Flight Safety Information - April 10, 2025 No. 072 In This Issue : Incident: Frontier A20N at Washington on Apr 9th 2025, beeping cargo : Incident: PAL B773 over Pacific on Apr 9th 2025, smoke in cabin : Incident: SAS E195 at Trondheim on Apr 9th 2025, fuel leak : Air India Express Pilot Died Amid Cardiac Arrest : Israel threatens to fire 970 pilots over Gaza war dissent : New Study Supports Beard Safety for Airline Pilots : Dublin flight halted after pilot found to be ‘considerably above’ alcohol limits : NTSB’s Graham Urges Aircraft Operators To Remain Vigilant : Delta Will Defer Delivery of Tariffed Aircraft : Calendar of Events Incident: Frontier A20N at Washington on Apr 9th 2025, beeping cargo A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration N363FR performing flight F9-4708 from Atlanta,GA to Washington Dulles,DC (USA), was descending towards Washington when beeping sounds were heard from a cargo bay. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Washington's runway 19R and stopped on the high speed turn off clear of the runway for inspection by police using police dogs. The FAA reported: "Frontier Airlines Flight 4708 landed safely at Washington Dulles International Airport around 2:35 p.m. local time on Wednesday, April 9, after the crew reported a possible security incident. Passengers deplaned on the taxiway. The flight departed from Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The FAA is investigating. " The airline reported the passengers were permitted to disembark normally and are being re-united with their luggage once the search is over. https://avherald.com/h?article=52650553&opt=0 Incident: PAL B773 over Pacific on Apr 9th 2025, smoke in cabin A PAL Philippine Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration RP-C7782 performing flight PR-102 from Manila (Philippines) to Los Angeles,CA (USA) with 359 people on board, was enroute at FL330 over the Pacific Ocean about 600nm south of Tokyo (Japan) when the crew decided to divert to Tokyo Haneda reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely about 2 hours later. The airline reported the smoke was emitted by one of the two air conditioning systems. The aircraft landed safely at 03:30L and finally got assigned a gate at 10:00L. Japan's Department of Transport stated ground personnel at Haneda Airport was busy with scheduled flights, the DoT was in close contact with the airport. The aircraft doors were opened to ventilate the aircraft. The DoT also asked the Philippine Ambassador to assist the flight, so that the passengers could disembark. The aircraft is still on the ground in Tokyo about 17 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52650393&opt=0 Incident: SAS E195 at Trondheim on Apr 9th 2025, fuel leak A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Embraer ERJ-195, registration SE-RSK performing flight SK-4483 from Trondheim to Stavanger (Norway), was climbing out of Trondheim's runway 27 when the crew stopped the climb at FL170 due to a fuel leak. The aircraft returned to Trondheim for a safe landing on runway 27 about 30 minutes after departure. The rotation was cancelled. https://avherald.com/h?article=526494ad&opt=0 Air India Express Pilot Died Amid Cardiac Arrest The incident occurred immediately after the pilot had safely completed Air India Express (IX) flight operations from Srinagar International Airport (SXR) to Delhi. DELHI- An Air India Express (IX) pilot suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) shortly after operating a Srinagar (SXR)-Delhi flight on April 9, 2025. The pilot, identified as Armaan, was rushed to a nearby hospital after collapsing at the airline’s dispatch office but was pronounced dead on arrival, according to airline officials. Air India Express Pilot Died The incident occurred immediately after the pilot had safely completed Air India Express (IX) flight operations from Srinagar International Airport (SXR) to Delhi. According to airline sources, Captain Armaan vomited inside the aircraft after landing in Delhi, displaying initial signs of distress before proceeding to the dispatch office where he subsequently suffered cardiac arrest. Medical personnel were immediately summoned to the scene at IGI Airport’s Air India Express facilities, but despite their prompt response and transport to the hospital, resuscitation efforts proved unsuccessful. The sudden and unexpected nature of this incident has deeply affected the airline’s staff and the broader aviation community. Airline Remarks Air India Express has issued an official statement with Hindu BusinessLine expressing profound regret over the loss of their colleague. “We deeply regret the loss of a valued colleague due to a medical condition. Our thoughts are with the family during this time of profound grief,” the airline spokesperson communicated to media outlets. The carrier confirmed they are providing comprehensive support to the deceased pilot’s family while cooperating with authorities during the standard investigative procedures that follow such incidents. The airline has requested privacy for the family and cautioned against speculation while the formal processes are underway. Industry Impact This unfortunate event highlights the importance of regular health monitoring for aviation professionals who operate under unique occupational stresses. Commercial airline pilots undergo mandatory periodic medical examinations as required by aviation regulatory bodies to ensure they maintain the physical and mental fitness necessary for flight operations. Industry experts note that while such incidents are rare, they underscore the critical importance of comprehensive health management systems for flight crew members. Airlines typically maintain strict health monitoring protocols and have contingency plans in place for medical emergencies affecting operational staff. Similar Incidents Air India (AI) pilot Himmanil Kumar died in November 2023 during a training session at Delhi airport. The pilot, who was in his 30s, showed signs of discomfort before apparently suffering a cardiac arrest. The incident occurred at Air India’s operations department in Terminal 3. Despite immediate efforts to revive him, Kumar was pronounced dead after being rushed to an airport hospital. An unnamed airline official confirmed that Air India is providing all possible assistance to Kumar’s family. Kumar’s father also served as a senior commander with the airline. Another Air India representative noted that Kumar had passed medical assessments in August without any issues. “All his past medical assessments were fine with no detected underlying medical conditions,” the official stated. Similarly, In August 2023, an IndiGo Airlines (6E) pilot collapsed at a boarding gate in Nagpur before a scheduled flight to Pune. That pilot was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. IndiGo released a statement at the time saying, We express our sorrow over the unfortunate demise of one of our pilots at Nagpur today. He fell ill at Nagpur airport and was promptly transported to the hospital, but sadly, he succumbed to his condition. Our hearts go out to his family and close ones during this difficult time.” IndiGo Official Remarks According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the IndiGo pilot had flown two flights the previous day on Trivandrum-Pune-Nagpur routes between 3 am and 7 am. After 27 hours of rest, he was scheduled to operate four sectors that day when he lost consciousness before his 1 pm departure. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/04/10/air-india-express-pilot-died-amid-cardiac-arrest/#google_vignette Israel threatens to fire 970 pilots over Gaza war dissent Israeli Air Force commanders on Wednesday warned that approximately 970 personnel, including pilots, officers and soldiers, could be expelled if they do not withdraw their signatures from a letter demanding an end to the war in Gaza, local media reported. Israeli daily Haaretz reported that "about 970 aircrew members, some in active reserve service, signed the letter opposing the war but not calling for refusal to serve.” In recent days, senior air force leaders made personal phone calls to reservists who endorsed the message, urging them to retract their support, the outlet said. Commanders informed the reservists they face dismissal if they refuse to comply, according to Haaretz. Following the threat, only 25 signatories withdrew their names, while eight others requested to add their signatures. The letter’s signatories, including senior air force officers and pilots, argue that "the fighting in Gaza serves political interests, not security ones.” Members of the Israeli opposition have long argued that the war on Gaza is meant to allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stay in office and has nothing to do with Israel’s security. https://www.dailysabah.com/world/mid-east/israel-threatens-to-fire-970-pilots-over-gaza-war-dissent New Study Supports Beard Safety for Airline Pilots Only a handful of U.S. airlines allow pilots to have facial hair. A recent study has provided strong evidence that beards do not interfere with the effectiveness of oxygen masks for airline pilots, challenging long-standing policies at many airlines that require pilots to be clean-shaven. The study, conducted by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and published in the journal Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, found no difference in oxygen saturation levels between clean-shaven pilots and those with short or long beards when they use standard airline oxygen masks. “Using a current on-demand airline oxygen mask, oxygen saturation levels were never compromised by any of the beard conditions,” the researchers concluded in April. “These results support the contention that airline pilots with beards of any length would not be impaired by hypoxia or smoke while dealing with an in-flight emergency.” The study involved 24 volunteers who were tested in a hypoxia chamber simulating conditions at 30,000 feet altitude. Participants wore oxygen masks in three beard conditions: clean-shaven, short beards under about 0.4 inches in length, and long beards over 0.4 inches. Their blood oxygen levels were continuously monitored, and researchers found no significant differences between the groups. Additionally, when exposed to pungent smelling salts with masks on, none of the participants could detect the scent, regardless of facial hair. This suggests beards do not interfere with the mask’s ability to block smoke or other irritants. 2018 Study These findings align with a 2018 study commissioned by Air Canada, which led the airline to change its policy and allow pilots to have beards. That research, conducted at Simon Fraser University, similarly found that beard length had no impact on the effectiveness of pilot oxygen masks. Many major U.S. airlines still prohibit pilots from having beards, citing safety concerns about oxygen mask seals. Airlines like American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit require pilots to be clean-shaven, while some others like Hawaiian, Avelo, and Allegiant do allow facial hair. The Federal Aviation Administration does not mandate that pilots be clean-shaven. This rule is usually set by the carrier itself. https://airlinegeeks.com/2025/04/09/new-study-supports-beard-safety-for-airline-pilots/ Dublin flight halted after pilot found to be ‘considerably above’ alcohol limits The pilot, caught during a random inspection at Dublin Airport, and has since had their license revoked At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. A flight out of Dublin was stopped from taking off after inspectors carrying out random checks found one pilot with alcohol levels “considerably over” the limit. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) undertook a random inspection on 17 September 2024 at Dublin Airport, Ireland’s busiest airport which sees more than 30 million passengers pass through its hub annually. The IAA inspectors boarded a cargo aircraft flown by an unnamed international cargo operator and sought a copy of the pilot licences and the aircraft's mandatory documents. The inspectors then carried out a routine breathalyser test for alcohol, which revealed that one of the pilots had blood alcohol levels considerably over the prescribed limits. The pilot was therefore “not in a fit condition to operate the aircraft,” the IAA said. The inspectors then immediately instructed that the aircraft would not take off and directed that the pilot be removed from the cockpit and prevented from flying the plane. The IAA issued proceedings in the Dublin District Court and reported the incident to the US Federal Aviation Administration, which has in turn said the pilot’s license has been revoked. “The IAA will continue to conduct unannounced checks on foreign aircraft operating in Irish airports and conduct breathalyser tests on the flight crew, which includes pilots and cabin crew,” the authority added. Flights can often be delayed or cancelled if members of the crew turn up to work with too much alcohol in their system, often leading to losing their jobs. In January, a Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested in Georgia, US before flying to Chicago because he was intoxicated. David Allsop, 52, was arrested at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport around 7am on 16 January and was charged with driving under the influence. The pilot allegedly smelled of alcohol, with photos shared online showing cops removing Mr Allsop from the cockpit of the plane. The flight later took off nearly five hours after its scheduled departure. A similar incident occurred with two pilots who were due to operate a Japan Airlines flight to Melbourne, delaying the journey by over three hours in December 2024. Two unnamed male captains had conducted self-administered breath tests at their hotel around 5am ahead of 7.20am flight, finding they both exceeded alcohol limits. Captain A initially asked for a shift delay due to illness, while Captain B left for the airport. Additional airport testing confirmed that Captain B had elevated alcohol levels, requiring multiple tests before a safe reading was finally obtained by 8.15am. Japan Airlines told The Independent that the flight “was not operated with crew members under the influence of alcohol”. “We take this incident very seriously and deeply regret that it occurred despite strict warnings. We will take thorough measures to prevent recurrence,” the airline added. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/dublin-airport-flight-drunk-pilot-alcohol-license-b2730677.html NTSB’s Graham Urges Aircraft Operators To Remain Vigilant Board member Graham stressed that everyone in aviation is responsible for public trust Recent events should be “a call to action” for aircraft operators to review their organizations to ensure that deviations from policy or unsafe acts are brought into compliance, NTSB member Michael Graham told attendees at the 2025 Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Safety Symposium this week. “It’s clear that while significant progress has been made, there’s always room for improvement,” he said. Graham noted that companies should focus on building resilient operations—and that requires learning from the smallest of errors. “Major accidents can shake public trust in aviation, but minor incidents can, too. Each member of the aviation community—from operators to regulators to air traffic control, and everyone in between—plays a crucial role in maintaining public trust.” He challenged attendees to never rest on the aviation safety record of the past but strive to be safer and more resilient each day. “Through collective effort and a commitment to continuous improvement, we can uphold the highest standards of safety and resilience.” The last time he spoke at ACSF, two years ago, Graham said, “I had to address the elephant in the room. We had just had a year’s worth of Category A runway incursions in two months. And after that, we actually had two aircraft hit each other and, amazingly, nobody got hurt.” But since then, a major Part 121 accident has occurred with more fatalities than have been seen since the mid-2000s. “And we had a major foreign, medical carrier with six lives lost in Philadelphia and 10 lives lost up in Alaska on a Part 135 accident,” he noted. So Graham said he needed to reiterate the same message from two years ago: “It’s time to get back to the basics here, folks. There’s a lot going on out there. You all know about it, but what are you doing about it?” The aviation system supports nearly three million passengers and 45,000 flights every day, and every passenger deserves the highest level of safety and resilience, he said. “It’s our collective responsibility to deliver that. When a passenger boards one of your flights, that passenger is relinquishing their safety to you, your operation, and the entire aviation system.” The aviation industry is built on public trust and reputation, he reminded. “Each of us in this room who celebrate the safety record of aviation today should remember all the tough lessons that those before us had to learn,” Graham added. “We stand on the shoulders of those in safety who came before us and have a responsibility to not forget what they did to get us where we are today and carry the burden of maintaining that public trust moving forward. They say trust is the easiest thing in the world to lose and the hardest thing in the world to get back.” Every person in a company’s operation, their competitors, and air traffic control will determine public trust in aviation. “The actions of one affect us all.” To that end, Graham said that he’s had “heartburn” from the “sensationalized media environment that we’re in.” He noted this coverage is now extending to many events that may not have previously received coverage. “Every time an airplane gets unstabilized and doesn’t go around at [KDCA/Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport], or the configuration doesn’t work right with the sequencing and ATC calls for an aircraft to do a go-around at a major airport like [KDCA], I don’t personally think we need to be hearing about it in the news.” Often, these situations show that the system is working. “But the one that really bothers me is when we do have a major accident like we’ve seen here this year early this year. It’s within about an hour, maybe less, anymore, that the major media is all over this, and they have all their experts on camera right away…They’ve already solved it for you without any of the evidence, maybe just one videotape, and they’ve already got it figured out, and they’re already placing blame or fault on somebody.” He cited as an example a couple of years ago when he was dispatched to a midair collision at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow. It occurred on a Saturday, but he didn’t arrive until Sunday morning. “All I heard was that the [Bell] P-63 pilot flew into a [Boeing] B-17. It was his fault. How did they know that?” he asked. When he arrived on the scene, he had many questions, such as what was briefed, what aircraft was supposed to be on which show line, what was the altitude separation plan, and what were the directives. “I don’t think any of the experts asked any of those questions,” he noted. Graham discovered there was no pre-brief separation plan, and the airshow relied on the real-time deconfliction plan of the air boss. “This was a very flexible, fluid program, and basically, they were set up for failure from the very beginning. The pilots had geometry issues trying to see other airplanes.” But for the suppositions made publicly in advance, he said, “It shows absolutely no compassion to the families of those who lost lives in this.” He met with the families and found that, for the spouse of the P-63 pilot, “Not only had her world been turned upside down by the loss of her husband but she now carried the burden of the five lives in that B-17 because of what was being said in the media, and that is just wrong.” Graham was asked about statements made, such as that of Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who reportedly suggested that a pilot should be grounded after not following air traffic control instructions. He said he was bothered by such a statement but that this view didn’t start with the secretary. Rather, he began seeing a trend in that direction about two years ago or so. “I don’t know what happened with the compliance philosophy, but it’s kind of falling off to the side,” he said. “The FAA started going after pilots for a minor safety thing.” Graham pointed to a recent case before the NTSB administrative law judges surrounding a close call involving a Learjet that took off in front of a regional airliner in Boston. The two pilots submitted NASA voluntary reporting forms. The FAA handed down a 250-day suspension. The law judges overturned that, but the FAA appealed. “It’s very bothersome to me because nobody is going to want to submit [voluntary] reports.” ACSF’s late Russ Lawton used to note that 90% of the foundation’s Aviation Safety Action Program reports were sole-source reports that no one would ever know about others, he recalled. “So I’m very concerned about that.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-04-09/ntsbs-graham-urges-operators-remain-vigilant Delta Will Defer Delivery of Tariffed Aircraft The airline says it is talking with Airbus. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday that the carrier will defer new aircraft that are impacted by tariffs. The Atlanta-based airline expects to receive a handful of new aircraft deliveries this year, all of which are from European planemaker Airbus. “Obviously, in this environment, we are going to work and we are working very closely with Airbus, which is the only [manufacturer] we’ve got deliveries coming from – for the balance of this year,” he added during an earnings call. “They are a great partner. We’ll do our very best to see what we have to do to minimize tariffs.” This year, the airline planned to take delivery of 43 aircraft, per its 2024 annual filing. This includes A220, A321neo, A330neo, A350-900, and A350-1000 models. According to Delta CFO Dan Janki, the airline will net around 10 additional aircraft in 2025 when factoring in retirements. “But the one thing that you need to know we are very clear on is that we will not be paying tariffs on any aircraft deliveries we take. These times are pretty uncertain,” Bastian continued. If a 20% incremental cost is put on top of an aircraft’s standard price, Bastian said “it gets very difficult to make that math work.” On Wednesday afternoon, the White House said it would pause tariffs for 90 days on nonretaliating countries. It remains unclear how this could impact Airbus, which manufactures jets in France and Canada. “We will defer any deliveries that have a tariff on it,” Bastian concluded. https://airlinegeeks.com/2025/04/09/delta-will-defer-delivery-of-tariffed-aircraft/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS · AIA Conference: The Aviation Insurance Association's annual conference in Orlando, Florida from April 25–28, 2025 . 70th annual Business Aviation Safey Summit (BASS), May 6-7, 2025, Charlotte, N.C., organized by Flight Safety Foundation in partnership with NBAA and NATA. · Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore · Flight Safety Foundation - Aviation Safety Forum June 5-6, 2025 - Brussels . 2025 EASA-FAA International Aviation Safety Conference, 10 Jun 2025 to 12 Jun 2025, Cologne, Germany · The 9th Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exposition 2025; June 11 to 13, 2025 . 3rd annual Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS), July 15-17, 2025, Singapore, organized by Flight Safety Foundation and CAAS. . Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar 2025; 10-11 September 2025; Manila, Philippines · ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025'September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025, DENVER, COLORADO . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis