Flight Safety Information - February 6, 2024 No. 027 In This Issue : Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Oklahoma on Feb 2nd 2024, lightning strike : Incident: Delta A333 at Barcelona on Feb 1st 2024, engine failure : Woman’s Joyful Run Past A Spirit Airlines Jet Leads to Harsh Takedown at Atlanta Airport : FAA warns US Congress against hiking airline pilot retirement age : US FAA Chief to Face Questions on Boeing After MAX 9 Emergency : Hong Kong airport worker hit by plane, dies. What actually happened? : WORLD’S SAFEST AIRCRAFT FOR 2024 NAMED : FAA says 94% of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes inspected, back in service : Montgomery Regional Airport to commission Alabama’s first Electric Airplane Charging station : US Air Force will use drones for aircraft inspection : US's JetBlue slows aircraft deliveries; focuses on A220s : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Oklahoma on Feb 2nd 2024, lightning strike A Skwywest Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of United, registration N794SK performing flight UA-5841 from Denver,CO to Oklahoma City,OK (USA), was on approach to Oklahoma when the aircraft received a lightning strike. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 17R. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO NOSE CONE, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK." The aircraft is still on the ground in Oklahoma City about 72 hours after landing. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=51492d99&opt=0 Incident: Delta A333 at Barcelona on Feb 1st 2024, engine failure A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration N803NW performing flight DL-195 from Barcelona,SP (Spain) to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing out of Barcelona when the crew stopped the climb at FL270 reporting problems with one of the engines (PW4168). The aircraft returned to Barcelona for a safe landing on runway 24R about one hour after departure. The flight was cancelled, however, a replacement Boeing 767-400 was dispatched from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Barcelona and performed a replacement flight DL-9895 the following day reaching Atlanta with a delay of about 25 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Barcelona about 61 hours after landing back and according to information The Aviation Herald received is awaiting an engine change. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=5147fdb2&opt=0 Woman’s Joyful Run Past A Spirit Airlines Jet Leads to Harsh Takedown at Atlanta Airport A woman ran onto the ramp at the Atlanta airport on Monday. Police pursued and caught up to her. At their initial encounter, with an officer speaking to her behind a Spirit Airlines plane, she walks off – and skips for joy! Law enforcement pursues, slowly at first. Then she begins to run. An officer runs after her, and shoves her from behind down onto the ground. He handcuffs her, and then throws her into the vehicle the other officer drives up next to them. If you’re at work, or around children, then sound off for this. All you can hear is exasperated commentary by the people taking the video, and their language isn’t entirely safe for work or work from home: She decided she wanted to find out a lot. I could probably have just stopped writing at “Spirit Airlines Atlanta.” In the past year alone, a Spirit Airlines Atlanta passenger went berserk after being denied boarding; Spirit had to shut their gate door to block rowdy passengers; and two of their passengers brawled at the gate… to mention just a few incidents for this one smaller airline at a single station. https://viewfromthewing.com/womans-joyful-run-past-a-spirit-airlines-jet-leads-to-harsh-takedown-at-atlanta-airport/ FAA warns US Congress against hiking airline pilot retirement age WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration told Congress in a letter on Monday that lawmakers should not raise the mandatory retirement age of airline pilots to 67 from 65, saying it should first be allowed to conduct additional research. "It is crucial to provide the agency an opportunity to conduct research and determine mitigations," FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a letter first reported by Reuters. Yahoo Finance updates are here. The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is eying a potential hearing on Thursday to consider its own version of the aviation bill to extend the authorization of the FAA. "When it comes to raising the pilot retirement age, the FAA has made clear that a scientific and safety analysis must come first. That has not happened," said Senator Maria Cantwell, the committee chair. "Aviation safety is paramount, and now is not the time to take a shortcut." The U.S. House in July voted 351-69 on an aviation reform measure that would hike the mandatory retirement age to 67. "We strongly encourage preceding that type of change with appropriate research so that the FAA can measure any risk," Whitaker added. A separate letter from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Congress on Jan. 26 said the FAA "currently has no data to support such increase to the retirement age." He warned that raising the age to 67 would be "above the international standard and will have consequences for U.S. air carriers." Congress last year failed to pass the FAA bill before the Sept. 30 deadline and has voted twice to temporarily extend the agency. The current extension expires in early March. Airlines for America, a group representing American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, declined to comment. The Air Line Pilots Association opposes raising the retirement age and said such a move could cause airline scheduling and pilot training issues and require the reopening of pilot contract talks. The group praised Whitaker's letter. Current international rules would still prevent pilots older than 65 from flying in most countries outside the United States. The Regional Airline Association supports the pilot age hike, saying it "allows retention of more experienced captains, who can in turn fly alongside and mentor new first officers, helping to stabilize attrition." The Senate bill was previously held up by a dispute over whether to change pilot training requirements imposed after the February 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York, that killed 50 people, the last major U.S. passenger airline fatal crash. That issue appears to have been resolved. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/faa-urges-congress-not-hike-202050964.html US FAA Chief to Face Questions on Boeing After MAX 9 Emergency WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Aviation Administration will face questions Tuesday from lawmakers about the agency's oversight of Boeing in the wake of a 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency. "We will have more boots on the ground closely scrutinizing and monitoring production and manufacturing activities," FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker will tell lawmakers. "We will consider the full extent of our enforcement authority to ensure Boeing is held accountable for any non-compliance." The FAA, acting after a cabin panel blew out during flight on a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9, took the unprecedented action of barring Boeing from expanding production of its 737 MAX until it addresses quality issues. The FAA grounded 171 MAX 9 jets on Jan. 6, resulting in thousands of flight cancellations by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. The grounding was lifted on Jan. 24 and the agency said Monday 94% of the jets have returned to service. Lawmakers on a U.S. House aviation committee last week asked Whitaker to answer whether the agency has found "any evidence of persistent quality control lapses in any of Boeing's production lines." The FAA, which did not have a permanent administrator for 18 months until Whitaker's 98-0 confirmation, has come under growing scrutiny after a series of potentially catastrophic near-miss aviation safety incidents, persistent air traffic control staffing shortages and a January 2023 pilot messaging database outage that disrupted 11,000 flights. The agency says it will audit all elements of production at Boeing and fuselage production at Spirit AeroSystems and reexamine the long-standing practice of delegating some critical safety tasks to Boeing. The FAA has scrutinized Boeing's quality and other issues in recent years as it faced harsh criticism for its actions in the run-up to the MAX certification. In March, the FAA said it had boosted staff providing regulatory oversight of Boeing to 107 from 82 in previous years. In 2021, Boeing agreed to pay $6.6 million in penalties after failing to comply with a 2015 safety agreement. https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2024-02-06/us-faa-chief-to-face-questions-on-boeing-after-max-9-emergency Hong Kong airport worker hit by plane, dies. What actually happened? A 34-year-old Jordanian ground worker in Hong Kong fell from a tow truck's passenger seat and was struck by a towed plane. A ground worker at an airport in Hong Kong was killed after being hit by a towed aircraft on Tuesday when he fell from a truck in a rare accident, prompting the arrest of the truck driver for ‘dangerous’ driving, AFP reported. Hong Kong's airport authority confirmed that the victim worked for China Aircraft Services, a company specialising in ground support and maintenance. The victim, identified as a 34-year-old Jordanian national employed in Hong Kong, was reportedly seated in the passenger seat of a tow truck when he fell from the vehicle and was subsequently hit by the plane being towed. As cited in the AFP report, the airport authority confirmed that the victim worked for China Aircraft Services, a company specialising in ground support and maintenance. However, the victim's identity remains undisclosed. Emergency responders found the man on a taxiway with severe injuries during the early hours of Tuesday, as per local time, and he was declared dead. “It is suspected that the seat belt was left unfastened while the staff was working on the (vehicle),” said the authority. According to the AFP report, China Aircraft Services did not promptly reply to its inquiry for comment. Truck driver arrested Police believe that the victim was a passenger in a specialized vehicle driven by a 60-year-old individual. They suspect that the victim fell from the tractor and was subsequently struck by the aircraft being towed. The driver has been apprehended on charges of dangerous driving leading to death and is currently detained for additional questioning, according to the police. Police categorised this incident as a fatal traffic accident. The special investigation team from the New Territories South traffic unit is handling the case, according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report. The Airport Air Freight Employees’ Association, primarily comprising frontline and ground workers, conveyed their condolences and emphasised their expectation for relevant operators or companies to assist, including financial aid, to the victim’s family, the SCMP report added. The association met with the authority on Tuesday to stress the significance of equipment maintenance and the necessity to enhance safety awareness. Additionally, they proposed the implementation of smart safety light signals to serve as reminders for staff to adhere to protocols. Police have urged witnesses or individuals possessing information regarding the incident to contact officers at 3661 1346. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/hong-kong-airport-worker-hit-by-plane-dies-what-actually-happened-101707217119888.html WORLD’S SAFEST AIRCRAFT FOR 2024 NAMED The world’s safest aircraft have been named in Boeing’s Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents 1959 – 2022. Boeing has been issuing the annual report for decades and it tracks all commercial airline flight incidents and accidents. The Safest Aircraft with no fatalities or hull losses are; Boeing 717 Boeing 777-300ER/200LR Airbus A380** Boeing 787 Airbus A350** Boeing 747-8** Airbus A320/321neo Airbus A220** CRJ 700/900/1000** Airbus A340 Airlineratings.com is packed with information about air travel and answers questions that many of us may have thought of, but didn’t know who to ask. Well, now you do! 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/worlds-safest-aircraft-for-2024-named/ FAA says 94% of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes inspected, back in service WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday said two U.S. airlines have inspected and returned to service nearly 94% of Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 737 MAX 9 planes following a mid-air emergency last month. The FAA lifted its grounding of MAX 9 airplanes on Jan. 24 after it halted flights following the cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines (ALK.N), opens new tab jet on Jan. 5. The FAA said 78 of 79 United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab MAX 9 planes have been inspected and returned to service and 57 of 65 Alaska MAX 9 planes. Alaska said inspections on all but the plane involved in the emergency will be complete by Tuesday. The FAA required inspections include close review of specific bolts, guide tracks and fittings and detailed visual inspections of door plugs and dozens of associated components. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether the bolts were missing on the plane that suffered the cabin panel blowout. The grounding forced the airlines to cancel thousands of flights in January. Deputy FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Jodi Baker told reporters Monday the FAA was reimagining its oversight of Boeing. At Boeing's Renton 737 factory the FAA is "doing a nose to tail, wingtip to wingtip inspection. And as we get findings out of that inspection, we anticipate that will drive our reimagined oversight," she added. She said the FAA may need more staffing and will still conduct regular audits. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker is set to testify on Tuesday before a U.S. House committee. Lawmakers last week asked him if the FAA was changing its on-site surveillance of Boeing and its suppliers. Baker said the FAA wants to conduct "more surveillance... It's being able to build relationships with employees so you can understand the challenges that they're having day in and day out, and help us see if there's systemic challenges then with the manufacturer as well." Last month, the FAA barred the troubled planemaker from expanding production of its best-selling 737 MAX, following "unacceptable" quality issues. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said last week Boeing is "producing 737s at a rate of 38 per month and we will remain at that rate until the FAA and Boeing is satisfied with our quality of manufacturing process." The FAA has not estimated how long the limitation would last. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-says-94-boeing-737-max-9-planes-inspected-2024-02-05/ Montgomery Regional Airport to commission Alabama’s first Electric Airplane Charging station The Montgomery Regional Airport will commission a new electric aircraft charging station on Monday, the first electric aircraft charger in Alabama! MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) -The Montgomery Regional Airport will commission a new electric aircraft charging station on Monday, the first electric aircraft charger in Alabama! The charger station was built by BETA Technologies, which stands for Battery-powered Electric Terminal Aviation. The company is already producing two all-electric, net-zero aircraft. This charging station in Montgomery is part of an electric charging infrastructure the company is developing to support those planes, creating a cross-country network of charging stations. There are currently 17 chargers online and onsite, with 55 more sites under construction or in the permit phase, mainly along the East and Gulf coasts. And while these chargers are built to power aircraft, they can also charge electric vehicles that drive on the ground. https://www.wsfa.com/2024/02/05/montgomery-regional-airport-commission-alabamas-first-electric-airplane-charging-station/ US Air Force will use drones for aircraft inspection The U.S. Air Force has announced that it has tested a drone program for an autonomous aircraft inspection project. A groundbreaking drone program has been successfully tested at Dover Air Force Base, offering a safer and more efficient method for inspecting the towering T-tail of a C-5 M Super Galaxy aircraft, which reaches a height of 65 feet. The program, a collaborative effort between Team Dover and a civilian aviation company, aims to revolutionize aircraft inspection by introducing autonomous drones. During the tests conducted from January 22 to 24, 2024, the drone was tasked with mapping out a predefined flight path around the aircraft, capturing numerous high-resolution photographs in the process. Ken Jones, 436th Mission Generation Group process improvement and innovation manager, explained the efficiency of the program: “There are 34 points of interest, and that information is fed automatically back into another system within 10 seconds. The idea is to keep us from having to put Airmen in harm’s way up on the wings and tail.” Not only does the program enhance safety by eliminating the need for personnel to conduct manual inspections, which can be difficult and time-consuming, but it also significantly reduces inspection time. Traditional inspections that require personnel to use harnesses can take hours, while the drone completed its task in a mere 10 minutes. Furthermore, the drone program offers the advantage of archival data, enabling maintainers to store inspection results and compare them over the years. This proactive approach allows potential issues to be identified and addressed before they become major problems. David Murphy, a senior test pilot for Near Earth Autonomy, highlighted the challenge posed by the C-5 aircraft, which was a new addition to their drone inspection repertoire. “The challenge with the C-5 is building a new computer-aided design model,” he said. “Getting the model loaded into the system is a tricky process.” Despite these initial challenges, the innovative drone program holds great promise for the aircraft maintenance field. Dover Air Force Base, renowned for its commitment to finding better and safer ways of doing things, proves to be the ideal testing ground for this groundbreaking technology. “We’re always looking for the best way to do things here,” Jones noted. “It’s a win-win situation to be able to do it better and safer.” https://defence-blog.com/us-air-force-will-use-drones-for-aircraft-inspection/ US's JetBlue slows aircraft deliveries; focuses on A220s JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) has announced it is slowing its aircraft deliveries, averaging 24 annually over the next five years, after reaching an agreement with Airbus and other business partners to defer approximately USD2.5 billion of aircraft capital expenditure (capex) previously expected in 2024 through 2027. The US carrier is prioritising its A220-300 deliveries, which are replacing its ERJ 190-100AR fleet. The ch-aviation fleets data module shows JetBlue has seventy-six A220-300s on order, plus thirty-two A321-200NX, nine A321-200NX(LR)s, and thirteen A321-200NY(XLR)s. During the airline’s 2023 fourth quarter investors call, Ursula Hurley, Chief Financial Officer, said this agreement supports JetBlue’s path back to positive free cash flow, providing a more consistent level of deliveries and capex through the end of the decade, and prioritises “the margin-accretive A220 and fleet monetisation program as the E190 exit the fleet.” In 2024, the company expects to receive a total of 27 aircraft (with a full-year capex of approximately USD1.6 billion), and also extend the retirements of some thirty A320 jets as it copes with elevated capital payments, pressurised cash flow, a blocked merger with Spirit Airlines (NK, Fort Lauderdale International), and the parking of some of its A320neo-family aircraft due to Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100G engine recalls. JetBlue expects an average of 11 aircraft to be out of service throughout the year due to the PW1100 engine issues, peaking at 15 at year-end. The US carrier recorded a USD104 million net loss in 2023’s fourth quarter on total operating revenue of USD2.3 billion. For the full year, it lost USD310 million. JetBlue operates a fleet of 302 aircraft, composed of twenty-four A220-300s, 130 A320-200s, sixty-three A321-200s, twenty-one A321-200NXs, ten A321-200NX(LR)s, and fifty-four ERJ 190-100ARs. https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/136693-uss-jetblue-slows-aircraft-deliveries-focuses-on-a220s 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 • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis