Flight Safety Information - August 22, 2023 No. 162   In This Issue : Accident: Alaska B738 at Santa Ana on Aug 20th 2023, hard landing punches gear through wing : Accident: Emirates A388 at Nice on Aug 18th 2023, slat damage : Incident: BAW B772 over Atlantic on Aug 21st 2023, cracked windshield : Hot Air Balloon Pilot’s Use of 'Impairing' Drugs, Including Cocaine, Contributed to Crash That Killed 5: NTSB : Why Lasers Pose Such A Threat To Pilots & Aircraft : Near collision of two planes over Phoenix highlights growing air traffic controller shortages : PIA grounds 11 aircraft; three deemed beyond repair : United Airlines 767 impacted runway three times resulting in bent fuselage: NTSB : Near-miss crash study leads ERAU researchers to recommend drones fly further from airports : FAA Circular Revisits Aircraft Towing Safety : JetBlue Is Helping Military Helicopter Pilots To Become First Officers : US FAA holding runway safety meetings after close call incidents Accident: Alaska B738 at Santa Ana on Aug 20th 2023, hard landing punches gear through wing An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N516AS performing flight AS-1288 from Seattle,WA to Santa Ana,CA (USA), landed on Santa Ana's runway 20R at 23:14L (06:14Z Aug 21st) but touched down hard causing the left main gear strut being punched through the left wing. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway and was disabled. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however. https://avherald.com/h?article=50d52882&opt=0 Accident: Emirates A388 at Nice on Aug 18th 2023, slat damage An Emirates Airbus A380-800, registration A6-EOM performing flight EK-77 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Nice (France), concluded a seemingly uneventful flight with a safe landing on Nice's runway 04L. A post flight inspection revealed damage to at least one of the right hand slats, that needed to be replaced. The aircraft is still on the ground in Nice about 78 hours (3 days 6 hours) after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50d51947&opt=0 Incident: BAW B772 over Atlantic on Aug 21st 2023, cracked windshield A BAW British Airways Boeing 777-200, registration G-VIIP performing flight BA-2037 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Orlando,FL (USA), was enroute at FL360 over the Atlantic Ocean about 550nm west of Shannon (Ireland) when the crew decided to descend the aircraft to FL290 and return to London Gatwick reporting a cracked windshield. The aircraft landed safely on Gatwick's runway 26L about 2:20 hours after leaving FL360. https://avherald.com/h?article=50d50a05&opt=0 Hot Air Balloon Pilot’s Use of 'Impairing' Drugs, Including Cocaine, Contributed to Crash That Killed 5: NTSB "Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the passengers," the pilot's family said in a statement A hot air balloon pilot's drug use contributed to a 2021 crash in New Mexico that killed all five people on board, according to an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB said that pilot Nicholas Meleski didn't maintain enough distance from power lines as he tried to land, according to their final report, which was published last week and obtained by PEOPLE. After crashing into the power line the hot air balloon caught fire and crashed into a busy street. "The pilot was conducting a sightseeing flight, with four passengers on board the balloon," the NTSB wrote. "Near the conclusion of the flight, the pilot maneuvered the balloon to land in an open field across a major intersection." The NTSB shared that the probable cause of the crash was the pilot's failure "to maintain adequate clearance from power lines while maneuvering for landing." "Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s use of impairing, illicit drugs," they added. 2 Dead and 1 Injured After Hot Air Balloon Catches Fire in Mexico City The pilot had cocaine and marijuana in his system and the amount of the drugs detected suggested "recent use," the NTSB added. "Some impairing effects of THC would likely have been present, that would have affected the pilot’s ability to successfully operate the balloon," officials wrote in the report. The NTSB found there was no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures. 5 Dead After Hot Air Balloon Crashes into Power Lines in New Mexico In addition to the pilot, officer Martin Martinez, wife Mary Martinez and their friends Susan Montoya, an assistant school principal, and her husband John Montoya, who worked with special education students, were killed in the crash, per the Associated Press. Their cause of death was blunt force trauma, per the NTSB's report. Following the release of the report, the pilot's family shared a statement. "We cannot express the depth of our grief and sadness for the pain this accident has caused — our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the passengers," Meleski's family told NBC affiliate KOB-TV. "We want to also thank the entire hot air ballooning community of New Mexico and across the world." "The outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming and we continue to grieve with you," his family added. "Nick loved this community so dearly, and our family will continue to support the sport any way we can." Newlyweds Among 16 Victims of Texas Hot Air Balloon Crash Albuquerque has been dubbed the "hot air ballooning capital of the world," with optimal year-round conditions for ballooning. The city hosts the weeklong Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta every October, which sees about 600 balloons cover the sky, according to the event's website. https://people.com/hot-air-balloon-pilot-drug-use-cocaine-contributed-crash-killed-5-ntsb-7693458 Why Lasers Pose Such A Threat To Pilots & Aircraft A look at why pointing lasers at planes is unwise. SUMMARY • Laser strikes on planes are a federal crime in most countries. • Controllers and pilots work together to report the incidents and catch the offenders. • Laser strikes pose a significant danger to airline operations, as they can temporarily blind flight crew, potentially causing a medical or operational emergency. Many pilots would agree that nighttime flying is more tranquil than flying during daylight hours. The air is generally smoother, there is less traffic to work around, and fewer voices are heard on the radio. It's also easier to go "direct to" navigational fixes or get the runway assignment nearest to the flight's arrival gate. There are lots of upsides to night flying. One of the few disadvantages is the reality of laser strikes. This article will discuss them and the danger laser strikes pose to flights. Where laser strikes occur Laser strikes occur when a plane is low—generally within a few thousand feet of the surface. Though the most potent lasers can cast a beam many miles long, it's nearly impossible to hit a plane moving hundreds of miles per hour, many thousands of feet above. This still poses a significant danger to flying since operations below 10,000 feet are considered sterile, safety-critical phases of flight. Pilots keep the flight deck lights on the lowest required setting to allow their vision to adjust to nighttime viewing. Because of this, the flight crew can be temporarily blinded by a green laser illuminating the flight deck even if it doesn't strike them directly in the eyes, causing a potential medical or operational emergency. Consequences Pointing an illuminated laser at a plane is a federal crime in the United States, Europe, and most of the world—pilots who experience a laser strike report the event to the controllers immediately. Controllers, depending on whether they're terminal area or tower controllers, will report the laser event to the police and airport authority immediately in an attempt to catch the offender(s). Later on, the supervising controller must report to their governing agency, such as the FAA in the United States. The number of laser strikes seems to be increasing. Though US data has only been published since 2016, the number of laser strikes has grown from just shy of 7,400 in 2016 to 9,457 in 2022. It's understandably challenging to catch perpetrators of laser strikes, but those caught and identified have been fined $11,000 for a single incident and up to $30,800 for multiple violations. General aviation General aviation aircraft are more susceptible to laser strikes than airliners. This is particularly true for single-engine, non-turbocharged planes, which cruise and maneuver almost exclusively below 10,000 feet. Flight instructors and avid flyers who have experienced laser events know that the quickest escape from one is momentarily turning off all the plane's exterior lights. The red and green navigation lights on the wingtips and the beacon must be illuminated at night, making the aircraft easy to spot. When these lights are momentarily extinguished, a small plane is impossible to spot against the night sky's dark background. Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here. While the number of laser strikes is increasing, their occurrence is still relatively uncommon. Understanding why they are dangerous and unwise requires a modicum of common sense. https://simpleflying.com/lasers-pilots-aircraft-threat-analysis/ Near collision of two planes over Phoenix highlights growing air traffic controller shortages Two airplanes nearly crashed mid-air from Sky Harbor Airport and experts say it highlights the need for more air traffic controllers. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — An American Airlines plane and a Southwest Airlines plane came within a few hundred feet of each other and nearly collided at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport two weeks ago. According to a New York Times investigation, the cause of this almost disaster was human error. The report found these kinds of close calls are happening all across the country. There have been at least 46 of these close calls in the last month alone nationwide. On Aug. 7, the American Airlines plane nearly hit a Southwest Airlines plane during takeoff. The New York Times learned the two aircraft came within a third of a mile horizontally and 300 feet vertically before separating. The crisis was averted in a matter of seconds. “The FAA has always been accused of a tombstone mentality that the only time they actually take action is after people die. I hope that will not be the case this time,” CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg said. The incident happened because the American Airlines pilot turned left into the path of the Southwest flight departing on a parallel runway. According to the New York Times, the air traffic controller instructed the American Airlines flight to turn right, and the pilot repeated the direction back incorrectly. However, that mistake wasn’t caught by the air traffic controller. Another air traffic controller realized the miscommunication just in time. Greenberg says the Federal Aviation Administration has known about the close calls of near-plane collisions for decades. One major reason is there aren’t enough air traffic controllers to manage takeoffs and landings safely. “It’s really as simple and dangerous as that,” he said. According to data obtained by the New York Times, Phoenix Sky Harbor is understaffed. There are just over 70% of the FAA-recommended air traffic controllers at the Phoenix Tower. “It’s a very difficult job, and here’s the other problem. When you got staffing issues that we have now, then there’s the concept of overtime. You don’t want any air traffic controller working overtime. You wouldn’t want your pilot to work overtime. Right? But they’re doing it,” Greenberg said. Another issue is the amount of time it takes for air traffic controllers to be fully trained. The process takes about two years. Greenberg says the solution may not be what travelers want to hear, but until the workforce increases, the number of flights has to decrease. Arizona’s Family reached out to both airlines and got the following responses: While Safety is always our uncompromising priority, we kindly direct you to the FAA for information regarding that report. Southwest Airlines “Safety is the foundation of every decision we make at American. We’re proud of our strong safety record and ever-evolving safety culture — one that is built on the foundation of a robust safety management system, rigorous training and a no-fault reporting environment. Our pilots are expertly trained and each unwavering in their mission of operating a safe airline for our customers and their fellow team members. Our aircraft are equipped with the most sophisticated collision avoidance systems to prevent irregular operational events. And we appreciate the Federal Aviation Administration’s continued partnership as the entire aviation ecosystem works together to ensure the national airspace and our airports remain the safest possible.” American Airlines The FAA is investigating the Aug. 7 American Airlines Flight 1388 departed from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and turned toward a Southwest Airlines plane that was departing on a parallel runway. An automated system alerted and an air traffic controller took steps to keep the aircraft apart. The Southwest Airlines pilot confirmed the American Airlines flight was in sight as it stopped its turn. The FAA is investigating the Aug. 7 incident. Federal Aviation Administration The FAA also released the following statement about staffing. We recently completed a comprehensive review of the distribution of controllers, which was included in the Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress on May 5, 2023. Additionally, we are implementing the Air Traffic Operations Management System (ATOMS), a comprehensive system that will track controller timekeeping and various work assignments. The FAA is working create a robust pipeline of skilled and diverse professionals coming into the aviation workforce. The agency is also taking action to reduce the air traffic controller training backlog that COVID created. We paused training at the height of the pandemic to protect the workforce and keep the airspace safe and working. We hire controllers annually and have for decades. This year, we will hire 1,500 and next year we will hire 1,800. Federal Aviation Administration https://www.azfamily.com/2023/08/22/2-planes-nearly-collided-mid-air-near-phoenix-sky-harbor-highlights-staffing-shortages/ PIA grounds 11 aircraft; three deemed beyond repair Pakis¬tan International Airlines (PIA) has grounded 11 aircraft, including three of its Boeing 777s, as the national flag carrier faces a serious financial crisis due to the uncontrolled flight of dollars and increase in prices of petroleum products. According to sources, the airline, which operates around 30 aircraft, has been facing serious difficulties in procuring spare parts for the past three years due to scarcity of funds, which has resulted in the grounding of 11 planes. Two of the three wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft were grounded in 2020 and one in 2021. Five A320 aircraft have also been grounded — two in 2021 and three in 2023. PIA also grounded three ATR aircraft — one each in 2020, 2022 and 2023. A spokesman for PIA confirmed that 11 aircraft have been grounded due to a lack of funds to buy spare parts as the national flag carrier is facing serious financial challenges, including dependency on foreign currency. A senior official of the airline said the PIA fleet consisted of 31 aircraft and three of the 11 grounded planes — Boeing 777, Airbus and ATR — are beyond repair for want of engines and other parts. The official said PIA is currently operating with the remaining 20 aircraft and the flight operations are being carried out according to the available aircraft. He said the airline will be facing a shortage of aircraft if flights are increased, especially on international routes. PIA’s website shows its network spans across Asia, Europe and North Amer¬ica, covering 19 countries. SSA office closed Separately, the office of the Senior Staff Associa¬tion (SSA) has been closed by the PIA management “to maintain law and order situation and smooth functioning of the corporation’s activities”. Safdar Anjum, the secretary general of SSA, termed the closure of their office illegal and an attempt to sabotage peace of the organisation. On the other hand, the protest by People’s Unity against planned privatisation of the national flag carrier and demand for an increase in salaries of employees continued on Monday as the PIA office in Rawalpindi remained closed for two hours. In a press release, the People’s Unity said the protest will continue till the acceptance of all their demands. In order to stop the privatisation process and make all daily-wage employees permanent, the two-hour long strike across the country will continue on Tuesday as well, it added. Hidayatullah Khan, the central president of People’s Unity, said the protest will continue until all demands are accepted and they will expand the scope of the protest from Tuesday to all offices throughout the country. https://www.dawn.com/news/1771459 United Airlines 767 impacted runway three times resulting in bent fuselage: NTSB The NTSB's report highlighted that the aircraft impacted the runway thrice upon landing United Airlines / NTSB The United States (US) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report regarding an incident where the fuselage of a United Airlines Boeing 767 was substantially damaged after landing. The incident took place on July 29, 2023, when a United Airlines Boeing 767-300ER, registered as N641UA, was attempting to land at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The twin-aisle jet was operating flight UA702 from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). According to the NTSB, the first officer was the pilot flying (PF), while the captain was the pilot monitoring (PM) the flight. The departure and cruise segments of the flight were “uneventful”, with the Boeing 767-300ER reaching IAH at about 10:34 am when local air traffic control cleared the aircraft to land using the DOOBI2 arrival and Instrument Landing System or ILS runway 26L approach. airBaltic In Article banner Design 3 August 2023 Both pilots told the NTSB the aircraft’s landing configuration was compliant with United Airlines’ stable approach criteria and the initial touch-down was “normal”. However, the PF told investigators that after the main landing gear touched down on the runway, “he held aft pressure on the control yoke to keep the nose wheel from hitting the runway”. Subsequently, the nose wheel contacted the 26L “with abnormal force”. “The airplane appeared to bounce, and he reacted by pulling aft on the control yoke, in an effort to keep the nose wheel from impacting the runway a second time,” the NTSB report continued. The speed brakes deployed as the auto brakes engaged, resulting in a second bounce of the nose wheel. The first officer then deployed the thrust reversers (TR), allowing the aircraft to decelerate, and the captain took control of flying duties. The Boeing 767-300ER taxied to its designated gate without further incident. After the NTSB conducted a preliminary review of the flight data recorder (FDR), the investigators noted that after the initial touchdown on both main wheels, the 767-300ER “rolled to the left and right main gear lifted off the runway’s surface”. The report added that the nose wheel “touched down with a gravitational force equivalent (g) of about 1.4 g and bounced”. “The speed brakes deployed, and the nose wheel impacted the runway a second time with a force of about 1.6 g followed by another bounce,” the NTSB noted, adding that the right TR wad deployed, and the nose wheel hit the runway again with a force of about 1.6 g. Following a post-accident examination, “substantial damage to the crown of the upper fuselage” was observed by technicians on site. The NTSB noted that it did not travel to the scene of the incident. None of the 202 passengers, including nine crew members, were injured during the hard landing. The Boeing 767-300ER remains at IAH at the time of publication. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/ntsb-united-767-prelim-report Near-miss crash study leads ERAU researchers to recommend drones fly further from airports Researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Unmanned Robotic Systems Analysis identified 24 near-midair collisions in which drones came within 500 feet of piloted aircraft near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in a three-year span ending in 2021. An Army helicopter was crossing New York Harbor six years ago when it was struck by a drone weighing just over 3 pounds, the first such crash between an uncrewed aerial system and a piloted aircraft in the United States. While only a bit more than 1 foot in diameter, the DJI Phantom 4 drone was no apparition. It damaged the Black Hawk's rotor blade, window frame and transmission deck. The helicopter pilot was able to safely land, but the crash reverberated across the aviation community, echoing the potential dangers posed by the rapidly growing use of drones. Since 2017, there have been a handful of other collisions. While none were catastrophic, a research project headed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University faculty has found that eight near misses occurred annually at one Texas airport over a three-year period. The same study included a recommended change to Federal Aviation Administration rules. governing the use of drones near the corridors where aircraft take off and land. This is a piece of a DJI Phantom 4 drone that collided Sept. 21, 2017, with an Army helicopter over New York Harbor, the first such drone crash with a crewed aircraft in the United States. A research project headed up by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professors found that 24 near misses occurred over a three-year period at one airport alone. A few months later, Ryan Wallace joined Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as an assistant professor of aeronautical science with an eye on continuing his research into how to keep airspace safe from the proliferation of drones. Assessing the problem for researchers was a problem in itself. The only data available to assess near-crashes were reports filed to the FAA by pilots who might have seen a drone during a flight and estimated its distance. Wallace assembled a team, including ERAU professors Scott Winter and Stephen Rice plus research assistant Sang-A Lee and David Kovar, the founder and CEO of URSA Inc., an unmanned and robotics systems analysis company. They found a more objective and accurate way to fill gaps of knowledge in how common near-crashes are and where they are most likely. How to replay more than 2 million flights The researchers worked with data from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which had partnered with a company to use a drone-detection device on an antenna above one of its concourses. The device captured signals from every drone within a 30-mile radius. "We can use those signals and interpret those signals so that we can tell what the drone is doing: the altitude and telemetry," Wallace said in an interview with The News-Journal. "And we can fuse that data with another source of FAA data from the ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast), signals that most aircraft have that allow us to see what they are doing. Their telemetry and altitude ran together like a movie to tell in time where drones are in relation to the aircraft." In addition to ADS-B, the FAA's upgrade from radar technology, the researchers also used Mode S messages transmitted by aircraft. They were able to access that data from the OpenSky Network, a Switzerland-based nonprofit that makes real-time air traffic control data available to the public. URSA’s Airspace Awareness Platform helped the researchers visualize the interactions between drones and aircraft. It helped them to identify instances where a drone came within 500 feet of an aircraft. That was the standard Wallace and the researchers used to define near-miss crashes. Near-miss crashes rare, but noteworthy In all, the ERAU team considered more than 1.8 million piloted aircraft operations and nearly 460,000 drone flights between August 2018 and July 2021. In that time, it found 24 near misses, according to the team's research paper, which was peer-reviewed and published by the Society of Automotive Engineers in the SAE International Journal of Aerospace. "In all of these cases, one of them had been recognized by the crew of the aircraft and reported to the FAA," Wallace said. Rice, one of the researchers and an ERAU professor of human factors, said the same three small drones were responsible for 13 of the 24 near-miss encounters, according to a university news release. In all but one of the near misses, the drone was operating at an altitude higher than 400 feet. That is typically the FAA's maximum, although it is lower for drones operating within five miles of an airport. The mean distance between the drones and aircraft in the 24 near misses was 215 feet, while commercial airliners were involved in nearly half of the near misses. If the ratio of FAA-reported near-miss sightings to actual near misses at DFW held true nationwide in 2021, the number of actual near misses would top 62,000. Wallace said he's not surprised at the number of near misses because reliance on human observation is guaranteed to lead to underreported encounters. "You have aircraft going at a high rate of speed, and it may only be a flash for them," he said. "In many cases, where the drone is at, relative to their (peripheral vision), they may not see anything." Growing number of drones in sky The number of small drones operating in U.S. airspace was expected to grow from nearly 1.5 million in 2020 to nearly 2.4 million in 2025, according to the FAA. Flights of larger drones, those greater than 55 pounds, are also forecast to nearly double between 2021 and 2026, according to an FAA report. “The proliferation of drones, particularly ones available to the general public, poses obvious risks,” Rice said, according to a university news release. “Unfortunately, not all drone operators are responsible, knowledgeable or safety-minded. Many of them are not even aware of the rules they must follow.” Recommendation to FAA The researchers found that most near misses occur within 1.5 miles of a corridor for arrivals and departures. They are recommending extending the runway exclusion zones for drones from about 1 mile to 3.5 miles, providing more protection for aircraft when they are flying below 500 feet, Wallace said. Of the 24 near misses detected by the researchers at DFW, seven involved helicopters. All seven were within 1.25 miles of a heliport. So Wallace and his team recommended extending heliport geofencing zones − areas that trigger warnings to drone users − from 500 meters to 1.5 miles. In a statement, the FAA told The News-Journal it continuously evaluates risk in the National Airspace System. "This includes input from our air traffic professionals and pilots as well as from reports from educational institutions such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University," the FAA statement said. In addition to an array of existing policies and programs aimed at drone safety, the FAA is working with five airports to "evaluate technologies and systems that could detect and mitigate potential safety risks posed by drones." Testing at airports in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Columbus, Ohio; Syracuse, New York; Huntsville, Alabama; and Seattle, Washington, continues through Sept. 30, 2023. Wallace said he has not heard directly from the FAA about his study's recommendations. "We're very pleased to contribute to the conversation about safety," he said. "We believe (our work) provides additional data points to make informed decisions about the protection of aircraft." https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/education/campus/2023/08/22/erau-researchers-uncover-24-near-miss-drone-aircraft-crashes-near-dfw/70595788007/ FAA Circular Revisits Aircraft Towing Safety Spurred by several recent near-mishaps, this is the first revision to the document in nearly 15 years. private jet being towed at airport A new advisory circular from the FAA revisits the topic of aircraft towing procedures and safety. Citing several recent reported cases of near incursions and mishaps involving tug operations during aircraft movement, the FAA has issued an advisory circular on towbar and towbarless movement of aircraft for the first time since 2009. The document reviews the best practices for the safe operation of this equipment. According to the agency, “air traffic control (ATC) specialists have reported that it is very difficult to identify a super tug towing an unpowered aircraft at night because the aircraft being towed is not properly illuminated with any lights.” As a result, it noted no person should park or move an aircraft in, or in dangerous proximity to, a night flight operations area of an airport unless the aircraft or the area is clearly illuminated. The circular states that those that are certified to perform towing operations at an airport should submit documentation outlining their towing operations to the responsible FAA Flight Standards District Office or Certificate Management Office and to respective airport management for acceptance/approval. That document should describe at a minimum the organization’s safety instructions, operating procedures (including the differences between day and night operations), initial and recurrent training, radio communication, and towing procedures checklist. In addition, the circular provides several sample checklists that certificate holders can adapt to their operations. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-08-21/faa-circular-revisits-aircraft-towing-safety JetBlue Is Helping Military Helicopter Pilots To Become First Officers The scheme will bring experienced talent to JetBlue, and will help the airline avoid a repeat of last summer's industry-wide pilot shortages. SUMMARY • JetBlue is offering a program for military-trained helicopter pilots to become commercial pilots and join the airline as a First Officer. • The Gateway Rotor Transition Program provides customized training that includes regulatory requirements, flight school, simulator training, and essential skills. • JetBlue's Gateway program aims to bring in more diverse candidates, including women and people of color, and 10% of new hire pilots are expected to come from the Gateway program this year. JetBlue is offering skilled military veterans the chance to join the airline as a pilot through its Gateway Rotor Transition Program. The scheme provides US military-trained helicopter pilots the opportunity to put their existing expertise to use as a commercial pilot, and forms part of the airline's wider Gateway development program. The low-cost carrier has partnered with SkyWarrior Flight Training LLC in Pensacola, FL, to provide the customized training package, which covers all regulatory FAA requirements, flight school, and ground school. The course also includes integrated full-motion simulator training, as well as vital competencies such as crew resource management and threat and error management. Once the pilot training is completed, candidates will join JetBlue as a new hire First Officer, where the skills and experience of their 5,000 pilot colleagues will continue to shape their learning. JetBlue's Head of Safety, Security, Fleet Operations, Airports, and JetBlue University, Warren Christie, said, “We’re incredibly proud to support our veterans, both customers, and crew members alike. With Gateway RTP, we will provide these accomplished US military rotary wing aviators the additional skills and certifications necessary to bring their professional experience and technical abilities to JetBlue." JetBlue's Gateway development program The Gateway Rotor Transition Program's first cohort is due to begin training later this year, and JetBlue hopes to scale up its transition program in the future. 2023 is the 15th year of JetBlue's Gateway program, which has brought hundreds of skilled pilots to the airline, breaking down barriers and opening the door to more candidates from underrepresented communities, including women and people of color. This year, 10% of new hire pilots at JetBlue are expected to come from the Gateway program. Nancy Hocking, the Director of JetBlue's Gateway Programs, celebrated the scheme's ongoing success, saying, “We’re proud of the incredible talent pipeline we’ve built with our Gateways. Not only does it provide a clear path for future pilots and technicians, by making these careers more accessible to talented individuals who might not have thought of them as a real option, we’re opening opportunities to a much larger audience while maintaining the highest standards required of these critical roles.” Combating pilot shortages After pilot shortages caused severe worldwide disruption last summer, airlines have been ramping up their recruitment drives, and thinking outside the box when it comes to attracting potential pilots to the profession. Several other carriers across the US have enhanced their pilot training schemes as a way to combat the shortage. The first cohort of trainees at United Airlines' Aviate Academy, for example, graduated earlier this year. After the challenges of recent years, JetBlue seems to be going from strength to strength. The airline recently posted record revenue levels for Q2 2023. However, it remains to be seen what impact the recent breakdown of the Northeast Alliance with American Airlines will have on future income. https://simpleflying.com/jetblue-help-military-helicopter-pilots-become-airline-first-officers/ US FAA holding runway safety meetings after close call incidents WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday it will hold runway safety meetings at 90 airports over the next few weeks after a series of troubling close-call aviation incidents. Earlier this month, the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they were investigating a near collision between a Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) Boeing 737 and a Cessna Citation 560X business jet in San Diego. The NTSB is investigating seven runway incursion events since January, including the San Diego incident. In March, the FAA said it was taking steps to improve its air traffic control operations after near-miss incidents, telling employees: "There is no question that we are seeing too many close calls." At the "Runway Safety Action Team" meetings taking place through the end of September, the FAA said representatives from the FAA’s air traffic organization, airlines, pilots, airport vehicle drivers and others will "come together to identify unique risks to surface safety at that airport and develop plans to mitigate or eliminate those risks." The FAA has been without a permanent administrator since April 2022. President Joe Biden's nominee to head the agency Phil Washington withdrew in March and the White House has yet to pick a new nominee. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg since June has been serving as acting FAA administrator in addition to her USDOT duties. The FAA said its preliminary review of the Aug. 11 incident showed an air traffic controller at San Diego International Airport cleared the Cessna to land even though Southwest Airlines Flight 2493 had already been told to taxi onto the same runway and await instructions to depart. A similar near-collision incident occurred in February in Austin, Texas, when a FedEx (FDX.N) cargo plane and a Southwest Boeing 737 came within about 115 feet (35 meters) in poor visibility conditions. The controller had cleared the FedEx plane to land and the Southwest plane to depart. The FAA held a safety summit and issued a safety alert in March to airlines, pilots and others citing the "need for continued vigilance and attention to mitigation of safety risks." https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-faa-holding-runway-safety-meetings-after-close-call-incidents-2023-08-22/ Curt Lewis