Flight Safety Information - October 20, 2023 No. 204 In This Issue : Incident: Indigo A21N at Singapore on Oct 18th 2023, luggage was not unloaded from previous flight : Incident: TUIfly B738 at Frankfurt on Oct 18th 2023, rejected takeoff : Incident: Lufthansa A320 at Frankfurt on Oct 15th 2023, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Fedex B752 at Colorado Springs on Oct 17th 2023, vibrations and unsafe gear : Incident: Condor A332 at Mombasa on Oct 18th 2023, unsafe gear after departure : Incident: Qantas B738 over Tasman Sea on Oct 19th 2023, radio failure : British Airways captain and co-pilot fall ill in the cockpit after smelling ‘foul odour’ : NTSB: Pilot’s carbon monoxide impairment likely led to fatal Pittsylvania County plane crash : Minister of Transport announces new funding to strengthen air safety in La Ronge, Saskatchewan : Pratt Finalizing Next Phase Of PW1100G Inspection Instructions : JetBlue plane from Orlando diverted after passenger acted ‘erratically,’ airline says : TRAVEL ALERT: Spirit Airlines cancels dozens of Orlando flights due to jet inspections : Aviation war insurers cancel coverage for Israeli, Lebanese airlines : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Indigo A21N at Singapore on Oct 18th 2023, luggage was not unloaded from previous flight An Indigo Airbus A321-200N, registration VT-IMC performing flight 6E-1006 from Singapore (Singapore) to Bangalore (India), was climbing out of Singapore when the crew stopped the climb at FL270 after it was detected that the luggage of the previous flight 6E-1005 from Bangalore to Singapore had not been unloaded. The aircraft returned to Singapore for a safe landing on runway 20R about one hour after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground in Singapore for about 2.5 hours, then departed again and reached Bangalore with a delay of about 4 hours. The airline confirmed a baggage error on part of their service partners at Singapore Airport. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ff5a2e&opt=0 Incident: TUIfly B738 at Frankfurt on Oct 18th 2023, rejected takeoff A TUIfly Boeing 737-800, registration D-ABKM performing flight X3-4262 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Rhodes (Greece), was accelerating for takeoff from Frankfurt's runway 18 when the crew rejected takeoff at about 80 knots over ground at 05:21L (03:21Z). The aircraft slowed safely and stopped on the runway. The runway was closed until about 11:00L (09:00Z). A passenger on an aircraft arriving into Frankfurt's runway 07R took photos of the scene about 3 hours after the occurrence with emergency services still around the aircraft. Germany's DFS reported the pilot reported they aborted takeoff, subsequently there was tyre debris and pieces of plastics on the runway necessitating a cleaning of the runway, which was the reason the aircraft could not vacate the runway. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ff5063&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa A320 at Frankfurt on Oct 15th 2023, engine shut down in flight A Lufthansa Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIZW performing flight LH-890 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Riga (Latvia), was climbing out of Frankfurt's runway 25C when the crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet reporting the failure of the right hand engine (CFM56), shut the engine down and returned to Frankfurt for a safe landing on runway 25C about 17 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration D-AISP reached Riga with a delay of about 4:45 hours. The airline reported the cause of the engine failure is being investigated. A passenger reported there was a bang from the right hand side shortly after takeoff, the aircraft shook. A metallic clicking sound occurred. Some time later the crew announced they had lost the right hand engine. Later, when approaching the information desk at Frankfurt, the passenger was told it had been a bird strike. The aircraft is still on the ground in Frankfurt on Oct 19th 2023. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ff37c1&opt=0 Incident: Fedex B752 at Colorado Springs on Oct 17th 2023, vibrations and unsafe gear A Fedex Federal Express Boeing 757-200, registration N930FD performing flight FX-1487 from Memphis,TN to Colorado Springs,CO (USA) with 5 crew, was on approach to Colorado Springs when the crew declared emergency reporting they had vibrations, a lot of noise and an unsafe indication for the nose gear. The crew entered a hold to work the related checklists. The crew advised they did not have any indication the nose gear was down, they didn't know whether the nose gear was damaged, partially down, or extended, they would most likely close the landing runway. The aircraft burned off fuel maintaining 9000 feet, the crew reported again there was pretty loud noise. The crew subsequently requested a low approach to have tower check the status of the nose gear. The aircraft performed the low approach to runway 35R offset to the left overflying the parallel taxiway with tower and emergency services checking the nose gear. The aircraft climbed back to 9000 feet and entered another hold for about 20 minutes before commencing the final approach to runway 35R. The aircraft rolled out on the runway on all gear and stopped on the runway, the crew advised they had signficant vibration and didn't want to taxi. Runway 35R was closed. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 70 minutes after landing and is still on the ground in Colorado Springs about 52 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ff402c&opt=0 Incident: Condor A332 at Mombasa on Oct 18th 2023, unsafe gear after departure A Condor Airbus A330-200, registration D-AIYC performing flight DE-2282 from Mombasa (Kenya) to Zanzibar (Tanzania), was climbing out of Mombasa's runway 18 when the crew stopped the climb at FL100 after receiving indication the gear had not retracted. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew was working the checklists, subsequently performed a low approach to Mombasa to have the landing gear visually inspected from the ground. With no adverse observation the crew decided to climb to about FL160 and to continue the flight to Zanzibar located about 130nm south of Mombasa where the aircraft landed safely on runway 18 about 110 minutes after departure with a delay of about 90 minutes. The aircraft remained on the ground in Zanzibar for about 2 hours, then continued the flight back to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), where the aircraft arrived with 2.5 hours delay. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ff356e&opt=0 Incident: Qantas B738 over Tasman Sea on Oct 19th 2023, radio failure A Qantas Boeing 737-800, registration VH-XZF performing flight QF-142 from Auckland (New Zealand) to Sydney,NS (Australia), was enroute at FL360 over the Tasman Sea about 300nm west of Auckland when the crew turned the aircraft around and descended to FL250 to return to Auckland. The aircraft landed safely back on Auckland's runway 05R about 2 hours after departure. The airline reported the crew received indication of a fault on one of their radios. The aircraft remained on the ground in Auckland for about 4 hours, then departed again and reached Sydney with a delay of 5:45 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ff311a&opt=0 British Airways captain and co-pilot fall ill in the cockpit after smelling ‘foul odour’ The pair were rushed to hospital upon landing The captain and co-pilot of a British Airways flight were both taken ill in the cockpit after reporting a “foul odour” while flying at 30,000ft. The pair had been flying a BA Shuttle 13C between Newcastle and London on the morning of 19 October when the incident occurred, landing at Heathrow at around 9.14am. Emergency services met the aircraft upon arrival. The pair arrived at BA’s Crew Report Centre before being assessed by medical staff, and were then taken to hospital by hazardous response experts after suffering from smoke inhalation, reports The Sun. A source told The Sun: “This was a shocking incident. The immediate concern is obviously for the two pilots. “But also striking is the worry about what could have happened had these two cockpit crew been intoxicated when they were still at the controls of a crowded jet at 25,000ft. It doesn’t bear thinking about. Investigations have started into this alarming incident”. Speaking to The Independent, a BA spokesperson said: “The flight landed safely and customers disembarked normally following a minor technical issue with the aircraft. “The safety of our customers and colleagues remains our highest priority”. The London Ambulance Service said in a statement: “We were called at 10.39am on 19 October to reports of an incident at Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow. “We sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team to the scene. “We treated two patients at the scene for smoke inhalation and took them to a local hospital”. This is not the first event of its kind this year, with a BA flight evacuated at Heathrow on 9 October after passengers fell ill due to fumes in the cabin. In July, a flight from Johannesburg to London turned back after just 35 minutes when the cabin became filled with “a burning smell”. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-captain-pilot-ill-odour-chemicals-b2433017.html NTSB: Pilot’s carbon monoxide impairment likely led to fatal Pittsylvania County plane crash PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - The pilot’s impairment from exposure to carbon monoxide is the probable cause of a plane crash that killed the pilot in Pittsylvania County in 2022. That’s according to a report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report indicates carbon monoxide exposure was because of undetected penetration of exhaust into the cockpit, and led to the pilot’s failure to maintain a “minimum controllable airspeed after partially securing an engine after takeoff.” The pilot of the Cessna 310R was the only person on board, and had just left Danville Regional Airport when he went down behind a Pittsylvania County tree line just off Cardwell Lane. According to the landowner, the plane “came in flat” and was “not turning or spinning” when it landed in the woods approximately four miles southeast of the airport. The plane was destroyed in the crash. The pilot’s cause of death was blunt force trauma, according to an autopsy report. The 23-year-old pilot, whose name was not released, was performing a survey flight for Sol Aerial Surveys. https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/10/19/ntsb-pilots-carbon-monoxide-impairment-likely-led-fatal-pittsylvania-county-plane-crash/ Minister of Transport announces new funding to strengthen air safety in La Ronge, Saskatchewan From: Transport Canada News release October 18, 2023 La Ronge, Saskatchewan Transport Canada Canada’s local and regional airports keep our communities connected and create good, middle-class jobs. From visiting friends and family, to supporting essential medical services and food supply, and getting goods to market, we rely on our local airports to sustain safe and vibrant communities across the country. Today, the Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, announced that the Government of Canada is making major investments to strengthen air safety at the La Ronge (Barber Field) Airport. Through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program, the airport is receiving more than $2.7 million for an airfield lighting rehabilitation project that will help maintain safe airport operations for passengers, crews, and airport workers. The project includes: • new edge and threshold lights on Runway 18-36; • precision approach path indicators lights; • simplified short approach lighting and omni-directional approach lights; • edge lights on Taxiways A, B, C and the apron; • floodlights on Apron 1; • constant current regulators; and • signage and de-icing area floodlights and edge lights. • This funding is in addition to more than $1.2 million provided to the airport in 2022 for the purchase of a loader, a runway sweeper and a 4x4 snowplow, used in the removal and control of snow and ice on airside surfaces such as runways, taxiways and aprons. Quotes “Canada’s airports are a critical link in our supply chains. They keep our communities connected from coast-to-coast-to-coast. This funding is great news for the communities these airports serve. Through investments like these, we’re making life more affordable for the residents of La Ronge, Northern Saskatchewan and across the country.” The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez Minister of Transport Quick facts Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program provides federal funds to help eligible airports finance capital projects that will help them maintain safety. Under the Airports Capital Assistance Program, eligible airports may apply for funding towards capital projects related to safety. Improvements include purchasing/replacing heavy airside mobile equipment; installing wildlife fencing; and rehabilitating runway pavements, airfield lighting and electrical systems. Since the Airports Capital Assistance Program started in 1995, the Government of Canada has invested over $1.25 billion for 1,256 projects at 201 local, regional and National Airports System airports across the country. https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2023/10/minister-of-transport-announces-new-funding-to-strengthen-air-safety-in-la-ronge-saskatchewan.html Pratt Finalizing Next Phase Of PW1100G Inspection Instructions Pratt & Whitney is targeting late 2023 for publishing the next phase of its PW1100G inspection program with engine removals tentatively slated to start in early 2024. Information shared at a recent operators’ conference and seen by Aviation Week shows Pratt plans to issue sets of “special instructions” (SIs) and service bulletins targeting two parts groups that have been identified as having contaminated powder metal that may cause cracks. One will flag high pressure turbine (HPT) stage 1 and 2 disks, and the other will target high-pressure compressor stage 7 and 8 integrated blade rotors (IBRs) as well as aft hubs. The special instructions will list affected engines by serial number. Pratt’s instructions and engine-removal deadlines are expected to be mandated by the FAA and other regulators. The operators’ briefing does not detail the number of engines in phase two. Pratt has previously said that 750 engines could be flagged for early removal by the end of 2024, and another will come in as part of scheduled overhauls. The first phase, identified in an Aug. 4 SI, flagged 137 of the highest-time engines for removal by the end of September. The inspection ramp-up has the number of idled A320neos growing quickly. This next phase is expected to lead to the most groundings during what is expected to be a three-year process as engines come off wing much faster than Pratt’s maintenance network can provide needed capacity or parts to keep the engines moving. Pratt projects the peak number of groundings will be 600-650, sometime in the first half of 2024. Average groundings will be around 300 per day throughout the three-year fleet management plan, which is expected to touch some 3,000 PW1100Gs. Aviation Week Fleet Discovery shows 336 parked or stored A320neos as of mid-October—nearly 25% of the delivered fleet. The comparable figure at the end of August was 175 aircraft, or 13% of the delivered fleet. Service instructions slated for releases in November will be similar to the ones approved for the initial set of engines, the Pratt briefing shows. Disks on 33,000-lb thrust variants will need angle ultrasonic scan inspections every 2,800 cycles, while ones from 27,000-lb thrust engines will be inspected every 3,800 cycles. Affected HPT disk life limits are reduced to 5,000 cycles for the higher-thrust engines and 7,000 cycles for the lower-thrust variants. Affected HPC IBRs and aft hubs will be flagged for checks “at normal shop visits” when work scopes include access to the parts, the briefing said. Life limits will be reduced to the same 5,000 and 7,000 cycles for higher- and lower-thrust engine parts. https://aviationweek.com/mro/aircraft-propulsion/pratt-finalizing-next-phase-pw1100g-inspection-instructions JetBlue plane from Orlando diverted after passenger acted ‘erratically,’ airline says Flight was headed to New York when it was diverted ORLANDO, Fla. – A JetBlue flight from Orlando had to land in Jacksonville Thursday because of an erratic passenger, the airline said. JetBlue Flight 784 took off from Orlando International Airport bound for New York’s JFK Airport at around noon. The airline says that shortly after the flight took off, a passenger began acting erratically. The flight landed in Jacksonville and law enforcement officers took the passenger off the plane. The flight finally landed at JFK just before 5 p.m. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/10/19/jetblue-plane-from-orlando-diverted-after-passenger-acted-erratically-airline-says/ TRAVEL ALERT: Spirit Airlines cancels dozens of Orlando flights due to jet inspections At least 45 cancellations posted Friday at MCO ORLANDO, Fla. – Dozens of Spirit flights in and out of Orlando International Airport have been canceled as the airline says it’s necessary in order to perform aircraft inspections. As of 7:30 a.m. Friday, at least 45 Spirit flights had been canceled at MCO. In a statement, the airline said that it could take several days before things are back to normal. While this action is being taken out of an abundance of caution, the impact to our network is expected to last several days as we complete the inspections and work to return to normal operations. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to take care of affected Guests. Our Guests are advised to monitor their email and check their flight status on spirit.com or the Spirit Airlines App before heading to the airport. Twenty-five aircraft are to be inspected, according to Spirit, calling it a small section of its planes. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/10/20/spirit-airlines-cancels-dozens-of-orlando-flights-due-to-jet-inspections/ Aviation war insurers cancel coverage for Israeli, Lebanese airlines Aviation war insurers have given notices to cancel coverage for some airlines domiciled in Israel and Lebanon because of the ongoing conflict in the region, with some cancellations already taking effect, three industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Aviation war insurers based in Europe, the United States and the Lloyd's of London market can issue a seven-day notice of cancellation or other changes to terms and conditions in the event of a major conflict they feel will make the long-term insurance risk too great. Insurers for Israeli flag carrier El Al Airlines, Israir and Arkia have previously said they can issue such notices due to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Israeli airlines have received the notices, two sources told Reuters, without naming the airlines. "War underwriters' appetite for continuing to cover these risks for no additional reward differs and some are now looking to withdraw cover, especially given the news the Israeli government has provided a backstop to cover flights," said Bruce Carman, chief underwriting officer at Hive Underwriters. Last week, the Israeli's parliamentary finance committee approved a plan to provide a state guarantee of $6 billion to cover insurance against war risks to Israeli airlines. Spokespeople for Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia did not directly respond to questions from Reuters about whether insurers had served notice but said the government was providing all necessary coverage for them to continue operations safely. A spokesperson for Israir said it had not been served notice by its insurers but did not provide additional details. A spokesperson for Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Israeli carriers have continued to fly while most foreign airlines have canceled flights to Tel Aviv, expanding flights to bring back those traveling abroad and those called up to reserve service for the military. Airlines normally take out two types of policy – an "all risks" policy, which covers both regular damage to the hull and passenger liability and a "war" policy to cover war or terror-related losses to the aircraft. "Certain underwriters have not allowed or not provided insurance for war risk and other allied perils insurance for some operators," Garrett Hanrahan, Marsh's Global Aviation Leader, told Reuters. "These operators did not have operational experience flying into Israel and not under conditions where conflict is taking place," he added. Another of the insurers' biggest concerns is for aircraft stuck on the ground in conflict zones. Middle East Airlines this week said it will keep five of its 24 airplanes in Türkiye following rocket, missile and artillery exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah. Airlines based outside Israel and Lebanon are not suffering from cancellations to their cover for the region but are facing other restrictions, two industry sources said. "Insurers want regular updates – each airline has a different risk profile and therefore different risk mitigation strategies," said a spokesperson for insurance buyers' association Airmic's aviation group. The airlines are not yet facing additional premiums for their scheduled flights, the sources said. But they may be required to leave their aircraft on the ground at airports in Tel Aviv or Beirut for no more than three hours, for example, or to avoid refueling stops at those airports, two sources added. "If for whatever reason they (aircraft) are delayed, they need to be communicating with underwriters," Hanrahan said. Special flights to evacuate people from Israel would require a "material change" to an airline's policy and airlines are facing additional premium of between 0.05% and 0.1% of the value of the aircraft for those flights, one broking source said. There could be up to 20 insurers on one policy and it may be hard to get them all to agree to cover a flight, sources said. Norwegian Air canceled a planned evacuation flight last week due to a lack of insurance to fly via Tel Aviv but later scheduled a new flight from Eilat in southern Israel. https://www.dailysabah.com/business/transportation/aviation-war-insurers-cancel-coverage-for-israeli-lebanese-airlines CALENDAR OF EVENTS • NATA Aviation Business Conference - November 1-2, 2023 • CHC Safety & Quality Summit 2023: November 14 – 16, 2023 Curt Lewis