Flight Safety Information - March 27, 2024 No. 063 In This Issue : Incident: Delta B764 over Atlantic on Mar 23rd 2024, unreliable airspeed : Incident: Salaam F70 at Nairobi on Mar 26th 2024, runway excursion : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London : Incident: Pegasus B738 at Istanbul on Mar 25th 2024, lightning strike : Incident: Aeromexico B38M at Mexico City on Mar 24th 2024, wing tip strike on landing : Incident: Qantas A332 at Perth on Mar 25th 2024, engine shut down in flight : United flight to Newark lands safely despite hydraulics issue on Boeing aircraft : A passenger had to sit with an exposed bolt digging into his head for a 7-hour flight because his seat had no headrest : The CEO of Ryanair says the airline would regularly find missing seat handles and tools under floorboards on Boeing planes : 2 pilots hospitalized after Army helicopter crashes during training exercise in Washington state : Indian aviation watchdog defers new rules on pilots' rest, duty times : Japan aims to launch next-generation passenger aircraft by around 2035 : Air France transatlantic jet carries lifesaving donor heart on pioneering flight : Call for Nominations For 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Delta B764 over Atlantic on Mar 23rd 2024, unreliable airspeed A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400, registration N845MH performing flight DL-1 from New York JFK,NY (USA) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 225 people on board, was enroute at FL340 about 210nm northeast of Gander,NL (Canada) when the crew observed an "IAS DISAGREE" indication, declared emergency and decided to return to New York. The aircraft landed safely back in New York about 4 hours later. The Canadian TSB reported: "When in cruise flight at about 50°57' N, 050°11' W, the flight crew observed an indicated airspeed disagree message. The flight crew referenced the quick reference handbook, identified the malfunctioning air data computer and contacted company operations and maintenance departments. The flight crew decided to return to KJFK, then declared an emergency and coordinated with the ATS for the air turnback to KJFK where a landing was made without further incident. Maintenance replaced the first officer side air data module, conducted a pitot static system test, and the aircraft was returned to service." https://avherald.com/h?article=516a23da&opt=0 Incident: Salaam F70 at Nairobi on Mar 26th 2024, runway excursion A Salaam Air/Renegade Air Fokker 70, registration 5Y-MMB performing a flight from an unknown origin to Nairobi Wilson (Kenya), landed on Wilson Airport's runway 32 and was turning off the runway when the aircraft went off paved surface with its nose gear coming to a stop with the nose gear sunk into soft ground. There were no injuries, the aircraft received minor if any damage. Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority stated that the aircraft suffered a runway excursion while attempting to turn on the runway after landing, it was not a runway overrun (editorial note: as local sources claim). https://avherald.com/h?article=516a1eaf&opt=0 Incident: Pegasus B738 at Istanbul on Mar 25th 2024, lightning strike A Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration TC-AIS performing flight PC-1281 from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (Turkey) to Stockholm (Sweden), was climbing out of Sabiha Gokcen's runway 24R when the crew stopped the climb at FL140 after receiving a lightning strike. The aircraft entered a hold and returned to Sabiha Gokcen for a safe landing on runway 24R about 70 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A320-200N registration TC-NCG reached Stockholm with a delay of about 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 19 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=516a1726&opt=0 Incident: Aeromexico B38M at Mexico City on Mar 24th 2024, wing tip strike on landing An Aeromexico Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration XA-CCN performing flight AM-495 (scheduled dep Mar 23rd, actual dep Mar 24th) from Seattle,WA (USA) to Mexico City (Mexico), was on final approach to Mexico City's runway 05R in gusting wind conditions at about 13:44L (19:44Z) when the crew initiated a go around after the left wing tip contacted the runway surface. Tower advised the next approaching aircraft of windshear on final approach. The occurrence aircraft positioned for another approach to runway 05R but needed to go around a second time, this time from about 1000 feet AGL, positioned for another approach to runway 05R and landed without further incident about 30 minutes after the first go around. https://avherald.com/h?article=516a1400&opt=0 Incident: Qantas A332 at Perth on Mar 25th 2024, engine shut down in flight A Qantas Airbus A330-200, registration VH-EBA performing flight QF-781 from Melbourne,VI to Perth,WA (Australia), was descending towards Perth when a loud bang was heard on board of the aircraft. The crew declared PAN PAN PAN reporting they had a left engine failure (CF6), no fire, entered a hold while working the related checklists, shut one of the engines (CF6) down and subsequently continued for a safe landing on Perth's runway 21. The airline reported one of the engines experienced an issue prompting the crew to shut the engine down. The aircraft is still on the ground in Perth about 28 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=516a0f60&opt=0 United flight to Newark lands safely despite hydraulics issue on Boeing aircraft Emergency personnel were on standby at Newark Liberty International Airport Tuesday afternoon after the crew of United Airlines flight 963 reported an issue with their aircraft. The aircraft, a Boeing 767-400ER, was reported to have an issue with its hydraulics system, according to United. Despite the issue, the flight was able to land safely at 1:55 p.m. with no further incident or injury. The aircraft was safely towed to the gate and the customers were able to exit the plane normally. The flight was an inbound flight from Berlin carrying 217 passengers and 12 crew. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2024/03/26/united-flight-lands-safely-newark-airport-hydraulics-issue-boeing/73108604007/ A passenger had to sit with an exposed bolt digging into his head for a 7-hour flight because his seat had no headrest "It was a major safety issue. If I had hit my head on the bolt in the seat it would have cut my head," the passenger said. • A British Airways passenger says he had to sit in a seat with no headrest for seven hours. • The missing headrest left a one-inch bolt exposed in the seat, he said. • British Airways initially offered him and his partner a £50 ($61) voucher as compensation. A British man said British Airways left him to sit in a seat with a missing headrest, leaving a one-inch bolt exposed, for a seven-hour flight, UK-based Kennedy News first reported. Multiple news organizations have since republished the story. He took a seven-hour flight with his partner from Heathrow Airport, London, to Toronto that reportedly cost £2,500 ($3,100) for the round-trip. However, as he boarded, he found that his seat was missing its headrest and revealed a one-inch bolt sticking out of it. A flight attendant told him he was unable to move to another seat as the plane was full, but had the option to disembark or to use a pillow from first class to cover the bolt. The couple decided to stay on board. The man told Kennedy News that he had to sit sideways for the flight. "The whole flight was very uncomfortable as if I leant back I could still feel the bolt in my head as the pillow was that thin. "It was a major safety issue. If I had hit my head on the bolt in the seat it would have cut my head," he said. It wasn't the end to the couple's problems — his partner said she was only given a bread roll to eat during the flight due to the lack of vegan options despite pre-booking a meal, and on their return flight, his in-flight entertainment screen broke for several hours. Last year, it was reported that British Airways was testing out not loading flights with meals for every passenger to avoid food waste. Previous catering issues have meant that one British Airways flight took off on a 12-hour journey without any meals and had to serve passengers KFC. British Airways initially offered the couple a £50 ($63) voucher for their next trip but upped the amount after being contacted by journalists, Kennedy News reported. "This was the first time we have flown with BA and we would not fly with them again," he said. A spokesperson for British Airways told Business Insider: "We are sorry for our customers' experience and have been in touch with them to apologise and resolve the matter." https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-passenger-broken-headrest-exposed-bolt-long-distance-flight-2024-3 The CEO of Ryanair says the airline would regularly find missing seat handles and tools under floorboards on Boeing planes Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said Boeing has quality control issues. O'Leary said the company found leftover tools and missing seat handles in new Boeing planes. Ryanair said it welcomes "much-needed management changes" at the aircraft maker. The boss of Europe's largest airline told CNN last week that it would regularly find leftover tools under the floorboards of Boeing planes, as well as missing seat handles. Michael O'Leary, the CEO of Ryanair, Europe's biggest airline by passenger numbers, told the news network that the issues were "nothing big, nothing major," but added that it wasn't up to standard. "In 2022 and 2023, we were finding little things like spanners under the floorboards, in some cases, seat handles missing, things like that," O'Leary told CNN on March 20. "This shows a a lack of attention to detail, quality issues in Boeing," O'Leary added. Ryanair spends 48 hours checking new planes in Dublin after taking delivery, said O'Leary. The Ireland-based low-cost carrier only flies Boeing aircraft and is one of the aircraft manufacturers' biggest customers. This isn't the first time O'Leary has said there's a lack of quality control on Boeing planes. At a press conference in January, he said he found a wrench under the floor of one plane in such checks. "It is not acceptable that aircraft get delivered at less than 100%," O'Leary said at the time. However, the situation had also improved by then, as the 12 planes Ryanair took delivery from October to December were "the best deliveries we've taken from Boeing," said O'Leary. David Calhoun, the CEO of Boeing, announced on Monday that he would resign at the end of this year. His announcement comes as Boeing faces heightened scrutiny after a door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5. Ryanair has responded positively to the leadership shake-up. "We welcome these much-needed management changes in Seattle," said O'Leary in a Monday statement. "We are squarely focused on implementing changes to strengthen quality across our production system and taking the necessary time to deliver high-quality airplanes that meet all regulatory requirements," a Boeing spokesperson told Business Insider when asked to respond to O'Leary's comments. "We continue to stay in close contact with our customers about these issues and our actions to address them." https://www.yahoo.com/news/ceo-ryanair-says-airline-regularly-095329266.html 2 pilots hospitalized after Army helicopter crashes during training exercise in Washington state The cause of the crash is under investigation An Army helicopter crashed at a military base in Washington state during a routine training exercise Monday night, sending the two pilots to a hospital. A Joint Base Lewis-McChord spokesperson told The News Tribune Tuesday that what the person called an “aviation mishap” on Monday night involved a U.S. Army AH-64E Apache helicopter assigned to 4-6 ACS, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade. Fire crews and deputies were sent to the crash between Yelm and Olympia about 9:45 p.m. Southeast Thurston Fire Chief Mark King said the marshy, brush-heavy terrain was difficult to access. The two pilots survived the crash, he said. One was taken by ground and one was transported by air to Madigan Army Medical Center at JBLM, King said. The names of the pilots and the extent of their injuries weren't released. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/2-pilots-hospitalized-after-army-helicopter-crashes-during-training-exercise-in-washington-state/3499000/ Indian aviation watchdog defers new rules on pilots' rest, duty times BENGALURU, March 27 (Reuters) - India's aviation watchdog has deferred a June 1 deadline for airlines to adopt new rules on rest and duty times for pilots, a notice, opens new tab on its website showed, but without stating a reason or a new target date. Tuesday's news followed a warning from a key airline lobby group, reported, opens new tab last month by the Economic Times newspaper, that the scramble to meet the new rules could force cancellation of up to one-fifth of flights. Announced in January, the rules increased flight crews' weekly rest periods to 48 hours from 36 and cut pilots' night flight duty times to a maximum of 10 hours from 13. In this week's revised website notice, however, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) allowed airlines to retain the older norms for the time being. The rule changes followed a review of data on pilot fatigue drawn from spot checks and airline surveillance after a pilot for budget carrier IndiGo (INGL.NS), opens new tab collapsed and died in August before his flight. The Federation of Indian Airlines warned of the cancellation risk as the watchdog's deadline left too little time to hire and train the 25% more pilots required to satisfy the new rules, the Economic Times said. Last week, Tata Group-owned Air India was fined 8 million rupees ($96,000) by the regulator for breaching limits on flight duty times and fatigue management. The revised notice drew criticism from some pilots and aviation safety experts who took to social media platform X to post their outrage. "A bunch of much-awaited reforms in Indian Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) to address pilots fatigue had come through...As on 26th March 2024 new Indian FDTL rules mysteriously finds itself gone in abeyance for perpetuity?," an airline pilot posted. Amit Singh, a flight safety expert, called on X for the new rules to be turned into a law as it "prevents U-turns". https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/indian-aviation-watchdog-defers-new-rules-pilots-rest-duty-times-2024-03-27/ Japan aims to launch next-generation passenger aircraft by around 2035 Japan will launch a next-generation passenger aircraft by around 2035, in another attempt to establish a domestic industry following the failure of a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.-led project to develop the country's first passenger jet, sources said Wednesday. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and several companies in the private sector will work together on the project, sharing an investment of about 5 trillion yen ($33 billion) over the next 10 years, the sources said. The new aircraft could be fueled by hydrogen, among other options, but not traditional jet oil, as the growing push for decarbonized transport options drives innovation. Global airlines have started using sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, which is made from waste food oil and plants in recent years. The aircraft industry is expected to be a growth driver for Japan, with a homegrown aircraft benefitting a slew of domestic component suppliers, according to ministry officials. Mitsubishi Heavy pulled the plug on the previous project to roll out Japan's first homegrown passenger jet, called SpaceJet, last year, citing a lack of know-how and mounting costs. The development of the SpaceJet, formerly known as the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, began in 2008 with the help of 50 billion in financial aid from the industry ministry, with its first delivery initially slated for 2013. But the delivery schedule was postponed six times before coronavirus pandemic disruptions dealt the final blow to the project. Industry experts say that the company's strategy to stick to in-house development rather than collaborating with outside talent was partly responsible for the failure, which eventually cost around 1 trillion yen. Mitsubishi Heavy made military aircraft, including the Zero fighter, during World War II. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/03/4dc09c0731ac-urgent-japan-aims-to-launch-next-gen-passenger-aircraft-by-around-2035.html Air France transatlantic jet carries lifesaving donor heart on pioneering flight In a world first for the aviation and medical worlds, a donor heart has been transported on a plane across the Atlantic Ocean, a feat that would have been unimaginable without the work of organ transplant company XVIVO. Using XVIVO’s Heart Assist Transport, the heart of a deceased 48-year-old-man in French West Indies was safely flown to Paris in the cabin of an Air France commercial aircraft, despite facing severe turbulence on the flight. According to The Lancet, a successful transplantation was carried out on a 70-year-old patient in terminal condition at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University in Paris in January 2024. XVIVO’s patented heart technology, a perfusion device with a proprietary solution, allowed the donated heart to be pumped with oxygenated fluid during transport for more than 12 hours outside a human body. Between the French West Indies and France, the donor heart traveled 3,659 nautical miles, but due to XVIVO’s incredible technology the organ immediately regained normal function after transplantation. It is not unusual for donor hearts to be transported in private jets, but with the evolution of technology it will now be possible to use less costly commercial flights, making organ transplants more easily accessible. According to XVIVO, at present patients in the French West Indies with terminal heart disease would need to travel to Paris for a transplant procedure. The transplantation is the first within the investigator-Initiated Study ‘PEGASE’, conducted by the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. The trial aims to investigate the feasibility and safety of donor heart preservation during extended transport times using hypothermic, oxygenated perfusion (HOPE). “Monumental breakthrough in heart transplantation” Professor Guillaume Lebreton, Principal investigator of the PEGASE trial and transplant surgeon at Hôspital Pitié-Salpêtrière, said: “This transplant may be a monumental breakthrough in heart transplantation allowing for increased access to unused donor hearts, that now can be utilized and safely transported across vast distances. Additionally, it suggests a reorganization of transplant procedures, allowing for better scheduling and expert-led surgeries. These changes might improve overall outcomes and redefine the approach to cardiac transplant care.” Lebreton added: “It is striking that the donor heart, after more than 12 hours outside of the body, was still soft and viable. This in contrast to donor hearts transported on ice that already after a couple of hours may be stiff, slow to start and require mechanical circulatory support after the transplant.” When the achievement was first reported in February 2024, XVIVO confirmed that the 70-year-old patient had recovered well and was now back at home. “The success achieved in this instance, where distance and transport time are no longer limiting factors, demonstrates that this technology has the potential to change the paradigm of heart preservation. XVIVO has now taken another significant step toward realizing our vision that ‘nobody should die waiting for a new organ’,” Christoffer Rosenblad, CEO of XVIVO, said. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/air-france-heart-donor-transplant-atlantic-paris Call for Nominations For 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award will be presented during the 77th Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place November 5 – 7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Presented annually since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study, or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers, and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Award Committee, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us identify and honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-to-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted through June 2, 2024. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back almost 80 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956 her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., in close association with The Flight Safety Foundation, established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. For the past 68 years, this distinguished award recognizing outstanding achievements in aviation safety worldwide has been presented at Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Summit. In 2013, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed as an independent non-profit charitable organization composed of members of the Award Board, the aviation community, and the Barbour family. In addition to the annual presentation of the award, in 2019 the Foundation initiated a scholarship program that supports worthy students pursuing professional aviation studies. As the Foundation broadens its scope, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to recognize those who significantly contributed to aviation safety. For more information on the Foundation, the award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org 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 Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) - September 17-18, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX • 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