Flight Safety Information - May 9, 2025 No. 093 In This Issue : Incident: Kalitta B772 near Detroit on May 6th 2025, smoke in cockpit : Incident: VivaAerobus A21N near Havanna on May 6th 2025, engine shut down in flight : Chaos at Major Airport Persists Despite FAA Plan for Upgrade : British Airways flight caught fire after pilot mixed up left and right : Elevating Airline And Cargo Safety: Strategies For Risk Prevention : Helicopter 'suddenly' broke apart before plunging into Hudson River, NTSB says : NATO addresses electromagnetic interference threats to civil aviation safety : British Airways owner agrees $13bn deal to buy 32 Boeing planes : China Airlines finalizes deal for 4 Boeing 777-8 cargo aircraft : Calendar of Events : TODAY'S PHOTO Incident: Kalitta B772 near Detroit on May 6th 2025, smoke in cockpit A Kalitta Boeing 777-200 freighter, registration N772CK performing flight K4-9772 from Oscoda,MI to Cincinnati,KY (USA) with 5 crew, was climbing through FL400 out of Oscoda when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Detroit,MI (USA), where the aircraft landed safely on runway 21L about 30 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Detroit for about 37 hours, then continued to Cincinnati and is still on the ground in Cincinnati about 24 hours after landing in Cincinnati. https://avherald.com/h?article=52773b5d&opt=0 Incident: VivaAerobus A21N near Havanna on May 6th 2025, engine shut down in flight A VivaAerobus Airbus A321-200N, registration XA-VXR performing flight VB-755 from Miami,FL (USA) to Merida (Mexico) with 215 people on board, was enroute at FL320 about 90nm northwest of Havana (Cuba) when the crew decided to divert to Havana reporting the failure of one of their engines (PW1133G). The crew shut the engine down. The aircraft landed safely on Havanna's runway 06 about 35 minutes after leaving FL320. The aircraft is still on the ground in Havanna about 41 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=527728c6&opt=0 Chaos at Major Airport Persists Despite FAA Plan for Upgrade The chaos that has plagued Newark Liberty International Airport for more than a week showed no sign of ending Wednesday—even as the Federal Aviation Administration released a plan to overhaul the airport’s air traffic control system. The nation’s 12th-busiest airport had 84 cancellations and 26 delays before noon, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. Earlier in the day, the FAA said in a statement that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is taking action “immediately” to address the tech issues and lack of staffing that have triggered hundreds of flight disruptions over the last week. Many of the changes affect the system that processes radar data for the Newark controllers. Last week, that system failed. For more than 90 seconds, the planes were flying completely blind. The incident was so jarring that several controllers involved had to take “trauma leave.” Duffy and the FAA are aiming to avoid another catastrophe by adding three new communications connections, installing a backup system, and replacing copper wire with fiberoptic cables. The outage last week was reportedly caused by a “fried piece of copper wire,” according to the New York Post. The FAA said it has also increased Newark’s inadequate air traffic control staffing, which has reportedly amplified the problems at the airport. The agency said there are now 22 fully certified staffers. Twenty-one staffers are still in training, 10 of whom are receiving instruction “on-the-job,” the FAA said. Last Thursday, Duffy announced a new $5,000 bonus for those who make it through the air traffic control academy. The situation at Newark airport has become a crisis for Duffy, who was a Fox Business host and formerly served as a Republican congressman before joining President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. An air traffic controller told MSNBC last week that the airport is “is not a safe situation right now for the flying public.” They urged travelers to “avoid Newark at all costs.” “You’re starting to see cracks in the system,” Duffy said at a news conference last Thursday. “It‘s our job to actually see over the horizon what the issues are and fix it before there is an incident that we will seriously regret.” In response to the Newark chaos, United Airlines canceled 35 of its daily flights at the airport, with CEO Scott Kirby writing that the airline felt like “there is no other choice in order to protect our customers.” Alongside the chaos at Newark, Wednesday marked the deadline for air travelers to acquire a Real ID, which will now be required to pass through airport security. MyCentralJersey reported that as of Wednesday morning, the requirement hadn’t seemed to lengthen TSA lines at Newark. Duffy’s tenure as transportation secretary has been marked by a string of aviation disasters and near-misses, including a mid-air crash over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 in late January. A Newark air traffic controller in the room for the 90-second outage told CNN, “It was just by the grace of God that there wasn‘t another plane in its way. We all expected what happened in D.C. to happen here.” In February, amid the Elon Musk-led push to reduce federal staffing, the FAA cut 400 workers, but Duffy said at the time that “zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go.” However, during a closed-door March Cabinet meeting, Duffy accused Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency of trying to fire air traffic controllers, which the world’s richest man dismissed as a “lie,” The New York Times reported. https://www.yahoo.com/news/chaos-major-airport-persists-despite-170737137.html British Airways flight caught fire after pilot mixed up left and right A British Airways flight caught fire after a pilot mixed up left and right during take-off, a report has revealed. The co-pilot aboard flight BA2279 to Vancouver pulled back with his left hand during take-off when he should have done so with his right. His “action slip” led to a rejected take-off, a brake fire, the temporary closure of Gatwick Airport, 16 inbound flights being diverted elsewhere and the cancellation of a further 23 departures. Although he was “well-rested and feeling fine” at the time of the June 28 2024 flight, the first officer “could not identify a reason” why he mixed up his hands, the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) said on Thursday. None of the 347 people on the Boeing 777 airliner were injured, although it was serious enough for a formal investigation and report by the safety agency. Airliner co-pilots use their left hands to operate the aircraft’s thrust levers, which control its engines, and their right hands on the control column. At take-off, the pilot must pull back on the control column, raising the airliner’s nose so it lifts into the sky. Instead, the co-pilot of BA2279, an experienced airman with more than 6,000 flying hours under his belt, throttled back right at the point where the aircraft needed maximal thrust to get airborne. Although he “momentarily” pushed the levers forwards again, his training kicked in. Two seconds after the “action slip”, the co-pilot cut the power and applied the brakes from a speed of 186mph. Firefighters who tackled a brakes fire when flight BA2279 aborted take-off at Gatwick Airport A passenger’s view from flight BA2279 of firefighters who tackled a brakes fire when the aircraft aborted take-off at Gatwick Airport - Justene Miller Momentum meant the Boeing reached a maximum speed of 167 knots (192mph) before it began slowing down. Airline pilots typically take it in turns to handle take-off and landing. The captain helped the co-pilot “calmly and methodically” complete the rejected take-off procedure, which includes stopping on the runway with full brakes and reverse thrust before radioing air traffic control to ask for an external check of the aircraft. “The airport rescue and firefighting service attended the aircraft and extinguished a fire from hot brakes on the right main landing gear,” the AAIB report noted. Such fires, while unusual, are not unheard of after a high-speed rejected take-off. AAIB investigators described what happened in the flight deck as an “action slip”, something that “occurs when an action is not performed as intended, arising in routine or highly learnt motor action sequences”. They said: “The resulting ‘action sequence’ resembled the RTO [rejected take-off] or landing manoeuvres, rather than a normal take-off. “There was no obvious reason for [the co-pilot] being primed to do that – for example, he had not recently changed aircraft seat or type, or practised landings or RTOs in a simulator – and he could not identify a reason for it on the day.” Cancelling just one long-haul flight costs airlines more than £72,000 on average, according to estimates by Eurocontrol, an organisation that promote safety, efficiency and sustainability in the European airspace. This suggests that the cost to the airlines operating the 23 flights cancelled because of the British Airways pilot’s take-off slip-up may have entered the millions of pounds. Rejected take-offs can be risky. During a similar incident at Stansted Airport in 2020, a panicked stewardess ordered an evacuation, meaning 169 people ended up using the emergency inflatable chutes to get out. Ten passengers had to be treated for injuries following that “needless” exercise. A BA spokesman said: “Safety is always our highest priority and our pilots brought the aircraft to a safe stop. We apologised to our customers and our teams worked hard to get them on their way as quickly as possible.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/british-airways-flight-caught-fire-151541434.html Elevating Airline And Cargo Safety: Strategies For Risk Prevention Safety is a top priority in the airline and cargo industry, where thousands of aircraft keep the world connected. While aviation is safer than ever, the industry cannot rely on complacency. As air traffic grows and technology advances, continuous innovation is essential to prevent accidents, enhance pilot awareness and improve operational reliability. Aviation safety has improved 40-fold in recent decades due to strong regulations, safety culture and advanced technology. Yet, as aviation evolves, the industry must: Prevent runway incursions and excursions Improve situational awareness for pilots Enhance aircraft reliability through predictive maintenance Adapt safety systems for future regulatory standards To tackle these challenges, airlines and cargo operators must invest in real-time runway alerting systems, predictive maintenance analytics and automated safety measures that enhance operational efficiency and reduce risk. Key Safety Priorities for Airlines and Cargo Operators According to the whitepaper, the focus must remain on proactive safety innovations that mitigate risk before incidents occur. Preventing Runway Incidents Runway incursions remain one of the most pressing safety concerns, with recent high-profile incidents highlighting the risks posed by busy, complex airport environments. A fatal runway incursion in Japan in early 2024 underscored the role of human error in aviation accidents, reinforcing the need for enhanced pilot awareness and real-time ground collision prevention systems. Predictive safety technologies and automated alerting systems are essential for helping flight crews react faster, prevent errors and reduce the likelihood of similar incidents. Enhancing Hazard Awareness in Challenging Conditions Data from aviation safety studies shows that controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) remains a top cause of accidents. Advanced warning systems leveraging predictive databases and real-time alerts can significantly reduce these risks, particularly in low-visibility conditions. Reducing Human Error in Flight Operations With human error contributing to up to 80% of aviation accidents, decision-support systems and automation are becoming increasingly essential. Enhancements in cockpit awareness and real-time pilot guidance can help reduce operational mistakes such as runway misidentifications and unstable approaches. Predictive Maintenance for Reliability and Efficiency According to industry research, predictive maintenance can reduce unscheduled maintenance events by 25% and improve component reliability by 40%. By analyzing real-time aircraft data, operators can anticipate mechanical issues before they cause operational disruptions, improving overall safety and efficiency. Strengthening In-Flight Safety Measures Cabin pressurization failures and system malfunctions, while rare, remain critical safety considerations. Innovations in automated pressure regulation and real-time system diagnostics are helping operators reduce risks and improve passenger safety. By addressing these key areas, airlines and cargo operators can strengthen safety measures, enhance operational resilience and reduce risk across the aviation ecosystem. Looking Ahead: Advancing Aviation Safety To keep pace with evolving challenges, the industry must prioritize proactive risk mitigation, predictive technologies and regulatory alignment. Investing in real-time safety solutions and automation will help airlines and cargo operators enhance efficiency, reduce risk and ensure safer skies for the future. Elevating Airline and Cargo Safety: Industry Strategies for Risk Prevention Aviation safety has improved dramatically, but evolving risks demand proactive strategies and advanced technologies. To continue reading, download Future of Aviation: New Frontiers in Flight Safety and discover real-world case studies, expert recommendations and more. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/elevating-airline-cargo-safety-strategies-risk-prevention Helicopter 'suddenly' broke apart before plunging into Hudson River, NTSB says A sightseeing helicopter that crashed in New York City’s Hudson River in April, killing all six people on board, "suddenly" broke apart before plummeting into the water, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report. The single-engine Bell 206 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, departed on April 10 at about 2:58 p.m. from a downtown Manhattan helicopter pad and later flew north over the Hudson River before crashing about 17 minutes later, according to the NTSB report released on May 7. A family of five from Spain, along with a pilot, were all killed in the incident, authorities said. Surveillance footage and audio captured the helicopter traveling south before it "suddenly separated into three major sections," the NTSB said in the report. The sections were recovered in the wreckage and identified: the fuselage with the engine; the main rotor system with both rotor blades; transmission and roof-beam structure; and the tail boom with the tail rotor. "Several witnesses described hearing several loud 'bangs' emanating from the helicopter before it broke up and descended into the river," according to the report. Debris from the helicopter was discovered submerged in several areas in the river and on the surface of the river, the NTSB said in the report. Debris was also recovered from a rooftop near the Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub in New Jersey. The crash drew worldwide headlines and renewed scrutiny over the controversial helicopter tourism industry in New York. The incident remains under investigation by the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration. The NTSB's preliminary report did not conclude what may have caused the crash. It typically takes about a year or more before the NTSB determines a probable cause and a final report is released. High above the city, low on oversight: Are helicopter tours putting lives at risk? NTSB preliminary report offers timeline of the helicopter's flight The family from Spain, which included an executive at tech company Siemens, his wife, and three children, was on an aerial sightseeing tour with New York Helicopter Tours, authorities said. During the flight, the helicopter "flew a teardrop pattern" south of the Statue of Liberty and traveled north along the east side of the Hudson River, according to the report. The aircraft then flew past the George Washington Bridge before it made a U-turn and went south along the New Jersey side of the river. As the helicopter approached the Holland Tunnel's ventilation towers near Jersey City, New Jersey, it was flying at an altitude between 625 to 650 feet, the NTSB said in the report. The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects Lower Manhattan in New York City to Jersey City. The helicopter's altitude then increased 675 feet before it rapidly descended and hit the water, according to the report. Crews and investigators spent days recovering the wreckage. The NTSB said in the report that the helicopter was not equipped with video or data recording devices. "Photos of the pilot taken just before the helicopter departed indicated that he was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses, which had video and audio recording capability," according to the report. "The sunglasses were not recovered." The helicopter airframe had accrued 12,975 total hours of operation, and the engine had accrued a total of 23,305 hours of operation, the NTSB said in the report. The helicopter's most recent inspection was conducted in late February, and it had operated about 50 hours since then. The pilot worked a 10-day on, 10-day off schedule, and the crash occurred during his first day back at work, according to the report. The flight was his eighth tour excursion of the day on the same helicopter. Fatal helicopter crash sparks safety concerns The incident renewed safety concerns over the commercial helicopter industry, and aviation experts have long called for stricter regulations to improve the safety of these flights. Helicopter tours in New York have been controversial, and some flights have turned deadly, USA TODAY reported. The United States operates the world’s largest fleet of commercial helicopters and is home to the biggest market for helicopter tourism in destinations like New York City, Hawaii, and the Grand Canyon. According to the FAA, helicopters have a fatal accident rate of 0.63 per 100,000 flight hours for helicopters, which is lower than the general aviation average but higher than commercial airline rates. Following the crash, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged the FAA to revoke New York Helicopter Tours' operating certificate immediately. Schumer also called on the FAA to increase regulations for helicopter tours, including expanding ramp inspections — surprise safety inspections — at helicopter tour companies across New York City. On April 14, the FAA issued an emergency order grounding the helicopter tour company. The order came a day after the agency had announced that the company was shutting down its operations. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/07/helicopter-new-york-city-crash-ntsb-report/83502537007/ NATO addresses electromagnetic interference threats to civil aviation safety Civil aviation is increasingly affected by jamming and spoofing. The NATO Aviation Committee continues its work to address these threats, in close cooperation with other international organisations, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation and EUROCONTROL. NATO flag flying at NATO Headquarters Brussels. Acts of intentional interference carried out by state and non-state actors – for instance deliberate jamming or sending false Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals – can cause delays, rerouting or cancellation of take-offs and landings, and have significant negative economic impact on transport, global trade, and tourism. The NATO Aviation Committee has noted that, as well as happening more often, and across different regions – including in the Baltic, Black Sea and Mediterranean - such interference is increasingly sophisticated. This is a cause for concern and warrants further action to make civil aviation more resilient, including by upgrading civil and military mechanisms, deploying ground based infrastructure, developing a more agile reporting and tracking system, and further bolstering cooperation with key international partners to counter GNSS interference. The Aviation Committee is the senior civil-military NATO body, which advises the North Atlantic Council on all relevant aspects contributing to aviation safety and security, in support of the full range of NATO’s missions. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_235022.htm British Airways owner agrees $13bn deal to buy 32 Boeing planes Agreement had been hinted at by US commerce secretary on announcing trade deal with UK The parent company of British Airways has struck a $13bn (£9.8bn) deal to buy 32 new planes from the US aircraft maker Boeing, a day after a trade agreement with the US cut tariffs on the industry. International Airlines Group (IAG) – which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling – said the Boeing 787-10 aircraft would be for its British Airways fleet and included the option of buying 10 more aircraft. The “milestone order” also includes a near $8bn deal for 21 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, which will be deployed across operations including Iberia and Aer Lingus. That deal includes an option to order up to 13 more aircraft. The announcement came a day after the US agreed to scrap tariffs on Rolls-Royce jet engines, used on the Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which led to the company’s share price soaring by almost 4% in trading on Thursday. However, IAG said the Boeing planes it had ordered would be powered by the US maker General Electric’s engines, meaning the contract would not have been subject to Trump’s new US tariffs even if a UK-US trade deal had not been struck. The Airbus aircraft will use Rolls-Royce engines. Howard Lutnick, the US commerce secretary, said on Thursday that an unnamed UK company would buy Boeing planes worth $10bn. On Friday, London-listed IAG said the list price of each Boeing aircraft was approximately $397m, based on January 2025 US dollar rates, giving the deal a headline value of $12.8bn. The Airbus list price was $374m per aircraft. However, IAG said that it negotiated a “substantial discount” from the list price on each of the deals. “This order marks another milestone in our strategy and transformation programme and underlines our commitment to strengthening our airline brands and enhancing our customer proposition,” said Luis Gallego, IAG’s chief executive. Separately, IAG said it had seen “some recent softness” in economy ticket sales by US holidaymakers in recent months. However, it said it there was “strength” in premium tickets such as business class, which mitigated those effects. Gallego said: “We continue to see resilient demand for air travel across all our markets, particularly in the premium cabins and despite the macroeconomic uncertainty.” IAG said first-quarter revenue rose 9.6% to €7bn (£5.9bn) while operating profit increased by €130m to €198m. Aarin Chiekrie, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: IAG shows no signs of slowing, and demand for its routes remains strong despite the current pressure on consumers’ incomes. “Tariffs had been weighing on sentiment towards the travel sector. But with 80% of flights for the second quarter already booked, the outlook is brighter than many expected.” IAG’s shares were flat in early trading on Friday. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/09/british-airways-owner-international-airlines-group-to-buy-32-boeing-planes China Airlines finalizes deal for 4 Boeing 777-8 cargo aircraft Taiwan-based China Airlines has placed a firm order for 14 777X widebody aircraft – four 777-8 cargo jets and 10 777-9 passenger aircraft – Boeing announced Thursday. The airline, a longtime operator of the Boeing 777 and 747-400 aircraft, will use the aircraft on long-haul flights to North America and Europe. It also has rights to purchase four additional 777-8 freighters and five 777-9 passenger jets. China Airlines announced its intention in December to buy 14 next-generation 777 aircraft for $11.9 billion, primarily to renew the passenger and freighter fleets. Airlines typically receive significant discounts from list prices for large orders. The transaction was finalized in March and logged on Boeing’s order book as from an undisclosed customer. China Airlines also ordered 10 Airbus A350-1000 widebody passenger aircraft in early April. The 777-9 passenger jets will replace an existing fleet of 10 777-300ERS and add incremental capacity. China Airlines has more than 80 aircraft in its fleet, including nine Boeing 777-200 freighters and eight 747-400 freighters, but has said it will gradually phase out the older quad-engine jumbo jets. The carrier said it was attracted to the 777-8 freighter by its payload and range capabilities, as well as interoperability with the current Boeing twin-engine freighters in the fleet. The 777-8 can carry nearly as much cargo as a 747-400 but has 30% improved fuel efficiency, 25% better operating costs per ton and up to a 60% smaller area for noise impact on the ground, according to Boeing. Boeing has received more than 520 orders for the 777X family, including more than 50 for the 777-8 freighter. No timetable was given for delivery of the 777X aircraft to China Airlines. Commercial production of the 777X family has been delayed for years by technical issues, strikes, the pandemic and other factors. Boeing now anticipates first delivery of the 777-9 passenger jet in 2026 and the 777-8 in 2028. Qatar Airways is the launch customer for the freighter. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/china-airlines-finalizes-deal-4-132041055.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS · 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 . South Texas Business Aviation Association June 20th at the Galaxy FBO at Conroe Airport, Texas. . Airborne Public Safety Association -APSCON / APSCON Unmanned 2025 in Phoenix, AZ | July 14-18, 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 . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis