Flight Safety Information - December 25, 2023 No. 246 In This Issue : Incident: Southwest B738 near Atlanta on Dec 22nd 2023, engine shut down in flight : Incident: American A319 at Charlotte on Dec 23rd 2023, dragging brakes on takeoff : Incident: Austrian A320 at Frankfurt on Dec 21st 2023, smoke on board : Incident: British Airways B789 at Delhi on Dec 22nd 2023, fire indication : Federal investigators report on JetBlue tail strike incident at Yampa Valley Regional Airport in 2022 : Laser incident involving aircraft leads to Arizona man's arrest: PD : Spirit Airlines put an unaccompanied child on the wrong plane : FAA Identifies 19 Serious Near Miss Incidents In 2023: The Most In 7 Years : Call for CFIs and Student pilots: Need your help to alleviate Pilot Fatigue! : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Southwest B738 near Atlanta on Dec 22nd 2023, engine shut down in flight A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N8327A performing flight WN-3163 from Chicago Midway,IL to Fort Myers,FL (USA) with 122 people on board, was enroute at FL390 about 100nm northwest of Atlanta,GA (USA) when the crew needed to shut one of the engines (CFM56) down and diverted to Atlanta for a safe landing on runway 09L about 35 minutes later. The FAA reported the crew declared emergency reporting the failure of one of their engines. The airline reported a mechanical issue, the passengers were taken to Fort Myers on a different aircraft. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N8568Z reached Fort Myers with a delay of about 2.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=512c7c26&opt=0 Incident: American A319 at Charlotte on Dec 23rd 2023, dragging brakes on takeoff An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N730US performing flight AA-2497 from Charlotte,NC to Pensacola,FL (USA) with 134 people on board, was climbing out of Charlotte's runway 18C when the crew stopped the climb at about 15500 feet and decided to return to Charlotte reporting they had dragging brakes on departure and were concerned about their brakes on landing, they requested emergency services on stand by. The aircraft returned to Charlotte for a safe landing on runway 18C about one hour after departure. A replacement A319-100 registration N709UW reached Pensacola with a delay of about 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 6 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=512c7a16&opt=0 Incident: Austrian A320 at Frankfurt on Dec 21st 2023, smoke on board An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OE-LBI performing flight OS-208 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Vienna (Austria), was climbing out of Frankfurt's runway 18 when the crew stopped the climb at FL090 reporting smoke on board. The aircraft returned to Frankfurt for a safe landing on runway 25C about 15 minutes after departure. Several passengers reported there had been smoke on board of the aircraft, the crew also talked about smoke (and not an odour/smell). The airline reported the aircraft returned due to an unusual smell on board. There had been problems with the APU. The aircraft remained on the ground in Frankfurt for about 18 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=512bc4e9&opt=0 Incident: British Airways B789 at Delhi on Dec 22nd 2023, fire indication A British Airways Boeing 787-9, registration G-ZBKC performing flight BA-142 from Delhi (India) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was climbing out of Delhi's runway 29R when the crew stopped the climb at 4000 feet due to a fire indication on board and decided to return to Delhi. The aircraft subsequently entered a hold and landed safely on runway 29R about one hour after departure. The flight was postponed to the next day and is currently estimated to depart with a delay of 19:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=512bc374&opt=0 Federal investigators report on JetBlue tail strike incident at Yampa Valley Regional Airport in 2022 • The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has released a report on an incident involving a JetBlue flight striking its tail on the runway in January 2022. Federal investigators have determined an incident at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport on Jan. 22, 2022, involving a JetBlue Airbus A320-232 striking its tail on the runway, resulted from factors including incorrect assumptions made by the JetBlue pilots and unclear communications from an approaching aircraft. The incident occurred as the JetBlue aircraft took off from runway 10 on its way to Ft. Lauderdale, while pilots of a Beechcraft B-300 King Air were making their final approach to runway 28. According to the report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), investigators found the JetBlue pilots believed the King Air pilots were landing on runway 10 and “expedited their departure so they would not interfere with (their) landing, which they believed was going to happen behind them once they departed runway 10.” The NTSB report found that: “In this case, the crew’s expectation that the King Air was arriving on runway 10 biased their perception of incoming information such that contradictory evidence (radio calls indicating the King Air was landing on runway 28) was ignored or manipulated in the brain to be consistent with the person’s current expectation.” The investigators also determined the King Air pilots’ communications “had the potential to be clearer.” “All calls made (by the King Air) omitted identifying the airport at least once at the beginning or end of the transmission and sometimes they completely omitted the airport name,” the report stated. “This non-standard phraseology reduced the effectiveness of their radio calls by providing opportunity for their call to be dismissed as relating to a different airport, or not relevant for the airport at hand.” The JetBlue pilots announced on the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency that their aircraft was leaving the ramp area to taxi to runway 10 for departure at 11:48 a.m., according to the NTSB investigation. Seconds later, pilots of a Beechcraft B300 King Air reported over the frequency that they were “about 9 minutes out, for (runway) ten, coming in from the east, descending out of 17,000 feet.” But then the pilots changed their intentions and stated they would land on runway 28. The operator of the Universal Communications Frequency at Yampa Valley Regional Airport, which is used by the airport’s firefighters to provide pilots with local wind information, responded to the Beechcraft aircraft stating there were “multiple aircraft inbound” and winds were calm. As the JetBlue pilots were performing their after-start checklist, the King Air announced they were on a “12-mile final (runway 28) straight-in” and asked if any aircraft was going to depart from runway 10, to which the JetBlue pilots replied that they intended to hold on the taxiway near the end of runway 10 and wait for clearance to take off, according to the report. “Alright, copy,” the JetBlue pilot responded to the King Air’s pilots after they announced they were on a 10-mile final approach. At 11:56 a.m., the JetBlue pilots announced they had received clearance for takeoff on runway 10. Within five seconds of that transmission, the King Air pilots said they were on a final approach to runway 28, adding “they had been calling.” The JetBlue pilots then said they thought they were 8-9 miles away. The King Air pilot replied they were four miles away, and then added “even less than that.” According to the cockpit voice recording, the JetBlue first officer stated they were looking for the airplane both visually and on their onboard radar systems, but did not see the King Air. The JetBlue pilot then acknowledged the King Air and announced they were beginning their takeoff from runway 10. “I hope you don’t hit us,” the King Air pilot said. As the JetBlue plane rolled down the runway for its take-off, the first officer then reported that he observed the King Air on its approach to runway 2,8 and pointed out the aircraft on a radar display to the JetBlue captain. “About 20 seconds after JetBlue started their take-off on runway 10, the flight crew of the King Air asked JetBlue if they were going to do a quick turn-out, to which they replied, ‘yes sir,'” according to the NTSB report. Concurrent to the exchange, the JetBlue captain pitched the airplane up for take-off despite being 24 knots below the airplane’s rotation speed, which is the speed required for a plane to execute a take-off. The early pull-up caused the tail of the JetBlue airplane to strike the runway surface as it lifted off. The pilot then executed a sharp right turn. “When JetBlue began its right turn after departure from runway 10, the King Air was on a reciprocal course with 2.27 nautical miles of separation between the converging airplanes,” the reported stated. The NTSB report notes the tail strike occurred at 11:57 a.m., and that the JetBlue pilots discussed the incident but initially decided on continuing their flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Five minutes later, as the plane flew at 16,000 feet, the pilots conferred with the airplane’s flight attendants, who told them they felt the plane’s tail strike the runway on take-off. The information prompted the pilots to contact their maintenance controller, who advised them to land immediately. The flight crew then decided to divert to Denver International Airport, where they landed without incident. While the NTSB did not specifically fault the operator of the airport’s Universal Communications Frequency, the investigators said they had “the opportunity to improve the situational awareness in the pattern by including runway in use information.” There is no air traffic control tower at Yampa Valley Regional Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration only certifies control towers at airports where annual operations — the combined number landings and take-offs — exceed a figure of 100,000. “We have about one quarter of that,” said Kevin Booth, Yampa Valley Regional Airport director. Booth, who served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot, said the airport’s communications systems allow firefighter personnel to provide advisories to aircraft pilots who are landing or taking off, but they do not provide direction to pilots. “At a non-towered airport like this, my firefighters will advise, if asked — or even if not — they will give the pilot the wind, and typically the wind will determine which runway it makes sense to land on, you want to land into a headwind,” Booth said. Regarding the 2022 incident, Booth said he thought there were options for both the JetBlue and the King Air pilots to resolve it early on. “I think (the) incident was about the JetBlue crew and the pilot and co-pilot of the King Air that was coming in the other direction,” Booth said. “They were aware of each other before the JetBlue ever took the runway. There was no reason that the King Air couldn’t have landed on the runway that JetBlue was taking off from. And there was no reason that JetBlue, once they took the runway and realized there was a conflict, couldn’t have taxied 300 feet and cleared the runway and just waited for the guy to land. “As a pilot myself, I am reticent to say it was pilot error, but ultimately it was pilot error. My guys did a good job of informing them about each other and there was really no reason for that conflict to happen.” https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/federal-investigators-report-on-jetblue-tail-strike-incident-at-yampa-valley-regional-airport-in-2022/ Laser incident involving aircraft leads to Arizona man's arrest: PD PHOENIX - Officials with the Phoenix Police department say they have made an arrest in connection with a laser incident that was reported on the evening of Dec. 21. According to a brief statement we received on Dec. 23, officers were called to the area of 17th Avenue and Indianola at around 5:23 p.m., after reports that a man was shooting at commercial aircraft with a laser pointer, as the planes were about to land at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Laser incident ends with Phoenix man's arrest The incident, which Phoenix Police officials say involved planes that were about to land at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, happened on Thursday. The suspect was identified by police as 35-year-old William Hill. According to police, Hill "continued to shoot the laser pointer at the Phoenix Police helicopter as patrol officers arrived in the area." Hill, according to police, has been booked into jail, and is accused of aiming a laser pointer at an occupied aircraft, which is a crime under Arizona law. According to figures by the Federal Aviation Administration, 9,457 laser strike incidents were reported to the agency in 2022, the latest year with available statistics, which marked a slight decrease from 2021, when 9,723 such incidents were reported to the agency. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/laser-incident-involving-aircraft-leads-to-arizona-mans-arrest-pd Spirit Airlines put an unaccompanied child on the wrong plane • Fort Myers, Florida, television station WINK identified the child as a 6-year-old first-time flyer who was supposed to visit his grandmother. Spirit Airlines has apologized after it mistakenly put an unaccompanied child on the wrong flight during the holiday season travel rush. The child was supposed to fly from Philadelphia International Airport to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers on Thursday. But the minor was “incorrectly boarded” on a flight to Orlando, according to the airline. “The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them,” Spirit said in a statement Saturday. “We take the safety and responsibility of transporting all of our Guests seriously and are conducting an internal investigation,” the airline added. “We apologize to the family for this experience.” Spirit did not provide any information about the child or explain how the mistake happened. WINK-TV, a television station in Fort Myers, identified the child as a 6-year-old first-time flyer who was supposed to visit his grandmother. “I ran inside the plane to the flight attendant and I asked her, ‘Where’s my grandson? He was handed over to you at Philadelphia?’ She said, ‘No, I had no kids with me,’” Maria Ramos, the boy’s grandma, told WINK-TV. Fortunately, Ramos’ grandchild called her and said he had landed — 160 miles away. She told WINK-TV that she wants answers. “I want them to call me [and] let me know how my grandson ended up in Orlando,” Ramos said. “How did that happen? Did they get him off the plane? The flight attendant — after mom handed him with paperwork — did she let him go by himself? He jumped in the wrong plane by himself?” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/spirit-airlines-put-unaccompanied-child-wrong-plane-rcna131071 FAA Identifies 19 Serious Near Miss Incidents In 2023: The Most In 7 Years SUMMARY • The FAA identified 19 serious runway incursions in 2023, the highest since 2016. Causes include ATC staffing shortage, pilot inexperience, and outdated technology. • A panel of experts will address air traffic controller fatigue starting in January 2024 to improve safety. • The FAA has hired 1,500 controllers this year and the White House allocated $26 million for new technology to enhance aviation safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has identified 19 serious runway incursions between January and October this year, a number not seen since 2016. While the total number of incidents this year has not yet been announced, it is expected to be even higher. Officials have pointed to staffing issues, inexperience of airline pilots, and outdated technology as possible causes of the high number. Many have also pointed out that the system is under stress due to record year-on-year air traffic growth in 2023 as the industry recovers from the COVID pandemic. The FAA has begun establishing a panel of experts, led by a former safety board official and sleep expert, to address air traffic controller fatigue after a series of near-miss incidents. The panel will begin their work in January next year to “examine how the latest science on sleep needs and fatigue considerations could be applied to controller work requirements and scheduling,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Controller shortage According to an FAA-commissioned report, the FAA has around 1,000 fewer certified controllers than it did a decade ago, while air traffic has increased significantly. The report indicates that staffing shortages are becoming increasingly hazardous for air travel, and such risk can be reduced by slowing down traffic. Air Traffic Controller Shortage Is Damaging Aviation Safety Witnesses at the senate hearing cautioned that ongoing ATC staffing issues could lead to further near-miss incidents across the US. The FAA said ATC and pilots “all play critical roles” in the industry’s safety and noted that 1,500 controllers have been hired this year, in addition to more than 2,600 placed “at various levels of training at air traffic facilities across the country.” Earlier this year, the White House allocated $26 million in fresh funding to implement new technology aimed at improving aviation safety across the United States. The funding was first used to improve air traffic controllers' situational awareness, implementing automation systems to alert air traffic controllers when aircraft are approaching the wrong runway. The FAA also deployed runway incursion devices at an additional 72 airports. Incidents so far The first major near miss took place at JFK, one of the busiest airports in the country. The incident involved an American Airlines 777 and a Delta 737, both departing from the airport. Since then, we have seen numerous near misses taking place around the US. In the month of February alone, there were at least three recorded incidents investigated, including a near-miss in Sarasota involving Air Canada Rouge and American Airlines, a close call in Hollywood Burbank Airport involving a Mesa CRJ900, operating for American Eagle, and a departing United Express E175 and another incursion at Austin-Burgstrom involving Fedex and Southwest, In March, another near-miss took place at Hollywood Burbank Airport, this time involving Southwest B737 and a Bell helicopter. In the same month, on March 7, a near-miss occurred at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that saw an American Eagle taxiing across a runway in the path of United Airlines flight UA2003, which had just been cleared for takeoff. The FAA Says "Zero" Close Calls Should Happen Again Following a spate of incidents across the US, and faced with a summer of crowded skies, the FAA is taking action to improve safety. After holding a safety summit and issuing alerts on near misses, the FAA failed to prevent incidents from happening for the rest of the year. In May, a loss of separation between a JetBlue A220-300 and an American B737 MAX 8 took place at Charleston Airport, and another loss of communication caused two planes to abort landing at San Francisco International Airport. https://simpleflying.com/faa-near-miss-incidents-2023/ Call for CFIs and Student pilots: Need your help to alleviate Pilot Fatigue! CFIs and Flight Students, Greetings from Oklahoma State University! My name is Md Mijanur Rahman, and I am a graduate student working under the supervision of Dr. Nicoletta Fala at the Aviation Engineering Operations Analysis (ÆON) lab in the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology. We are conducting research to understand and alleviate the impact of fatigue on the quality and safety of flight training from a CFI and student perspective. This research could help the flight training industry improve the work environment of the CFI, improve safety, and raise the quality of training provided to student pilots. As a part of this research, we are seeking your voluntary participation in an online survey regarding work-induced fatigue in a flight training environment. This survey will take anywhere from 15 mins (Student Pilots) to 30 mins (CFIs) depending on your role. Your responses will allow us to elicit information and perceptions on the organization of work and the factors that contribute to fatigue and burnout at collegiate and independent flight schools. To compensate you for your time, you will be entered into a drawing to win one of ten $50 gift cards. We will ask you to provide your contact information in a second survey if you wish to participate in the drawing to maintain anonymity in your responses. If you are interested, please click here or copy and paste the following link in your browser’s address bar: https://okstate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0wyWrqmHNsMJfy6 We would also like your help in recruiting qualified CFIs and Students as research participants. To help us in this effort, please forward this email to friends and colleagues. We appreciate your time and willingness to help. GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY I am a professional pilot with 16 years of experience, flying the B777 for a major Middle Eastern airline. Concurrently, I'm pursuing an MSc in Air Transport Management at City University, London. My journey in aviation has been defined by a commitment to excellence and a passion for continually exploring new horizons within the industry. My research: I am conducting research for my MSc final project titled "Policy Drivers for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Adoption: Case Study India." The research aims to explore the policy mechanisms required for SAF adoption/deployment in the Indian aviation industry. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is an eco-friendly alternative aviation fuel derived from sustainable sources, proven to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent over its lifecycle. However, these fuels cost 2-4 times more than conventional jet fuels. This survey investigates the public perceptions and attitudes towards SAF and its potential implications for air travel. Valuable insights gained from this study will advance the understanding of public attitudes and perceptions of SAF adoption in the aviation industry. The perspectives shared will contribute to developing effective policy mechanisms for SAF deployment, assisting policymakers in aligning the aviation industry with sustainable practices. This is an anonymous survey targeted at air travelers and is designed to be completed in about 10 to 12 minutes. Link to the survey: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5cGRH3H5CPfX1HM Kind regards, Deepak Nalla CALENDAR OF EVENTS • SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2024 - February 20 - 25 • HAI Heli-Expo 2024 - February 26 - 29 - Anaheim, CA • 2024 Women in Aviation International Conference - March 21-23 (Orlando) • 2024 ACSF Safety Symposium – Air Charter Safety Foundation - April 1-3, 2024 • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis