Flight Safety Information - November 1, 2023 No. 212 In This Issue : Incident: Avia Traffic A320 near Samara on Oct 28th 2023, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Sichuan A321 at Chengdu on Oct 25th 2023, bird strike : Utah grand jury indicts co-pilot for threatening to shoot captain over medical diversion dispute : Employee dies after being hit by fuel truck at Austin airport : NTSB Candidate Alvin Brown on Senate’s Fall Agenda : Private Jet Charter: What Safety Ratings Should You Be Aware Of? : Healthcare wants to fly as high as the aviation industry. Can it? : Justice Dept. squares off with JetBlue in court battle over Spirit merger : 5 Ways Cold Weather Influences Aircraft Engine Performance : Gulfstream Is Planning To Debut The G700 Private Jet At The Dubai Airshow : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Avia Traffic A320 near Samara on Oct 28th 2023, engine shut down in flight An Avia Traffic Company Airbus A320-200, registration EX-32007 performing flight YK-884 from Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) with 191 people on board, was enroute at FL350 about 100nm south of Samara (Russia) when the crew reported problems with the right hand engine (V2500) and decided to divert to Samara. The aircraft descended to FL100, then the crew declared emergency and shut the engine down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Samara's runway 15 about 35 minutes after leaving FL350. The replacement A320-200 registration EX-32014 reached Bishkek with a delay of about 12 hours. The occurrence aircraft was able to position to Bishkek the following day after about 29 hours on the ground in Samara and resumed service on Oct 31st 2023. https://avherald.com/h?article=5107879c&opt=0 Incident: Sichuan A321 at Chengdu on Oct 25th 2023, bird strike A Sichuan Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration B-8605 performing flight 3U-8899 from Chengdu to Beijing (China), was climbing out of CHengdu's runway 02R when a bird impacted the aircraft prompting the crew to stop the climb at 5,500 meters and return to Chengdu for a safe landing on runway 02R about one hour after departure. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration B-9937 reached Beijing with a delay of about 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 14 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=510784c6&opt=0 Utah grand jury indicts co-pilot for threatening to shoot captain over medical diversion dispute (AP) — A pilot has been indicted for allegedly threatening to shoot the plane's captain if the captain diverted the flight because of a passenger who needed medical attention. A grand jury in Utah issued the indictment against Jonathan J. Dunn on Oct. 18 over an incident that happened in August 2022, charging him with interference with a flight crew, according to federal court records. The Transportation Department's inspector general's office said in an email sent Tuesday that Dunn was the first officer, or co-pilot, on the flight and was authorized to carry a gun under a program run by the Transportation Security Administration. “After a disagreement about a potential flight diversion due to a passenger medical event, Dunn told the Captain they would be shot multiple times if the Captain diverted the flight,” the inspector general's office said. The inspector general's office said it was working with the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration on the investigation. The two-page indictment in federal district court in Utah says only that Dunn “did use a dangerous weapon in assaulting and intimidating the crew member.” An arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 16. ALSO: 'Sit down now!' Video shows unruly passenger detained on flight into Salt Lake City The indictment did not indicate which airline the incident occurred on. The inspector general identified it only as a commercial airline flight and did not say what was its scheduled route or whether it was diverted. The inspector general identified Dunn as a California pilot. https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-grand-jury-indicts-co-pilot-for-threatening-to-shoot-captain-over-medical-diversion-dispute-jonathan-j-dunn-transportation-security-administration-investigation-federal-aviation Employee dies after being hit by fuel truck at Austin airport AUSTIN (KXAN) — A person working at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport died after being hit and injured by a fuel truck Tuesday morning, according to airport officials. KXAN reached out to Menzies Aviation following the crash. The aviation company handles ground handling, cargo handling, cargo forwarding and plane fuelling, per the company’s website. “We are saddened by the fatal accident at Austin Airport. Our thoughts are with the deceased’s family, colleagues and loved ones,” a Menzies spokesperson said in a statement to KXAN. “The safety and security of our operations is our top priority and we are fully cooperating with the local authorities as they undertake their investigations.” Mayor in talks to possibly rename AUS after former president Austin Fire Department units and the Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the incident. AFD said the person was hit by the truck near a service road that goes by the tarmac, and AUS added it was between gates 33 and 34. CPR was performed on the employee. ATCEMS said the person was pronounced dead on the scene at 10:02 a.m. An AUS spokesperson said no airport operations are being impacted, and flights are coming and going as normal. AUS issued the below statement following the incident: This morning, the City of Austin Department of Aviation requested emergency service personnel to respond to an incident involving an injured on-duty airport employee. Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services pronounced the employee deceased on the scene. Our thoughts are with the deceased’s loved ones, friends, families and colleagues and we ask our community to keep them in their thoughts. The incident occurred outdoors, on the secure side of the airport where aircraft park for passengers to board. Airport operations and flights have not been impacted by this incident. AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-airport/employee-hit-injured-by-fuel-truck-at-austin-airport/ NTSB Candidate Alvin Brown on Senate’s Fall Agenda Commerce Committee Reported Nomination in July NTSB Alvin Brown “When appropriate, the NTSB should conduct more field hearings and possibly look for other opportunities to engage impacted communities," says Alvin Brown, a former mayor of Jacksonville, Fla. A vote on the nomination of Alvin Brown to join the National Transportation Safety Board is on the Senate’s legislative radar this fall. Nearly four months after a committee approved his nomination to take part in the independent agency, Brown awaits a vote before the full Senate. Democratic leaders have signaled the likelihood of considering a slew of Biden administration nominees before the end of the year. The Commerce Committee reported his nomination in July. If confirmed, Brown, formerly the mayor of Jacksonville, Fla., would sit on the NTSB through 2026. As part of his nomination process, Brown responded to a variety of questions from senators on the panel. Specific to field investigative hearings, the nominee noted an ongoing investigation into this year’s freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. “When appropriate, the NTSB should conduct more field hearings and possibly look for other opportunities to engage impacted communities during the investigative process when field hearings are not feasible,” Brown told senators. “The field hearing in East Palestine shows that it is important to be transparent and engage with communities.” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Commerce Committee, issued a strong endorsement of Brown. “The NTSB board needs hardworking and dedicated individuals who put safety as their top priority,” she said, “and I believe that Mayor Brown will do so on behalf of the American people.” In 2022, the White House applauded Brown’s record as mayor, indicating that “Jacksonville became one of America’s leading cities for innovation and improving quality of life.” “Brown achieved numerous successes in Jacksonville with bold and collaborative approaches to many modern challenges,” per the White House. Relatedly, on Oct. 24 the Senate confirmed Michael Whitaker to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. Whitaker’s nomination had easily advanced to the chamber floor for consideration. “Mr. Whitaker is highly qualified with more than 30 years of aviation experience in both the public and private sectors,” Cantwell said. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-La.) congratulated Whitaker in a joint statement: “This is a critical time for aviation, and the FAA has been without an administrator for far too long. Mr. Whitaker’s confirmation will provide much needed stability and certainty for the agency and the broader aviation industry as a whole.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also praised Whitaker while detailing the agency’s role in passenger and freight connectivity. “Mike will take the reins at a pivotal time for the FAA,” he said. “The national airspace is busier and more complex than ever and the challenges are many, from addressing serious close-call incidents that have put the entire aviation community on notice, to the need to keep up the FAA’s momentum on air traffic control hiring and training, to continuing to be creative and collaborative with airlines to keep cancellations low after the spike in disruptions last summer. “Mike is also well-versed on the critical need to modernize the key systems our national aviation system [relies] on. As with all infrastructure, inadequate investments in modernization — from buildings to software — can leave the entire system more vulnerable to failures, so we must work closely with Congress to ensure the FAA remains the gold standard of safety and efficiency.” https://www.ttnews.com/articles/ntsb-alvin-brown Private Jet Charter: What Safety Ratings Should You Be Aware Of? What you should look for when charting a business jet. SUMMARY • Private jet operators can obtain safety ratings from organizations such as IS-BAO, Wyvern, and Argus. • IS-BAO helps charter operators improve safety procedures and efficiency through audits and establishing safety management systems. • High levels of safety and compliance are indicated by ratings such as "Wingman" from Wyvern and "Gold" or "Platinum" from Argus. Out of the over 21,000 business jets in operation, more than 13,000 are private aircraft in charter operation. How do you know how safe your favorite private jet operator is? There are many ways of finding out. In general, like the commercial industry at large, private aviation is very safe, although operators may have different standards. Charter operators have to still strictly adhere to guidelines as set by the civil aviation authorities. Larger aircraft types are more likely to have more stringent standards of safety and compliance. Safety ratings may be awarded by three organizations. Let's take a look in more detail. IS-BAO IS-BAO is the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations. They help charter operators to change their safety procedures and use best practices. After a review, the organization supports operators with safety management systems and allows them to be more efficient with safety and operational processes. These are then continually audited and advanced, Stage three being the highest level. Stage one requires that a safety management system is established. Stage two is applied after one year of the SMS system being inaugurated. Stage three means that the highest levels of safety have been sustained. IS-BAO is backed by ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization. WYVERN Wyvern assists operators in applying strict practices. Wyvern accreditation is well known in business aviation and has a solid reputation. The highest level achieved is the 'Wingman' certification, which is a premium sign of quality and safety based on ICAO principles and the Safety Management International Collaboration Group. Firstly, the 'Wingman standard' has to be achieved by an initial audit followed by audits twice a year. The ratings of Wyvern include 'registered,' 'pass,' and then 'Wingman.' ARGUS Argus (Air Research Group United States) arranges to rate operators based on their safety history. They allocate ratings to charter operators. One of the highest ratings is 'Gold,' which means that the operator has surpassed standards of safety and compliance. 'Gold Plus' means the operator has passed audits that exceed such safety standards. A 'Platinum' rating means that the operator adheres to the 'Gold Plus' rating and passed the audit for a platinum rating. Argus requires the operator to be one year in operation, undertake safety analysis, that the aircraft has operational control validation, and that there are background checks. A customer can request a TripCHEQ report before their flight. Brokers Vs. Operators Brokers do not own any aircraft but assist passengers in finding a suitable aircraft from an operator. The charter operator owns the aircraft and operates under their conditions. Brokers can, however, apply also for ARGUS certification. Argus and Wyvern are backed by the FAA. IS-BAO is used more in Europe and other regions. Conclusion Private jet operators must legally comply with the civil aviation authorities in the case of the US, the FAA, and in Europe, it is EASA. These organizations offer voluntary audits that certify charter operators' level of safety and make suggestions for corrective actions. An operator can own all three accreditations by Argus, Wyvern, and IS-BAO. The more the certifications, the safer the charter operation. https://simpleflying.com/private-jet-charter-safety-ratings/ Healthcare wants to fly as high as the aviation industry. Can it? Hospital executives often rave about aviation's success in dramatically lowering the number and scope of accidents over the last 50 years — but when it comes to vastly improving safety, the healthcare industry has failed to leave the runway. Other than medical facilities and airplanes, there aren't many places where a small error can lead to numerous fatalities. Thus, healthcare leaders have long been looking up to aviation. In 2007, Atul Gawande, MD, wrote a popular article in The New Yorker that highlighted why hospitals should adopt the aviation industry's heavy reliance on safety checklists. Dr. Gawande, who now works at Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston, expanded on the idea in his 2009 book, "The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right." The year prior, aviation and medical safety expert John Nance published "Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care." Despite the interest in how hospitals can transfer those teachings, healthcare safety advancements have lagged behind that of the aviation industry. If the airline industry made as many mistakes as healthcare does, there would be about 460 plane crashes every day, according to Jimmy Chung, MD, chief medical officer of Advantus Health Partners, a group purchasing organization formed by Bon Secours Mercy Health. "Just looking at how many airline's flights are taken every day, imagine if 460 of them crashed every day," said Dr. Chung, who compared the two industries in a 2021 opinion article. "We would not stand for it." Becker's spoke with healthcare and aviation experts about why this comparison is so popular, how far the metaphor stretches and its potential pitfalls. The culture problem Hospital leaders and industry experts pointed to a crucial difference between healthcare and airlines: The former has a blame culture directed at individual actions; the latter targets systematic issues after a mistake is made, known as a "just culture" — but the aviation industry wasn't always this way. When commercial aviation began expanding in the 1950s and '60s, many pilots were ex-air force and unfamiliar with interacting with crew or passengers, according to Niall Downey, MD. "The whole mentality then was different," said Dr. Downey, a captain for Aer Lingus and a former cardiothoracic surgeon. Co-pilots did not feel safe speaking up or were dismissed when they did. In 1977, airlines deviated from this culture of "name, blame, shame, retrain," according to Dr. Downey. Two Boeing 747 jets collided on a runway on a Spanish island off Africa's west coast killing 583 people in March 1977 — making it the deadliest accident in aviation history, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The event, called the Tenerife airport disaster, spurred an industrywide revolution in safety and a culture reboot in which pilots are not disciplined or fired for small errors. "The trajectory of the number of deaths in commercial jet aviation, back in 1977, was about 3,000 deaths per year," Dr. Downey said. "The amount of aviation has gone up 9-fold. We should be looking at about 27,000 deaths per year in aviation. We're actually looking at about 1,000 — so it's about a 96% improvement. Healthcare would like to be able to do that, but they don't like the approach that it's going to involve to actually get there." Dr. Downey is the managing director of Frameworkhealth, a company he founded in 2011 that translates aviation's success for healthcare. Teodor Grantcharov, MD, PhD, associate chief quality officer for safety and innovation at Stanford Medicine; Deborah Rhodes, MD, enterprise chief quality officer of Yale Medicine; and Dr. Downey all said the decadeslong blame culture in medicine is the biggest barrier to elevating patient safety. In hospitals, a culture of silence and blame can fester. Whistleblowers on safety issues have accused their former employers of ignoring concerns and forcing them to leave. Some front-line healthcare workers have also expressed fear of criminalization for admitting to medical errors in the wake of RaDonda Vaught's conviction. In 2022, the American Nurses Association said Ms. Vaught's case, which made national headlines, could have a "chilling effect" on medical error reporting and process improvement in healthcare. "Healthcare has had a blame culture for so long that the staff actually apply it to themselves," Dr. Downey, who was a cardiac surgeon for about a decade, said. "When they make a mistake, they blame themselves as well." Many hospitals and health systems nationwide are working to build a just culture in healthcare, including Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health. "For people who may be so-called low on the hierarchical command of things [...] and they are afraid of the physician's anger or wrath, they're not able to point that error up," said Amit Vashist, MD, senior vice president and chief clinical officer of Ballad. "How do we create that psychological safety?" How healthcare is replicating aviation Other than rerouting workplace cultures away from blame and shame, hospital leaders are also investing in other aviation-influenced strategies and procedures. One example is the flight recording device and cockpit voice recorder placed in every airplane. The devices are known as "black boxes" despite their orange color, which help emergency response crews find them in a wreck site. Dr. Grantcharov drew inspiration from the device to launch "Operation Black Box." His invention, the OR Black Box, is made of sensors and data recorders that collect information. AI analyzes the data and videos — which blur faces, distort voices and are deleted after 30 days — to find inefficiencies. The product also helps increase the exchange of information. Dr. Grantcharov said he might do the same operations as a handful of other surgeons at Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Medicine, but successes and failures aren't shared with one another. "The surgical operating room is probably one of the most secretive environments in society," Dr. Grantcharov said. In October 2022, Stanford Hospital installed his black boxes in four operating rooms. Mistakes are often kept to the individual or team level in healthcare, according to Dr. Downey. If an accident happens at an airline, though, "the entire industry knows what happens," Dr. Grantcharov said. The international aviation industry meets a few times a year to share problems and solutions, as well as learn from one another's mistakes. One of these events is called Aviation Safety InfoShare, which dials in on systemwide best practices for safety. Healthcare does not have a comparable event. At healthcare conferences, "you still see different institutions talking about how innovative they are because they do things differently and they use technology differently," Dr. Chung said. In medical school and residencies, physicians are taught to be independent and think outside the box: "No surgeon has ever become famous by saying, 'Hey, I do things the exact same way as everyone else,'" he said. "Physicians aren't trained to be standardized." Without a regulatory standard for the industry, hospitals and systems are working to create archetypes to improve patient care — similar to the same checklists used by aircraft workers. Dr. Rhodes, who works at New Haven, Conn.-based Yale Medicine, is tackling clinical variation at her organization. Over the last decade, she has been developing clinical pathways for hundreds of conditions. For example, EHRs for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will pull up the COPD pathway, which tells Yale clinicians the standard for confirming a diagnosis, how to manage treatment, when a patient can be discharged, and it provides post-discharge resources. This pathway is built from expert consensus, exhaustive literature review and lengthy industry guidelines. "I can read [COPD guidelines] in April, but will I have a detailed recall of all the steps in a 120-page guideline in September? No, I won't," she said. "That's why we have to bake that." Yale Medicine has been using the pathways for about three years, and in an "extraordinary" clinician uptake, they're now used 30,000 times a month, according to Dr. Rhodes. Patients aren't planes, but the metaphor doesn't crumble Many hospital executives told Becker's the comparison isn't a 1:1 ratio. Physicians aren't pilots, patients aren't planes, hospitals aren't airports, et cetera. "There's a finite number of different things that can go awry when you're flying a plane and there's an infinite number of things that can go awry in medicine," Dr. Rhodes said. Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO of The Joint Commission Enterprise, echoed this. "I think there is much to learn from aviation, but that in a patient's journey, unlike that of an aircraft, the destination may not be known," Dr. Perlin told Becker's before boarding a plane. "Thus, healthcare is more complex." Another crack in the comparison is a glorification of airline safety. In the last decade, there have been more than twice as many near misses between commercial flights than years past, according to The New York Times. Experts have said the national shortage of air traffic controllers is a main reason for this. Those who dismiss the metaphor altogether, though, don't understand the role of airline captains, according to Dr. Downey, who has been in the airline business for 24 years. One sick passenger on an international flight of 300 people can cost up to $500,000, he said. If he's flying from Dublin to Chicago, for example, and has to divert to Keflavík airport in Iceland for a few hours because of a sick passenger, the airline then has to cover hotel rooms for the 300 people on the plane and the 300 waiting in Chicago to fly home. It can then take days to resolve a ripple effect of disturbances in an airline's schedule. "They assume an airline captain flies the plane. That's the least part of my job," he said. "A lot of what we do is try to juggle operations and look at long-time consequences of small decisions. Exact same as healthcare." Dr. Grantcharov and Dr. Downey agreed that healthcare is far from fully embracing the aviation industry's techniques, but a few hospitals and health systems have steadily worked to manifest the idea into reality. The younger generations entering healthcare are more likely to value standardization over autonomy, Dr. Rhodes said, which can help quell the blame culture. "Things are getting better. With this generation, I think we are going to get this across the line," Dr. Downey said. "But, it's a hard sell." https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/healthcare-wants-to-fly-as-high-as-the-aviation-industry-can-it.html Justice Dept. squares off with JetBlue in court battle over Spirit merger JetBlue’s offer values the deal at $3.8 billion, a figure the airline says grows to $7.6 billion when accounting for Spirit’s debt BOSTON — A trial that will determine the fate of a merger between JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines began Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boston — the first time an airline merger case has gone before a judge. The Justice Department is challenging JetBlue’s proposed acquisition of the ultra-low-cost carrier, while New York-based JetBlue contends the only way it can break the dominance of the nation’s four largest carriers is a merger with Spirit. Federal regulators argue the loss of Spirit, with its appeal to budget-conscious travelers, would lead to higher prices and fewer options for customers in an already-concentrated market. It will be up to U.S. District Judge William Young to make a final determination in the closely watched case, which is expected to last about four weeks. The case is playing out against the Biden administration’s more aggressive enforcement of antitrust laws, which has included challenges against mergers in health care, publishing and technology. JetBlue’s offer to buy Spirit shares at $33.50 values the deal at $3.8 billion, a figure JetBlue says grows to $7.6 billion when accounting for Spirit’s debt. Airlines, Biden administration to clash in case that would reshape industry After years of bankruptcies and mergers, four domestic carriers — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines — account for about 80 percent of the U.S. market. JetBlue is the sixth-largest U.S. carrier, and merging with Spirit would move it up one spot. Justice Department attorney Arianna Markel on Tuesday painted Spirit as a “disrupter” to the industry, saying downward pressure on airfare across the industry would disappear without the airline. A larger JetBlue, she said, would mean a loss of choices for consumers spurred by Spirit’s business model. “Bigger isn’t always better. It isn’t better for consumers or better for competition,” she said. “A bigger JetBlue means fewer seats, fewer planes, higher fares and fewer choices.” Young asked Markel whether Spirit had a viable economic model. Markel argued Spirit would be profitable over the next five years, citing projections from the carrier. JetBlue attorney Ryan Shores said the carrier is a larger disrupter than Spirit, saying it is bigger competition for the “Big Four” airlines, and therefore, in a better position to keep airfares lower. He said JetBlue and Spirit account for less than 8 percent of the domestic industry’s revenue. “The government has lost the forest for the trees,” Shores said. “This is a merger of just the sixth- and seventh-largest airlines in the country.” The trial began on the same day JetBlue reported a $153 million loss for the third quarter. The airline attributed the financial hit to “staggering” delays caused by bad weather and air traffic control issues. Shares of JetBlue’s stock dropped more than 10 percent Tuesday, trading at their lowest price in years. Spirit’s shares plunged more than 12 percent. JetBlue attorney Jay Cohen argued Spirit is a small player in the industry and is facing financial losses for a fourth consecutive year. He said Spirit has considered a merger since 2016 because executives say it’s the only way to compete with the four legacy carriers. Justice Dept. sues to block JetBlue-Spirit merger, citing consumer harm Cohen argued that if Spirit were to merge, other low-cost carriers such as Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air would be positioned to grow their market share. “The evidence will show that these airlines are growing rapidly and positioned for even greater growth, given the opportunity,” Cohen said. Frontier unveiled plans to merge with Spirit in February 2022, but JetBlue chief executive Robin Hayes announced an unsolicited cash bid for Spirit months later. Spirit rebuffed JetBlue’s offer, with airline executives saying they doubted a merger with JetBlue could pass regulatory muster. After JetBlue sweetened its offer, Spirit agreed to the deal. Bill McGee, a senior fellow for aviation at the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit that advocates for stronger antitrust laws, said travelers who don’t fly with Spirit still benefit from its presence in the market. He said a merger would drive airfares higher across the country. “JetBlue’s argument is that they’re here to fight the Big Four, and I say that’s a false argument — they’re looking for it to become the Big Five,” he said. Hayes has argued the only way to lower fares and improve the passenger travel experience is by bringing JetBlue to more markets. As part of its plan, JetBlue agreed to pay a $70 million fee to Spirit and an additional $400 million to Spirit shareholders if the deal doesn’t win regulatory approval. In March, the Justice Department sued to block the deal. California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and the District of Columbia have joined the lawsuit. “In short, if not blocked, the merger of JetBlue and Spirit would result in higher fares and fewer choices for tens of millions of travelers across the country,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in announcing the filing. “The Justice Department is suing to prevent that from happening.” On Tuesday, Justice Department attorneys asked Spirit Airlines chief executive Ted Christie to define what they called the “Spirit effect.” He responded: “If you can lower fares, you’re stimulating additional demand into the marketplace. More people travel more frequently with lower fares.” Young overruled several objections from JetBlue’s attorneys, who disagreed with exhibits the Justice Department presented as evidence when examining Christie. Those included news releases and public documents that detailed Spirit’s previous concerns over merging with JetBlue in 2022. The combined carrier would be able to offer about 1,700 daily flights to more than 125 destinations in 30 countries with a fleet of 458 aircraft, JetBlue has said. JetBlue has pitched the combined airline as a national player, but it would have only a small presence on the West Coast. JetBlue is at the center of two cases that could reshape the airline industry The last major domestic airline merger occurred in 2016, when Virgin America was acquired by Alaska Airlines, which outbid JetBlue. Tuesday’s trial began months after the Justice Department won an antitrust case in the same Boston court that also involved JetBlue. In that ruling, District Judge Leo T. Sorokin ordered American and JetBlue to dismantle an alliance that allowed them to coordinate schedules and share revenue on certain routes in the Northeast. The airlines argued unsuccessfully they needed to combine operations to compete with larger carriers. Young on Tuesday stressed transparency in court proceedings for the duration of the trial, stating his desire for “trying this public trial publicly.” The defense will have its turn to examine Christie when the trial resumes Wednesday. https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/10/31/jetblue-spirit-merger-trial/ 5 Ways Cold Weather Influences Aircraft Engine Performance With winter approaching fast, here are some of the ways that an aircraft engine's performance is affected in a cold environment. SUMMARY • De-icing engines and control surfaces before departure is crucial for optimal aircraft performance in cold weather conditions, as ice contamination can negatively impact engine functionality. • Colder air is denser, leading to improved engine performance and shorter runway takeoff distances. • De-icing an engine or wing slats with the anti-ice system can affect engine performance by increasing the amount of bleed air required. With winter approaching fast, there will be changes in how airlines and airports run their operations in the Northern Hemisphere. The main difference will be the deicing of aircraft before departure, ensuring that crucial flight control surfaces are free from ice that could impact their performance. At the same time, engine performance is also affected during cold weather operations, including, surprisingly, some improvements when the temperature outside is less comfortable for those who walk the earth on their two feet. 1 Stringent pre-flight checks To ensure optimal performance of the aircraft’s engines, they must be checked before departure for any ice buildup Much like with an aircraft’s control surfaces, engines are also susceptible to ice buildup on the nacelles and in the core. According to SKYbrary, a project initiated by EUROCONTROL, ice contamination of an engine can happen before or even during a flight. If ice is spotted during a pre-flight check, it must be removed from the nacelles. The site pointed out that “blowing snow, precipitation, freezing fog, slush, and other ground contaminants or airport snow removal operations can all result in the contamination of jet engine intakes and components.” As such, it must be removed. However, the situation is more complicated because, unlike the fluids used to de-ice control surfaces, “engines cannot be de-iced with glycol-based fluids” due to potential contamination of the bleed air system. Usually, any loose ice is removed with a brush or a broom, while any ice within the engine should be melted with external heat sources, such as a Herman Nelson unit. Another option is to accelerate the engine to a specific engine fan speed (N1) for a brief period. 2 More thrust is delivered to the engines Since colder air is denser, the engines perform better, allowing pilots to use less runway during takeoff density effect on airplane takeoff distance During cold air operations, the outside air is denser since air molecules move slower. As a result, more air molecules enter an aircraft’s engine, requiring less fuel to maintain a proper air-fuel ratio. As a result, runway takeoff distances are shorter when the temperature is colder. According to a document by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the runway length requirements for a Boeing 737-800 during a standard day (15 °C, 59 °F) is 2,377 meters (7,800 feet). At 30 °C (86 °F), the runway length requirements increase to 2,469 m (8,100 ft), going up to 3,078 m (10,100 ft) at 40 °C (104 °F). Notably, denser air also means that the wings can generate more lift compared to operations at high and hot airports, where the atmosphere is sparser, contributing to the shortened runway length requirements. According to a EUROCONTROL paper, “thrust and lift are proportional to air density, which is determined by the atmospheric pressure, OAT [outside air temperature – ed. note], and humidity at the considered elevation.” 3 Affecting engine performance is affected when anti-ice systems are used De-icing an engine or wing slats with its anti-ice system also negatively affects its performance since it requires more bleed air Aircraft have onboard anti-icing systems that direct bleed air from the engines to wing surfaces and engine intake areas to prevent ice formation. According to a study by several Egyptian scholars, while the “anti-icing system in aircraft applications is considered a very important system to avoid the accumulation of ice especially on wing surfaces aircraft and engine intake,” it has a “drawback effect in the engine performance parameters according to the amount of bleed air extracted.” The study’s conclusion continued that increased bleed air ratio decreased the propulsive, thermal, and overall efficiencies. However, some aircraft, like the Boeing 787, have increased fuel efficiency by using the bleed air system only to de-ice the engine. According to the manufacturer, “bleed air is only used for engine cowl ice protection and pressurization of hydraulic reservoirs.” “The electrified functions are wing deicing protection, engine starting, driving the high-capacity hydraulic pumps, and powering the cabin environmental control system.” As a result, eliminating a pneumatic bleed system “results in a more efficient engine operation due to reduced overall airplane level power requirements,” which, in turn, requires less fuel when the Boeing 787 is cruising. “The corresponding predicted improvement in fuel consumption, at cruise conditions, is in the range of 1 to 2 percent,” Boeing noted. 4 Increased risk of damage With ice buildup, there is an increased risk of the aircraft’s engine being damaged by the buildup SKYbrary pointed out at least three engine-related damage risks regarding icy conditions. For one, the fan blades could be damaged if frozen deposits or ice are not removed before starting the engine. Secondly, an excessive ice buildup at low thrust settings could damage the engine’s blade tips when applying a higher thrust setting. In the worst-case scenario, even the engine core could ingest ice, potentially resulting in “partial loss of thrust or even flameout,” which, in turn, would result in an incident. In 2004, a MyTravel Airways Airbus A320, registered as G-CRPH, was departing Harstad/Narvik Airport (EVE), Norway, when it veered off the runway during icy conditions. According to the final incident report by the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) noted that while damage was limited “to a punctured left nose wheel tire, a separated and deformed left nose wheel hubcap and a broken nose leg taxi light,” the incident was caused by asymmetrical thrust from “by icing on the fan blades during the taxiing and holding before take off.” 5 Worsening lubrication performance While aircraft use special oil and other lubricants, they are not immune to extreme temperatures According to the United States (US) Army’s Preventative Maintenance Magazine, “as the mercury dips, oil gets thicker and grease gels.” The magazine also advised that maintenance technicians should never fill an aircraft to the brim when servicing a plane in a cold environment. Oil will expand when it heats up, leading to potential leaks within the systems. At the same time, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) pointed out that modern oils used in today’s general aviation (GA) engines “flow extremely well even at 0 °F (-18 degrees C),” the danger is that different metals within engines expand and contract. The latter is true when it is cold outside, meaning that there is a risk of parts not meeting the manufacturer’s minimal clearance specifications, which could result in a significant maintenance bill. https://simpleflying.com/cold-weather-aircraft-engine-performance-impact-analysis/#stringent-pre-flight-checks Gulfstream Is Planning To Debut The G700 Private Jet At The Dubai Airshow The G700 and G500 will be among the more than 180 commercial, military, and private aircraft on display at the Dubai Airshow. SUMMARY • Gulfstream will be exhibiting its next-generation business jets, the G700 and G500, at the Dubai Airshow, showcasing their impressive design and operational performance. • The G700 has a price tag of $79.9 million and is 10 ft longer than its predecessor, with a maximum take-off weight of 4,000 lb and a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925, making it the fastest Gulfstream aircraft. • The G500, priced at around $50 million, has already been certified by the FAA for steep-approach and can fly up to 4,500 NM at speeds of up to Mach 0.90, giving it access to a greater range of destinations. Gulfstream has revealed that it will exhibit two of its next-generation business jets at the Dubai Airshow later this month. The manufacturer will debut the Gulfstream G700 alongside the G500 aircraft at the event, which takes place from November 13th through 17th at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). Next-generation business jets First unveiled in October 2019, the Gulfstream G700 comes today with a price tag of $79.9 million. The aircraft builds on the existing G650ER, offering improved design and operational performance. The G700 is 10 ft longer than the G650ER and has a maximum take-off weight of 4,000 lb while still capable of flying up to 7,750 NM. The aircraft's maximum operating speed is Mach 0.925 (710 mph), making it the fastest of all Gulfstream's business jets. Each G700 can accommodate up to 19 seated passengers or ten in a sleeping arrangement. Earlier this year, at the Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways Executive announced its plans to offer VIP services using the G700. Elon Musk is among the other owners of Gulfstream's flagship business jet. See more of the Gulfstream G700 with this report from the Simple Flying team. The first G500 was delivered in September 2018, and there are over 90 G500s currently in service around the world. The aircraft costs around $50 million and can fly up to 4,500 NM at speeds of up to Mach 0.90 (690 mph). The G500 has also recently been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for steep-approach, giving it access to an even greater variety of destinations worldwide, including London City Airport (LCY) and Lugano Airport (LUG) in Switzerland. Gulfstream's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Scott Neal, shared his excitement about the upcoming event, saying, “Gulfstream has a longstanding history in the Middle East and surrounding regions. Recently, we announced a host of increased capabilities across the fleet, and we look forward to meeting with customers and guests at the Dubai Airshow to showcase The Gulfstream Difference with two of these aircraft, firsthand.” Over 180 aircraft on display The Gulfstream G700 and G500 will be among the more than 180 commercial, military, and private aircraft on display at this year's Dubai Airshow. With significant media coverage of the event, the manufacturer will be keen to showcase its next-generation business jets, generating interest in the aircraft and attracting new customers. The Dubai Airshow takes place every two years. This year's event will be held at Al Maktoum International Airport, which has big expansion plans, with aspirations to achieve an annual passenger capacity of up to 260 million. Among the other exhibitors will be big-name aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus, airlines including Emirates and Etihad Airways, and over 80 startup companies hoping to make a name for themselves. https://simpleflying.com/gulfstream-debut-g700-private-jet-dubai-airshow/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • CHC Safety & Quality Summit 2023: November 14 – 16, 2023 • 2024 ACSF Safety Symposium – Air Charter Safety Foundation - April 1-3, 2024 • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 Curt Lewis