Flight Safety Information - March 1, 2024 No. 045 In This Issue : Incident: American B772 over Atlantic on Feb 28th 2024, cracked windshield : Incident: Aeromexico B738 and Private C421 near Tapachula on Feb 21st 2024, loss of separation : Incident: American A319 near New York on Feb 29th 2024, smoke in cabin : Incident: Alaska B737 at Juneau on Feb 28th 2024, bird strike : IATA report reveals cause of most aircraft accidents in North America and Europe : Gaining A Better Understanding Of Runway Incursions : FAA Calls for Boeing Action Plan to Address Quality Issues : United Airlines Removes Boeing 737 MAX 10 From Expected Aircraft Deliveries : The Transportation Department proposes new rules for how airlines handle wheelchairs : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: American B772 over Atlantic on Feb 28th 2024, cracked windshield An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N790AN performing flight AA-94 from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Madrid,SP (Spain), was enroute at FL370 over the Atlantic Ocean about 300nm east of Boston,MA (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Boston reporting a cracked windshield. The aircraft turned around, descended to FL250 and landed safely on Boston's runway 22L about 70 minutes after turning around. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N788AN is estimated to depart Boston the following day about 19 hours after landing. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Boston about 16.5 hours after landing. Massachusetts States Police reported the aircraft diverted due to a cracked windshield. The airline reported the aircraft diverted due to a "maintenance issue". https://avherald.com/h?article=51590ea2&opt=0 Incident: Aeromexico B738 and Private C421 near Tapachula on Feb 21st 2024, loss of separation An Aeromexico Boeing 737-800, registration XA-ADU performing flight AM-372 from Mexico City to Tapachula (Mexico), was descending through about FL160 about 50nm north of Tapachula. A private Cessna 421C registration N421RN had departed Tapachula and was climbing through about FL160 about 50nm north of Tapachula. ADS-B data suggest that the separation between the aircraft reduced to about 300 feet vertical and 2.6nm horizontal. Both aircraft continued to their destinations for landings without further incidents. On Feb 29th 2024 the US NTSB reported they joined the investigation by Mexico's Authorities. https://avherald.com/h?article=51590388&opt=0 Incident: American A319 near New York on Feb 29th 2024, smoke in cabin An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N763US performing flight AA-2084 from Chicago O'Hare,IL to New York La Guardia,NY (USA), was on approach to New York when the crew reported smoke in the cabin. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 31. The FAA reported they opened an investigation into the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=5158f8b8&opt=0 Incident: Alaska B737 at Juneau on Feb 28th 2024, bird strike An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N644AS performing flight AS-61 from Seattle,WA to Juneau,AK (USA), was on approach to Juneau's runway 26 when a bird impacted the aircraft. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. The aircraft was unable to continue its schedule, the subsequent sectors to Yakutat,AK, Cordova,AK and Anchorage,AK were cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Juneau about 22 hours after landing. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED A DENT ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING, JUNEAU, AK." https://avherald.com/h?article=5158f7a1&opt=0 IATA report reveals cause of most aircraft accidents in North America and Europe The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published its latest Annual Safety Report for global aviation. Overall, the IATA report, released on February 29, 2024, reflected an incredible year for safety around the world with several areas seeing their “best ever” results. This is against the backdrop of 37 million aircraft movements in 2023 for both passenger jet and turboprop aircraft and represents an increase of 17% when compared against 2022. While there were no passenger jet fatal accidents or hull losses in 2023, a Yeti Airlines ATR 72 turboprop crash did sadly result in the loss of 72 people on January 15, 2023. Key safety findings The all accident rate was 0.80 per million sectors in 2023 (one accident for every 1.26 million flights), an improvement from 1.30 in 2022 and the lowest rate in over a decade. The fatality risk improved to 0.03 in 2023 from 0.11 in 2022 – at this level of safety, the average person would have to fly every day for 103,239 years before they had a fatal accident. “2023 safety performance continues to demonstrate that flying is the safest mode of transport. Aviation places its highest priority on safety and that shows in the 2023 performance. Jet operations saw no hull losses or fatalities. 2023 also saw the lowest fatality risk and ‘all accident’ rate on record,” Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said. However, Walsh said that the Yeti Airlines tragedy reminds everyone in aviation that they can never take “safety for granted”. Walsh also commented on both the Alaska Airlines plug door incident on January 5, 2024, and the Japan Airlines crash on January 2, 2024, where a landing A350 struck a Coast Guard plane in Tokyo. “Two high profile accidents in the first month of 2024 show that, even if flying is among the safest activities a person can do, there is always room to improve. This is what we have done throughout our history. And we will continue to make flying ever safer,” Walsh added. Additional insights The 2023 all accident rate improved in all regions in 2023 compared to 2022, with the exception of North America and Asia-Pacific. While all regions except Asia-Pacific recorded a fatality risk of zero in 2023. In both North America and Europe, the largest proportion of accidents in 2023 were related to landing gear collapses. In Africa, the all accident rate improved from 10.88 per million sectors in 2022 to 6.38 in 2023. In the Middle East and North Africa, the all accident rate improved from 1.30 accidents per million sectors in 2022 to 1.16 in 2023 Europe has had a fatality risk of zero since 2018. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/iata-safety-report-aircraft-accidents-crashes Gaining A Better Understanding Of Runway Incursions Runway incursions make the news when there’s a spectacular collision, as happened recently at Tokyo Haneda Airport. On Jan. 2, a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 collided with a Japan Coast Guard Dash 8-300 turboprop there. All 379 occupants of the A350 evacuated safely after the airliner came to rest, but five of the six people on the coast guard aircraft were killed. The severity of a crash makes runway incursions seem like a major threat to air safety. But the likelihood of an incursion is also important in judging risk, and that’s hard to estimate. To help understand the likelihood, or probability, of a catastrophic incursion accident, the FAA now tracks all incursions at U.S. airports, whether they involve giant aircraft maneuvering in close proximity to one another or just aircraft rolling a few feet past a hold-short line. Air traffic control staff at the incident airport are required to make Mandatory Occurrence Reports and categorize the event according to its apparent hazard. The A and B categories are incidents they judge to be most serious. When aircraft narrowly avoid a collision, it’s an A. When there’s significant potential for a collision and/or evasive action, it’s a B. Most Incursions Are Benign Serious runway incursions, 2013-2023 Credit: FAA What the FAA data show is that most incursions are benign. The “FAA Administrator’s Handbook” for 2020, for example, showed there were 1,644 runway incursions in 2017, but only five that were categorized as A or B. The more recent “Air Traffic by the Numbers 2023” addressed only major “Core 30” airports, but the pattern was the same. In fiscal 2022, Core 30 airports reported 299 incursions; one was categorized as A and one as B. An FAA graphic of A and B incursions from 2013-23 shows a sawtooth pattern, with eight incidents the low and 19 the high number. There’s no discernable pattern or trend. The average incidents over the 11 years is 15.1, so the high of 19 is not statistically very significant. Unless there’s an underlying factor driving more incursions, the number will revert to the mean. The problem with estimating the risk of runway incursions is they are so unpredictable. They are unlike runway excursions, where you can pretty well guess that on a short, slippery runway in windy conditions a runway excursion could happen. You can create mitigations for excursions. Runway incursions happen at large airports and small, in good weather and bad, with airliners and small airplanes and with experienced pilots and novices. They happen when the flow of traffic seems normal and when it is busy. Sometimes pilots miss a clearance, sometimes controllers create a conflict or fail to see one developing. Airport vehicles roll out on runways and cross them when they’re occupied. The people involved in runway incursions must always be surprised. Imagine the reaction of the pilots of a NetJets Bombardier Challenger 350 suddenly facing an oncoming Cessna 150 trying to land on their takeoff runway. When cleared for takeoff from DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Runway 21L, they were told the Cessna 150 would be departing 21R. What they couldn’t have known was that the Cessna pilot would have a rough-running engine and was going to turn back and fly right at them. The Challenger crew pitched the jet up aggressively and managed to overfly the Cessna by 200-to-300 ft. Then there was the crew of a Hawker 800 twinjet that overflew an airport fire truck just as they were lifting off from Runway 14 at Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce, Florida. The crew cleared the truck, which was not cleared to be driving across the departure end of the runway, by 50-to-100 ft. The pilots likely had some moments of shock followed by great relief. A Gulfstream GV crew had to abort its takeoff from Van Nuys Airport (VNY) Runway 16R after a Beechcraft Bonanza flew over and landed in front of the Gulfstream. Picture the consternation of the Gulfstream pilot as he saw the light airplane cut him off after he had begun his takeoff roll. After these near misses, two business jets finally came too close and collided. On Oct. 24, 2023, a departing Raytheon Hawker 850XP struck the empennage of a landing Cessna Citation Mustang at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston. The Hawker’s left wingtip and the Mustang’s tail were damaged, but both aircraft landed safely. Given the unpredictable nature of this type of event, what precautions can we take to prevent damage and injuries? One answer was contained in the testimony of FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to Congress on Feb. 6. The FAA, he said, will provide more controller training and supervision and deploy tower simulator training systems in 95 facilities by December 2025. There will be Runway Incursion Warning Systems and Vehicle Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast emitters to cut down on Vehicle/ Pedestrian Deviations. The agency is focused on airports that have a history of runway incursions and locations that have incidents of wildlife affecting airport operations. One initiative that I like but wasn’t mentioned by Whitaker is the agency’s “From the Flight Deck” videos and handbooks. The FAA began producing videos about individual airports some two years ago and the number of episodes has increased steadily. The YouTube videos remind me of the Jeppesen 10-7 pages we had at airlines to provide pilots with important operational details about the airports we flew into. Most of the videos concern mid-size airports that host both light airplane and business jet traffic. They provide pilots with excellent airport familiarization. In FAA announcements and press releases there are a certain amount of vague promises but also a glimpse into more substantive actions. Never underestimate the agency’s ability to manipulate statistics in the most favorable way. But runway incursions could be reduced by a concentrated effort on all our parts. https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/safety-ops-regulation/gaining-better-understanding-runway-incursions FAA Calls for Boeing Action Plan to Address Quality Issues FAA demands action plan from Boeing after door flaw exposes safety concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sharply criticized Boeing on Wednesday, demanding a comprehensive plan within 90 days to address “systemic quality-control issues” plaguing the aerospace giant. This comes after a series of incidents, including a mid-air emergency on a brand new 737 MAX 9, raised renewed concerns about Boeing’s safety culture and manufacturing processes. “Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” Administrator Whitaker said following a meeting with Boeing Chief Executive Officer and President Dave Calhoun and his senior safety team on Tuesday. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations.” This plan must address the findings of the ongoing FAA audit, incorporate the recently released expert review report, and outline concrete steps to improve Boeing’s Safety Management System (SMS). Notably, the plan should also integrate the SMS with a new Quality Management System, ensuring consistent oversight across Boeing’s supply chain and driving a measurable shift towards stricter quality control throughout manufacturing. Series of Events Lead to FAA Criticism of Boeing The FAA’s criticism stems from a string of recent events, starting with the January 5 tincident where a door plug detached from a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, forcing an emergency landing. A preliminary report from the National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB) indicated that four key bolts were missing from the detached door plug. This revelation, coupled with Boeing’s production slowdown and regulatory scrutiny, has drawn the ire of airline industry executives and customers. Administrator Whitaker visited the 737 production line in February to discuss quality control processes with employees and met with Alaska Airlines officials regarding a mid-flight door issue in January. Additionally, the FAA has halted production expansion of the MAX, is exploring the use of a third party to oversee Boeing, and is finalizing an enhanced oversight audit of their production and manufacturing systems incident following the release of a critical report earlier this week by an independent panel commissioned by the FAA in 2023. The report identified “inadequate and confusing implementation of the components of a positive safety culture” at Boeing. Boeing Pledges Commitment to Address FAA Concerns Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, in a recent statement, emphasized the leadership team’s “total commitment” to addressing the FAA’s concerns and developing the plan. He added, “We have a clear picture of what needs to be done,” and stated Boeing’s commitment to creating a comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria, demonstrating the “profound change” demanded by the FAA. https://airlinegeeks.com/2024/02/29/faa-calls-for-boeing-action-plan-to-address-quality-issues/ United Airlines Removes Boeing 737 MAX 10 From Expected Aircraft Deliveries The airline is moving forward with its plans without the MAX 10s. SUMMARY • United Airlines has removed the MAX 10 from its fleet plan until after 2025 due to Boeing quality control issues and certification delays. • United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby expressed concerns over ongoing Boeing problems, causing the airline to plan for future deliveries without the MAX 10. • According to an SEC filing, United Airlines has removed the Boeing 737 MAX 10 from its fleet plan from this year until after 2025. This comes after a string of problems with Boeing quality control and delays in the certification of the aircraft type. Planning for the unknown Last month, an exit door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9, leading to a decision from the Federal Aviation Administration to ground the MAX 9s with the same configuration as the affected aircraft. Upon inspection, several aircraft were found to have loose bolts on the door plugs, and Boeing accepted the fault for the problems. Quality lapses have been a problem at Boeing for several years now, and this seems to be the final straw that broke the camel's back. Several airline CEOs commented on the incident, many saying Boeing needs to get their act together, and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby had his own words for the American manufacturer. Kirby added that because of ongoing problems at Boeing, the airline would be forced to consider future plans without the MAX 10, which has not yet been certified. Kirby did not explicitly state that United would cancel its entire MAX 10 order, which stands at 277 planes, but rather, it would need to plan for the unknown. Earlier today, the airline posted its 10-K filing, a comprehensive report filed annually by a publicly traded company about its financial performance. The filing reveals that United has started planning its fleet expansion without the MAX 10s. A section of the report outlines the carrier's outstanding deliveries and how many aircraft it expects to receive in coming years. As seen in the photo below, per its contract with Boeing, United was set to receive 80 MAX 10s in 2024 alone but now expects zero. Data from United Airlines 10K filing Between 2024 and 2025, United was supposed to receive more than half of its MAX 10 order. Although the 10-K filing states that United does not expect any MAX 10s in the coming years, the airline specified, "Due to the delay in the certification of the 737 MAX 10 aircraft, we are unable to accurately forecast the expected delivery period." Future deliveries Though United is not expecting the MAX 10s anytime soon, the airline is still awaiting more MAX 8s, 9s, and 787 Dreamliners. According to the table above, United contractually expected 85 Boeing planes this year but now expects 63. The breakdown is seven 787s (variants not specified), 37 MAX 8s, and 19 MAX 9s. In addition to Boeing aircraft, United has more than 200 firm commitments with Airbus, although 45 are for A350s, and there are doubts if the airline will ever receive the widebodies. After increasing its A321neo order near the end of 2023, United now has 126 firm commitments and expects 25 this year, a few of which have already been delivered. The airline was expected to receive 26. Though the A321XLR will see its commercial entry into service (EIS) this year, United does not plan to receive its first until the end of 2025. https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-removes-boeing-737-max-10-expected-aircraft-deliveries/ The Transportation Department proposes new rules for how airlines handle wheelchairs WASHINGTON — For people who use wheelchairs, air travel can be a nightmare. There are countless stories of wheelchairs damaged, delayed and even destroyed. Now the Biden administration is trying to change that by proposing new standards for how airlines must accommodate passengers with disabilities. "Transportation is still inaccessible for far too many people, and that's certainly true for aviation," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a call with reporters. "This is about making sure that all Americans can travel safely and with dignity." INVESTIGATIONS A New Rule Means Some People With Wheelchairs Can't Fly On American Airlines The Department of Transportation invited dozens of other disability advocates to Washington on Thursday to talk about the proposed regulation. It would make mishandling of wheelchairs an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act — making it easier to hold airlines accountable when they damage or delay the return of a wheelchair, Buttigieg said. When airlines break a wheelchair or other mobility device, disability advocates argue, it's not like any other piece of luggage. "People don't realize that this is a part of my body. If this is broken, you've broken my legs," said Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost both of her legs in the Iraq war. Duckworth has pushed to require airlines to disclose how many wheelchairs they damage. She says they broke 892 wheelchairs in a single month last year. "Imagine if the American public saw that the airlines broke 892 pairs of legs in a single month. There would be hue and cry, but there hasn't been," she said. NATIONAL After Her Wheelchair Was Left Behind, Woman Describes How Airlines Can Do Better The proposed rule would mandate that airlines provide more training for employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers' wheelchairs and other mobility devices. DOT advisor Kelly Buckland, who also uses a wheelchair, says that training is key to protecting wheelchairs — and preventing injuries to disabled passengers. "I think a lot of the general public is aware about the damage to our equipment. But I don't think there's as much awareness around how we get harmed," Buckland said. The proposed rule includes hefty fines of more than $100,000 per incident. The major airlines have not said anything publicly about that. Their trade group Airlines For America said in a statement that carriers are "committed to offering a high level of customer service and providing a positive and safe flight experience for passengers with disabilities." INVESTIGATIONS Despite calls to improve, air travel is still a nightmare for many with disabilities The immediate reaction from disability advocates was largely positive, though some expressed disappointment about what the proposed rule leaves out. "The reason I didn't fly any more and I gave up flying was too much damage to my chair," said Theo Braddy, the executive director of the National Council on Independent Living. Braddy says not flying has held him back in his career, and stopped him from traveling with his wife. But he says the DOT's proposal is changing his idea of what's possible. "I didn't think this kind of stuff would happen in my lifetime. I thought that was okay, though, because the next generation would benefit," Braddy said. "I'm realizing maybe I will see it in my lifetime." Flying is "by far the part of traveling that I dread the most," said Cory Lee, who writes a blog about accessible travel called Curb Free With Cory Lee. Lee says his powered wheelchair weighs about 400 pounds, and estimates that it's damaged in some way about half of the times he flies. "Air travel is what needs the most help in the travel industry to become more inclusive and accessible. And any step toward getting better is important," Lee said in an interview. But Lee and other wheelchair users had been hoping for more. Wheelchairs On Planes: Why Can't Passengers Use Their Own Onboard? SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS Wheelchairs On Planes: Why Can't Passengers Use Their Own Onboard? "The rule certainly is doing something, but I don't know if it's doing enough," said Emily Ladau, a disability rights activist and author of the book Demystifying Disability. Under the rule, airlines would be required to provide "prompt assistance" to passengers with disabilities when boarding and deplaning. Ladau says she wants more clarity about how that is defined. "I can't tell you how many times I have sat on the plane waiting for sometimes close to an hour, if not more, just to have my wheelchair returned to me," Ladau said. "And occasionally have found that my wheelchair was not returned to me promptly because it was damaged." The proposed rule does not include what Lee called his "ultimate dream" to stay in his own wheelchair on a plane. "That is the Holy Grail, and we are working toward it," Buttigieg said, while acknowledging that allowing passengers to stay in their wheelchairs on the plane will be "very challenging" from a safety and engineering perspective. For now, the DOT has more work to do before these proposed rules get off the ground. The public has 60 days to comment. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1234708784/airlines-wheelchairs-damaged-disabilities-transportation-department CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis