according to the newspaper. The flight landed without incident and 168 passengers were asked to deplane. It was reportedly after passengers boarded the plane again that an inflatable slide at the rear of the aircraft was accidentally deployed while it was still at the gate. One passenger described the slide as "exploding" inside the plane. Passengers were ultimately booked on another aircraft to get to Los Angeles. "Delta flight 520, operating from New York-JFK to Los Angeles diverted to Salt Lake City due to a maintenance issue," a Delta spokesperson said. "While on the ground, the same aircraft's slide was deployed by accident. In an effort to get our customers to their final destination as quickly and safely as possible, they have been re-accommodated on a new aircraft. We apologize for the delay to their traveling plans. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people." https://www.newsweek.com/united-airlines-flight-emergency-landing-smoke-cockpit-1805831 FAA Proposes Pilot Training Requirements and Operational Rules for Powered-Lift Aircraft WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration took another key step toward safely enabling advanced air mobility by proposing a comprehensive rule for training and certifying pilots. “These proposed rules of the sky will safely usher in this new era of aviation and provide the certainty the industry needs to develop,” said Acting Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety David Boulter. New rules are necessary because many of the proposed aircraft take off and land like a helicopter but fly enroute like an airplane. The powered-lift proposed rule is designed to provide certainty to pilots and the industry on what the requirements and expectations will be to operate these aircraft once it is finalized. Under the proposed rule: • A clear pathway is proposed for pilots to earn powered-lift ratings specific to each type of aircraft they fly. • Pilots who work for powered-lift aircraft manufacturers could serve as the initial cadre of flight instructors, who could then train instructors at flight schools, training centers and air carriers. • To safely accelerate pilot certification, alternate eligibility criteria would enable certain pilots to meet flight-time experience requirements faster. This would apply to pilots who already hold a commercial pilot certificate and are instrument rated. • Powered-lift aircraft would follow the same set of operating rules as traditional aircraft that are used in private and commercial flights and air tours. • The proposal would conform to International Civil Aviation Organization requirements, enabling U.S. pilots to operate in other countries. Individuals can comment on the proposed rule for 60 days after it publishes in the Federal Register. The proposed rule closely follows another integration milestone. Last month, the FAA released an updated blueprint for airspace and procedure changes to accommodate future air taxis. For more information, visit our Advanced Air Mobility website. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-proposes-pilot-training-requirements-and-operational-rules-powered-lift-aircraft Chinese airline defends flight attendant weight restrictions after backlash Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has defended imposing weight requirements on flight attendants after reports of the new policy went viral on social media and sparked a public backlash. State media initially reported that the airline, one of the country’s biggest, introduced a new policy in early June that threatened to ground female attendants if their weight exceeded the “standard limit.” The rule was part of a series of broader guidelines on appearance issued to cabin crew, with the “standard” weight calculated by height, according to state-run Global Times. For instance, an attendant measuring 158 centimeters (5.1 feet) – the average height of a Chinese adult woman – would be required to stay within 48 kilograms (105 pounds). Flight attendants who are less than 5% over that standard will have their weight monitored monthly and undergo a review, while those weighing 10% over the standard will be immediately suspended and put on a “weight reduction plan” supervised by the company, Global Times reported On Monday, Hainan Airlines confirmed to CNN that they used a “weight reference standard” – but said it applied to all flight attendants regardless of gender. The airline also said the measure “cannot be interpreted as a simple criterion to suspend a flight attendant like some media did.” The standard is “based on the standard human body weight reference and matched with the healthy weight range measurement for the crew” the airline said, adding that the rules are used to evaluate and manage the crew’s “health, physical shape and posture.” “This is intended to advocate healthy living habits and maintain a good professional image and healthy physique by anchoring the reference target, rather than passively waiting for individual crew members’ physique to change significantly and then affect safety service work,” it said. British Airways will let male staff wear makeup and piercings The response came after a weekend of building anger online, with Chinese social media users reacting to the initial state media reports with criticism towards what they see as a reflection of the country’s skewed gender norms. “I just need the flight attendant to be fully qualified in professional knowledge, well-practiced in safety procedures, and wear the most suitable shoes and clothes for emergencies. Her weight is none of my business,” read a top comment on the Twitter-like platform Weibo. Several users pointed out that being a flight attendant is a physically demanding job that should prioritize the employee’s strength and stamina instead of maintaining low weight – especially in emergency situations, where attendants are responsible for keeping passengers safe. China flight attendants advised to wear diapers for Covid protection Others argued that airlines in many Western countries have dropped the requirement for high heels and skirts in recent years. Last week, Australian airline Qantas released new guidelines for employees that provide one set of requirements for everyone, abandoning the previously separate regulations for male and female employees – meaning staff of any gender can now wear long hair, have makeup or no makeup if they choose, and wear flat shoes. Alaska Airlines also launched gender-neutral uniform guidelines for flight attendants last year; Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have adopted similar policies for greater inclusivity. Other Asian airlines have made headlines in recent years for imposing weight rules on cabin crew. In 2015, Air India asked 125 flight attendants to lose weight, while Pakistan’s national airline ordered cabin crew to abide by weight limits or face being grounded in 2019. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/china-hainan-airlines-weight-restrictions-attendants-intl-hnk/index.html AIR FRANCE LAUNCHES A NEW CADET PILOT RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN Do you have a passion for aviation and a desire to take to the skies? Not sure where to start? Air France is now accepting applications for its Pilot Cadet Programme. Designed to train and launch the careers of the next generation of cadet pilots, candidates of all ages and levels of flying experience are encouraged to apply. Becoming an Air France pilot means joining a legacy airline with nearly 90 years of history. Our pilots carry out their mission with the highest level of flight safety, technical expertise, eco-responsible piloting and attention to customer satisfaction. Successful candidates who pass the selection process will join their fellow cadets and receive access to an all expenses paid comprehensive training course through Air France’s French partner schools. After completing the training course, you will start your pilot career as a First Officer on: - Air France's Airbus A220 and A320 aircraft - Transavia's Boeing 737 and its future Airbus A320 and A321neo. The recruitment campaign is now open and runs until 31 July 2023. To learn more about the programme’s eligibility requirements and selection process, visit https://corporate.airfrance.com/en/become-air-france-airline-pilot. To apply and discover opportunities across all our job sectors, such as aircraft maintenance, IT, data management and cybersecurity, visit our careers website. Air France is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion and gender equality. Air France encourages and actively supports women to enter technical professions. The programme’s previous class was made up of 10% female cadets (compared to 9% women pilots within the company). https://corporate.airfrance.com/en/news/calling-all-aspiring-pilots-learn-fly-air-france Delta aircraft slide accidentally deploys after plane diverted to Salt Lake City An inflatable emergency slide accidentally deployed inside of a Delta Air Lines plane while on the ground at Salt Lake International Airport on Saturday. “Delta flight 520, operating from New York-JFK to Los Angeles-LAX, diverted to Salt Lake City due to a maintenance issue,” said an airline spokesperson in a statement issued to CNN on Sunday. “While on the ground, the same aircraft’s slide was deployed by accident.” No emergency landing was declared, nor did the plane divert due to the slide, according to the statement. Out of an abundance of caution, one crew member was taken to the hospital for evaluation but has since been discharged, the airline stated. Gone in 90 seconds: The evolution of the airplane evacuation slide The spokesperson said there were 168 passengers on board the B767-300 plane at the time of the incident. All customers were re-accommodated on a secondary aircraft. It landed at Los Angeles International Airport Saturday evening without further incident “We apologize for the delay to their travel plans. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” the spokesperson said. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/delta-slide-accidentally-deploys/index.html 11-year-old boy dies after flight to New York makes emergency landing An 11-year-old boy has died in Budapest airport after collapsing on a Turkish Airlines flight to JFK. The child was met with "a rapid and professional intervention" but unfortunately could not be saved. Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. An 11-year-old boy has died in Budapest airport, Hungary, after collapsing on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, Turkey, to JFK, Reuters reported. According to a statement from Budapest airport, flight TK003 on Sunday morning was quickly diverted after the young boy lost consciousness on board. "Airport Medical Service (AMS), the medical service operating at Ferenc Liszt International Airport, was alerted to the aircraft and continued to resuscitate the child. "Despite the rapid and professional intervention, unfortunately, his life could not be saved. The aircraft continued its journey to its original destination," said a spokesperson from the airport. Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. https://news.yahoo.com/11-old-boy-dies-flight-153438614.html Plane contact leads to runway closure at Tokyo's Haneda airport The Japanese transport ministry said two passenger planes came into contact at Tokyo's Haneda airport Saturday morning, leading to the temporary closure of one of its four runways. While no injuries were reported as a result of the incident that occurred on a taxiway at around 11 a.m., Thai Airways confirmed that a winglet on its plane had been damaged. The closed runway resumed operation after about 2 hours. The Thai Airways flight was carrying around 260 passengers, while the other plane operated by Taiwan's Eva Airways had about 200 people on board, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Inbound and outbound flights managed by other airlines including All Nippon Airways Co. and Japan Airlines Co. were also delayed. A passenger on the Eva Airways flight told reporters that there was an "impact" as the plane was waiting to depart, noting how "part of the wing of the nearby Thai Airways plane was chipped." But the overall atmosphere inside the aircraft remained calm, despite people aboard being confined for an extended period of time, the passenger added. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/06/b876ca16ef7e-breaking-news-one-of-haneda-airports-runways-closed-on-report-of-airplane-contact.html U.S. Cargo and Passenger Airlines Added 2,867 Jobs in April 2023; Employment Remains 8.4% Above Pre-Pandemic April 2019 U.S. Airline Employees Headcount (Full-time and Part-time Employees) U.S. airline industry (passenger and cargo airlines combined) employment increased to 796,846 workers in April 2023, 2,867 (0.36%) more workers than in March 2023 (793,979) and 61,859 (8.42%) more than in pre-pandemic April 2019 (734,987). U.S. scheduled-service passenger airlines employed 517,511 workers in April 2023 or 65% of the industry-wide total. Passenger airlines added 4,584 employees in April 2023 for a twenty-fourth consecutive month of job growth dating back to May 2021. American Airlines led scheduled passenger carriers, adding 1,102 employees; United added 1,071, and Delta added 992. U.S. cargo airlines employed 274,403 workers in April 2023, 35% of the industry total. Cargo carriers lost 1,669 employees in April. FedEx, the leading air cargo employer, decreased employment by 1,595 jobs. Scheduled passenger airlines add 2,990 full-time equivalents in April 2023 for 24th consecutive month of job growth U.S. Airline Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) BTS calculates FTEs by dividing the number of part-time employees by 2 and adding that figure to the number of full-time employees. The April 2023 industry-wide numbers include 686,273 full-time and 110,573 part-time workers for a total of 741,560 FTEs, an increase from March of 2,990 FTEs (0.40%). April 2023’s total number of FTEs remains just 9.66% above pre-pandemic April 2019’s 676,210 FTEs. The 26 U.S. scheduled passenger airlines reporting data for April 2023 employed 490,954 FTEs, 4,403 FTEs (0.90%) more than in March 2023. April 2023’s total number of scheduled passenger airline FTEs is 44,822 FTEs (10.05%) above pre-pandemic April 2019. Data by passenger carrier category can be found in the accompanying tables. U.S. cargo airlines employed 245,775 FTEs in April 2023, down 1,360 FTEs (0.55%) from March 2023. U.S. cargo airlines have increased FTEs by 19,852 (8.79%) since pre-pandemic April 2019. Reporting Notes Data are compiled from monthly reports filed with BTS by commercial air carriers as of June 5, 2023. Additional https://transtats.bts.gov/Employment/ and previous releases can be found on the BTS website. Passenger, cargo, and charter airlines that operate at least one aircraft that has more than 60 seats or the capacity to carry a payload of passengers, cargo, and fuel weighing more than 18,000 pounds must report monthly employment statistics. Regulations require U.S. airlines to report employment numbers for employees who worked or received pay for any part of the pay period(s) ending nearest the 15th day of the month. Additional individual airline numbers are available on the BTS airline employment web page. The web page provides full-time and part-time employment numbers by carrier by month from 1990 through April 2023. Missing carriers: 2HQ (Elite), and 1TQ (Rhoades Aviation dba Transair). ExpressJet (EV) is in Chapter 11 and discontinued operations on August 22nd, 2022. EV filed a P-1(a) report on 9/28/22 for August activity. There are no operations to report for September 2022 and beyond. https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/us-cargo-and-passenger-airlines-added-2867-jobs-april-2023-employment-remains-84-above-pre Safer Skies initiative integral to preventing shooting down of civilian aircraft ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano AVIATION Canada’s Safer Skies initiative was launched as a direct response to the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS 752, bound for Kyiv on 8 January 2020 shortly after take-off from Tehran, which resulted in the loss of 176 lives. MONTREAL AND THE HAGUE – Canada’s Safer Skies initiative is crucial to avoiding repeats of the shooting down of civilian aircraft, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano advised delegates at a recent forum on the topic, but States must ramp up the political momentum around implementation and exchange of expertise. The Third Safer Skies Forum was convened by the Governments of Canada and the Netherlands in support of progress “towards preventative conflict zone risk management practices,” and took place in Rotterdam and the Hague on 5 and 6 June. It was attended by ministers, diplomats, and other delegates, who represented Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. Operators and labour were also represented through the attendance of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA). Expressing ICAO’s gratitude to Canada and the Netherlands for the organization and hosting of the event, Mr. Sciacchitano remarked that “at this event we have an exceptional and crucially important opportunity to ramp up the political momentum and enhance exchanges of technical expertise fostering the global cooperation that will underpin the implementation of the Safer Skies initiative.” He highlighted that “the downing of an aircraft with innocent passengers and crew on board is absolutely unacceptable, the result of ineffective civil-military coordination, limited exchange of information, including a lack of intelligence information, and ultimately human error.” The President also focussed on the high importance ICAO places on addressing the risks that conflict zones pose to civil aviation, which must be assessed by both States and operators, and expressed the organization’s “full and unwavering” support for their activities in this area. Canada’s Safer Skies initiative was launched as a direct response to the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS 752, bound for Kyiv on 8 January 2020 shortly after take-off from Tehran, which resulted in the loss of 176 lives. The initiative has been welcomed and appreciated by the ICAO Council and subsequently endorsed by the ICAO Assembly. “Commitment is of course key to the prevention of a similar event from ever happening again,” Mr. Sciacchitano declared, noting that “the shooting down of flight PS 752 was very regrettably not the first or only instance of its kind.” The President recalled that Korean Airlines flight 007, with 269 passengers and crew on board, was shot down on 31 August 1983 by a military aircraft of the former Soviet Union. He noted that in the aftermath of this event, the ICAO Assembly amended the 1944 Chicago Convention to provide that every State must refrain from the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight, but that “notwithstanding this almost forty-year-old commitment by States, we continue to see instances involving the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.” ICAO’s guidance to States and operators has evolved continuously following the recommendations of States following their investigations into the series of events that have occurred. The Dutch Safety Board’s Final Report into the shooting down of MH 17 contained a number of safety recommendations. One of the most tangible outcomes of these is the production of the Risk Assessment Manual for Civil Aircraft Operations Over or Near Conflict Zones (Doc 10084), which was developed by ICAO with the pivotal support and contribution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Similarly, several safety recommendations addressed to ICAO were contained in the Final Report prepared by the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran into the loss of flight PS 752, which was published in March 2021. Those related to risk assessment and issuance of NOTAMs for flights in conflict zones, prioritization of States having potentially hazardous military activities for safety and security audit activities, and enhancement of the available guidance material, and were all addressed by ICAO. In addition to these recommendations, other States affected by these tragedies have made proposals for enhancing international civil aviation safety and security. Following these proposals, the ICAO Accident Investigation Panel has been working on concerns expressed about investigations on the downing of aircraft, particularly when the independence of the Accident Investigation Authority and credibility of the investigation could be challenged. Most recently, the 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly, which took place in September and October 2022, also resulted in States requesting a prioritized review of the Risk Assessment Manual. To this end, ICAO solicited feedback from Member States, and several substantive inputs from States and Industry Organizations have been received. These are under review and analysis, in close coordination with the Safer Skies Committee. ICAO plans to issue a third edition of the Risk Assessment Manual taking into account these contributions by the end of this year, along with a programme to develop and roll-out a dedicated workshop. “Flight safety has reached outstanding levels in recent decades. However, one single accident is one too many,” Mr Sciacchitano noted. https://www.traveldailynews.com/aviation/safer-skies-initiative-integral-to-preventing-shooting-down-of-civilian-aircraft/ Curt Lewis