Flight Safety Information - August 3, 2023 No. 149 In This Issue : Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Aug 2nd 2023, burst tyre on landing and evacuated : Accident: Southwest B737 at Orlando on Aug 1st 2023, blew nose tyre on departure : Incident: Arabia A320 at Bahrain on Aug 2nd 2023, rejected takeoff due to engine failure : Incident: American B738 at Austin on Aug 1st 2023, unsafe gear : Eight Delta passengers intervene to stop, subdue man who allegedly assaulted attendant during flight : Man arrested after attacking flight attendant with 'sharp object' on plane: Police : Norwalk pilot's medical clearance had been renewed a month before crash landing: NTSB : Investigators say weather worsened quickly before plane crash that killed 6 in Southern California : African Nations Sign Aviation Development Agreements With Russia : China Eastern Airlines Now Has 2 COMAC C919s In Regular Service : United Airlines Has Hired More Than 11,000 People This Year : American Airlines says in talks with Airbus, Boeing over narrowbody jet order : FAA addresses Boeing 747-8 fuselage cracks caused by shimming errors Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Aug 2nd 2023, burst tyre on landing and evacuated A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N676DL performing flight DL-1437 from Richmond,VA to Atlanta,GA (USA), landed on Atlanta's runway 09L but burst the after left hand main tyres and damaged at least one of the left forward tyres. Tower was just about to clear another aircraft to line up runway 09L when the tower interrupted and stated "disregard", then radioed "crash crews on their way! crash crews on their way!" The aircraft came to a stop on the runway, tower advised "Flames are visible", gear #1 was on fire. While emergency services were on their way to the runway the crew initiated an emergency evacuation via the right hand side. Emergency services upon arrival began to spray water towards the left main gear and left engine (PW2037). Runway 09L was closed. Delta Airlines reported initial reports indicate one of the tyres blew upon landing and components of the gear were hot. Customers evacuated via emergency slides and were bussed to the terminal. The aircraft is still on the ground in Atlanta about 13 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c9253c&opt=0 Accident: Southwest B737 at Orlando on Aug 1st 2023, blew nose tyre on departure A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N258WN performing flight WN-497 from Orlando,FL to Phoenix,AZ (USA), was climbing out of Orlando's runway 35L when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet due to a problem with the nose gear. The aircraft returned to Orlando for a landing on runway 36R without further incident about 40 minutes after departure. The aircraft stopped on the runway, the runway was closed. 2 passengers received minor injuries. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO A BLOWN NOSE WHEEL TIRE ON DEPARTURE AND RETURNED TO AIRPORT, ORLANDO, FL." and stated that two passengers received minor injuries. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c8b475&opt=0 Incident: Arabia A320 at Bahrain on Aug 2nd 2023, rejected takeoff due to engine failure An Air Arabia Airbus A320-200, registration A6-AOP performing flight G9-104 from Bahrain (Bahrain) to Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), was accelerating for takeoff from Bahrain's runway 12L but rejected takeoff at high speed (about 110 knots over ground) due to the failure of the right hand engine (CFM56). The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron about 40 minutes after the rejected takeoff. The aircraft is still on the ground in Bahrain about 3.5 hours after the rejected takeoff. A ground observer reported a bang was audible in the terminal and when looking outside the observer could see an aircraft emitting large flames out of the right hand engine. After the engine was shut down only smoke was visible from the right hand engine. Fire trucks were responding and sprayed the aircraft. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c8bcd3&opt=0 Incident: American B738 at Austin on Aug 1st 2023, unsafe gear An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N811NN performing flight AA-2296 from Tampa,FL to Austin,TX (USA), was on final approach to Austin's runway 18L when the crew went around reporting they had an unsafe gear. While working the checklist the crew managed to get the gear down and locked, reported they now had a safe gear again, positioned for another approach to runway 18R and landed safely about 11 minutes after the go around with emergency services on stand by. The aircraft was able to depart again after about 100 minutes on the ground. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c8c40d&opt=0 Eight Delta passengers intervene to stop, subdue man who allegedly assaulted attendant during flight An unruly passenger on board a Delta Air Lines flight en route to Louisiana was left bloodied after several other passengers intervened to subdue him and stop his alleged assault of a flight attendant Wednesday, according to a report. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detained Nelson Montgomery, 39, at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, after he allegedly attacked a flight attendant with a makeshift weapon and threatened her and the cabin, WVUE reported. Montgomery was reportedly bleeding from his neck when he was detained. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson confirmed the incident and emphasized the airline’s "zero tolerance" for violence. "Delta flight 2432 operating from Atlanta to New Orleans was met by law enforcement personnel upon landing following a reported customer issue onboard," the spokesperson said. "Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior on our aircraft and in our airports. Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our people and our customers." The tail of a Delta plane Nelson Montgomery, 39, was detained following the incident at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, Louisiana on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Fox 8 reported the unexpected escalation came as the plane was landing in New Orleans. A witness told the outlet that Montgomery placed a flight attendant in a chokehold, then pressed what appeared to be a piece of broken glass against the attendant’s neck. He then threatened to "cut off her head" if anyone got too close. A Delta plane The dramatic incident took place on Delta flight 2432, which was traveling from Atlanta to New Orleans. Eight people on board the flight ultimately subdued Montgomery until law enforcement personnel arrived, said the witness, who wished to remain anonymous. Authorities said Montgomery received medical treatment for his injuries and faces charges of aggravated battery, disturbing the peace and simple battery. Three planes Eight people on board the flight ultimately subdued Montgomery, 39, until law enforcement personnel arrived. Three other people on the plane involved in the incident, including the flight attendant, suffered minor injuries, Fox 8 reported. https://www.yahoo.com/news/eight-delta-passengers-intervene-stop-052635579.html Man arrested after attacking flight attendant with 'sharp object' on plane: Police A 39-year-old man has been arrested after an alleged attack with a “sharp object” on a flight arriving in New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon, police say. Nelson Montgomery, who was on a flight arriving at Louis Armstrong International Airport, allegedly injured himself with a sharp object once the plane landed at approximately 4:00 p.m. before attacking a flight attendant with the same object, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. “[Montgomery] grabbed a flight attendant. She suffered two superficial lacerations from the sharp object and was later treated on scene,” authorities said in a statement detailing the ordeal. “Montgomery was subdued by several passengers and held until deputies arrived at the aircraft to arrest him.” Montgomery was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening and was booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center, police said. Authorities did not release the medical status or the identity of the flight attendant who was the target of Montgomery’s attack. The suspect was charged with aggravated battery, disturbing the peace and simple battery, police said. It is unclear what the suspect’s motive was in the attack but the investigation into the incident is ongoing. https://www.yahoo.com/gma/man-arrested-attacking-flight-attendant-110600532.html Norwalk pilot's medical clearance had been renewed a month before crash landing: NTSB Randolph Bonnist, 79, died five days after having a medical incident while flying a plane in Martha's Vineyard. A 79-year-old pilot from Norwalk who become incapacitated before his wife took the controls and crash-landed his airplane on Martha’s Vineyard previously had to provide extensive medical documentation to continue flying, but his Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate had been updated a month earlier, investigators said Wednesday. His wife reported that Bonnist “blacked out” after performing a go-around maneuver while on approach to the airport on the Massachusetts island and she said there were “no mechanical issues whatsoever” with the single-engine airplane to prevent normal operation, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report. The Piper PA46, without its landing gear in position, bounced several times before coming to a rest upright on July 15. The pilot, Randolph Bonnist, died five days later in a Boston hospital. His wife was unhurt. Bonnist held a third-class medical certificate from the FAA that was issued on June 1, and he was previously granted a special issuance medical certificate that required extensive documentation, the NTSB said. https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/fairfield-county/pilots-medical-clearance-renewed-month-crash-landing-ntsb/520-689fbf37-744a-48f3-8aae-26363e556168 Investigators say weather worsened quickly before plane crash that killed 6 in Southern California Investigators say the weather was quickly getting worse when a plane crashed last month near Murrieta, California, killing all six people on board The weather was quickly worsening before a plane crashed in Southern California last month, killing all six people on board, federal investigators said Wednesday. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the July 8 crash near Murrieta, with new details that added to questions about whether the pilots could see the runway as they attempted to land. The NTSB said the Cessna 550 business jet hit the ground 800 feet (240 meters) short of the runway threshold at French Valley Airport and caught fire. The airport's automated weather station recorded clear skies and visibility of 10 miles less than an hour before the crash, but 20 minutes later, there were clouds at 300 feet (90 meters), and visibility was down to three-quarters of a mile (about 1.2 kilometers). The NTSB said visibility was just a half-mile (about 800 meters) in fog around the time of the crash. The plane was making its second attempt to land after a missed approach, which usually happens when pilots can’t see the runway. Air traffic controllers gave the crew permission for the second attempt. John Cox, a former airline pilot and now an aviation-safety consultant, said visibility must be a half-mile at big airports with bright runway lights. A smaller airport with less-powerful lighting makes it even harder to see the runway, he said. Cox called it “a major error” that the private plane descended below the minimum height at which pilots must be able to see the ground at the airport. “The fact that they were below minimums and landed short (of the runway) is evidence that they did not have the runway in sight,” he said. Cox and Douglas Moss, another safety expert and flight instructor, both said the crew should have tried to land at a different airport. “There were numerous airports within a short distance that had much better weather,” Moss said. The NTSB has not yet determined a cause for the crash. That will probably take a year or longer. Moss said the NTSB is also likely to examine whether fatigue was a factor in the 4 a.m. accident and whether pilots might have been too eager to get home as soon as possible. Two pilots and four passengers were returning from a 5-hour visit to Las Vegas when the crash occurred. Local authorities have identified the pilots as Riese Lenders, 25, and Manuel Vargas-Regalado, 32; and the passengers as Abigail Tellez-Vargas, 33, Lindsey Gleich, 31, Alma Razick, 51, and Ibrahem Razick, 46. Murrieta is about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/investigators-weather-worsened-quickly-plane-crash-killed-6-101969837 African Nations Sign Aviation Development Agreements With Russia Russia-Africa negotiations have produced positive results for the respective aviation sectors. SUMMARY • Russia is developing aviation in Africa and strengthening its cooperation through new air service agreements. • The agreements aim to improve air transport services, boost trade, and ensure flight safety standards. • Russia and Tanzania negotiated a new Bilateral Air Services Agreement to enhance their aviation ties. The agreement grants designated airlines access to multiple entry points in both countries and includes provisions for codesharing and fifth freedom traffic rights. Russia has agreed to develop aviation in Africa and is boosting its cooperation with African states, including Ethiopia and Tanzania, by signing new air services agreements. Russian authorities met with various African stakeholders at the second Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. Russia-Ethiopia aviation development During the summit, Russia's Deputy Minister of Transport Igor Chalik and Ethiopia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement to develop the air transport line between the two countries. The states previously had an air communication agreement dated March 26, 1977, which will be terminated under the new deal. The newly signed agreement aims to establish efficient and regular air transport services between Russia and Ethiopia, to boost trade and economic development. Additionally, it includes enacting legislation regarding national carriers, recognition of airworthiness certificates, and cooperation in ensuring flight safety standards in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. Ethiopia's flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines already has a regular service to and from Russia. It operates four weekly nonstop flights from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Moscow Domodedovo (DME) with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Conversely, no Russian carriers are operating flights on this route. Agreement with Tanzania Russian authorities have also negotiated a new deal with Tanzania to strengthen their aviation ties and rejuvenate air transport activity in the post-pandemic era. Following a successful meeting in Moscow, the two governments negotiated a new Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), noting that the previous ones had been severely affected by the pandemic. According to the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), the new agreements will give the designated airlines of Tanzania access to three entry points in Russia, namely Moscow, St Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. This is a noteworthy improvement from the previous BASA, which only allowed access to the capital. Similarly, the designated Russian carriers will be given access to three entry points in Tanzania, i.e., Dar es Salaam (DAR), Zanzibar (ZNZ), and Kilimanjaro (JRO). The negotiations also included provisions for codesharing, as both parties highlighted its importance for maximizing airline yields. Traffic rights Beyond codesharing, the negotiations also involved discussions on the employment of fifth freedom traffic rights by Russia and Tanzania's designated airlines. Under the newly agreed terms, their carriers can fly to both countries and on to a third country upon mutual agreement by the respective civil aviation authorities. Despite the current air services agreement, no airlines are operating commercial flights between these destinations. During the discussions, Russian authorities suggested a requirement for filing fares before the designated airlines can commence operations on the routes, but Tanzania heavily contested this, saying that it is "impracticable." However, an agreement was reached, and the TCAA said in a statement; "As a result of the successful negotiations, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Heads of Delegation from both parties. The final signing of the BASA will occur once the necessary institutional procedures of both Governments have been completed." Airline representatives from Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) and Precision Air were among the Tanzanian delegation that flew to Moscow. ATCL Managing Director Ladislaus Matindi told The Citizen that the new agreement could provide more business opportunities, and the company will assess the market trends before deciding to fly to Russia. https://simpleflying.com/african-nations-aviation-development-agreements-russia/ China Eastern Airlines Now Has 2 COMAC C919s In Regular Service SUMMARY • China Eastern Airlines introduces the second COMAC C919 jet into commercial service, boosting efforts to strengthen the domestic aircraft manufacturing industry. • The C919 will initially operate on the popular Shanghai to Chengdu route, with future plans to expand to other domestic destinations. • While China Eastern aims to have a Chinese-built fleet, most of its current fleet consists of Boeing and Airbus jets. COMAC must attract orders from legacy carriers outside of China for the C919's success. On 2 August, China Eastern Airlines announced that it had introduced a second COMAC C919 passenger jet into regular commercial service. In line with China's goal to strengthen its domestic aircraft manufacturing industry, the announcement comes as a strong victory for both the COMAC and C919 programs. The aircraft will join the first C919 in commercial service on China Eastern's popular route from the carrier's Shanghai base to Chengdu in the nation's Sichuan Province. Eventually, the airline aims to deploy future C919s on routes to destinations such as Xi'an in Shaanxi Province, Kunming in Yunnan Province, and Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province. The first C919 made its first commercial flight on 28 May this year, traveling between Shanghai and Beijing. The only home-built airliner in China Eastern's current fleet, the C919 has completed 87 flights as of 1 July. The aircraft operated with a load factor of nearly 80%, carrying over 11,000 passengers during its first 250 hours of flight operation. What does this mean for China Eastern? China Eastern operates a massive fleet of over 690 jets, only two of which are currently Chinese built-aircraft. Despite introducing two C919s, the state-owned airline still has significant steps to take to achieve its goal of having a Chinese-built fleet. The carrier currently has 18 units of the C919 on order, with China News Service indicating that they will purchase three more this year. The airline also maintains an order for 35 of COMAC's ARJ21-700, with the earliest deliveries scheduled in early 2025. Despite this, however, the backbone of China Eastern's long and short-haul fleets is comprised almost entirely of Boeing and Airbus jets. The carrier currently operates over 300 A320 family aircraft, with an order for 90 A320neos and 68 A321neos on the way. On the long-haul side, the airline flies A330, A350, Boeing 777-300ER, and Boeing 787-9 jets, with additional orders for 2 A350-900 and 2 787-9 aircraft placed. What does this mean for COMAC? COMAC has now delivered its second unit of the C919 to a commercial airline, albeit owned by the same entity as COMAC: the Chinese government. COMAC's order book for the C919 is impressive for such a young manufacturer; however, it is important to note that almost all the jet's orders have come from Chinese state-owned airlines, banks, or other government-backed entities. Recently, Irish lessor Aercap ordered 20 units of the C919, marking some of the first interest in the jet from outside China. For the C919 to succeed, COMAC must attract interest and ultimately firm orders from legacy carriers in other countries. https://simpleflying.com/china-eastern-2-comac-c919-regular-service/ United Airlines Has Hired More Than 11,000 People This Year SUMMARY • United Airlines is on track to reach its hiring goals for the year, having already hired 11,400 new employees since the beginning of 2023. • The airline has hired over 700 pilots and maintenance technicians to address a predicted shortage in these roles in the industry. • The company has implemented the Accelerate program to retain new hires, assigning them to teams with experienced mentors and seeing improved performance and retention rates as a result. The Chicago, Illinois-based airline United Airlines released its hiring numbers that are up to halfway through 2023. In 2022, the airline had hired just over 15,000 employees. The airline expects to hire just as many this year. However, year to date, the airline has already hired 11,400 new employees. On track to reach projected hiring numbers United Airlines has been hiring effectively and has put them in a spot to reach its yearly goal significantly earlier than last year. The 11,400 new team members have been hired since the beginning of the year. Additionally, this includes 4,600 new employees that have just been hired since May alone. Included in the hiring numbers were over 700 pilots. These new pilots come at a time when the industry is predicting a shortage of pilots in the future. Additionally, the airline has hired over 700 new maintenance technicians. This includes aircraft technicians, ground service technicians, and facilities technicians. United Airlines also announced more than 1,000 new flight attendants, 900 customer service and ramp service employees, and 100 new contact center team members. Also included were 700 corporate support team members. This includes lawyers, market specialists, accountants, cyber experts, and many other roles. Many different processes were used to help assist in hiring new employees. Over the course of the year, United Airlines has hosted over 200 in-person and virtual hiring events across its many different business functions. Along with this, job applications are up over 56% for the airline. The airline has also promoted 380 internal team members to management positions within the company. It also recently welcomed almost 450 residents of Guam to its team in Denver, Colorado. The new employees are working to support ramp operations at one of the airline's biggest hub cities. Working to retain the new employees United Airlines also has several solutions to work to retain newly hired employees actively. The airline recently created a large program called Accelerate. The program was initiated about a year ago with the goal of retaining top-level talent. Accelerate allows new hires to be assigned to a team with three to four other new hires. These new hires are assigned a dedicated set of gates at an airport with veteran gate workers. The new hire team works with their mentors for about four weeks to quickly learn the new processes. The program is active at each of the airline's seven hubs, O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Denver International Airport (DEN), Houston - George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The program is also active at two other locations, Orlando International Airport (MCO) and San Diego International Airport (SAN). The airline has announced that the gates that are staffed with Accelerate crews are some of the best-performing gates in the company. The Accelerate crews have improved efficiency, account for fewer incidents or injuries on the tarmac, and have also increased the airline's Net Promoter Score (NPS). It also has a direct correlation to the first-year retention rate within the company. The retention rate in Denver, where the program is active, is 73%. The previous 12 months before the program was started had a retention rate of 57%. The airline plans to launch Accelerate in six more airports. https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-hired-over-11k-people-july-2023/ American Airlines says in talks with Airbus, Boeing over narrowbody jet order Aug 2 (Reuters) - American Airlines (AAL.O) said on Wednesday that it is in talks with planemakers Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) over a new narrowbody jet order, at a time when airlines rush to order more aircraft amid a travel boom. Bloomberg News earlier reported that the airline was in talks with the companies to order at least 100 jets, citing people familiar with the matter. "We are talking to Boeing and Airbus about our narrowbody aircraft needs for the latter half of this decade and beyond," American said in a statement. Airbus, when contacted by Reuters, said "we have no comment on our confidential commercial talks, which may or may not be happening." Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Industry sources told Reuters that the talks were at an early stage and no decision was imminent. "Due to the young age of our aircraft, our fleet replacement needs are very limited. Therefore, we expect aircraft capex for the next several years and likely through the end of the decade to average about $3.5 billion per year," American said during an investor call last month. The Bloomberg report added that the deal size could top 200 jets, with commitments for future purchases. According to the report, the airline, whose negotiations have been under way for several months, is considering Boeing's 737 Max and Airbus's A321neo to replace its 737-800, A319 and A320 single-aisle models later this decade. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/american-airlines-says-talks-with-airbus-boeing-over-narrowbody-jet-order-2023-08-02/ FAA addresses Boeing 747-8 fuselage cracks caused by shimming errors The FAA is addressing fuselage cracks of the Boeing 747-8 stemming from improper shimming at the factory Ian Dewar Photography / Shutterstock.com The United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) latest Airworthiness Directive (AD) aims to address fuselage cracks on the aft side of the bulkhead of the Boeing 747-8. According to the FAA, it received a report about cracks that formed on a Boeing 747-8’s “stringers, common to the end fittings, at stringer location S–42L/R and S–46L/R on the aft side of the bulkhead at station 2598”. The agency said that the aircraft had 5,517 flight cycles (FC) and 32,468 flight hours (FH) when the cracks were found. Furthermore, Boeing discovered five cracks at stringer locations S–2L, S–6L, S–8L, and S–2R on the forward side and S–5L on the aft side of the bulkhead at STA 2598 on two further aircraft of the type during Foreign Object Debris (FOD) inspections. The FAA also had previous reports of similar cracks on Boeing 747-8s. In all cases, cracks “had grown in longitudinal and transverse directions, but there was no other damage or deformation in the surrounding area”. After Boeing had conducted an investigation into the cracks, the manufacturer found that when the aircraft was being assembled, “un-shimmed or incorrectly shimmed gaps that were larger than engineering requirements caused excessive and sustained internal tensile stresses and resulted in stress corrosion cracking in the stringers”. As a result, the FAA has issued the new directive, requiring operators of all Boeing 747-8I and Boeing 747-8F aircraft to complete detailed inspections for cracks and on-condition applicable actions, as the condition “could lead to a failure of the skin adjacent to the bulkhead at STA 2598, which could adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane”. In the US, 42 Boeing 747-8s will be impacted by the AD, the effective date of which is September 6, 2023. According to ch-aviation.com data, three airlines in the country fly the 747-8: Atlas Air, Polar Air Cargo, and UPS Airlines. Globally, 17 airlines actively operate 124 747-8s, excluding aircraft that are either stored or in maintenance. In total, Boeing has supplied 155 aircraft of the type since it first delivered a 747-8F to Luxembourg’s CargoLux in October 2011. The only party to have commented on the directive is Boeing, who have supported it without change. According to the FAA’s estimates, a detailed inspection will cost airlines $7,735 per inspection cycle, totaling $324,870 for all US-based operators. If cracks are found, the repairs will cost $1,705 per stringer, split into $1,105 and $600 labor and parts expenses respectively. However, the agency pointed out that Boeing may cover some of the costs of the AD under warranty, which would reduce the estimated costs of complying with the directive. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/faa-ad-b747-8-shimming Curt Lewis