Flight Safety Information - January 16, 2024 No. 012 In This Issue : Incident: Jetblue A321 at New York on Jan 13th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine failure : Incident: LATAM A321 near Recife on Jan 9th 2024, electrical problems : Incident: JAL B738 at Tokyo on Jan 13th 2024, lightning strike : Incident: Eurowings A20N near Lisbon on Jan 12th 2023, electrical smell in cockpit : Ground collision of two Boeing planes in Chicago sparks FAA investigation : Airbus A330-323 - Ground Collision (Japan) : Furious passenger smacks pilot over 13-hour flight delay : Boeing to increase quality inspections on 737-Max following Alaska Airlines blow out : Delta orders 20 A350-1000 aircraft : NetJets Implements Mandatory Age-70 Pilot Retirement : Cargojet reverses course on 777 freighter ambitions : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Jetblue A321 at New York on Jan 13th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine failure A Jetblue Airbus A321-200, registration N995JL performing flight B6-355 from New York JFK,NY to Ontario,CA (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from JFK's runway 31L when the crews of other aircraft waiting for departure reported their right hand engine was on fire and emitting sparks, the A321 rejected takeoff at low speed. The Jetblue crew advised they had lost their second engine (V2533, right hand), other crews reported there had been flames from the right hand engine and it was now just glowing, a faint glow. The Jetblue crew offered to vacate the runway, vacated the runway onto taxiway Y and stopped on the taxiway for an inspection by emergency services. Another crew chimed in reporting a flock of birds had just risen from the runway at the time and region when and where the engine failure occurred. Emergency services requested the A321 to shut their engines down, the crew advised they had no APU and would lose power if they shut their #1 engine down. Emergency services reported the #2 engine was a little bit hot, but no smoke and no fire. After the inspection the A321 returned to the apron. A replacement A321-200 registration N950JT reached Ontario with a delay of about 5.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=513be65b&opt=0 Incident: LATAM A321 near Recife on Jan 9th 2024, electrical problems A LATAM Brasil Airbus A321-200, registration PT-XPQ performing flight LA-3783 from Recife,PE to Brasilia,DF (Brazil), was enroute at FL320 about 190nm southwest of Recife when the crew decided to return to Recife reporting a fault message in the electrical system. The aircraft landed safely back on Recife's runway 18 about 70 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground in Recife for about 24 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=513b7fb7&opt=0 Incident: JAL B738 at Tokyo on Jan 13th 2024, lightning strike A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration JA337J performing flight JL-147 from Tokyo Haneda to Aomori (Japan) with 116 people on board, was climbing out of Haneda's runway 34R when the aircraft sustained a lightning strike prompting the crew to stop the climb at 5000 feet and return to Haneda for a safe landing on runway 34R about 25 minutes after departure. The rotation JL-147/148 was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Tokyo about 59 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=513b797f&opt=0 Incident: Eurowings A20N near Lisbon on Jan 12th 2023, electrical smell in cockpit A Eurowings Airbus A320-200N, registration D-AENG performing flight EW-8290 from Berlin (Germany) to Tenerife South,CI (Spain), was enroute at FL370 about 100nm eastnortheast of Lisbon (Portugal) when the crew decided to divert to Lisbon reporting a light electrical smell in the cockpit, advising ATC they didn't want to continue the flight to destination. The aircraft landed safely on Lisbon's runway 03 about 25 minutes after leaving FL370. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration D-AIDT reached Tenerife with a delay of 9.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Lisbon for about 5 hours, positioned back to Berlin and remained on the ground in Berlin for another 10.5 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=513b64f9&opt=0 Ground collision of two Boeing planes in Chicago sparks FAA investigation CHICAGO (AP) — A plane taxiing for departure clipped another aircraft at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Sunday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday. No injuries were reported, both planes were of Boeing design, and the FAA says it will investigate the incident. The left wing tip of Flight 11 from All Nippon Airways, a Japanese airline, struck the rear of Delta Air Lines Flight 2122 on Sunday around 6:30 p.m. Central Time, FAA spokesperson Tony Molinaro said. The All Nippon Airways flight was a Boeing 777, and the Delta Airlines aircraft was a Boeing 717. https://apnews.com/article/planes-ohare-boeing-delta-c8d785674aeda46ec5563e03d31f38c5 Airbus A330-323 - Ground Collision (Japan) Date: Tuesday 16 January 2024 Time: c. 17:30 LT Type: Airbus A330-323 Owner/operator: Korean Air Lines Registration: HL7702 MSN: 0428 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 289 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Sapporo/New Chitose Airport (CTS/RJCC) - Japan Phase: Taxi Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Sapporo/New Chitose Airport (CTS/RJCC), Japan Destination airport: Seoul/Incheon International Airport (ICN/RKSI), South Korea Narrative: Cathay's flight CPA/CX584 from Hong Kong to Sapporo/New Chitose, Japan had landed on New Chitose at 17:01 LT and has arrived at spot 69, with an hour delay due to heavy snow at Sapporo. Korean Air's flight KAL/KE766 from Sapporo/New Chitose, Japan to Seoul/Incheon, South Korea, an A330-323, with scheduled time of departure at 14:00 LT delay due to weather, has departed with more than three hours of delay. While KE766 was taxiing behind of CX584, the left winglet of A330 contacted with tail of B777, causing damages to both airplanes. There were no personal injuries, no fire nor no oil leak. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/349946 Furious passenger smacks pilot over 13-hour flight delay Footage captured the wild moment when a passenger smacked a pilot after learning that the plane was delayed for 13 hours. A clip of the wild incident has amassed over 3.1 million views on X as commenters shamed the man for his behavior. The smackdown occurred on Sunday after an IndiGo flight traveling from Delhi to Goa, in India, was delayed for 13 hours due to poor visibility caused by dense fog sweeping the region, according to Jam Press. Pilot Anup Kumar announced the situation, which apparently did not sit well with one of the passengers, identified as Sahil Kataria, India Today reported. Footage shows the incensed flyer — who’s wearing a yellow hoodie — charging up the aisle and smacking the pilot with his open hand as onlookers cry out in shock. “If you want to fly, then fly the plane,” he yells at Kumar, who is seen backing into the cockpit. “Otherwise open the door.” At that point, a flight attendant gets between the two, while Kataria is grabbed by a fellow passenger in a sky-blue hoodie and ushered back to his seat. The aforementioned crew member then bursts into tears and lays into him, screaming: “This is wrong what you did. You cannot do this.” A separate clip shows the passenger being escorted off the aircraft by armed guards, before apologizing to Kumar on camera. Both the pilot and the airline have since filed police reports against Kataria, who was arrested by the Delhi police. Viewers were quick to shame the traveler over the assault. “Frustration doesn’t give a passenger the right to physically assault a crew member,” declared one. Another wrote, “This maniac should be put on no-fly list atleast for 3 years.” However, others criticized IndiGo for its alleged gross incompetence preceding the incident. Many cited the fact that the pilot did not communicate the reason for the delay, although they admitted this didn’t justify the attack. “Both airlines and passenger are at fault here,” wrote one. “X is full of complaints against Indigo where they are not communicating the delay and status correctly with passengers, taking them for a ride. On the other hand, no amount of frustration gives anyone a right to physically assault someone. That’s criminal.” Indeed, the incident comes amid a torrent of complaints directed at IndiGo: On Saturday, Bollywood actress Radhika Apte claimed on Instagram that she and her fellow passengers were locked inside an IndiGo flight’s jet bridge at the Mumbai airport for several hours due to a crew change. “I had a flight at 8:30. It’s 10:50 now and the flight has still not boarded,” she griped in the post. “BUT the flight said we were boarding and put all the passengers in the aerobridge and LOCKED IT! The passengers with small babies, elderly people have been locked in for over an hour. The security won’t open the doors. The staff has ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE!” Apte added, ” I managed to escaped briefly to speak to the very stupid staff woman outside who kept saying there is no issue and no delay :) now I’m locked inside AND they just told us that we will be here till minimum 12pm all locked in. No water no loo. Thanks for the fun ride!!” https://nypost.com/2024/01/15/lifestyle/passenger-smacks-pilot-over-13-hour-flight-delay-wild-video/ Boeing to increase quality inspections on 737-Max following Alaska Airlines blow out • Boeing told employees Monday that it plans to increase quality inspections of its 737 Max 9 aircraft, following the failure of emergency exit door panel on an Alaska Airlines flight last week NEW YORK -- Boeing told employees Monday that it plans to increase quality inspections of its 737 Max 9 aircraft, following the failure of an emergency exit door panel on an Alaska Airlines flight last week. It is the latest in a series of troubles for Boeing, whose reputation as the premier American aircraft manufacturer has been tarnished by a series of manufacturing flaws that have led some airlines to hold off aircraft purchases or go with its European rival, Airbus. The inspections come after Federal regulators grounded the 737 Max, and that Boeing has said that after the Alaska Airlines flight and customer complaints, it is “clear that we are not where we need to be” on quality assurance and controls. “Our team is also taking a hard look at our quality practices in our factories and across our production system,” said Stan Deal, the president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in an email to employees. Boeing is also bringing in airline customers and independent inspectors to go over the aircraft as needed, Deal wrote. One of two door plugs on an Alaska Max 9 blew out shortly after the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, a week ago, leaving a hole in the plane. The cabin lost pressure and the plane was forced to descend rapidly and return to Portland for an emergency landing. No serious injuries were reported. Following the incident, Federal Aviation Administration announced last week that it plans an investigation into whether the manufacturer failed to make sure a fuselage panel that blew off was safe and manufactured to meet the design that regulators approved. The National Transportation Safety Board is focusing its investigation on plugs used to fill spots for extra doors when those exits are not required for safety reasons on Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners. The incident on the Alaska plane is the latest in a string of mishaps for Boeing that began in 2018, with the first of two crashes of Max 8 planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia — and more than four months apart — that killed a total of 346 people. Max 8 and Max 9 planes were grounded worldwide for nearly two years after the second crash. Since then, various manufacturing flaws have at times held up deliveries of Max jets and a larger Boeing plane, the 787. Last month, the company asked airlines to inspect their Max jets for a loose bolt in the rudder-control system. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/boeing-increase-quality-inspections-737-max-alaska-airlines-106382640 Delta orders 20 A350-1000 aircraft Delta has announced its first order for Airbus’ A350-1000 aircraft, with 20 of the widebody jets set to be delivered from 2026. The carrier has been flying the A350-900 since 2017, and currently operates 28 -900s with a further 16 of the aircraft on order, but this is the airline’s first order for the -1000 variant. In addition to the firm order for 20 A350-1000s, Delta also has options for an additional 20 of the aircraft. The airline said that the aircraft “will primarily be operated in long-haul markets and international hubs in support of Delta’s international expansion, replacing retiring planes and fueling growth”. The A350-1000 is the largest variant of the A350 Family at around 74 metres in length (compared to around 67 metres for the A350-900), and can seat up to 410 passengers. Delta will configure the new aircraft in a four-class Main Cabin, Delta Comfort +, Delta Premium Select and Delta One layout. Commenting on the news Christian Scherer, chief executive officer of the commercial aircraft business, Airbus, said: “We are thankful for Delta’s continued confidence in Airbus’ solutions to meet its fleet needs. Delta now welcomes the A350-1000, which will open even more opportunities for the airline and its customers. “We are proud that our aircraft serve the entirety of Delta’s impressive global network as this stellar airline takes fleet efficiency to the next level.” https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2024/01/16/delta-orders-20-a350-1000-aircraft/ NetJets Implements Mandatory Age-70 Pilot Retirement • Cap took effect on January 10, and NetJets had notified pilots a year ago NetJets has elected to adopt an age-70 limit for its fractional-share (Part 91K) pilots and has removed these older crewmembers from its schedule, according to a note from the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) legal department. The move affects fewer than 100 pilots, and they were no longer on the NetJets schedule as of January 10, according to a lawsuit filed by a group of pilots seeking to overturn the age cap. NetJets gave notice to its pilots and NJASAP on Jan. 10, 2023, that it intended to implement the age-70 limit. That notification came after Congress’ omnibus spending bill was adopted in December 2022. The bill included language that allows Part 91K and 135 operators that logged at least 75,000 annual jet operations in 2019 or any subsequent year to implement an age-70 ceiling. This is not mandatory for these operators, but once they elect to adopt the age ceiling, it becomes permanent and they can’t reverse the decision. According to the notice to members from NJASAP’s legal team, an arbitrator recently issued a draft decision regarding a grievance that the union had filed after NetJets notified pilots of the age cap. NetJets denied the original grievance, and NJASAP and NetJets agreed to arbitration. The arbitrator’s decision was to deny the grievance, with no finding of any violation in implementing the age-70 retirement ceiling, according to the notice. In fact, NJASAP supported the age cap when it first was proposed in 2018. The eight NetJets pilots who filed the lawsuit against NetJets were seeking “a preliminary injunction to keep the age cap from taking effect Jan. 10, 2024,” according to the lawsuit. However, the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas Dallas Division rejected their arguments and denied the motion for a preliminary injunction. “Because the court concludes that the pilots failed to establish that any of their claims is likely to succeed on the merits, and this case does not warrant the exceptionally rare preliminary injunction under the [Railway Labor Act], the court denies the motion for preliminary injunction.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-01-12/netjets-implements-mandatory-age-70-pilot-retirement Cargojet reverses course on 777 freighter ambitions Canada-based Cargojet announced Monday it has abandoned plans to add four Boeing 777 converted freighters because of lackluster demand for international shipping service so it can concentrate on using profits to reward shareholders and strengthen its balance sheet. A statement by the Toronto-based airline suggesting it is canceling the order appeared at odds with the interpretation of Mammoth Freighters, the remodeler, which says Cargojet plans to fulfill its contract and subsequently dispose of the aircraft. The decision means Cargojet (TSX: CJT), which operates a domestic express network in Canada for customers such as Amazon and DHL Express, will stick with its existing fleet of 40 Boeing 757 narrowbody and midsize 767 cargo jets after scaling back its fleet strategy for the third time in the past year. It joins a handful of other North American freighter operators that have recently changed direction on new aircraft investments or disposed of existing aircraft in response to weak market conditions. “Forecasts continue to indicate that the international air cargo market will remain soft in the short to medium term and deploying B-777s into the market would not be strategically prudent. We have decided to exit our commitments for the four remaining B-777 aircraft, while continuing to flex our B767 fleet to accommodate our organic growth strategy,” said Executive Chairman Ajay Virmani, in the announcement. The move translates to a slight pullback in Cargojet’s international business, which consists of long-term contracts providing outsourced aircraft, crews and maintenance, as well as short-term charters, to focus on the domestic overnight network as large customers require less frequent transport with subdued trade. Cargojet was the launch customer for aerospace startup Mammoth Freighters, which has a contract to provide four Boeing 777-200 aircraft and modify them to carry containers on the main deck. Cargojet intended to operate the long-haul freighters for DHL Express, one of its main customers and a minority owner, but now says it can accomplish the task with 767s. Two freighter conversions for Cargojet are three-quarters completed at Mammoth Freighters’ Fort Worth, Texas, facility — with paint jobs in the Cargojet brand — while the engineering firm strives to obtain certification later this year from the Federal Aviation Administration for the design changes to the 777-200 airframe. “Cargojet remains fully committed to the development and build of these aircrafts. Mammoth Freighters is proceeding full speed with the final build and certification efforts,” Brian McCarthy, vice president of marketing and sales at Mammoth, told FreightWaves. The Canadian carrier has paid millions of dollars in deposits and progress payments, still controls the production slots and is responsible for making all payments through final delivery. Cargojet indicated in its statement that it expects to receive between $74.5 million to $82 million from the sale of the four 777-200s. Mammoth Freighters has 35 firm orders for 777 conversions. In October, the first of six 777-300s to be retrofitted for AviaAM Leasing was inserted into Mammoth’s assembly hangar. DHL separately placed an order with Mammoth last spring for the conversion of nine 777-200s. Cargojet last year exited commitments with Israel Aerospace Industries for the conversion of four 777-300 aircraft, which were aimed at international opportunities outside DHL. It subsequently sold three planes for $110 million and dropped plans for acquiring the fourth jetliner. Cargojet says it is retaining the rights to production slots for aircraft modifications at both companies in case market conditions improve enough to justify future investments. In November, Cargojet said it planned to sell or lease four B757 cargo jets, after recently spending millions of dollars for passenger-to-freighter retrofits, because there wasn’t enough business to operate them economically in its domestic network. Passenger-to-freighter conversions are complex engineering projects that include removing furnishings from the passenger cabin and installing a cargo door, rigid cargo barrier in front of the cockpit, reinforced floor and sidewalls, and a container handling system. Cargojet in 2022 budgeted $1.2 billion for the 777 program. Last year it set aside $133 million in capital expenditures for growth. Management said Monday that projected capital expenditures for fleet growth in 2024 have been slashed to immaterial levels. Stated priorities include maintaining dividend growth and its share buyback program. Without the 777s, Cargojet will have lower costs for pilot hiring, training and maintenance associated with adding a new aircraft type to the fleet. Cargojet owns two more 767 passenger aircraft and said it will defer their conversion to cargo configuration until demand improves. Soft market conditions Cargojet reported revenue in the third-quarter declined 8% to $155 million and adjusted earnings before accounting measures fell 17% to $50.6 million year over year. The airline flew 8.8% fewer hours during the period versus last year. Starting in April 2022, the airfreight market contracted for 16 consecutive months as global supply chains stabilized from the Covid crisis, resulting in much less need for urgent air shipments. Air volumes fell 8.2% year over year in 2022 and are expected to be down another 4% to 5% for 2023, once results are tabulated, after a late rally. The downturn in demand coincided with a sharp increase in capacity as passenger airlines resumed international flying to more destinations, sending yields down more than 30%. A growing number of freighter operators have responded by cutting capital expenditures to bolster cash flow. Miami-based Amerijet, squeezed by debt and sharply lower revenues, last week announced it will return six new Boeing 757 converted freighters to lessors. Air Canada in September canceled an order with Boeing for two 777 production freighters. Under pressure from investors, Air Transport Services Group, the largest lessor of freighter aircraft with two cargo airlines of its own, sharply cut back on planned capital expenditures despite confidence in long-term air cargo strength. And it is sitting on six second-hand 767s acquired for conversions until demand improves. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cargojet-reverses-course-777-freighter-123000020.html 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) • SMU Air Law Symposium - March 21-22, 2024 ( Dallas, TX) • 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