Flight Safety Information February 5, 2020 - No. 026 In This Issue Incident: Spirit A320 at Fort Myers on Feb 3rd 2020, engine shut down in flight Incident: Vueling A320 near Malaga on Feb 3rd 2020, burning odour on board Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 at Des Moines on Feb 3rd 2020, bird strike Navy veteran convicted for hiding mental health condition on civilian pilot certification forms Global Aerospace, Inc. Launches Online Safety Learning Management System Two flights leave Wuhan headed for the United States, State Department says Mokulele Airlines gets $650K in federal funds to provide service to Hana American Airlines announces partnership with Brazil's GOL Airlines, beefs up Miami flights US tests pilotless combat jets controlled from another aircraft Aquiline Drones Becomes the Fourth Company to Operate under an FAA 135 Air Carrier Certificate Here's What A Bombardier-Textron Deal Would Mean For The Business Jet Industry The big business of tracking junk in space Helicopter Accident Investigation from SCSI Investigation Management from SCSI MITRE - SMS Course - March 2020 ACSF Safety Symposium Incident: Spirit A320 at Fort Myers on Feb 3rd 2020, engine shut down in flight A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N606NK performing flight NK-124 from Fort Myers,FL to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) with 167 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Fort Myers' runway 06 when the crew declared emergency reporting the left hand engine (V2527) had failed and was shut down. The aircraft levelled off at 3000 feet and positioned for a return to runway 24. The aircraft landed safely on runway 24 about 15 minutes after departure. A passenger reported there was a severe loud bang from the left hand engine that shook the entire aircraft, two more less severe bangs followed. Fellow passengers in the aft seats reported streaks of flames out of the engine. The crew stopped the climb, turned the aircraft around and landed back at Fort Myers where the aircraft was received by a lot of emergency vehicles. When the passengers were about to disembark the crew announced it had been a left engine failure. The passengers were rebooked onto a later flight. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/NKS124/history/20200203/2256Z/KRSW/KORD http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2de641&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Vueling A320 near Malaga on Feb 3rd 2020, burning odour on board A Vueling Airbus A320-200, registration EC-MAN performing flight VY-7332 from Bacelona,SP (Spain) to Marrakesh (Morocco), was enroute at FL370 about 30nm northeast of Malaga,SP (Spain) when the crew decided to divert to Malaga due to a burning odour on board/smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely on runway 13 about 20 minutes later. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Malaga due to technical problems. A passenger reported there was a burning odour in the forward section of the aircraft. Another passenger reported the cabin fusebox blew, all cabin power was cut. A slight burning smell developed on board. Spanish ATC reported the crew reported smoke in the cockpit. A replacement A320-200 registration EC-MJB reached Marrakesh with a delay of 3 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2de0f4&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 at Des Moines on Feb 3rd 2020, bird strike An Endeavor Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N307PQ performing flight DL-5484 from Minneapolis,MN to Des Moines,IA (USA), was on approach to Des Moines' runway 05 when the aircraft received a bird strike. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. The FAA reported the aircraft sustained unknown damage when it struck a bird at Des Moines,IA in an unknown flight phase. A replacement CRJ-900 registration performed the return flight, still DL-5484, to Minneapolis with a delay of 3:40 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 22 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/EDV5484/history/20200203/1605Z/KMSP/KDSM http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2dc3b6&opt=0 Back to Top Navy veteran convicted for hiding mental health condition on civilian pilot certification forms WASHINGTON - A Navy veteran was found guilty for concealing his depression disorder from the Federal Aviation Administration on pilot medical certification forms, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Nicholas Beyer, 34, of Discovery Bay, Calif., was convicted on two counts of making false statements to the FAA and two counts of falsifying, concealing, or covering up material facts. In civilian pilot medical certification applications submitted to the FAA in 2016 and 2018, Beyer lied about never being diagnosed with any mental health disorders, despite a major depressive disorder diagnoses from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2016, for which he received disability pay. Beyer was also receiving disability compensation for knee and back injuries, which he did disclose. Beyer's lawyer argued he concealed his depression because he felt the VA over- diagnosed him, court records show. However, the federal prosecutors said the medical forms, which are used to evaluate whether a pilot has credentials to fly, ask very clearly about mental health conditions -- not a pilot's opinion on the diagnosis or how severe they personally believe the condition is. "The FAA's airman medical certificate process is the mechanism by which the FAA evaluates whether pilots are mentally and physically fit to fly," federal prosecutors said in a statement. Military records show Beyer, a petty officer second class, enlisted in the Navy from 2005 to 2014 and served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. He was awarded two Good Conduct Medals and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. Beyer faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus restitution for each violation. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April, 22. https://www.stripes.com/news/us/navy-veteran-convicted-for-hiding-mental-health- condition-on-civilian-pilot-certification-forms-1.617535 Back to Top Global Aerospace, Inc. Launches Online Safety Learning Management System Helping the aviation industry support the talent of the future. Global Aerospace is pleased to announce the launch of the SM4 Aviation Safety Program's online learning management system (LMS) which is currently available at no cost to its general aviation policyholders in the United States (excluding light aircraft and UAS). The SM4 program, now in its 11 year, continues to focus on providing resources to help the aviation industry achieve higher levels of operational safety. The 2020 SM4 program includes an emphasis on the critical issue of business aviation's talent shortage which creates challenges in attracting, mentoring and retaining professionals who can safely manage, maintain and fly business aircraft. The LMS provides Global Aerospace clients with customized online training courses for both personal and professional development to support their continuous improvement: * Easy, online access to practical and interactive learning plans designed by each of our SM4 partners in their area of expertise; * Time-efficient, impactful courses that allow for seamless integration into your organization's training program; * Continually updated courses to keep up with the latest developments in business aviation safety; * Unlimited number of user accounts per client; Certificate of completion provided to participants for each completed learning plan. Marilena Sharpell, senior vice president, projects and communications at Global Aerospace adds, "The LMS has been designed in cooperation with our SM4 partners to support your operation and help meet our industry's need to adopt advanced training solutions to benefit the current and next generation of aviation personnel. The learning plans were designed with everyone from the novice to the more experienced in mind. Clients will have the ability to add and restrict access by users from their organization as well as run customized reports." https://www.aviationpros.com/tools-equipment/insurance-finance/press- release/21124103/global-aerospace-global-aerospace-inc-launches-online-safety- learning-management-system Back to Top Two flights leave Wuhan headed for the United States, State Department says The Wuhan coronavirus is spreading Beijing (CNN)Two flights evacuating US citizens from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China have departed for the United States, officials from the State Department said. The travelers were screened for symptoms at the Wuhan airport and will be subject to "Centers for Disease Control (CDC) screening, health observation, and monitoring requirements" when they get to the United States on Wednesday, the State Department said in a statement. These are the second and third such flights from Wuhan that were arranged by the US government in roughly the past week. The State Department said the three flights had more than 500 passengers. The latest flights are expected to head to two California military bases: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, and Travis Air Force Base between San Francisco and Sacramento, a US official with knowledge of the matter told CNN. A spokeswoman for Travis Air Force Base said one of the flights is headed there but didn't have any details on what time it would arrive. The flights come about a week after the first US government-arranged flight left Wuhan. That first chartered plane, carrying nearly 200 US citizens -- including diplomats and their families -- arrived January 29 at March Air Reserve Base in Southern California. US airport official asks 'how is this going to work?' as confusion crops up over coronavirus travel restrictions The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a federal 14-day quarantine for those evacuees -- the first such order in more than 50 years. The flights seem to end a few days of uncertainty for the Americans who'd been seeking a way out of Wuhan. A US-arranged flight initially was to depart on Monday, but was delayed, a US official with knowledge of the matter told CNN. The Chinese government on Monday declined to comment about the delay. But it came as Beijing criticized the United States' response to the coronavirus outbreak, including temporarily denying foreign nationals entry to the US if they had been in China in the previous 14 days. More than 24,000 cases of Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide, including 11 in the United States. At least 490 people have died from the virus. Even more flights from Wuhan for US citizens could be scheduled. The State Department tweeted it "may be staging flights" on Thursday and interested citizens should contact it by email. Americans who remain in China should take precautionary measures, including "stocking up on food," the State Department said. https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/04/us/us-wuhan-evacuation-flight- coronavirus/index.html Back to Top Mokulele Airlines gets $650K in federal funds to provide service to Hana A new Mokulele Airlines Cessna Aircraft taxied in at Mokulele Airlines' Terminal 3 of the Daniel K. Inouye International Airpot. Mokulele Airlines will continue to receive federal funding - which it was at risk of losing - to provide service to and from Hana on Maui, according to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Mokulele Airlines will continue to receive federal funding - which it was at risk of losing - to provide service to and from Hana on Maui, according to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Schatz said at his urging, the Department of Transportation announced it would once again award the four-year federal subsidy, totaling more than $650,000, to Mokulele Airlines to maintain regular air service to the Hana community. Mokulele will provide Hana with 14 nonstop round trips a week to Kahului. "I thank the Department of Transportation for hearing us out and restoring federal funding for air service to and from Hana," said Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a news release. "As an island state, air travel is critical to our economy and our daily lives." The federal Essential Air Service program ensures access to air transportation for small and rural communities that would otherwise not be served. Late last year, DOT took actions that threatened to end subsidized service at Hana. Following calls from Schatz, the DOT restored the federal subsidy to Mokulele, and offered the local carrier a four-year EAS contract to continue critical air service to Hana. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/02/04/breaking-news/mokulele-airlines-gets- 650k-in-federal-funds-to-provide-service-to-hana/ Back to Top American Airlines announces partnership with Brazil's GOL Airlines, beefs up Miami flights An American Airlines plane gets ready to land at Miami International Airport. American Airlines is teaming up with Brazil's largest airline, GOL Airlines, in a new agreement allowing American to market GOL flights to its passengers and vice versa. The codeshare partnership will allow American to connect its passengers on GOL flights to places outside the reach of its direct flights from Miami to Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Manaus and Rio de Janeiro. To prepare for the deal, American is adding 12 more daily flights from Miami International Airport to six cities across the U.S. this summer and a second daily flight from MIA to Rio de Janeiro next winter. The deal must first be approved by government authorities in the U.S. and Brazil. American Airlines is the largest carrier at MIA. Last year, a similar codesharing partnership between American and LATAM, Latin America's largest airline, was nixed by a Chilean court. LATAM went on to forge a partnership with Delta Airlines, which purchased a 20% stake in the Chilean-based carrier for $1.9 billion in January. Delta has since ramped up its presence at MIA, adding 13 new nonstop daily flights to four cities from MIA this spring. American Airlines' Senior Vice President of strategy Vasu Raja doesn't anticipate the American Airlines-GOL deal will face the same push back as the LATAM deal did. "We don't operate a connecting network in Brazil," Raja said. "By contrast GOL doesn't have a long haul network. We anticipate no regulatory challenges because we have no competitive overlap." To drive more traffic to Miami, American is adding one additional daily flight each to Nashville, Tenn.; Boston, Mass. and Houston, Texas; five to Orlando; two to Raleigh- Durham, N.C. and two to Tampa. The flights begin June 4. The second daily MIA-Rio de Janeiro flight will be in place from Jan. 7 through March 28, 2021, the company said. Raja, the American Airlines strategy executive, said the GOL partnership is based on input from customers. "Customers have asked us to have more short haul connections in Brazil. This is a response to customer demand," he said. Raja said he was not allowed to talk about how the deal might affect GOL's existing direct flight from Miami to Brasilia. Both American Airlines and GOL have been hit hard by the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max planes. The U.S. government grounded the 737 MAX in March after two crashes killed 346 people in a span of six months. Boeing halted production of the troubled plane in January. GOL's fleet is made up entirely of Boeing 737s, eight of them Max planes, and the company has 130 Max planes on order, according to Reuters. American Airlines has 24 Boeing 737 Max planes, all of which were based in Miami before the grounding. Now they are parked at maintenance facilities in Tulsa, Okla. and Roswell, N.M. The company has another 76 Boeing 737 Max planes on order. GOL told Reuters the company hopes to be flying Max planes again by April. American currently estimates it will resume Max service in June. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article239916773.html Back to Top US tests pilotless combat jets controlled from another aircraft A Boeing EA-18G Growler lands on the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier in the Atlantic ocean on October 25, 2017 Washington (AFP) - The US Navy and Boeing announced Monday they had flown two fighter jets in exercises under the control of a third jet nearby, proving that multiple pilotless combat missions can be run from a separate aircraft. In experimental tests late last year at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station southeast of Washington, the Navy and Boeing sent two EA-18G Growlers through 21 distinct missions during four flights, with each aircraft being controlled from a third EA-16 nearby. The two "unmanned" or "surrogate" Growlers did have backup pilots in them for safety, but otherwise flew as if the pilot's seat was empty, while someone in the third plane manuevered them remotely. The flights "proved the effectiveness of technology allowing F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers to perform combat missions with unmanned systems," Boeing said in a statement. The EA-16 is a specialized electronic warfare aircraft used to challenge enemy radar and jamming communications, mostly flown from aircraft carriers. It is adapted from the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, used by the Navy and armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. "This technology allows the Navy to extend the reach of sensors while keeping manned aircraft out of harm's way," said Tom Brandt of Boeing. "It could provide synergy with other US Navy unmanned systems in development across the spectrum and in other services." https://news.yahoo.com/us-tests-pilotless-combat-jets-controlled-another-aircraft- 204612158.html Back to Top Aquiline Drones Becomes the Fourth Company to Operate under an FAA 135 Air Carrier Certificate Founded in 2016, Aquiline Drones is a privately held company that is focused on manufacturing UAVs and providing full-service, on-demand drone services and solutions in the United States. Aquiline Drones distinguishes itself by its aviation-based approach to safety, compliance and standardization relating primarily to manufacturing and operations. With strong technical resources in-house, Aquiline Drones is poised to lead the evolution from automation to autonomy and has spent the last three years carefully incubating its technology, deployment strategies and business concepts. "We spent about three and a half years in incubation, vetting the industry on a global scale, identifying and amassing the requisite resources to put the operation together, but also identifying the key entry points to the industry that would allow us to have a forceful and sustainable market entrance," stated Barry Alexander, CEO of Aquiline Drones and a former airline pilot. "Aquiline Drones has successfully completed its first- year post incubation period and has forged key relationships with industry innovators and suppliers for future growth." Alexander has made a point to describe Aquiline Drones as an aviation-centric and progressive American drone enterprise rather than a drone startup, a distinction he believes is vital to the industry if it is to be fully integrated into the National Airspace System. "A key thing to remember is that drones are not gadgetry, but aircraft, and if we want to gain the public's trust, we must ensure safety first," said Alexander. "Collectively, we bring 300-plus years of aviation knowledge and experience to the forefront of this burgeoning industry. We are made up of business professionals, fellow airline pilots, aerospace and software engineers, distinguished military personnel-including retired Air Force Generals-algorithmic mathematicians, and other technologists. We pride ourselves in advocating safety first under the strict auspices of The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)." Fueled by the recent American Security Drone Act of 2019, which banned the federal procurement of foreign drones and other unmanned aerial systems, Alexander believes the timing is right for Aquiline Drones to move ahead with its plan, which includes building its own drones in the USA. "Besides providing advanced drone solutions in manufacturing and OEM services, an aviation-inspired Real-time Operating System (RTOS), as well as a robust and modular aviation cloud-Aquiline Drone Cloud (ADC) division," announced Alexander. "We are also finalizing the purchase of a small airline making us one of four drone airline companies in the US operating under a FAA 135 Air Carrier Certificate." This acquisition puts Aquiline Drones among a notable group of companies operating under an FAA 135 Air Carrier Certificate, which includes Amazon Prime Air, UPS and Google's Alphabet Wing. This is no small feat and speaks to the level of commitment Aquiline Drones has to the industry and to its crowdfunded stakeholders comprised chiefly of US airline pilots. Alexander believes this is a crucial step toward achieving the company's goals - being endorsed and supported by the wider US aviation industry, primarily its pilots. "Obtaining this certificate will provide added leverage in achieving crucial waivers to perform complex and highly uncommon drone operations," explained Alexander. "This involves authorization in piloting unmanned aircraft for out-of-sight navigation and operation, having definitive processes and accountable executives with specific responsibilities related to overall flight and ground safety, and compliance and standard operating practices." This certificate enables Aquiline Drones to more easily obtain authorizations for operations such as out-of-sight navigation and operation-an integral element toward his ambitious goal of developing a fully automated drone-on-demand service, which is set to deploy later this year. The service will enable customers to preorder drone services via a mobile app, similar to the way you would call for an Uber. "In the future, the service will allow users to control a drone through voice command," explained Alexander. "Imagine tasking a drone via an app to record your child's baseball game because you are unable to attend. We envision a world in which humans and drones operate in harmony, using real-time control, autonomy, and analytics to reduce costs, maximize ROI, and create new business value." The full realization of this vision may take a while with the current regulatory environment, but Aquiline Drones is already making tangible strides in this direction. Recently, the company announced a partnership with VyrtX, an advanced logistics- technology firm, to create an innovative and life-saving medical delivery service for human organs and tissues using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/drones. "To our knowledge, no other symbiotic relationship exists in the current marketplace between a proprietary organ transport technology platform and a progressive UAV enterprise," said Alexander. "We believe that this strategic partnership is a significant step in setting the gold standard in organ delivery services globally. This partnership also underscores Aquiline Drone's promise to safely integrate drones into society and help realize true benefits to humanity. In this case, saving countless lives! Emergency response services such as organ and pharmaceutical transport should be the catalyst or justification for UAV medical corridor approvals and establishment across the US." As one of only four drone companies in the United States to own and operate under an FAA 135 Air Carrier Certificate, Aquiline Drones is uniquely positioned to offer the operational flexibility to facilitate approvals and exemptions on non-traditional, augmented and unique UAV operations of the future in America. Operations like their VyrtX collaboration and their drone-on-demand service. https://www.commercialuavnews.com/public-safety/us-based-drone-manufacturer-and- end-to-end-drone-solutions-company-aquiline-drones-becomes-the-fourth-company-to- operate-under-an-faa-135-air-carrier-certificate Back to Top Here's What A Bombardier-Textron Deal Would Mean For The Business Jet Industry Troubled Bombardier has reportedly been in talks to sell its business jet division to Textron, according to The Wall Street Journal. Were this to come to fruition, it would have several implications for the business jet industry. The business jet market is overcrowded, as I've written previously: Five primary manufacturers produce 40 different models vying for just 700 worldwide sales a year. A Textron purchase of Bombardier would help alleviate the overcapacity - somewhat. Bombardier's small jet division, Learjet, would squarely overlap with the Citation jets made by Textron's Cessna unit. Learjet sales have slowed significantly and the Lear 70 and Lear 75 models face a very uncertain future, whether under Textron or Bombardier. Moving up the Bombardier jet model food chain brings us to the midsize Challenger line. The long successful Challenger 350, or CL350, sits almost exactly on top of Cessna's brand-new Citation Longitude. While the CL350 has a nice following and has earned respect, its been six years since it debuted and it's arguably in need of a makeover. Today In: Business The same goes for the next larger Challenger 650, which also had its last upgrade at around the same time as the CL350. However the CL650 differs in that it is a much older design, and has undergone so many upgrades over time with engines, avionics and other improvements that there's really nowhere left to go. It's likely that Cessna has a product path for its new Longitude, call it the Longitude+, that could conceivably position itself squarely between the CL350 and CL650, essentially eliminating both models. That leaves the most lucrative and largest Bombardier jets, the Global line, ripe for Textron to plug it into its current lineup of small and medium jets, giving it the long- missing large products to effectively compete with the likes of General Dynamics' Gulfstream and Dassault's Falcon units. Thus, should the deal close, a maximum of just four models would come off the market, leaving 36, which wouldn't go far toward solving the industry's oversupply problem. Textron is the only business jet maker that makes sense as a new owner. Embraer is busy with Boeing while Gulfstream and Dassault have competing large cabin products to Bombardier's. However, there are other potential bidders. Airbus could always enter the picture since they already have a relationship with Bombardier through the A220 airliner, and may wish to further expand their product offerings. Lockheed Martin has also been postulated as a suspect, having seen the success General Dynamics had in buying the Gulfstream program. Lastly, private equity has played in the business jet game before, having previously owned Gulfstream, the former Hawker Beechcraft and others. There's also a good chance that a Textron deal will never come to fruition. Textron's financial performance has been stressed lately, and the outlook going forward isn't looking much better. It would thus seem a stretch for Textron to pay what would likely be in the billions of dollars for Bombardier business jets. Furthermore, they will certainly try to carve the Learjet and Challenger lines out of the deal. It's more likely that Textron waits it out until Bombardier feels more heat from its debt load, or in a worst- case scenario enters bankruptcy and jettisons much of its debt. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianfoley1/2020/02/04/heres-what-a-bombardier- textron-tie-up-would-do-to-the-business-jet-industry/#3fbd469a6a78 Back to Top The big business of tracking junk in space Thousands of pieces of space junk are speeding around Earth, but current tracking tools aren't yet able to pinpoint where most of the junk is at any given time, putting other satellites in danger - and fueling a growing industry to track debris and satellites. Why it matters: Trackers warn collisions can knock out communications, cause millions of dollars in damage, and add to the price of insurance and therefore operation. The big picture: Hundreds of satellites are expected to launch to orbit in the next few years, greatly increasing the number of spacecraft - and possibly junk - circling Earth. The danger isn't in quantity though - space is big. The risk comes from not knowing where defunct satellites, spent rocket bodies or other debris are located. Driving the news: Last week, two dead spacecraft may have come within just a few meters of colliding above Pennsylvania. People and companies on the ground were tracking the event closely, but there were different estimates about where exactly the satellites were, complicating predictions around whether the two objects would collide. What's happening: The Air Force is able to follow more than 20,000 pieces of space junk, but NASA estimates that there are millions of tiny pieces of debris that could still harm functional satellites in orbit. Today, a handful of companies are popping up to try to fill in those gaps and make a profit from satellite and junk tracking. LeoLabs - which sounded the alarm about the possible collision last week - plans to have six ground-based radars to track pieces of space junk down to 2 centimeters. NorthStar Earth and Space expects to launch the first of its space junk-tracking satellites as early as next year after raising more than $38 million in 2018. Others are working to compile the data collected by companies in order to make their own predictions and satellite tracks. "The stuff the government does is good ... It's got its place, but we all know that the tea leaves aren't as dependable as they could be. The accuracy is not great." - Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation told Axios Yes, but: The best way to figure out where exactly all of the junk in orbit is may be to combine data from multiple sources and aggregate it in one place. Companies are also building their businesses around the idea that satellite operators, and even insurance providers for the space industry, will want to use their data to make sure that spacecraft remain safe in orbit. However, it's not clear those organizations will want to pay for the service in the future when they could either create their own tracking methods or use free services instead. The bottom line: Private companies are close to surpassing the government in tracking satellites and space junk, looking to profit as space becomes more popular. https://www.axios.com/space-junk-tracking-business-a365462b-a82e-4926-849b- 5f292dd1b164.html Curt Lewis