Flight Safety Information - January 2, 2024 No. 002 In This Issue : Accident: JAL A359 at Tokyo on Jan 2nd 2024, collided with Coast Guard DH8C on runway and burst into flames : Incident: Delta B763 near Tokyo on Dec 30th 2023, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Delta A339 near Shannon on Jan 1st 2024, fumes on board : At least 17 passengers on Japan Airlines flight injured after collision : AIG leads $130mn cover for Japan Airlines Flight 516 : SECOND SAFEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR AIRLINE SAFETY : Man dead after climbing into airplane engine at Salt Lake City International : Airport security breaches remain a major concern for authorities responsible for air safety : The world’s most punctual airlines and airports in 2023 : Sky beckons: DGCA issues maximum pilot licences in 2023 (India) : Regional air carrier JSX to purchase more than 330 hybrid-electric aircraft : Dual Engine Failure Leads To Off-Airport Landing : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Accident: JAL A359 at Tokyo on Jan 2nd 2024, collided with Coast Guard DH8C on runway and burst into flames A JAL Japan Airlines Airbus A350-900, registration JA13XJ performing flight JL-516 from Sapporo to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 367 passengers and 12 crew, landed on Haneda's runway 34R at 17:47L (08:47Z) in night time conditions but collided with a Japanese Coast Guard Dash 8-300 registration JA722A (Coast Guard code MA722) on the runway shortly after touchdown and burst into flames. The A350 came to a stop down on the runway and was evacuated. All occupants were able to evacuate. The other aircraft carrying 6 people also burst into flames, 5 of the six occupants are confirmed dead. Both aircraft burned down. 17 occupants of the A359 received injuries, the captain of the Dash 8 received serious injuries. The airline reported their A350 was carrying 367 passengers (including 8 children) and 12 crew, all of them evacuated from the aircraft. Japan's Coast Guard reported their Dash 8-300 registration JA722A (Code MA722) was carrying 6 people, the captain was able to evacuate, the other 5 are currently missing. The aircraft was carrying supplies to their Niigata based where the New Year's Earthquake struck. Tokyo's Metropolitan Police reported 5 of the occupants of the Dash 8 are confirmed dead. Tokyo's fire department reported, the captain of the DH8C received serious injuries, 17 occupants of the A359 received injuries. Passengers of the A359 reported the landing appeared normal at first, after touchdown there was a thud and the outside lit up in orange. A first announcement was made "please calm down" followed by "do not take your luggage and do not stand up". There was no clear announcement to evacuate, however, when other passengers stood up they also stood up and thus escaped. Japan's Ministry of Transport stated Haneda Airport was closed, the flights cancelled, there is no prediction when the airport will open again. A number of arriving flights are being diverted to Narita Airport where the flights are being accepted one by one. https://avherald.com/h?article=5132b9fe&opt=0 Incident: Delta B763 near Tokyo on Dec 30th 2023, engine shut down in flight A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N169DZ performing flight DL-181 from Honolulu,HI (USA) to Tokyo Haneda (Japan), was enroute at FL360 over the Pacific Ocean about 840nm east of Tokyo Narita (Japan) when the left hand engine failed and was shut down. The aircraft drifted down to FL280 and continued to Japan but diverted to closer Tokyo's Narita Airport, where the aircraft landed safely on runway 34L about 2 hours later. A passenger reported there was a gurgling sound and the left hand engine stopped, the aircraft turned left then right. The captain subsequently announced the left hand engine had failed and they were flying on the right hand engine only, they would divert to Narita since it was closer. After landing fire engines positioned next to the left hand engine, maintenance engineers opened the engine cover. https://avherald.com/h?article=5132453e&opt=0 Incident: Delta A339 near Shannon on Jan 1st 2024, fumes on board A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-900, registration N413DX performing flight DL-113 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Boston,MA (USA) with 294 people on board, was enroute at FL360 over the Atlantic Ocean about 160nm south of Shannon (Ireland) when the crew declared PAN PAN and decided to divert to Shannon reporting they had fumes on board. The aircraft landed safely on Shannon's runway 06 about 30 minutes later, vacated the runway and taxied to a remote stand, where a rapid disembarkation via mobile stairs commenced. Paramedics examined one passenger who reported feeling unwell. The remainder of the flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Shannon about 6 hours after landing and is estimated to position to Boston after about 27 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=513242f9&opt=0 At least 17 passengers on Japan Airlines flight injured after collision Seventeen passengers on board Japan Airlines flight 516 were injured after it landed on the runway of Haneda airport and burst into flames, Japan public broadcaster NHK reports, citing local fire officials. No further details on their injuries were provided. More than 100 fire trucks were dispatched to the scene of the fire and most flights have been cancelled, NHK reports. Five of the crew members on board the Japan Coast Guard flight were killed and one injured when it collided with the Japan Airlines flight, NHK reports, citing local police. Japan Airlines is investigating the details and cause of the plane fire, a representative for the airline told CNN. Video footage showed the passenger jet consumed by a large fireball as it moved down the runway. The plane was then seen at a standstill with people using emergency slides to flee the inferno as firefighters tried to battle the growing flames. https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/japan-earthquake-plane-fire-news-01-02-24/index.html AIG leads $130mn cover for Japan Airlines Flight 516 AIG is the lead on the $130mn all-risks policy for the Japan Airlines plane that turned into a fireball at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport earlier today, The Insurer can reveal. https://www.theinsurer.com/news/aig-leads-130mn-cover-for-japan-airlines-flight-516/ SECOND SAFEST YEAR ON RECORD FOR AIRLINE SAFETY The 2023 year was the second safest on record for airline safety with only five fatal crashes claiming 105 lives according to the website aviation-safety.net. The airline safety numbers are: Total number of flights: 35 million Serious incidents: 1213 Accidents: 134 Fatal Accidents: 5 Deaths; 105 The five-year average is 13 accidents a year and 300 deaths. Worst Crash The worst crash (above) in 2023 was the loss of a Yeti Airlines ATR72 on January 15, 2023, in Nepal which claimed 72 lives. The non-flying captain feathered the propellers instead of lowering the flaps, causing a loss of forward thrust and the aircraft stalled and crashed. There were no survivors. Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world. Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information. The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations as well as the airline’s own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate. Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating. Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/second-safest-year-on-record-for-airline-safety/ Man dead after climbing into airplane engine at Salt Lake City International Police investigate a death at Salt Lake International Airport on Jan. 2, 2023, after a man was found unconsious inside the compartment of an engine. SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Authorities are investigating after a man at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Monday died when he entered the engine of a commercial plane parked at a deicing pad, police stated. The 30-year-old has not yet been publicly identified. The incident began around shortly before 10 p.m. Jan. 1, whenterminal shop manager contacted airport authorities to report a passenger disturbance, according to a statement from the Salt Lake City Police Department. The man had used an emergency exit to access a restricted area of an airport ramp. "At approximately 10:10 p.m., SLCPD officers and Airport Operations employees found the man unconscious inside a wing-mounted engine of an occupied commercial aircraft on the deicing pad," according to the Salt Lake City Police statement. "SLCPD officers, Airport Operations, and the Salt Lake City Fire Department performed lifesaving efforts, but the man died on scene." The aircraft engines were not running at the time, according to police. It's unclear why the man accessed the deicing pad or why he chose to enter the engine compartment. All passengers from the aircraft involved were deplaned, and police stated that airport operations were not significantly impacted, SLCPD investigators are working with the medical examiner's office to determine the exact cause of death. It's unknown how the man was able to access the restricted area undetected or why the emergency exit door alarm failed to prevent his entry. https://kutv.com/news/local/salt-lake-city-international-airport-death-airplane-engine-intake-cowling-deicing-pad-security-breach-man-killed-slcpd-police-department-investigation-unauthorized-access-trespassing Airport security breaches remain a major concern for authorities responsible for air safety A combination of technology and personnel dedicated to making air travel safe has created a system that makes it all but impossible for a gun to slip through the Transportation Security Administration’s screening and onto a plane. But it has happened. On Oct. 21, Jeff Wilson, a Republican state senator from Washington State boarded a plane at Portland International Airport with his wife for the first leg of a five-week vacation in Southeast Asia. Carry-on bags were screened again when passengers changed planes in San Francisco for the flight to Hong Kong, according to investigators. Halfway through the trip, Wilson reached into his bag for a pack of gum. He discovered his pistol was inside. The TSA said it is reviewing video surveillance from the airport and images from screening equipment as part of its investigation into how the gun made it onto a plane undetected. Wilson was arrested and charged with possession of an unregistered firearm after notifying customs officials about the gun when the plane landed in Hong Kong. He told authorities that he packed quickly and failed to check the contents of his bag. The gun was registered in Washington, and Wilson has a permit to carry a concealed firearm. A judge in Hong Kong acquitted Wilson after an Oct. 30 hearing, The Associated Press reported. In January, a man was traveling from Nashville to Raleigh when a TSA agent spotted a gun in his bag that previously was missed by screeners. Musician Cliff Waddell told authorities he was shocked the gun was in his bag because he flew with the same bag the day before and it was not detected. He told investigators he didn’t know how the gun got in the bag because he keeps it locked in the glove compartment of his car. He later realized that he took the gun out when the vehicle was taken to a shop for repairs, the AP reported. While Waddell took responsibility for failing to keep track of his gun, he said he is worried about how the TSA could have missed something so significant. In June 2022, the TSA launched an investigation to determine whether a gun was missed during screening at a checkpoint in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported. Authorities said they were doing a secondary review of images made of bags that already passed through TSA screening that showed a firearm may have been missed, the newspaper reported. The agency said it searched the terminal for the passenger with the carry-on bag but were not able to find them. In November 2021, a TSA screener at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport spotted a gun in a passenger’s bag, according to the AP. When the officer opened the suitcase, the man reached for the gun and it went off. The passenger, a 42-year-old convicted felon named Kenny Wells, grabbed the 9 mm semi-automatic Smith & Wesson and managed to escape from the airport by blending in with other passengers who were fleeing the scene. Authorities reported that several passengers and staff members were injured during the sudden evacuation, including a woman who struck her head after falling down the escalator and a Delta Airlines agent who was trampled. In May, Wells was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In 2022, more than 6,500 guns were seized from the 853 million passengers who were screened by TSA before boarding an airplane. Aviation security officials believe the majority of guns being carried by passengers are being stopped by screeners, but they are still concerned about even one gun making it onto a plane. In February 2022, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Transportation and Marine Security conducted a hearing chaired by U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., to address the surging number of firearms at TSA checkpoints, according to a transcript. In her opening remarks, Coleman said it was “good news” that “TSA has a talented workforce and top-notch technologies. But the bad news is that it only takes a single gun slipping through for tragedy to ensue. The deadly consequences of a hijacker bringing a loaded firearm on a plane are not difficult to imagine. “Even when TSA successfully interdicts a weapon, transportation workers and the traveling public face dangers,” she said. “Just a few months ago in Atlanta, a passenger accidentally discharged his firearm at a checkpoint, resulting in chaos, injuries and flight delays.” Coleman recounted a January 2017 incident in which five people were killed and six others were wounded at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport when a man opened fire on passengers who were standing in a baggage claim area. The case illustrates that even when a gun is transported properly, its presence in an airport can pose a danger to the public, she said. Former Army reservist Esteban Santiago pleaded guilty to the shooting and was sentenced to life in prison, according to the Miami Herald. He was accused of packing the weapon in a gun case and declaring it on his flight from Alaska to Florida. When he arrived, he claimed the case, went into a restroom to load the gun and came out shooting. Two months before the shooting, Santiago was briefly hospitalized for psychiatric care after he went to the FBI office in Anchorage and told agents he was hearing voices telling him to support the Islamic State terrorist group. He also told agents the CIA was pressuring him to watch training videos, the Herald reported. Agents referred Santiago to Anchorage police, who took his handgun from him while he underwent a psychiatric evaluation for a few days. The gun was returned in December, and Santiago used it in the airport attack, according to the newspaper. Coleman said during the hearing that the rising number of guns detected in airports places transportation workers and the traveling public in danger. “The increase in unruly passenger incidents alongside the increase in firearms injected into the aviation environment make for a toxic combination,” she said. “We need to explore a range of solutions to keep guns off planes and away from the TSA checkpoints. “This should not be a partisan issue. This is not about gun control but about aviation security. We must all stand together in support of keeping loaded pistols off planes.” In addition to higher fines, violators should be required to attend gun-safety classes, said Balram Bheodari, general manager of Atlanta’s main airport. He also suggested that Congress consider placing violators on the federal no-fly list until they complete safety training along with suspending them from quick-screening programs such as PreCheck. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson had more guns detected than any other U.S. airport in 2022. Coleman also questions the legitimacy of so many people using the same excuse when they are caught and doesn’t think it should give them a pass from facing consequences. “It’s hard for me to believe that everybody that gets caught … forgot they had it,” she testified. “And even if they did forget they had it, it’s still an illegal act and we need to treat it as such.” In the wake of the hearings, the TSA increased fines from $13,910 to $14,950 and agreed to revoke PreCheck eligibility for five years when a person is caught with a gun. The congressional hearing also noted that additional efforts to improve airport security were enacted at the nation’s airports following the Nov. 1, 2013, shooting death of TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez, 39, at Los Angeles International Airport. Hernandez was greeting passengers and checking travel documents when a gunman opened fire, killing him and wounding several other people. Coleman said the increase in the number of guns being seized at airports should be a signal seen for authorities to be proactive in coming up with solutions. “If and when something unthinkable happens, we can hardly act surprised,” she said. “It simply should not take a tragedy, whether it is a hijacking or an accidental discharge that claims a life, to trigger action.” https://triblive.com/local/regional/airport-security-breaches-remain-a-major-concern-for-authorities-responsible-for-air-safety/ The world’s most punctual airlines and airports in 2023 Nothing about flying is as exasperating as getting your flight delayed, cancelled or disrupted. Arriving at or departing from a destination on time is one of the most important considerations a traveler takes before deciding whether to book a subsequent flight from the same airline. Latest results from travel data analytics firm Cirium revealed that the most punctual airline last year in the global category was Colombia’s Avianca Airlines, which achieved an 85.73% on-time performance rate, followed by Brazil’s Azul Airlines (85.51%), which lost its top ranking. Qatar Airways came in third with an 85.11% OTP rate. A global airline is defined as one that serves in three regions daily, the company said. An airline’s on-time performance is calculated by whether the plane arrives at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time and if it departs within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time. Asia’s most on-time airlines In Asia-Pacific, Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines claimed the top two spots with on-time performance rates of 82.75% and 82.58% respectively. Thailand’s Thai AirAsia fell to fourth place last year from first in 2022. Indian low-cost carrier Indigo rose to fourth from fifth place last year on the back of the company’s rapid expansion. The airline, which has the largest fleet size and market share in India, became the first Indian carrier in 2023 to carry 100 million passengers in a calendar year. It had an on-time performance score of 82.12%, the report showed. “IndiGo has really emerged as a powerful player in APAC. Their operations have been transformed since Covid,” said David White, vice-president of business development at Cirium. “It’s giving both ANA [All Nippon Airways] and JAL [Japan Airlines] a run for their money in terms of their on-time performance,” White said at an online press conference ahead of the report’s release. Most punctual airports Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport was the world’s most punctual airport in 2023. This was followed by India’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The Indian airport did not make the top 10 rankings in 2022, and the monumental jump to second is on the back of “pretty phenomenal” investments, said Mike Malik, Cirium’s chief marketing officer. “You don’t sustain these numbers unless you’re paying very close attention and you’re making all the right investments in technology tools, process and people,” White highlighted. Here’s the full ranking, according to Cirium. Global Avianca Airlines — Colombia Azul Airlines — Brazil Qatar Airways — Qatar Delta Air Lines — U.S. Iberia — Spain Asia-Pacific All Nippon Airways — Japan Japan Airlines — Japan Thai AirAsia — Thailand IndiGo — India Air New Zealand — New Zealand Europe Iberia Express — Spain Iberia — Spain Norwegian Air Shuttle — Norway Austrian Airlines — Austria LOT Polish Airlines — Poland Global airports Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport — U.S. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport — India Kempegowda International Airport — India El Dorado International Airport — Colombia Salt Lake City International Airport — U.S. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/02/the-worlds-most-punctual-airlines-and-airports-in-2023.html Sky beckons: DGCA issues maximum pilot licences in 2023 (India) NEW DELHI: India issued the highest ever number of commercial pilot licences (CPL) — 1,622 — last year, almost 40% more than 1,165 in 2022. Last year, 292 women got CPLs (18% of total issued) — 22% more than 2022, said an official of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). While the number of CPLs issued by DGCA in the last decade has almost doubled — from 783 in 2013-14 to 1,622 last year, share of those going to women has nearly tripled — from 116 to 293 — in the same period. India already has the highest proportion of women pilots globally. “It is estimated 14% of workforce employed with scheduled airlines consists of women pilots. This is the second consecutive year where the number of licenses issued has witnessed a decade-high,” a senior DGCA official said. Durba Banerjee had become the first Indian woman commercial pilot in 1956 when she joined erstwhile Indian Airlines. In January 2021, Air India had operated one of the world’s longest nonstops — San Francisco-Bengaluru — with four women pilots who took the polar route on their way home. Being the fastest growing aviation market globally and with Indian carriers led by Tata Group Air India & IndiGo having over 1,600 aircraft on order, India is estimated to require thousands of pilots in coming decades. As a result a large number of youngsters are increasingly choosing this vocation which is reflected in the CPL numbers. recommended by In a statement titled “milestone achievement: DGCA sets record of decade-high CPLs issued,” the regulator particularly highlighted the 22% jump in licences issued to women last year. The Modi government has been trying to promote flying training organisations so that the large number of cadet pilots who go abroad for this expensive training can do the same at home. Several new FTOs have opened but a number of issues still plague flying training in India. These include comparatively long time taken for completing the required number of flying hours to earn a CPL as opposed to doing so in a few months abroad, albeit at a much higher cost. The others include safety concerns and overall lack of desired quality of training in some places. Meanwhile, DGCA official added: “To cater to long time demand of small business & helicopter operators, the regulator has granted approval for a new helicopter flying training organisation to enable aspirants to undertake training & acquire commercial licenses for copters. With this it’s expected that the helicopter industry largely engaged in regional connectivity services, pilgrimage and air-ambulance will shore up in terms of crew strength by receiving additional pool other than ex-military pilots.” https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sky-beckons-dgca-issues-maximum-pilot-licences-in-2023/articleshow/106459549.cms?from=mdr Regional air carrier JSX to purchase more than 330 hybrid-electric aircraft The company expects to add the new models to its fleet of 48 Embraer E145s in 2028, opening new air travel options for small communities, Jack Daleo reports for Flying. DALLAS - One of the world’s premier regional air carriers plans to add hundreds of hybrid-electric aircraft to its fleet. Dallas-based JSX, the only regional air carrier with a five-star rating from the Airline Passenger Experience Association, signed letters of intent (LOIs) to acquire as many as 332 hybrid-electric models from manufacturers Electra.aero, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace. The charter jet service expects to receive its first delivery in 2028, with a hybrid-electric rollout that same year, Jack Daleo writes for Flying. Continue reading original article. The Military & Aerospace Electronics take: 2 January 2024 -The Electra eSTOL (electric Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft is a low-emission airplane designed to transport 9 passengers or 2,500 pounds of cargo with a range of up to 500 nautical miles. It has the unique ability to take off and land in less than 150 feet at very slow speeds with batteries that recharge in-flight, eliminathttps://www.militaryaerospace.com/commercial-aerospace/article/14303090/regional-air-carrier-jsx-to-purchase-more-than-330-hybrid-electric-aircrafting the need for new ground infrastructure. Electra’s eSTOL aircraft leverages distributed electric propulsion and blown lift as well as a small turbine-powered generator to drive eight electric motors distributed across the wing, providing high lift at low airspeed and low drag at high speed. This enables the aircraft to cleanly and quietly operate closer to where people and cargo need to go, providing air connectivity where it doesn’t exist today, including to small cities and regional airports. Aura Aero’s Era is a brand-new eco-responsible aircraft capable of transporting 19 passengers or 1.9 tons of freight with a flexible seating configuration. As a solution to the decarbonization of regional aviation, the hybrid-electric Era offers a range of up to 900 nautical miles (1,600 kilometers) in a comfortable, pressurized cabin. The ES-30 is a regional hybrid-electric airplane with a standard seating capacity of 30 passengers offering low emissions, low noise pollution, and low operating costs on short-haul routes. The ES-30 has the flexibility to fly up to 500 miles, including 250 miles of hybrid range and up to 125 miles under full electric, zero-emissions power. https://www.militaryaerospace.com/commercial-aerospace/article/14303090/regional-air-carrier-jsx-to-purchase-more-than-330-hybrid-electric-aircraft Dual Engine Failure Leads To Off-Airport Landing A rare dual engine failure is being cited in the injury-free off-airport landing of a light Piper twin (maybe a Twin Comanche) on Saturday in Kansas. Lane County Sheriff’s Department said the plane “lost both engines” and the pilot put it down on a field near Dighton. It being Kansas, it appears there were impromptu landing sites as far as the eye could see and the pilot and two passengers weren’t hurt. The Sheriff’s Department did not say what caused both engines to quit at the same time. The FAA and NTSB will be looking into it. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/dual-engine-failure-leads-to-off-airport-landing/ 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