Flight Safety Information - September 25, 2023 No. 185 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa A320 at Frankfurt on Sep 22nd 2023, lightning strike : Incident: SAS A20N at Longyearbyen on Sep 24th 2023, cabin temperature problems, sauna or freezer : Incident: Egypt B738 near Dammam on Sep 23rd 2023, cracked window : Incident: France A332 at Paris on Sep 21st 2023, smell of smoke in cockpit : Niger bans French aircraft from its airspace : Man blames wife after TSA finds loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Reagan National Airport : Austrian Airlines Boeing 777 Diverts To Shannon After Emergency Declared On Way To Chicago : American Airlines now able to overfly Kabul FIR at FL300 : ANOTHER FALSE ACCUSATION OF CHILD TRAFFICKING ON AMERICAN AIRLINES : Air Force breaks ground on first electric aircraft charging station : Australian and International Pilots Association calls for Qantas chairman Richard Goyder to step down Incident: Lufthansa A320 at Frankfurt on Sep 22nd 2023, lightning strike A Lufthansa Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIZD performing flight LH-1041 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was on approach to Frankfurt's runway 25R when lightning hit the aircraft. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. A passenger on flight LH-36, scheduled to be performed by D-AIZD, reported there was a delay on their flight stating: "The crew came from Paris and suspected that their aircraft received a lighning strike during approach to Frankfurt. A test was performed and confirmed the Lightning Strike. Aircraft went into maintenance. Same Flight Crew and replacement Aircraft performed the following Flight to Hamburg." The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 26 hours before returning to service. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=50ed2b74&opt=0 Incident: SAS A20N at Longyearbyen on Sep 24th 2023, cabin temperature problems, sauna or freezer A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration LN-RGO performing flight SK-4499 from Longyearbyen to Oslo (Norway), was climbing through FL180 out of Svalbard Airport when the crew stopped the climb after the cabin temperature had become too hot, the air conditioning was shut down, as result the cabin temperatures now became freezing. The crew returned the aircraft to Svalbard for a safe landing on runway 10 about 30 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 9 hours, then departed again and reached Oslo with a delay of about 9:15 hours. The airline reported the cabin had started to heat up, the air conditioning system was shut down, therefore it now became very cold in the cabin. The crew returned the aircraft to Longyearbyen. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=50ed292e&opt=0 Incident: Egypt B738 near Dammam on Sep 23rd 2023, cracked window An EgyptAir Boeing 737-800, registration SU-GED performing flight MS-905 from Cairo (Egypt) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 120 people on board, was enroute at FL350 about 230nm northwest of Dammam (Saudi Arabia) when the crew descended the aircraft to FL280 due to a cracked window. The aircraft diverted to Dammam for a safe landing on runway 34R about 45 minutes after leaving FL350. The airline reported a sudden technical malfunction prompted the diversion to Dammam, a replacement aircraft was sent. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration SU-GDA reached Dubai with a delay of about 6:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 16 hours after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=50ed2808&opt=0 Incident: France A332 at Paris on Sep 21st 2023, smell of smoke in cockpit An Air France Airbus A330-200, registration F-GZCA performing flight AF-912 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Yaounde (Cameroon), was climbing out of Paris' runway 26R when the crew stopped the climb at about FL165 reporting the smell of smoke, electrical in nature, in the cockpit. The aircraft returned to Paris for a safe landing on CDG's runway 26R about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration F-GSPN reached Younde with a delay of 24 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 21 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=50ec16ba&opt=0 Niger bans French aircraft from its airspace Niger's military rulers have banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) website. Niger's airspace is "open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France including those of the airline Air France," it said in the statement dated late Saturday. The air space would remain closed for "all military, operational and other special flights", unless receiving prior authorisation, the message said. Air France told AFP simply that it was "not flying over Niger airspace". Niger had reopened its airspace on September 4 for commercial flights after having been closed for nearly a month. The West African nation then announced on August 6 it was closing its airspace due to the "threat of intervention from neighbouring countries", as the Economic Community of West African States threatened military action to restore the elected President Mohamed Bazoum who had been overthrown in a coup on July 26. France has repeatedly supported the West African bloc, and relations between Paris and Niamey have been at an all-time low since the coup. https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20230924-niger-bans-french-aircraft-from-its-airspace Man blames wife after TSA finds loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Reagan National Airport • A Virginia man blamed his wife after Transportation Security Administration officers discovered a loaded gun in his carry-on bag as he passed through the checkpoints at Reagan National Airport. ARLINGTON, Va. - A Virginia man blamed his wife after Transportation Security Administration officers discovered a loaded gun in his carry-on bag as he passed through a checkpoint at Reagan National Airport. The King George resident was carrying a .22 caliber pistol that was loaded with five bullets on Thursday, Sept. 21. The X-ray unit alerted TSA officers. Police confiscated the gun and cited the man on state charges. Officials say the man blamed his wife and told them that she packed his carry-on bag and he did not know that the loaded gun was inside. The man faces a maximum $15,000 fine. "It is disappointing to continue to see travelers carrying their loaded guns to our security checkpoints," said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, said in a statement. "My advice is that when packing for a flight to start with a completely empty bag, and all travelers must pack their own bag, so that there are no surprises when someone gets to our checkpoint." TSA says 28 firearms have been confiscated this year at Reagan National Airport. Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. https://www.fox5dc.com/news/man-blames-wife-after-tsa-finds-loaded-gun-packed-in-carry-on-bag-at-reagan-national-airport Austrian Airlines Boeing 777 Diverts To Shannon After Emergency Declared On Way To Chicago The aircraft continued its journey after diversion, resulting in a total delay of two hours. SUMMARY • An Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to Chicago was diverted to Shannon Airport in Dublin due to a medical emergency onboard. • The affected passenger received medical treatment upon arrival, and the rest of the passengers continued their journey with a delay of about two hours. • This incident comes just a day after another flight, Air Transit Flight TS2122, also had to divert to Shannon due to a medical emergency. • An Austrian Airlines Boeing 777-200 was diverted to Shannon Airport (SNN) in Dublin after a medical emergency onboard. The flight was en route to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) from the airline’s home base at Vienna Airport (VIE). The aircraft was flying over Scotland when the crew declared an emergency. The aircraft landed safely, and the affected passenger received medical treatment upon arrival. The flight, with the rest of the passengers, continued onto Chicago just over an hour later. Austrian Airlines Flight OS65 On September 23, Austrian Airlines Flight OS65 operated by a Boeing 777-2Z9(ER) aircraft (Registration OE-LPA, MSN 28698), was performing a routine flight between VIE and ORD. The aircraft took off from VIE at 11:12 hours local time after a delay of nearly 45 minutes. The plane, heading westwards, climbed to its cruising altitude of 35,000 (10,550 m), A little over one hour into the flight, an unidentified passenger required medical assistance, and the pilots had to declare an emergency. Data from FlightRadar24.com shows that the aircraft continued to fly at the cruising altitude but dropped its speed from 500 knots (575 miles, 925 km/h) to 400 knots (460 miles, 740 km/h) while receiving diversion clearances. The pilots had to dump excess fuel to bring the aircraft weight down for landing. Nearly two hours into the flight, the aircraft changed heading and diverted towards Ireland. The aircraft landed safely at SNN at 13:20 hours local time, nearly three hours after departure. Paramedics and medical emergency teams were on standby at Shannon Airport for the aircraft’s arrival. The affected passenger promptly received medical treatment. The aircraft continued on to Chicago with a delay of nearly three hours. The aircraft took off from SNN just over an hour after touchdown, at 14:28 hours. Flight OS65 landed in ORD nearly seven hours later with no further incident. A representative from the airline stated Simple Flying in an email statement, Yesterday's [September 23] OS65 had to divert to Shannon, Ireland, due to a medical incident. After the affected person received medical treatment, the other passengers and crew were able to continue their flight to Chicago, where the aircraft landed with a delay of about two hours. The 26-year-old aircraft was first delivered to Lauda Air in September 1997. Austrian Airlines inducted the jet in September 2005 and has been flying it since. Interested in the latest news? Check out our complete news section here. Another medical diversion at SNN A day prior to the Austrian Airlines incident, an Air Transit Flight TS2122, en route from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to London Gatwick (LGW), diverted to SNN due to a medical emergency. The Airbus A330-300 was carrying 314 passengers and crew onboard when at least two people required medical assistance. The affected passengers received treatment while the aircraft continued on to LGW nearly 90 minutes after landing at SNN. https://simpleflying.com/austrian-airlines-boeing-777-diverts-shannon/ American Airlines now able to overfly Kabul FIR at FL300 The United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted permission to American Airlines to overfly the Kabul Flight Information Region (FIR) in Afghanistan at flight level (FL) 300. On September 18, 2023, American Airlines’ Director of Dispatch Operations Tim Antolovic had asked the regulator to allow the airline’s aircraft to overfly Kabul FIR while using jet routes P500-G500 at FL300. The carrier singled out the route between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) for the exemption request. The basis for the exemption came following the FAA’s ruling, which prohibited US airlines from overflying the Kabul FIR at levels below FL320 “to address hazards to persons and aircraft engaged in such flight operations due to the risk posed by violent extremist and militant activity and the lack of adequate risk mitigation capabilities to counter such activity”. According to the letter by Antolovic, operating flights at FL300 or above is within the limitations of a Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) for Afghanistan’s P500 jet route, with the airline’s Geopolitical Risk Team in Corporate Security being in constant contact with the FAA to assess NOTAM and Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR)-related risks. The exemption would apply to 20 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that could potentially fly between JFK and DEL, the FAA noted. Meanwhile, the FAA explained that, after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Asia-Pacific Office contacted the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA). Together with neighboring countries’ Air Navigation System Providers (ASNP) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it then established a contingency coordination team (CCT). The CCT’s goal was to “establish a contingency plan for the safe resumption of civil overflights in the Kabul FIR”. “Afghanistan subsequently issued a series of NOTAMs delineating overflight procedures and established altitude blocks for specific categories of flight operations across various regions,” the FAA continued. “Afghanistan NOTAM G0306/23 permits overflight operations between waypoints FIRUZ and MOTMO on P500 at altitudes between FL300- FL510.” According to the regulator, the airline’s requested flights at FL300 “can be conducted without an adverse effect on safety, subject to compliance with the conditions and limitations set forth in this exemption, as the flight distance and time between waypoints FIRUZ and MOTMO is approximately 12 nautical miles and takes approximately 95 seconds at cruising speeds”. As such, the limited time that aircraft spend overflying between the two waypoints “minimizes potential opportunistic threats should a violent extremist observe or hear an overflying aircraft”. However, while the FAA warned that “violent extremists and militants have access to weapons posing risks up to 25,000 feet and there is high terrain in the vicinity of jet routes P500-G500”, no such weapons were used on commercial and/or military aircraft when active US military personnel were present in the country, or since the US and its allies left the country in August 2021. The FAA also pointed out that American Airlines has two types of Boeing 777 in its fleet, namely the -200ER and -300ER. While the -200ER cannot fly the P500-G500 jet route, as it does not meet the minimal passenger oxygen requirement, the -300ER does. At the same time, though, the –300ER cannot climb to FL320 between DEL and the Kabul FIR in certain meteorological conditions. Nevertheless, the regulator determined that granting the exemption “would not cause an adverse effect on safety, subject to compliance with the conditions and limitations in this exemption”. Furthermore, prohibiting American Airlines from flying the route would result in the US public having less “access to the route described in the petition, which provides a direct flight between New York City and New Delhi”. “According to the Department of State, India is a vital strategic partner of the United States in efforts to safeguard the Indo-Pacific as a region of peace, stability, and growing prosperity, and the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries, reflected in the four million-strong Indian American diaspora and vibrant educational exchange between the two countries, are a tremendous source of strength for the strategic partnership,” the FAA concluded. The exemption ends on July 25, 2025. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/aa-kabul-fir-exemption ANOTHER FALSE ACCUSATION OF CHILD TRAFFICKING ON AMERICAN AIRLINES Another American Airlines flight, another false accusation of child trafficking. As is often the case, the father had a different skin color than his children. No matter how well-intentioned, I find it difficult to accept the “better safe than sorry” approach to these sorts of situations… Black Father Detained For Suspected Child Trafficking At LAX…But Why Was American Airlines Flight Attendant Suspicious In The First Place? Musician David Ryan Harris and two of his children traveled from Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX) on American Airlines last week. One of his sons has a much lighter complexion than he does, which may have made a flight attendant suspicious. That flight attendant took it upon herself to interview the children and when she found they did not engage with her, she alerted the authorities in Los Angeles. Four police officers and a member of AA ground staff met the Harris family upon arrival in LAX and interrogated them to probe whether the child was being trafficked. It was quickly determined that the family was fine and they were allowed to depart. Harris sought an apology from American Airlines and took to social media only after hearing nothing back for eight days. Are These Hard Cases Or Not? I’ve written about these stories a fair amount and my question is always the same: How does American Airlines train its flight attendants to recognize potential human traffickers? What signs are they looking for? Here, Harris says that the flight attendant interviewed his children and they stared back blankly at the questions. The US Department of Homeland Security offers a number of signs to identify victims of trafficking, including: Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse? Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing? Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive? Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care? Is the person in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to? Does the person appear to be coached on what to say? Did you catch what I bolded above? So the flight attendant thought the kids looked suspicious, ostensibly because their skin color was different, and then decided to chat with them. Their refusal to engage in what may have felt like an awkward encounter became the confirmation bias of the trafficking. If it was not for the difference in skin color, what would have roused suspicion in the first place? It seems quite far-fetched to think it could simply be the kids were using electronic devices. And look at the picture at the top…the kids look quite “normal” or “happy” to me. Harris blames racial prejudice for the indent: And I don’t care what you say, if this had been a white dad/mom with two little black kids, they would probably been offered an upgrade, not an interrogation. That assumes facts not in evidence, but it seems to be fathers with darker skin who tend to get accused…(see here, here, and here). Of course, there are exceptions, like the white woman who was accused of being a child trafficker on Southwest Airlines because her child had dark skin. I’m just not a fan of the “better safe than sorry” approach and it is not at all clear to me that the children failing to respond to odd and ill-timed questioning from the flight attendant provided sufficient ground to detain the family. I also think American Airlines should have apologized to Harris instead of ignoring him until he took to social media. It seems like a bit of compensation would have shut him up (based on the video above). That’s not unreasonable when he and his children were detained on flimsy and unreasonable grounds. Harris later posted that he expected the following note from American Airlines: And if they’re so concerned about child trafficking, shouldn’t the airlines have some protocol in place to stop me from flying with a child I stole long before I’m ON THE PLANE??? You’re telling me that they can stop me from carrying a Capri Sun through TSA, but they can’t put safeguards in place for actual human beings? Make it make sense……but first, how about a “Hello Mr. Harris I want to thank you for your years of customer loyalty I see here that you’ve been a frequent flyer with us for quite while and you’re getting awfully close to your million miler mark!! Congratulations. I would like to explain and apologize for the unfortunate set of circumstances around your flight and subsequent interrogation. I’m sure that was harrowing to you and your family. There has been a recent uptick in human trafficking, and you being stopped was all part of us doing our part to combat this societal scourge. Once again I apologize for any inconvenience and here is a voucher for lifetime supply of drinks, Sun Chips, and the 200k miles needed to get you across that finish line”? I’m not sure 200K miles is warranted, but he’s right that a simple explanation like this would have gone a long way. CONCLUSION I do not think this particular flight attendant or most flight attendants have bad intentions when making child trafficking accusations. Occasionally, they make the right call. But it seems to me there is a serious training deficit and a culture, particularly at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines that takes the “better safe than sorry” approach. This is not a valid approach when it involves accusing people of something so serious as trafficking on very flimsy grounds. https://liveandletsfly.com/child-trafficking-american-airlines/ Air Force breaks ground on first electric aircraft charging station Construction begins on DOD’s first ever electric aircraft charging station Sept. 19 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The Air Force is building its first charging station for electric power-driven aircraft. AFWERX and one of its Prime division partners, BETA Technologies, an electric aerospace company, broke ground on the first electric aircraft charging station on a military installation at Duke Field in Florida last week. ‘We’d like you to build it here.’ How Dayton and Ohio won Joby Aviation’s historic eVTOL plant AFWERX nurtures emerging technologies for Air Force Research Laboratories, which is based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The expected completion for the Level 3 direct current electric vehicle fast charging station construction is Oct. 13, weeks before BETA’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft arrives for testing. To achieve the speeds necessary for fast charging, Level 3 chargers require an extremely high-powered current, the Air Force said in a release. ”Level 1 is a typical home power outlet and would take days to charge an eVTOL. Level 2 is a dryer or air conditioning outlet and would take hours. Level 3 is a supercharger and only takes minutes,” said Maj. Riley Livermore, 413th Flight Test Squadron flight commander. “And that’s what these companies need, because if you want to make it viable from a commercial or military perspective, I can’t wait 24 hours to charge my airplane. They need to do it in less than an hour,” Livermore said. Last week, Joby Aviation Inc. announced with the state of Ohio plans to build the world’s first large-scale production facility for eVTOL aircraft near Dayton International Airport. BETA also has area connections, with a permanent presence at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, and its own air mobility technology simulator located there. To provide enough power to the 480-volt, 400-amp charging station, Livermore said the base had to upgrade its power grid and bought a 1000-kilowatt volt-amp transformer that can increase or decrease the voltage and intensity of an electric current while keeping electricity flow consistent. “You can power roughly 250 homes simultaneously with the amount of power one charger is using,” Livermore said. Duke Field is about 10 miles north of Eglin Air Force Base. The Air Force said it was strategically selected as the test field for eVTOL craft. https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/air-force-breaks-ground-on-first-electric-aircraft-charging-station/3VEGQAUH2VHIDANBBWXI6ZAVWU/ Australian and International Pilots Association calls for Qantas chairman Richard Goyder to step down Pilots say they have lost confidence in Qantas chairman Richard Goyder and his board. Key points: • AIPA president Tony Lucas says the morale of Qantas pilots has never been lower • Last week Mr Goyder maintained that he had the confidence of the Qantas board and major investors • Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson last week issued an apology for the airline's recent performance • In a statement, the association said it had written to Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson to inform of her of the pilots' position. "Richard Goyder has overseen one of the most damaging periods in Qantas history which has included the illegal sacking of 1,700 workers, allegations of illegally marketing cancelled flights, and a terribly managed return to operations after Covid-19," AIPA president Tony Lucas said. "The morale of Qantas pilots has never been lower. We have totally lost confidence in Goyder and his Board. "Qantas desperately needs a culture reset but how can this happen with Richard Goyder as chairman? “Despite overseeing the destruction of the Qantas brand, Goyder last week accepted a near $100,000 pay rise — taking his pay to $750,000 — while staff are expected to accept a two-year wage freeze. This is a galling and tone-deaf decision." The ABC has contacted Qantas for comment. The call comes after Qantas removed the expiry dates on $570 million worth of COVID-19 travel credits after a backlash from customers and it was revealed consumer watchdog the ACCC was investigating claims the airline sold tickets for already-cancelled flights. The airline and the Transport Workers' Union have been ordered to attend mediation after the High Court unanimously rejected Qantas' appeal against a ruling that the airline outsourced the jobs of its ground staff illegally. Last week, in his first broadcast interview since the ACCC alleged Qantas sold fares for cancelled flights, Mr Goyder maintained that he had the confidence of the Qantas board and said major investors wanted him to stay. "While I retain that confidence, I'll get to work and do the things we need to do to deal with some of the issues we've got at the moment," Mr Goyder told The World Today. "And the latest read I've got is that people want me to continue to do the role." Ms Hudson also issued an apology to customers last week for the airline's recent performance. "I know that we have let you down in many ways, and for that I am sorry," she said. Mr Lucas said for the national carrier to flourish, it needed leadership from a board that understood the value of its employees and respected its customers "Qantas is more than just an airline — it is a symbol of national pride and trust," he said. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-25/qantas-pilots-say-richard-goyder-must-step-down/102899428 Curt Lewis