Flight Safety Information July 28, 2020 - No. 151 In This Issue Incident: Canada Rouge B763 at Toronto on Jul 18th 2020, flaps asymmetry Incident: Delta A333 at Amsterdam on Jul 26th 2020, bird strike Incident: Yemenia A320 near Jeddah on Jul 27th 2020, engine shut down in flight Incident: JAL B738 at Tokyo on Jul 27th 2020, hydraulic leak 777 pilot's confusion led to Sydney airprox incident with ATR American Airlines To Scrap A321 Involved In Take-Off Wing Strike Report: Insufficient fuel for flight resulted in forced landing of Beech 200 near Gillam, Canada Reckless pilot flies with one engine, ignores regulations Wizz Air criticized for labor and safety malpractices Why Hawaiian Airlines just ferried most of its planes to the mainland - without passengers FIREFIGHTING UNION WARNS GROUNDED PLANES ARE 'POWDER KEGS' (Australia) Korean Air Suspends Flights, Adjusts Premium Classes and Freighter Fleet FAA Administrator Dickson to Address NBAA Virtual Business Aviation Town Hall Copa Airlines aims to restart operations in early September American Airlines ends 6 LAX routes as Alaska Airlines partnership expands United tells two regional airlines it will continue contract with just one: union letter NASA will soon try to fly a helicopter over Mars: "It really is like the Wright brothers' moment" The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Will Offer Online and In-Person Classes This Fall Urban Air Mobility and Single-Pilot/Autonomous Airline Operations Research Project Graduate Research Survey AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Canada Rouge B763 at Toronto on Jul 18th 2020, flaps asymmetry An Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300, registration C-FIYA performing flight RV-2384 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Shannon (Ireland) with 2 crew, was climbing out of Toronto's runway 24R when the crew stopped the climb at FL190 and returned to Toronto due to a flaps asymmetry message. The aircraft landed safely on runway 23 about 50 minutes after departure. The Canadian TSB reported during flaps retraction after departure the crew received a Flap/Slat Asymmetry warning, worked the related checklist, declared PAN PAN and returned to Toronto for a safe landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ROU2384/history/20200719/0045Z/CYYZ/EINN http://avherald.com/h?article=4da805b1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta A333 at Amsterdam on Jul 26th 2020, bird strike A Delta Airlines Airbus 330-300, registration N805NW performing flight DL-73 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Atlanta,GA (USA), departed Amsterdam's runway 24 and climbed to cruise level 300. The aircraft was enroute about 230nm northwest of Glasgow,SC (UK) about to enter the oceanic crossing when the crew decided to return to Amsterdam due to a suspected bird strike at the right hand side. The aircraft landed safely back on Amsterdam's runway 18R, was inspected by emergency services and taxied to the apron. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 20 hours, then departed for a positioning flight DL-9930 to Atlanta. http://avherald.com/h?article=4da803b1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Yemenia A320 near Jeddah on Jul 27th 2020, engine shut down in flight A Yemenia Airbus A320-200, registration 7O-AFB performing flight IY-608 from Aden (Yemen) to Cairo (Egypt) with 156 people on board, was climbing out of Aden when the crew stopped the climb at FL280 but continued in direction of Cairo. The crew subsequently needed to shut one of the engines (V2527) down, descended the aircraft to FL190 and diverted to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) for a safe landing. Passengers reported the captain announced one of the engines had stopped working. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 8.5 hours while it was determined the indication prompting the engine shut down was false, the engine had no defect whatsoever and necessary repairs on the indication system were made. The aircraft subsequently continued the flight to Cairo. http://avherald.com/h?article=4da80000&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: JAL B738 at Tokyo on Jul 27th 2020, hydraulic leak A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration JA309J performing flight JL-622 from Kumamoto to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 55 passengers and 6 crew, was on approach to Tokyo when the crew reported a hydraulic leak and performed a low approach to Haneda's runway 22. The aircraft subsequently positioned for an approach to runway 23 and landed safely about 28 minutes after the low approach and became disabled. Runway 23 was closed following the landing. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported it was confirmed there was a leak from the main landing gear. The crew had advised of a possible hydraulic problem. The aircraft landed safely, the runway needed to be closed until midnight (time of landing at 09:42L/00:42Z). The runway was actually closed for 2:45 hours until the aircraft had been towed off the runway and the runway had been sweeped. http://avherald.com/h?article=4da7d7b3&opt=0 Back to Top 777 pilot's confusion led to Sydney airprox incident with ATR A United Airlines pilot flying from Sydney to San Francisco did not expect a change in departure procedures out of the Australian airport, and incorrectly adjusted his flight management system (FMS). As a result, the departing Boeing 777-300ER, registered N2333U, encountered a loss of separation incident with a Virgin Australia ATR 72-600, registered VH-FVQ, that took off from a parallel runway. Releasing its final investigation report into the 22 January incident, investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) stressed the importance of following correct procedures and effective crew communication. At around 14:21 local time, the Virgin Australia turboprop was cleared for take off from Runway 34R, operating flight VA1153 and bound for Tamworth in New South Wales state. Less than a minute later, air traffic controllers cleared the United widebody for departure from Runway 34L. Flight data showing the loss of separation incident between a United Airlines Boeing 777-300ER and a Virgin Australia ATR 72-600. The United 777, operating flight UA870, was required to maintain the runway heading of 335º, before turning left at an altitude of about 1,500ft, and then tracking northwest of Sydney, before banking right into the Pacific Ocean. Investigations revealed that the pilot had expected a "more simplistic procedure" that was often provided to foreign crew departing Sydney for an oceanic route. As such, he pre-programmed the aircraft's FMS system in anticipation of being able to turn right towards the Pacific Ocean after departure. However, he became confused when the system updated to represent the actual departure clearance provided, and incorrectly readjusted it before engine start. This led the 777 to climb straight to about 2,100 ft, and then turn right - about 45º off the required heading. The incident saw the wideboy come just 1,843m laterally and 60m vertically from the ATR 72. Air traffic controllers detected the loss of separation and intervened. Required separation was re-established and both flights continued without further incident. ATSB investigators also found that the pilot flying "probably did not effectively communicate the changes" in the flight management computer to his crew, nor did he cross-check it with his crew. "Any amendment to the flight management computer, particularly those applicable to the more critical phases of flight (departure and arrival procedures) should always be announced, and then carefully and independently verified by at least one other crew member," the bureau states. The ATSB also highlighted that air traffic controllers can assist foreign crew - like the United crew - by "proactively factoring" the crew's unfamiliarity when providing airway clearances. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/777-pilots-confusion-led-to-sydney-airprox-incident-with-atr/139506.article Back to Top American Airlines To Scrap A321 Involved In Take-Off Wing Strike An American Airlines A321 that was involved in a take-off wing strike in April 2019 will not return to service. The decision comes 15 months after the incident. During that time, the plane has sat idle at New York's Kennedy Airport. It is another chapter in an underreported incident that came dangerously close to a disaster. The incident occurred on April 10, 2019. The leased Airbus A321 is registered as N114NN and has been with American Airlines for six-plus years. On the evening of April 10, N114NN was to operate AA300 from New York's Kennedy Airport across to Los Angeles. Aircraft experiences an uncontrolled roll, clips sign and pole As Simple Flying reported, the aircraft experienced an uncontrolled 45° roll when taking off. The plane's wing clipped a sign and a pole on the ground. The aircraft took off and climbed without further incident. N114NN ascended to 20,000 feet before turning and making a safe landing back at Kennedy. "There's a good crosswind, but we had an uncommanded roll to the left as we rotated," the pilot told ATC. "We were banking, uncontrolled bank 45 degrees to the left." Back on the ground, the extent of the damage became clear, and N114NN has not flown since. A Twitter feed tracks the aircraft's progress since the incident An airline insider on Twitter who posts as JonNYC has been tracking the progress of N114NN ever since. Ben Schlappig from One Mile At A Time picked up on JonNYC's recent comments that the plane will go to the scrapyard. If the reports are correct, some larger aircraft components will either go back to Airbus or be donated. But the airframe will be scrapped. JonNYC made the claims on July 25 and has since doubled down, saying, "all this seems to be pretty confirmed." If you backtrack through his Twitter feed, it appears efforts did get made to salvage the plane last year. In November, JonNYC said there was an Airbus team at Kennedy working on N114NN. But by January, he noted that the plane was getting plucked for parts, but there was still no official announcement made on its future. On the weekend, JonNYC flagged a scrap/lease/return and said the aircraft would get debranded. Yesterday, he reaffirmed his claims. A clipped sign, but could have got a lot worse The incident and eventual fate of N114NN may prove to be one of history's more expensive sideswipes of a sign. Despite the aircraft remaining in the air for 30 minutes and landing safely, there are some reports that the April 10 incident could have ended very badly. There were 110 people on board the flight. One unnamed source who was "briefed on the incident," told CBS News; "That was as close as anybody would ever want to come to crashing." The uncommanded roll occurred just as the Airbus was starting to take-off. As CBS News notes, the force of the impact bent the wing. There is a suggestion the pilots didn't anticipate the severity of the winds and did not deflect or apply enough rudder to keep the aircraft centered. The National Safety and Transportation Bureau (NTSB) is formally investigating the incident. American Airlines is co-operating fully in addition to conducting its own investigation. Neither AA nor the NTSB have published their findings on the incident. When they do, it should make for some interesting reading. https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-scraps-wing-strike-a321/amp/ Back to Top Report: Insufficient fuel for flight resulted in forced landing of Beech 200 near Gillam, Canada TSB Canada concluded that an unnoticed fuel shortage resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing of a Beechcraft B200 medevac aircraft in April 2019. On 24 April 2019, the Beechcraft B200, was on a positioning flight from Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Canada to station the aircraft at Rankin Inlet Airport, with a stop planned in Churchill. The captain was receiving line indoctrination training from the training pilot, who assumed the role of first officer during the flight. Two flight nurses were also on board. While in cruise flight, the crew declared an emergency due to a fuel issue. The flight crew diverted to Gillam Airport and initiated an emergency descent. During the descent, the fuel supply was exhausted and both engines eventually lost power. The crew attempted a forced landing on runway 23, but instead touched down on the frozen surface of Stephens Lake, 750 feet short of the runway threshold. There were no injuries, although the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The investigation found that the flight crew had multiple opportunities to identify the shortage of fuel on board the aircraft. Before takeoff, when the captain asked if the aircraft was ready for flight, the first officer replied that it was, not recalling that the aircraft required fuel. Then, while performing the Fuel Quantity item on the After Start checklist, the captain responded to the first officer's prompt with an automatic response that the fuel was sufficient without looking at the fuel gauges. As a result, the aircraft departed Winnipeg with insufficient fuel on board to complete the planned flight. During the flight, the crew did not include the fuel gauges in their periodic cockpit scans nor did they confirm their progressive fuel calculations against the fuel gauges. As a result, their attention was not drawn to the low-fuel state at a point that would have allowed for a safe landing. When the left fuel pressure warning light illuminated and the flight crew realized they had insufficient fuel, they became startled. After declaring a fuel emergency with air traffic control, and initiating an emergency descent, the left engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. Still feeling the effect of the startle response, the captain quickly became task saturated, which led to an uncoordinated response by the flight crew, delaying the turn towards Gillam and extending the approach. The right engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion when the aircraft was one nautical mile from runway 23. From that position, a successful forced landing on the intended runway was no longer possible. More information: TSB Report. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2020/07/27/report-insufficient-fuel-for-flight-resulted-in-forced-landing-of-beech-200-near-gillam-canada/ Back to Top Reckless pilot flies with one engine, ignores regulations Czech Air Accidents Investigation institute (or UZPLN) released a final report revealing that the pilot in command of a Smartwings Boeing 737-800 deliberately ignored engine failure mid-flight and his co-pilot's continuous assertions to land, and proceeded to the flight's original destination. On August 22, 2019, a Smartwings Boeing 737-800, registration OK-TVO performed the flight QS-1125 from Samos (Greece) to Prague (Czech Republic) with 170 people on board. The aircraft was over the Aegean Sea northeast of Athens (Greece) when it drifted down to FL240 and continued to Prague at the same altitude before landing 2 hours later without incident. Reportedly, this sudden drop in altitude was the consequence of a spontaneous shutdown of one of the aircraft's engines. The onboard crew attempted to relight the engine twice using different methods but without any success. Due to tankering, the aircraft had a sufficient amount of fuel to make the journey, prompting the captain to continue towards Prague. According to the investigator's report, this course of action was an "obvious disregard and violation of applicable Operation Manual Air Traffic Procedures as well as applicable regulations, provisions and safety recommendations," especially when it was revealed that the first officer stressed to land within the first two minutes following engine failure. The captain refused to comply with Cockpit Resource Management, rendering his co-pilot incapable of participating in the decision-making process. According to the report, the captain could not have known whether the shutdown was due to contaminated fuel and failed to adopt a safety strategy if the second engine failed as well. If, for any reason, the aircraft would have needed to divert from Prague to its alternative, the captain would have been required to declare mayday as the fuel reserves were insufficient for single-engine operation. Luckily the aircraft carrying 170 passengers landed safely in Prague and was cleared for service a mere 17 hours later. According to the UZPLN, the captain on board during the flight continues to believe that his decision-making process was carried out correctly. The investigators recommended Smartwings to perform a psychological examination of the captain at the Institute of Aviation medicine in Prague. https://www.aerotime.aero/pijus/25513-reckless-pilot-flies-with-one-engine-ignores-regulations Back to Top Wizz Air criticized for labor and safety malpractices During the peak of the coronacrisis, Wizz Air made over 1,000 pilots and cabin crew redundant, as it tried to limit its expenses. Now, the same pilots will have to go through the same recruitment process along with almost 4,000 fresh candidates who want to join the airline, reveals an internal letter seen by AeroTime News. The airline has begun its recruitment process for its Abu Dhabi-based subsidiary and other European bases, including the newly inaugurated bases in Germany, Romania, and Russia. So far, the airline has received almost 4,000 applications from pilots, including captains and first officers, according to a letter, dated July 24, 2020. The letter also indicates that the airline will accept two new aircraft, namely one Airbus A320 and one Airbus A321, in the coming week. In total, the Hungary-based planned to add 10 new aircraft to its fleet by March 2021, including seven new A320neo and A321neos, while four A320ceo would be retired. Wizz Air continues aggressive expansion with three new bases While the current situation in the aviation industry is shaky at best, Wizz Air has continued to announce new bases around Europe. The low-cost carrier indicated its plans to introduce three new bases into its network. Wizz Air's fired pilots will have the priority over these applicants. However, they will follow the same rules and guidelines as the other potential candidates, reads the airline's update to its employees. "These redundant pilots will have to follow the same application process as a new joiner to comply with GDPR restrictions and also to meet the EASA mandate to be psychologically tested prior to employment." Joining EASA supervision despite safety concerns Wizz Air is also on the verge of being looked over by the European Union Safety Aviation Agency (EASA) instead of its native aviation authority, the Hungarian National Transport Authority (NTA). The Hungary-based company joined Greece's Aegean Airlines and the British low-cost carrier easyJet, as well as seven airport operators, in EASA's program to abide by guidelines developed by the agency to return to normal operations during COVID-19. However, the airline also seemingly ignored other safety concerns laid out by EASA. In its review of potential safety issues that could arise from the current pandemic, EASA highlighted that crew fatigue was one of the concerning factors that could potentially lead to safety lapses in an airline's operations. "With redundancy and furlough reducing the available number of personnel, those left working may have to work additional hours. The preparation for, and eventual return to (new) normal operations will require significant additional effort in comparison with actual normal operations," leading to rising levels of fatigue, read the review by EASA. Unions underlined the safety issues that might arise from the labor practices undertaken by Wizz Air. The airline is accused of discriminatory practices, whereupon flight crews were laid off by their track record of sick leave days, refusals to work on off days, and responses to exhausting rosters. "These actions endanger the public safety by forcing crew members to work sick or fatigued due to genuine fear from retaliation in the form of dismissal in violation of EASA ORO," reads a publicly addressed letter to EASA by FPU Romania, a pilot and flight attendant union. When the aforementioned 1,000 employees were laid off by the low-cost carrier, Wizz Air's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) József Váradi cited three criteria that were used in order to determine whose job will be axed, as the airline dismissed 19% of its total workforce. One of the bullet points was that a person was not a "cultural fit to Wizz Air." "Numerous reports speak about fatigued Captains at work that attempt to "help" the company by working from OFF days after a long week of rotation," while another dismissed captain heard first officers complaining about fatigue after being scheduled for seven days in a row. "The atmosphere in the company is that of genuine fear of discrimination and persecution which leads to a reduction in the level of safety," reads the union's letter to EASA. Wizz Air was also at the forefront of a potential shareholder revolt due to the fact that its bosses got a hefty payout, despite missing profit targets, the layoffs, and that it used the United Kingdom's furlough scheme, reported The Times on July 18, 2020. In aviation, the coronavirus had ravaged the industry like nothing else in its history. But the coronacrisis might result in another tense time, one of safety and mental health amongst the people that work in the industry. According to FY2020 financial report, the CEO of the company is entitled to a $624,729 (€532,714) bonus payment for 2020, paid in two installments: one in November 2020 and the other in May 2021. The revolt is caused by the fact that the airline missed its profit target in FY2020, as the low-cost carrier ended the financial year with a $329.5 million (€281.1 million) net profit, while the bonus threshold was $344.6 million (€294 million). The annual meeting of the airline's shareholders will take place on July 28, 2020. A day later, the company is set to announce its Q1 FY2021 results. https://www.aerotime.aero/rytis.beresnevicius/25514-wizz-air-labor-safety-criticism Back to Top Why Hawaiian Airlines just ferried most of its planes to the mainland - without passengers It's not often that you see a mass exodus of jets from a certain location. In the wee hours after the Super Bowl ends, you typically see a slew of private jets departing from the airport closest to the stadium. When the coronavirus caused demand for air travel to plummet, airlines sent their planes en masse to storage hangers throughout the southwest. And when a hurricane is about to hit its main hub, Hawaiian Airlines prudently sent most of its jets far out of harm's way. If you've been wrapped up in coronavirus coverage, you might've missed that Hurricane Douglas is forecast to barrel through the Hawaiian Islands with wind speeds that are currently 90 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center predicts damaging winds, flooding rainfall and dangerously high surf for much of the Aloha State. The Category 2 hurricane is expected to make landfall around the night of July 26 and will likely cause damage to areas within its path. And that path gets dangerously close to Hawaiian's main hub, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu. So, in preparation, Hawaiian moved 54 of its 62 jets out of harm's way. The airline operates three different types of aircraft - the Airbus A321, Airbus A330 and Boeing 717. These jets could easily get damaged during the hurricane, especially since Hawaiian doesn't have enough indoor hangar space for its entire fleet. Plus, according to Vice President of Flight Operations Bob Johnson, the hangars can only withstand winds of up to 130 miles per hour. Although Hurricane Douglas isn't that strong, moving the fleet is a necessary precautionary measure. The Boeing 717 is the inter-island workhorse for Hawaiian. Johnson mentioned that these single-aisle jets would be stored in Kona on the big island of Hawaii since the projections show that it should be the most protected from the storm. Plus, the airport has "big runways, big taxiways and can hold a lot of airplanes so that factored into our decision," Johnson told Hawaiian news outlet KITV. Additionally, flying nonstop to the mainland would be just at the high end of the range for the Boeing 717. The Airbus A321 and A330 are the jets that primarily fly the airline's international and mainland routes. They have the range to easily make it to the mainland, and that's exactly where Hawaiian sent them. Both fleets are currently spread across the West Coast. The Airbus A321s are in Oakland, Portland and Sacramento. The Airbus A330s are sitting in Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland and San Francisco. Two A321s and six A330s were still in Honolulu as of press time and are likely locked up in the hangars there. The "mad dash" off the island has also caused Hawaiian to fly an interesting route. After an A330 flew on Friday from Honolulu to Seoul, the airline clearly didn't want the plane heading back to harm's way. So, instead of having the plane sit on the ground in South Korea or return to Hawaii, Hawaiian sent the jet nonstop to Los Angeles. Below was Hawaiian Flight 1330 en route from Seoul to LAX - quite an interesting and unusual route for the airline. This is the first time since 1992 that Hawaiian Airlines has moved its planes en masse. Twenty-eight years ago, Hurricane Iniki, a Category 4 storm, became the most powerful hurricane to strike the state of Hawaii, and the airline got its planes out of harm's way. And now, as if 2020 couldn't get any worse, the airline has to do it all over again. https://thepointsguy.com/news/why-hawaiian-ferried-jets-to-mainland/ Back to Top FIREFIGHTING UNION WARNS GROUNDED PLANES ARE 'POWDER KEGS' (Australia) Australia's firefighting union has accused Airservices of reducing the number of emergency crews at airports to below regulated levels - despite the danger presented by grounded planes full of fuel. United Firefighters Union of Australia president Greg McConville said, "Our quiet skies are creating a powder keg at Australia's airports. "Most of Australia's airports are in residential areas and there's a genuine risk people will lose their homes, and their lives, if the worst happens." Airservices, which has control over staff deployment at Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, said in response it would "always ensure it has the appropriate staffing numbers to meet [Civil Aviation Safety Authority] requirements and to ensure the safety of the travelling public". The union commissioned the University of Newcastle to investigate the "level of preparedness" at Australian airports and concluded emergency services were operating at "below standard crew levels". It also said it found Sydney International Airport was storing 90 grounded planes, Brisbane 70, Perth 65, Avalon 36 and Adelaide 15, which it added were "well above regular levels". "Across Australian airports, planes are being stored at record levels, but fewer aviation fire fighters are there ready to respond," said McConville. "At our largest two airports, Melbourne and Sydney, we risk losing 32 staff if we don't properly maintain the right ARFFs category. "Australia's airports and aviation safety regulations were never designed to accommodate a mass grounding. Scaled back fire crews at airports is creating a risk to billions of dollars of assets and vital infrastructure. "Without aviation firefighter crews on-site and fully equipped to respond, Australia's aviation industry could go up in smoke. During the grounding, each day planes must go through regular maintenance, which carries the risk of something going wrong. "This risk is compounded by the fact that our airports now have larger than normal fuel reserves. Ground damage is an under-appreciated aviation safety hazard. "An aircraft full of fuel at the gate is akin to a bomb in a confined space." However, the union appeared to direct its strongest criticism for the government, which ultimately controls Airservices funding. It argued that unless it supported the organisation further, younger recruits would consider leaving, which would ultimately stem the country's ability to bounce back from the pandemic. The lack of services in the air has ultimately hit Airservices finances, due to fewer fees and levies being paid by airlines. https://australianaviation.com.au/2020/07/firefighting-union-warns-grounded-planes-are-powder-kegs/ Back to Top Korean Air Suspends Flights, Adjusts Premium Classes and Freighter Fleet Korean Air announced Monday that it is scaling back a significant number of flights due to the decrease in passenger volume because of the coronavirus. In a press release, the airline announced it would be either suspending or reducing the frequency on dozens of flights in both its international and domestic networks. Beginning Aug. 1, Korean Air will suspend 14 round-trip flights from Incheon, South Korea to seven cities in the Americas. Additionally, nine flights to the Americas will drop from daily service to a reduced schedule of 3-4 times a week. Service to Honolulu; Los Angeles; Las Vegas; Chicago; New York; Boston; Washington; Atlanta; Vancouver, Canada and other cities affected. Similar schedule adjustments are being made for flights from Incheon to cities in Europe, the Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Oceana and Asia. Over 300 international flights and 17 domestic flights are affected. Seating and Class Changes Korean Air is making a number of adjustments with its aircraft involving both its class offerings and the planes in its fleet. These changes reflect adjusted demand related to the coronavirus pandemic. Korean Air has stopped offering first-class ticket seats on some of its international flight segments through the summer of 2021, according to a report by One Mile at a Time. The only flights being offered with first-class seats are those aboard the Airbus A380. This isn't the first time Korean made such a move on its first-class product offering. Korean cut back some of its first-class seat sale options in 2019 when it stopped offering the product on certain flight segments operated on its Boeing 777 and Boeing 747 aircraft. It is unclear if Korean Air will remove any seats or leave them installed if it resumes offering first-class seats on more international flights again. Korean Air is also moving to seek technical and regulatory permission to convert some of its aircraft to freighters. ch-aviation reports the airline has asked the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport for permission to convert some of its Boeing 777-300ERs into freighters. Korean Air operates a sizable fleet of cargo-only aircraft compromising mostly of 747-400s, 747-8s and 777-200s. Each 777-300 the airline converts could add 10 tonnes of payload to its cargo operations. Converting aircraft to freighters makes sense while passenger volumes have declined due to the pandemic. Korean Air is expected to report a $124 million net profit in the second quarter, thanks in large part to a large boost in cargo sales. "Halt of passenger aircraft increased cargo traffic, resulting in a spike in freight charges. Sales from cargo is projected to stand at 1.2 trillion Won [$1 billion], up 96.2% on year," said analyst Kim Yoo-hyuk from Hanwha Investment & Securities in a report released Tuesday. https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/07/28/korean-air-suspends-flights-adjusts-premium-classes-and-freighter-fleet/ Back to Top FAA Administrator Dickson to Address NBAA Virtual Business Aviation Town Hall National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Washington, DC, July 27, 2020 - The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced today that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson will participate in a Virtual Business Aviation Town Hall, to be held at 1 p.m. (EDT) Tuesday, Aug. 4. Dickson will join NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen in discussing operational and safety issues important to the business aviation community, including the latest information about extensions to general aviation pilot medicals and other requirements granted under Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) 118. The forum will also cover the agency's recent notice of proposed rule-making affecting the pilot records database. The conversation will also touch upon ongoing efforts to bolster the nation's aviation workforce; the continued transition to a Next Generation (aviation system; the integration of Advanced Air Mobility vehicles and other technologies into the national airspace; ongoing government-industry efforts to build upon the industry's continually improving safety record; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry and other issues. The hour-long online town hall event will include ample time for audience questions, offering an important opportunity for business aviation stakeholders to engage directly with the FAA and the association. "I am pleased to welcome Administrator Dickson to this interactive discussion, in which we'll cover some of the most important concerns for business aviation, during this COVID-19 moment and beyond," Bolen said. "We appreciate the administrator's continued engagement as we confront a unique and highly challenging situation for government and industry alike." Dickson first announced his intention to approve SFAR 118, during an opening address at the start of the 2020 Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS), jointly sponsored by NBAA and the Flight Safety Foundation. Last year, Dickson was a featured speaker at NBAA's Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, NV. As head of the FAA, Dickson oversees a $17.62 billion-dollar budget and nearly 45,000 employees, as well as the ongoing, multibillion-dollar Next Generation ("NextGen") air traffic control modernization. He was confirmed for a five-year term as FAA administrator by the U.S. Senate in July 2019 following an extensive career with Delta Air Lines. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21147734/national-business-aviation-association-nbaa-faa-administrator-dickson-to-address-nbaa-virtual-business-aviation-town-hall Back to Top Copa Airlines aims to restart operations in early September PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's Copa Airlines (CPA.N) said on Monday it would resume flights on Sept. 4, with about 3% of its capacity, if the Central American country's government does not again extend a ban on international travel. The airline said it set that date for the restart to "maintain some flexibility" in the event the travel ban is extended and to minimize the impact on passengers if adjustments to itineraries are needed. "If we resume operations in September, we project that we will do so with approximately 3% of all existing operations prior to the impact of COVID-19," the airline told Reuters. Copa suspended all operations from March 22, making it the first Latin American carrier to take such a measure to weather the coronavirus crisis. Initially, Copa expected to resume flights with 10% of capacity. Copa, which has 102 aircraft, has said it will definitively retire all 28 of its Embraer 190 and Boeing 737-700 planes, accounting for nearly 30% of its fleet. It will also retire a similar number of Boeing 737-800 planes, some temporarily and others that will be put up for sale. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-copa-holdings-panama/copa-airlines-aims-to-restart-operations-in-early-september-idUSKCN24T07J Back to Top American Airlines ends 6 LAX routes as Alaska Airlines partnership expands American Airlines will end flights between Los Angeles and six cities as it makes broad schedule cuts across its route map amid the stalled recovery in air travel. The Fort Worth, Texas-based Oneworld alliance carrier is ending flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Eugene (EUG), Medford (MFR) and Redmond/Bend (RDM) in Oregon; Fresno (FAT) and San Diego (SAN) in California; and Louisville, Kentucky (SDF), according to Cirium schedule data and confirmed by American spokesperson Nichelle Barrett. The route shakeup was first reported by The Cranky Flier. American and Oneworld flyers still have options between LAX and four of the cities. Alaska Airlines serves Redmond/Bend and will add flights to Eugene, Fresno and Medford this fall. American and Alaska renewed their partnership earlier this year, and the Seattle-based carrier aims to become the alliance's 14th member by the end of the year. For American, the route cuts come as it shaves 11% off its planned schedule in August. That follows a warning from management that reductions were coming amid the stalled recovery in air travel. The airline will fly roughly 40% of what it flew in August 2019. "In the face of uncertain demand, the airline has to evolve," Vasu Raja, chief revenue officer at American, said during a quarterly earnings call on July 23. The airline plans to maintain connectivity over its largest hubs in Charlotte (CLT) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) but will make "a lot of other adjustment" at its other hubs that depend more on nearly non-existent business travelers. U.S. airlines have seen the return of travelers during the coronavirus pandemic stall. Data from trade group Airlines for America (A4A) shows net booked passengers - new reservations minus cancellations - plateaued down around 80% since the end of June. In addition to American, carriers including Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines are all pruning their planned schedules for August and through the fall. American is ramping up its partnership with Alaska on the West Coast. The airlines are expanding codeshare flights from Los Angeles and Seattle (SEA), with American due to add new nonstop flights between Seattle and Bangalore, India (BLR), London Heathrow (LHR) and Shanghai Pudong (PVG) in 2021. In addition, Alaska and American flyers receive reciprocal frequent flyer benefits on each airline's flights, and American AAdvantage members can earn elite status credit on Alaska flights. American is evaluating future codeshare markets with Alaska, said Barrett. This could include flights between LAX and Eugene, Fresno, Medford and Redmond/Bend. However, American frequent flyers will be able to receive miles and elite credits on all Alaska flights once the latter airline is officially part of Oneworld. That process is due for completion by year-end or, at the latest, the first three months of 2021. The route changes planned by American at fit with the strategy outlined by Raja and other executives since the pandemic began. While none have spoken specifically to Los Angeles, they have focused on strengthening American's competitive edge by flying more mainline jets on profitable longer-haul routes while dropping less competitive services. This will entail some "slot moves" with American's new partner JetBlue Airways at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA) airports. LAX is not slot-constrained as the New York-area airports are. But it does have limited gate space and abundant competition across the U.S.'s five - soon six - largest airlines. American continues to serve all six cities that it is dropping from Los Angeles via other hubs. It flies to Fresno, Louisville and San Diego from multiple other hubs, and Eugene, Medford and Redmond/Bend from its Phoenix (PHX) hub, Cirium shows. https://thepointsguy.com/news/american-airlines-los-angeles-6-routes-alaska-airlines/ Back to Top United tells two regional airlines it will continue contract with just one: union letter CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines has told two regional airlines, ExpressJet and CommutAir, that it will drop its contract with one, according to a pilot union letter reviewed by Reuters, in a potentially mortal blow to the losing carrier as the coronavirus pandemic guts demand. ExpressJet and CommutAir each work exclusively for United and the plan would mean one would lose its major source of revenue. Chicago-based United has minority stakes in both companies, which operate Embraer SA E145 50-seat planes that bring passengers from smaller markets to destinations that United itself serves on larger jets. United is among U.S. major airlines that, until early this year, were expanding their domestic networks through contracts with regional airlines, which have a cheaper workforce. Now the coronavirus pandemic is forcing carriers to scale back growth plans and flights. United, in an emailed response, acknowledged that its relationship with regional airlines will change. "We've been clear for months now that we expect to be a smaller airline in response to the historic impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our business. That means we've cut our schedules and our costs across the operation - and we do anticipate it will continue to impact the relationships we have with our regional partners," United said. It declined to provide more details. In a letter to ExpressJet pilots last week, the union chairman warned of developments that could have a "dramatic impact" on the future of the airline following a call with management informing labor leaders that United had said it would only require one E145 carrier moving forward. "While ExpressJet offers many attributes that make us an attractive long-term partner, cost has reared its ugly head once again and we have been asked by our management team to close the gap between our costs and those at CommutAir," the letter said. ExpressJet has a more senior pilot group than CommutAir and a larger fleet of about 95 planes, versus around 37 at CommutAir. Neither responded to requests for comment. United had contracts with eight feeder carriers that flew under the banner of United Express, according to its 2019 annual report. One of them, Trans States Airlines, ceased operations in April. In 2019, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying over 162 million customers. United had partnered with ExpressJet and CommutAir for the Aviate pilot recruitment and development program it launched last year when the industry was bracing for a pilot shortage. Now it is facing a pilot surplus. Meanwhile, two of American Airlines' wholly-owned regional subsidiaries, Envoy and PSA, have issued notices of potential furloughs to around 2,000 and 1,000 employees, respectively, spokeswomen for the two regional carriers said on Monday. United and American have also issued furlough warnings to their own employees, with more than 60,000 jobs on the line between the two in October without a fresh U.S. bailout. https://www.yahoo.com/news/united-tells-two-regional-airlines-002349967.html Back to Top NASA will soon try to fly a helicopter over Mars: "It really is like the Wright brothers' moment" With eight successful Mars landings, NASA is upping the ante with the spacecraft Perseverance. Set for liftoff this week, the newest rover is taking a helicopter along for an otherworldly test flight. The 4-pound helicopter, Ingenuity, will travel to Mars clutching the rover's belly and, a few months after touchdown, attempt to fly solo. Once dropping onto the Martian surface, Ingenuity will start out like a baby bird, rising 10 feet into the planet's extremely thin atmosphere and flying forward up to 6 feet. With each attempt, it will try to go a little higher and farther. Space Mars NASA "It really is like the Wright brothers' moment," said project manager MiMi Aung. She has one month to squeeze in as many helicopter hops as possible before the rover moves on to more pressing geologic work. The future could see next-generation helicopters scouting out distant Martian territory for astronauts or even robots. Perseverance sports the latest landing tech, plus the most cameras and microphones ever assembled to capture the sights and sounds of Mars. Its super-sanitized sample return tubes - for rocks that could hold evidence of past Martian life - are the cleanest items ever bound for space. This summer's third and final mission to Mars - after the United Arab Emirates' Hope orbiter and China's Quest for Heavenly Truth orbiter-rover combo - begins with a launch scheduled for Thursday morning from Cape Canaveral. Like the other spacecraft, Perseverance should reach the red planet next February following a journey spanning seven months and more than 300 million miles. Here's a peek at Perseverance: Perseverance vs. Curiosity The six-wheeled, car-sized Perseverance is a copycat of NASA's Curiosity rover, prowling Mars since 2012, but with more upgrades and bulk. Its 7-foot (2-meter) robotic arm has a stronger grip and bigger drill for collecting rock samples, and it's packed with 23 cameras, most of them in color, plus two more on Ingenuity, the hitchhiking helicopter. The cameras will provide the first glimpse of a parachute billowing open at Mars, with two microphones letting Earthlings eavesdrop for the first time. Once home to a river delta and lake, Jezero Crater is NASA's riskiest Martian landing site yet because of boulders and cliffs, hopefully avoided by the spacecraft's self-navigating systems. Perseverance has more self-driving capability, too, so it can cover more ground than Curiosity. The enhancements make for a higher mission price tag: nearly $3 billion. Sample collection Perseverance will drill into rocks most likely to hold signs of ancient life and stash the collection on the ground to await a future rover. Forty-three sample tubes are on board this rover, each one meticulously scrubbed and baked to remove Earthly microbes. NASA wants to avoid introducing organic molecules from Earth to the returning Martian samples. Each tube can hold one-half ounce (15 grams) of core samples, and the goal is to gather about a pound (0.5 kilogram) altogether for return to Earth. NASA hopes to launch the pickup mission in 2026 and get the samples back on Earth by 2031 - at the soonest. Human benefits Besides the helicopter, Perseverance carries other experiments that could directly benefit astronauts at Mars. An instrument the size of a car battery will covert atmospheric carbon dioxide into oxygen, an essential ingredient for rocket propellant and breathing systems. Another instrument, zapping rocks with lasers to identify organic molecules and minerals, carries samples of spacesuit material. NASA wants to see how the fabrics withstand the harsh Martian environment. It will be the 2030s at best, according to NASA, before astronauts venture to Mars. Cool stowaways A couple Martian meteorites are finally headed home, or at least slivers of them to be used as calibration targets by laser-shooting instruments aboard Perseverance. Other cool stowaways: silicon chips bearing the names of nearly 11 million people who signed up, as well as a small plate showing Earth and Mars on opposite sides of the sun with the message "explore as one" in Morse code tucked into the solar rays. There's also a plaque paying tribute to medical workers on the pandemic's front lines. The coronavirus is preventing hundreds of scientists and other team members from traveling to Cape Canaveral for the launch. "Seven minutes of terror" NASA scientists and engineers call it "the seven minutes of terror": the tense 420 seconds of breath-holding suspense as a Mars rover takes control of its own destiny and attempts to autonomously land on the red planet. The term is named for the time that elapses between the rover's landing capsule entering the Martian atmosphere to touching down on the planet's surface. During that period, the rover relies on a sequence of preprogramed information and not human engineers in NASA's master control. "It's nerve-wracking," Matt Wallace, a deputy project manager at NASA, told "60 Minutes." "It's certainly the most complex portion of the mission." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-mars-rover-perseverance-helicopter-flight/ Back to Top TheUSC Aviation Safety & Security ProgramWill Offer Online Classes This Fall The following upcoming courses, including NEW Safety Performance Indicators course, will take place in our virtual Webex classrooms. Software Safety Philosophies and methods of developing software, analyzing software, and managing a software safety program. Online Course August 17-20, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems Managing and implementing aviation security measures at medium to small size aircraft operators, all airports, and Indirect Air Carriers, with emphasis on risk assessment and cyber security. Online Course August 17-21, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Accident/Incident Response Preparedness This course is designed for individuals who are involved in either preparing emergency response plans or responding to incidents and accidents as a representative of their organization. This updated course has been extended to four full days to integrate communications in the digital age. Online Course August 24-27, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 Human Factors in Aviation Safety This course presents human factors in a manner that can be readily understood and applied by aviation practitioners in all phases of aviation operations. Emphasis is placed on identifying the causes of human error, predicting how human error can affect performance, and applying countermeasures to reduce or eliminate its effects. Online Course August 24-28, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Aviation Law & Aviation Dispute Resolution This course provides information on the legal risks inherent in aviation operations and an overview of the legal system as it relates to aviation safety. The course also provides an understanding of the various legal processes relating to aviation and discusses ways to engage aviation authorities in a responsible and successful manner. The judicial process, current litigation trends, legal definitions, and procedures are also covered. Online Course August 31-September 3, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance This course provides supervisors with aviation safety principles and practices needed to manage the problems associated with aircraft maintenance operations. In addition, it prepares attendees to assume safety responsibilities in their areas of operation. Online Course August 31-September 4, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Threat and Error Managment This course provides students with sufficient knowledge to develop a TEM program and a LOSA program within their organizations. Online Course September 9-11, 2020 2.5 Days Tuition: $1375 Aviation Safety Management Systems Providing the skills and practical methods to plan, manage, and maintain an effective Aviation Safety Management System. Special emphasis for safety managers, training, flight department and maintenance managers and supervisors, pilots, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, and schedulers. Online Course September 14-25, 2020 9.5 Days Tuition: $3750 Hazard Effects and Control Strategies This course focuses on underlying physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and effects, and hazard control strategies. The following hazards are specifically addressed: electrical hazards, electrostatic discharge, toxicity, kinetic hazards, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, thermal hazards, noise, fire and explosion, high pressure, etc. Online Course September 14-15, 2020 2 Days Tuition: $1200 Damage Assessment for System Safety Sophisticated mathematical models and methods have been developed to estimate the level of impact of a hazardous condition. This course provides an overall understanding of these methods to help managers and system safety analysis reviewers understand the analysis conducted and results obtained by the experts in the field. Specifically, methods for modeling the impact of fire and explosion, debris distribution from an explosion, and toxic gas dispersion are discussed. Online Course September 16-18, 2020 3 Days Tuition: $1625 Safety Management Systems for Ground Operation Safety This course provides airport, air carrier and ground service company supervisors and managers with practices that will reduce ground operation mishaps to personnel and equipment. It provides an understanding of how ground operations safety management is an essential part or an airport's or air carrier's SMS. Online Course September 21-23, 2020 2.5 Days Tuition: $1375 Safety Performance Indicators This course teaches how SPI's are developed, monitored, analyzed and modified in order for an organization to correctly know its safety performance. The course utilizes guidance provided in ICAO Annex 19 and the ICAO Safety Management Manual Doc. 9859. Online Course September 24-25, 2020 2 Days Tuition: $1200 Earn Credit for FlightSafety International Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn elective credits towards FlightSafety International's Master Technician-Management Program • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Gas Turbine Accident Investigation • Helicopter Accident Investigation • Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance • Safety Management for Ground Operations Safety • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness Earn Credit for National Business Aviation Association Certified Aviation Manager Exam Students taking the following USC courses will earn two points toward completing the application for the National Business Aviation Association Certified Aviation Manager Exam. • Aviation Safety Management Systems • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Aircraft Accident Investigation • SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Photo Credit: PFC Brendan King, USMC As part of our Swinburne Bachelor of Aviation undergraduate research project, we have constructed a survey for members of the aviation industry and those who have not worked in aviation to provide feedback on their attitudes and opinions about Urban Air Mobility and single-pilot and/or autonomous airline operations. If you are an active participant in the aviation industry as a passenger or through employment, we invite you to take part in this survey to help give the industry a better understanding of the general sentiment towards these emerging technologies and operational concepts. To participate please follow the link below to our online survey: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zRhPPbCfnsHH3T It should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Participants who complete the survey will be eligible to enter the draw to WIN AN iPad. Thank you very much for your time. This research project is being supervised by Peter Renshaw at the Department of Aviation, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. If you have any questions, please contact Peter at prenshaw@swin.edu.au Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Critical Evaluation of the Gaps in SMS Debriefing Tools and Development of Potential Solutions I am inviting you to take part in a study of Feedback within Aviation Safety Management Systems. An airline/organisation Safety Management System (SMS) relies on pilot safety reports (ASAP or ASR) or data (FOQA, FDM) to discover hazards and threats in the operation. In return, the pilots depend on up to date information from the airline's safety department to make sound decisions regarding safety. The safety department can accomplish that by debriefing or giving feedback on the safety reports or data. A literature review of safety report feedback/debrief within Safety Management Systems showed that safety reports are not fully debriefed. This survey aims to gather data regarding pilots' perspective of safety report/safety data debriefing. In addition, the survey also aims to find out the opinions of a potential solution. This study is undertaken as part of a thesis for an Air Safety Management Master of Science degree at City, University of London. https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8eadW14UUZYaurj Bengt Jansson Back to Top TO ALL PROFESSIONAL PILOTS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, members of their Management, Regulators and related organizations (airplane, helicopter, civil or military) WE REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR A JOINT AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY (JASS) ON: "AERONAUTICAL DECISION-MAKING, INCL. MONITORING & INTERVENTION IN PRACTICE" Dear aviation colleague, you are invited to participate in a research project conducted by the department of Psychology at City, University of London, which aims to elicit your views and thoughts on Aeronautical Decision-Making, including Monitoring and Intervention in normal operation,by which we mean routine line flights without any incidents or technical malfunctions. The questions deal with teamwork and decision-making issues in various Pilot-roles, e.g. the role of the Pilot Monitoring (PM), Pilot Flying (PF), Pilot in Command (PIC) and Co-Pilot, and respectively in the Air Traffic Controller (ATCO)-roles of the coordinating and radioing/radar ATCO as well as pilot's and controller's training and occupational picture. This survey is completely anonymous - no identifying information will be requested or collected - and all responses will be treated as strictly confidential. The survey is approved by City's research and ethics committee (Approval Code: ETH 1920-1414). The introductory section of the survey will provide you with further information and the informed consent. Please click here to access the survey or copy the survey-link below into your browser. https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6n7cxeunMyfy0fz By completing the questionnaire, you can - in addition to supporting aviation safety research - even do more good as we will donate a minimum of €2 for the first 1000 fully completed responses to the UNICEF COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund which helps to care for vulnerable children and communities all over the world. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email: aviationsafety@city.ac.uk or tom.becker.1@city.ac.uk or via phone: +49 172 7178780. We thank you very much in advance. Your support is truly appreciated. Best regards, Capt. Tom Becker Prof. Peter Ayton Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions and attitudes about stress and mental health. This research started almost two years ago. The purpose of this study is to examine mental health issues in aviation, specifically Part 121 airline pilots. During this study, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about your opinions on various life circumstances, stress, and mental health topics. This study is expected to take approximately 15 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must possess an FAA issued Airline Transport Certificate (ATP) and you must also be currently working as a pilot for a Part 121 air carrier that is headquartered within the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary and data will be collected anonymously, stored confidentially, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study, as it is another small but important step towards increasing safety in aviation. Please click on the link below to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZG6M6L For more information, please contact: Tanya Gatlin - Student Researcher Gatlint1@my.erau.edu 281-924-1336 Dr. Scott Winter - Faculty Advisor winte25e@erau.edu 386-226-6491 Curt Lewis