Flight Safety Information - March 22, 2024 No. 060 In This Issue : Incident: Aegean A21N at Athens on Mar 21st 2024, bird strike : Beechcraft C90 King Air - Fatal Accident (Colombia) : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London : FBI tells Alaska Airlines passengers they may be ‘victim of a crime’ : Improper installation of brake parts led American Airlines flight to overrun DFW runway, report says : Air India Fined ₹ 80 Lakh For Violating Crew Safety Guidelines : Who has your name, flight info? DOT to review how airlines are handling passenger data : American Airlines passenger hurls anti-Semitic slur at flight attendant, forced off plane : Korean Air to order 33 Airbus A350 Aircraft : Viet Nam's Pacific Airlines pauses ops, hands over aircraft : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Aegean A21N at Athens on Mar 21st 2024, bird strike An Aegean Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration SX-NAL performing flight A3-606 from Athens (Greece) to London Gatwick,EN (UK), was departing Athen's runway 03R when a bird impacted the aircraft. The crew stopped the climb at FL170 and returned to Athens for a safe landing on runway 03L about 22 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration SX-DNG reached Gatwick with a delay of about 90 minutes. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Athens about 13 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5166de76&opt=0 Beechcraft C90 King Air - Fatal Accident (Colombia) Date: Thursday 21 March 2024 Time: c. 07:20 LT Type: Beechcraft C90 King Air Owner/operator: Sky Ambulance Registration: HK-4684 MSN: LJ-934 Year of manufacture: 1981 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off Category: Accident Location: near Yarumal, Antioquia - Colombia Phase: En route Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Montería-Los Garzones Airport (MTR/SKMR) Destination airport: Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport (EOH/SKMD) Investigating agency: Aerocivil Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Beechcraft C90 King Air, performing an ambulance flight, crashed under unknown circumstances near Yarumal, Antioquia. The two pilots, a medical doctor and a patient died and the aircraft was destroyed. ADS-B data ends at ~11000 feet altitude (not corrected for baro) in seemingly normal descent. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/366942 FBI tells Alaska Airlines passengers they may be ‘victim of a crime’ Passengers on board the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 that suffered a terrifying midair blowout in January have received a letter from the FBI saying they may be victims “of a crime.” Attorney Mark Lindquist, who represents multiple passengers that were on Alaska Airlines flight 1282, shared with CNN the letter that the FBI office in Seattle sent to passengers on Tuesday. “I’m contacting you because we have identified you as a possible victim of a crime,” the letter reads in part. It also notes that the FBI is currently investigating the case. “The FBI does not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation,” FBI Seattle’s Public Affairs Office wrote in an email to CNN, citing Department of Justice policy. Boeing declined to comment. On January 5, 171 passengers and six crew members boarded the flight in Portland, Oregon, bound for Ontario, California. Abruptly after take off, a panel of the fuselage called the “door plug” blew off, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing. The DOJ opened a probe into the incident and Boeing in February, CNN has previously reported. Subpoenas were also recently sent seeking documents and information that may be related to Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems Holdings and mentions the “door plug” that is used in the Boeing 737 Max 9s, according to a report from Bloomberg. “My clients and I welcome the DOJ investigation,” Lindquist told CNN, “We want accountability. We want answers. We want safer Boeing planes. And a DOJ investigation helps advance our goals.” CNN has reached out to multiple other attorneys that represent passengers onboard the flight. The development comes the same week Boeing said it will report massive losses in the first quarter stemming from the Alaska Airlines incident. The losses will be in part because of compensation to airlines that owned the Max 9, which was grounded for three weeks after the incident. Alaska Air CEO Ben Minicucci told investors last month that the incident cost his airline about $150 million, and that it expected to be compensated for those losses by Boeing. The other contributors to losses will be “all the things we’re doing around the factory,” Chief Financial Officer Brian West said on Wednesday, leading to slower production at its 737 Max plant in Renton Washington. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/fbi-tells-alaska-airlines-passengers-101306191.html Improper installation of brake parts led American Airlines flight to overrun DFW runway, report says National Transportation Safety Board Improper installation of brake parts was a factor in an American Airlines plane overshooting a runway while landing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in February, according to an aviation investigation preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The 104 passengers and crew members, traveling from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, deplaned the Boeing 737-800 at DFW and were bused to a terminal after the plane experienced a brake malfunction Feb. 10, according to the NTSB. No one was injured. The pilot and the captain initially reported that touchdown was normal, with no directional control issues. But shortly after touchdown, the crew saw the automatic brake disarm light turn on and the brakes failed to engage. This required the crew to manually brake by applying pressure to the pedals while deploying the aircraft’s thrust reversers — an additional way to decelerate a flight while landing — according to the investigation. The airplane then began to decelerate with the thrust reversers but at a slower pace and the pilot indicated that the brakes were not working correctly, the report says. When approaching a taxiway, the ground speed of the flight was higher than expected, the NTSB reported. The captain called the DFW airport tower and said, “American 1632, total brake failure, we are departing the end of runway 17L, roll crash fire rescue,” according to the investigation. The plane then came to a stop after passing the runway’s threshold lights, the captain reported. Data reviewed by the NTSB shows that the auto brake applied momentarily transitioned from “No Auto Brake” to “Auto Brake” before finally going back to “No Auto Brake” for the remainder of the landing. According to the NTSB’s investigation, American Airlines completed a project on Feb. 6 that replaced the steel brakes on the Boeing 737 with carbon brakes and wheel assemblies per an engineering order. A post-incident troubleshooting and inspection of the aircraft’s brake control system determined that hydraulic lines — hoses that carry hydraulic fluid, oil, fuel and air and can perform at high pressures — were improperly reconnected after the carbon brakes were installed, the report says. The troubleshooting also found wiring in the plane’s wheel speed transducers — which measure the speed of rotation of the aircraft’s wheels for braking control — were incorrectly installed. American Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and the Transport Workers Union - International Association of Machinists also assisted the NTSB. The investigation is ongoing. https://www.yahoo.com/news/improper-installation-brake-parts-led-040000373.html Air India Fined ₹ 80 Lakh For Violating Crew Safety Guidelines The violations came to surface after the watchdog, Directorate general of Civil Aviation (DGCA), conducted spot audit of Air India in the month of January. Air India Fined Rs 80 Lakh For Violating Crew Safety Guidelines The Aviation watchdog has fined Air India ₹ 80 lakh for violation of norms related to flight duty time limitations and fatigue management system of flight crew. The violations came to surface after the watchdog, Directorate general of Civil Aviation (DGCA), conducted spot audit of Air India in the month of January. A show cause notice was sent to Air India by the watchdog on March 1. "Pursuant to the non-satisfactory response submitted by operator, a fine of ₹ 80, 00, 000 (rupees eighty lakhs) have been imposed on the operator," said the watchdog in a statement. "The analysis of reports and evidence revealed that M/s Air India Limited operated flight(s) with both flight crew aged above 60 years flying together in few instances, which is a violation of Sub Rule (2) of Rule 28 A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937," said the watchdog. "The operator was also found deficient in providing adequate weekly rest, adequate rest before & after ultra-long range (ULR) flights and adequate rest on layover to flight crew, which violates the extant provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements pertaining to FDTL," it said further. The instances of exceeding duty periods, wrongly marked training records, overlapping duties etc. were also observed during the audit, it added. The watchdog underlined that it is "committed to maintaining the highest levels of safety in the civil aviation sector in India and this enforcement action is in line with its commitment". https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/air-india-fined-rs-80-lakh-for-violating-crew-safety-guidelines-5290478 Who has your name, flight info? DOT to review how airlines are handling passenger data The Department of Transportation announced it is beginning a review of the data collection and privacy practices of the nation’s 10 largest airlines. The agency wants to ensure passenger data is properly protected and not unethically sold to third parties. “Airline passengers should have confidence that their personal information is not being shared improperly with third parties or mishandled by employees,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “This review of airline practices is the beginning of a new initiative by DOT to ensure airlines are being good stewards of sensitive passenger data.” Airlines collect copious amounts of biographical data when travelers book tickets; things like names and birthdates, home address and gender. But increasingly carriers are also collecting other data like meal and seating preferences, inflight entertainment choices and more. “Because consumers will often never know that their personal data was misused or sold to shady data brokers, effective privacy regulation cannot depend on consumer complaints to identify corporate abuses. I will continue to work with DOT to ensure that it is holding the airlines responsible for harmful or negligent privacy practices,” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who partnered with the DOT in formulating the review, said in a statement. As part of the review, the DOT is seeking information in three categories: • Policies and procedures relating to the collection, maintenance, handling, and use of airlines’ personal information, including policies and procedures relating to monetization of passenger data, targeted advertising, and prevention of data breaches. • Complaints alleging that airline employees or contractors mishandled personal information or otherwise alleging that an airline violated an individual’s privacy. • Information regarding privacy training, including materials used for training, types of personnel that receive the training, and the frequency of the training. • Cruising Altitude:Airlines don't just want your money. Now they want more of your data. DOT requested responses from the following airlines: • Allegiant • Alaska • American • Delta • Frontier • Hawaiian • JetBlue • Southwest • Spirit • United According to the DOT, the review is meant primarily as a fact-finding mission to better understand how airlines are using passenger data, but the longer-term view is to create best practices and more detailed regulations around its use. “As DOT finds evidence of problematic practices, the Department will take action, which could mean investigations, enforcement actions, guidance, or rulemaking,” a statement from the department said.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2024/03/21/department-of-transportation-airline-data-privacy-review/73042708007/ American Airlines passenger hurls anti-Semitic slur at flight attendant, forced off plane NEW DELHI: An unruly passenger onboard American Airlines Flight 2506 to Philadelphia from Tampa International Airport was arrested after he created chaos and directed an anti-Semitic slur at a flight attendant. In a video of the incident, the passenger can be seen verbally assaulting both staff and fellow passengers. According to the New York Post, he accused others of conspiring against him and hurled derogatory language, including an anti-Semitic slur directed at a flight attendant. Amidst his outburst, he expressed frustration about reaching his destination, claiming others were impeding his journey. “I am trying to get to my home country and you all people made it harder for me to get to my home country,” he can be heard shouting in the video. Tensions escalated further when the disruptive passenger confronted another traveler, clad in a blue pullover, in the aisle. Allegations of physical contact led to a physical altercation, resulting in the passenger in blue placing the unruly individual in a headlock. Additional passengers, including a woman identifying herself as a police officer, intervened to assist in removing the disruptive passenger from the aircraft. Law enforcement were summoned to the scene, and the unruly passenger was subsequently arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication and two counts of battery. American Airlines confirmed the disturbance and expressed gratitude to their team for their handling of the situation while apologizing to customers for any inconvenience caused by the delay. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/american-airlines-passenger-hurls-antisemitic-slur-at-flight-attendant-forced-off-plane/articleshow/108705675.cms Korean Air to order 33 Airbus A350 Aircraft Korean Air will sign a contract with French-German aircraft producer Airbus to procure 33 variants of the A350 family. The order includes 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s, totaling $13.7 billion (18.17 trillion won). The contract will complement the South Korean flagship carrier’s aim to gradually retire from its older airplanes, the A380. The financial losses caused by the A380′s low energy efficiency and unoccupied seats prompted the company to transition to the eco-friendly A350. The company also views the acquisition of the A350 series as a preparatory step for its merger with Asiana Airlines, which has been operating the A350 since 2017. The A350-1000, the largest variant in the A350 family, can carry 350-410 passengers. With the longest flight range among existing passenger aircraft, high-energy efficient aviation can fly up to 16,000 kilometers. The A350-900 is about seven meters shorter than the A350-1000, with a range of 15,370 kilometers, sufficient to cover the distance from Incheon to New York. The airline plans to purchase an additional 143 next-generation airplanes in the near future. CEO Cho Won-tae emphasized 2024 as a pivotal year for finalizing the merger with Asiana Airlines and preparing to launch the integrated airline. https://www.chosun.com/english/industry-en/2024/03/22/RSWALBHLRBGBVAEJFGBMMI2RTY/ Viet Nam's Pacific Airlines pauses ops, hands over aircraft Pacific Airlines (BL, Ho Chi Minh City) has suspended flights and returned its aircraft to lessors to facilitate a planned restructuring and debt write-down. According to local reports, the LCC could not meet its lease commitments on time and it paused flights and bookings on March 18. In a statement, a Pacific Airlines spokesperson said the carrier “is currently restructuring its fleet and route network to ensure and enhance operational efficiency." According to ch-aviation fleets data, the airline was leasing eight A320-200s but only one was active when it suspended services. Five of the aircraft came from Aviation Capital Group, two from Wings Capital Partners, and one from CALC. The airline reportedly returned the aircraft in exchange for the lessors wiping debts of around USD220 million. It will lease three aircraft from its state-owned parent Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi Noi Bai International) while undergoing restructuring in order to retain its operating licence. The airline began operations in 1991 as a cargo carrier before starting passenger flights later that decade. In 2007, Qantas Group acquired a 30% in the state-owned airline, rebranding it as Jetstar Pacific (Ho Chi Minh City), and in 2012 Vietnam Airlines acquired the remaining government-held 70% stake. At the time, there were plans to have as many as 30 aircraft flying for the LCC by 2020. Pacific Airlines has consistently lost money. In calendar 2022, it recorded total revenues of VND3.49 trillion dong (USD140 million) and a pre-tax loss of VND2.1 trillion (USD84.5 million). As of December 31, 2022, its total accrued losses amounted to VND10.7 trillion (USD431.6 million) and its net equity reached VND6.7 trillion (USD270.3 million). In 2020, Qantas Group handed over its 30% stake to Vietnam Airlines for a peppercorn amount and the Vietnamese flag carrier then rebranded the LCC back to Pacific Airlines. The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) instructed Pacific Airlines to submit a restructuring plan by March 22 and resume operations as quickly as possible. It also asked the carrier to temporarily surrender unused flight slots and ordered that passenger refunds be promptly processed. Pacific said it would rebook passengers onto Vietnam Airlines flights. That carrier had already committed to supporting its subsidiary by giving it access to its airport and ground service facilities. Pacific Airlines has reportedly communicated with the CAAV, requesting that it "guide it through the restructuring processes and create favourable conditions" for a resumption of operations. However, it has not said when that might be. https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/138414-viet-nams-pacific-airlines-pauses-ops-hands-over-aircraft CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis