Flight Safety Information - November 29, 2023 No. 228 In This Issue : Accident: Sindbard E120 at Kikoboga on Nov 28th 2023, gear collapse, runway excursion, collided with buildings : Accident: Unity Zanzibar E120 at Kikoboga on Nov 28th 2023, gear problems, gear collapse, runway excursion : Incident: Fly2Sky A320 at Lagos and Asaba on Nov 26th 2023, aircraft flew to wrong airport : American Airlines Flight Narrowly Avoids Mid-Air Collision Outside JFK : Bangkok-bound Lufthansa flight diverted to Delhi due to unruly passenger behaviour : US military Osprey aircraft with 8 aboard crashes into the sea off southern Japan : US Navy removes fuel from jet that overshot runway into water off Hawaii : TSA officers prevent Maryland man from carrying loaded gun onto flight at Washington Dulles International Airport : AOPA: General Aviation Accident Rate Declines in 2021 : Inside NextGen: The FAA's $35bn Air Traffic Modernization Program : U.S. Department of Transportation Announces New Thought Leadership Series “Up, Up, and Away: Innovations in Advanced Air Mobility” : American Airlines flight attendants union request denied : Saudi investment fund to buy 10% stake in Heathrow airport : FAA Orders 747 Lightning Protection System Inspections : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Accident: Sindbard E120 at Kikoboga on Nov 28th 2023, gear collapse, runway excursion, collided with buildings A Sindbard Air Embraer EMB-120, registration 5H-FLM performing a flight from Kikoboga to Zanzibar (Tanzania) with 30 passengers and 3 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Kikoboga's runway when the aircraft suffered a nose gear collapse, veered off the runway and collided with a building with its right hand wing before coming to a stop. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however. Tanzania's National Park Organisation confirmed the accidents within Mikumi National Park in which two aircraft independently suffered gear collapses and runway excursions. 5H-FLM suffered the accident at about 09:30L (06:30Z). About 6 hours earlier another aircraft had suffered a gear collapse on landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=511c0a87&opt=0 Accident: Unity Zanzibar E120 at Kikoboga on Nov 28th 2023, gear problems, gear collapse, runway excursion A Unity Air Zanzibar Embraer EMB-120, registration 5H-MJH performing a flight from Zanzibar to Kikoboga (Tanzania) with 30 passengers and 3 crew, was on approach to Kikoboga when the crew reported problems with their landing gear. The aircraft subsequently landed at 03:40L (00:40Z) but suffered the collapse of both main landing gear, veered off the runway and came to a stop on soft ground aside of the runway sitting on its nose gear, the belly of the fuselage and both wings. There were no injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. Almost 6 hours later another aircraft suffered another gear collapse and runway excursion, too, see Accident: Sinbard E120 at Kikoboga on Nov 28th 2023, gear collapse, runway excursion, collided with buildings. Tanzania's National Park Organisation confirmed the accidents within Mikumi National Park in which two aircraft independently suffered gear collapses and runway excursions. 5H-MJH suffered the accident at 03:40L after the crew reported problems with their landing gear. https://avherald.com/h?article=511c07f6&opt=0 Incident: Fly2Sky A320 at Lagos and Asaba on Nov 26th 2023, aircraft flew to wrong airport A Fly2Sky Airbus A320-200 on behalf of United Nigeria Airlines, registration LZ-FSA performing flight UN-504 from Lagos to Abuja (Nigeria), departed Lagos' runway 18L, turned east and continued on a straight heading towards Asaba (Nigeria) rather than turning northeast towards Abuja and landed on Asaba's runway 11 about 47 minutes after departure. Passengers reported cabin crew welcomed them to Abuja, but to their astonishment they found themselves in Asaba about 160nm south of Abuja. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Asaba due to weather conditions in Abuja, there was a miscommunication between (Nigerian) cabin crew and (Bulgarian) flight crew due to the language barrier causing the wrong announcement of arrival in Abuja. The aircraft subsequently continued to Abuja. Air Traffic Controllers at Abuja reported the weather was fine all day and thus contradicted the statement by the airline. Nigeria's DGCA opened an investigation, grounded the involved Fly2Sky Aircraft leased out to United Nigerian Airlines and the flight crew pending investigation. The DGCA stated the airline's explanation was "unacceptable". Nigeria's Minister of Aviation stated: "There was no weather problem in Abuja yesterday it was a problem of a wet lease plane where the pilot and crew were all foreigners not Nigerians so they were not familiar with the Nigeria terrain. ... From the transcript we heard that tower kept asking the pilot to confirm again that you are going to Abuja not Asaba, the pilot replied no, Asaba. Before they took off the tower asked again and it was the same response." According to local media there was a confusion between flights UN-504 to Abuja and flight UN-506 to Asaba departing about the same time. The flight crew was given the flight plan to Asaba rather than to Abuja. https://avherald.com/h?article=511bfb05&opt=0 American Airlines Flight Narrowly Avoids Mid-Air Collision Outside JFK An American Airlines flight was potentially moments away from colliding with another aircraft after both planes began their descent at the same time. YouTube channel You Can See ATC, which tracks and reconstructs "non-standard and emergency situations," found that American Airlines flight AAL28 and Tradewind Aviation flight GPD235 were both directed to land at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on November 10 at the same time. The American Airlines Airbus A321, concluding its journey from Los Angeles International Airport, was cleared to approach runway 22 left, while the Tradewind Aviation Pilatus PC-12 was cleared to approach runway 22 right, the channel reported. However, the channel said that "for some reason" the Tradewind flight "joined the 22 left localizer." The American flight reported the other plane taking a similar path, but the air traffic controller assured the American pilot that the plane "is landing on the parallel." That didn't seem to be the case. The American Airlines pilot responded with "he is right above us," before telling the controller that "we're breaking up, he's right above us." A flight reconstruction map shows the Tradewind flight pulling out of the path after being instructed to discontinue its approach, heading southeast, while the AA flight continued its descent into JFK. After landing, the AA pilot requested a "phone number for someone in the tower" regarding the approach to the airport. "Whoever gave Pilatus clearance to land. We need to talk to whoever that was," the pilot can be heard saying. "It got way too tight. If we hadn't bailed out, we would have collided." It's unknown at this time how close the American and Tradewind flights were to each other, but pilots are required to maintain a distance of several miles between each other when in the air at all times. A recent New York Times investigation found passenger planes, like the American flight, have been involved in near accidents "far more frequently than the public knows." The report found several near misses happened in 2023. One air traffic controller told the outlet that it is "only a matter of time before something catastrophic happens." On July 2, a Southwest Airlines pilot aborted a landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport after the aircraft came seconds away from a potentially catastrophic collision with Delta Air Lines 737, which was preparing to take off on the same runway. Nine days later in San Francisco, an American Airlines jet traveling at over 160 miles per hour narrowly avoided colliding with a Frontier Airlines plane. A similar close call with a Frontier aircraft occurred shortly afterward with a German airliner taking off. In both instances, the proximity to the Frontier aircraft was so close that the Federal Aviation Administration, as per internal records reviewed by The New York Times, said the encounters were "skin to skin." Just over two weeks later, during an American Airlines flight to Dallas, a collision warning sounded in the cockpit, forcing the pilot to ascend by 700 feet to avoid disaster after an air traffic controller had mistakenly directed a United Airlines plane to fly dangerously close. There have been no fatal crashes involving major U.S. airlines since February 2009, when a Continental flight crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board. This is the longest ever streak without a commercial accident. However, concerns have been raised over 2023 regarding the number of averted accidents reported within the industry. "We're trying to take a bigger look and do some deeper analysis to see what's going on," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told USA Today in March this year. "It's enough that I'm concerned." The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said the concerning numbers of near misses is down to understaffing at air traffic control centers. "Staffing shortages throughout the NAS have placed a tremendous amount of strain on air traffic controllers," NATCA President Rich Santa said in a statement. "We saw the effect that air traffic controller staffing shortages had on air travel this summer, and although there has been an increased focus on training, the hiring process to overcome the staffing shortage takes years." "The FAA maintains extremely conservative standards for keeping aircraft safely separated," Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Matthew Lehner told the New York Times. "Safety experts follow up on all events — even those in which no collision was imminent or even possible — and evaluate them for safety risks." Newsweek has contacted the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and American Airlines for comment via email. https://www.newsweek.com/american-airlines-flight-near-mid-air-collision-jfk-1847858 Bangkok-bound Lufthansa flight diverted to Delhi due to unruly passenger behaviour The aircraft initially requested to land in Pakistan, but the request was denied and subsequently, the flight was landed at Delhi Airport. A Bangkok-bound Lufthansa flight, which took off from Germany's Munich was diverted to Delhi on Wednesday due to an unruly passenger behaviour. The Lufthansa flight LH772 landed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport after the pilots contacted the ATC informing them about a "situation and possible unruly passenger". We're now on WhatsApp. Click to join. According to the airline, there was one "unruly passenger" of German nationality. He has been offloaded and has apologised. A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said that Lufthansa is coordinating with the German Embassy regarding the passenger. Lufthansa, in a statement, said the flight was diverted to Delhi due to an unruly passenger on board. “On Wednesday, November 27, flight LH772 from Munich to Bangkok was diverted to Delhi due to an unruly passenger on board. The person in question was handed over to authorities. The flight to Bangkok is expected to continue subsequently with minor delays. Safety and security on board for our passengers and crew is our top priority,” it said. The airlines also said that the flight is ready for pushback after cooling off of tyres for Bangkok. "Aircraft is ready for push back any time soon after cooling off of tyres for Bangkok," the official added. A decision to either hand over the alleged unruly passenger to Delhi Police or consider his apology and send him back to Germany on another flight is pending, the sources said. Earlier according to sources, the cabin crew onboard Lufthansa flight (LH772) Munich to Bangkok, reported disruptive conduct due to a dispute between a husband and wife on board. The aircraft initially requested to land in Pakistan, but for undisclosed reasons, the request was denied and subsequently, the flight landed at Delhi Airport, where the unruly male passenger was offloaded and handed over to airport security. Last month, a male passenger had allegedly damaged some seats on a Delhi-bound Egypt Air flight and quarrelled with co-passengers, who was later apprehended at the Delhi Airport. The passenger was later handed over to the Delhi Police for further probe. Last year, a 34-year-old man named Shankar Mishra was accused of urinating on an elderly female co-passenger on board a New York-New Delhi Air India flight. The Delhi Police had registered the FIR against him on January 4 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on a complaint given by the woman to Air India. He was arrested from Bengaluru on January 6 and was subsequently sent to judicial custody. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/husband-wife-fight-on-board-bangkok-bound-lufthansa-flight-diverted-to-delhi-101701239537533.html US military Osprey aircraft with 8 aboard crashes into the sea off southern Japan TOKYO (AP) — Japan's coast guard has found a person and debris in the ocean where a U.S. military Osprey aircraft carrying eight people crashed Wednesday off southern Japan, officials said. The cause of the crash and the status of the person and the others on the aircraft were not immediately known, coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said. The coast guard received an emergency call from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu, he said. Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one person, whose condition was not immediately known, and gray-colored debris believed to be from the aircraft, Ogawa said. They were found at sea about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) off the eastern coast of Yakushima. “The government will confirm information about the damage and place the highest priority on saving lives," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane. Versions of the aircraft are flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Ogawa said the aircraft had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture and crashed on its way to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The Osprey apparently attempted to make an emergency landing at the Yakushima airport before crashing, he said. Kyodo News agency, quoting Kagoshima prefectural officials, said witnesses reported seeing fire coming from the Osprey's left engine. U.S. and Japanese officials said the aircraft belonged to Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo. U.S. Air Force officials at Yokota said they were still confirming information and had no immediate comment. A U.S. Marine Corps Osprey aircraft with 23 Marines aboard crashed on a north Australian island in August, killing at least three and critically injuring at least five during a multinational training exercise. There have been at least five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, causing a total of at least 19 deaths. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-military-osprey-aircraft-8-072107100.html US Navy removes fuel from jet that overshot runway into water off Hawaii The US Navy said it removed fuel from a reconnaissance jet that overshot a runway in Hawaii and went into an environmentally sensitive bay last week as it works to recover the plane. “We estimate that the aircraft had just over 2,000 gallons of fuel on board. The team extracted all the fuel that they could get out of those tanks,” Rear Adm. Kevin Lenox said at a news conference Monday, noting that the extraction avoided releasing any fuel into Kaneohe Bay, which is located on the eastern side of the island of Oahu and home to a large barrier coral reef. The P-8A Poseidon aircraft, a twin-engine multi-mission patrol and reconnaissance jet with the airframe of a Boeing 737 passenger plane, was carrying nine crew members when it crashed on November 20. None of the crew sustained injuries, according to Lenox. The aircraft, which is still underwater, is sitting on a mixture of coral and sand with the left engine resting on coral, according to Commander Mark Anderson, who leads the mobile diving and salvage unit at the site. Anderson said the plane rises with the tide so the full weight of the plane is not on the coral. “There might have been some minor damage. We haven’t really looked at where it impacted, but from what we can tell from the ground, I mean there is no massive chunks missing. There’s nothing, you know, that is of grave concern right now,” he said. Anderson said the focus currently remains on stabilizing the plane and developing a plan to remove it from the water. According to Lenox, the Navy is studying two options for removing the aircraft from the water and bringing it back to the runway. He said one option is to float the aircraft within range of a crane and have it lifted onto the runway and set down onto its landing gear. Another is to float the jet on top of cylinders and roll it up onto the runway. Lenox said the Navy’s mission is to retain the operational capabilities of the aircraft. “As we move to the next phase of salvage, the team of experts is working tirelessly to develop a course of action that prioritizes personnel safety, environmental safety and the restoration of mission capability,” Lenox said. According to Lenox, an investigation into the incident is continuing and partners on the ground continue to assess the environmental impact. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/28/politics/navy-fuel-plane-overshot-runway-hawaii/index.html TSA officers prevent Maryland man from carrying loaded gun onto flight at Washington Dulles International Airport DULLES, Va. – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) prevented a Washington County, Md., man from bringing his handgun onto a flight yesterday (Nov. 27). The 9mm handgun was loaded with 15 bullets including one in the chamber. It was also packed alongside an additional 12 bullets. The weapon was caught as the man, a resident of Hagerstown, Md., entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on his carry-on bag. TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police who confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charge. In addition to the citation by airport police, this individual now faces a stiff financial civil penalty. Civil penalties for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000. “Our officers are well trained and remain vigilant in their mission, especially during the long Thanksgiving holiday travel period,” said Scott T. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “There is no excuse for bringing a gun to the checkpoint. Responsible gun owners do not bring their guns to a checkpoint. The Monday after Thanksgiving is usually one of the busiest days of the year as people who have been on an extended Thanksgiving trip continue to make their way home. This was irresponsible on the part of this traveler on one of the busiest days of the year. Incidents such as this are dangerous, they disrupt our security screening operations and cause delays for other law-abiding travelers who just want to get on their flight. This man now faces a Federal civil penalty that could cost him thousands of dollars.” Firearms are not permitted through a security checkpoint because passengers should not have access to a firearm during a flight. This even applies to travelers with concealed carry permits or are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program, who will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges if they bring a gun to a checkpoint. Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint also face a federal financial civil penalty. Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at airport security checkpoints nationwide. So far this year TSA has stopped more than 6,000 guns at airport checkpoints nationwide. Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872). https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2023/11/28/tsa-officers-prevent-maryland-man-carrying-loaded-gun-flight AOPA: General Aviation Accident Rate Declines in 2021 • Total accidents rise, but so do overall flight hours U.S. general aviation accident rates decreased in 2021 compared to 2020, according to the recently released 33rd edition of the AOPA Air Safety Institute Accident Report, which was retitled the Richard G. McSpadden Report. The association said the document was renamed in “honor and memory of our beloved friend and colleague” who, along with another pilot, lost his life in an airplane accident on October 1 in Lake Placid, New York. The report notes an increase in accidents from 1,050 in 2020 to 1,124 in 2021, the most recent year complete and final statistics are available. However, four million additional flight hours—compared to the previous year—tempered the higher accident total. “Overall accident rates decreased from 4.69 to per 100,000 flight hours to 4.28 and the fatal accident rate decreased from 0.84 to 0.77 from 2020 to 2021, respectively.” Non-commercial airplane accident rates fell slightly, with the fatal accident rate declining to 0.86 and the accident rate decreasing to 4.87. “An area where we see some discouragement is the non-commercial helicopter accident rate, which rose following two years of decline,” said Robert Geske, AOPA Air Safety Institute manager of aviation safety analysis. “We are also disappointed to see the lethality rate for weather accidents remain steady at an average of eight per year despite continual efforts to address this area.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2023-11-28/aopa-general-aviation-accident-rate-declines-2021 Inside NextGen: The FAA's $35bn Air Traffic Modernization Program This initiative will improve air navigation systems and processes across US airspace. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated a large-scale air traffic infrastructure known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The FAA aims to modernize the US’s National Airspace System (NAS) through its NextGen initiative. This initiative will see upgrades to various systems, such as communication, navigation, surveillance, and information systems, among others. The FAA is actively looking to improve communication infrastructure at airports nationwide. Its NextGen infrastructure is expected to cost nearly $35 billion through 2030. The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) The NextGen initiative is undertaken to improve the safety, efficiency, and resiliency of United States airports. In recent months, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been swamped with increasing incidents involving runway incursions at US airports. The FAA has been investigating various aspects of the incidents that put the safety and security of the nation’s aviation at risk. The NextGen aims to bring new air traffic technologies to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and safety to the existing procedures. According to the FAA, “Our modernization initiative enables a more flexible — yet robust and resilient — aerospace infrastructure that ensures the safe introduction of non-traditional users into aviation, such as commercial space transportation and advanced air mobility operations.” Collaboration among partners NextGen is aimed at identifying enhanced capabilities and technologies that would foster a safer aviation environment in the US and across borders. Improvements made as part of the NextGen initiative are expected to reduce the effects of the environment on flights and systems. New technologically advanced equipment and systems predict environmental conditions better, enabling a safer flying environment. The NextGen initiative will also support aviation sustainability targets by facilitating the use and tracking of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Within the existing fuel technology, NextGen aims to lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions through efficient flight routing and implementing other programs. The FAA is conducting extensive research in light of the recent incidents and the overarching need for newer technologies and systems. It is seeking international collaboration to improve existing technology and streamline the use of future technologies into a coherent system. The FAA emphasizes the importance of global partnership in fostering a safe aviation environment by stating, “Through research and collaboration, NextGen is defining new standards and further advancing our global leadership in aviation. The FAA fosters international cooperation in evolving enhanced aviation technologies that improve airspace system safety and mobility.” Key points of the NextGen • Replacement of the existing ground-based air traffic system at US airports. • New systems will be equipped with satellite-based communication and navigation systems. • Aircraft may have to be equipped with instruments to support NextGen communication systems. • The program enables lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions techniques. • The program will help meet industry-wide sustainability targets. • The program has cost nearly $14 billion to date and is expected to cost $35 billion by 2030. https://simpleflying.com/faa-nextgen-air-traffic-modernization-program/ U.S. Department of Transportation Announces New Thought Leadership Series “Up, Up, and Away: Innovations in Advanced Air Mobility” Kick-off Event for FAA and U.S. DOT Volpe Center Virtual Series this Thursday WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. DOT Volpe Center will partner on a virtual thought leadership program entitled “Up, Up, and Away: Innovations in Advanced Air Mobility.” The seven-part event series will take place from November 2023 through February 2024. Each forum features leading Federal and private sector panelists and is open to the public. Registration is required. “A new era of aviation is taking off,” said Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, U.S. DOT Carlos Monje. “Drones, advanced air mobility aircraft, and other kinds of innovations have the potential to help us tackle some of our most difficult challenges and achieve major breakthroughs that will lead us to a new aviation system ecosystem.” The series will consider how to embrace new technologies while ensuring that the aviation system of the future is safer, more efficient, equitable, and sustainable. “Today, commercial flying is safer than any other mode in transportation history. The next era of aviation will continue to protect our passengers and will advance our critical environmental sustainability priorities, as well,” said Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs, and Environment, FAA Laurence Wildgoose. The U.S. DOT Volpe Center has a long tradition of facilitating knowledge exchange across the transportation community. It also brings together experts and the transportation enterprise to discuss fresh approaches to emerging transportation challenges. FAA partnered with the U.S. DOT Volpe Center and other key stakeholders to lay the foundation for the aviation system of the future for more than 50 years. The series kickoff event is slated for Thursday, November 30, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be moderated by U.S. DOT Volpe Center Director Anne Aylward. Featured speakers include: • Laurence Wildgoose, Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs, and Environment, FAA • Robert Hampshire, PhD, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Science Officer, U.S. DOT • Katie Thomson, Deputy Administrator, FAA • Carlos Monje, Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, U.S. DOT • Elan Head, Senior Editor, The Air Current • For more information, the full line-up of events, and registration, please visit https://www.volpe.dot.gov/events/and-away-innovations-advanced-air-mobility https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-announces-new-thought-leadership-series-and-away American Airlines flight attendants union request denied The National Mediation Board has denied a request from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants to be released from federal mediation. The news was confirmed Tuesday by the union and American Airlines. The two sides have been in contract negotiations for nearly five years. If the request had been granted, the two sides would have entered a 30-day cooling-off period after which a strike by American’s more than 26,000 flight attendants might have been possible. Now mediation will continue. APFA president Julie Hedrick released the following statement: “As of today, the National Mediation Board (NMB) has denied our request for release into a 30-day cooling-off period. Flight Attendants at American Airlines are working under wages negotiated in 2014 while management continues to drag out bargaining with contract proposals that do not address the current economic environment. Corporate greed is alive and well at American Airlines. For far too long, airline management has exploited workers, funneling profits into their own pockets, as evidenced by American management's recent lucrative bonus and incentive program. Like many Union Siblings across industries and occupations, we are not backing down. We will intensify our pressure on the company and continue to assert our rights under the Railway Labor Act governing airline and railroad Unions.” American Airlines also released a statement following the NMB’s decision: “We look forward to continued negotiations with APFA and reaching an agreement our flight attendants have earned.” https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/american-airlines-flight-attendants-union-request-denied/3398697/ Saudi investment fund to buy 10% stake in Heathrow airport Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has agreed to buy a 10% stake in Heathrow airport from Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial. Another 15% in its parent company, FGP Topco, will be sold to France-based private equity fund Ardian. Ferrovial, which has owned a stake since 2006, announced that the deal was worth £2.37bn ($3bn). The transaction is still subject to regulatory conditions, according to the firm. If approved, the deal would end Ferrovial's investment in the UK airports' operator which started at 56% but was reduced to 25% by 2013. Other stakeholders in FGP Topco include Qatar Investment Authority, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Singapore's GIC, Australian Retirement Trust, China Investment Corporation and Universities Superannuation Scheme. The airport has been losing money this year because of its significant debt which is affected by aggressive hikes in the cost of borrowing. The Civil Aviation Authority has also decided to lower passenger charges which go towards costs for terminals runways, baggage systems and security. The average charge per passenger at Heathrow for 2023 is £31.57 but the regulator said this would fall to £25.43 in 2024 and "remain broadly flat" until the end of 2026. It is understood bosses at Heathrow wanted charges to actually increase to more than £40, while airlines proposed they should be no more than around £18.50. Saudi's PIF is one of the world's most active sovereign wealth funds with more than $700bn in assets thanks to its oil wealth, which has recently been investing in sport such as football and golf. But the fund is controlled by Saudi Arabia's prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud whose government has been accused of numerous human rights violations. US intelligence has said it believes Prince Mohammed ordered the 2018 killing of a US-based journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, though the prince has been given immunity in the US and he has also been invited to visit the UK according to the Saudi Arabian embassy. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67562523 FAA Orders 747 Lightning Protection System Inspections Undetected degradation of key lightning protection system parts prompted Boeing to recommend prompt inspections on all 747s, and the FAA is mandating the work for U.S.-registered aircraft. Boeing uses several layers of protection to ensure feed tubes that run into fuel tanks do not become ignition sources when lighting strikes engine nacelles. Among them is a bonding jumper, or cable, outside the fuel tank and sealant over the fuel tank’s interior wall. These serve as secondary protection beyond the primary electrical path, which are wing spar fittings. Fittings are subject to degradation that can limit their lighting protection effectiveness, however, making the secondary protection critical. Boeing recently discovered 747 jumpers are failing “at an excessive rate,” an FAA airworthiness directive (AD) set for publication Nov. 30 reveals. Boeing also found another latent failure: “a complete crack around the circumference of the fuel feed fitting encapsulation inside” one 747-8 fuel tank. “This encapsulation is designed to isolate any sparks/arcing generated during a lightning strike because of failed electrical bonds from flammable fuel vapors in the tank,” the agency said. “This is an urgent safety issue, as all fuel feed lightning protection features now have evidence of compromise.” The issue affects all 747 variants, the agency determined. The FAA directive, which was not subject to a pre-publication public comment period due to the issue’s severity, orders 747 operators to conduct inspections within 90 days of its effective date, expected to be Dec. 15. All other variants must be checked within 120 days of that date. Repetitive inspections must be done every 12 months. The directive applies to 211 U.S.-registered aircraft but is likely to be adopted globally. Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database shows 402 747s in service globally plus another 56 in storage. Fewer than 100 of the in-service models carry passengers. Boeing issued operators’ messages detailing the issue and recommended inspections in mid-November. The FAA directive is based on Boeing’s instructions. Specific actions include inspecting the jumpers for damage and measuring their electrical bonding resistance. Operators also must report all results to Boeing. “The inspection reports ... will enable the manufacturer to obtain better insight into the nature, cause, and extent of the bonding degradation and failures, and eventually to develop final action to address the unsafe condition,” the FAA said. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/faa-orders-747-lightning-protection-system-inspections CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 2024 Women in Aviation International Conference - March 21-23 (Orlando) • 2024 ACSF Safety Symposium – Air Charter Safety Foundation - April 1-3, 2024 • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis