Flight Safety Information - June 23, 2023 No. 121 In This Issue : FAA launches new training for air traffic controllers to reduce ‘close calls’ : FAA News: Leadership Changes, Reauthorization Stalls, and More [DRONELIFE Exclusive Dive] : Helicopter Wakes Deserve A Wide Berth, Part 1 : Watch F-35 ‘Headbutt’ Private Plane During Low-Level Intercept Over Marin : IATA Launches Program to Improve Aviation Safety in Africa : Plane makes emergency landing after door bursts open during flight over Brazil, video shows : Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Preliminary report released on Cessna jet crash in Virginia FAA launches new training for air traffic controllers to reduce ‘close calls’ Updated: 7:43 PM EDT Jun 21, 2023 By Gregory Wallace The Federal Aviation Administration is stepping up air traffic control training after a series of close calls have left the flying public and regulatory bodies rattled. The transportation agency will require the thousands of air traffic controllers it employs to attend new monthly training as part of an effort to reduce near-collisions of aircraft, according to an FAA statement released Wednesday. The first topics will “cover several items to reduce events on the surface” of airports. The topics for safety briefings will also be driven by “data and seasonal challenges,” the FAA said. There have been several close calls on U.S. runways this year, including one at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in January: “The air traffic controller had to swoop in and stop a flight that was barreling down the runway toward a crossing, taxiing (Boeing) 777 from taking off,” said CNN’s Pete Muntean, an aviation expert and pilot. In another incident in February, a FedEx cargo plane that was trying to land in Austin, Texas, had to change course to avoid colliding with a Southwest Airlines jet that was taking off. In March, the FAA hosted a safety summit with industry and aerospace safety leaders. The agency has made other changes in air traffic control towers and facilities, including directing supervisors to have a more hands-on presence during busy times. Ahead of the summit, Muntean explained that while it’s the job of air traffic controllers to keep airplanes from running into one another, some of the responsibility falls on the flight crew to remain vigilant and follow their instructions. There are also radar and other technologies to detect where airplanes are on the ground– not just in the air, Muntean said. “To reach our goal of zero close calls, everyone must stay sharp,” Tim Arel, the FAA official overseeing air traffic control, said Wednesday. “This training will give us an opportunity to focus on safety with our entire workforce.” FAA launches new training for air traffic controllers to reduce ‘close calls’ FAA News: Leadership Changes, Reauthorization Stalls, and More [DRONELIFE Exclusive Dive] Posted By: Miriam McNabb on: June 20, 2023 The Federal Aviation Administration is going through a period of change, as a new interim leadership team is put into place and an FAA Reauthorization Package stalls in the Senate. The FAA news this month ranged from announcements of former Acting Administrator Billy Nolen’s new job to revealing the new Acting Administrator and pressures from Congress for President Biden to quickly fill vacant spots with permanent staff. Additionally, after promising bi-partisan support for the FAA Reauthorization Package in the House, the package has stalled in the senate. For the drone industry, the FAA news could indicate more delays on drone-related rulemaking. FAA Leadership: Acting Roles Filled, Rumor of Next Nominee The FAA has been without an appointed FAA Administrator since Trump appointee Steve Dickson stepped down mid-way through his 5 year term on March 31, 2022. FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, Billy Nolen, replaced Dickson as Acting Administrator: Nolen left the post after 14 months in June of 2023 to join eVTOL manufacturer Archer Aviation. Nolen has now been replaced with Deputy U.S. Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg. Before accepting the post at the DOT, Trottenberg served from 2014-2020 as New York City’s Transportation Commissioner. In addition to naming a new Acting FAA Administrator, the Biden Administration also announced this month that it would appoint the current FAA Chief of Staff, Katie Thomson, as Deputy Administrator. The Department of Transportation Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, Keith Washington, will step into Thomson’s seat as Chief of Staff. The current Deputy FAA Administrator, A. Bradley Mims, is moving to the Office of the Secretary and will lead the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at DOT. In an FAA announcement on the new staffing, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said it was a “challenging and dynamic” period for aviation. “I am pleased to announce a team of experienced leaders to guide the FAA,” said Buttigieg. “I am grateful to Billy for his service during one of the most challenging and dynamic times in aviation, and I have full confidence in Polly’s steady hand during the search for a permanent administrator.” A permanent FAA Administrator must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. President Biden’s first nominee to the position, Phil Washington, withdrew his petition for the job in March of 2023 after his confirmation stalled in the Senate over concerns that he lacked the depth of aviation experience required for the job. Now, Axios.com reports that the next nominee for FAA Administrator is rumored to be Mike Whitaker. Whitaker worked in the FAA as Deputy Administrator during the Obama administration, before taking up a position at Hyundai’s UAM company, Supernal. FAA Reauthorization: What it is, What Happens Next FAA Reauthorization is essentially a funding approval package, designed to fund the agency for a five year period. The current authorization, passed in October of 2018, runs out September 30, 2023. In the package, lawmakers outline priorities, requirements, and deadlines for FAA activities. The House of Representatives passed a bi-partisan reauthorization package on June 14. Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R. 3935), passed by a vote of 63 – 0 before moving on to the Senate. The Senate has now indefinitely postponed markup of the bill; sources indicate that they will not resume discussion of FAA Reauthorization until after the July 4 break. Senators have expressed a variety of concerns, including the expansion of flights in and out of Ronald Reagan airport in Washington, DC, and the expansion of simulator use for pilot training. What Happens if the Senate Doesn’t Pass an FAA Reauthorization Package? If the Senate fails to pass an FAA Reauthorization package, the FAA will be unfunded. Under this scenario, Congress has previously passed as many emergency extensions to the current package as needed until they can agree upon a reauthorization package. While FAA Reauthorizations are intended to last for 5 years, before the current 2018 FAA Reauthorization FAA had not been funded for a 5 year period since 1982. The 2018 FAA Reauthorization was the first multi-year authorization since 2012. Between 2012 and 2018, the FAA was funded for 6 years by a series of extensions. Drone Regulations: What to Expect The House Reauthorization package pushed for timely results on a rulemaking for flight Beyond Visual Line of Sight, called for greater leverage of FAA test sites, and emphasized the need to move drone integration forward. If the Reauthorization package stall, however, those timelines and goals will also be put aside. In the meantime, the FAA has indicated that they will work to expand the waiver process to include more stakeholders and more flights before moving forward on a rulemaking FAA News: Leadership Changes, Reauthorization Stalls, and More [DRONELIFE Exclusive Dive] Helicopter Wakes Deserve A Wide Berth, Part 1 Patrick Veillette, Ph.D. June 06, 2023 When rotor downwash hits the ground surface, the vortex circulation is outward, upward, around and away from the main rotors in all directions. Helicopter wake turbulence is more complex than wake turbulence caused by a comparably sized airplane due to its different wake structure, duration and decay. These characteristics create a potent threat, especially around airports where helicopters are engaged in low speed flight while nearby fixed-wing aircraft are landing or departing. An airplane in the takeoff or landing phase is at a slow airspeed which lessens the power of the flight controls to counter an abrupt motion, and the airplane has essentially no altitude margin for recovery from an upset caused by a wake encounter. These were the conditions that existed at Cable Airport (CCB) in Upland, California, on Jan. 3, 2022. The pilot of a Cessna 120 was on approach to land while a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter was conducting a slow hover taxi adjacent to the runway. The Cessna 120 pilot decided to land long to maintain separation, but when the helicopter appeared to cross the runway, he decided to go-around. About one-third down the runway, the Cessna 120 encountered the helicopter’s downwash and entered an uncommanded steep right bank. The pilot attempted to counter this roll with opposite aileron, but it was insufficient to countermand the induced roll. A video of the actual sequence of events can be found on the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network website. The Cessna 120 impacted right of the runway and sustained substantial damage. The pilot fortunately sustained only minor injuries. The NTSB determined the pilot’s loss of control during the go-around was due to a wake turbulence encounter from a slow hover taxiing helicopter. Airplane Rolls Close To Ground A similar event occurred on Dec. 5, 2014, at Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL), outside Fort Collins, Colorado, for a solo student pilot of a Cirrus SR20. The student pilot entered the traffic pattern for a full-stop landing on Runway 33. He observed a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk on downwind and delayed his turn to base leg until the helicopter was on final, abeam his position. The student pilot adjusted his aim point to land long due to his concern about wake turbulence. His goal was to land beyond the helicopter’s touchdown point. During the initiation of the landing flare, the SR20 suddenly rolled into a steep left bank. The student reacted by attempting to go around but the nearly instantaneous roll close to the ground resulted in an impact with the terrain. The airbag seatbelt assemblies mounted in the two front crew seats did not deploy as the airplane cartwheeled. The student pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft was substantially damaged. A YouTube video captured this segment of both the departure of the Black Hawk and the abrupt roll of the Cirrus. It is readily apparent that the roll of the Cirrus happened so fast and so close to the ground that there wasn’t time now altitude for a recovery. The NTSB investigation of the accident determined that the helicopter transitioned into a departure about 30 sec. ahead of the Cirrus, leaving behind an invisible wake of powerful vortices. The winds were relatively light at the time, recorded as 3 kts from 110 deg. In other words, this was a quartering tailwind. The safety board’s report found that the student pilot likely did not comprehend the significance of wake turbulence created by a helicopter during the departure, which resulted in the loss of control during landing. The NTSB’s causal finding also determined the pilot guidance in the Aeronautical Information Manual and an advisory circular on aircraft wake turbulence published at the time did not recommend separation criteria for a small airplane following a helicopter. After similar accidents the NTSB has noted that accident pilots likely did not comprehend the significance of wake turbulence created by a helicopter. A Helicopter’s Wake Is Different There are some similarities in wake vortices formed by fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Just like fixed wing aircraft, helicopter vortices are dependent on a helicopter’s weight, size and speed. Vortices formed at low airspeeds are initially stronger than those formed at higher airspeeds. A heavier helicopter produces stronger wake vortices than a lighter helicopter. The strength of a vortex is also dependent on its age. Since each rotor blade is generating its own vortex continuously throughout a rotation, a helicopter’s wake is composed of a series of vortices that not only contain their own mini-tornado rotation but also the overall downward motion from the downwash. When rotor downwash from a helicopter in hover or slow flight close to the ground hits the surface, this turbulent airmass circulates outward, upward, around and away from the main rotors in all directions. A slow-moving helicopter’s wake is the equivalent of a small microburst, and must be given a wide berth. The area contaminated by the wake turbulence of a helicopter is larger than that of an airplane of comparable size and weight, especially at speeds below 70-80 kts. A distance of approximately three times the diameter of the rotor contains substantial disruption from the downwash. The FAA’s Advisory Circular 90-23G “Aircraft Wake Turbulence,” advises pilots to avoid operations within distances of 3 times the diameter of a helicopter in a slow hover taxi or stationary hover. The blade number appears to also effect vortex size, as an increased number of rotor blades appears to increase the vortex size. For example, the Bell UH-1H, with two rotor blades and essentially the same weight as the Sikorsky S-76A with four rotor blades produces a smaller vortex than the S-76A. A helicopter’s wake in forward flight is more complex than the wake created by an airplane because each blade’s vortices will differ as its angle of attack varies throughout a single rotation depending on whether the blade is advancing or retreating in comparison to the approaching airflow. The retreating blade operates at a higher angle of attack in order to produce as much lift as the advancing blade. The vortex behind the retreating blade is characterized by a greater cross sectional area. The vortex behind the advancing rotor blade is consistently smaller, tighter and more coherent, especially as the helicopter’s forward speed increases above 80 kts. Flight testing has discovered that helicopter wakes react differently depending on whether the helicopter is climbing or descending. The vortex cores were observed moving further apart during descents, while the cores would move closer together during climbing flight. A possible explanation includes the amount of engine power required to generate lift, and therefore the hot exhaust is entrained in the wake, therefore contributing to the buoyancy of the wake. In Part 2 of this article, we describe FAA flight testing to better understand the risk to a fixed-wing aircraft that inadvertently flies into a helicopter’s wake. Helicopter Wakes Deserve A Wide Berth, Part 1 FAA Mandates Monthly Refreshers For Controllers By Russ Niles Published: June 21, 2023 All air traffic controllers will attend monthly retraining sessions in response to a spate of potentially serious runway incidents that occurred in the winter and early spring. The FAA announced the Stand Up For Safety program on Wednesday and said it was developed in conjunction with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). “To reach our goal of zero close calls, everyone must stay sharp,” said Tim Arel, the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization chief operating officer. “This training will give us an opportunity to focus on safety with our entire workforce.” The sessions start in July and the first ones will deal with airfield and runway operations to address the incursion issues. After that “data and seasonal challenges will determine topics each month.” The program also includes a new Voluntary Safety Reporting Program that will “identify potential safety hazards and ensure corrective actions are taken.” From December to March there were at least six serious mishaps that required airliners and cargo planes to take evasive action to avoid collisions. A safety summit in March resulted in a series of measures to mitigate identified hazards and the agency set a goal of entirely eliminating close calls. FAA Mandates Monthly Refreshers For Controllers Watch F-35 ‘Headbutt’ Private Plane During Low-Level Intercept Over Marin The intercept was conducted as temporary flight restrictions are in place over much of the Bay Area, owing to a visit by President Biden. BY OLIVER PARKEN | PUBLISHED JUN 20, 2023 9:18 PM EDT THE WAR ZONE Note: See graphics and video in the original article. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. John Winn/Alan Wilson-Wikicommons/FAA Video has emerged depicting the moment a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter intercepted a Mooney M-20J single-engine airplane over San Francisco earlier today. According to an official announcement by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the intercept concluded without incident. The intercept was one of three coordinated by NORAD on June 20 in response to violations of temporary flight restrictions (TFR) in place over much of the Bay Area. The temporary restrictions are there to help protect President Joe Biden as he continues his visit to San Francisco where he is fundraising for his 2024 re-election campaign. Air Force One landed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County, California, on Monday, and the president will remain in the Bay Area through Wednesday. In the video, we see the F-35A, callsign 'NOBLE 11,' performing what’s known as a 'headbutt' maneuver on the offending aircraft at low altitude. As we have outlined in the past, this typically involves flying close to the intercepted aircraft, before pulling up in front of them, sometimes in a steep climb. Headbutts can also include an approach from overhead, at varying distances, as well. In any case, the generation of wake turbulence can be used to get the attention of or even be used to harass another aircraft. After NOBLE 11 was cleared to “headbutt [the aircraft] left, with no flares” over Marin County by the Western Air Defense Sector (callsign BIGFOOT), the M-20J appears to have made a speedy return to Navato Marin County Airport from where it began its journey. The low altitude of the intercepted was likely a factor in no flares being authorized. An outstanding depiction of events as they unfolded using open-source flight tracking, radio communications, and video can be seen in @aeroscouting's tweet below: The M-20J, with the registration N531DD, belongs to a private owner. A close-up photo of the F-35A circulating online reveals the fighter is based out of Hill Air Force Base located in Davis County, Utah, owing to its 'HL' tailcode. Hill is a master F-35 base for the USAF and hosts an expansive community of the jets, which you can read more about here. Also clearly seen is the F-35A armed with AIM-9X Sidewinders on its external outer-wing pylons. As already noted, this was just one of three airspace violations that occurred today above San Francisco. According to the open source intelligence (OSINT) account @airplaneian, another of those intercepts involved a Piper PA-28 Cherokee. According to our friend and prolific aviation tweeter @thenewarea51, the F-35A — NOBEL 11 — was one of three aircraft enforcing flight restrictions over the Bay Area today. This included its wingman, 'NOBEL 12', and a KC-46 Pegasus tanker, callsign 'SWATH 13.' This mix is interesting as all are new generation aircraft for the USAF. F-35As being used for the homeland air sovereignty mission, and especially fighter combat air patrols (CAPs) for presidential visits, is still somewhat of a new development. Usually, California's airspace is defended by the 144th Fighter Wing based out of Fresno, a California Air National Guard unit, that flies F-15C/Ds. The South Dakota Air National Guard also augments this capability, often standing alert out of March Joint Air Reserve Base to cover Southern California's airspace with their F-16C/Ds. But it isn't uncommon to bring in fighter aircraft from other units, even from afar, to help with providing CAPs for VIP-related temporary flight restrictions. As The War Zone has outlined in the past, CAPs are standard procedure for presidential visits. Having fighters constantly overhead is extremely expensive and resource-intensive, however, but it offers far quicker response times to potential threats. Watch F-35 ‘Headbutt’ Private Plane During Low-Level Intercept Over Marin IATA Launches Program to Improve Aviation Safety in Africa Addis Ababa – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is launching the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Program (CASIP) to reduce the accident and serious incident rate across Africa as part of the Focus Africa initiative. Launch partners in the program are: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA). Together, the CASIP partners will prioritize the most pressing safety concerns on the continent and rally the resources needed to address them. The benefits of improving aviation safety in Africa will be spread across the economies and societies of the continent. “Improving aviation safety will play an important role in Africa’s overall development. Safe, efficient and reliable air connectivity is a major driving contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In that sense, CASIP will make it clear to governments across the continent that aviation must be prioritized as an integral part of national development strategies. With such broad benefits at stake, we hope that other parties will be encouraged to join the CASIP effort,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. The starting point for safety improvement is the effective use of global standards for safety. At government level, a key indicator is effective implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS). Data for the year 2022 reveals considerable room for improvement with only 28 of 54 African states reaching an effective implementation rate for ICAO SARPS of 60% or higher. In parallel, the CASIP partners will • Identify deficiencies in operational safety and implement corrective action plans • Provide safety training and workshops continent wide • Promote a data-driven approach to safety performance with emphasis on making safety data available to decision-makers and ensuring efficient accident/incident reporting • "Improving safety performance is a priority for Africa. And we don’t need to reinvent the wheel to deliver the needed results. Collaborative safety teams in Latin America have demonstrated that safety improves when government and industry work together to implement global standards. By working together, the partners will pool resources to have a greater impact on areas where risk can be reduced, leading to measurable improvements in safety,” said Walsh. For more information, please contact: Corporate Communications Tel: +41 22 770 2967 Email: corpcomms@iata.org IATA Launches Program to Improve Aviation Safety in Africa Plane makes emergency landing after door bursts open during flight over Brazil, video shows Tuesday, June 20, 2023 11:40AM About 12 passengers and two pilots were aboard the plane when the frightening mid-air scare happened 25 minutes into the flight. Note: See imbedded videos in the original article. About 12 passengers and two pilots were aboard the plane when the frightening mid-air scare happened 25 minutes into the flight. Harrowing video shows the moment a plane's door burst open during a flight over Brazil, causing the aircraft to make an emergency landing. About 12 passengers and two pilots were aboard the plane when the frightening mid-air scare happened 25 minutes into the flight. The EMB 110 aircraft took off from Sao Luís Airport and was carrying band members for the Brazilian singer Tierry, who was not aboard. Producer Renato Butica was near the open door and captured video as the plane descended for the emergency landing. Passengers at first began to scream in fear, Butica said, before they began calming down. The plane returned to the airport for an emergency landing. Officials are investigating what caused the door to burst open. Harrowing video shows the moment a plane's door burst open during a flight over Brazil, causing the aircraft to make an emergency landing. The passengers and crew received medical assistance, but there were no serious injuries, the airport said. Plane makes emergency landing after door bursts open during flight over Brazil, video shows Preliminary report released on Cessna jet crash in Virginia On June 4, about 3:32 p.m. EDT, a Cessna Citation 560 jet (registration N611VG), was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Montebello, Va., killing a pilot and three passengers onboard. On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report detailing the plane’s flight that day. According to the NTSB report, the Cessna Citation jet departed Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at 1:13 p.m. EDT on June 4 destined for Long Island Mac Arthur Airport in New York. A single pilot and three passengers were aboard the plane. A review of preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control audio recordings revealed that the pilot contacted the Atlanta Center controllers shortly after takeoff, and reported climbing through 9,300 feet to 10,000 ft. The controller then subsequently cleared the flight to flight level 230 (23,000 ft) and the pilot read back the clearance. At 1:22 p.m. EDT, the pilot was handed off to another controller with Atlanta Center. The pilot subsequently contacted the controller, advising that the airplane was maintaining flight level 230 (23,000 ft). The controller cleared the flight to flight level 290 (29,000 ft) and the pilot read back the clearance. At 1:25 p.m. EDT, the controller cleared the airplane to flight level 340 (34,000 ft) and the pilot readback the clearance. At this time the airplane was about 28,000 ft. At 1:28 p.m. EDT, the controller amended the prior altitude clearance, instructing the pilot to stop the climb at 33,000 ft for crossing air traffic. The pilot did not respond to the amended clearance, the airplane continued the climb to 34,000 ft and leveled off. No further radio transmissions from the pilot were received for the remainder of the flight, despite repeated attempts to contact the pilot. The Cessna jet arrived over Long Island Mac Arthur Airport at 2:32 p.m. EDT at 34,000 feet. After passing over the airport, the aircraft made a 180-degree turn and continued to fly without responding to air traffic controllers. According to a North American Aerospace Defense Command statement, at about 3:20 p.m. EDT the airplane was intercepted by U.S. fighter aircraft. The pilot was unresponsive to several radio transmissions, intercept flight maneuvers, and flares dropped by the fighters. The plane then entered a rapidly descending right spiral descent into the terrain at 3:22 p.m. EDT. The aircraft impacted mountainous and forested terrain a short distance from where the spiraling descent was observed. During the examination of the terrain, trees, and wreckage found at the accident site, “all were consistent with a high velocity, near vertical descent,” the NTSB said in their report. “The wreckage was extremely fragmented, scattered around a main crater, and evidence of a post-impact fire was observed.” According to recent maintenance inspection records, the airplane, as of May 2023, was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), however, at the time of this publication, a CVR had not been located. The airplane was owned and operated by Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc. in Florida. The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination. A final report will be issued in the future. Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Preliminary report released on Cessna jet crash in Virginia Curt Lewis