Flight Safety Information - October 24, 2023 No. 206 In This Issue : Incident: Horizon E175 near Portland on Oct 22nd 2023, credible security threat by jumpseater, tried to shut both engines down : Incident: Corendon B738 at Dusseldorf on Oct 23rd 2023, autopilot failure : Incident: Delta B752 near Richmond on Oct 22nd 2023, generator failure : Incident: Dolomiti E195 at Dresden on Oct 20th 2023, bird strike : Boeing 737-86N (WL) - Runway Excursion (Russia) : Video shows police removing 'disruptive' passenger from Toronto-bound overseas flight' Disruptive' passenger removed from flight : 5 Secret Safety Features You Didn't Know Airplanes Had : Washington state senator arrested in Hong Kong for carrying a gun through airport : NTSB: Turbulence Injures 6 Occupants On Allegiant Airbus A320 : United Launches Technician Pathway Program : Bob Menendez Got Boeing Cash After Egypt Aircraft Deal : Hong Kong court to decide liability for fire on Ethiopian Airlines aircraft : AerCap to Lease Three New Boeing 787-9 Aircraft and 25 New Boeing MAX-8 Aircraft and Extend Leases on Six Airbus A330-200 Aircraft to Turkish Airlines : TWU, Lawmakers Push for Aircraft Maintenance in America, Not China, To Protect Fliers & U.S. Jobs : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Horizon E175 near Portland on Oct 22nd 2023, credible security threat by jumpseater, tried to shut both engines down A Horizon Airlines Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of Alaska Airlines, registration N660QX performing flight QX-2059/AS-2059 from Everett,WA to San Francisco,CA (USA), was enroute at FL310 about 40nm southwest of Portland,OR (USA) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Portland. The crew advised ATC that there had been a threat on board of the aircraft, the threat was now in the back of the cabin, and stated upon query by the controller, that the threat level reached level 4 (editorial note: according to FAA threat levels this means "attempted or actual breach of flight crew compartment"), law enforcement was needed upon arrival. The crew mentioned the guy that had tried to shut the engines down was put out of the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely on Portland's runway 28L about 20 minutes after leaving FL310. The airline reported: "On Oct. 22, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, WA (PAE) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) reported a credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat. The crew secured the aircraft without incident. Following appropriate FAA procedures and guidance from air traffic control, the flight safely diverted to Portland International Airport. The event is being investigated by law enforcement authorities." The airline subsequently added: "The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, engine power was not lost, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident." and further stated: "Fortunately some residual fuel remained in the line, and the quick reaction of our crew to reset the handles restored fuel flow and prevented fuel starvation." Portland's Police arrested a male individual (44), identified as an off-duty Alaska Airlines Pilot, on charges of 83 counts of attempted murder, one count of endangering an aircraft and other charges of reckless endangerment (a total of 167 counts). The FAA reported a significant security event when a jump seat passenger attempted to disable the aircraft engines at cruise altitude by deploying the engine fire suppression system, the crew was able to subdue the passenger and remove him from the flight deck. According to information The Aviation Herald received the jumpseat was occupied by a deadheading pilot, who attempted to shut both engines (CF34) down. A replacement ERJ-175 registration N651QX reached San Francisco with a delay of about 2:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Portland about 14 hours after landing. In 2018 Horizon lost one of their Dash 8s after an individual stole and crashed the aircraft, see Crash: Horizon DH8D at Ketron Island on Aug 10th 2018, stolen aircraft crashed into forest. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=510218dd&opt=0 Incident: Corendon B738 at Dusseldorf on Oct 23rd 2023, autopilot failure A Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration 9H-CXF performing flight XR-4015 from Dusseldorf (Germany) to Zonguldak (Turkey), was climbing out of Dusseldorf's runway 23L when the crew stopped the climb at about FL240 after being unable to engage the autopilots. The aircraft returned to Dusseldorf for a safe landing on runway 23L about 35 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Dusseldorf about 9 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=510214cd&opt=0 Incident: Delta B752 near Richmond on Oct 22nd 2023, generator failure A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N669DN performing flight DL-1294 from Atlanta,GA to New York JFK,NY (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 90nm south of Richmond,VA (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Richmond, where the aircraft landed safely on runway 34 about 20 minutes after leaving FL370. The FAA stated: "The crew reported a possible generator issue." and opened an investigation. A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N658DL reached New York with a delay of about 80 minutes. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Richmond about 16 hours after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=51020f33&opt=0 Incident: Dolomiti E195 at Dresden on Oct 20th 2023, bird strike An Air Dolomiti Embraer ERJ-195, registration I-ADJX performing flight EN-8731 from Dresden to Munich (Germany), was climbing out of Dresden's runway 04 when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet and returned to Dresden for a safe landing on runway 04 about 25 minutes after departure. A replacement ERJ-195 registration I-ADJM reached Munich with a delay of about 2.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for 3 days, then returned to service. The airport reported the aircraft returned to Dresden due to a bird strike. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=51020d46&opt=0 Boeing 737-86N (WL) - Runway Excursion (Russia) Date: Tuesday 24 October 2023 Time: 03:10 UTC Type: Boeing 737-86N (WL) Owner/operator: Smartavia Registration: RA-73654 MSN: 36817/3055 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 192 Aircraft damage: None Category: Serious incident Location: Perm-Bolshoye Savino International Airport (PEE/USPP) - Russia Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI) Destination airport: Perm-Bolshoye Savino International Airport (PEE/USPP) Confidence Rating: Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities Narrative: Smartavia flight 5N583, a Boeing 737-86N, suffered a runway excursion after landing on runway 21 at Perm-Bolshoye Savino International Airport (PEE). The aircraft came to a full stop in the grass area past the runway end. Runway friction coefficient was reported to be 0,55 with 3 mm of slush on the runway. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/347189 Video shows police removing 'disruptive' passenger from Toronto-bound overseas flight' Disruptive' passenger removed from flight Video has surfaced of the tense moment a passenger on a Toronto-bound international flight was removed by police after the plane was forced to change course due to his “disruptive” behaviour. In video of the incident obtained by CTV News Toronto, a man on the packed flight from London’s Heathrow airport can be heard screaming as Montreal police officers board the plane during the unplanned stop and escort him off in handcuffs. The passenger who shot the video, who asked not to be identified, said the man’s removal came after he was restrained to his seat by flight attendants where he “kicked and screamed” for over an hour. Disruptive passenger Montreal police officers remove a passenger who Air Canada said was being disruptive on a nearly eight-hour flight from London's Heathrow airport to Toronto Pearson. “I believe he damaged a seat while he was restrained. A passenger that was near him had to be relocated while this occurred for his safety,” she said in an email, adding it’s unclear what led to the passenger’s seemingly erratic behavior. In a statement issued to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for Air Canada, which was operating the flight, confirmed the plane diverted to Montreal Saturday evening “as a safety precaution due to a disruptive passenger.” “Authorities met the aircraft and, after the individual was deplaned, it carried on to its final destination of Toronto,” the spokesperson said. Air Canada said there were 381 customers on the Boeing 777 aircraft at the time. It’s unclear what charges, if any, the removed passenger will face as a result of the incident. CTV News Toronto has reached out to Montreal police for more information about the passenger’s removal but has not yet received a response. https://www.cp24.com/news/video-shows-police-removing-disruptive-passenger-from-toronto-bound-overseas-flight-1.6613222 5 Secret Safety Features You Didn't Know Airplanes Had Have you heard of these? We've all heard of lavatory smoke detectors and the slides that double as rafts upon a water landing. However, many other safety features and an incredible variety of systems are far less known to most passengers. The safety video, which most regular airline flyers know nearly by heard, scratches the surface of the vast array of features on most airliners intended to protect travelers and ensure a safe journey. Some safety features are intended to prevent threats caused by mechanical malfunction, others to avert passenger-caused safety threats, such as a hijacking attempt or lit fire. Additionally, not all aircraft feature the same group of safety features, but one thing is for sure: all modern airlines take every appropriate precaution to ensure that passengers arrive safely at their destination.. Explaining the thousands of different safety features and redundancy systems onboard aircraft would prove extremely challenging, so we'll take a different approach in this article. Here, we will take a deep dive into five airline safety features you might not have known about and can keep your eye out for while traveling. 1 Fuel dumping nozzles Fuel dumping happens relatively rarely and is often used only as a last resort. In situations where an aircraft has no choice but to make an emergency landing, a jet may be forced to dump fuel in order to lighten the aircraft's load before landing. Generally, an aircraft's maximum takeoff weight is above its maximum landing weight, so if an emergency landing is required shortly after takeoff, one of the few options available might be to dump fuel. In situations where a landing is needed but not imminent, aircraft will often circle to burn the appropriate amount of fuel before making their landing attempts. Fuel dumping is performed via small nozzles located on the back of aircraft wings attached to the in-wing fuel tanks. Not all aircraft are equipped with these nozzles, however. For the most part, single-aisle aircraft (which are typically smaller and shorter) do not have fuel jettison capabilities. For example, both the Airbus A320 family jets and the Boeing 737 do not have these capabilities, and in the event of such an emergency, they will be required to perform an overweight landing. Aircraft such as the A340, Boeing 777, and Boeing 747 are equipped with nozzles, allowing them to release fuel in such emergency circumstances. 2 Tiny window holes Anyone who has sat in a window seat of a passenger aircraft that flies above 10,000 feet has certainly noticed the small hole between the multiple panes of the aircraft window. This hole doesn't serve an aesthetic purpose but rather regulates air pressure between the different panes of glass. While pressurization of aircraft cabins is essential to allow passengers to breathe, the principles of physics are challenged by the intense pressure disparity between the atmosphere at cruising altitude and the pressurization of the cabin. Unsurprisingly, aircraft have a way of releasing the pressure due to these small "bleed holes" between the panes of windows. The innermost pane, which one can touch, protects the middle and outer panes, allowing the difference between the outside air pressure and the cabin pressure to be contained. 3 Auxiliary power unit (APU) An aircraft APU allows the jet to generate power in the event that primary energy generation systems (i.e., engines) have been compromised in some ways. These auxiliary power units are often contained within the tailcones of large commercial aircraft and appear as a miniature exhaust, which can be very visible in most aircraft models. Honeywell Technologies dominates the APU manufacturing space in the aircraft industry, with Pratt & Whitney close behind; however, a recent partnership between Boeing and Safran has shaken the market structure. Currently, Honeywell is the exclusive supplier of APUs for the 737 MAX and the Airbus A220 family, among many others. 4 Fire-proof seats An onboard fire can be among the most critical of airline safety hazards and likely will result in an immediate emergency landing. As a result, modern airlines have an incredible array of features intended to combat a fire threat. One of these safety features is in the design of almost all aircraft seats. While they are made of a variety of different materials depending on the carrier and class, one thing holds true no matter which cabin you fly in: all airline seats are carefully designed to be completely fire-resistant. According to Aeroreport of MTU Aero Engines AG, this extends to the textiles used in making aircraft seat covers, seat belts, and even the carpets of commercial airliners. 5 Exit row tray tables While tray tables are traditionally located behind the seat in front, in an exit row, they are often contained within a passenger's armrest. Alternatively, if they are on the seat back in front of you, the tray table stopper will not turn towards the window - only towards the aisle. The reason behind this is rather obvious: in an emergency, when passengers are trying to exit an aircraft as quickly as possible, it is essential for a tray table not to be in the way. Sitting in an exit row seat is an excellent way to acquire more legroom for most passengers. That said, there are a few downsides as a result of this unique safety feature. First, armrests containing a tray table are often immobile, which can be a consideration for those traveling together. Second, seat width is often slightly decreased, which can be an important factor to consider even for shorter passengers where legroom isn't a huge concern. https://simpleflying.com/airplane-secret-safety-features-list/#fire-proof-seats Washington state senator arrested in Hong Kong for carrying a gun through airport An American politician has been arrested in Hong Kong for carrying a gun into the city, according to a charge sheet seen by CNN, in what he has called an “honest mistake.” Washington state senator Jeff Wilson was arrested on Saturday at Hong Kong International Airport and charged with possession of a firearm without a license, the charge sheet states, an offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison and a fine of more than $12,000. Wilson appeared in the Sha Tin Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was granted bail, according to public broadcaster RTHK. The Republican state senator, whose full name is Stephen J. Wilson, said he did not realize he had packed his pistol in his briefcase while he and his wife were traveling for a five-week vacation to Southeast Asia, according to a statement posted on his website. “It was an honest mistake. And I expect the situation to be resolved shortly,” Wilson said in the statement. Wilson said he “discovered the weapon mid-flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong.” He “did not realize his pistol was in his briefcase when he passed through airport security in Portland, and baggage screeners failed to note it,” the statement added. Wilson said in the statement that when the plane landed in Hong Kong, he “immediately went to customs officials and called their attention to the issue.” CNN has reached out to Portland International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, the Transportation Security Administration and the US Consulate in Hong Kong for comment. Hong Kong’s Customs and Excise Department told CNN via email that it had no comment to make given legal proceedings are underway. Wilson faces his next court hearing in Hong Kong on October 30, RTHK reported. Under Hong Kong’s strict gun control laws, no one is allowed to possess any arms or ammunition unless they have a license from the Commissioner of Police. Licenses are only given to police officers, armed security guard services and operators of exclusive shooting range clubs. Gun violence is very rare in Hong Kong, unlike in the United States where firearms are now the No. 1 killer of children and teens. In Washington state, open carry is allowed for both long guns and handguns without a license, which means individuals can carry a firearm in many public areas, although private property owners may prohibit firearms on their property. However, a license is needed to carry concealed firearms in the state. Wilson noted in his statement that his pistol was registered in Washington state and that he holds a concealed pistol license. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/24/asia/hong-kong-us-politician-charged-over-gun-intl-hnk/index.html NTSB: Turbulence Injures 6 Occupants On Allegiant Airbus A320 Two flight attendants reportedly came in contact with the cabin ceiling during the incident. SUMMARY • Severe turbulence on an Allegiant Air flight in July left six people injured, two of them seriously. • The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its final report, stating that it was unlikely for the flight crew to have been aware they were entering a turbulent area. • Satellite radar imagery showed that low-level winds resulted in convective buildup where the plane was flying. Severe turbulence on an Allegiant Air flight in July left six people injured, up from previous reports suggesting that only four people suffered minor injuries. The latest development comes from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which released its final report and investigation into the probable cause on Friday. Two of the six people onboard sustained serious injuries as the Airbus A320 reportedly encountered unsettled air at around 13,000 feet amid its final descent into St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) in Florida. In its report, the NTSB said it was unlikely for the flight crew to have been aware that they were entering a turbulent area. Details of the incident Allegiant Flight 227 (AAY227) originated from Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina on July 12, 2023, with 179 passengers and six crew members onboard. The captain was a check pilot, and the first officer was the pilot in command of the aircraft, N249NV, during the turbulence encounter, according to the NTSB’s final report and investigation docket obtained by The Aviation Herald. During its descent, heavy to moderate rain was about 45 miles in the direction of the aircraft’s flight path, which prompted Air Traffic Control (ATC) to instruct the crew to make adjustments. The crew was informed to descend to 19,000 feet but deviate to the right of its course once under 26,000 feet and proceed directly to its subsequent flight path intersection. At around 23,000 feet, ATC reportedly instructed the pilots to cross the intersection at 13,000 feet and a speed of 250 knots. Short but severe However, the pilots said the ATC’s instruction was given late, causing the aircraft to be nearly 5,000 feet high. Speed brakes were deployed, and the autopilot was turned off to allow the aircraft to meet its altitude and speed expectations. According to the report, the seatbelt sign was on, but the four flight attendants onboard were not yet notified of the aircraft’s final descent. The plane then traveled through a cloud, where the incident occurred. “As AAY227 approached its level-off altitude, the flight crewmembers observed a small cumulus buildup at an altitude of about 13,000 ft that was unavoidable. According to the first officer, the clouds were not dark and looked no different than the clouds that the airplane had previously flown through. As the airplane entered the clouds, it encountered some minor expected jolts, and just before exiting, a severe jolt of turbulence occurred that lasted about 1.5 seconds.” The probable cause Sattelite radar imagery indicated that several low-level winds emerged near the incident site, resulting in convective buildup where the plane was flying. The National Weather Service reportedly issued information for the area about 15 minutes before the encounter and implied “the potential for severe turbulence in and near convective cells,” but the NTSB report explained how the pilots could have remained unaware of the unsettled atmosphere. “The Tampa WSR-88D detected a developing cell in the immediate vicinity of the turbulence event with echoes between 15 – 45 dBZ, however, cockpit weather radar does not typically pick up echoes less than 20 dBZ. Therefore, it is unlikely the flight crew were aware that they were entering into a larger area of convection that included higher intensity echoes located east of their flight path and encountered moderate or greater convectively induced turbulence (CIT) within the clouds.” Following the incident, the captain was informed of multiple injuries. Two of the four flight attendants were reportedly conducting seatbelt compliance checks during the turbulence encounter and were thrown up into the cabin, hitting the ceiling, and then slammed back down to the floor. However, only one of those flight attendants received serious injuries. The other serious injury was a flight attendant in the aft galley of the aircraft. Both received medical attention once the plane landed at PIE. Four passengers had minor injuries, while the other two flight attendants were not injured. https://simpleflying.com/turbulence-injures-6-allegiant-airbus-a320/ United Launches Technician Pathway Program United Airlines is launching a program to attract U.S. Army reservists and students from three maintenance schools to give them a direct pathway to technician jobs at the airline. The Calibrate Technician Pathway program, unveiling Oct. 24, plans to recruit 300 students annually. In the first phase of this initiative, United is partnering with the U.S. Army Reserve’s Aviation Command Unit; the National Aviation Academy in Clearwater, Florida; the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, which has 15 campuses in the U.S.; and the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, which has four campuses. Once United accepts students into the Calibrate Technician Pathway program, they will be required to “maintain a high GPS and a strong attendance record to remain in the hiring pool after graduation,” says Scott Ferris, United Airline’s Calibrate director. The program should help reservists obtain their airframe and powerplant (A&P) license and transition out of the military, says Joe Byers, senior manager of Calibrate Strategic Partnership. Although many have the maintenance experience required, they do not have the FAA license. But “with our partnerships with these tech schools,” Byers says, they can get connected to take an A&P test prep course, which should increase their test success. The U.S. Army Reserves’ Aviation Command Unit has 4,400 soldiers and about 600 civilians in 12 states, many of whom work near where United aircraft are maintained. Reservists and students upon graduation will interview at the airline’s Tech Ops recruiting center in Houston “after completing all necessary certifications on their own,” he says. “Participants will have priority hiring consideration,” he adds. “They basically go to the top of the list.” The next phase of the Calibrate Technician Pathway Program could include “United Express carriers and [MRO] partners,” Ferris says. United is just starting to talk with those entities. “We want to set up these programs,” especially for regional partners and MROs, “because now it will help the students have a pathway” to the airline, Ferris adds. “This would help the MROs and Express carriers attract top talent, and it allows the talent to stay there and develop, instead of leaving in six months,” Ferris says. Forging such a partnership should help the express carriers and MROs “have sort of a forecasted attrition rate” instead of randomly loosing people, so it is a win-win for all partners and the students. Ferris says United has hired more than 3,200 technicians in the past 18 months and plans to hire several thousand more by the end of 2026 in support of the airline’s United Next fleet growth plan, which calls for the airline to add about 800 new aircraft between 2023-32. The Calibrate Technician Pathway Program is in addition to the airline’s Calibrate Apprenticeship program, which also helps develop a pathway for maintenance technicians. This full-time, paid apprenticeship program, which includes 60 students so far, trains technicians to work in aircraft maintenance, ground service equipment or facilities maintenance. It is done in conjunction with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the FAA. The airline will start accepting external applications in 2024. https://aviationweek.com/mro/workforce-training/united-launches-technician-pathway-program Bob Menendez Got Boeing Cash After Egypt Aircraft Deal Cash from Apache-maker Boeing flowed to Menendez’s PAC after an alleged illicit meeting over an Egyptian chopper sale. Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez cashed in on pro-Egypt actions in more ways than one, campaign finance filings and the latest indictments in his federal corruption case indicate. The updated criminal complaint prosecutors filed last week describes a meeting between the New Jersey Democrat and several alleged co-conspirators—including his wife, Nadine Arslanian—on May 21, 2019, held with a member of Cairo’s military intelligence agency. This was one in a string of in-person and electronic interactions which the Justice Department presented as evidence that the then-chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his accused accomplices served as operatives for the Egyptian government in exchange for bribes. But in this particular engagement, the feds allege Menendez, his associates, and his Egyptian contact discussed the opposition the Trump administration’s $1 billion sale of Apache military helicopters to the Middle East nation faced from some members of Congress, including then-Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). At the core of their objections was the authoritarian regime’s use of these same model choppers four years earlier to attack a tour group it mistook for militants, an assault that left several dead and one American citizen injured. In the following days, Menendez—whose leadership position on the Foreign Relations Committee granted him power over the sale’s finalization—allegedly conducted research on the victim, April Corley of California. Meanwhile, the Egyptian official reportedly promised accused co-conspirator Wael Hana via an encrypted messaging service that Menendez “will sit very comfortably” should he make the problem with the chopper package go away. According to the indictment, Hana texted back “orders. Consider it done,” and then relayed further material from the Egyptian agent to the senator’s wife, who passed it to her husband. Menendez and Hana have disputed the charges, although the senator’s office did not respond to questions for this story. Corley, too, did not reply to emails or phone calls. But what’s indisputable is that just weeks after the meeting outlined in the indictment, Boeing—the manufacturer of the Apache—gave its first-ever maximum contribution from its political action committee to Menendez’s New Millennium PAC. The $5,000 gift vastly outstripped the only previous donation the aerospace contractor had made to New Millennium: $1,000 in 2013, during the senator’s previous tenure as Foreign Relations Committee chairman. The company PAC’s only contribution to one of Menendez’s political committees since that 2013 gift had been a similarly measly $1,000 pitched into his re-election bid in 2018. New Millennium is a leadership PAC, meaning it exists to enable Menendez to spread cash and clout among his colleagues. What’s more, Boeing’s largesse didn’t end there; its PAC once again gave New Millennium the maximum allowed $5,000 in early August 2020, a little more than a month after the State Department moved to award Egypt $2.3 billion in Apache upgrades, and once again in late December 2021, shortly before contracts for the improvements began to go out. Boeing did not respond to repeated queries from The Daily Beast about its contact with the senator, the Egyptian government, or any of their representatives or proxies. Lobbying records for Boeing from 2019 do not mention Menendez, his committee, Egypt, or the Apache by name. However, the documents do reflect that the company expended tens of thousands of dollars that year advocating that both houses of Congress approve appropriations “for a variety of programs and activities of The Boeing Company,” including for “rotorcraft.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-jersey-senator-bob-menendez-got-boeing-cash-after-egypt-deal-for-apache-aircraft Hong Kong court to decide liability for fire on Ethiopian Airlines aircraft The liability for a fire that occurred on an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft in July 2020, said to be caused by chlorine dioxide tablets, will be judged by the Hong Kong high court. The B777-200 freighter was preparing for departure from Shanghai to Addis Ababa when the fire broke out. No injuries were reported, but the aircraft, worth at least $80m, sustained substantial damage, along with its cargo, resulting in major losses for the carrier. China’s Civil Aviation Authority opened an investigation, but any conclusion was never published and is not available from ICAO’s report database. According to a media report, the probe decided the most probable cause was chlorine dioxide disinfection tablets that “spontaneously ignited in the high temperatures and humid environment”. Experiments confirmed the tablets were susceptible to ignition at temperatures near-80ºC and damp conditions. At the time, the outside temperature was around 34ºC, but temperatures of 80ºC were said to have been reached inside pallets in the cargo bay. This caused condensation inside the film coating of the tablets; sufficient conditions for spontaneous combustion. The tablets were classified as “dangerous goods”, the local Reseach Institute of Chemical Industry saying the material was primarily an oxidizer and secondly, corrosive. The aircraft, loaded with 69.3 tons of cargo from all over China, also contained four shipments of lithium-ion batteries. However, a detailed inspection found these were internally intact with only ‘exemplified discolouration’ on the outside, caused by heat from an external source. Hong Kong-incorporated Jietong Overseas Trade was the named shipper and Zhejiang Jietong Freight Forwarding handled the customs declaration and air transport of the shipment. Lishui Youfu Knitting packed the shipment. Ethiopian Airlines has launched legal proceedings in Hong Kong against Jietong, Zhejiang Jietong and Lishui Youfu for compensation. In July, mainland-based Lishui Youfu Knitting claimed Hong Kong’s High Court should have no jurisdiction over Ethiopian’s claim against it, because there was no contract with Ethiopian, the incident occurred in Shanghai, the dispute should be tried in Chinese and the law governing the dispute should be mainland Chinese law. However, the judge ruled Ethiopian Airlines had shown that Hong Kong “was clearly the appropriate forum”. The case continues. https://theloadstar.com/hong-kong-court-to-decide-liability-for-fire-on-ethiopian-airlines-aircraft/ AerCap to Lease Three New Boeing 787-9 Aircraft and 25 New Boeing MAX-8 Aircraft and Extend Leases on Six Airbus A330-200 Aircraft to Turkish Airlines DUBLIN, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap" or the "Company") (NYSE: AER) today announced that it has reached agreement with Turkish Airlines for the lease of three new Boeing 787-9 aircraft and 25 new MAX-8 aircraft, and lease extensions for six used Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The new aircraft are scheduled to begin delivery in 2024 through 2026. "AerCap is very pleased to announce this significant transaction with our long-term partner, Turkish Airlines," said Aengus Kelly, the Chief Executive Officer of AerCap. "These aircraft will help Turkish Airlines continue to grow their already extensive route network, while improving the operational efficiency of their fleet. I would like to thank Dr. Ahmet Bolat and Mr. Levent Konukcu and the Turkish Airlines management team for the confidence they have placed in AerCap. We look forward to continuing to build on our strong partnership as these aircraft deliver." "We have a unique route network boasting the world's widest network in terms of the number of countries reached. We fly to more international destinations than any other airline, and in order to strengthen this position, we are always focused on extending our fleet. At this point, we would like to thank our business partner, AerCap, and we are happy to reinforce our fruitful collaboration with them through these leasing projects," said Levent Konukcu, Turkish Airlines Chief Investment & Technology Officer. About AerCap AerCap is the global leader in aviation leasing with one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 300 customers around the world with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and is based in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Miami, Singapore, Memphis, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Dubai, Seattle, Toulouse and other locations around the world. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aercap-to-lease-three-new-boeing-787-9-aircraft-and-25-new-boeing-max-8-aircraft-and-extend-leases-on-six-airbus-a330-200-aircraft-to-turkish-airlines-301965643.html TWU, Lawmakers Push for Aircraft Maintenance in America, Not China, To Protect Fliers & U.S. Jobs OCTOBER 23, 2023 For Immediate Release Contact: Pete Donohue, PDonohue@twu.org | Jonna Huseman, jhuseman@twu.org New York City – Airlines are increasingly having planes fixed, overhauled, and maintained by lower-skilled workers in less-secure facilities in South America and Asia. This upward trend increases the risk of a potentially catastrophic mechanical failure – and takes away jobs that can, and should, be done by better qualified American aviation mechanics. Today, union leaders and members of Congress urged passage of legislation to close safety loopholes and protect American jobs. Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen and TWU-represented aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) joined Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Nicholas LaLota (R-NY), and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) at New York’s JFK Airport and called on Congress to pass The Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act. The legislation would close troubling loopholes that currently allow foreign repair and maintenance facilities to operate without these requirements that facilities in the U.S. must comply with: Drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive personnel Background checks for workers at maintenance facilities Security threat assessments for foreign facilities Unannounced inspections for maintenance operations Minimum qualifications for aircraft mechanics The number of foreign repair and maintenance shops used by the U.S. airline industry has grown 36% in the last 8 years. They are located in El Salvador, Thailand, Brazil, China, Costa Rica and other countries. “The offshoring of U.S. air carrier aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul work is a dirty little secret of the airline industry,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “This double standard has the potential to jeopardize the safety of the flying public and flight crews, and forces American workers to compete against cutthroat foreign facilities and their workers who are not required to meet rigorous U.S. standards. The TWU has long been a leader in the fight to stop this despicable practice, and we are proud to have the support of Reps. Malliotakis, D’Esposito, LaLota, and Molinaro in this effort.” “Enhancing aviation safety and encouraging good-paying jobs on U.S. soil should is a top priority of ours and it should be for the entire Congress and the Biden Administration,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said. “The Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act will stop the bleeding of American maintenance jobs to foreign countries like China and give passengers and flight crews peace of mind, knowing the best practices and safety standards are being met.” “We must do everything we can to support American workers, create more jobs at home, and uphold the highest quality travel and safety standards. We must ensure a level playing field for American workers and prevent outsourcing whenever possible,” said Rep. LaLota. “The Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act will provide fairness for American workers and ensure one high standard of safety across this industry. I look forward to working with my colleagues to guarantee we put American workers first.” “The FAA has certified nearly one thousand foreign maintenance facilities that service American aircraft. These foreign based facilities, however, are held to a lower safety standard, offshoring jobs that can be done in America. Our bill establishes a global safety standard for maintenance facilities so the highest level of aircraft safety standards are upheld and removes the incentive to move maintenance jobs overseas. We can enhance safety and encourage quality high paying jobs here at home,” Rep. Molinaro said. “The U.S. has the safest air transportation system in the world thanks to multiple layers of safety, highly skilled and certified workers, and rigorous standards that have been tried and tested over time. Closing the loopholes that allow foreign repair stations to undermine our safety standards and force U.S. workers to compete in an uneven market just makes sense,” D’Esposito said. Each year, thousands of American aircraft are serviced by nearly one thousand FAA-certified maintenance and repair stations outside the United States, but those foreign facilities are not required to meet the same standards as their U.S. counterparts. ### The TWU represents more than 155,000 workers across the airline, railroad, transit, universities, utilities and service sectors. The TWU is the largest airline workers union in the United States. https://www.twu.org/twu-lawmakers-push-for-aircraft-maintenance-in-america-not-china-to-protect-fliers-u-s-jobs/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • NATA Aviation Business Conference - November 1-2, 2023 • CHC Safety & Quality Summit 2023: November 14 – 16, 2023 Curt Lewis