Flight Safety Information - September 28, 2023 No. 188 In This Issue : Accident: DHL B763 at Beirut on Sep 18th 2023, hard landing : Incident: Delta A339 over Canada on Sep 22nd 2023, pilot incapacitated : Incident: PIA B773 near Jeddah on Sep 26th 2023, burning odour in cockpit : Ilyushin Il-76 - Runway Excursion (Mali) Video : Mass. man indicted on charges of trying to open jet's door, attacking crew on United flight : U.S. Senate ‘Examining’ FAA Nominee Whitaker’s Qualifications : Buttigieg says shutdown could decimate hiring of air traffic controllers : Here’s why you shouldn’t record meltdowns on an airplane: FAA insider : China Eastern Airlines to buy 100 C919 planes, aircraft's largest ever order : U.S. Regional Airlines Battle With Hiring, Retaining Pilots : Man strips naked in Ben-Gurion airport and attacks passengers : United Airlines agrees to improve flight access for wheelchair users Accident: DHL B763 at Beirut on Sep 18th 2023, hard landing A DHL International Aviation Boeing 767-300 freighter, registration A9C-DHAB performing flight ES-160 from Bahrain (Bahrain) to Beirut (Lebanon), touched down hard while landing in Beirut at about 19:15L (16:15Z). The crew received minor injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Beirut Airport reported the aircraft suffered a hard landing on Sep 18th 2023 causing substantial damage to the aircraft's structure and causing minor injuries to the crew. The aircraft rolled out and taxied to the apron. An accident investigation commission was formed to determine the causes of the accident. https://avherald.com/h?article=50eeb399&opt=0 Incident: Delta A339 over Canada on Sep 22nd 2023, pilot incapacitated A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-900, registration N422DZ performing flight DL-291 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 440nm north of Minneapolis,MN (USA) in Canadian Airspace when one of the flight crew members became medically incapacitated and was taken to the cabin for care. The flight crew member that was on rest at the time assumed the duties of the ailing pilot, the crew declared emergency, descended to FL240 and diverted to Minneapolis for a safe landing about 75 minutes later. The Canadian TSB reported the ailing pilot was taken to hospital for examination. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 2.5 hours, then continued the flight to Los Angeles arriving at the destination with a delay of about 6 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50eea75f&opt=0 Incident: PIA B773 near Jeddah on Sep 26th 2023, burning odour in cockpit A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration AP-BMS performing flight PK-746 from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to Sialkot (Pakistan) with 375 people on board, was enroute at FL350 about 180nm northeast of Jeddah when the crew descended the aircraft to FL220 and decided to return to Jeddah reporting a smoke detector indication and burning odour in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely back on Jeddah's runway 34C about 70 minutes after departure. Passengers reporting seeing smoke from one of the lavatories. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Jeddah due to a burning odour on board, subsequently was examined and released but went to Karachi for a crew change before continuing on to Sialkot. The aircraft remained on the ground in Jeddah for about 5 hours, then departed again for flight PK-746 with destination Karachi (Pakistan) now, remained on the ground in Karachi for about 2:40 hours then carried on to Sialkot arriving in Sialkot with a delay of about 8 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ee930b&opt=0 Ilyushin Il-76 - Runway Excursion (Mali) Date: Saturday 23 September 2023 Time: c. 0900 UTC Type: Ilyushin Il-76 Owner/operator: Mali Air Force Registration: TZ-98T MSN: 1023411378 ? Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants: Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: Gao International Airport (GAQ/GAGO) - Mali Phase: Landing Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Gao Airport (GAQ/GAGO) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: An Ilyushin Il-76 suffered an accident during landing at Gao International Airport (GAQ/GAGO) in Mali. The aircraft touched down late on runway 06L (2500 m long) and failed to stop on the remaining runway. It travelled another 380 m past the end of the runway, crossed a perimeter road and went down an embankment. A fire erupted, which consumed a large part of the aircraft. An unknown number of occupants were aboard. It was reported that a Russian pilot and a Malian crew member were among the fatalities. VIDEO https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/345861 Mass. man indicted on charges of trying to open jet's door, attacking crew on United flight A Massachusetts man was indicted Wednesday for allegedly attacking a flight attendant earlier this year with a broken metal spoon and attempting to open an airliner’s emergency door on a cross-country flight, federal prosecutors said. Francisco Severo Torres, of Leominster, was indicted on one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon in the March 5 incident on United Airlines Flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston. WBUR is a nonprofit news organization. Our coverage relies on your financial support. If you value articles like the one you're reading right now, give today. In his last court appearance in July, a federal judge ruled that Torres was not competent to stand trial. Magistrate Judge Judith Dein, basing her decision on a mental health evaluation of Torres and her own observations in court, determined that further treatment is warranted. Federal public defender Joshua Hanye, who represented Torres in that court appearance, could not be reached for comment. According to prosecutor and witness accounts, Torres went on a midair rant and tried to stab a crewmember with a modified metal spoon. The plane was about 45 minutes from Boston when the crew received an alarm that a side door on the aircraft was disarmed, according to court documents. One flight attendant noticed the door’s locking handle had been moved. Another saw Torres near the door and believed he had moved the handle. Cabin pressure during flight prevents airplane doors from opening. Torres started loudly rambling that his father was Dracula, that he wanted to be shot so he could be reincarnated and that he would kill everyone on board, another passenger said. He punched a male flight attendant, who felt the metal spoon in Torres’ hand hit him on his shirt collar and tie three times, according to court documents. No one was injured. Torres was eventually subdued and restrained by other passengers. He was arrested when the flight landed at Boston Logan International Airport, authorities said. If convicted, Torres could be sentenced up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Torres has spent time in mental health facilities, according to court records. The police chief in his hometown said officers have dealt with him several times since 2014, mostly over family issues and mental health episodes. https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/09/28/flight-stabbing-indictment-trial U.S. Senate ‘Examining’ FAA Nominee Whitaker’s Qualifications WASHINGTON—Senate Republicans are continuing to evaluate Michael Whitaker, President Biden’s nominee for administrator of the FAA. “I can tell you where we are right now, which is we’re assessing his background,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said at the RAA Leaders conference in Washington on Sept. 27. “We’re in the process of examining his record, examining his time at the FAA, examining his time in the aviation industry, and sitting down and talking to him.” Whitaker, a private pilot and former United Airlines executive, previously served as FAA deputy administrator from 2013-16 and is currently VP and COO of electric advanced air mobility vehicle developer Supernal. The prior nominee, Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington, withdrew his name from consideration in March after opposition in the Senate. Cruz had opposed the nomination, telling conference attendees he believed the former candidate “simply wasn’t prepared to do the job and didn’t have the experience to do the job.” While the current nominee “certainly appears to have significantly more aviation experience than Phil Washington did,” Cruz said at RAA, he expressed hope that a new administrator could be confirmed without further lengthy delays. “I expect and hope that we’ll move expeditiously to confirm him, or another qualified nominee,” Cruz said. “I think it’s important to get a qualified administrator in there, and I think it is unfortunate that we’ve had as much delay as we’ve had.” Whitaker has received vocal support from a cross-section of the aviation industry. A Sept. 13 letter from more than 20 organizations representing manufacturers, suppliers, labor, general aviation, airports and others urged Cruz and other Senate leaders to expedite Whitaker’s confirmation process and move on to getting a new FAA funding bill done. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), said a series of conversations with Whitaker and administration officials has convinced his group that the nominee is a strong choice. “[It’s about] making sure that the next administrator is focused on safety, not someone that’s more aligned with special interests or industry,” Ambrosi said at the recent ALPA Safety Forum. “We’re now comfortable with the fact that Mr. Whitaker would be a good choice for FAA.” Whitaker was nominated by Biden on Sept. 7. With just days to go before a Sept. 30 deadline, a U.S. federal government shut down appears likely, which could further delay confirmation of an administrator and have far-reaching impacts on the industry as a whole. “We’ve got two or three more days,” U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) said at the conference on Sept. 27. “I suspect we’re going to see a shutdown ... it doesn’t look good.” https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/us-senate-examining-faa-nominee-whitakers-qualifications Buttigieg says shutdown could decimate hiring of air traffic controllers FILE - Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex, May 8, 2023, in Washington. Buttigieg says Tesla shouldn’t be calling a partially automated driving system Autopilot because the cars can’t drive themselves. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said a government shutdown would upend hiring and training for potentially thousands of air traffic controllers and other key department employees who work on operations and develop safety procedures. Even a short shutdown could jeopardize hiring and staffing targets for next year because of the complexity of the department’s hiring and training processes, he told reporters on Wednesday, just three days away from the end of the fiscal year. “I just want to identify with the millions of Americans who are looking at what’s happening in Washington right now in disbelief,” he said. “Funding the U.S. government is a basic responsibility of Congress. It is not normal that in the most powerful country in the world, fringe congressional Republicans from time to time are able to put the entire country at risk of simply shutting down the government.” For air traffic control, the agency has been about about 3,000 positions short. Buttigieg said a lapse in appropriations would stop training of new hires and risk furloughing 1,000 individuals who are already in the training pipeline. “Our air traffic controllers and safety personnel are going to keep going in and doing their job to the extent that they’re allowed to in the context of a shutdown,” he said. “But they’re doing it under added stress.” Those who would remain working would be deprived of their paychecks, he said, and to absorb the 8% budget cut proposed by House Republicans’ continuing resolution last week, the agency would have to “totally freeze” hiring for operations at the Federal Aviation Administration. In August, the FAA’s chief operating officer, Tim Arel, said officials are planning to hire 1,800 controllers in the upcoming year after meeting its 2023 goal. All in all, the department’s shutdown contingency plan on file with the White House shows 18,744 could be furloughed. Many agencies have recently updated similar plans in recent weeks to prepare for the possibility their their current funding levels will expire come midnight on Sept. 30. The plan notes a number of functions that would cease during a lapse, including aviation rulemaking, audits, random drug testing of the non-safety workforce, facility security inspections and development of NextGen safety standards, among others. A shutdown would also force the agency to halt efforts to modernize its Notice to Air Missions system, which is separate from the air traffic control system and alerts pilots and essential personnel to changes in conditions that could affect flights. The system experienced an outage in January, and because it still relies on some legacy systems, the agency has been working to update it with a goal to complete most of that work by mid-2025. Buttigieg warned efforts to keep working on NOTAM and other systems could be set back. In other departmental offices that have been busy working on railroad safety following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in January, Buttigieg said extreme budget cuts would gut 4,000 safety inspectors next year, leaving “11,000 miles” of railroad potentially uninspected. Even other areas that have advanced funding, like grants and rulemaking for electrical-vehicle charging, could get “gummed up” with support staff and offices being affected by a shutdown, he added. https://www.federaltimes.com/federal-oversight/congress/2023/09/27/buttigieg-says-shutdown-would-decimate-hiring-of-air-traffic-controllers/ Here’s why you shouldn’t record meltdowns on an airplane: FAA insider AIRPLANE MELTDOWNS • ‘Instagram famous’ model was flying to see estranged mom leave prison during epic rant: report • Passenger arrested for ‘trying to open jet door’ midair on packed flight • ‘Instagram famous’ model in plane meltdown says she left to avoid knocking seatmate ‘the f—k out’ • Video shows smiling naked man proudly strolling through Dallas-Fort Worth airport: ‘My man!’ • If a passenger flips out on board your next flight, think twice before you attempt to record a viral video. A Federal Aviation Administration safety rep said filming a fired-up passenger is likely to escalate an airline altercation and make it far more dangerous. “If someone’s got a cellphone in your face, it could make the situation worse,” FAA rep Trey Walters told Insider in an interview Tuesday. “If a flight attendant, for example, is trying to attend to a passenger that’s having an issue, having people reaching their hands out in front of that person’s face, trying to record the situation definitely creates added risk.” Walters, who worked as a commercial pilot, said airline staff are likely to become “distracted” from their duties, which could be particularly hazardous if the plane is in the air. In recent months, dozens of videos of unruly passengers have gone viral on social media. Just last week, model Morgan Osman was filmed flipping out as she stormed off an American Airlines flight following a feud with a fellow flyer. Osman made headlines when she was caught on camera ranting in the aisle of her flight while removing her suitcase from an overhead bin. In recent months, dozens of videos of unruly passengers, including Morgan Osman, have gone viral on social media. “Film me, I’m Instagram famous, you f–king bum,” the brunette was seen saying in a now-viral video recorded by another person on the plane. Clearly, being recorded further aggravated Osman, but thankfully the plane was still on the tarmac and no danger occurred. Earlier this month, video of a couple busted bonking in the bathroom of a Ryanair jet went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter. Some airlines specifically prohibit the recording of other passengers, and not just for privacy reasons. “Any photography or recording of other customers or airline personnel that creates a safety risk, or that interferes with crew members’ duties is prohibited,” a 2018 released from United Airlines read. However, the carrier claimed that “capturing personal events” on board their planes was “permitted.” Earlier this month, video of a couple busted bonking in the bathroom of a Ryanair jet went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter. Back in July, footage filmed of flyer Tiffany Gomes was also shared across the internet. It appears almost instinctual for passengers to record any drama that occurs on a plane — and there’s been no shortage of flight footage on social media. Back in July, footage of flyer Tiffany Gomes was also shared across the internet after it was captured by a fellow passenger. The marketing executive was purportedly booted from a flight from Dallas to Orlando after she accused another passenger of stealing her AirPods — and bizarrely stated “that motherf—er is not real." The marketing executive was purportedly booted from a flight after she accused another passenger of stealing her AirPods. The marketing executive was purportedly booted from a flight from Dallas to Orlando, Florida, after she accused another passenger of stealing her AirPods — and bizarrely stated “that motherf–ker is not real.” “You can sit on this plane and you can f–king die with them or not. I’m not going to,” she said as the plane was taxiing, according to the clip. She demanded that the crew “stop the plane,” and the aircraft was brought back to the gate and Gomes was ejected. https://nypost.com/2023/09/26/heres-why-you-shouldnt-record-drama-on-an-airplane-faa-insider/ China Eastern Airlines to buy 100 C919 planes, aircraft's largest ever order BEIJING, Sept 28 (Reuters) - China Eastern Airlines (600115.SS) said on Thursday it will buy another 100 C919 airplanes in a deal worth $10 billion at list prices, in what would be the largest ever order for the jet made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The state-owned carrier said it had received a "substantial discount" for the deal and that the planes will be delivered in batches from 2024 to 2031. The list price for the C919 is $99 million but aircraft can be sold at discounts of up to 50%, especially for new models. The deal comes five months after the Chinese passenger plane, developed by state-owned COMAC to rival Airbus SE's (AIR.PA) A320neo and Boeing Co's (BA.N) 737 MAX single-aisle jet families, took its first flight in May with China Eastern. The Shanghai-headquartered, state-owned carrier is the first user of the C919 and has bought five of the jets, of which three have been delivered. The other two are expected to be delivered later this year. Boeing is still waiting to resume deliveries of its bestselling 737 MAX to Chinese airlines more than four years after they were halted following two deadly crashes. The company has been all but shut out of new orders from Chinese carriers since 2017 amid rising political and trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. Li Hanming, an independent aviation industry analyst, said the deal stemmed from a previous order of intent. "It is announced at the one year anniversary of C919's receiving its type certificate," Li said. "COMAC has made a good start in the delivery of C919 so far. Next, the plane manufacturer will cooperate with China Eastern more closely, to show other potential users the reliability and performance of C919." China Eastern said that the additional planes would add to its fleet at a time when air travel is seeing a strong recovery following three years of COVID curbs, and as the airline needs to retire a large number of its narrow-body aircraft due to their age. The airline said it would pay for the purchase in installments via its own funds, bank loans and bond issuance. China Eastern will get delivery of five aircraft in 2024, while ten are to be delivered each year from 2025 to 2027. From 2028 to 2030, 15 C919s will be delivered each year, and the last 20 jets will be delivered in 2031. Last week, GallopAir, a new Brunei-based airline, said it had signed a letter of intent to purchase 30 aircraft from China, worth $2 billion in total. The deal includes 15 orders of COMAC's ARJ21 aircraft and 15 of the C919. ($1 = 7.3035 Chinese yuan renminbi) https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/china-eastern-airlines-buy-100-c919-planes-aircrafts-largest-ever-order-2023-09-28/ U.S. Regional Airlines Battle With Hiring, Retaining Pilots WASHINGTON—The acute shortage of pilots, especially captains, continues to be a top challenge for U.S. commuter airlines, with the CEO of one of the largest regional operators saying that his airline is short by some 1,200 pilots. Speaking at the Regional Airline Association’s (RAA) Leaders Conference in Washington Sept. 26, SkyWest Airlines President and CEO Chip Childs said his Utah-based airline has around 4,300 pilots today, far short of where it stood in 2019, while demand for air service in smaller cities is growing, exacerbating the pilot gap that almost all U.S. regional carriers are grappling with. Childs, who also chairs the RAA board of directors, pointed out that many Americans moved from large to small cities during the pandemic, resulting in new, high demand for regional air service. SkyWest has a fleet of more than 130 Embraer E175s and some 250 Bombardier CRJs operating for Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. Childs said that in 2019, the carrier had established a strong pilot pipeline through some 200 schools. But the pandemic and retirements have “snapped back” the carrier into pilot shortage mode. SkyWest is far from alone. The U.S. major airlines, to fill their own gaps when post-pandemic demand for flights surged, have recruited heavily from the regionals. “We’ve become extraordinarily short of captains,” Childs said. “We are trying to do the things it takes to create captains and keep captains.” In a CEO panel session, Republic Airways President and CEO Bryan Bedford said the labor shortage affecting regionals went beyond pilots. Republic is the largest carrier operating in the U.S. northeast/New York metro area, where airspace has been severely constrained by a shortage of air traffic controllers. “From a customer perspective, that is felt day by day by day,” Bedford said. Rick Leach, president and CEO at Go Jet Airlines, a Bombardier CRJ550 operator for United, said the labor issue was about pilots, but also about technicians and others who support the industry. “There’s a lot of demand and opportunity,” he said, but it’s about how to get people trained and operational as soon and as safely as possible. “It’s tough to find those candidates, especially at the captain level,” he said. Dion Flannery, president and CEO at PSA Airlines, the wholly owned regional arm of American Airlines, concurred it was a tough problem. “Our focus is trying to come to peace with running a business model that says give us your last available flight hour every moment and get it right, six months ahead of time,” he said. “I don’t think it’s an issue of training or training capacity,” Bedford said. “What has changed over the last 18 months is that the pilot qualifications from the larger carriers have changed. It used to be a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and minimum of 2,000 hr. of command experience before they would be considered by a major, and those qualifications have now been removed, almost in their entirety. And so essentially, once we onboard someone and train them and demonstrate they have the competence to fly as a first officer, they are now viable at the major airlines, so we are not able to retain that experience.” https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/us-regional-airlines-battle-hiring-retaining-pilots Man strips naked in Ben-Gurion airport and attacks passengers "This is the first time we have come across such a case," said an airport employee. Ben-Gurion Airport security guards on Wednesday detained a man on suspicion of assaulting two people while completely naked on the airport’s premises, according to Israeli media. An airport employee present at the scene said: "We received a report of a man walking around naked and knocking on tables. When we arrived at the scene we saw that he was completely naked." "This is the first time we have come across such a case." Detained and referred for evaluation Police detained the suspect, a resident of northern Israel in his 30s, and took him to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. The man will undergo an appropriate medical examination. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-760665 United Airlines agrees to improve flight access for wheelchair users WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - United Airlines agreed on Thursday to improve air travel for passengers using wheelchairs under an agreement with the U.S. Transportation Department following a government investigation into a disability complaint. United has agreed to make available a flight filter on its booking engine to make it easier for passengers who use wheelchairs to find flights where wheelchairs fit and be safely transported and refund any fare difference for passengers using the filter when preferred flights are not available. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-agrees-improve-flight-121303521.html Curt Lewis