Flight Safety Information - July 24, 2023 No. 141 In This Issue : Crash: Civil AN26 at Port Sudan on Jul 23rd 2023, failed to take off : Incident: Commut E145 at Lake Charles on Jul 22nd 2023, runway excursion on landing : Incident: Alaska B739 near Sacramento on Jul 20th 2023, electrical issues twice : Incident: Eurowings Discover A320 at Frankfurt on Jul 19th 2023, captain incapacitated : A United Airlines flight turned back to San Francisco after a passenger refused to stay in his economy class seat and kept walking to the business class cabin : San Marino Achieves U.S. Category 1 Safety Recognition : Extreme heat forces US airlines to limit passengers and fuel loads : New Airbus Plane Faces Range Limitations Due to Safety Features : FAA Proposes Airworthiness Directive Over Boeing 757 Frame Cracks : NASA's Solid-State Battery Breakthrough Could Transform Air Travel : These women have soaring ambitions as they become commercial pilots : Private jets can be tracked. Here are all the sneaky ways billionaires can still fly unseen. Crash: Civil AN26 at Port Sudan on Jul 23rd 2023, failed to take off An unknown civil Antonov AN-26, performing a flight from Port Sudan (Sudan) to an unknown destination, was accelerating for takeoff from Port Sudan just before 23:00L (just before 21:00Z) but failed to become airborne and burst into flames. 9 occupants perished, one girl was rescued alive. Initial reports claimed a military aircraft belonging to Sudan's Air Force (SAF) crashed at Port Sudan. The General Command of of the Armed Forces of Sudan later reported: "A civilian Antonov plane today crashed in Port Sudan Airport as a result of a technical failure, leading to the death of 9 people including 4 military personnel. One child survived the crash." A ground observer reported an AN26 cargo aircraft carrying passengers, destination unknown, failed to takeoff from Port Sudan and caught fire. The airport was closed, emergency services were on the scene. One child was rescued, there were a number of fatalities. The airport was closed. Port Sudan Airport is an international airport featuring a runway 16/34 of 2500 meters/8200 feet length. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c2863b&opt=0 Incident: Commut E145 at Lake Charles on Jul 22nd 2023, runway excursion on landing A Commutair Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N21197 performing flight UA-4293 from Houston Intercontinental,TX to Lake Charles,LA (USA), landed on Lake Charles' secondary runway 05 but went off the runway during landing in thunderstorms, rain and gusting winds. There were no injuries. The aircraft is still on the ground in Lake Charles about 18 hours later. The airport reported the aircraft went off the runway in stormy weather. A passenger reported the flight attendant indicated a gust blew the aircraft off the runway. ADS-B as well as FAA radar data suggest, the aircraft crossed the runway threshold at about 100-150 feet AGL. Lake Charles secondary runway 05/23 is 5200 feet long with only a RNAV approach published (runway 15/33 is 6500 feet long, an ILS is available on runway 15). https://avherald.com/h?article=50c22a1e&opt=0 Incident: Alaska B739 near Sacramento on Jul 20th 2023, electrical issues twice An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N320AS performing flight AS-1219 from Los Angeles,CA to Seattle,WA (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 130nm north of Sacramento,CA (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Sacramento reporting electrical problems. The aircraft turned around, descended to 12,000 feet and landed safely on Sacramento's runway 17L about 30 minutes after leaving FL360. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 2 hours, then departed again and was enroute at FL360 about 170nm north of Sacramento, when the crew again decided to divert to Sacramento due to the same problem surfacing again. The aircraft landed safely again on runway 17L about one hour after departure from Sacramento. A replacement Boeing 737-900 registration N306AS reached Seattle with a delay of about 8 hours. Sacramento airport reported the aircraft reported electrical problems. The airline reported a mechanical problem prompted the aircraft to divert, maintenance met the flight and thought to have fixed the issue. However, the issue repeated and forced the aircraft back a second time. Later the airline added a backup generator system required inspection. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c2068f&opt=0 Incident: Eurowings Discover A320 at Frankfurt on Jul 19th 2023, captain incapacitated An Eurowings Discover Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIUT performing flight 4Y-1205 from Heraklion (Greece) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was on approach to Frankfurt when the first officer took control of the aircraft, declared emergency reporting the captain had become incapacitated. A rescue helicopter was dispatched to meet the aircraft at Frankfurt. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Frankfurt's runway 25L and taxied to the apron without delay. A short time after the aircraft reached its outer stand, the helicopter landed behind the aircraft and took the captain to a hospital. According to information The Aviation Herald received the first officer had very recently been checked out as first officer. The airline reported they can confirm that recently there was a medical incident in the cockpit. The Airbus A320 landed safely and on schedule in Frankfurt. All passengers and all crew left the aircraft "wohlbehalten" (safe and sound). The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then departed for its next rotation. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c15325&opt=0 A United Airlines flight turned back to San Francisco after a passenger refused to stay in his economy class seat and kept walking to the business class cabin A United flight turned back to San Francisco after a passenger was said to be disruptive. Other passengers said that he refused to stay in his seat in economy class. The flight continued on to Taiwan after law enforcement removed the passenger in San Francisco. A United Airlines flight turned back to San Francisco International Airport after a passenger was said to be disruptive, according to a report by the local television station Kron4. The flight, which took off on Thursday, was bound for Taipei, Taiwan, per Kron4, citing data by Flight Aware. Some two hours into the flight, the plane returned to San Francisco, the data shows. The disruptive passenger refused to remain in his seat in economy class and kept visiting the business class cabin, according to the Los Angeles-based aviation blog Live and Let's Fly, citing accounts posted on FlyerTalk by multiple passengers who claimed to be on board the flight. The passenger has not been identified by United. "He kept coming up to Polaris during the initial drink service. Flight attendant told him to return to his seat. He walked back but then a few moments later, he's back up in the Business cabin," FlyerTalk user Live4Upgrades wrote, referring to Polaris, United's business class service. The user added that the passenger "didn't comply" with the cabin crew's requests for him to return to his seat in economy class. "United Flight 871 returned to San Francisco due to a disruptive passenger. Law enforcement officials met the aircraft on arrival and removed the passenger. We expect to depart for Taipei later this evening," United told CBS News in a statement. The flight departed for Taiwan on Friday morning, per the CBS News report. The airline did not confirm to CBS whether the passenger was removed because he refused to be seated. United did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. https://www.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-flight-turned-back-081623310.html San Marino Achieves U.S. Category 1 Safety Recognition San Marino recently received a Category 1 rating from the FAA, a recognition that it is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. With a Category 1 rating, San Marino air carriers may provide service in the U.S. and enter into code-share agreements with U.S. carriers without limitation, the FAA said. The recognition followed San Marino’s completion of its first FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA). Under the IASA program, the FAA evaluates an aviation authority when carriers from their country either apply to provide service or participate in code-share agreements with airlines from the U.S. The rating came as San Marino had increased its ICAO “Effective Implementation” global safety ranking score from 67.23 percent in 2010 to the current 90.21, the San Marino Aircraft Registry (SMAR) noted, adding that the nation further received the ICAO Council Presidential Certificate in 2016 in recognition of its progress in resolving safety oversight deficiencies and implementing international standards. This set the stage for the FAA rating. "This is an excellent achievement for San Marino,” said SMAR president David Colindres of the FAA finding. “This means that every San Marino commercial operator can now take direct flights to and from the U.S. to Rimini-San Marino Airport. This also opens the door for US citizens to reach the Italian Adriatic Riviera more quickly and easily through Rimini-San Marino airport. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-07-14/san-marino-achieves-us-category-1-safety-recognition Extreme heat forces US airlines to limit passengers and fuel loads High temperatures reduce engine performance and the lift airplane wings are able to produce, leading some airlines to warn of delays Extreme temperatures in parts of the US and around the world are forcing airlines to reduce fuel loads, shed passengers or baggage, or wait for daytime temperatures to drop in the evenings, to fly some aircraft. High temperatures reduce the performance of engines and the lift airplanes wings are able to produce, which is leading Las Vegas-based Allegiant Airlines to warn that they will delay flights if there’s a threat to passenger safety. Earlier this month, several Delta passengers voluntarily got off a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta after aircraft weight issues in the heat caused delays, Bloomberg reported. “Additional protocols have been put in place to address the operational impacts extreme heat has on aircraft, including loading less fuel to account for weight and balance and schedule refueling along the route when needed,” Delta said in a statement. Last week, a Delta flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta sat on the tarmac for four hours in 115F (46C) heat, without air conditioning, causing some passengers to experience heat-related sickness. The US transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, called the incident “shocking”. American Airlines has also responded to the issue saying it is taking extra steps to make sure it has cooled air on jet bridges hooked to planes and to perform early maintenance on auxiliary power units, the smaller engines that give power when larger engines are shut down. “Though we’ve had a very small number of diversions and delays related to high temperatures, the plan we have in place has allowed us to avoid significant impact,” an American Airlines spokeswoman told Bloomberg. The complications that high temperatures can cause a plane’s performance is due in part to some flight manuals in some aircraft do not go above 120F. “When exposed to extreme heat exceeding its maximum operating temperature, passengers aboard the airplane could be at risk,” according to Monroe Aerospace. Last week, park service officials in Death Valley, where temperatures can reach 130F, warned hikers that rescue helicopters would not be able to fly to their aid during daytime. A heat dome over the US south-west has caused temperatures in Las Vegas to soar to 116F on 16 July and Phoenix to hit 119F. Extreme temperatures in Phoenix in 2017 also forced cancellation of some 60 flights, primarily by smaller regional jets and older aircraft, over the course of three days because safety calculations weren’t calibrated for 120F temperatures. Industry expert Robert Mann told the Guardian last year that flights “have to wait until the sun goes down, the temperature drops, and they can take off”. Mann added: As temperatures increase, there are going to be more occasions, at more places, where certain flights are going to have to take payload limitations or stop en route because they had to short-load the fuel.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/23/us-airlines-heat-delays-limit-passengers-fuel New Airbus Plane Faces Range Limitations Due to Safety Features Sometimes, things just don’t go as planned. The new Airbus A321XLR might not travel as long as originally intended. Originally planned to have a range of 4,700 miles, the plane needs a new fuel tank safety feature that might limit it to 3,800 miles. It is an evolution of the original A321. The plane was supposed to be a game-changer since it is a narrow-body jet. More than 500 planes have been ordered by more than two dozen airlines. The planes are still usable, they just don’t fly as long as originally planned. The A321XLR will allow airlines to operate long-haul flights on narrow-body jets more economically. The main problem is that the new plane has a second fuel tank. It fell short because of safety considerations from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Airbus is expected to make the needed modifications and the plane will debut in 2024. However, Reuters is reporting that the EASA and Airbus have reached an agreement on the safety issues that would allow it to pass certification. Modifications will be made by Airbus, at a significant cost. Airbus is waiting to see if the safety modifications add more weight to the plane. However, planes normally fly with extra fuel and extra weight in case of a disruption or need for an emergency landing. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines-airports/new-airbus-plane-faces-range-limitations-due-to-safety-features FAA Proposes Airworthiness Directive Over Boeing 757 Frame Cracks Cracks were found on the aircraft wings again. • The FAA is proposing an Airworthiness Directive for operators of Boeing 757 aircraft after reports of airframe cracks, requiring corrective actions or operating limitations. • The cracks were found on the wings during maintenance and were caused by unplugged liner holes, potentially leading to further cracks if not rectified. • This is not the first time the FAA has addressed potential cracks in the same areas of 757 aircraft. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received reports of airframe cracks being found on the Boeing 757 aircraft and, thus, as a safety measure, is proposing an Airworthiness Directive (AD) for the operators of the aircraft type. An AD is a document produced by an aviation regulatory body that has identified a safety hazard on an aeronautical product, which is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same design type. The document will contain the required corrective actions to be performed or outline certain limitations under which the product can be continued to operate. The Directive A key point, as reported by FlightGlobal, is that this AD is proposed and not an immediate order. It is intended for the operators of US-registered 757s who are required to complete actions that were detailed in the service alert issued by Boeing. While the cracks were initially found on the Boeing 757-200 aircraft, the AD is applicable to a total of 419 aircraft, which also include the Boeing 757-300 model. The cracks were found on the left and right wings during maintenance and were found surrounding the liner holes between stringers within the wings. Stringers are structures that run along the wings (internally), holding frames together and assists in carrying the load along the wing, thereby reducing the concentration of stress experienced. Reports suggest that upon investigation, Boeing discovered that some liner holes were not plugged, thus creating concentrated stress around the area. If not rectified, this could lead to the formation of cracks. Not the first time The service alert from Boeing requires operators to perform repetitive surface high-frequency eddy current inspections to detect any possible cracks and repair them if needed. However, it is worth noting that back in 2018 and 2020, the FAA had issued actions to be taken to address potential cracks in the same areas of 757 aircraft. But considering that Boeing ended the production of the type in 2003, the youngest of the type would now be around 20 years old. Reports suggest that these cracks were found on aircraft which had clocked up 30,200 flight cycles along with 89,000 flight hours and another aircraft with 40,200 flight cycles along with 90,500 hours of flight time. Additionally, the wings of the aircraft experience high levels of stress from various directions throughout the flight, at all phases, thus making it one of the most susceptible parts of an aircraft to experience wear and tear. Other aircraft types Similarly, in 2019, the Airbus A380 was discovered to experience cracks on its wings which led the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to launch investigations on 25 of the oldest aircraft in service at the time. Furthermore, in 2019, pickle fork cracks were discovered on various Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, on which the FAA ordered details inspections when they were notified by Boeing. Due to the nature of the risk posed on the aircraft wing structure by pickle fork cracks, US-based carriers had to ground affected aircraft. This had affected Southwest Airlines at the time as the carrier, upon inspection of its NG fleet as per the AD, discovered cracks on two of their aircraft. https://simpleflying.com/faa-airworthiness-directive-boeing-757/ NASA's Solid-State Battery Breakthrough Could Transform Air Travel NASA's new solid-state battery technology offers a greener alternative to traditional jet fuel combustion, eliminating associated carbon and non-carbon emissions. The solid-state batteries surpass current lithium-ion batteries by being lighter, having a larger energy storage capacity, and avoiding the environmental and geopolitical implications linked to lithium. This battery technology also solves typical solid-state drawbacks, providing a higher discharge rate, improving safety by avoiding liquid elements, and operating effectively under extreme temperatures, making it ideal for aviation. NASA may have just found a way to change the future of the aeronautics industry. Researchers at NASA’s Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety (SABERS) have successfully created a solid-state battery technically advanced enough to efficiently power an aircraft. Finding a way to make air travel greener has been a critical point of interest for the global path to decarbonization, as well as for the economic wellbeing of the industry in a future where fuel prices will likely continue to increase while policy instruments such as carbon taxes become more commonplace. The transportation sector is one of the world’s biggest contributors to climate change, producing almost a quarter of total energy-related carbon emissions worldwide – and air travel is one of the biggest offenders. On average, airplanes emit approximately 100 times more carbon dioxide per hour than a shared bus or train ride. Altogether, aviation’s annual emissions are higher than most entire countries, at 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. And the combustion of jet fuel doesn’t just emit carbon, it also produces “nitrogen oxides, soot, water vapor and sulfate aerosols, all of which interact with the atmosphere and have an effect on the climate in different ways and at different time scales.” Not only will the new batteries be able to electrify aircraft, thereby eliminating carbon and non-carbon emissions associated with burning jet fuel, these breakthrough solid-state batteries manage to avoid one of the most major trade-offs plaguing electrification processes writ large: lithium. Lithium is a finite resource associated with its own slew of negative environmental externalities, as well as major geopolitical implications. China currently controls nearly one-third of the world’s lithium supply chains, and diversifying that market will not be easy. Furthermore, lithium’s essential role in a huge number of clean energy infrastructural components has led to rising prices and a scarcity mindset. Avoiding this sticky situation altogether is a major win for SABERS. Not only that, the new NASA solid-state battery is lighter and can store more power than lithium-ion batteries. “We’re starting to approach this new frontier of battery research that could do so much more than lithium-ion batteries can,” said SABERS’ Rocco Viggiano, an investigator at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.“Not only does this design eliminate 30 to 40 percent of the battery’s weight, it also allows us to double or even triple the energy it can store, far exceeding the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries that are considered to be state of the art,” he added. SABERS has also been able to overcome a major disadvantage associated with solid-state battery technology. Typically, lithium-ion batteries are much more efficient when it comes to discharging power. But through a new innovation SABERS has been able to “increase a solid-state battery’s discharge rate by a factor of 10 — and then by another factor of five,” according to a report from Yahoo! News. When talking about any innovation in aviation, safety is a top priority and concern. Solid-state batteries also eliminate key safety concerns connected with lithium-ion batteries, which contain highly flammable liquid which is historically prone to leakage, requiring extra casing that makes the batteries even heavier. Solid-state batteries don’t contain any liquid at all, which allows them to be stacked in more space-efficient configurations, and they can still be used even when they are damaged. In the extreme temperature changes experienced by aircraft over the course of a flight, such durability is essential. “NASA researchers have found that solid-state batteries can operate in temperatures twice as hot as lithium-ion batteries,” Yahoo! reports. What’s more, “solid-state batteries achieve this using less cooling technology than lithium-ion.” While the technology is brand new, and is not yet commercially viable, it shows enormous disruptive potential. “Aviation is widely recognised as a ‘hard-to-decarbonise’ sector having a strong dependency on liquid fossil fuels and an infrastructure that has long ‘lock-in’ timescales, resulting in slow fleet turnover times,” according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In this context, the NASA breakthrough is particularly exciting. If these solid-state batteries become cost-effective at scale, the benefits for the transportation sector – as well as global climate goals – are enormous. https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/NASAs-Solid-State-Battery-Breakthrough-Could-Transform-Air-Travel.html These women have soaring ambitions as they become commercial pilots Raven Macalindong and Khansa Ayyaz are two women from different backgrounds, who share the same ambitious dream to take to the skies. They're students at the Fanshawe College Norton Wolf School of Aviation and Aerospace Technology, studying Commercial Flight and Aviation Leadership. They are among 11 students who recently received scholarships from Women in Aviation International, an organization that helps more women move into leadership positions to advance global aviation and the aerospace industry. For Ayyaz, she will become the first woman in her family to earn her wings. "Growing up, my dad flew for an airline in Pakistan," she said. "I also have a lot of my uncles and cousins that were into aviation as well." As a hijabi Muslim, Ayyaz said she's faced her share of pushback over her career ambitions. "Obviously, there are so many religious aspects to it, where people are just like, 'Oh, you're a Muslim girl. Muslim girls don't do careers like that or even have a career,' right? Because, for women, we're always told that we're supposed to stay at home and be in the kitchen and men are supposed to provide." According to the latest statistics from Transport Canada, male pilots outnumber female pilots 12 to one in Canada. Ayyaz said she even ended a serious relationship because her future mother-in-law wouldn't accept her goals to become a pilot. "This is like a dream for me. It's my passion and I believe that women should be able to do anything that they put their mind to, especially if it's in aviation. There should be more women being pilots," adding she hopes becoming a pilot will inspire other women to pursue a career in aviation. Ayyaz also credits her late grandma for always encouraging her to become a pilot. Macalindong's passion for flying stems from her love of travelling and wanting to give back to her mom. "I love travelling a lot, but I didn't get to do it as often because I'm have a single mom," she said. "My mom has sacrificed a lot for me, and I wanted to give back to her." She said she's planning to bring her mom along on her future flights around the globe, with the goal of making it to her mom's choice of Cape Town, South Africa one day. "[My mom] doesn't pressure me or anything, she just tells me to do what I like, love, or do what I want to do and what makes me happy," said Macalindong. Ayyaz and Macalindong are set to graduate next spring and say they one day hope to fly for Emirates or Qatar Airways. "They're two of the best airlines right now in the world," said Macalindong. "Their fleet is very beautiful and I want to take my mom in their aircraft." The pair are set to graduate from Fanshawe College next year. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/these-women-have-soaring-ambitions-as-they-become-commercial-pilots-1.6911723 Private jets can be tracked. Here are all the sneaky ways billionaires can still fly unseen. Many of the billionaires who descended upon Sun Valley, Idaho, for their annual "summer camp" were enrolled in jet-dodging programs like LADD and PIA to avoid public following. Jet-tracking wunderkind Jack Sweeney ruffled feathers after tracking celebrity private planes on social media. People can use public data from websites like ADS-B Exchange and LiveATC to locate personal aircraft. Ultra-rich jet owners like Elon Musk, Taylor Swift, and Tim Cook have made moves to dodge the trackers. Computer whiz Jack Sweeney made headlines in early 2022 when Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered him $5,000 to delete the viral jet tracking Twitter account @ElonJet, which followed the live whereabouts of Musk's Gulfstream G650ER private plane. Sweeney also publicly tracked the personal jets of celebrities like Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, and Mark Zuckerberg. Considering Musk has been extremely vocal about his distaste for Sweeney's jet-tracking habits, it didn't come as a surprise when he quickly banned the college student's over 30 accounts after buying Twitter in October 2022. However, despite heated online debates, jet tracking is not illegal. And, the world's billionaires — many of whom recently flew into a tiny Idaho city for their annual "summer camp" — are going to great lengths to hide their private flights. Its easier to hide on a chartered business plane In October 2022, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton CEO Bernard Arnault sold his Bombardier $75 million Global 7500 private plane in favor of charter flights. "Indeed, with all these stories, the group had a plane and we sold it," Arnault said, according to a Bloomberg translation. "The result now is that no one can see where I go because I rent planes when I use private planes." Apple CEO Tim Cook made a similar move in 2017 when he stopped flying on company corporate aircraft. However, not every billionaire wants to part with their fancy private jet or has the ability to ban people like Sweeney from social media, so some have turned to the federal government for help. The FAA can make tracking more difficult, but it's not foolproof Myriad celebrities like Travis Scott, Jay-Z, Steven Spielberg, and Oprah participate in a free federal program called "Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed," or LADD. Basically, this allows private aircraft owners to request the Federal Aviation Administration redact their tail number from public tracking. This means companies that use federal data to track commercial and general aviation flights, like FlightAware and FlightRadar24, will not display LADD-identified planes. The ultra-rich can go one step further and completely shadow their tail numbers thanks to a second federal program called the privacy ICAO aircraft address, or PIA — over 300 of which have been registered to date. However, there is a workaround for both. Trackers can use an aircraft system called ADS-B, which broadcasts information like GPS location, altitude, and speed from one aircraft to ground stations and other planes. Using this system, volunteers from around the world have set up radios that transfer flight data to a free public website called ADS-B Exchange. The website collects the data and displays the locations of planes all around the world — even LADD and PIA — and was the website that powered Sweeney's Twitter accounts. "These privacy mitigation programs are effective for real-time operations but do not guarantee absolute privacy," the FAA told Insider in October 2022. The agency further said the protections are not a "silver bullet," noting people can still locate incognito private jets using LiveATC, a Freedom of Information Act request, and frequently departed airports. While ADS-B Exchange was the main data provider for Sweeney, the website was recently sold and the jet-tracking wunderkind now uses other sources — including the one he built himself. He has also started @ElonJetNextDay, which, in line with Twitter's updated policy, posts the hidden flights on a 24-hour delay. And, to make it even harder for billionaires to kick him off the internet, Sweeney has also moved to other platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and even Zuckerberg's newly launched Twitter alternate Threads. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-billionaires-try-to-avoid-jet-tracking-social-media-accounts-2023-7 Curt Lewis