Flight Safety Information February 25, 2020 - No. 040 In This Issue Incident: Laudamotion A320 at Vienna on Feb 24th 2020, could not retract nose gear Incident: Jetblue A321 at Boston on Feb 23rd 2020, bird strike Incident: Cathay Pacific B773 near Vancouver on Feb 1st 2020, fumes in cockpit and cabin Boeing 737-300 - Runway Excursion (Indonesia) Swearingen SA227 Metro - Runway Excursion (Canada) Pilot of Pegasus airplane that skidded off Istanbul airport runway arrested FAA Orders Broad Revamp of Pilot Training After Safety Lapses Prior Aviation joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation Vanessa Bryant files wrongful death suit after crash Cargologicair suspends operations over EASA violation United Airlines affiliate Trans States Airlines to cease flying U.S. FAA agrees to pay $90,000 to whistleblower who disclosed unqualified flight safety inspectors A321 converted freighter secures EASA certification AirAsia X Asks To Put Off Aircraft Lease Payments ANA HOLDINGS Commits to Adding up to 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner Jets Katherine Johnson, pioneering NASA mathematician of 'Hidden Figures' fame, dies at 101 ERAU Short-Course on Structural Failure Identification in Aircraft Accident Investigation Call for Papers for the Military Tutorial at ISASI 2020 Attention Aviation Safety Managers Incident: Laudamotion A320 at Vienna on Feb 24th 2020, could not retract nose gear A Laudamotion Airbus A320-200, registration OE-LOX performing flight OE-118 from Vienna (Austria) to Muenster (Germany) with 162 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of Vienna's runway 29 when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet due to the nose gear not retracting. The crew worked the related checklists attempting to convince the nose gear to retract, however, to no avail. The crew decided to return to Vienna where the aircraft landed safely on runway 34 about 40 minutes after departure. Emergency services followed the aircraft taxiing to the apron. The airline confirmed their "problem child" needed to return to Vienna due to the nose gear not retracting. An examination of the aircraft is underway, a sensor issue is being suspected. To explain the expression "problem child": The occurrence aircraft had joined Laudamotion's fleet on Nov 25th 2019 and had suffered a few unrelated occurrences already, for example see Accident: Laudamotion A320 at Vienna, enroute and Dublin on Nov 25th 2019, communication problems and fumes and Incident: Laudamotion A320 at Malaga on Jan 2nd 2020, engine shut down in flight. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d3bb507&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A321 at Boston on Feb 23rd 2020, bird strike A Jetblue Airbus A321-200, registration N947JB performing flight B6-133 from Boston,MA to San Francisco,CA (USA) with 159 people on board, was climbing out of Boston's runway 22R when upon contacting departure the crew advised they had hit something on rotation and had a burning odour on board, however, no abnormal indications. They wanted to return to Boston. The aircraft levelled off at 3000 feet and returned to Boston for a safe landing on runway 22L about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200 registration N961JT reached San Francisco with a delay of 2.5 hours. The FAA reported the aircraft struck a bird on departure causing unknown damage. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Boston about 36 hours after landing back. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N947JB/history/20200223/1130Z/KBOS/KSFO http://avherald.com/h?article=4d3bdc39&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Cathay Pacific B773 near Vancouver on Feb 1st 2020, fumes in cockpit and cabin A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300, registration B-KPQ performing flight CX-865D from Vancouver,BC (Canada) to Hong Kong (China) with no passengers and 18 crew, had just levelled off at FL320 after departure from Vancouver when the crew detected smoke in cockpit and cabin, declared emergency and returned the aircraft to Vancouver. The aircraft dumped 84 tons of fuel and performed a safe landing 11 tons over maximum landing weight about 45 minutes after departure. The aircraft had arrived in Vancouver on Jan 30th 2020 as flight CX-865 from New York JFK. The aircraft was to position onwards to Hong Kong, returned to Vancouver however. Another attempt to position to Hong Kong on Feb 8th also prompted the crew to return to Vancouver. The aircraft finally departed for and reached Hong Kong on Feb 14th 2020. The Canadian TSB reported: "Maintenance conducted an overweight landing inspection with no faults found. They verified that the smoke was in fact oil fumes/haze caused by an oil contaminated air conditioning system. They traced the origin of the oil source to the aircraft's APU. Numerous components of the air conditioning system were replaced and the ducting was removed and cleaned. The APU was deactivated for the return flight to VHHH and the aircraft has returned to service." https://flightaware.com/live/flight/CPA865/history/20200201/1245Z/CYVR/VHHH http://avherald.com/h?article=4d3bda1d&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Boeing 737-300 - Runway Excursion (Indonesia) Date: 25-FEB-2020 Time: 07:00 Type: Boeing 737-300 Owner/operator: Trigana Air Service Registration: PK-YSG C/n / msn: 23930/1539 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Sentani Airport, Jayapura Regency - Indonesia Phase: Take off Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Sentani Airport, Jayapura Regency Destination airport: Narrative: Upon takeoff, the cargo plane skidded off the runway. There were no personal injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/233221 Back to Top Swearingen SA227 Metro - Runway Excursion (Canada) Date: 24-FEB-2020 Time: c. 16:00 Type: Swearingen SA227 Metro Owner/operator: Bearskin Airlines Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Dryden Regional Airport (YHD/CYHD), Dryden, ON - Canada Phase: Take off Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Dryden Municipal Airport, ON (YHD/CYHD) Destination airport: Narrative: The aircraft experienced a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion during a takeoff attempt at Dryden Regional Airport (YHD/CYHD), Dryden, Ontario. The airplane sustained unreported damage and minor injuries were reported among the eight occupants onboard. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/233219 Back to Top Pilot of Pegasus airplane that skidded off Istanbul airport runway arrested An Istanbul court has ordered the arrest of the captain pilot of a Pegasus Airlines plane that skidded off a runway at Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen International Airport earlier this month, killing three people and injuring 179 aboard. Mahmut Arslan was sentenced on charges of "causing death and injury by negligence" before being taken to Maltepe Prison in Istanbul. The plane flying to Istanbul from the Aegean province of İzmir veered off the end of the wet runway while landing on Feb. 5. The plane drifted around 50 meters and the nose of the plane almost completely separated from the rest of the fuselage, which burst into flames following the crash. Arslan, who was discharged from the hospital where he was being treated, was brought to the Anatolian Court of Justice on Feb. 24. He sustained fractures in his spine and ribs during the accident and was able to appear before the court three weeks after the crash. Prosecutors had previously taken statements from air traffic control staff, airport employees and the pilots of two other planes that aborted landings shortly before the Pegasus flight landed. Expressing that a strong lightning strike hit the plane when it was about to land, Arslan said in court that the first officer reported to the technical department of the Pegasus company that the plane was hit by a lightning bolt. Stressing that the tracks on the runway also should be cleaned periodically, otherwise it would cause slippage, Arslan noted that the plane may have slid due to this. The speed of the plane was 84 knots due to the rear wind and did not slow down, prompting the pilots to brake manually six seconds after noticing this, the captain pilot said, adding that the detection of this abnormality normally should have been done by the first officer. The cause of the accident is not yet clear, but the initial findings reveal that the crash may have occurred due to hydroplaning. Water formed due to heavy rainfall on the day of the crash on the runway may have prevented the plane's contact with the runway as the landing gear tires hit the ground. The crash happened as the 11-year-old aircraft landed in strong winds and heavy rain. U.S. aviation investigators have also inspected the wreckage to see if there were any technical factors that could have contributed to the accident. Pegasus has had several recent instances of overshooting runways. Another Pegasus Airlines plane skidded off the runway at the same airport on Jan. 7, causing the temporary closure of the airport. There were no injuries. In January 2018, another Boeing 737 in the Pegasus fleet slid off a runway at Trabzon Airport in northeastern Turkey. The plane came to rest in the dirt above the Black Sea with its nose pointed toward the water. No one was injured. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/pilot-of-pegasus-airplane-that-skidded-off-istanbul-airport-runway-arrested-152401 Back to Top FAA Orders Broad Revamp of Pilot Training After Safety Lapses By Alan Levin • New training is bid to improve airline crew 'professionalism' • Measure resulted from accidents in which pilots violated rules U.S. airline pilots will receive mentoring and revamped training under a sweeping new regulation designed to address air-crash revelations in which crews didn't follow basic rules. The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday published a final regulation designed to improve pilot "professionalism," more than three years after the rule was proposed. "This final rule will mitigate incidents of unprofessional pilot behavior and reduce pilot errors that can lead to a catastrophic event," the FAA said in the regulation. The new rules will take effect in 2022 and 2023, FAA said. It resulted from fatal crashes more than a decade ago in which pilots didn't follow basic safety procedures, such as avoiding distracting conversations while preparing to land, the FAA said. In the wake of those crashes, Congress in 2010 ordered the FAA to revamp the pilot training rules. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-24/faa-orders-broad-revamp-of-pilot-training-after-safety-lapses Back to Top Prior Aviation joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation Prior Aviation Service, a company that offers aircraft charter, maintenance, FBO services and flight training, has joined the ACSF The multifaceted firm joins ACSF's roster of more than 225 member companies whose joint mission is to enable the highest levels of safety in personal, charter and business aviation. "As western New York's largest aircraft charter facility, we can't emphasize enough how important operational safety is to our team on the ground and in the air," said Clark Newman, president and director of operations at Prior Aviation. "We recognize that our membership in the ACSF represents an actionable step toward that commitment to safety, and we're proud to be taking it." ACSF president Bryan Burns said, "We commend Prior Aviation for their foresight in joining our growing ranks. The rapid increase in our ACSF membership is proof that aviation-related companies everywhere recognize the importance of aviation safety and the value that ACSF membership brings to the cause." https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/prior-aviation-joins-the-air-charter-safety-foundation.html Back to Top Vanessa Bryant files wrongful death suit after crash that killed Kobe, Gianna The lawsuit alleges Island Express Helicopters put the helicopter in the air when conditions were not safe for flying. LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa, filed a lawsuit Monday against the company that owned the helicopter that crashed last month, causing the death of her husband, 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the seven other people on board. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed shortly before a memorial service, described by Vanessa asa "Celebration of Life," for the NBA legend, his teenage daughter and the other victims of the crash was expected to draw thousands to the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The 72-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that Island Express Helicopters put the helicopter in the air when conditions were not safe for flying. The company and the helicopter's pilot, Ara George Zobayan, had a "duty to use that degree of care that an ordinarily careful and prudent pilot would use under the same or similar circumstances," the suit says. Instead, Zobayan failed to assess weather data prior to takeoff of the doomed Jan. 26 flight, the suit says. The fog in Los Angeles was so dense on the morning the Sikorsky S-76B crashed crash into a hillside in Calabasas that the Los Angeles Police Department had grounded its helicopters until the afternoon, LAPD spokesman Joshua Rubenstein said at the time. The department requires 2 miles of visibility and an 800-foot cloud ceiling, he said. Bryant alleges in the suit that the pilot failed to abort the flight even though he knew of cloudy conditions. The suit also says Zobayan flew the helicopter into conditions in which he couldn't viably navigate using visual references, forcing him to use instrument flight rules (IFR), and failed to avoid or keep a safe distance between the aircraft and obstacles in the flight path. NBC News previously reported that Zobayan had the proper federal certification to fly by IFR, but Island Express Helicopters did not, and he would have been restricted to the company's licensing. Bryant is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. She and her lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. A representative for Island Express Helicopters called the crash a tragic accident and said that the company would not be commenting on any pending litigation. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vanessa-bryant-files-wrongful-death-suit-after-crash-killed-kobe-n1141741 Back to Top Cargologicair suspends operations over EASA violation UK freighter operator Cargologicair has suspended operations following a Level 1 finding - non-compliance with EASA [European Aviation Safety Agency] regulations - according to industry sources with knowledge of the carrier. "Evidence of significant non-compliance will mean that your competent authority has the right to suspend, limit or revoke your approval," according to consultancy Baines Simmons. Sofema Aviation Services explains: "Level 1 findings are considered most serious and concern any significant non-compliance with EASA regulatory requirements in particular, where it is seen that such non conformities could lower the safety standard and hazards and seriously affect the flight safety." Sources in the air cargo community suggested that Cargologicair had run out of funds to support its continued operation. It recently sold one 747 to Cargolux, replacing a freighter it retired at the end of last year. However, related airline AirBridgeCargo is still operating, although two sources suggested that it had cut some scheduled capacity in the hopes that rates will soar for charter operations as shippers try to get their goods out of China, which one source said was a "risky tactic" and could harm relations with customers. The Volga-Dnepr Group, whose owner Alexei Isaikin operates five cargo airlines including CargologicGermany and AirbridgeCargo, struggled in 2019, amassing significant losses. The willingness of Russian bank Sberbank to continue supporting the operations has also been called into doubt, said knowledgeable sources. It is thought 100 people were made redundant this week, but that salaries at Cargologicair, which employed nearly 200 people in 2018, will be paid up until the end of April. Staff have reportedly been told the airline will close. Cargologicair made a loss of nearly £18m in 2018, the last time it filed accounts with Companies House. https://theloadstar.com/cargologicair-suspends-operations-over-easa-violation/ Back to Top United Airlines affiliate Trans States Airlines to cease flying This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. A regional airline name familiar to many travelers in smaller communities will be gone by the end of the year when Trans States Airlines stops flying. The demise of Trans States Airlines will have no impact on passengers, as 36 of its Embraer ERJ-145 jets will be transferred to ExpressJet Airlines by the end of 2020. Both ExpressJet and Trans States Airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines under the United Express brand. The shut down was communicated to Trans States Airlines employees in a letter from parent Trans States Holdings CEO Rick Leach on Monday that was viewed by TPG. The move does not impact Compass Airlines or GoJet Airlines, which are also owned by Trans States Holdings. St. Louis-based Trans States Airlines fell victim to a several factors that have wreaked havoc on regional airlines over the past few years. An industry-wide pilot shortage made hiring difficult, and a move by its mainline partner United to streamline its regional providers drove the decision to close the airline, Leach told employees. "In recent years, the regional aviation landscape has changed dramatically and continues to do so," he said. "Our industry has never been more competitive and the margins for success at the regional level are razor thin." "We have come to the extremely difficult decision that an organized and well-planned wind-down of the Trans States operation is the most viable course of action," said Leach. Trans States Airlines spokeswoman Stacey Ross confirmed the plan to shut down by year-end. A separate statement from ExpressJet confirmed that they will add the carrier's 36 ERJ-145s to their fleet by February 2021. Other regional airlines have fallen victim to the pilot shortage. Republic Airways cited hiring issues in its 2016 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, and Great Lakes Aviation shut down entirely in 2018. All of the major carriers are in the process of consolidating their regional flying. Delta Air Lines unveiled plans to end its relationships with Compass Airlines and GoJet Airlines in July amid a move to partner with just three regional carriers. United, while not naming Trans States Airlines specifically, told employees in a separate memo viewed by TPG Monday that a "series of fleet movements" at its United Express partners would occur in 2020. "Fleet movements between regional carriers are not uncommon, and these changes will not impact any United mainline flying or staffing," the Chicago-based carrier said. "These transitions will improve our efficiency and set up United, and our partners, for an even better operation moving forward." Related: United is adding 20 more dual-class Bombardier CRJ550 jets with GoJet United expanded its flying agreement for the Bombardier CRJ550 with GoJet this month. The regional carrier will operate 20 more of the 50-seat jets that include a first class-cabin. It expects to have a total of 74 aircraft by 2021. When Trans States Airlines finally stops flying, it will be the end of a nearly 40-year history that included partnerships with storied names like Trans World Airlines (TWA). Founded in 1982, Trans States Airlines flew as Trans World Express (TWE) from 1985 until TWA merged with American Airlines in 2001. The carrier also had partnerships with Delta Air Lines and USAir, later US Airways, during its 38-year run. https://thepointsguy.com/news/united-airlines-affiliate-trans-states-airlines-to-cease-flying/ Back to Top U.S. FAA agrees to pay $90,000 to whistleblower who disclosed unqualified flight safety inspectors WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to pay $90,000 to an aviation safety inspector who faced retaliation for raising concerns about unqualified flight safety inspectors, a U.S. agency said Monday. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) said the whistleblower aviation employee disclosed flight inspectors were certifying pilots and conducting safety "check rides" even though they lacked necessary formal training and certifications. OSC, an office that reviews whistleblower allegations, said the FAA's Office of Audit & Evaluation "substantiated the whistleblower's allegations, calling into question the operational review of several aircraft, including the Boeing 737 MAX and the Gulfstream VII." The FAA said it "takes all whistleblower allegations seriously and does not tolerate retaliation against those who raise safety concerns." Boeing Co declined to comment. Gulfstream, a unit of General Dynamics Corp, said the G500 and G600 were certified by the FAA in 2018 and 2019 and have flown more than 5,000 hours since then. "We are confident we surpassed the requirements necessary to successfully certify the pilot training program for the G500 and G600," a company spokeswoman said. In September, OSC said the FAA appeared to have been "misleading in their portrayal of FAA employee training and competency" in providing Congress information about some safety inspectors who were involved in assessing training requirements for the Boeing 737 MAX. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed a combined 346 people. The certification process for the MAX has come under scrutiny. The FAA said in September that all of "the Aviation Safety Inspectors who participated in the evaluation of the Boeing 737 MAX were fully qualified for those activities." The agency denied misleading Congress. The FAA found that after disclosing the problem, "the whistleblower faced retaliation. The whistleblower decided to take a new position in another city in order to escape what he believed was pervasive harassment," the OSC said. "After he made the disclosures, his managers also allegedly removed his duties and denied training requests, flight certifications, and job training opportunities." OSC said that during the investigation, the whistleblower's then-manager retired, so it did not seek disciplinary action. The head of the Office of Special Counsel, Henry Kerner, said in September the "FAA's failure to ensure safety inspector competency for these aircraft puts the flying public at risk." https://wtvbam.com/news/articles/2020/feb/24/us-faa-agrees-to-pay-90000-to-whistleblower-who-disclosed-unqualified-flight-safety-inspectors/987903/?refer-section=business Back to Top A321 converted freighter secures EASA certification European authorities have certified the Airbus A321 passenger-to-freighter conversion undertaken by the airframer's EFW joint venture with ST Engineering. Approval of the supplementary type certificate by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency follows the maiden flight of the initial converted aircraft on 22 January. The aircraft is set to be delivered to Vallair. ST Engineering had recently stated that it expected to secure certification for the P2F conversion by the end of the first quarter of 2020. "The swift process in attaining EASA's STC shortly after our first flight test is a testament to the engineering and design strengths of our P2F solution," said ST Engineering aerospace president Lim Serh Ghee. EFW chief Andreas Sperl said the A321P2F "complements" the passenger-to-freight modification it undertakes for the A330. He says the two fully-containerised decks - with up to 14 positions on the main deck and 10 on the lower - will provide an "ideal replacement" for older converted Boeing 757s. The aircraft is intended to transport up to 27.9t over a range of 2,300nm. Airbus said it is "confident" that more operators will show interest in the newly-developed modification as the aircraft enters service. Lease management firm BBAM signed a general terms agreement at the end of last year for "several" A321P2F conversions, said EFW. Its first aircraft was inducted in January for modification in Singapore and conversion of a second will start in March. ST Engineering leasing venture Keystone Holdings has also reached a letter of intent with Qantas for conversion and lease of an A321P2F for delivery at the end of 2021. Airbus has forecast a market for some 1,000 conversions of small aircraft into freighters over the next two decades. https://www.aircargonews.net/services/freighter-conversions-mro/a321-converted-freighter-secures-easa-certification/ Back to Top AirAsia X Asks To Put Off Aircraft Lease Payments The coronavirus outbreak continues to impact airlines. Today, multiple sources are reporting that AirAsiaX has asked its aircraft lessors for a payment holiday. AirAsia X is reported to have asked leasing companies for a payment holiday. Photo: Masakatsu Ukon via Flickr. AirAsia X leases 17 A330-300 aircraft from nine lessors. While the majority of lessors have one or two aircraft each flying under AirAsia X colours, BOC Aviation and ICBC Leasing have three aircraft each at AirAsia X. AirAsia X asking to defer lease payments The original report broke in Flight Global yesterday. Flight Global cited information from Cirium. According to Cirium, aircraft lessors have been approached by AirAsia X seeking a deferral of lease payments. Simple Flying has approached AirAsia X to confirm this. They declined to address our questions, citing a blackout period pending release of the latest financial information later in February. However, the FlightGlobal report refers to a variety of lessors who say they are willing to talk to AirAsia X. But the leasing companies are not, as one put it, a soft touch. One unidentified lessor says they value their relationship with AirAsia X. However, the depth and breadth of that relationship does not extend to, say, letting the airline skip lease payments for three months. AirAsia X's financial woes deepen AirAsia X is the long-haul sibling airline to AirAsia. AirAsia X has been around for over 12 years and now flies to 22 destinations around the Asia Pacific rim with its 24 aircraft. Even before the coronavirus outbreak in January, AirAsia X was encountering financial turbulence. The airline lost nearly USD$39 million in the first half of 2019. This was a ten-fold increase on its loss for the first half of 2018. Ongoing financial problems at AirAsia X have caused the airline to ask for lease payment holidays before. The coronavirus outbreak and subsequent downtown in travel demand will deepen AirAsia X's financial woes and is likely behind this latest request from the airline. AirAsia X is highly reliant on Chinese tourism, dedicating 30% of its available seat capacity to the country. China is usually Malaysia's third-biggest source of tourists. Now flights on nine of AirAsia X's twelve Chinese routes are either suspended or canceled. Besides China, most of Malaysia's tourists come from within Asia. As a low-cost tourist airline, AirAsia X is a proverbial canary in the coalmine when tourist travel patterns shift. Does AirAsia X have the financial muscle to get through this? There is considerable speculation that the coronavirus and its impact on airlines will send some over the financial edge. Some of this speculation has come from the CEOs of stronger airlines. One CEO said he expected "weaker" airlines in the Asian region to be consolidated or go out of business. Despite its mediocre financial performance, AirAsia X does have significant financial firepower behind it. The airline was floated on the Malaysian stock exchange in 2014. The largest shareholder is Tune Group (the investment company for AirAsia's Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun). AirAsia itself and various AirAsia subsidiary businesses all have significant stakes. AirAsia X probably has the financial muscle to pull through the current downturn in travel demand. But it will not be easy. Having to go cap in hand to aircraft lessors to ask for a payment holiday is a sign of that. The question is, how much latitude will the aircraft lessors give AirAsia X? https://simpleflying.com/airasia-lease-payments/ Back to Top ANA HOLDINGS Commits to Adding up to 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner Jets - Japan's five-star carrier plans to acquire 11 787-10 airplanes, four 787-9s jet and five options - Deal marks ANA's sixth Dreamliner purchase; order book to eclipse 100 airplanes once options are exercised - ANA plans to use the largest, most efficient Dreamliner to replace certain domestic 777 models SEATTLE, Feb. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] and ANA HOLDINGS INC. (ANA HD) announced the Japanese airline group today decided to acquire up to 20 more 787 Dreamliner airplanes. The agreement with Boeing includes 11 787-10s, one 787-9 and options for five 787-9s valued at more than $5 billion at list prices. The airline also plans to acquire three new 787-9 airplanes from Atlantis Aviation Corporation. Once the agreements are finalized, it will be ANA's sixth order for the ultra-efficient and passenger-pleasing Dreamliner and bring their overall 787 order book to more than 100 airplanes. "Boeing's 787s have served ANA with distinction, and we are proud to expand our fleet by adding more of these technologically-advanced aircraft," said Yutaka Ito, Executive Vice President of ANA and ANA HD. "These planes represent a significant step forward for ANA as we work to make our entire fleet even more eco-friendly and further reduce noise output." With this order, the airline will add 11 of the largest and most fuel-efficient Dreamliner models, the 787-10 to its world-class fleet. Powered by a suite of new technologies and a revolutionary design, the 787-10 set a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics when it entered service in 2018. The airplane allows operators to achieve 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat compared to older airplanes in its class. ANA sees the 787-10 as the perfect airplane to replace previous domestic 777 models that are slated for retirement. "Introducing the 787-10 on our domestic routes will help ANA Group maintain its leadership role and improve our ability to operate as a responsible corporate citizen," Yutaka Ito said. ANA became the global launch customer of the 787 Dreamliner when it placed its initial order in 2004. Since then, like half of all Dreamliner operators, the Japanese carrier has placed follow-on orders. However, ANA is in a class by itself as the world's biggest 787 operator with 71 airplanes in its fleet and 12 more to be delivered prior to the latest agreement. The new deal will bring the 11 additional 787-10 airplanes, one 787-9 and options for five more 787-9 jets. ANA is also in the launch customer group for Boeing's new 777X. "ANA has grown into one of the leading airline groups in Asia by continually raising the bar for customer satisfaction and investing in the most technologically-advanced and capable fleet. We are truly honored that ANA HD is coming back to order more 787 planes with plans to boost their Dreamliner fleet to more than 100 jets," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, The Boeing Company. "We are confident that the unique capabilities of the 787-10 will continue to safely serve its passengers with best-in-class comfort and reliability." The 787 Dreamliner is playing an important role in reducing carbon emissions around the world. Since the first 787 entered commercial service in 2011, the Dreamliner family has saved more than 48 billion pounds of fuel. In addition, the 787 fleet's noise footprint is 60 percent smaller than those of the airplanes it replaces. ANA HD's new 787 jets will be powered by GE's GEnx-1B engines. The new engines will contribute to the 25 percent improved fuel efficiency per seat of the 787-10. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ana-holdings-commits-adding-20-060600796.html Back to Top Katherine Johnson, pioneering NASA mathematician of 'Hidden Figures' fame, dies at 101 Katherine Johnson, whose career making vital calculations for NASA was immortalized in the 2016 book and movie "Hidden Figures," has died at 101. Johnson joined what was then called the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1953 as a so-called human computer at the agency's Langley, Virginia, office. The office was still segregated when she joined, and she worked with other black mathematicians in the West Area Computing section. The agency became NASA in 1958, and Johnson remained at the agency until she retired, in 1986. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced her death today (Feb. 24) and said it occurred earlier in the morning. "Ms. Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space," he said in a statement. "Her dedication and skill as a mathematician helped put humans on the moon." "At NASA, we will never forget her courage and leadership and the milestones we could not have reached without her," Bridenstine said. "We will continue building on her legacy." When Johnson joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, her work focused on flight tests and plane crashes. When the agency shifted to focus on spaceflight, Johnson did too. Her calculations mapped the trajectory of Alan Shepard's historic 1961 flight, during which he became the first American to reach space. She also verified the trajectory for John Glenn's first orbital flight. Johnson made similar trajectory calculations during the Apollo era. She also worked on emergency procedures, which were vital during the Apollo 13 mission of 1970, when an explosion on the main spacecraft required astronauts to use the lunar module as a lifeboat to return to Earth. Her math also supported the space shuttle and plans for Mars missions. Johnson and her colleagues became famous with the publication of "Hidden Figures" (William Morrow and Co., 2016) by Margot Lee Shetterly and the release of the blockbuster movie of the same name, which starred Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer as Johnson and her colleagues Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan. As both the book and the movie showed, Johnson and her colleagues had to withstand discrimination based on their gender and skin color alike. One poignant scene in the movie was inspired by Johnson's time working away from the West Area Computing section, with white colleagues, when she has to explain to her white, male supervisor where she keeps disappearing to - the only restrooms she was allowed to use, half a mile away. The release of "Hidden Figures" made Johnson one of the most celebrated black women in space science and a hero for those calling for action against sexism and racism in science and engineering. In 2015, Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the most prestigious civilian awards in the U.S., from President Barack Obama. The NASA Langley facility at which Johnson worked renamed a building in her honor in 2016, and she received a standing ovation at the Oscars the next year, when "Hidden Figures" was nominated for best picture. In 2019, Johnson told her own story for young readers in a book called "Reaching for the Moon" (Atheneum Books for Young Readers). "Every time engineers would hand me their equations to evaluate, I would do more than what they'd asked. I'd try to think beyond their equations. To ensure that I'd get the answer right, I needed to understand the thinking behind their choices and decisions," she wrote. "I didn't allow their side-eyes and annoyed looks to intimidate or stop me. I also would persist even if I thought I was being ignored. If I encountered something I didn't understand, I'd just ask. ... I just ignored the social customs that told me to stay in my place." https://www.space.com/katherine-johnson-nasa-hidden-figures-mathematician-dies-at-101.html Curt Lewis