Flight Safety Information - August 7, 2023 No. 151 In This Issue : Incident: Amapola F50 at Malmo on Aug 2nd 2023, engine failure : Accident: Spirit A20N over Caribbean Sea on Aug 3rd 2023, smoke in cabin : Incident: American B738 at Dallas on Aug 2nd 2023, trim problem : Incident: Cityjet CRJX at Munich on Aug 4th 2023, multiple system problems : 3 killed after firefighting helicopters collide while battling Southern California blaze, officials say : Sri Lanka air force plane crashes killing two trainee pilots onboard : FAA Outlines Hawaii Air Tour Safety Improvements : Pilot fatigue cited in case of wrong runway landing in Tulsa : Bear escapes from crate in plane’s cargo hold at Dubai airport : Aeroflot Reportedly Flying Nine Airliners Without Brakes : Niger airspace closed, flights rerouted : Wizz Air orders a further 75 Airbus A321neo aircraft : White mom sues Southwest Airlines over "blatant racism" : FAA Allows High-Altitude Flights Over Afghanistan Incident: Amapola F50 at Malmo on Aug 2nd 2023, engine failure An Amapola Flyg Fokker 50, registration SE-LFS performing flight HP-20 from Malmo to Stockholm (Sweden) with 2 crew on board, was climbing out of Malmo when the crew stopped the climb at about FL165 declaring Mayday and reporting an engine failure. The crew subsequently reported they had low oil pressure on the left engine and therefore had it shut down. The aircraft returned to Malmo for a safe landing on runway 17. The aircraft is still on the ground in Malmo 3 days later. https://avherald.com/h?article=50cab646&opt=0 Accident: Spirit A20N over Caribbean Sea on Aug 3rd 2023, smoke in cabin A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration N917NK performing flight NK-1921 from Orlando,FL (USA) to Bogota (Colombia), was enroute at FL350 over the Caribbean Sea about 60nm north of Montego Bay (Jamaica) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Fort Lauderdale,FL reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft descended to FL340 for the return and landed on Fort Lauderdale's runway 10L about 80 minutes after turning around and about 2:35 hours after departure. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO SMOKE IN THE CABIN, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL.", 4 cabin crew received minor injuries. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c9fd3f&opt=0 Incident: American B738 at Dallas on Aug 2nd 2023, trim problem An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N952AA performing flight AA-2597 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Burbank,CA (USA) with 178 people on board, was climbing out of Dallas' runway 17R when upon contacting departure the crew requested to level off at 8000 feet due to a problem. Subsequently crew declared PAN PAN PAN reporting they had a trim problem, the crew queried whether runway 18R would be the longest available with 18L being shortened, which departure confirmed. The crew requested emergency services to be on standby for a brakes check after overweight landing (4 hours of fuel remaining), they would vacate the runway and stop off the runway for the brakes check, they are probably going to need the full length of the runway and would vacate at the last exit. The crew requested vectors straight out of the runway in case of a missed approach due to a pretty aggressive turn in the published missed approach procedure. The aircraft positioned for the approach to runway 18R, landed safely and vacated left onto the last exit. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft returned to service about 36 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50cb5da8&opt=0 Incident: Cityjet CRJX at Munich on Aug 4th 2023, multiple system problems A Cityjet Canadair CRJ-1000 on behalf of Lufthansa, registration EI-HIC performing flight LH-2264 from Munich (Germany) to Marseille (France) with 59 people on board, was climbing out of Munich's runway 08R when the crew stopped the climb at FL130 reporting problems with multiple systems amongst them slats, flaps, control surfaces and navigation. The crew advised they would need the full length of the runway on return but would be able to vacate the runway. The aircraft landed on runway 08R at a slightly higher than normal speed about 50 minutes after departure, vacated the runway and stopped past the hold short line for an inspection by emergency services. The crew requested emergency services to visually inspect the aircraft for any damage, in particular horizontal stabilizers and right hand engine (CF34). Emergency services reported not seeing any obvious damage. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron. A replacement Lufthansa Airbus A319-100 registration D-AIBF reached Marseille with a delay of about 2:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then returned to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ca097d&opt=0 3 killed after firefighting helicopters collide while battling Southern California blaze, officials say Three people were killed after two helicopters (A Bell 407 and a Sikorsky S-64E) collided while fighting a blaze in the Southern California community of Cabazon, officials announced late Sunday night. “The first helicopter was able to land safely nearby. Unfortunately, the second helicopter crashed and tragically all three members perished,” CalFire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher said in a news conference. The victims included a contracted pilot, a CalFire division chief and a CalFire captain, Fulcher said. The helicopters were among six aircraft responding to the Broadway Fire, which began Sunday after a structure fire spread to nearby vegetation, according to the region chief. The Broadway Fire covered about three acres when firefighters responded around 6 p.m., according to a post on a joint Twitter account for CalFire and the Riverside County Fire Department. By shortly after 7 p.m., the “forward rate of spread” had been stopped, the agencies said. A second four-acre fire was ignited by the helicopter crash but has since been extinguished, Fulcher said. The deaths are the first of California’s 2023 fire season, according to data from CalFire. “I would like to express our deepest sympathies and sorrow to the families and coworkers of the personnel,” Fulcher said. “This was a tragic loss for the community, the fire service community and CalFire and Riverside County Fire Department.” The crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, Fulcher said. CNN has sought comment from the agency. Cabazon is a community in Riverside County and lies about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/07/us/helicopter-crash-riverside-county-california-fire/index.html Sri Lanka air force plane crashes killing two trainee pilots onboard COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A Sri Lankan aircraft crashed Monday morning killing the two trainee pilots onboard, the country's air force spokesman said. The Chinese-built PT-6 plane crashed during a training session after taking off from the air force academy in the China Bay base in the eastern city of Trincomalee which is about 260 kilometers (165 miles) east of the capital Colombo, according to air force spokesman Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe. https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/sri-lanka-air-force-plane-crashes-killing-two-trainee-pilots-onboard-hire5zod FAA Outlines Hawaii Air Tour Safety Improvements WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving to improve Hawaii air tour safety. The agency has outlined a consistent new process where air tour operators can receive authorization to safely descend below specific altitudes to avoid flying into bad weather. “This process will help prevent situations where pilots encounter poor visibility and become disoriented,” said David Boulter, the FAA’s Acting Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety. FAA regulations require Hawaii air tour operators to fly at least 1,500 feet above the surface unless they have authorization to fly lower. The new process provides detailed guidance to help operators develop safety plans to support their authorization requests. The proposed new process includes recommendations for pilot training and qualifications and aircraft equipment. The FAA will thoroughly review each operator’s safety plan before issuing an authorization. The public will have 30 days to comment on the new process, which would take effect in spring 2024. It would replace an outdated, 15-year-old manual. The FAA also encourages Hawaii air tour operators to adopt Safety Management Systems while the agency works on a rule that would mandate these programs. Additionally, all operators must follow the provisions of Air Tour Management Plans for Hawaii National Parks. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/statements/faa-outlines-hawaii-air-tour-safety-improvements Pilot fatigue cited in case of wrong runway landing in Tulsa Safety investigators say pilot fatigue can help explain why a FedEx plane landed on the wrong runway in Tulsa after an overnight cargo flight last year. The National Transportation Safety Board said both pilots of the plane failed to recognize cues that they were heading for the wrong runway because of fatigue, the early-morning timing and an increased workload. The safety board also faulted an air traffic controller for failing to track the plane after clearing the pilots to land at Tulsa International Airport. The controller missed the chance to tell the pilots they were off course, the NTSB said. Fatigue has long been a concern of safety advocates, and there are federal rules regarding the length of workday and rest requirements for pilots. There was no suggestion in the NTSB’s final report that the pilots exceeded those limits during a shift that began in Ontario, California, and included a stop shortly after midnight in Fort Worth, Texas. FedEx uses something called the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale when setting flight schedules. The scale indicated that the pilots’ schedule that night was just under the threshold for high risk, assuming that they napped between flights. FedEx, however, didn’t tell pilots they were expected to nap because, a manager told NTSB, the company worried about “overburdening flight crews with additional information.” The first officer, or co-pilot, slept for 30 minutes after landing in Fort Worth. The captain told investigators he tried to nap but couldn’t. He said, however, that he didn’t feel fatigued. The NTSB concluded that even though the captain said he wasn’t tired, he was “likely experiencing fatigue due to chronic and acute sleep debt due to limited sleep in the days preceding the incident.” The fatigue – along with a bias against changing a course of action – contributed to the pilots missing cues that they were heading for the wrong runway, including lighting and cockpit displays. They landed on a parallel strip on the other side of the airfield. It is rare but potentially catastrophic for airline planes to land on the wrong surface. In 2017, Air Canada pilots who were about to land on a taxiway instead of a runway at San Francisco International Airport came within 10 to 20 feet of crashing into passenger planes lined up on the taxiway. https://journalrecord.com/2023/08/06/pilot-fatigue-cited-in-case-of-wrong-runway-landing-in-tulsa/ Bear escapes from crate in plane’s cargo hold at Dubai airport UAE authorities dispatched specialists to sedate animal and remove it from Iraqi Airways plane Iraq’s prime minister has ordered an investigation into how a bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold of an Iraqi aircraft as it was due to depart from Dubai airport, leaving passengers disgruntled over the delay and causing a stir on social media. Iraqi Airways said it wasn’t to blame for the bear’s escape and that the aircraft’s crew had worked with authorities in the United Arab Emirates, which dispatched specialists to sedate the animal and remove it from the plane. A video clip circulating on social media showed the plane’s captain apologising to passengers for Friday’s takeoff delay because of the bear’s escape from its crate in the cargo hold. Iraqi Airways said on Saturday that procedures to transport the bear were carried out in accordance with the law and with procedures and standards approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The airline said the bear was being flown from Baghdad to Dubai. But a person speaking on the video clip making the social media rounds suggested otherwise, saying the aircraft was an hour late for its trip to Baghdad and that passengers were being asked to disembark until the issue was resolved. Dubai international airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, declined to comment. An Iraqi Airways official confirmed to the Associated Press on Sunday that the bear was, in fact, being transported to the Iraqi capital. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak about the matter publicly, declined to name the animal’s owner. Keeping predatory animals as pets in Iraq – especially in Baghdad – has become popular among wealthy residents. Authorities have struggled to enforce legal provisions to protect wild animals. Baghdad’s police have previously called on citizens to assist authorities in preventing such animals from being let loose on the city’s streets or ending up as meals in restaurant by reporting such cases. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/07/bear-escapes-from-crate-in-planes-cargo-hold-at-dubai-airport Aeroflot Reportedly Flying Nine Airliners Without Brakes Aerotime says the Moscow Times is reporting that Aeroflot has deactivated the brakes on at least six widebody airliners and three single-aisle because it can’t get replacements for worn-out parts due to trade sanctions. Pilots have been told to use engine braking only on landings, but there’s no indication what they’re supposed to do if they have to abort a takeoff. Aerotime apparently translated the Moscow Times story and some associated memos from Aeroflot and reported the planes are allowed to fly without brakes for up to 10 days, but it’s not clear what will happen when the time is up. Aviatorschina got hold of Aeroflot’s memo to pilots on the move, but it doesn’t offer much clarity. “The aircraft will tend to turn to the side where the brakes are not deactivated,” the translated memo reportedly says. “Pay attention to this fact, especially when landing on a wet runway with a crosswind!!! There are restrictions on the width of the runway. The risk of overrunning the runway!!!” Five Boeing 777s, an A330, two A321s and an A320 are currently flying without brakes according to the memos and reports. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/aeroflot-reportedly-flying-nine-airliners-without-brakes/ Niger airspace closed, flights rerouted The military leaders of Niger’s coup have closed the country’s airspace, citing the possibility of military intervention from neighboring states. Flights already in the air when the airspace closed were rerouted or diverted. While the initial NOTAM is scheduled to end on 7 Aug at 23:59 UTC, there is a high likelihood of extension. Flights turn away from Niger airspace after they are informed the country has been closed to flights Niger’s NOTAM NOTAMs or Notice to Air Missions are published official warnings for airspace and airport issues. They can range from alerts about construction at a certain airport to total airspace closures. The following text is the NOTAM issued by Niger: A0990/23 NOTAMN Q) DRRR/QARLC/IV/NBO/E/000/999/1650N00239E999 A) DRRR B) 2308062222 C) 2308072359 EST E) THE NIGER REPUBLIC AIRSAPCE FROM GROUND TO ILL, INCLUDING ALL ATS ROUTES, IS CLOSED FOR ALL FLIGHTS. DRRR is the Niamey Flight Information Region or area of airspace for which the country has air traffic control responsibility. Though in Niger’s case the FIR boundary does not match the country’s political boundary. Some of Niger is within the Ndjamena FIR, while the Niamey FIR also includes a large portion of Mali and all of Burkina Faso. This particular NOTAM only applies to the political boundaries of Niger and not the entirety of the Niamey FIR. Why is Niger important for flight routes? Niger, Libya, and Sudan colored red on the Flightradar24 map to demonstrate airspace unavailable to most commercial flights traveling between Europe and Africa. The closure of Niger’s airspace dramatically widens the area over which most commercial flights between Europe and southern Africa cannot fly. Flights must already take a detour of sorts around Libya and Sudan. Sudan’s current ban on flights went into effect in late July, but the airspace has been effectively closed since mid-April 2023 when two factions of the country’s military government escalated to armed conflict. Multiple European countries, including Germany, France, and the UK, as well as the US and Canada, prohibit their civil aircraft from operating in Libyan airspace (the Tripoli FIR). With Niger’s airspace now off limits as well, airlines flying between Europe and southern Africa will need to reroute and add 1000 or more extra kilometers to their flights, increasing the amount of fuel each flight will need and the flight time. https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/niger-airspace-closed-flights-rerouted/ Wizz Air orders a further 75 Airbus A321neo aircraft Order brings Wizz’s A321neo family orders to 434, A320 family overall to 565 aircraft. Wizz Air, the fast growing European ultra-low-cost airline, has signed a firm contract for an additional 75 Airbus A321neo family aircraft, taking its total order for the largest member of the Airbus single-aisle jet to 434, and for Wizz’s A320 family overall to 565 aircraft. József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air said; "With today's announcement, Wizz Air further reinforces its position as the largest A321neo family operator in Europe and the Middle East. More than half our fleet has already been converted to cutting-edge neo technology. The A321neo’s unparalleled economic efficiency and remarkably low carbon footprint underpin our commitment to provide affordable and sustainable travel options for our customers. We have enjoyed a longstanding strategic partnership with Airbus and are steadfast in our commitment to this exceptional technology with one of the largest outstanding order books in the world of more than 350 neo aircraft.” Wizz Air is an all Airbus operator with a fleet of over 180 A320 family aircraft currently in operation. “Thanks to József’s stewardship, Wizz Air has steadily grown to become a formidable airline in the European skies and a great partner to Airbus. The investment in the A321neo is a solid foundation in Wizz Air’s continued expansion strategy. We thank József and everyone at Wizz Air for their unwavering confidence in our partnership and our products,” says Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International. The A321neo is the largest member of Airbus’ A320neo family. By incorporating new generation engines and Sharklets, the A321neo brings a 50% noise reduction and more than 20% fuel savings and CO2 reduction compared to previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximizing passenger comfort in the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky. To date nearly 5,200 A321neos have been ordered by customers across the globe. https://www.aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com/news/wizz-air-orders-further-75-airbus-a321neo-aircraft/ White mom sues Southwest Airlines over "blatant racism" A White mother who said she was questioned about human trafficking while traveling with her biracial daughter has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, accusing the company of "blatant racism." Mary MacCarthy and her then 10-year-old daughter, both California residents, flew to Denver on Oct. 22, 2021, for a funeral after the sudden death of MacCarthy's older brother, according to the complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. After landing at the airport, MacCarthy said they were greeted by two armed officers from the Denver Police Department. "The officers informed them that they wanted to question Plaintiff MacCarthy and her daughter because a Southwest Airlines employee had reported them as suspicious and Plaintiff MacCarthy as a potential human trafficker," the lawsuit states. "As the officers spoke with Plaintiff MacCarthy, Plaintiff M.M. began to sob, fearing that she and/or her mother were in legal trouble for some reason." A Southwest employee on the plane had reported MacCarthy to police, according to the complaint. The officers let MacCarthy and her daughter go after the mother explained why she was traveling and showed police her identification. MacCarthy said she and her daughter suffered "extreme emotional distress" because of the incident. She is now seeking economic damages and compensatory damages, as well as punitive and exemplary damages. CBS News reached out to Southwest for comment on the lawsuit, but a spokesperson said the company doesn't "have anything to add right now on this pending litigation." At the time of the incident, a Southwest spokesperson told CBS News that the airline focused on creating an "inclusive" environment for customers and trained employees on human trafficking. "We were disheartened to learn of this mother's account when traveling with her daughter," the spokesperson said in 2021. "We are conducting a review of the situation internally, and we will be reaching out to the Customer to address her concerns and offer our apologies for her experience traveling with us." MacCarthy's lawyer, David Lane, said the lawsuit was intended to hold the airline accountable and spur Southwest to re-examine its training and policies. "In using racial profiling to cause the Denver police to stop innocent travelers, Southwest Airlines has attempted to address the serious crime of sex-trafficking through use of a stereotypical, easy formula," Lane told CBS News. "Just as the police are constitutionally not permitted to stop-and-frisk young men of color based upon their race, corporate America is similarly not permitted to resort to such profiling in using law enforcement to stop and question racially diverse families simply based upon their divergent races, which is what Southwest did." To this day, MacCarthy's child "goes silent" whenever the incident is mentioned, according to the suit. "The whole incident was based on a racist assumption about a mixed‐race family," the lawsuit states. "This is the type of situation that mixed‐race families and families of color face all too frequently while traveling." https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-mom-sues-southwest-airlines-203156496.html FAA Allows High-Altitude Flights Over Afghanistan Flight operations should be safe as long as it is above FL 320. SUMMARY • The FAA has decided to allow high-altitude overflights over Afghanistan at or above FL 320, making it safe for civil aviation operations. • The relaxation of these rules provides advantages for airlines, including more optimal routes, reduced flight times, decreased fuel burns, and an improved carbon footprint. • However, flights below FL 320 can still be unsafe due to the potential risks posed by ground forces, leading to a ban on flying below this level for US-based carriers in the Kabul FIR. On Tuesday, July 25th, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided to allow high-altitude overflights over Afghanistan. Particularly, this update, once in effect, will allow flights within the Afghanistan airspace at or above FL 320 (32,000 ft). Still risky at lower altitudes The FAA has now implemented new rules with regard to using Afghan airspace for overflights based on the data analyzed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with assistance from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As reported by ch-aviation, the FAA states that overflights are now possible because of the number of procedures that have been placed by the Taliban authorities, which makes it safe for US civil aviation operations within the Kabul FIR (OAKX) at altitudes of FL 320 or above. Flight Information Regions (FIRs) are a defined dimension of airspace within which flight information services and alerting services are provided for the flight crew. Each FIR has a country delegate who is responsible for providing these services. Additionally, it is reported that while the new rules have come into place, the commencement of operations within the airspace will still take at least a few weeks. Advantages The relaxation of the rules can provide airlines with advantages when it comes to creating more optimal routes toward destinations, thus reducing flight times and decreasing fuel burns which reduce the operators' carbon footprint. Furthermore, in the past few years, US-based airlines operating into Asia have faced several airspace restrictions, including the avoidance of the Russian Airspace. This has resulted in some flights having to reroute and use longer flight paths or, in some cases, suspend operations on certain routes that became unviable to serve. However, now that airlines are once again allowed to perform high-altitude flights through the Kabul FIR, this could be a relief for airlines as it enables them to relaunch services to certain destinations. Similarly, this could potentially improve operations for European carriers to destinations within Asia. While the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommends airlines avoid Afghan airspace below FL 320, it has not advised against flying above the flight level either. The European Union's body for Conflict Zone Information Bulletins (CZIB) is advisory, but each individual member state can freely impose further restrictions for their carriers. Unsafe at lower levels While it is safe to fly at or above FL 320, the FAA still maintains that flights below the level can be unsafe as the ground forces could potentially still have access to a wide range of weapons which could pose risks to civil aircraft during low altitude flights. As such, the US government imposes a ban on all US-based carriers from flying below FL 320 in the Kabul FIR, and this is applicable for all US-registered aircraft and US-certified personnel. Returning services In the wake of the US withdrawing from Afghanistan almost a year ago, many regular operators had suspended operations into the country. However, in September last year, a deal was made with Abu Dhabi-based firm GAAC Holdings in order to handle three airports, including the major Kabul International Airport (KBL). Today, KAM Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines operate flights from KBL to 15 airports, and the largest frequency is to Dubai International Airport (DXB). https://simpleflying.com/faa-high-altitude-flights-afghanistan/ Curt Lewis