Flight Safety Information - January 3, 2024 No. 003 In This Issue : Incident: Southwest B738 at Nashville on Dec 31st 2023, bird strike : Accident: India A20N at Dubai on Dec 20th 2023, hard landing at 3.5G : Incident: KLM Cityhopper E190 at Amsterdam on Dec 29th 2023, lightning strike : Investigators Focus On Air Traffic Communication After Fatal Tokyo Plane Collision : Pilot killed in Sea World Helicopters mid-air crash had taken cocaine, ATSB states : Ranked: The 25 Safest Airlines In The World, According To AirlineRatings.com : Lesson passengers should learn from the Tokyo plane crash : U.S. insurer AIG leads policy for Japan Airlines plane -sources : Global Aerospace Adds FlightSafety, GE to SM4 Program : How U.S. Pilot Unions’ Manufactured Pilot Shortage Will Slowly Ease : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Southwest B738 at Nashville on Dec 31st 2023, bird strike A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N8632A performing flight WN-169 from Boston,MA to Nashville,TN (USA), was on approach to Nashville's runway 02R when a bird impacted the aircraft. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE CONE, NASHVILLE, TN." The aircraft remained on the ground in Nashville for about 32 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=5132f5f3&opt=0 Accident: India A20N at Dubai on Dec 20th 2023, hard landing at 3.5G An Air India Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-CIQ performing flight AI-933 from Cochin (India) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), landed on Dubai's runway 12L but touched down at about 3.5G at 12:18L (08:18Z). The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron. The aircraft remained on the ground until Dec 27th 2023 then positioned to Mumbai (India) maintaining a maximum flight level 090. The aircraft is still on the ground in Mumbai on Jan 2nd 2024. India's DGCA opened an investigation into the "severe hard landing" stating that fortunately the aircraft apparently did not receive structural damage. https://avherald.com/h?article=5132e711&opt=0 Incident: KLM Cityhopper E190 at Amsterdam on Dec 29th 2023, lightning strike A KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-190, registration PH-EZR performing flight KL-1357 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Prague (Czech Republic), was climbing out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the aircraft received a lightning strike prompting the crew to stop the climb at FL170 and return to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 18R about 25 minutes after departure. The rotation was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 50 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5131ae94&opt=0 Investigators Focus On Air Traffic Communication After Fatal Tokyo Plane Collision Police are conducting a separate probe into possible professional negligence. TOKYO (AP) — Investigators were focusing on communication between air traffic control and two aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Wednesday, a day after a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames, killing five people. The accident occurred Tuesday evening when the Japan Airlines flight 516 plane landed on one of Haneda’s four runways after the coast guard aircraft — a Bombardier Dash-8 — had also entered, preparing to take off. An orange fireball erupted from both aircraft as the JAL plane continued down the runway covered in flames while spewing gray smoke. Within 20 minutes, all 379 passengers and crew members slid down emergency chutes and survived. The pilot of the coast guard plane, which exploded, evacuated with injuries but five crew members were killed. The Transport Ministry released a transcript of air traffic control communication of about 4 minutes and 27 seconds just before the crash. It showed no clear takeoff approval for the coast guard plane. According to the text, the Tokyo air control gave the JAL Airbus A350 permission to land on Runway C, noting that there is a departing plane, with the JAL pilot repeating the action. The coast guard plane said it was taxiing to the same runway, and the traffic control instructs it to proceed to the stop line ahead of the runway. The controller noted the coast guard gets the departure priority, and the pilot said he was moving to the stop line. Their communication ends there. Two minutes later, there was a three-second pause, apparently indicating the time of the collision. Police began a separate probe into possible professional negligence. Tokyo police said that investigators examined the debris on the runway and were conducting interviews. The JAL plane had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the northern city of Sapporo, and the coast guard Bombardier was preparing to depart for Niigata to deliver relief supplies to the central regions hit by powerful earthquakes on Monday that killed more than 60 people. On Wednesday, six experts from the Japan Transport Safety Board examined what remained of the aircraft, the board said. TV footage showed the severely damaged A350′s wings among the charred, broken parts of fuselage. The smaller coast guard plane resembled a mound of rubble. Investigators plan to interview the pilots, officials as well as air traffic control officials to find out how the two planes simultaneously ended up on the runway, JTSB said. The two sides had different understandings of their permission to use the runway. JAL Managing Executive Officer Tadayuki Tsutsumi told a news conference late Tuesday that the A350 was making a “normal entry and landing” on the runway. Another JAL executive, Noriyuki Aoki, said the flight had received permission to land. Air traffic officials gave the JAL airliner permission to land while telling the coast guard pilot to wait before entering the runway, the Transport Ministry transcript showed. But according to an NHK television report, the coast guard pilot said he was given permission to take off. The coast guard said officials were verifying that claim. All passengers and crew members left their baggage and slid down the escape chutes within 20 minutes of the landing as smoke filled the cabin of the burning aircraft — an outcome praised by aviation experts. Videos posted by passengers showed people covering their mouths with handkerchiefs as they ducked down and moved toward the exits. Some passengers told news media they felt safe only after reaching a grassy area beyond the tarmac. “The entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them,” Swedish passenger Anton Deibe, 17, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet . “The smoke in the cabin stung like hell.” The fire is likely to be seen as a key test case for airplane fuselages made from carbon-composite fibers — featured on the A350 and the Boeing 787 — instead of conventional aluminum skins. “This is the most catastrophic composite-airplane fire that I can think of. On the other hand, that fuselage protected (passengers) from a really horrific fire — it did not burn through for some period of time and let everybody get out,” safety consultant John Cox said. Haneda’s three other runways reopened late Tuesday, but about 140 flights had been canceled Wednesday alone due to the closure of the runway, transport officials said. The airport was packed Wednesday as many holidaymakers wrapped up their New Year travel, including those who who survived the fire and spent the night at the airport or at nearby hotels, trying to change their flights. Haneda is the busier of the two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international flights, and is favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city. Tuesday’s accident was the first severe damage to an Airbus A350, among the industry’s newest large passenger planes. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus said in a statement it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French officials investigating the accident, and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021. JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tokyo-japan-plane-fire_n_65955396e4b0f27b6e35e4be Pilot killed in Sea World Helicopters mid-air crash had taken cocaine, ATSB states Safety bureau’s interim report says drug in Ashley Jenkinson’s system unlikely to have affected his flying A helicopter pilot among four people killed in a mid-air collision on the Gold Coast had cocaine in his system but at a level unlikely to have affected his flying, a preliminary investigation has found. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on Tuesday released an interim report on the 2 January 2023 collision between two helicopters near Sea World on the Gold Coast. It found some passengers weren’t wearing their seatbelts properly. The pilot of one aircraft was returning to a helipad with five passengers on board after a five-minute scenic flight. A few minutes before 2pm, a second tour helicopter took off with six passengers and collided with the other aircraft. The helicopter that had just taken off crashed on to a sandbar, killing the pilot and three passengers and seriously injuring three others. The first aircraft was able to land on the sandbar with three people onboard suffering serious injuries and three suffering minor injuries. Two helicopters seen following the collision near Sea World, on the Gold Coast Sea World helicopter crash: report suggests pilot did not hear radio call from other aircraft The ATSB’s interim report was released to give an update on the investigation into the crash and has not made formal findings as to the contributing factors. An autopsy of the deceased pilot of the second helicopter, Ashley Jenkinson, found no evidence of significant disease but a toxicology report showed a positive result for cocaine. The examining forensic pathologist reported no signs of chronic stimulant use and the cocaine was unlikely to have been consumed within 24 hours of the crash and could have been taken up to four days prior, the report stated. The bureau’s chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said the pilot had a “low concentration” of cocaine in his system. “It is unlikely there would have been impairment of the pilot’s psychomotor skills,” Mitchell said. The investigation – which examined smartphone footage from people onboard and witnesses on the ground – found some passengers were not wearing their seatbelts properly. Mitchell said investigators identified a potentially common lack of understanding in the helicopter tourism community regarding how “constant wear lifejackets” should be worn in conjunction with seatbelts. “This correlated with a discovery that some passengers’ seatbelts were not fitted correctly in this accident, in part due to interference from their lifejackets – although we have not attributed this to the tragic outcomes in this case,” the chief commissioner said. The ATSB has estimated its final report – which will include analysis, findings and any recommended safety actions – will be completed between July and September 2024. “This was a tragic accident, and it is our responsibility to make findings and drive safety actions, which reduce the likelihood of a similar occurrence in the future,” Mitchell said. The interim report noted several steps that have already been taken by Sea World Helicopters – which is a separate business to the theme park – including greater air traffic control at the beachside heliport. Guardian Australia contacted Sea World Helicopters for comment. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/02/sea-world-helicopter-crash-pilot-cocaine-atsb-ashley-jenkinson Ranked: The 25 Safest Airlines In The World, According To AirlineRatings.com What are the safest airlines in the world for 2024? This question is top of mind for travelers, especially in the wake of a fiery Japan Airlines crash in Tokyo. AirlineRatings.com, an airline safety and product rating review site, has the answer in its new ranking of the 25 safest airlines in the world. AirlineRatings.com rates the safety and in-flight product of 385 airlines using its own unique seven-star rating system. In making its evaluation, the site considers a comprehensive range of factors, including serious incidents, recent fatal accidents, audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, industry-leading safety initiatives, expert pilot training assessment, fleet age and more. However, the evaluation leaves out such things that airlines have no control over, such as bird strikes, turbulence injuries, weather diversions and lightning strikes. In past years, the site issued a list of the top 20 airlines; this year, it expanded the list to 25 of the largest and best-known carriers. “This year we went for a top 25 because the margins were so small between these airlines,” Geoffrey Thomas, the editor-in-chief of AirlineRatings.com, told me in an interview. safest airlines A new report has ranked the world's safest airlines for 2024. Capturing the top spot for 2024 is Air New Zealand, which edged out the competition, setting a new benchmark in airline safety and operational excellence. Air New Zealand also won in 2022. “Air New Zealand operates in some of the most challenging weather environments which test pilot skills,” says Thomas. “Wellington is one of the most windy airports in the world, while Queenstown is a huge navigation challenge.” Another hallmark of Air New Zealand: “The airline has focused on the latest technology and its aircraft are state of the art in that respect,” says Thomas. Coming in second on the list is Qantas, which won in 2023—though, according to Thomas, the safety margin was very small between Air New Zealand and Qantas. “Between Air New Zealand and Qantas there is only 1.5 points—it’s incredibly close,” says Thomas. What pulled Qantas down: “Qantas slipped on fleet age, which the airline will address in 2024 with new fleets arriving,” says Thomas. International carriers dominate the list of safest airlines. When it comes to U.S. carriers, only one is on the top 10 list: Alaska Airlines, which comes in number 10. (The airline slipped two points from 2023, when it ranked number eight). Hawaiian Airlines ranks number 21—a big drop from 2023 when it was number 12. American Airlines ranks number 22 (down from number 19 in 2023) and United Airlines ranks number 25 (down from number 14 in 2023). “The U.S. carriers rankings are dragged down by the fleet age of their aircraft, however all have major replacement programs in place but it will take time for that to reflect in the rankings,” says Thomas. And as he points out: “The rankings of all airlines include incidents against flights and fleet age. However the scoring was very tight.” When it comes to the low-cost carriers, Jetstar—an Australian airline owned by Qantas—comes in number one. The top-ranking low-cost U.S. carrier is Frontier, which ranks number six beating out Southwest (at number nine), Sun Country (at number 14) and Spirit (number 15) and JetBlue (number 17). Scroll down to see both lists: the world’s top 25 safest airlines and the safest low-cost airlines. safest airlines Air New Zealand has been named the world's safest airline in 2024. GETTY The Top 25 Safest Airlines For 2024 Air New Zealand Qantas Virgin Australia Etihad Airways Qatar Airways Emirates All Nippon Airways Finnair Cathay Pacific Airways Alaska Airlines SAS Korean Air Singapore Airlines EVA Air British Airways Turkish Airlines TAP Air Portugal Lufthansa/Swiss Group KLM Japan Airlines Hawaiian Airlines American Airlines Air France Air Canada Group United Airlines Jetstar has been named the world's safest low-cost carrier.GETTY The 20 Safest Low-Cost Airlines For 2024 Jetstar easyJet Ryanair Wizz Norwegian Frontier Vueling Vietjet Southwest Volaris flydubai AirAsia Group Cebu Pacific Sun Country Spirit Westjet JetBlue Air Arabia Indigo Eurowings https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2024/01/03/ranked-the-25-safest-airlines-in-the-world-according-to-airlineratingscom/?sh=6c18ec384c03 Lesson passengers should learn from the Tokyo plane crash Plane Talk: Japan Airlines crew responded magnificently to get everyone off safely – so please watch the safety briefing Japan Airlines flight JL516 had flown normally from the northern island of Hokkaido. The Airbus A350 was landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport when it was in collision with a much smaller plane working for the Japanese coastguard in earthquake relief. Tragically, five of the six personnel died aboard the latter aircraft. But all 379 people aboard the Japan Airlines jet successfully evacuated – a tribute to the professionalism and training of Japan Airlines staff. The investigation is already under way. The aim is not to assign blame but to learn how to enhance aviation safety in the future. This tragedy will be examined scrupulously by air crash investigators to understand the sequence of events that led to the collision. Investigators will initially focus on why the fundamental of air traffic control – keeping aircraft safely apart – appears to have failed so calamitously. Safety officials working for the Japanese authorities, Japan Airlines and the planemaker Airbus will study how the fire spread. The fuselage is made from carbon-based composite, rather than traditional aluminium. Did this help protect or endanger the passengers or crew? The term “plastic plane” gets bandied about, but these materials are used for their high strength, low weight and durability. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that carbon-fibre can be safer: “Aluminium will melt at 660C in large fires. Typically, for a composite material, the degradation temperature to cause burning is 300-500C, but it will maintain structural integrity during burning.” I can understand that the fiery image will feed the anxiety of travellers who are fearful of flying. “Here’s what could happen to my plane,” they may reasonably conclude. I suggest they look at the event from the opposite direction: as more evidence of the aviation industry’s obsession with safety. This accident happened barely a day after the safest ever year for passenger aviation. The report from the Dutch air safety organisation, To70, concluded that only two fatal accidents occurred during the last 12 months, compared with six in 2022. Both were propeller aircraft on domestic flights. Sadly, 86 people died. For comparison, that is the average number of road accident fatalities in 35 minutes, according to the latest UN figures. No fatal aircraft accident last year involved international flights or passenger jets. In the UK, we are days away from the 35th anniversary of the last fatal crash involving a British passenger jet: the Kegworth disaster of 8 January 1989. Since that tragedy, involving a British Midland Boeing 737, the UK has maintained an extraordinary record for keeping passengers safe. The nation has the distinction of being the leading base for operations for the two pan-European low-cost giants, Ryanair and easyJet. They are the world’s safest airlines, in terms of the number of passengers flown without a fatal accident. British Airways, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air also have formidable safety records. BA last suffered a fatal event in 1985, when a Boeing 737 caught fire on the runway at Manchester; the other three airlines are accident-free. Once the investigation is complete, lessons will be shared with the aviation safety world to make future flights safer still. Yet what should passengers learn from the Tokyo crash? Simply, watch the safety briefing. When the crew line up to perform their demonstration, put down your phone. Watch and listen, paying particular attention to how to leave the aircraft in a hurry. Many emergencies happen while the plane is on the ground; most are survivable, as long as everyone plays their part. In the unlikely event that you find yourself on a plane with an emergency evacuation, leave that cabin baggage behind. This awful tragedy has highlighted the skill and professionalism that goes into aviation safety. Make sure you are in tune with the women and men who are protecting you. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/japan-airlines-tokyo-plane-crash-b2472137.html U.S. insurer AIG leads policy for Japan Airlines plane -sources LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - U.S. insurer AIG (AIG.N) was the lead insurer on a $130 million "all-risks" policy for the Japan Airlines (9201.T) airplane which collided with another plane at Tokyo's Haneda airport, two insurance industry sources said on Wednesday. AIG declined to comment. All 379 people aboard the Japan Airlines Airbus A350 escaped after a collision with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop that killed five of six crew on the smaller aircraft. Trade magazine The Insurer previously reported the AIG insurance news. The Japan Airlines policy mainly covers damage to the hull, one of the sources said. Large commercial insurance deals are typically split among a number of insurers. Willis Towers Watson (WTW.O) was the main broker on the deal, the second source told Reuters. Willis Towers Watson declined to comment. Last year was challenging for the aviation insurance market, insurance broker Gallagher (AJG.N) said in a report on Wednesday, given the Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflicts. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/us-insurer-aig-leads-policy-japan-airlines-plane-sources-2024-01-03/ Global Aerospace Adds FlightSafety, GE to SM4 Program Partnership allows policyholders to receive data-driven, scenario-based flight training Aviation insurer Global Aerospace has added FlightSafety International (FSI) and GE Digital as partners to its SM4 Aviation Safety Program. FSI will leverage GE Digital’s corporate flight operations quality assurance (C-FOQA) data to help Global Aerospace business aviation policyholders “capitalize on aggregated industry insights gained from data sharing, enabling them to develop valuable scenario-based training,” the insurer said. According to FSI executive v-p of operations and safety Richard Meikle, “Global’s elite flight departments have made a substantial commitment and investment in safety, their focus on data-driven risk reduction enhances safety for the entire industry. The primary mission of FlightSafety is to reduce risk and our investment in a data-driven approach is demonstrated in partnerships with both GE Digital and Global Aerospace.” Dana DiPietro, the v-p of underwriting manager at Global Aerospace who co-manages the SM4 program, added that this initiative “aligns perfectly with a core principle of the SM4 program: loss prevention. We look forward to working together with FSI and GE Digital to enhance the industry’s utilization of data to avoid potential risks and tailor training programs to reduce safety events.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-01-02/global-aerospace-adds-flightsafety-ge-sm4-program How U.S. Pilot Unions’ Manufactured Pilot Shortage Will Slowly Ease Winston Churchill famously quoted “Never let a good crisis go to waste”, and a decade ago the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) jumped at one such opportunity. While the results of the strategy took years to manifest, today the pilot shortage they brilliantly and patiently manufactured gives the U.S. pilot unions the unprecedented negotiating leverage they sought for years. Union leaders are spiking the football with upwards of 50% wage gains extracted from U.S. airlines to be passed through to the flying public, however they hastened an unstoppable industry counter-offensive to, borrowing organized labor’s favorite term, “level the playing field”. The frosty relationship between U.S. airlines and their pilot unions has never been gratuitous. Back when airlines were in the driver’s seat, they took the opportunity to replace striking pilots and jettison pilot pensions onto U.S. taxpayers. Today, with the tables now turned due to a dearth of pilots, labor representatives are able to demand significantly increased pay and benefits from the airlines. While the balance of power has been relatively equal over the past several years, the low supply and high demand for pilots today has swung the pendulum firmly to organized labor. The current shortage of pilots didn’t just materialize from thin air. Back in the days when airline management had the clear advantage, ALPA understood the strategic value of pilot supply and demand. If the pool of available pilots could somehow be constrained, they’d have the upper hand in future negotiations from a crew scarcity perspective. Their big break came in 2009 following the tragic Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, NY which claimed 50 lives. In the name of safety, ALPA lobbied Congress, which felt pressured to do something, to quintuple the experience level required of entry-level airline pilots six-fold from 250 hours to 1500. This assured a future deficit of air crew by erecting an onerous barrier to entry for aspiring pilots, many of whom found the new requirement insurmountable from financial and time commitment standpoints. Many argue that the arbitrary 1500 hour rule does not represent any generally accepted standard of competency. Both Colgan Air pilots had in excess of this level, one more than double. Further, no other country has adopted such a high requirement, while military pilots are routinely permitted to fly much more sophisticated aircraft in just a few hundred hours. While relaxation of the 1500 hour rule is unlikely any time soon, especially under the current union-friendly administration, industry has taken the matter into its own hands to address increased pilot labor costs and shortages. BoeingBA -3.4% publicly stated that its next clean-sheet airliner design will incorporate more automated systems, a direct shot over the bow. While it’s unrealistic to envision a crewless airline cockpit any time soon, it does set the stage for some long-haul international flights, which currently requires more than one pair of pilots onboard, to downsize crews by permitting a single pilot to fly the airplane during certain low workload phases of flight with the help of automation. This concept is actively being studied by Airbus and others, with accompanying labor opposition as expected. However, a more immediate implementation of reduced crew, and even pilotless aircraft, is already taking place in the military and in some civil cargo applications. The military makes its own rules, while cargo is a plane full of boxes instead of passengers. Both uses will be key proving grounds for any future airline applications while freeing up pilots to increase the available pool. Further, the higher pilot compensation won will now attract more to the profession, since the return on investment is now much shorter making the sizable training expenditure more justifiable. Flight training schools have been fully booked, suggesting relief is on the way. ALPA publicly denies there’s a pilot shortage, as admitting such would only support that action needs to be taken to alleviate it which would erode future negotiating leverage. The pilot unions’ may have won this battle, but likely set themselves up to lose the next by having created a critical sense of industry urgency to lower cockpit labor costs and improve supply through automation, while attracting more to the field by making it a more lucrative career choice for aspiring pilots. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianfoley1/2024/01/02/how-us-pilot-unions-manufactured-pilot-shortage-will-slowly-ease/?sh=733e8d5b2c60 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 • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis