Flight Safety Information - April 22, 2024 No. 080 In This Issue : Incident: LATAM Brasil A320 at Sao Paulo on Apr 19th 2024, loss of nose wheel steering : Incident: Safair B738 at Johannesburg on Apr 21st 2024, dropped wheel on departure : Incident: TUI B789 at Manchester on Apr 19th 2024, smoke in cockpit : Incident: United B789 near San Francisco on Apr 19th 2024, cargo smoke indication : Incident: Swiss A333 at New York on Apr 17th 2024, rejected takeoff due to traffic on runway (two aircraft crossing runway) : Incident: Edelweiss A320 at Zurich on Apr 20th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine failure : WAR IN THE AIR Thousands of Brit holiday flights attacked by ‘extremely dangerous Russian jamming’ in major threat to air safety : F.A.A. Will Require More Rest for Air Traffic Controllers : Flight data recorders from crashed Japanese navy helicopters show no sign of mechanical failure : 5 Plane Crashes That Prompted Widespread Aviation Safety Reforms : Saudi GACA issues $1.41M in fines for civil aviation violations in Q1 : It’s Time to Act on Pilots’ Mental Health : NATA’s June Air Charter Summit: Educating Operators, Elevating Standards : PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEYS Survey # 1 Survey # 2 : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: LATAM Brasil A320 at Sao Paulo on Apr 19th 2024, loss of nose wheel steering A LATAM Brasil Airbus A320-200, registration PR-MHU performing flight LA-3629 from Salvador,BA to Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP (Brazil), was on approach to Congonhas when the crew reported they had no nose wheel steering. The aircraft landed on Congonhas' runway 17R and stopped on the runway. An attempt to reset nose wheel steering failed, the aircraft needed to be towed off the runway about 15 minutes after landing. The airline reported after landing in Congonhas the aircraft needed to perform some maintenance procedure. https://avherald.com/h?article=517b5d79&opt=0 Incident: Safair B738 at Johannesburg on Apr 21st 2024, dropped wheel on departure A Safair Boeing 737-800, registration ZS-FGE performing flight FA-212 from Johannesburg to Cape Town (South Africa), was departing from Johannesburg's runway 21R when the outboard left main wheel separated from the airframe. The crew stopped the climb at about FL220, descended to FL150 and entered holds to burn off fuel. The aircraft performed a low approach to runway 21R about 90 minutes after departure, entered another hold and landed safely on runway 21R about 40 minutes after the low approach and about 2:15 hours after departure. The lost wheel was recovered within the airport perimeter. https://avherald.com/h?article=517b5c24&opt=0 Incident: TUI B789 at Manchester on Apr 19th 2024, smoke in cockpit A TUI Airways Boeing 787-9, registration G-TUIL performing flight BY-156 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), was climbing out of Manchester's runway 23L when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet reporting smoke on the flight deck. The aircraft returned to Manchester for a safe landing on runway 23R about 15 minutes after departure and stopped on the runway for an inspection by emergency services. The aircraft was subsequently towed off the runway and to the apron. The airline reported the aircraft returned due to minor technical problem. The aircraft is still on the ground in Manchester about 29 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=517a442c&opt=0 Incident: United B789 near San Francisco on Apr 19th 2024, cargo smoke indication A United Boeing 787-9, registration N15969 performing flight UA-801 from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Hong Kong (China), was enroute at FL340 about 30nm northwest of San Francisco,CA (USA) when the crew decided to divert to San Francisco reporting a cargo smoke indication. The aircraft landed safely on San Francisco's runway 28R about 25 minutes later, vacated the runway and stopped clear of the runway for an inspection by emergency services. The crew in particular were interested in the condition of the aft cargo bay at their left hand side. About 5 minutes later the aircraft taxied to the apron. The remainder of the flight was cancelled. The aircraft remained on the ground in San Francisco for about 47 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=517b050f&opt=0 Incident: Swiss A333 at New York on Apr 17th 2024, rejected takeoff due to traffic on runway (two aircraft crossing runway) A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration HB-JHD performing flight LX-17 from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Zurich (Switzerland), was cleared for takeoff from runway 04L and was in the initial stages of the takeoff run when three aircraft went past the hold short lines and entered the runway to cross it. The Swiss crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 40 knots over ground) advising ATC they had rejected their takeoff because of traffic on the runway. ATC acknowledged, queried the crew whether they wanted to return to the departure point and instructed the aircraft to vacate the runway and taxi to the holding point. The aircraft departed about 15 minutes after the rejected takeoff. The three aircraft crossing runway 04L, Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400 registration N838MH performing flight DL-29 from Nice (France), Delta Airlines Bombardier C-Series CS-300 registration N104DU performing flight DL-420 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) and American Airlines Boing 737-8 MAX registration N342RX performing flight AA-2246 from Dallas Ft. Worth, had landed on runway 04R and had been cleared to cross runway 04L by the tower controller 04R about 40 seconds prior to LX-17 receiving their takeoff clearance. According to ADS-B Data DL-420 was still on the eastern parallel taxiway to 04L when LX-17 began and rejected their takeoff, DL-29 was just reaching the western edge of the runway when LX-17 rejected takeoff and AA-2246 was just crossing the runway center line when LX-17 rejected takeoff. On both tower frequencies there were no instructions to stop, cancel the crossing clearance or abort takeoff. Both controllers continued duties. https://avherald.com/h?article=517ad348&opt=0 Incident: Edelweiss A320 at Zurich on Apr 20th 2024, rejected takeoff due to engine failure An Edelweiss Airbus A320-200, registration HB-IJU performing flight WK-140 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt), was accelerating for takeoff from Zurich's runway 32 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 100 knots over ground) and slowed safely. The crew subsequently advised they could vacate the runway via H1, they had a left hand "engine compressor vane stall" (engine CFM56). The aircraft returned to the apron. https://avherald.com/h?article=517a08dd&opt=0 WAR IN THE AIR Thousands of Brit holiday flights attacked by ‘extremely dangerous Russian jamming’ in major threat to air safety THOUSANDS of British holiday flights have been hit by suspected Russian jamming — with aviation sources branding the tactic “extremely dangerous” and a major threat to air safety. The electronic attacks render satnavs useless so aircraft are unsure of routes and struggle to tell others where they are. Suspected interference to flights from Vladimir Putin's forces includes jamming and spoofing Ryanair said that if location systems such as GPS are not functioning, the crew switches to alternate systems Bogus data forced planes to swerve and dive to avoid phantom obstacles that were not really there. Industry sources warn it is extremely dangerous. In eight months to the end of March, 2,309 Ryanair flights and 1,368 Wizz Air planes logged satnav problems in the Baltic region. Also hit were 82 British Airways flights, seven from Jet2, four EasyJet flights and seven operated by TUI. Interference from Vladimir Putin’s forces includes jamming and spoofing. Jamming drowns out genuine signals from satellites including GPS and Europe’s Galileo system. Spoofing uses bogus signals to trick aircraft into thinking they are somewhere they are not. An industry source said: “The information from the Russians is spurious. It is extremely dangerous.” In January Europe’s air safety watchdog described jamming and spoofing as “attacks” but did not say who was behind them. The European Aviation Safety Agency held a summit with the global body representing airlines to counter the threat. Luc Tytgat, boss of EASA, said: “We have seen a sharp rise in attacks on these systems, which poses a safety risk.” The Sun was on board an RAF jet with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps last month when it was jammed as it flew through Poland, near Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave. An aide blamed Russia for the “wildly irresponsible” attack. Passengers are normally unaware if their jet is being jammed. But The Sun joined forces with researchers at GPSJAM.org to analyse public flight logs. Aircraft send Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcasts to let others nearby and controllers know where they are. These signals include an ¬estimate of how well the satnav is working. Poor performance indicates jamming or spoofing. But it said: “Areas where a significant percentage of aircraft report low navigation accuracy seem to correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming.” The logs show jamming hotspots in the Baltic, Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean. We focused on the Baltic where 46,000 aircraft reported satnav problems between August and the end of March. The only major UK carrier not affected was Virgin Atlantic, as its aircraft do not fly through the region. The Russians have long used GPS jamming as a harassment tool War Expert Dr Jack Watling Our research showed suspected Russian attacks have increased from fewer than 50 a week last year to more than 350 a week last month. War expert Dr Jack Watling, at the RUSI think tank, said: “The Russians have long used GPS jamming as a harassment tool, projecting it across Nato borders. “Wherever there is a large Russian garrison you are seeing GPS denial and there is one in Kaliningrad. “They just have that stuff switched on because there are standing orders.” The budget airline saw 2,309 satnav problems during an eight-month period that ended in March Defence officials have also accused Russia of jamming GPS signals over RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. Spoofing and jamming is going on in Ukraine where Kyiv and Moscow are trying to scupper the accuracy of missiles and drones. Ryanair said: “If any location systems, such as GPS, are not functioning then the crew switch to alternate systems.” Easyjet said it had procedures to mitigate against GPS issues. TUI does not fly in the Baltic and said its seven affected aircraft were probably positioning flights without passengers. BA and Jet2 declined to comment. Glenn Bradley, from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, insisted that flying remained one of the safest forms of travel. He said: “There are several safety protocols in place to protect navigation systems on commercial aircraft. “GPS jamming does not directly impact the navigation of an aircraft and while it’s a known issue, this does not mean an aircraft has been jammed deliberately. “While operators have mitigations in place to assure continued safe operations, we work closely with other aviation regulators, airlines and aircraft manufacturers to curb and mitigate any risks posed by jamming and continuously monitor incidents worldwide.” https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/27456029/russia-hack-british-flights-air-safety-threat/ F.A.A. Will Require More Rest for Air Traffic Controllers The agency announced new rules to address the dangers of exhaustion for controllers, who often work grueling round-the-clock schedules. The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that it was taking significant steps to mitigate the risks posed by exhaustion among air traffic controllers, after a series of close calls last year raised alarms about the safety of the U.S. air travel system. Mike Whitaker, the F.A.A. administrator, issued a directive increasing the number of hours that controllers are required to rest between shifts from nine hours to 10, and 12 hours before a midnight shift. He said he hoped to put the changes in place within 90 days. The announcement came as the air safety regulator released a 114-page report from an expert panel that assessed the risks associated with air traffic controller fatigue. “We are committed to a sustained effort to address controller fatigue and ensure our airspace is the safest in the world,” Mr. Whitaker said in a statement. The F.A.A. established the panel in December in the wake of a New York Times investigation that revealed how a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers had resulted in an exhausted and demoralized work force that was increasingly prone to making dangerous mistakes. Many air traffic controllers were working round-the-clock schedules that had pushed them to the psychological and physical brink. The Times reported that virtually all of the nation’s air traffic control sites were understaffed, forcing many controllers to work 10-hour days, six days a week. “Growing the work force continues to be a top priority, and over the past two years we’ve pulled out all of the stops to accelerate hiring,” Mr. Whitaker said on Friday, adding, “Getting more qualified individuals into our air traffic facilities will help alleviate the demands on the current work force.” A series of Times articles last year showed how the nation’s aviation safety system was under mounting stress. While the last fatal crash involving a major U.S. airline was more than a decade ago, potentially dangerous close calls had been happening, on average, multiple times a week last year, and some air traffic controllers said they feared that a deadly crash was inevitable. The Times found that errors by air traffic controllers had been one major factor. Just this week, there were at least two incidents that appeared to involve air traffic controller mistakes at two of the country’s major airports. On Thursday at Ronald Reagan National Airport outside Washington, a Southwest Airlines flight was instructed to cross the same runway that a JetBlue Airways plane, Flight 1554, was cleared by a controller to take off from. As the JetBlue plane accelerated, another controller yelled: “JetBlue 1554, stop! JetBlue 1554, stop!” The plane abruptly aborted its takeoff, but it came within as little as 312 feet of the Southwest plane, according to preliminary F.A.A. safety reports and recordings reviewed by The Times, putting it moments away from a potential crash. The controller who cleared the Southwest plane to cross the runway did so without prior coordination with the other controller. The controller who cleared the JetBlue plane to take off was in training, according to one of the reports, and the controller who cleared the Southwest plane to cross the same runway had been working for more than two hours straight, longer than the F.A.A. recommends. A system designed to alert controllers to potential collisions on runways, known as ASDE-X, appears not to have triggered an alert, according to reports on the incident. The other incident, which has not been previously reported, occurred on Wednesday at Kennedy International Airport in New York, when a Swiss International Air Lines flight was cleared to take off on the same runway that four other planes were instructed to cross. The Swiss plane accelerated 800 feet down the runway before the pilot, citing “traffic on the runway,” aborted its takeoff to avoid a potential collision, according to preliminary F.A.A. safety reports and a recording. The controller who cleared the Swiss flight had told the other controller to have the four planes cross after the Swiss flight, but the controller instructed the planes to cross ahead of the Swiss flight instead. The F.A.A. said it would investigate the incidents. The National Transportation Safety Board said it had opened an investigation into the episode at Kennedy and was gathering information regarding the one at Reagan National. In the report released by the F.A.A. on Friday, the expert panel identified 58 “opportunities” for efforts to address the risks posed by fatigue, including coming up with a plan to eliminate a common rotating schedule known as the rattler. Under the rattler schedule, a controller might start his first shift of the week in the afternoon, with subsequent shifts beginning progressively earlier. The week would then culminate with a 24-hour period in which the controller worked both an early morning shift and, as few as eight hours later, overnight duty. Many controllers told The Times that, coupled with mandatory overtime, the schedule was exceptionally grueling. In a statement, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that represents controllers, said it was encouraged that the F.A.A. was paying attention to fatigue but was concerned that the changes the agency announced would constrain the controller work force and affect air travel. “F.A.A. has not modeled these changes to determine what unintended consequences they may have to the already strained air traffic control staffing coverage,” the union said, adding that it was worried that applying the new rules immediately “may lead to coverage holes in air traffic facilities’ schedules.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/business/faa-air-traffic-controllers-close-calls.html Flight data recorders from crashed Japanese navy helicopters show no sign of mechanical failure TOKYO – An initial analysis of flight data recorders recovered from the crash of two Japanese navy helicopters showed no sign of mechanical problems, Japan’s defense minister said Monday, indicating likely human error. One of the eight crew members died and a search is continuing for the seven others. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said an initial analysis of data from the two flight data recorders on each helicopter showed no abnormality during their flight and that mechanical failure was most likely not the cause of the crash. The two SH-60K reconnaissance helicopters from the Maritime Self-Defense Force lost contact late Saturday during nighttime anti-submarine training near Torishima island, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Tokyo, officials said. A crew member who was recovered early Sunday from the water was later pronounced dead. Searches continued Monday for the seven who were still missing, along with the fuselage of the aircraft. The seabed at the crash site east of Torishima is about 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) deep and the recovery is considered a challenge. Officials believe the two helicopters likely came too close and collided, Kihara said. The flight data recorders from the two aircraft were found close together, along with a blade from each helicopter, a number of helmets and fragments believed to be from both aircraft — signs the two SH-60Ks crashed almost at the same spot, officials said. The twin-engine, multi-mission helicopters developed by Sikorsky and known as Seahawks were modified and produced in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Japan has about 70 of the modified Seahawks. The crash comes as Japan, under its 2022 security strategy, accelerates its military buildup and fortifies its defenses on southwestern Japanese islands in the Pacific and East China Sea to counter threats from China’s increasingly assertive military. Japan in recent years has conducted its own extensive naval exercises as well as joint drills with the United States and other partners. Saturday’s nighttime anti-submarine warfare training involved only the Japanese navy, navy chief of staff Ryo Sakai said. In 2017, a Japanese navy SH-60J, an earlier generation Seahawk, crashed during nighttime training due to human error, killing three crew. In July 2021, two SH-60s had a minor collision off the southern island of Amami Oshima, with both suffering blade damage, but causing no injuries. Following the 2021 collision, the navy introduced a set of measures aimed at ensuring enough distance between aircraft. Sakai said Saturday’s crash could have been prevented if all safety measures had been adequately followed. In the U.S., the fatal crash of a MH-60S Seahawk during training off the coast of California in 2021 was attributed to mechanical failure from unsuspected damage during maintenance, according to the U.S. Navy. https://www.local10.com/news/world/2024/04/22/flight-data-recorders-from-crashed-japanese-navy-helicopters-show-no-sign-of-mechanical-failure/ 5 Plane Crashes That Prompted Widespread Aviation Safety Reforms Throughout the history of aviation, safety rules have been, unfortunately, written in blood. SUMMARY • Throughout the history of aviation, the industry has learned from the numerous commercial accidents. • Safety recommendations are provided by crash investigators, including the NTSB. • Some of the most important crashes include TWA Flight TWA800, Germanwings Flight 4U9525, the two Boeing 737 MAX 8 fatal accidents, the Tenerife disaster, and United Airlines flight UA173. Air travel has been one of the safest forms of transportation for a number of years. However, the industry has had to learn many lessons to get to the point where it is now, many of which were harsh and written in the blood of those who have passed away during the numerous accidents over the years. 1 TWA Flight TWA800 Date of the crash: July 17th, 1996 Aircraft involved in the accident: Boeing 747-100 Main changes following the publication of the final report: Fuel tank safety In July 1996, a Trans World Airlines (TWA) Boeing 747-100 departed New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), operating flight TWA800 to Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG). However, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft disintegrated mid-air, crashing into the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of the United States. In its final report, the National Transportation Board (NTSB) concluded that the center wing fuel tank exploded, issuing three recommendations to improve the safety of fuel tanks. As a result, the FAA issued a final rule titled 'Transport Airplane Fuel Tank System Design Review, Flammability Reduction, and Maintenance and Inspection Requirements.' The rule resulted in new airworthiness and maintenance standards for commercial aircraft, requiring type certificate (TC) and supplemental TC (STC) holders to prove their fuel systems can prevent ignition sources inside the tanks. As a result, numerous airworthiness directives (AD) followed, including a recently proposed rule change addressing the safety of the Boeing 747-400F. 2 Germanwings Flight 4U9525 Date of the crash: March 24th, 2015 Aircraft involved in the accident: Airbus A320 Main changes following the publication of the final report: Two people in the cockpit at all times, new mental health rules On March 24th, 2015, a Germanwings Airbus A320, registered as D-AIPX, was flying between Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) and Dusseldorf Airport (DUS). In the middle of the flight, with the first officer locking himself up in the cockpit, the pilot deliberately crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps. The French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile, BEA) noted that in December 2014, the pilot began showing"symptoms that could be consistent with a psychotic depressive episode,"consulting several doctors afterward. However, he never contacted any Aero-Medical Examiners (AME), with the BEA later concluding that was one of the contributing factors of the accident, as the pilot was afraid of losing his job. In total, BEA, as the leading investigative authority of the incident, provided 11 safety recommendations to numerous stakeholders, including aviation regulators within Europe. Still, pilots' mental health has remained a taboo topic, with authorities, including the FAA, attempting to address the issue to this day. 3 Lion Air flight JT610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 Dates of the crashes: October 29th, 2018, and March 10th, 2019 Aircraft involved in the accident: two Boeing 737 MAX 8 Main changes following the publication of the final report: Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act (ACSAA) While there were a number of changes that happened to Boeing and the 737 MAX, including the company changing its second chief executive officer (CEO) in less than five years, the two crashes' final reports culminated in the US government passing the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act (ACSAA). According to the US Congress, the bill introduced at least eight changes to the FAA's processes, including mandating the introduction of safety management systems (SMS) at US-based aircraft manufacturers, requiring plane makers to disclose safety-critical information to the FAA, comprehensive review of the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) holder's capability to meet regulations, and others. 4 KLM Flight KLM4805 and Pan Am Flight PA1736 Date of the crash: March 27th, 1977 Aircraft involved in the accident: Boeing 747-100, Boeing 747-200 Main changes following the publication of the final report: Cockpit and air traffic control (ATC) procedural changes To this day, the Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport (TFN) disaster is the deadliest commercial aviation accident that happened, with two airlines' aircraft being involved in the event: a KLM Boeing 747-200 and a Pan Am Boeing 747-100. While neither of them was scheduled to land at TFN, a bomb exploding forced these two, and many other aircraft, to divert away from Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) on that day. Many things went wrong on that day. Nevertheless, what resulted from the crash, where out of the 644 people onboard on both 747s, only 61 survived, were fundamental changes in how communication is carried out in aviation, namely between the flight crews and air traffic control (ATC), as well as inside the cockpit. 5 United Airlines Flight UA173 Date of the crash: December 28, 1978 Aircraft involved in the accident: McDonnell Douglas DC-8 Main changes following the publication of the final report: Crew resource management/cockpit resource management (CRM) In December 1978, a United Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-8, flying between JFK and Portland International Airport (PDX), with a stop at the now-defunct Stapleton International Airport (DEN), crashed after it ran out of fuel as the pilots were diagnosing a potential landing gear issue. The NTSB concluded that the probable cause of the incident was the failure of the captain to properly monitor his instruments, including low fuel warnings, while he also ignored other crew members' comments about the amount of fuel remaining, resulting in fuel exhaustion of the four engines. “Contributing to the accident was the failure of the other two flight crewmembers either to fully comprehend the criticality of the fuel state or to successfully communicate their concern to the captain.” As a result, the NTSB issued three recommendations to the FAA, one that recommended the regulator to issue"an operations bulletin to all air carrier operations inspectors directing them to urge their assigned operators to ensure that their flight crews are indoctrinated in principles of flight deck resource management."Essentially, the recommendation resulted in the current cockpit processes, known as crew resource management/cockpit resource management (CRM), being present in cockpits globally. https://simpleflying.com/plane-crashes-aviation-safety-reforms-list/ Saudi GACA issues $1.41M in fines for civil aviation violations in Q1 GACA issued 185 citations, with air carriers comprising the majority of violators. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has enforced fines exceeding $1.41 million (SAR5.3 million) for violations of the civil aviation law, its executive regulations, and directives in the first quarter of 2024. Violations details During this period, GACA issued 185 citations, with air carriers comprising the majority of violators, at 111 citations, resulting in fines surpassing $960,000 (SAR 3.6 million). These included 31 penalties for non-compliance with executive regulations safeguarding passenger rights, amounting to fines exceeding $350,000 (SAR 1.3 million). GACA’s report also highlighted a range of individual violations, including unauthorised access to restricted areas, onboard incidents, and illegal drone operations, leading to $67,361 (SAR 252,700) in fines. The enforcement of these fines aligns with GACA’s ongoing efforts to enhance passenger experiences and elevate the quality of air transport services throughout Saudi Arabia. Robust performance In March, GACA announced significant progress in the kingdom’s air traffic performance in 2023, with substantial growth in flights, passenger numbers and connectivity. Thanks to the measures implemented through the Saudi Aviation Strategy, the total number of flights saw a 16% increase from 701,290 to 814,995, while passenger numbers surged by 26%, from 88 million to 112 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. https://www.theaviatorme.com/news/gaca-civil-aviation-violations-fines It’s Time to Act on Pilots’ Mental Health Mental health recommendations for pilots and air traffic controllers bring new ideas to old problems; the FAA must decide what’s next BY WILLIAM R. HOFFMAN In early April, a committee of U.S. aviation, aeromedical and safety experts published a landmark report commissioned by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) related to the mental health of pilots and air traffic controllers. The 24 recommendations directed to the FAA include sweeping changes to current mental health policies, including dropping the need for pilots and controllers to inform the FAA when they see a therapist and easing the pathway to medication use for aviation workers. These recommendations and others could transform an industry whose medical fitness standards may have created barriers for certain pilots and controllers needing mental health assistance. Now, FAA and industry leaders must decide if and how to enact these recommendations. The FAA requires airline pilots and air traffic controllers to meet certain medical standards in order to work. Pilots and controllers who disclose that they have new mental health symptoms, or that they are taking a new psychoactive medication or seeing a therapist may run the risk of what is usually a temporary loss of their medical certification. Time out of work can result in lost pay, and the evaluations required to return can be prolonged, unpredictable and expensive. For this reason, I and others have argued that pilots and controllers face a barrier to seeking mental health care due to what a change in health status might mean for their career. Data from my colleagues and myself support this; a study of 5,170 pilots across the U.S. and Canada showed that 56 percent reported a history of health care avoidance (for example, reporting that they decided to forgo an evaluation for a symptom or not fully disclosing health information during screening) based on their fear that they would lose their flying status. While these data included all types of health concerns, it seems reasonable to also apply these data to mental health. The U.S. has employed its current approach to screening pilots and controllers for many years in hopes of ensuring they are fit to perform their high-risk and often stressful duties. That said, many voices are now calling to change a system that may inadvertently harm aviation workers while not always achieving what it aims to do. ON SUPPORTING SCIENCE JOURNALISM If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. “No one … should have to think twice about their job before seeking help,” said National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy during a December roundtable on aviation mental health, as quoted in the Web publication The Hill. “And yet, we’re here today because that’s not currently the case in U.S. aviation.” Multiple mental health incidents in pilots, including a recent one in which an off-duty airline pilot attempted to shut down the engines of a full passenger aircraft amid a mental health crisis, and a bipartisan letter from Congress challenging the FAA to modernize its mental health protocols, fueled momentum that culminated in the committee’s report. The committee is formally known as the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee; such bodies are referred to as ARCs. “My personal belief is that the goal of this Mental Health ARC is to better the life of all pilots and controllers both current and aspiring,” Travis Ludwig, Air Line Pilots Association representative and committee co-chair wrote in the report. “This ARC strived to save a life, a job, a family. If we accomplish this lofty goal even once, the amount of work thrown into this project will be worth it.” Now FAA leaders will need to determine not only which recommendations they incorporate, but also how to cover the costs, while assuring the 2.5 million passengers who fly in the U.S. daily that changes are safe. In an agency responsible for overseeing one of the world’s safest aviation systems, some recommendations are likely to face obstacles. While new mental health education efforts are unlikely to face opposition, broad overhauls to computer and medical processing systems will likely be contingent on major support outside of the agency. More difficult will be decisions about what pilots and controllers can do while working and what they need to tell the FAA amid a surprising paucity of safety data. To implement the committee’s 24 recommendations, the FAA will need broad support both within and outside of the agency. Mental health is not the only aspect of aviation facing calls for change. Incidents involving Boeing aircraft—including the death of 346 passengers in two Boeing 737 MAX 8 incidents attributed to corporate missteps in the rollout of new flight control systems and a Boeing 737 MAX 9 door plug falling off in-flight—have brought public calls for the FAA to have stricter oversight over what critics view as a decades-long slide towards lax self-regulation and concessions to quickly building aircraft. “It is time to reexamine the delegation of authority and assess associated safety risks,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a January 2024 statement, adding that “multiple production-related issues identified in recent years require us to look at every option to reduce risk.” When it comes to building America’s aircraft, calls to increase oversight aim to bolster safety. But despite this discourse, one critical misunderstanding must be avoided when it comes to mental health. Government leaders and ultimately the flying public must avoid the simplistic view that the committee’s recommendations aim to reduce oversight at the cost of safety. This is simply not the case. History has taught us that turning up the dials on traditional oversight tools does not necessarily mean greater safety when it comes to mental health. Instead, these recommendations propose novel, innovative ways to address hidden risks currently existing within our national air space while acknowledging an elemental quality of every aviation worker: the normal human need for support. This should be a key part of the FAA’s messaging to the public. Further, the public should insist the FAA is provided sufficient funding and backing to implement all 24 recommendations that will ultimately bolster wellness and safety in our aviation system. This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed are those of the author or authors and not necessarily those of any other organization or Scientific American. RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS WILLIAM R. HOFFMAN is a physician and affiliated assistant professor of aviation at the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. His research interests are in pilot health behavior and aeromedical screening. Follow him on Instagram and LinkedIn. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-act-on-pilots-mental-health/ PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Michail Karyotakis. I am a Research student at Cranfield University in the UK. Currently, I am working on my Research project, which is focused on Developing a Dynamic Safety Management Framework for Advanced Air Mobility Operations. The following Questionnaires serve the main purpose of data collection since data on the Research field is limited. The surveys are not affiliated with any airline, training organisation, or any other. Participation in the surveys is voluntary and anonymous (if desired by the participant). Each survey will take about 10 minutes to be completed. Thank you in advance for your time and patience. Your participation is highly appreciated. Please click the link below to enter the survey: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1M8LnQdhnjnu0Jg (1) https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmoQJRGyrp9PUEK (2) Student email: michail.k.karyotakis@cranfield.ac.uk CALENDAR OF EVENTS • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • (APTSC) Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference - June 26 - 27, 2024 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • 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 Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) - September 17-18, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX • 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