Flight Safety Information - March 26, 2024 No. 062 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa A321 near Lyon on Mar 24th 2024, fumes in cockpit : Incident: Edelweiss A343 at Cartagena on Mar 24th 2024, smoke in cabin : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London : Incident: American B738 near Birmingham on Mar 22nd 2024, cracked windshield : Incident: Gol B738 at Recife on Mar 21st 2024, tail scrape on landing : Accident: Jetblue BCS3 near Richmond on Mar 24th 2024, severe turbulence injures flight attendant : Incident: Delta A339 at Salt Lake City on Mar 24th 2024, dropped engine panel on departure : Qantas pilots shut engine down mid-flight after loud bang : ‘Eyes of the world on us’: Boeing shakes up leadership amid safety crisis : FAA Issues Warning Of Air Travel Disruption During Total Solar Eclipse : Shortage Of New Boeing 737 Pilots And Planes Leads SpiceJet To Trim Summer Schedule : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Lufthansa A321 near Lyon on Mar 24th 2024, fumes in cockpit A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AIDB performing flight LH-1128 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Barcelona,SP (Spain), was enroute at FL310 near Lyon (France) when the crew decided to return to Frankfurt due to an oily odour in the cockpit shortly after takeoff. The aircraft landed safely back in Frankfurt about 2 hours after departure. A passenger reported the crew announced there had been an oily odour in the cockpit shortly after takeoff. As there is no maintenance available for Lufthansa in Barcelona they decided to return to Frankfurt. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Frankfurt about 30 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=51698161&opt=0 Incident: Edelweiss A343 at Cartagena on Mar 24th 2024, smoke in cabin An Edelweiss Airbus A340-300, registration HB-JMD performing flight WK-92 from Cartagena (Colombia) to Zurich (Switzerland) with 314 passengers and 13 crew, was climbing out of Cartagena when the crew stopped the climb at 8000 feet due to smoke in the cabin and decided to divert to Barranquilla (Colombia) for a safe landing about 30 minutes later. The airline reported according to preliminary findings the cause of the smoke was a defect in the air conditioning system. There was no fire. The aircraft is still on the ground in Barranquilla about 14 hours after landing. According to information The Aviation Herald received there was a loud bang heard, then the cabin filled with heavy smoke and odour. Colombia's Authorities pulled the black boxes and opened an investigation, suspecting a catastrophic failure of the #2 pack. https://avherald.com/h?article=51697004&opt=0 Incident: American B738 near Birmingham on Mar 22nd 2024, cracked windshield An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N971AN performing flight AA-1285 from Austin,TX to Charlotte,NC (USA), was enroute at FL350 about 75nm southwest of Birmingham,AL (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Birmingham due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft landed safely on Birmingham's runway 06 about 30 minutes after leaving FL350. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N935NN reached Charlotte with a delay of about 20.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground on Mar 25th 2024. https://avherald.com/h?article=5169779b&opt=0 Incident: Gol B738 at Recife on Mar 21st 2024, tail scrape on landing A Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-800, registration PR-GXV performing flight G3-1510 from Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP to Recife,PE (Brazil), landed on Recife's runway 18, however, the tail of the aircraft contacted the runway surface. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron. The aircraft returned to service about 3 hours after landing. Brazil's CENIPA reported the tail contacted the runway surface on landing in Recife. The passengers disembarked normally. https://avherald.com/h?article=51696da6&opt=0 Accident: Jetblue BCS3 near Richmond on Mar 24th 2024, severe turbulence injures flight attendant A Jetblue Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration N3118J performing flight B6-53 from New York JFK,NY to West Palm Beach,FL (USA), was climbing through FL280 out of New York when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to a flight attendant. The aircraft descended to FL260 and diverted to Richmond,VA (USA) for a safe landing about 45 minutes later. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE INJURYING FLIGHT ATTENDANT, RICHMOND, VA." The aircraft is still on the ground in Richmond about 15.5 hours later. https://avherald.com/h?article=51696540&opt=0 Incident: Delta A339 at Salt Lake City on Mar 24th 2024, dropped engine panel on departure A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-900, registration N405DX performing flight DL-56 from Salt Lake City,UT (USA) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), departed Salt Lake City's runway 34R and continued to climb to initial cruise level 350 about 75 minutes into the flight when the crew was informed by ATC that an engine (Trent 7000) access panel had separated from the aircraft during takeoff. The crew decided to return to Salt Lake City, descended to FL340 and landed safely back on runway 34R about 2:45 hours after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Salt Lake City about 15 hours after landing back. A passenger reported the captain informed them that the pilot of another aircraft waiting for departure behind them had observed something falling off their aircraft, which was identified an engine cover or access panel. The aircraft returned to Salt Lake City for a normal landing. The flight is being delayed by about 24 hours. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT PILON PANEL BEHIND #1 ENGINE DETACHED ON TAKEOFF AND RETURNED TO AIRPORT, SALT LAKE CITY, UT." https://avherald.com/h?article=5169614a&opt=0 Qantas pilots shut engine down mid-flight after loud bang A Qantas flight has been forced to shut down an engine mid-flight after taking off from Melbourne overnight. Flight QF781 left Tullamarine shortly after 8.30 pm. As it neared its destination in Perth, passengers reported hearing a loud bang. A Qantas spokesperson said one of the plane's engines experienced an "issue" in the air. "The pilots followed the procedures for this type of incident and manually shut down the engine and requested a priority landing," a Qantas spokesperson told 9news.com.au. "These aircraft are designed to safely operate with one engine." All aboard were able to disembark safely. "We know this would have been unsettling for customers on board and we thank them for their cooperation and understanding," the spokesperson said. Qantas engineers will now examine the plane. https://www.9news.com.au/national/qantas-flight-shut-down-engine-landing-perth/11d8f01a-ca76-4041-ae06-4104a9d72f23 ‘Eyes of the world on us’: Boeing shakes up leadership amid safety crisis CEO Dave Calhoun’s departure comes as aircraft manufacturer is facing intense scrutiny over safety record. Boeing is being sued by several dozen passengers who were on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on January 5 Seattle, United States – For those watching developments at Boeing, the question was not whether there was going to be a shake-up at the top, but when. When Boeing announced on Monday that its CEO Dave Calhoun would be stepping down at the end of the year, some wondered why it had taken so long. Calhoun, 66, was appointed in 2020 to revive the company’s fortunes amid one of the worst public trust crises in its 100-year-old history, following two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 MAX jets in 2018 and 2019. The crashes killed 346 people and resulted in the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX globally for months. Then in January, a door plug blew out of the side of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX, forcing pilots to take emergency measures. The incident reinforced perceptions that the company had not learned any lessons and presided over a culture where safety placed second fiddle to profitability. Barry Valentine, a former senior official with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), said Boeing’s management was traditionally composed of engineers, but that changed as the company responded to new rivals such as France-based Airbus, which was created in 2000. “It went from being a company of engineers to a company of accountants,” Valentine told Al Jazeera. With the FAA and Department of Justice already investigating Boeing, the company will need to show it is listening and is serious about changing things, Valentine said. “The three most important things in real estate are location, location and location. In air transportation it’s safety, safety and safety,” he said. “At the end of the day, if people don’t think you’re safe, they’re not going to get on. So there is an incentive to have a good safety record.” In addition to Calhoun’s departure, Boeing is to lose board chair Larry Kellner and Stan Deal, the head of the company’s commercial planes business. Deal is being replaced by Stephanie Pope, Boeing’s chief operating officer. In a letter to employees on Monday, Calhoun termed the Alaska Airlines incident “a watershed moment for Boeing”. “The eyes of the world are on us,” he said. “We are going to fix what isn’t working, and we are going to get our company back on the track towards recovery and stability.” Sean O’Keefe, who served as chairman of the European aircraft maker Airbus Group Inc and now teaches at Syracuse University in New York, said whoever is appointed at Boeing will need to be able to listen to the concerns of the industry. In particular, they will need to work hand in hand with its airline customers – from Alaska Airlines to United – to make sure safety issues will be the focus in the months ahead, O’Keefe said. “It will be collaborating more than consulting with Boeing saying, ‘Okay, you tell me what it is that’s going to raise your confidence that we know what we’re doing here’,” O’Keefe told AL Jazeera. “You need to be able to listen carefully and put together a comprehensive strategy that will respond to what will most likely be multiple different voices.” Boeing is currently being sued by several dozen passengers who were onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 en route from Portland International Airport to Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, California, on January 5. The FAA temporarily grounded some models of the Boeing 737 Max 9 following the incident. An initial probe by the National Transportation Safety Board found no bolts had been installed to secure the plug. Both Boeing and Alaska Airlines have denied any wrongdoing. Ed Pierson, a former Boeing whistleblower, said he had not been surprised by the incident. “The reason we weren’t surprised is because we’ve been watching this unfold now for several years, and we’ve had a lot of production quality defects that have come to light in the last couple of years,” Pierson, who now heads The Foundation for Aviation Safety, told Al Jazeera. Pierson, a former senior manager who first spoke out against Boeing in the aftermath of the fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, added: “It’s clearly a massive leadership failure. And it was predictable.” In addition to announcing Calhoun’s departure, Boeing said Steve Mollenkopf, the former CEO of tech company Qualcomm, had been appointed the new chair of the board and tasked with the search for the next CEO. Shem Malmquist, a current Boeing pilot who teaches at the Florida Institute of Technology, said he hopes Boeing decides to appoint an engineer to the top job, although shareholders may instinctively resist such an idea. The last engineer to serve as CEO was Philip Condit, who had the job from 1996 to 2003. Departing CEO Calhoun has a degree in accounting. “I think at this point, the company is taking such a beating the shareholders are going to be looking for anything that’s going to give some stability,” Malmquist told Al Jazeera. “The smart move would be pulling somebody from within the company and from within the engineering section, not somebody from marketing, not somebody from finance. Someone from engineering.” https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/3/26/safety-safety-safety-boeing-shakes-up-leadership-in-bid-to-stem-crisis FAA Issues Warning Of Air Travel Disruption During Total Solar Eclipse Air travelers could see delays and reroutes before, during, and after the event. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned of disruption to air travel along the path of April 8’s total solar eclipse. According to a statement released by the agency, air traffic and airports should prepare for disruption to normal proceedings before, during, and after the event, starting from 10:00 am UTC on April 7 through to 4:00 am UTC on April 10. Though the eclipse itself will only cover the US between around 6:30 pm to 7:40 pm on April 8, this extended period is likely because it’s expected that lots of people will be descending upon areas in the eclipse’s path of totality, via plane, in order to get the rare opportunity of seeing a total solar eclipse. After all, the next one in the contiguous US isn’t scheduled to be until 2044. “There may be a higher traffic volume than normal anticipated at airports along the path of the eclipse. Traffic should anticipate delays during peak traffic periods. Parking may be limited – particularly at the smaller, uncontrolled airports,” reads the FAA’s statement, with the agency listing over 400 airports that could be affected. It’s not just delays on the roads around airports that could be a problem for people either. The statement also warns that aircraft “should be prepared for potential airborne holding, reroutes, and/or Expect Departure Clearance Times (EDCTs)”. That’s not just helpful information for pilots – if you’re planning on traveling by air in this area during this timeframe, you may well end up delayed. Airports and air traffic aren’t the only ones to have been on the receiving end of a warning about the eclipse. Recent weeks have seen emergency officials put out warnings to residents in the path of totality to stock up on essential supplies, including for pets, whilst some schools in affected areas have been asked to close. For those heading into the crowds, whether by plane or by other means, you could be in for a spectacular sight – as long as the weather doesn’t end up being cloudy. “During the 2024 eclipse, the Sun will be in or near solar maximum, when the magnetic field is more like a tangled hairball. Streamers will likely be visible throughout the corona,” according to NASA. “In addition to that, viewers will have a better chance to see prominences – which appear as bright, pink curls or loops coming off the Sun.” “With lucky timing, there could even be a chance to see a coronal mass ejection – a large eruption of solar material – during the eclipse.” https://www.iflscience.com/faa-issues-warning-of-air-travel-disruption-during-total-solar-eclipse-73526 Shortage Of New Boeing 737 Pilots And Planes Leads SpiceJet To Trim Summer Schedule The airline has a little over 1,600 approved weekly flights for the upcoming summer season. SUMMARY • SpiceJet has reduced its summer schedule as it struggles to hire more pilots and add more planes. • The airline is being cautious about non-utilization of airport slots and scrutiny from the aviation regulator. • Still, SpiceJet has managed to finalize the lease agreements for new aircraft and is working on stabilizing finances. Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet is being mindful while planning its summer schedule as it faces a tricky market to hunt for new planes and Boeing 737 pilots. The airline has been trying to stabilize its finances and operations after a few difficult years but is still significantly behind its peak capacity before COVID-19. Tricky situation SpiceJet’s weekly schedule for this year’s summer season includes 1,657 approved flights. This is down from 2,240 flights it had planned for the previous winter season and 2,132 flights for the 2023 summer season. A senior executive from the airline told Moneycontrol that SpiceJet could not operate all flights it had planned for the winter schedule and wanted to avoid non-utilization of airport slots this time around. The airline is doing its best to prevent any more scrutiny from India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA. But one of the main reasons SpiceJet cannot increase flight capacity is the change in flight duty time limitations for pilots and the non-availability of trained Boeing 737 pilots in the market currently. Moneycontrol quotes the executive as saying, “SpiceJet has a fleet of 33 operational aircraft, including eight wet-leased planes and around 400 pilots on its payrolls at the moment. Once the new FDTL ( Flight Duty Time Limitations ) norms kick in from June, an additional 60 to 90 pilots will be needed to operate the same number of flights, as per the winter schedule.” Another executive aware of the matter added that the market has become highly competitive for 737 pilots lately, especially with carriers like Akasa Air and Air India Express (both operate 737 planes) also attracting the talent pool. With the collapse of Go First and all the trouble its aircraft lessors have faced in the last year, India’s rating in the leasing market has also been affected. As such, SpiceJet is also finding it challenging to acquire new planes for good deals. Finalizing lease agreement for 10 aircraft The airline, however, will still boost fleet capacity in the coming months and has finalized lease agreements for 10 aircraft. It has already received three airframes as part of recent settlement agreements with key aircraft lessors. On March 7, SpiceJet announced the successful resolution of a $49.8 million dispute with Echelon Ireland Madison One Ltd. This helped save $48 million for the airline and the acquisition of two airframes. It also resolved an $11.2 million dispute with aircraft leasing firm Cross Ocean Partners, resulting in the transfer of an airframe and an engine to the airline. Furthermore, SpiceJet has also finalized a wet lease agreement for two Airbus A340 aircraft for the upcoming Hajj operations. The airline plays a key role in Hajj operations every year and will deploy two widebodies from Srinagar and Guwahati in 2024. Recent developments SpiceJet is trying to stabilize its finances and settle disputes with lenders and lessors for smooth future operations. Recently, Credit Suisse, with which SpiceJet had a long-standing financial dispute, said that the airline has cleared all its outstanding dues and is no longer in default. The airline has also been raising funds from investors and has been reducing its workforce to maintain the investors' interest. It was reported last month that around 1,400 SpiceJet employees would lose their jobs. https://simpleflying.com/shortage-boeing-737-pilots-and-planes-spicejet-trim-summer-schedule/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 2024 ACSF Safety Symposium – Air Charter Safety Foundation - April 1-3, 2024 • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis