Flight Safety Information - November 3, 2023 No. 214 In This Issue :Incident: United B739 at Boston on Nov 1st 2023, tail scrape on departure : Boeing 737-7CT(WL) - unstable operation of the autopilot (Russia) : Learjet 35A - Fatal Runway Overrun (Mexico) : 'A wake-up call': Passengers file class-action lawsuit against Alaska Airlines after diverted flight : Near-miss aviation incidents to be subject of US Senate hearing : Air India in dock for deploying aircraft with less emergency-use oxygen reserve than required for Delhi-US nonstop: DGCA seeks reply : Raging airplane passenger defends her right to recline in latest flight dust-up: ‘I’m allowed!’ : DIA briefly stops trains, grounds all flights Thursday after someone walked past a TSA checkpoint : TSA finds a record 43 firearms in baggage at Midway Airport this year : Four American Airlines flight attendants win California lawsuit over ‘toxic’ uniforms : NASA Completes Key Step in Aviation Safety Research : SkyWest submits bid to continue jet engine air service at Sioux Gateway Airport : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: United B739 at Boston on Nov 1st 2023, tail scrape on departure A United Boeing 737-900, registration N37468 performing flight UA-2396 from Boston,MA to Newark,NJ (USA) with 104 people on board, needed to change to Boston's runway 09 after runway 04R became blocked by a disabled aircraft. The aircraft departed runway 09, during climbout the crew advised they had a possible tail strike on departure and needed to return to Boston. The aircraft stopped the climb at 5000 feet and returned to Boston for a safe landing on runway 04L about 25 minutes after departure. The FAA reported the aircraft scraped its tail on the runway, the occurrence is being investigated by the FAA. https://avherald.com/h?article=5108d855&opt=0 Boeing 737-7CT(WL) - unstable operation of the autopilot (Russia) Date: Friday 3 November 2023 Time: Type: Boeing 737-7CT(WL) Owner/operator: Yakutia Registration: RA-73262 MSN: 30712/2185 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 128 Aircraft damage: None Location: North of Vilyuisk - Russia Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Yakutsk Airport (YKS/UEEE) Destination airport: Moskva-Vnukovo Airport (VKO/UUWW) Narrative: The Yakutia airline Boeing-737, which took off from Yakutsk to Moscow, returned to the airport of departure due to an identified malfunction - unstable operation of the autopilot. There are 128 people on board. Among them are 123 passengers and 5 crew members. The plane landed safely at the Yakutsk airport, the aircraft was not damaged, and there were no casualties. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/347541 Learjet 35A - Fatal Runway Overrun (Mexico) Date: Wednesday 1 November 2023 Time: c. 14:15 LT Type: Learjet 35A Owner/operator: Jet Rescue Air Ambulance Registration: XA-IRE MSN: 35A-354 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: Cuernavaca Airport (CVJ/MMCB) - Mexico Phase: Landing Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Toluca-Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport (TLC/MMTO) Destination airport: Cuernavaca Airport (CVJ/MMCB) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Learjet 35A, operating on an air ambulance flight, crashed at Cuernavaca Airport (CVJ/MMCB), Mexico. All four aboard perished and the aircraft was destroyed. Initial information suggests that the aircraft overran runway 20 at CVJ after a long touchdown and subsequently went down a step embankment. Runway 20 is a 2881m long asphalt runway. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/347512 'A wake-up call': Passengers file class-action lawsuit against Alaska Airlines after diverted flight The class-action lawsuit calls for the involved airlines to create a more rigorous pre-flight screening for pilots. PORTLAND, Oregon — Passengers onboard an Alaska Airlines flight when an off-duty pilot tried to cut the jet's engines have filed a lawsuit against the company. The class-action lawsuit, filed by a Washington-based law firm on behalf of three passengers, calls for the airline and its affiliate, Horizon Air, to create a more rigorous pre-flight screening for pilots and an explanation from the airline about the incident. The lawsuit detailed the fear passengers experienced on the Oct. 22 flight when an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, Joseph David Emerson, 44, allegedly attempted to shut down the engines while riding in the extra seat in the cockpit. He was eventually subdued by pilots and other plane staff. After the incident, he told police he had taken psychedelic mushrooms days before and hadn't slept in 40 hours. He also said he had been depressed for months. There were 83 other people on board the flight heading to San Francisco from Everett, including 11 under the age of 14, according to a federal affidavit in support of the criminal complaint. "Plaintiffs were left in the dark about what was happening. Passengers did not know what was wrong," according to the lawsuit. "Thoughts of a complete plane malfunction or terrorist activity naturally entered their minds." Daniel Laurence, an attorney with the firm that filed the lawsuit, the Strittmatter Firm, said in the future he hopes to see every pilot who boards a plane rested and in the right state of mind. "The airlines need a wake-up call," Laurence wrote in a statement. "We understand that most pilots are heroes every day for safely operating our airliners. But they are not immune from sleeplessness, drinking, drugs, or a mental health crisis." The lawsuit also cited concerns of "pervasive mental illness" among pilots. Experts have said that many pilots avoid mental health care for fear of losing their jobs. The lawsuit argues Emerson's struggles, as well as his lack of sleep and use of drugs, should have been known to the airline. Another factor in preventing a similar incident from happening again is a full explanation from the airline about what exactly went wrong, according to the lawsuit. It asks that the airlines tighten safety and screening standards for pilots, "who have the knowledge and access to initiate a mass tragedy with their bare hands." Days after the incident, the other two pilots on the flight from Everett's Paine Field to San Francisco told police that before the incident Emerson had a casual conversation with them about types of aircraft. The pilot who was flying the aircraft told police there was "zero indication of anything wrong," according to the federal affidavit. He had also passed all of his mandated FAA medical certifications. According to the Cockpit Access Security System (CASS), which determines who can sit in a jump seat, Emerson was eligible to be there as a current Alaska Airlines captain. Alaska Airlines has since relieved him of all duties. Emerson was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder in the second degree and one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree in the Circuit Court in Multnomah County. Emerson pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charges. He also faces a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew. His next arraignment will be in late November. https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/passengers-alaskan-airlines-flight-pilot-cut-jets-engines-file-class-action-lawsuit/281-14ac9ad7-dc2f-4855-81c2-2076dcb6d849 Near-miss aviation incidents to be subject of US Senate hearing WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing next week on a series of troubling close-call aviation safety incidents that raised questions about Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control operations. The Nov. 9 aviation subcommittee hearing, which was reported earlier by Reuters, will include FAA Air Traffic Organization head Tim Arel, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Rich Santa, Air Lines Pilots Association President Jason Ambrosi and former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt. The committee said it will examine "serious close calls across the National Airspace System and related efforts to improve the U.S. aviation system's safety culture, processes and technologies." The NTSB has opened seven investigations into near-miss incidents since January, including some that were potentially catastrophic. "There have been far too many close calls and near-misses on our runways," Homendy said on Thursday during a speech. She noted the seven incidents this year "put more than 1,300 human lives at risk. ... These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for every single one of us, before something more catastrophic occurs." In August, a Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) Boeing 737 and a Cessna Citation 560X business jet came less than 100 feet (30 meters) apart in San Diego. The FAA said an air traffic controller cleared the Cessna to land on a runway even though Southwest Flight 2493 had already been told to taxi onto the same runway. A similar near-collision occurred in February in Austin, Texas, when a FedEx (FDX.N) cargo plane and a Southwest Boeing 737 came within about 115 feet (35 meters) in poor visibility conditions. The controller had cleared the FedEx plane to land and the Southwest plane to depart on the same runway. The FAA said in March it was taking steps to improve its air traffic control operations, which are short-staffed. "There is no question that we are seeing too many close calls," the FAA's Arel told employees. Homendy reiterated the need for more technology to prevent runway incursions and praised White House near-miss and close- call funding but says more is needed. The FAA said in September it was seeking recommendations on how it could require cockpit-alerting technologies designed to reduce runway safety events. It also commissioned a safety review team that is expected to release findings this month. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-senate-committee-hold-hearing-aviation-close-calls-2023-11-02/ Air India in dock for deploying aircraft with less emergency-use oxygen reserve than required for Delhi-US nonstop: DGCA seeks reply Air India is being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for using a Boeing 777 with insufficient emergency oxygen on a recent Delhi-US nonstop flight. The pilot refused to operate the aircraft due to the oversight, and the DGCA has requested information from the airline. Most aircraft have enough oxygen for 12-15 minutes per passenger, but planes flying over high mountains, such as the Hindu Kush range, need extra oxygen for 25-30 minutes. Air India is being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for using a Boeing 777 with insufficient emergency oxygen on a recent Delhi-US nonstop flight. The pilot refused to operate the aircraft due to the oversight, and the DGCA has requested information from the airline. Most aircraft have enough oxygen for 12-15 minutes per passenger, but planes flying over high mountains, such as the Hindu Kush range, need extra oxygen for 25-30 minutes. Air India is under regulatory scanner for deploying a “wrong” Boeing 777 with less than the required amount of emergency-use oxygen to operate a Delhi-US nonstop recently. The pilot refused to operate this aircraft on this route after detecting the same and now the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought information from the airline on this serious oversight. Most aircraft have cylinders to supply oxygen to overhead masks that deploy in case of cabin de-pressurisation for 12-15 minutes per passenger. This time is enough for planes for descend to 10,000 feet after which they are in an ambient environment safe for humans. At that altitude air is fed from the engine for cooling the aircraft and breathing. However, aircraft overflying high mountains can descend to 10,000 feet only after clearing the range. Which means they need to fly for much longer at higher altitude, and that requires extra cylinders on aircraft to supply oxygen to overhead passenger masks for 25-30 minutes. AI nonstops between Delhi and Europe and most North American cities overfly the mighty Hindu Kush range to bypass Afghan airspace ever since the same was closed for civilian traffic over two years back. The airline’s old Boeing 777s have an extra oxygen cylinder and regularly take this route. Recently AI took more B777s that do not have the extra cylinder and are okay to fly between west and south India and North America as those flights do not overfly the Hindu Kush. recommended by “AI’s nonstops between Delhi and North America are almost entirely (barring one or two exceptions) on old B777s that have extra oxygen cylinder. That day somehow an ex Delta new Boeing 777, which does not have extra cylinder, was deployed to operate a nonstop from Delhi to the US. The pilot detected the lapse, pointed out the same to AI and refused to operate the flight,” say sources. An AI spokesperson said: “The matter in question is multi-dimensional and has already been examined by Air India and external experts. We will restrain from offering any comment on this specific case but we wish to reiterate that the safety of our passengers and crew is our foremost priority and there is no compromise on the same.” The airline also perhaps realised its error and then this aircraft took a longer route to the US which did not require overflying the Hindu Kush, say sources. “The peaks in Hindu Kush ranges are 19,000-26,000 feet high. In case of cabin de-pressurisation while overflying them, aircraft need to fly for 22-30 minutes before they can descend to 10,000 feet and head to a safe alternate airport like Tashkent. This protocol was devised by AI about two years back when the Afghan airspace was closed for civilian overflying. Deploying an aircraft to overfly the Hindu Kush that does not have the mandatory extra oxygen supply is a serious oversight,” said people in the know. Aircraft flying to Leh also have extra oxygen cylinder. For the high terrain Hindukush route, AI had in 2021 carried out preparations through extra simulator drills, trial runs and special precautions to be taken. “This is the first time we will be taking the Hindu Kush route (technically called P500 and G500). The Afghan airspace closure would have been a cost escalation nightmare due to rising fuel prices. When we sat down together how to beat this latest emerging crisis, the Hindu Kush presented itself as the answer,” a senior AI official had told this reporter at that time. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/air-india-in-dock-for-deploying-aircraft-with-less-emergency-use-oxygen-reserve-than-required-for-delhi-us-nonstop-dgca-seeks-reply/articleshow/104924829.cms?from=mdr Raging airplane passenger defends her right to recline in latest flight dust-up: ‘I’m allowed!’ Fury is flying once again over reclining airplane seats — and this time one passenger is fighting for her airline-given rights. Footage from an unknown flight shows an unidentified woman tearing into another passenger who allegedly spent the whole trip trying to push her seat upright. “The whole trip she pushin’ my seat!” the woman said in a thick southern accent to the couple sitting behind her, who put their hands up in an attempt to defend their actions. “Both of y’all was doing the same thing,” the man tried to tell the woman — but he never stood a chance. Eyes wide with fury, the woman rose to her feet and shouted down the protestations of the alleged pusher. “No, you seen it! You know she did! I’m allowed to put my seat back! I’m allowed to put my seat back!” she shouted, pounding her chest. “I’m allowed. To. Put. My. Seat. Back!” she finally declared before turning around as the video cut out. The woman was irate at the people behind her, who she said kicked her seat the whole flight A woman was irate at the passengers behind her, who she said kicked her seat the whole flight. The usual debate was unleashed in the comments. “It can be annoying sometimes to be behind someone with their seat all the way, but if the airlines didn’t want to allow that, it wouldn’t happen,” wrote one man, John Hawkins, on X. “You don’t kick the seat like a baby. Blame the airline, not the person doing what the airline says is fine.” Passengers feud over seat reclining on airplane: ‘Respect the person behind you’ “I mean if she wasn’t allowed to put her seat back then why was the seat adjustable??” wrote another. The showdown was a strike-back for pro-recliners, who suffered a blow in August when a woman was filmed successfully battling back a recliner by holding the seat in front of her upright with her hands on a transatlantic flight. “Respect the person behind you,” the anti-reclining passenger repeated four times in patronizing tones as the woman ahead of her politely asked what was going on. Experts remain divided on the reclining debate. Diane Gottsman, an etiquette professional with the Protocol School of Texas, said reclining is rude “Unless you were sitting in a seat with extra legroom, or in first class,” according to USA Today. The people behind the woman tried to defend himself, but he was shouted down by the woman The man sitting behind the woman tried to defend himself, but he was shouted down by the woman. “Space is tight, and it’s common knowledge and no surprise that you will be sitting in tight quarters,” she added. Julia Esteve Boyd, an etiquette coach from Switzerland, disagreed. What do you think? Post a comment. “It can be irritating or uncomfortable for the person seated behind. However, it is completely reasonable to recline your seat if you want to,” Boyd told The Points Guy, adding one should be mindful of what their rear-seatmate is doing before raising or lowering their seat. https://nypost.com/2023/11/02/news/raging-airplane-passenger-defends-right-to-recline-video/ DIA briefly stops trains, grounds all flights Thursday after someone walked past a TSA checkpoint • It’s not clear how the person was able to walk past security, travelers were only notified once they were seated. • Denver International Airport briefly grounded all flights and stopped all trains after someone walked past a TSA checkpoint late Thursday morning. DENVER – Denver International Airport briefly grounded all flights and stopped all trains after someone walked past a TSA checkpoint late Thursday morning. The person was able to walk past a TSA officer on the A-bridge at 10:15 a.m. The trains to the gate and all flights were stopped as a precaution, according to a DIA spokesperson. It’s not clear how the person was able to walk past security without getting searched at the checkpoint. A viewer told Denver7 he only found out about the incident after the captain on his flight announced on the overheard there was a ground stop "because of a security breach at the airport." No one else at the airport received notice that a ground stop had been put in place. The individual who walked past the checkpoint was found on a concourse and the ground stop was lifted shortly after 10:20 a.m., the airport spokesperson said. Trains resumed service shortly after. DIA would not say if any charges were filed following the incident. The spokesperson said there was no threat to the general public. https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/dia-briefly-stops-trains-grounds-all-flights-thursday-after-someone-walked-past-a-tsa-checkpoint TSA finds a record 43 firearms in baggage at Midway Airport this year The Transportation Security Administration has detected a record 43 firearms at Midway Airport so far this year. TSA agents found a handgun in a passenger’s carry-on bag Friday, breaking the previous annual record of 42 firearms, set in 2021, according to a statement from TSA. After the firearm was detected on the X-ray screen, a TSA officer alerted Chicago police who confiscated the weapon. “It’s troubling that we’ve set an all-time record for firearms stopped at the checkpoint with two months still left in the year,” Illinois TSA Federal Security Director Dereck Starks said in a statement. “In addition to the serious safety risk these incidents pose, they also slow down the screening process for all passengers when we’re forced to temporarily close down a lane.” TSA determines the penalty for a firearm violation on a case-by-case basis, but fines can reach up to $14,950. The agency will also revoke TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years for any passenger caught at a checkpoint with a firearm. Nationwide, officers have intercepted 5,072 firearms at airport security checkpoints, placing them on track to pass last year’s record of 6,542 firearms. So far this year, officers have found 59 firearms at O’Hare Airport, with 11 found last month alone. In 2022, there were 85 firearms stopped at O’Hare checkpoints. Here are the free days at Chicago museums to visit before the end of 2023 While the number of firearms seized at security appears to be rising nationwide, the issue is “not as severe at either Chicago airport as some others,” a TSA spokeswoman told the Chicago Sun-Times. Sheldon Howard Jacobson, a professor at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and aviation security expert, said the rising numbers can likely be attributed to an increase in travel after the pandemic and advancements in technology. Jacobson said places with more lenient gun laws and large international airports such as Atlanta Hartsfield, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston Bush Intercontinental and Phoenix Sky Harbor will account for the most firearms detected. In most cases, the weapons found are legally registered to the owner who “just forgot that it’s in their bag,” Sheldon said. Jacobson said the TSA found an average of 18 firearms in carry-on bags each day nationwide last year. “It is not a large number,” he said. Asked if the rising numbers are cause for concern, Sheldon said: “It’s not what they catch that we have to be concerned about, it’s what they don’t catch.” Passengers are allowed to bring firearms in checked baggage if they are unloaded, packed separately from ammunition in a locked hardback case and declared at the airline check-in counter. However, with varying laws across the country, passengers must check firearm possession laws in the jurisdictions they are flying to and from. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/tsa-finds-a-record-43-firearms-in-baggage-at-midway-airport-this-year/3267191/ Four American Airlines flight attendants win California lawsuit over ‘toxic’ uniforms Flight attendants say the uniforms caused rashes, headaches and breathing problems. A jury in California ruled that a clothing company should pay more than $1 million to four American Airlines flight attendants who blamed chemicals used in the production of their uniforms for causing a variety of ailments including rashes, headaches and breathing problems. The verdict last week could be just the tip of the iceberg: Lawyers say they represent more than 400 other flight attendants who are making the same claims against the uniform maker. The judge has not affirmed the jury’s decision. A lawyer for the flight attendants called that step a technicality. The uniform maker’s lawyers declined to say whether they will appeal. American gave new uniforms to flight attendants in 2016, and many were happy to get them after a decade wearing the same outfit. Complaints soon followed, however. “I would wake up and my eyes would be completely swollen. I looked like I had been in a boxing match,” says Tracey Silver-Charan. “I was unable to breathe. I often felt like I was going to pass out on the job. I was coming home and my husband was running me to the urgent care.” American gave flight attendants the option of wearing their old uniforms, or even picking out an outfit at Macy’s or JCPenney, said Silver-Charan, a Los Angeles-based flight attendant who has been in the field for 37 years. Silver-Charan is part of a group of flight attendants who sued in 2017, and she was among four involved in the bellwether trial in Alameda County Superior Court near San Francisco to see how a jury would view the case. The jury decided that the uniforms provided by Twin Hill Acquisition Co. were a “substantial factor in causing harm” to the flight attendants. However, jurors said the company was not negligent in its design of the garments nor in failing to recall them when complaints began to pour in. “It’s been a long road, but we’re very happy with the outcome,” said Daniel Balaban, one of the lawyers for the airline employees. “We couldn’t represent better clients — who doesn’t love a flight attendant?” Uniform styles tested by American Airlines employees in 2015, which were later replaced by a different uniform. Balaban said that other cases could go to trial if Twin Hill declines to settle them. Twin Hill could ask the judge to reduce the jury award and could appeal the verdict. A lawyer for the company, Robert V. Good Jr., declined to comment when reached by phone. American eventually ended the contract with Twin Hill and contracted with Land’s End for uniforms. In their lawsuit, the flight attendants claimed that their uniforms contained traces of formaldehyde, toluene and other toxic chemicals linked to health problems. Resins containing formaldehyde have been used in fabric for years to keep clothes wrinkle-free and make them last longer. A 2010 study by congressional researchers found that formaldehyde levels in clothing are generally low, but some people suffer allergic reactions including rashes, blisters, and itchy or burning skin. Washing clothes before wearing them can help, but doesn’t always work, the researchers said. The flight attendants’ lawyers put on witnesses who testified about a 2018 study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, who reported finding a link between new uniforms and health complaints by Alaska Airlines attendants. Lawyers for Twin Hill put on expert witnesses who discounted the potential health effects of the uniforms. Silver-Charan said none of the defense experts ever talked to her or asked to test her uniform for chemicals. The jury proposed $320,000 in lost income and pain and suffering for Silver-Charan and $750,000 in damages for Brenda Sabbatino — the two attendants chosen by their lawyers. Defense lawyers selected two others who had reported less severe health effects. For them, the jurors proposed $10,000 and $5,000 in damages. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2023/11/02/four-american-airlines-flight-attendants-win-california-lawsuit-over-toxic-uniforms/ NASA Completes Key Step in Aviation Safety Research NASA’s transformational vision for the skies above our communities includes enabling safer and more efficient air travel. Part of this goal involves using advanced new technology to prevent safety risks long before they have a chance to arise. NASA’s aeronautical innovators have completed a significant step in their pursuit of safer, more efficient aviation technologies that spot hazards before they occur. Through its System-Wide Safety project, NASA and its partners in government, industry, and academia are exploring new technologies and techniques to improve current aviation safety and potentially enable widespread use of new types of aircraft such as drones or air taxis. The project recently completed Technical Challenge 1 (TC-1), Terminal Area Risk Management, the first step towards achieving what is known as an In-Time Aviation Safety Management System. This new type of aviation safety technology can effectively address potential hazards expected with the rise in demand for the number and types of aircraft flying in the National Airspace System. As aviation operations continue to grow in scale and diversity, and with new modes of flight expected to rise in the near future, keeping the skies safe becomes increasingly complex and drives the need to transform the way order is maintained above our communities. “What we’ve accomplished with TC-1 is really just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible,” said Kyle Ellis, NASA’s project manager for System-Wide Safety. “Developing these systems enables a new economy for aviation uses that will benefit us all in the future.” Planning Ahead In a busy aviation environment, an In-Time Aviation Safety Management System can efficiently identify and predict safety issues a human would be hard tasked to keep up with. In today’s airspace safety system, let’s say an air traffic manager is looking at their screen and guiding 10 airplanes towards their destinations. This person would use a combination of established safety rules and pattern recognition to make sure those aircraft remain a safe distance apart. If this person saw a hazard that posed a safety risk, they would work with the pilots aboard the aircraft and resolve the issue. Now, let’s think about the airspace of tomorrow. Instead of 10 airplanes total, 10 air taxis, 10 ultra-efficient airliners, and 10 commercial supersonic jets might be sharing the same confined airspace. Preventing and addressing hazards would become a more complex issue nearly impossible for a person to identify in time to prevent an accident. An In-Time Aviation Safety Management System is designed to identify these events much more rapidly than human operators, then quickly deliver actionable safety procedures to prevent the dangerous situation long before it develops. Furthermore, preventing these situations from ever arising in the first place increases the efficiency of the airspace overall, since not as much time and effort would be spent by managers keeping things running smoothly. Laying the Foundation TC-1 contributed several important pieces of technology working towards the development of such a system. These contributions improve aviation safety not just for tomorrow – but also for today. For example, part of the research included using new machine learning algorithms to analyze data gathered from major airlines, which use existing aviation safety management systems, to discover potential safety risks that had previously been undefined – overall making things safer. Researchers also gathered information on exact ways human safety managers, pilots, air traffic controllers, and others interact with safety procedures. The team identified useful, efficient practices, as well as those that could potentially lead to safety risks. Their work contributes substantially to improving training and safety operations. Additionally, researchers studied human performance and fatigue, partnering with pilots to study how various factors such as flight scheduling, certain short-haul routes, and even the COVID-19 pandemic affect operations. Other results include prototype safety tools and surveys on human performance. With this more comprehensive understanding of the safety landscape, NASA and its partners can more effectively continue ushering in new safety technologies. “We focused on gathering data on current-day operations, but always have an eye for the near future,” said Nikunj Oza, subproject manager for TC-1. “We can use the lessons learned about current aviation safety to best inform new systems.” https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-completes-key-step-in-aviation-safety-research/ SkyWest submits bid to continue jet engine air service at Sioux Gateway Airport SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - It looks like commercial air service will continue at the Sioux Gateway Airport after the current airline filed a new proposed contract. If accepted, the proposal would end “turbulence” over the future of local air travel after more than a year of uncertainty. SkyWest Airlines, which operates United’s Express Service, plans to continue serving Sioux City, according to a city official, ending fears Sioux Gateway Airport could be without jet service for passengers. Assistant City Manager Mike Collett says SkyWest filed a proposal with the U.S. Department of Transportation to continue operations in Sioux City. “So they’ve, you know, they realize we have the demand here (and) community needs to keep using the aircraft obviously and the service to maintain it, but they know that it’s warranted,” said Collett. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) previously rejected a bid from another airline, Boutique Air, because it wouldn’t use jet engine aircraft. Boutique Air has filed a new proposal, with routes to Omaha and/or Minneapolis. But the SkyWest bid is favored by the airport board of trustees. Right now, service at Sioux Gateway Airport is subsidized by the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. “To maintain the air service. We have the size aircraft, with Boutique’s proposal did not maintain those same elements,” said Collett. SkyWest’s current contract is set to end on March 31, 2024. Collett says the new contract would be for three years, starting the day after the current contract expires. According to the proposal, SkyWest would receive a subsidy of over $4,600 for each flight in year one of the new contract, decreasing to just over $4,200 in year three. That’s just over $100 per passenger. Whether SkyWest decided to stay or go mostly came down to the company’s own capacity. It was less about the city’s wishes. In fact, if you take a look at the data, most of the flights that leave here out of Sioux Gateway Airport are booked or even sometimes overbooked. The SkyWest proposal will be referred to the Sioux City City Council, and then on to the U.S. Department of Transportation for final approval. https://www.ktiv.com/2023/11/02/skywest-submits-bid-continue-jet-engine-air-service-sioux-gateway-airport/ 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