Flight Safety Information - September 11, 2023 No. 175 In This Issue : Accident: Air China A20N at Singapore on Sep 10th 2023, engine fire, smoke in cabin, evacuation : Incident: United Nigeria E145 at Lagos on Sep 8th 2023, runway excursion on landing : Incident: LATAM Chile A320 at Bogota on Sep 8th 2023, could not fully retract landing gear : Incident: Swiss B773 at Chicago on Sep 8th 2023, rejected takeoff due to flock of birds : United jet engine broke up over Denver after inadequate inspections: NTSB report : Fake components went into 68 jet engines, including ones on Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes, says lawsuit : Pilots have reported more than 150 bird strikes in Denver so far this year : Mexico to recover U.S. air safety rating next week, president says : Passenger Tries To Break Into Cockpit On United Airlines Flight : Intelsat To Fit Wi-Fi on 95 Air Canada Aircraft : Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engine receives FAA type certification and prepares for the upcoming entry into service : GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Accident: Air China A20N at Singapore on Sep 10th 2023, engine fire, smoke in cabin, evacuation An Air China Airbus A320-200N, registration B-305J performing flight CA-403 from Chengdu (China) to Singapore (Singapore) with 146 passengers and 9 crew, was descending towards Singapore when the crew declared emergency reporting they had received a forward cargo hold as well as a lavatory smoke indication. Smoke developed in the cabin. The aircraft landed on Singapore's runway 20L and stopped on the runway. The aircraft was evacuated via all slides (including the left hand overwing slides). 9 people received minor injuries. Emergency services extinguished a left hand engine (PW1127G) fire. The runway was closed for about 3 hours as result of the occurrence. Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority reported there were 9 minor injuries due to smoke inhalation and abrasions during the evacuation. https://avherald.com/h?article=50e35045&opt=0 Incident: United Nigeria E145 at Lagos on Sep 8th 2023, runway excursion on landing A United Nigeria Airlines Embraer ERJ-145, registration 5N-BWY performing flight U5-513 from Owerri to Lagos (Nigeria) with 51 passengers and 4 crew, landed on Lagos' runway 18R in heavy rain at about 18:33L (17:33Z) but went off the runway. There were no injuries, the aircraft received minimal if any damage. Nigeria's AIB opened an investigation into the occurrence reporting the ERJ-145 from Owerri to Lagos skidded off the runway 18R while landing in Lagos. The airline reported the aircraft went off the runway due to heavy downpour. https://avherald.com/h?article=50e27a3e&opt=0 Incident: LATAM Chile A320 at Bogota on Sep 8th 2023, could not fully retract landing gear A LATAM Chile Airbus A320-200, registration CC-BAW performing flight LA-4601 from Bogota to Cali (Colombia) with 166 people on board, was climbing out of Bogota's runway 13R when the crew could not retract the nose gear, stopped the climb at about 13,000 feet and returned to Bogota for a safe landing on runway 13L about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration CC-BAS reached Cali with a delay of about 3:40 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 29.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=50e36c9a&opt=0 Incident: Swiss B773 at Chicago on Sep 8th 2023, rejected takeoff due to flock of birds A Swiss International Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration HB-JNL performing flight LX-9 from Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) to Zurich (Switzerland), was accelerating for takeoff from Chicago's runway 09C when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 130 knots over ground) due to a flock of birds. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The aircraft is still on the ground in Chicago about 8:15 hours after the rejected takeoff. The airline reported there were no injuries. The crew decided to reject takeoff when the aircraft went through a flock of birds. The brakes overheated, there was no fire, and needed to be cooled. The airport fire department reported the brakes were on fire but had extinguished before the services arrived at the aircraft. The FAA ordered a ground stop of about 30 minutes following the occurrence causing a number of aircraft needing to go around. https://avherald.com/h?article=50e27c52&opt=0 United jet engine broke up over Denver after inadequate inspections: NTSB report WASHINGTON (AP) — An engine on a United Airlines jet broke up over Denver in 2021 because of wear and tear on a fan blade that was not adequately inspected for signs of cracking, federal investigators said Friday. The National Transportation Safety Board said manufacturer Pratt & Whitney did not call for inspections to be done frequently enough, which allowed tiny cracks to grow undetected until the fan blade broke. Trump lawyers move ‘insurrection’ clause lawsuit to federal court The NTSB said the design and testing of the engine inlet contributed to the severity of the situation, and other factors made the engine fire worse than it should have been. The right-side engine of the Boeing 777 broke apart shortly after takeoff from Denver International Airport, raining parts over suburban neighborhoods. The pilots declared an emergency and landed the plane safely 24 minutes after takeoff. Pieces of the engine inlet, fan cowls and thrust reversers broke off and fell on a public park and residential areas. There were no reports of injuries on the plane or on the ground. FAA grounded some planes after United incident Shortly after the February 2021 incident, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all U.S.-registered planes with the same PW4000-series engines for more than a year. The Denver emergency came less than three years after a Southwest Airlines passenger died when a different model of fan blade broke and parts of the engine housing turned into shrapnel, striking the plane. Other fan blade failures occurred on a United plane flying to Hawaii in 2018 and a Japan Airlines Boeing 777 in 2020. The cluster of events raised concern that long-held assumptions about fan blades were wrong – they were failing much earlier than had been expected. The FAA began requiring more frequent inspections. The blade that broke over Denver had undergone overhauls at a Pratt facility in 2014 and again in 2016. At the second one, software found two “low-level indications” in the blade, but an inspector decided they were camera “noise” or loose grit. The NTSB said the blade should have been stripped, repainted and inspected again, or the “ambiguous indications” should have been elevated to a team for more review. The NTSB said it appeared that neither happened. Pratt, a division of RTX Corp., did not immediately return a message seeking comment. At the time, such inspections were required every 6,500 flights, and blades did not need to be replaced as long as they passed inspection. https://kdvr.com/news/local/ap-infrequent-inspection-of-fan-blades-led-to-a-united-jet-engine-breaking-up-in-2021-report-says/ Fake components went into 68 jet engines, including ones on Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 planes, says lawsuit CFM International Inc. says 68 jet engines were fitted with spare parts backed by fraudulent documentation from a little-known UK-based supplier, a sign that fake components may have been installed on certain older-model aircraft. The finding was included in a lawsuit filed by the joint venture of General Electric Co. and Safran SA in the UK against closely held AOG Technics Ltd, according to a statement from CFM. The suit seeks an injunction to force AOG to provide more information to aid the aviation industry’s search for suspect components. “Safety is our first priority, and we are taking aggressive legal action against AOG Technics to accelerate the industry’s ability to identify parts sold by this third-party with falsified documentation,” a CFM spokesman said in a statement. Representatives for AOG could not be reached for immediate comment. The development provides the first hint at how many older-generation Airbus SE A320 and Boeing Co. 737 aircraft may have been fitted with spare parts that London-based AOG allegedly sold with falsified airworthiness records. It’s unclear whether additional engines may have used unauthorized replacement parts. Aviation regulators in Europe determined AOG supplied parts for the repair of CFM56 engines, the world’s best-selling turbine, with falsified documentation, Bloomberg News reported last week. The proliferation of undocumented parts has sent shock waves through an industry where every component requires verification to ensure aircraft safety. Without such assurance, it’s impossible to know how durable uncertified parts will be under stress. Regulators, airlines and other industry players have since been scouring their records to hunt down the suspect components sold by AOG, the obscure supplier at the center of the crisis. AOG has no direct affiliation with CFM or its partners. To date, CFM and GE Aerospace have found 78 documents they say are falsified and which cover 52 CFM56 engine part numbers, along with two faked records for CF6 components. No incidents linked to the suspect parts have been identified, the companies have said. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency earlier this week determined that the components backed by forged documentation included turbine blades, a critical component of an aircraft’s propulsion system. “We remain fully engaged with aviation regulatory authorities to support their investigations into AOG Technics, and we continue to work with our customers to assess the authenticity of documentation for parts they acquired directly or indirectly from AOG Technics,” the CFM spokesman said. https://fortune.com/2023/09/08/fake-components-68-jet-engines-boeing-737-airbus-a320-planes-lawsuit/ Pilots have reported more than 150 bird strikes in Denver so far this year • A Cessna-172 flipped over after crash landing following a bird strike last weekend near the Centennial Airport. DENVER — "Mayday mayday mayday," came the call over air traffic control radio channels near the Centennial Airport last weekend. A Cessna-172 had hit at least one bird during takeoff — now the pilot was searching for a place to crash land. "Might have to put it on the golf course over here," he told air traffic controllers. Both the pilot and passenger were okay after landing safely on a Douglas County golf course. Their plane flipped after skidding about 50 yards. "We try to do everything that we can to avoid a bird encounter," said 9NEWS aviation expert Greg Feith. He said bird strikes like the one that impacted the plane last week are rare — but data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shows they do happen and are increasing in frequency. "[Denver International Airport] does have an issue with birds because of the landfill that's in close proximity. Landfills draw birds, birds are in the immediate vicinity," Feith said. Since 2020, more than 530 pilots at DIA reported hitting wildlife. The vast majority reported no damage to the plane, but the FAA said a Delta flight had to abort takeoff last summer because a hawk caused "catastrophic" damage and an engine fire. "The larger the bird, the smaller the airplane, the more catastrophic the strike can be," Feith said. Airports are responsible for wildlife control around takeoff and landing, which is when most collisions occur. Different airports have different mitigation strategies. "They use loud cannons that shoot blanks to try to scare the birds," Feith said. "A lot of airports use dogs to go out there to chase all of the ground-based or grass-based birds out of the area." He says pilots routinely research bird activity near airports where they fly — and migratory patterns are sometimes even indicated on aeronautical charts. But Feith said there's only so much airports and pilots can do; after all, the skies are the birds' domain. "We operate in their environment so we have to be cognizant of that as pilots," he said. https://www.9news.com/article/travel/pilots-report-bird-strikes/73-a120315a-d341-4f13-b8ba-74453d753178 Mexico to recover U.S. air safety rating next week, president says (Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Transportation has told Mexico that it will officially recover a U.S.-given air safety rating next week, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday, preempting the much-anticipated decision. Mexico was downgraded by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to the Category 2 safety rating more than two years ago, pausing Mexican airlines' plans to expand new routes to its northern neighbor. The FAA, responding to a request for comment on Lopez Obrador's remarks, said it continued to assist Mexico's civil aviation authority and it expected to conclude the process "in the near future." The downgrade was a major blow to national carriers, as U.S. airlines were able to scoop up market share. Mexico overhauled its civil aviation law, but faced several hurdles in recovering the Category 1 rating. "This is good news," Lopez Obrador said in a regular morning press conference, explaining that Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena had been informed by the U.S. Department of Transportation of the upcoming decision. "All of the requirements have been met," he added. In a June audit, the FAA raised concerns about Mexico's process for post-accident investigations and for carrying out medical exams for sector employees, meeting minutes obtained by Reuters showed. The imminent upgrade to Category 1 comes as Lopez Obrador continues to criticize operations at the country's busiest airport and encourage airlines to move operations to a military-run airport, a flagship project he opened last year. "There's space; there's no pretext" for airlines to not move flights to the newer AIFA," Lopez Obrador said, describing operations at the older, busier AICM airport as "very risky," without providing evidence. Government-mandated flight cuts at AICM are set to take effect in January, slashing slots from 52 per hour to 43 per hour. Industry groups decried the move. Transport options to the farther-away AIFA remain limited for residents of the capital, and a Reuters reporter found in an August visit that many storefronts past security remained vacant. Carrier Aeromexico announced earlier this week it would increase its flights at the AIFA by 40% by October. The flight cuts would also affect the usage tax collected from each passenger who travels through the AICM. The tax is currently used to pay off some $4.2 billion in outstanding bonds from the construction of an unfinished airport, which Lopez Obrador scrapped upon his election. Ratings agency Fitch revised the outlook of the trust which manages the bonds, the Mexico City Airport Trust, to negative from stable earlier this week, citing concerns about the AICM's ability to address maintenance needs and passenger congestion. Lopez Obrador slammed the ratings agency's decision on Friday, and said he could assure bondholders their investments were safe. https://www.aol.com/mexico-recover-u-air-safety-144413018.html Passenger Tries To Break Into Cockpit On United Airlines Flight The aircraft was preparing to depart Chicago for a flight to Los Angeles. SUMMARY • A United Airlines flight was disrupted when a passenger tried to enter the cockpit, violating strict rules against cockpit entry. • This incident is one of many where passengers have attempted to breach the cockpit, highlighting potential security risks. • Airline pilots, too, can face consequences if they allow unauthorized passengers into the cockpit. A United Airlines flight was recently disrupted when a passenger tried to enter the cockpit. The plane was still on the ground but had left the gate and was preparing for departure. Passenger entry into the cockpit during any stage of the flight is strictly prohibited. The recent incident is one of many in which a passenger has made such an attempt. A passenger tries to breach the cockpit On September 8th, a United Airlines’ domestic service was disrupted after a passenger attempted to break into the cockpit. The Boeing 737 aircraft was preparing to depart Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as flight UA 1641. The aircraft was preparing for departure when a passenger tried to open the flight deck door and even the emergency exit doors. The 737 had to eventually return to the gate, where law enforcement officers were waiting to detain the passenger. Similar incidents As scary as the United incident is, it's not the only one. In 2021, a passenger on a United Airlines flight operated by SkyWest Airlines attempted to breach the cockpit shortly after pushback. He reportedly ran to the front of the aircraft and started banging on the cockpit door. He also managed to partially open an emergency exit door, resulting in the emergency slide to deploy. The accused then jumped from the aircraft and broke his leg in the process. He was eventually sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. The same year, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 flying to Nashville, Tennessee, from Los Angeles, was forced to divert to Albuquerque, New Mexico, when a passenger tried to enter the cockpit mid-air. It took several passengers and flight attendants to restrain him. In 2022, a man was arrested after he entered the cockpit of an American Airlines Boeing 737 during the boarding process for its flight from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to Miami, Florida. He even damaged some cockpit controls and attempted to jump out of the cockpit window. Cockpit violations There are strict rules around passenger entry into the cockpit, so much so that even pilots can face consequences for willingly inviting unauthorized passengers to the flight deck. Earlier this year, it was reported that Starlux Founder and Chair Chang Kuo-wei, a pilot, was staring at a fine for letting aviation influencer Sam Chui into the plane's cockpit after it landed in Los Angeles. Air India also suspended some of its pilots earlier this year for two separate incidents in which they invited unauthorized passengers to the cockpit during the flights. The airline even had to issue an order asking pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during the flight's crucial stages to maintain safe operations. https://simpleflying.com/passenger-tries-to-break-into-cockpit-united-airlines-flight/ Intelsat To Fit Wi-Fi on 95 Air Canada Aircraft Yesterday saw Intelsat announce that it has been selected by Air Canada to install in-flight connectivity of 95 of their aircraft. The connectivity company already has its products installed on 240 aircraft. In the release, Intelsat detailed which 95 aircraft will be fitted on the airline’s aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX aircraft – the fleet of 40 aircraft will be equipped starting this year with Intelsat’s 2Ku IFC system. Embraer 175 and Mitsubishi CRJ-900 aircraft (currently installed with Intelsat’s air-to-ground system) – The 55 aircraft are currently flown by Air Canada’s Jazz regional partner and will be upgraded with Intelsat’s new ESA antenna starting in 2024. Commenting on this deal was Dave Bijur, the Senior VP of Commercial for the connectivity provider: “Intelsat has been delivering reliable in-flight connectivity to Air Canada and its passengers for 14 years”. “Air Canada’s leadership will continue for decades to come thanks to this investment in 2Ku connectivity for the 737 MAX fleet and the decision to install Intelsat’s innovative multi-orbit service across their regional jet operation.” Adding to this was Mark Nasr, the airline’s Executive VP of Marketing and Digital, and is also the President of Aeroplan: “The efforts and the commitment of Intelsat’s team and their service partners made the difference for us.” “We’re confident Intelsat provides proven technology, an extensible platform and network, and the right vision for the future of in-flight connectivity”. “Through our Bell partnership, equipment installation schedule, and strong conviction around the importance of in-flight connectivity, we seek to offer our customers the best and most consistently available offering in the industry.” This is a major announcement for the connectivity company, as it’s products continue to gain global attraction by airlines across the world. https://aviationsourcenews.com/airline/intelsat-to-fit-wi-fi-on-95-air-canada-aircraft/ Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engine receives FAA type certification and prepares for the upcoming entry into service Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY) today announces its Pearl® 700, the exclusive engine for the all-new Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.® business aircraft Gulfstream G700™ and Gulfstream G800™, has received official certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The pioneering engine, which was developed at the Rolls-Royce Centre of Excellence for Business Aviation engines in Dahlewitz, Germany, was custom-designed to power two of Gulfstream’s latest products, enabling them to fly ultra-long-range missions nearly as fast as the speed of sound. The engine received its type certification from the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency EASA in September 2022. During the comprehensive indoor and outdoor test programme, the engine demonstrated exceptional performance operating at sea-level and altitude conditions on both conventional jet fuel and 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It proved its ability to withstand bird-strike, cross-winds, ice, hail and water ingestion as well as passing the critical fan blade containment test, during which a fan blade is deliberately released at maximum speed. Testing was conducted at various Rolls-Royce locations in Europe and North America, including Dahlewitz in Germany; Bristol in the UK; Manitoba and Montreal, Canada; the Rolls-Royce outdoor jet engine testing facility, located at NASA’s John C Stennis Space Centre, Mississippi, USA; as well as the altitude test bed at AEDC (Arnold Engineering Development Center) in Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA. Dr. Dirk Geisinger, Director – Business Aviation, Rolls-Royce, said: “This latest certification by the FAA for our Pearl 700 engine illustrates once again Rolls-Royce’s unique capabilities to design, test, build and certify highly efficient and reliable aircraft engines. This makes us really proud and is also a testament for the dedication of our global team to support our customer Gulfstream and the upcoming entry into service of the G700 and G800. We have worked closely with the FAA, EASA and Gulfstream to achieve this certification and I would like to thank all of them for their continued support.” Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream, added: “We are excited about this latest advancement towards G700 and G800 certification. The G700 and G800 are introducing new standards for efficiency and performance in the business aviation industry thanks to the combination of Gulfstream aerodynamics and the Pearl 700’s efficiencies. We are seeing great demand for the technology, cabin comfort and ultralong-range capabilities the G700 and G800 will provide our customers.” The Pearl 700 combines the Advance2 engine core, the most efficient core available across the business aviation sector, with a brand-new low-pressure system, resulting in an eight per cent increase in take-off thrust at 18,250lbf compared to the BR725 engine. The engine offers a five per cent higher efficiency, while maintaining its class-leading low noise and emissions performance. Designed for outstanding reliability, the Pearl 700 engine is supported by industry-leading Rolls-Royce CorporateCare® Enhanced, the most comprehensive service programme in business aviation. CorporateCare Enhanced offers substantial financial and operational benefits to customers, increasing asset value and liquidity, mitigating maintenance cost risk and protecting against the unforeseen costs of unscheduled events anywhere in the world. Increased aircraft availability, reduced management burden, full risk transfer, direct priority access to the Rolls-Royce services infrastructure and remote site assistance are further customer benefits. For further information, please contact: Stefan Wriege Head of External Communications – Civil Aerospace – Germany stefan.wriege@rolls-royce.com T +49 (0)33708 6 2228 | M +49 (0)171 6130802 Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG, Eschenweg 11, 15827 Blankenfelde-Mahlow, Germany https://www.rolls-royce.com/ GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST I started my academic career with a BSc. in Aviation Management at Florida Institute of Technology and graduated in 2005. After relocating to Europe and completing the ATPL training, I started flying the B737NG for a scheduled low-cost carrier for four years. Afterwards, relocating to Dubai to fly for a major long-haul airline on the B777 for 8.5 years. In 2020 relocated to the UK to fly for a British long-haul airline. During Covid while there wasn't any flying, I started the MSc. in Aviation Safety, Risk Management and Regulation studies with Cranfield University and I am currently working on my thesis to complete the master's program. My thesis looks at Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) and the overall effectiveness that FRMS has achieved so far. It intends to focus on organisational factors within the operators and regulators to identify those factors that contribute to implementing an effective FRMS. The survey is targeted for pilots that are actively flying (either long or short-haul) and would like to share their experiences with the FRMS within their organisation. It is a short survey and should take no longer than two to three minutes of your time. I will hugely appreciate everyone's feedback. Survey Link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UdHcIxHD4Wweb4 Kind regards, Erdem Serifoglu Curt Lewis