Flight Safety Information - January 18, 2024 No. 014 In This Issue : Incident: LATAM Brasil A319 at Sao Paulo on Jan 14th 2024, brake system failure : Incident: Delta A320 at San Antonio on Jan 16th 2024, engine fire indication : Incident: KLM Cityhopper E195 at Edinburgh on Jan 16th 2024, electrical problems : US officials say 40 Boeing jets have been inspected as investigations continue into midair blowout : Cessna pilots collide on runway : A runway collision warning system for pilots stalled at the FAA : Blown-out door 'plug' in Alaska Airlines was manufactured in Malaysia : IndiGo Airlines hit with $144,200 fine after passengers found eating on tarmac : A cracked runway caused the shutdown of an entire airport : Wow: US Airlines Hired Almost 2,000 People In Just One Month : India's Akasa Air says 'confident' about Boeing, orders 150 MAX jets : How A Government Shutdown Can Affect NTSB Investigations : Skyller Solutions ‘Drone Vidya’ Thailand Partners with USI for Drone Pilot Workforce Development in Asian Market : ISASI 2024 Call for Papers : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: LATAM Brasil A319 at Sao Paulo on Jan 14th 2024, brake system failure A LATAM Brasil Airbus A319-100, registration PT-TMB performing flight LA-3907 from Rio de Janeiro Dumont,RJ to Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP (Brazil), was on final approach to Congonhas Airport's runway 17R when the crew received a brakes system failure indication, went around and decided to divert to Sao Paulo's Guarulhos Airport for a safe landing. Brazil's CENIPA reported the crew received the indication during the cruise phase, worked the related checklists and alternated their landing to Guarulhos Airport. https://avherald.com/h?article=513cbf53&opt=0 Incident: Delta A320 at San Antonio on Jan 16th 2024, engine fire indication A Delta Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N323US performing flight DL-2009 from San Antonio,TX to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 124 people on board, was climbing through about 15,000 feet out of San Antonio when the crew decided to return to San Antonio reporting a left hand engine (CFM56) fire indication. The crew worked the related checklists and returned to San Antonio for a safe landing on runway 31L advising ATC they would stop on the runway for an inspection by emergency services. The crew asked emergency services to check the left hand engine for any indications of smoke or fire, after emergency services reported not seeing any smoke or fire, the aircraft taxied to the apron with emergency services in trail. A passenger reported their flight was diverted back to San Antonio due to a reported engine fire light. There was quite some sound from the underside of the aircraft. Emergency services met the aircraft, after checks the aircraft taxied slowly to the apron. A replacement A321-200 registration N383DZ reached Atlanta with a delay of about 3:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in San Antonio about 18.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=513cbc81&opt=0 Incident: KLM Cityhopper E195 at Edinburgh on Jan 16th 2024, electrical problems A KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-195, registration PH-NXO performing flight KL-1279 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Edinburgh,SC (UK), was on approach to Edinburgh when the crew aborted the approach and decided to divert to Prestwick,SC (UK) due to electrical problems affecting the brakes of the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on Prestwick's runway 12 about 30 minutes after aborting the approach to Edinburgh. A passenger reported the captain announced there were electrical problems. After landing a technician explained that there were three phases of electricity, one of the phases failed affecting the brakes. They needed a runway of 2500 meters length for landing, the runway in Edinburgh was only 2400 meters long while Prestwick features a runway of 4000 meters. The aircraft is still on the ground in Prestwick about 29 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=513cb126&opt=0 US officials say 40 Boeing jets have been inspected as investigations continue into midair blowout Federal officials have briefed a congressional committee on their investigations into a jetliner that lost a panel of its fuselage in midflight this month and revealed that airlines have inspected 40 identical Boeing planes. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will review information from those inspections of Boeing 737 Max 9 jets while it develops a maintenance process before letting the planes carry passengers again. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, and FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker spent two hours briefing members of the Senate Commerce Committee in Washington on Wednesday as questions continue to swirl around how the panel of an Alaska Airlines jetliner blew off while traveling 16,000 feet above Oregon. The officials indicated that their separate investigations of Boeing and the accident are in the early stages. “Nothing was said about penalties or enforcement, but when there is an end result, I have no doubt but that there will be consequences,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, in an interview after the closed-door session. Moran said Whitaker indicated that the FAA is focusing “on the challenges that Boeing has faced over a longer period of time, of which this incident, this potential disaster, was only one component.” During the briefing, “there was also interest in trying to make sure that the FAA is doing its job in its oversight,” Moran said. The FAA and NTSB declined to comment on the briefing. Separately, Homendy said her agency will look into how exactly the panel was produced by Spirit AeroSystems and installed on the Alaska Airlines plane. She told reporters after the briefing that the panel was manufactured in Malaysia by Boeing’s leading supplier. That development puts more attention on Boeing’s global supply chain. Over a period of many years, the company outsourced much if its manufacturing. A spokesman for Spirit AeroSystems confirmed that the plug was made in Malaysia and said the company is committed to cooperating with the NTSB. Meanwhile, Boeing’s CEO David Calhoun spent the day visiting the Wichita, Kansas, factory of Spirit AeroSystems. He vowed that the two companies will work together to “get better.” Calhoun and Spirit CEO Patrick Shanahan — a former Boeing executive and acting U.S. defense secretary whose nomination by President Donald Trump to lead the Pentagon failed — met with about 200 Spirit employees in what the companies termed a town hall. “We’re going to get better” because engineers and mechanics at Boeing and Spirit “are going to learn from it, and then we’re going to apply it to literally everything else we do together,” Calhoun said. Shanahan told the workers that by working with the NTSB, FAA, the airlines and Boeing, "we will restore confidence.” The meeting of CEOs occurred as both companies face scrutiny over the quality of their work. An Alaska Airlines Max 9 was forced to make an emergency landing on Jan. 5 after a panel called a door plug blew out of the side of the plane shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. The NTSB is investigating the accident, while the FAA investigates whether Boeing and its suppliers followed quality-control procedures. Alaska and United Airlines, the only other U.S. airline that flies the Max 9, reported finding loose hardware in door plugs of other planes they inspected after the accident. Both airlines have canceled hundreds of flights while their Max 9s are grounded. Boeing shares gained 1% on Wednesday but have dropped 18% since the accident, making the Arlington, Virginia, company the worst performer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in that span. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/federal-official-says-part-blew-010358324.html Cessna pilots collide on runway Two airplanes were taxiing at the airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, when a ground collision occurred. According to the pilot of the Cessna 172, he was taxiing towards the run-up area, when he saw the engine start of a Cessna 150. He said it was stationary in a parking spot facing the taxiway as he proceeded forward. As he continued to taxi, he saw the right wing of the Cessna 150 pass under his wing toward his airplane. As he tried to avoid a collision, the right wing tip collided with the windscreen. During the collision the right aileron of the Cessna 150 sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot of the Cessna 150, he was preparing to exit the ramp area and taxi to Runway 08. After making a radio call, he checked the taxiway for other aircraft, and said his sight was limited due to an airplane that was parked next to him. He said that he checked to see if any airplanes were on the taxiway and did not see any. He pulled out onto the taxiway and felt a slight bump when the Cessna 172 struck his airplane from behind. Probable Cause: The pilot of the Cessna 150’s failure to avoid the taxiing Cessna 172. NTSB Identification: 104514 To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device. This January 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. https://generalaviationnews.com/2024/01/17/cessna-pilots-collide-on-runway/ A runway collision warning system for pilots stalled at the FAA As Japan Airlines Flight 516 touched down earlier this month at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, the pilots appeared to have had no warning that a Japanese coast guard plane was already on the runway at one of the busiest airports in the world.The left wing of the jet smashed into the military aircraft, killing five people aboard the smaller plane and sparking a fire that engulfed the airliner shortly after a hurried evacuation of all 379 people on board. It was the kind of runway disaster that transportation safety experts have been warning about happening in the United States as the volume of air traffic surges to historic levels and the industry struggles with a shortage of air traffic controllers. There has been an increase in serious near-collisions on the ground, including a FedEx plane almost landing on top of a Southwest Airlines flight in Austin, and a Delta Air Lines plane braking hard during takeoff to avoid T-boning an American Airlines aircraft at New York's JFK Airport."Our safety system is showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore," said National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy during a November hearing in the U.S. Senate to examine the recent close calls. For years, the NTSB has been pressing the Federal Aviation Administration to require runway safety alert systems in the cockpit to reduce the chance of a crash on the ground."If the controller misses something, then something can alert the pilots to take action," Homendy said during the hearing. "It's one of our oldest recommendations. It's critical to save lives."But a Scripps News investigation found the FAA has been slow to pursue the kind of collision-alert technology for the ground that already exists for planes in the air. The agency quietly shelved a project to develop a runway crash avoidance system for pilots in 2007. That was the year the FAA participated in a demonstration of an experimental runway safety system that could automatically notify pilots when they are on a collision course with another plane at an airport."Technologically, it was a success," said Rick Berckefeldt, who led the team at Honeywell Aerospace, in partnership with a company formerly known as Sensis, that developed the prototype able to instantly send warnings about potential collisions directly to the cockpit. It relied on data transmitted by ground equipment used by air traffic control to monitor movements of aircraft."The pilot is essentially getting that alert at the same time the air traffic controller is, and that cuts precious seconds off of his reaction time," said Berckefeldt, who has since retired from Honeywell. "I think generally everyone who saw it understood its value."Berckefeldt shared a proof-of-concept video his team made in 2007. It shows a Honeywell test plane equipped with the new technology speeding down a runway at Syracuse International Airport in New York as another plane heads toward it on an intersecting runway. A computerized voice is heard in the cockpit of the Honeywell plane repeatedly saying: "Converging traffic!""That's the alert," Berckefeldt said. "You're going to pull your throttles way off. You're going to stand on the brakes."Later the video shows the test plane in the air descending toward a runway where another aircraft is in the way.An alarm is heard in the cockpit barking out again and again: "Runway occupied!""If the landing aircraft chose to continue to land, there would be a collision," Berckefeldt said. Instead, the crew has plenty of time to reject the landing."It was actually quite simple," Berckefeldt said of the prototype. "Literally, it involved a small software change to the ground system and a small software change to the aircraft system."Getting it into cockpits turned out to be a lot more complicated. For the FAA, adopting new cockpit features involves a long bureaucratic process.In a 2007 federal audit, the FAA said about Berckefeldt's system: "Once the feasibility of this technology is determined, the agency will begin to build the business case, which will include cost and schedule information."The FAA has not shared details about any steps the agency took to pursue the alert system after the demonstration in Syracuse."We packaged up the project and documented it and went on to the next thing," Berckefeldt said. There were limits to the effectiveness of the technology, including that it only worked at the nation's 35 largest airports that already had supporting ground surveillance equipment."It was incredibly costly as well," said Jim Currier, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace. https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/nation_world/a-runway-collision-warning-system-for-pilots-stalled-at-the-faa/video_b93a1e5c-60a7-5611-b44e-7433bd91d041.html Blown-out door 'plug' in Alaska Airlines was manufactured in Malaysia Alaska Airlines: After the potentially deadly mid-air incident, the United States aviation investigators are inspecting the Boeing jets. Boeing is under the radar and the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft has been temporarily grounded by the regulators. The head of the safety agency looking into the major scare when the door on an Alaska Airlines flight blew out mid-air has provided an update on Wednesday (Jan 17). National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chief Jennifer Homendy said that the blown-out panel of the jetliner was manufactured in Malaysia by Boeing’s leading supplier. Notably, an Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which departed from Portland, Oregon, was forced to make a freak emergency landing on Friday (Jan 5) in the wake of a door "plug" that blew off mid-air when the plane was at a frightening height of 16,000 feet. Homendy noted that Spirit AeroSystems produced the panel and now the safety agency is looking into the procedure of its production to ascertain what went wrong. This comes after Homendy held a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Commerce Committee in Washington, media reports said. A Spirit AeroSystems representative, in a remark that conceded to what was disclosed by the NTSB head, affirmed that the panel was produced by the company. The company spokesperson also reassured that the firm is ready to render any help needed by NTSB to look into the case. This is not an isolated event as in another incident a United Airlines flight, which took off from Florida, made an emergency landing after the open door indicator light started blinking on January 10. Investigation continuing After the potentially deadly mid-air incident, the United States aviation investigators are inspecting the Boeing jets. Boeing is under the radar and the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft has been temporarily grounded by the regulators. According to officials cited by media reports, airlines have inspected 40 planes similar to the one involved in the January 5 incident. “Nothing was said about penalties or enforcement, but when there is an end result, I have no doubt but that there will be consequences,” a Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran said. During the briefing, “there was also interest in trying to make sure that the FAA is doing its job in its oversight,” Moran said in an interview. https://www.wionews.com/world/blown-out-door-plug-in-alaska-airlines-was-manufactured-in-malaysia-681087 IndiGo Airlines hit with $144,200 fine after passengers found eating on tarmac India's aviation industry has been in the spotlight in recent weeks because of delays and cancellations IndiGo Airlines has been fined for jeopardising the safety of passengers who were seen eating meals on the tarmac at Mumbai airport. India’s low-cost airline IndiGo has been fined 12 million rupees ($144,200) for jeopardising the safety of passengers who were seen eating meals on the tarmac at Mumbai airport during a flight delay. A video went viral on social media this week, showing passengers eating on the tarmac next to an aircraft after their IndiGo flight from Goa to Delhi was diverted and landed in Mumbai after a long delay. The incident happened on January 14. The aircraft was reportedly allotted a remote parking bay instead of one near the airport terminal, leading to frustration among passengers who had not yet been served refreshments. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the regulatory authority under the federal government, has imposed a fine of 12 million rupees against the airline. It has given it a month to pay the fine. It has also imposed a penalty of six million rupees ($72,000) on Mumbai International Airport Limited for mismanagement. Both IndiGo and the airport company failed to report the incident, the BCAS said. The fines were imposed after the country’s aviation regulator DGCA was made aware of the video and called it a breach "of apron discipline". The apron is the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refuelled, boarded or maintained. The DGCA has also imposed a fine of three million rupees ($36,000) on Mial. “This is in violation of Para 5 of DGCA Air Safety circular … which directs all agencies working at the airport not to permit walking on an active apron,” the DGCA said. “The presence of passengers on the apron for a considerable period is in violation of apron discipline as it jeopardises the safety of the passengers and the aircraft." The regulator has also fined two other airlines, Air India and SpiceJet, three million rupees each for poor preparedness during fog that led to delays. The Indian aviation industry has been heavily scrutinised in recent weeks for widespread delays and cancellations that airlines said were caused by fog. More than 300 flights have reportedly been cancelled since January 14, leaving more than 40,000 passengers stranded. The average delay was more than an hour. More than 50 flights were cancelled, including international departures and arrivals, while 120 flights were delayed on Wednesday at Delhi’s international airport, as seen on the flight information display screens. The aviation ministry has set up “war rooms” at six airports across the country to help facilitate the anxious passengers and address the situation. Meanwhile, a Kuala Lumpur-bound international flight from Chennai city in southern India with 130 passengers and seven crew members onboard suffered a burst tyre while taxiing on Thursday. The rear wheel of the Malaysian Airlines MH 181 flight burst when it was taxiing for take-off to the Malaysian capital at about 2.20pm, local media reports said. All the passengers disembarked and were reportedly moved to hotels. The flight is expected to resume on Friday. https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/2024/01/18/indigo-spicejet-air-india-delays-cancellation-fog-dgca-bcas/ A cracked runway caused the shutdown of an entire airport The Transportation Department said “the runway pavement degradation had accelerated.” While common fears such as the plane missing the runway or running out of fuel keep many from flying, few think of a cracked runway as their nightmare scenario — even if, in the case of a plane, this can seriously imperil it from landing safely. A number of runway cracks kept Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on Hawaii’s Big Island closed for more than 24 hours. The large crack caused by a few days of heavy rains led to an airport emergency closure, a number canceled flights and over a thousand stranded people over Jan. 15 and 16. “Cracks had developed and the runway pavement degradation had accelerated due to the recent rains,” Hawaii’s Transportation Department said in a statement. Airport thrown into chaos by runway cracks, later reopens The 11,000-foot main runway was already showing signs of age and had been slated for a total reconstruction later in 2024. After authorities discovered cracks in the runway on Monday morning after a series of heavy rains, they called in contractors for an emergency resurfacing of the area. The transportation department said that it was “measuring the usable runway length and will provide the information to airline operators to determine how to reopen the runway while restricting planes from the damaged area.” Hawaiian Airlines (HA) ended up canceling all remaining flights for the day — five flights between different Hawaiian islands and one from Kona to Los Angeles. While the airport had reopened by Tuesday afternoon, there are still delays as airport and airline authorities work to restart the flying schedule after the disruption. Many of the flights scheduled for Tuesday morning or early afternoon have been rescheduled for the late afternoon and evening. Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz has also been in contact with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with updates on the situation. ‘Airlines today will be catching up,’ transportation director says Contractors performed emergency repairs on the cracked runway section that affected takeoffs and landings while another section of the runway not used for commercial flights will be repaired during the nights of Tuesday and Wednesday (Kona International is a small airport that, while open 24 hours, does not have many flights during the night hours.) “The airlines today will be catching up,” Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen told a news outlet. “They’re not only running their regular Tuesday schedule but they’re also catching up on all the delays from yesterday.” While emergency repairs helped prevent a longer cancelation, the emergency situation also drew attention to the need to reconstruct the new runway fast to prevent a repeat in the future. The Hawaii Department of Transportation reiterated that it will “reconstruct the entire 11,000-foot runway this year” even if some of the passengers on the affected flights have been unimpressed by the situation. “It was cracks on the runway and from what I heard they didn’t just show up overnight so maybe heads up before we were right over the runway or a little more maintenance,” Kona resident Kai Gonzalez, who was supposed to fly home from Denver but ended up stranded, told a local news station in answer to a question on what should have been done. “I get stuff happens but something like this could have been avoided.” https://www.thestreet.com/travel/kona-airport-closed-cracked-runway Wow: US Airlines Hired Almost 2,000 People In Just One Month The country’s airlines increased their employment numbers by 8.8% compared to pandemic levels. SUMMARY • The US airline industry experienced significant job cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 90,000 employees losing their jobs in 2020. • The number of employees between October and November grew by 1,809, an 8.83 increase over pre-pandemic levels. • The cargo airline sector also employment growth, with an increase of 1,333 employees in November 2023, and FedEx alone added 1,600 jobs. However, pilot hiring has decreased in 2023 compared to the previous year. The US airline industry is one of the world's largest, and the COVID-19 pandemic brought it to a grinding halt. In 2020 alone, during the height of the pandemic, the job cuts resulted in nearly 90,000 employees losing their jobs, including 30,000 furloughs. The rise of the airline industry after the pandemic was meteoric, and airlines made sure to invest in staffing to keep up with the demand, offering airline employees better contracts and hiring in record numbers. The trend continued throughout much of 2023. Bringing back the workforce According to CNBC, in 2020, the passenger airline's full-time workforce stood at 390,000. Today, a report by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) shows that, in November 2023, the number of employees for scheduled passenger airlines stood at 535,914, and a total of 814,190 across the US airline industry. United Airlines led the hiring charge for scheduled passenger airlines, with 429 employees added. Southwest took second place with 309, and Envoy Air with 114. The US airline industry saw 31 consecutive months of job growth, starting October 2021. Between October and November, the airlines hired 1,809 employees, an increase of 0.22%. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the number of employees this November is an increase of 8.83%, or 66,047. United Airlines On Pace To Break Pilot Hiring Record The number one US airline for pilot recruitment for three years running. In November, cargo airlines employed 273,573 employees, accounting for 34% of the airline industry. BTS data showed that cargo carriers gained 1,333 employees over the month. FedEx alone increased employment by 1,600 jobs. Full-time equivalent employees To calculate the number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTEs) employees, the BTS divides the number of part-time employees by two and adds it to the number of full-time employees. In November 2023, there were 115,023 part-time employees across the industry. Including 699,167 full-time workers, the total number of FTEs across the sector was 756,679, an increase of 1,129 or 0.1% over the previous month. These figures indicate a 9.81% increase in FTEs in November 2023 over November 2019's total of 689,087. The scheduled passenger airlines employed 509,135 FTEs in November, 497 more than in October, marking an increase of 0.1%. Compared to November 2019, the number of FTEs has increased by 56,706, a 12.53 increase. The cargo sector employed 242,954 FTEs in November 2023, up 683 workers from the previous month, an increase of 0.28%. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the number of FTEs has increased by 10,567 or 4.55%. Flight crew hiring Though hiring employees continues, the number of pilots being hired dropped in 2023 compared to 2022. There has been a decrease of 6.2% in 2023. However, it's still the second-highest year for pilot hiring. Airlines like Delta Air Lines announced they plan to scale back pilot recruitment in 2024. The airline plans to hire 1,000 pilots over the year, roughly 50% less than they hired in 2023. https://simpleflying.com/us-airlines-job-growth-november-2023/ India's Akasa Air says 'confident' about Boeing, orders 150 MAX jets HYDERABAD, Jan 18 (Reuters) - India's Akasa Air said on Thursday it has ordered 150 Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 737 MAX narrowbody planes, showcasing its confidence in the troubled planemaker as the budget carrier seeks to fly to more destinations at home and abroad. This is the first major order announcement for Boeing's MAX jetliner programme since a mid-air cabin panel blowout in the United States early this month, although Akasa's order does not include the 737 Max 9 version which is in the spotlight after the incident. The order was announced at the "Wings India" air show in the southern city of Hyderabad, which has attracted planemakers, airlines and government officials as they make the most of India's travel boom, with a greater focus on international routes. "We feel very confident about the aircraft type that we have ... even seeing Boeing's commitment to the way they've handled this problem," Priya Mehra, Akasa's chief legal, regulatory and strategic relations officer, told Reuters. Akasa's order for 737 MAX 10 and MAX 8-200 does not include the MAX 9 version, which has been largely grounded over the Alaska Airlines cabin panel blowout incident. Mehra said the airline was not looking at diversifying its fleet. It currently operates 22 aircraft and will receive deliveries of a total of 204 planes over eight years. Further terms of the Boeing deal were not disclosed. Reuters was first to report the details of Akasa's order earlier this month. Although India is now the world's fastest-growing aviation market, with travel demand outstripping the supply of planes, the bulk of international traffic is captured by global carriers such as Emirates. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said he expects the country's fleet size to surge to 2,000 in the next decade from about 700 currently. At present, IndiGo, Air India and Akasa have orders pending for more than 1,500 planes, with multi-billion dollar deals announced last year. Since it started flying in 2022, Akasa has garnered a market share of 4%, while bigger rival IndiGo (INGL.NS), opens new tab has the largest share at 60% and Tata Group airlines have a combined 26%. Akasa plans to fly to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar in the first phase of its international expansion, Praveen Iyer, its chief commercial officer told Reuters. The newest entrant to the Indian aviation industry was hit last year by the abrupt departure of about a tenth of its pilots, and had warned it was flying less as a result, costing it market share. It has since said the issue is behind it. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-bags-150-max-planes-order-indias-akasa-air-2024-01-18/ How A Government Shutdown Can Affect NTSB Investigations During 2019's shutdown, 365 NTSB employees were placed on furlough, delaying the investigations of 87 incidents. SUMMARY • A potential government shutdown could suspend the NTSB's investigation into the Boeing 737 MAX 9. • The NTSB has warned that a funding cut would limit their ability to investigate incidents and publish safety publications. • Previous government shutdowns have delayed NTSB investigations and led to the loss of important evidence and potential safety recommendations. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has raised concerns that a potential government shutdown could result in the suspension of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 investigation. Latest cautions According to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, the agency is currently investigating over 1,250 incidents across multiple civil transportation sectors, including this month’s Alaska Airlines in-flight blowout, several airport near misses, and last February’s Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio. In a letter to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chair, Senator Maria Cantwell, Homendy cautioned that a potential funding cut would limit the NTSB’s ability to continue its investigations, preventing the timely publication of safety publications. Homendy explained, “In the event of a lapse of appropriations, while the airplane remains grounded, there is no known imminent threat to the safety of human life or protection of property that would justify the continuation of ongoing work related to the NTSB’s AK 1282 investigation.” Previous impact During 2019’s record-breaking 35-day-long government shutdown, the NTSB was required to pause its investigations of 87 incidents, with at least four delayed further due to the agency’s inability to gather relevant evidence. Of its 397 employees at the time, a total of 365 were placed on furlough from December through to late January. Speaking to CNN at the time, a spokesperson for the NTSB noted its inability to prevent future incidents during the shutdown. They added, “Important evidence is being lost that we would normally examine following an accident. And this evidence could potentially support safety recommendations, that once adopted, could prevent future accidents and save countless lives.” Similar setbacks are expected if the government cannot come to a budget resolution by January 19, amid the expiration of funding for several federal programs, including transportation. Around 433 employees are currently employed by the NTSB, though a reduction of federal financing could see staffing levels decrease and IT modernization plans scrapped. The agency is requesting a budget of $145 million for its 2024 operations, a slight increase on 2023’s $129.3 million. Around 70% of its budget is earmarked for employee salaries and health benefits, with Homendy emphasizing its requirement following the recent 5.2% federal employee pay raises. A reduction in staffing capacity and a pause on the NTSB’s hiring efforts could potentially reduce its efficacy. Ongoing investigation While the agency’s operations remain up and running, the NTSB continues to investigate the causes of this month’s Alaska Airlines incident. As of January 17, inspection of the door plug, which blew out shortly after departure from Portland International Airport (PDX), is underway at the NTSB’s Materials Laboratory. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded over 170 airframes indefinitely, with a separate investigation into Boeing’s 737 MAX production line announced on January 12. The FAA narrowly avoided an impact on operations during the previous partial shutdown in September 2023; however, concerns remain about the potential halt to air traffic control (ATC) training programs if a wider shutdown occurs. https://simpleflying.com/government-shutdown-affect-ntsb-investigations/ Skyller Solutions ‘Drone Vidya’ Thailand Partners with USI for Drone Pilot Workforce Development in Asian Market Asia’s Fast Growing Commercial Drone Marketplace Will Benefit from Drone Vidya’s digital offering of USI’s Industry Recognized Best Practices for Pilot Training and Certification. January 17, 2024 – Panama City, Florida – Skyller Solutions, a Division of AI and Robotics Ventures is based in Bangkok, Thailand and is Asia’s specialized Drone Service Provider for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Robotics in Oil & Gas, Road Inspection, and Critical Facilities Inspection and develops AI powered UAV Management Platforms. Skyller has a division known as Drone Vidya that allows students to initiate their drone career opportunities through a journey that focuses on developing remote pilot safety excellence and prepares them for sustainable employment from AI based service matching. The Asian marketplace poses inconsistencies and voids related to commercial drone regulations and recognized best practices. Partnering with USI provides Drone Vidya with content, curriculum and certifications that are recognized both academically and commercially, resulting in true workforce development opportunities for aspiring drone pilots in the region. Shane Archiquette, Co-founder of Drone Vidya commented “Asia represents the largest and fastest growing commercial drone market in the world, yet the lack of commercial regulations and standards inhibits the development of a properly trained workforce. Partnering with USI will allow us to offer true industry recognized RPAS training and certification via Drone Vidya’s digital app platform – Mandala.” “USI is very proud to have been selected by Drone Vidya as their partner in RPAS training and certification”, added Josh Olds, USI’s CEO and Founder. “Aviation safety best practices are indeed global in their development and application. USI’s RPAS training and certification program was carefully designed to incorporate the wide-array of UAS operations from today’s Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) operations, into tomorrow’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight capabilities and ultimately into the highly anticipated Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations of Electric-Vertical Takeoff and Landing (E-VTOL) aircraft.” USI Certifications are stackable credentials that emphasize the applicable knowledge and skills that are consistent with commercial drone operations at various levels of operational size, complexity, and risk exposure. The Drone Vidya offering is digitally based and will be offered in the language and currency consistent with the local marketplace. Unique to these certifications is that they require third party validation of both knowledge and flight examinations which speaks to their credibility with industry who requires drone pilots to be prepared to produce work in a safe, effective, and efficient manner which justifies the return on investment of the company’s drone program. ### About Skyller and Drone Vidya SKYLLER SOLUTIONS provides end-to-end asset inspection services at mega-scale with qualified professional pilots and inspectors using industrial drones and robotics. We operate with high safety standards and regulatory compliance in every operation. Combining the power of Artificial Intelligence in our Asset Inspection Platform, we deliver high quality inspection results faster and more accurately. DRONE VIDYA is the premiere digital first platform ecosystem with a carefully curated experiential student to pilot digital journey that focuses on developing remote pilot safety excellence and enabling sustainable employment from AI based service matching. Drone Vidya is the only Drone Academy in Thailand and Asia Pacific with International Standardized Curriculums and Industry Recognized Certifications. Skyller/Drone Vidya Contact: Shane Archiquette, ShaneA@arv.co.th About USI Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) is the industry’s most widely recognized leader in flight safety solutions for individuals, academia and organizations focused on integrating and operating UAS for civil or commercial purposes. USI provides UAS flight safety training and certification to operational standards based on the adoption and modification of time-honored aviation safety practices.  With more than 300 instructors and over 15,000 USI Certifications awarded around the world, USI works with large commercial enterprises and nearly 500 schools in all 50 states. USI is the global leader in commercial and academic UAS training and certification, delivering the most highly regarded training program of its kind. USI offers Primary, Advanced and Complex training and certification programs that are applicable to VLOS, BVLOS and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations. USI’s training and certification programs are endorsed by major aviation insurance providers and implemented nationwide as a workforce pathway program from secondary or post-secondary to the career field to align skillsets to industry pay scales. Discover more at www.FlyUSI.org .  USI Contact: Stephanie Holland, Stephanie.Holland@FlyUSI.org ISASI 2024 Call for Papers It is with great pleasure that the organising committee invites expressions of interest to present a paper at the ISASI 2024 seminar which will be held at the Marriott Hotel, Lisbon from 1 to 3 October 2024. Tutorial’s and the MASI meeting will take place on Wednesday 30 September 2024. Further details for the Call for Papers are available here: ISASI 2024 (esasi.eu) Further information on the tutorials, main programme, registration, and accommodation options will be provided in due course. We look forward to seeing you at ISASI 2024. 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