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MIRCE Functionability Actions
5 December 2024 Windshield Damage from Korean Air Jet Blast at JFK
A Korean Air Airbus A380( HL7621), jet blast caused the shattering of a JetBlue Airways A321 (N948JB) windshield during taxi operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. The incident occurred when Korean Air flight KE85 from Incheon taxied past the JetBlue aircraft, dislodging foreign objects that struck and broke the left windshield of the A321, which had just landed from Bridgetown, Barbados. The FAA has initiated an investigation into the event, with no injuries reported.
27 November 2024: Uncommanded emergency slide deployment
A KLM Cityhopper Embraer 190 operating between Amsterdam (AMS) and London City (LCY) was taken out of service after an uncommanded deployment of an emergency evacuation slide during ground operations at Schiphol Airport. The incident necessitated the replacement of the affected slide, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled flight and its return sector.
25 November 2024: Singapore Airlines A380 Rollback at Delhi Due to Pilot Error Injuring Cabin Crew
The Airbus A380-841 registered as 9V-SKU, belonging to as a Singapore Airlines (SQ) performed a rollback at New Delhi airport due to its pilots not setting the parking brakes after the aircraft was parked at the gate following its flight from Singapore (SIN). No serious damage was caused to the aircraft or passengers. However, one cabin crew member suffered a minor bruise. After the pilots realised the aircraft rolling back, they immediately set the parking brakes before the ground crew pulled the A380 back into its position at the gate. The parking bay has a slight slope to ensure water flows out towards the apron during rains. In order to mitigate the risk of rollbacks or damage to surrounding airplanes and vehicles at airports when an aircraft is parked, there is a globally recognized standard operation procedure after pilots dock their planes at a parking bay. They must set the parking brakes once the aircraft is in position and turn off all of the aircraft’s engines. Thereafter, the ground personnel will set wheel chocks into position after which the parking brakes can be released.
24 November 2024: After docking to ISS astronauts report a foul smell
After completing a routine mission to deliver about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) Russian cosmonauts felt a toxic smell when opened the hatch to a cargo spacecraft. In response the Roscosmos cosmonauts closed the Poisk hatch to the rest of the Russian segment and donned protective equipment and activated an extra air-scrubbing system aboard their side of the facility. On the US segment of the station, NASA astronaut Don Pettit said he smelled something akin to "spray paint." It is not yet clear what caused the foul odour to emanate from the Progress vehicle. However previous Russian vehicles have had leaks while in space. Most recently, in February 2023, a Progress vehicle attached to the station lost pressurisation in its cooling system.
21 November Progress Cargo Spacecraft Launches; Headed for a Saturday Docking
The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 90 spacecraft is safely in orbit headed for the International Space Station following a launch, on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After a two-day in-orbit journey to the station, the spacecraft will automatically dock to the space-facing port of the orbiting laboratory’s Poisk module on 23 November. The spacecraft will deliver about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the space station.
20 November 2024: Thrusters Ignite As ISS Escapes a Close Call With Satellite Debris
To ensure safety from an approaching piece of space debris, the ISS’s orbit was raised using the Progress 89 thrusters. This preventive measure kept the space station clear from potential collision without affecting its scheduled operations, including the launch of a new cargo craft. The Progress 89 thrusters fired for 5 minutes and 31 seconds to adjust the International Space Station’s orbit. This manoeuvre created additional distance from a piece of orbital debris, a fragment from a defunct defence meteorological satellite that broke apart in 2015. The Pre-determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) was carried out in coordination with NASA, Roscosmos, and other space station partners. Ballistics experts estimated that without this adjustment, the debris could have passed within approximately 2.5 miles of the station. The maneuver had no impact on station operations and will not interfere with Thursday’s scheduled launch of the Progress 90 cargo craft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
15 November 2024: Phone Battery Fire Leads To Slide Evacuation
The emergency slides were deployed on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registered as N429WN, at Denver International Airport (DEN) after a phone battery caught fire onboard. The plane was preparing for flight WN3316 from Denver International Airport (DEN) to William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston when a passenger's phone battery ignited, causing an airplane seat to catch fire. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said: "Passengers in the front half of the plane exited through the jet bridge. Passengers in the rear half of the plane exited using slides." According to preliminary reports one passenger sustained a minor injury during the evacuation, while the passenger whose phone caused the fire is being treated for burns.
12 November 2024: Due to Volcanic Ash From Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki Eruption Airlines Cancel Flights
Many flights to and from Bali have been cancelled due to the presence of volcanic ash in the region. The main airport serving Bali has recorded at least 90 flight cancelations today, along with more than 100 delayed flights. Yesterday, over 60 flights were cancelled and scores more were delayed, with airlines monitoring the situation before deciding on any further cancelations. At this stage, it's unclear when the ash cloud will clear up and when airlines can resume regular operations at DPS. Disruption from volcanic ash clouds can be significant due to the safety threat they pose to aircraft - engines can become damaged from ingesting ash particles, which also impact pilot visibility. Officials have said that the ash column from Mount Lewotobi has reached as high as 10km, within the typical altitude range of a commercial jet. The volcano has repeatedly erupted within the past ten days, leading authorities to maintain a 7-km exclusion zone around the crater and close Flores Island's four regional airports.
10 November 2024: Starlink satellite breaking up over Southwest US create fireworks in the sky
SpaceX Starlink satellites were designed to re-enter Earth's atmosphere at the end of their mission to prevent more defunct satellites from cluttering low-Earth orbit. Sky gazers across the Southwest U.S. spotted a possible fireball breaking up in the night sky, but it turns out this shooting star was human-made and not part of three ongoing meteor showers. Video and photos made show a bright trail with multiple glowing pieces moving across the sky. Some reported the display looked like "fireworks." According to astronomer and orbital debris expert, Jonathan McDowell, the fireball was a SpaceX Starlink internet satellite that was part of a batch launched in 2022. SpaceX has thousands of Starlink satellites orbiting Earth to provide internet access around the world.
27 October 2024: United Airlines B737 MAX flight suffers bird strike at takeoff
United Airlines, B737 MAX, bound for Denver from San Francisco suffered a bird strike at approximately 5,000 feet after takeoff. Aircraft struck a bird at the pilot’s side window,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a report. It safely landed about 25 minutes post-departure. San Francisco International Airport records an average of 18 strikes for every 100,000 aircraft operations.
23 October 2024 UPS B767 Freighter Returns to Spokane After Cargo Fire Indication
A UPS Boeing 767-300 freighter was cruising at FL310 on route from Spokane, Washington to Louisville, Kentucky, when the crew reported a cargo fire indication. The crew decided to return to Spokane, approximately 120 nautical miles. The aircraft, carrying two crew members, safely landed on Spokane’s runway 21 about 50 minutes after departure, and the fire department inspected the brakes post-landing.
17 October 2024: Cargo Container Ingested by American Airlines Boeing 787-9 at Chicago O'Hare
American Airlines flight AA47, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (N834AA), ingested a cargo container into its no. 2 engine while taxiing at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD), following its arrival from London-Heathrow (LHR). The incident occurred on Taxiway B after an Airbus A350-900 (Air France flight AF136) reportedly generated jet blast, pushing the container toward the B787. While the aircraft sustained engine damage, no injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
11 October 2024: Lavatory Floods Cabin & Destroys Passenger’s Laptop on United Airlines B737 MAX
During the flight UA 557 between Charleston (CHS) and Denver (DEN), on United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX the passenger was seated in one of the back rows using their laptop, when they noticed that their bag was wet with toilet water under the seat. The leaking water damaged their bag and $1,200 laptop. They took images of the water spewing out in the cabin and posted them on X. In response to this incident, a spokesperson for United Airlines stated that the passengers are offered 5,000 MileagePlus points.
29 September 2024: SpaceX pausing launches to study Falcon 9 issue on Crew-9 astronaut mission anomaly
SpaceX has temporarily grounded its Falcon 9 rocket after the vehicle experienced an issue on the Crew-9 astronaut launch for NASA. Crew-9 lifted off on 28th September from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending two NASA astronauts aloft aboard the Crew Dragon capsule "Freedom." The Falcon 9's first stage aced its landing shortly after liftoff, and the rocket's upper stage deployed Freedom into its proper orbit; the capsule is on track to scheduled arrival to the International Space Station (ISS) on 29th. However, while the stage was disposed in the ocean as planned, it experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn, and safely landed in the ocean, but outside of the targeted area. SpaceX Dragon Freedom successfully docked at the ISS, while it was 260 statute miles over Botswana. The hatch between the space station and the pressurized mating adapter was successfully opened, allowing NASA astronauts to enter.
18 September 2024: After Mouse Jumps Out Of Passenger's Meal SAS Airbus A320neo Diverts To Copenhagen
The unusual incident occurred onboard an SAS Airbus A320neo operating Flight SK4683 from Oslo (OSL) to Malaga (AGP). The stowaway mouse is reported to have leaped out of a passenger's in-flight meal during meal service before scurrying away. With the crew aware of the fugitive mouse's presence, the captain announced that they would be diverting to Copenhagen due to the safety threat posed by a rodent onboard the aircraft. Rodents are considered a credible threat to the safety of an aircraft - not to forget airports, too - for good reason. Damaging the plane's electrical wiring could cause any number of problems, while a rodent's urine is corrosive to metal. Hence, the plane circled back towards Oslo less than 30 minutes after taking off but then rerouted to Copenhagen (CPH), where it landed less than an hour after departure.
14 September 2024: Bird Strike on Royal Air Maroc ERJ190AR on Approach to Madrid
Royal Air Maroc flight AT972, an Embraer ERJ-190AR (CN-RGO), sustained minor damage during approach to Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport, Spain, after colliding with a flock of birds. The impact severely damaged the nose cone, though no injuries were reported among passengers or crew. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were transferred to a replacement Boeing 787 for their onward journey to Casablanca.
6 September 2024: 6 Inspections of Trent XWB-97 Engine EASA Mandated After Cathay Pacific Incident
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD 2024-0174-E) requiring inspections of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines used on Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. This in response to an in-flight engine fire on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to Zurich on 1st September 2024. The inspections, focused on flexible fuel hose connections, must be completed within 3 to 30 days across 86 aircraft, with the findings from initial investigations and further inspections guiding the directive's issuance.
6 September 2024: Airbus Beluga To Rescue Stranded British Airways A350 From London-Heathrow Airport
Airbus' mega-transport aircraft, Beluga, is reportedly expected to perform a rescue mission by delivering important aircraft parts to a damaged British Airways A350, which has been stranded in London for months now. The rescue mission is set to take place next week, and online reports suggest it will be the larger XL variant flying to London. The damaged aircraft is a British Airways Airbus A350-1000. It was damaged earlier this year, in April, when a Virgin Atlantic Dreamliner collided with the A350 during pushback, thereby damaging the A350's starboard side horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft has remained grounded at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) ever since the incident. The Beluga, expected to fly into London next week, will be carrying the spare parts required to repair the damaged stabilizer and return the A350 to commercial service.The incident in question occurred over four months ago, on April 6th, when an eight-year-old Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operated by Virgin Atlantic collided with a parked four-year-old Airbus A350-1000 belonging to British Airways during aircraft pushback. While Virgin Atlantic's Dreamliner also sustained damage, the aircraft returned to the skies after being grounded for over two months, performing a 94-minute test flight before returning to commercial service later that day. British Airways' A350, on the other hand, still remains grounded, but with the spare parts expected to arrive next week, hopefully, the airline can repair the aircraft and make it airworthy.
3 September 2024: Engine Failure Grounds Cathay Pacific A350 Fleet
Cathy Pacific A350-1000 with registration B-LXI was operating flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich experienced an engine failure shortly after takeoff and returned to Hong Kong after dumping fuel over the sea for around 30 minutes to the southeast of the airport. Inspection showed a specific engine component failure in the A350 aircraft involved. The airline immediately brought this issue to the attention of the aircraft and engine manufacturers as well as its regulators. During the precautionary inspections, Cathay Pacific identified 15 aircraft, out of 48 in the fleet, with affected engine components that require replacement. Three of these aircraft have already undergone successful repairs, while the remaining 12 will remain out of service until they have been repaired and cleared for operation. The grounding of the A350 fleet has caused significant disruption to Cathay Pacific‘s operations, resulting in flight cancellations and delays. The airline has apologised to affected passengers and has been working to rebook them on alternative flights or provide refunds. The affected A350s are fitted with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 version engines.
2 September 2024: Astronauts Report Boeing Starliner Now Making Unexplained Sonar-Ping Noise
The Boeing Starliner, attached to the International Space Station (ISS), has reportedly started emitting mysterious ping noises. NASA and Boeing engineers have so far been unable to determine the cause of the unusual sounds. NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore started hearing the unexplainable noises on August 1st while inside the Starliner spacecraft, stating during a call to Mission Control in Houston that there was "a strange noise coming through the speaker." Wilmore asked the team to try and listen into Starliner, then held his microphone up to capture the sound. Mission Control said it was connected to its hardline audio line and initially could not hear the sounds, but later picked up a "kind of pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping." The sound occurs at fixed intervals and has an eerie underwater feel to it, almost as if inside a submarine. He confirmed that the sound was coming through Starliner's internal speaker and did not notice any other abnormal sounds inside or outside the spacecraft. While not being treated as a major concern, engineers have reportedly not been able to determine what the sounds are, or why they are occurring. Starliner suffered several control thruster malfunctions and helium leaks during its June launch.
31 August 2024: Three Fatalities in Post-Maintenance Cessna 421C Crash
A Cessna 421C Golden Eagle, registration N421GP, crashed into a residential area in Fairview, Oregon, shortly after taking off from Troutdale Airport. The aircraft, carrying a pilot and one passenger, reported handling problems shortly after takeoff and attempted to return to the airport before impacting a house and causing a fire that took over an hour to extinguish. All three individuals, including a presumed house occupant, were found deceased, and FAA and NTSB investigators are now examining the site; the aircraft had just completed maintenance before the accident.
27 August 2024: Explosion during Maintenance at Atlanta Airport Kills 2 Workers and Injured 1
Two workers were killed and another seriously injured during a tire explosion at Delta Air Lines' Technical Operations Maintenance facility at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia. The accident occurred while where the workers were changing a tire on a Boeing 757-232 aircraft at wheel and brake shop. The wheel was not attached to the aircraft at the time, and the incident did not affect airport operations. Delta Air Lines is cooperating with local authorities in an ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
27 August 2024: Polaris dawn slips again for a different kind of weather problem
Weather-related launch delays are routine especially at the launch pads along Florida’s Space Coast including Kennedy Space Center where the Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission will lift off. However, this time is that the problem isn’t the weather at the scheduled launch, but the predicted weather tomorrow when SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft would need to splash down either in the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. The launch initially was scheduled for 26th August 26, but postponed to conduct additional pre-launch checkouts. Rescheduled for 27th August was postponed due to a ground-side helium leak that was detected. Ordinarily launch weather must be favourable up along the entire East Coast for human spaceflight launches into high inclination orbits like the one Polaris Dawn will use because the crew can abort and splashdown anywhere along that path, called the ascent corridor. In addition, SpaceX recovers the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage on most of these flights, landing either on an autonomous drone ship at sea or back on land. Weather-related launch delays are not uncommon. The 4-member crew are not visiting the International Space Station. They are on their own mission, completely unrelated to NASA, with the goal to reach the highest altitude of any Earth-orbiting human spaceflight and then conduct the first commercial spacewalk. Without the ISS as a safe haven full of supplies and consumables, like air, they can remain in space for only a fixed period. In this case, five days. They must know before they launch that the weather in the splashdown areas at that time will be favourable.
25 August 2024: NASA announces Boeing Starliner astronauts to return to Earth on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon
Due to the high risk of thruster failure on the Boeing Starliner, NASA cannot risk putting astronauts in it for the return trip to earth. An originally planned 8 day mission has just become 8 months stranded in space. Boeing was paid $4.2 billion and has failed on two different test flights to achieve mission objectives. SpaceX was paid $2.6 billion for Dragon Crew and reached space in 2020 and has delivered numerous missions with cargo and 49 astronauts to the Space Station.
25 August 2024: Condor strikes B737 in Argentina
A condor and a Flybondi Boeing 737-8U3 (registration LV-KEF) operating flight FO5550 from Buenos Aires to El Calafate, Argentina, collided during the approach. The aircraft's nose cone was significantly dented, leading to the cancellation of the return flight for necessary repairs. The incident occurred as the aircraft landed safely at El Calafate Airport (FTE/SAWC), with no injuries reported among the passengers or crew.
20 August 2024: Swift Response by Flight Attendants To Emergency Cell Phone Malfunction
A JetBlue flight from Los Angeles to Boston faced some tense moments when the cabin of Airbus A321 was filled with smoke due to a malfunctioning cell phone. A situation like this could induce panic for the occupants of the aircraft, but thankfully, the cabin crew members jumped into action and contained the situation quickly. One of the passengers on the flight said that the heavy smoke coming out of the seating area of the first-class cabin. She added that there was a strong burning plastic smell, and soon after, the cabin was filled with smoke. The flight attendants began clearing the space by moving passengers to other empty seats away from the smoke. They got the fire extinguisher, made sure that everyone was safe and out of the seat and that they were actually safely put into other seats, and then they announced that they were putting the air on to get the air cleared up because at that point your eyes started hurting. Eventually, the cabin crew members decided to put the phone away in the lavatory and close the door. After some tense moments, the situation seemed under control, and relieved passengers started clapping to appreciate the flight attendants' efforts and quick thinking. The flight landed safely and that no injuries were reported after the incident.
20 August 2024: Starliner spacesuits not compatible with SpaceX Dragon
NASA delivers two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to ISS by using Boeing’s Starliner. Two months into what was scheduled to be an eight-day mission, they are still there due to a safety problem with Starliner. One of possible solution for NASA to bring them back to Earth is to use a SpaceX Dragon. However, crews wear different spacesuits, and they are not compatible with one another. From Mercury up to and including the American section of the International Space Station, all crewed spacecraft were designed by NASA engineers, who oversaw every stage of construction by an aerospace contractor. However, under the NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, “The companies own and operate their hardware and infrastructure. NASA's engineers and aerospace specialists work closely with the commercial companies, allowing for substantial insight into the development process and offering up expertise and available resources”. Hence, the spacecraft from different companies are, therefore, incompatible with each other, which is a hedge, in a way. If there is a problem with one design, as there appears to be with the beleaguered Boeing Starliner, NASA has an entirely different design to fall back on. In this case, of course, it creates complications for the Starliner crew, who are now more than two months into what was scheduled to be an eight-day mission. Alternatively, they could return without suits, as there is nothing inherently dangerous in re-entry without a spacesuit, given that nothing goes wrong. The suits protect the astronauts from fire or loss of pressurization or oxygen. SpaceX Crew 9 is on hold, waiting for NASA to decide on the future of Starliner. SpaceX will need to leave two empty seats for Butch and Sunny to fill when Crew 9 returns in February 2025, as well as possibly deliver spacesuits for them to wear home.
19 August 2024: Starliner spacesuits not compatible with SpaceX Dragon
Two months into what was scheduled to be an eight-day mission, it has been announced that spacesuit compatibility problems are also keeping NASA's astronauts stuck in space. The two crews wear different spacesuits, and they are not compatible with one another. If NASA determines that Starliner is not safe, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams must have spacesuits delivered to them on the International Space Station. Alternatively, they could return without suits. From Mercury up to and including the American section of the International Space Station, all crewed spacecraft were designed by NASA engineers, who oversaw every stage of construction by an aerospace contractor. Today, spacecraft are designed and built under the Commercial Crew Program, which means that the companies own and operate their hardware and infrastructure. NASA's engineers and aerospace specialists work closely with the commercial companies, allowing for substantial insight into the development process and offering up expertise and available resources. The spacecraft from different companies are, therefore, incompatible with each other, which is a hedge, in a way. If there is a problem with one design, as there appears to be with the beleaguered Boeing Starliner, NASA has an entirely different design to fall back on. In this case, of course, it creates complications for the Starliner crew, who are now more than two months into what was scheduled to be an eight-day mission. There is nothing inherently dangerous in re-entry without a spacesuit, given that nothing goes wrong. The suits protect the astronauts from fire or loss of pressurisation or oxygen. SpaceX Crew 9 is on hold, waiting for NASA to decide on the future of Starliner. SpaceX will need to leave two empty seats for Butch and Sunny to fill when Crew 9 returns in February 2025, as well as possibly deliver spacesuits for them to wear home.
19 August 2024 FAA mandates inspections of Boeing 787 seats following March incident
In response to a March incident involving a LATAM Airlines flight, where un-commanded seat movement led to a mid-air dive that injured over 50 passengers, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a directive that requires inspections of Boeing 787 Dreamliners mandating inspections of the captain's and first officer’s seats for missing or cracked rocker switch caps and cracked switch cover assemblies within 30 days. The directive affects 158 U.S.-registered and 737 global aircraft, The FAA has recorded five similar incidents, with two still under investigation, and warned of potential rapid descent risks due to such seat failures.
19 August 2024: A rocket engine has exploded during a launch test at the UK's new spaceport in Shetland
In December 2023, German company SaxaVord Spaceport was given approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to begin orbital launches this year. It was to be the first fully-licensed spaceport in Western Europe able to launch vertically into orbit. It permits up to 30 launches a year that will be used to take satellites and other payload into space. Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) scheduled nine-engine test was part of a number of trials due to be carried out before progressing to launch. On today test large flames and plumes of smoke could initially be seen shooting horizontally from the bottom of the rocket. The entire structure was then engulfed by fire. RFA said no-one was injured in the explosion and the launch pad had been "saved and is secured". It comes three months after the first rocket test at the site on the tiny island of Unst was carried out and declared a success. On that occasion, RFA fired their engines for eight seconds before shutting down. A statement from SaxaVord Spaceport said all safety protocols were fully observed and the site was evacuated prior to the test, leaving no staff at risk. A spokesman said: "This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage. "We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations." The SaxaVord Spaceport, a former RAF radar station, is co-owned by Frank and Debbie Strang. They bought the site 15 years ago with initial plans to turn it into an eco-tourism attraction. The space industry in the UK is estimated to be worth £17.5bn and supports about 48,800 jobs at 2,200 firms. Scotland currently has five proposed spaceports under development, with the Sutherland Spaceport also under construction with ambitions of launching 12 rockets into orbit per year.
10 August 2024: Helicopter Explosion Injures Three Medics During Evacuation
An Agusta A109S Grand helicopter operated by Avincis Aviation España SA for 061 emergency services caught fire and exploded at around 20:05 local time, as it was preparing for takeoff from a football stadium in Cabra, Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain. The incident, which occurred as the aircraft was about to transport a patient to Reina Sofía Hospital, left the patient with severe injuries, while an onboard nurse and a mechanic sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was completely destroyed, and the explosion forced the suspension of a local football match.
9 August 2024: Landing without Main Landing Gears
Renegade Air operated de Havilland Canada DHC-8-311Q Dash 8 used by for the UN Humanitarian Air Service, registration 5Y-SMI, experienced significant gear damage during departure from Maban Airstrip, South Sudan. The aircraft, carrying approximately 35 passengers, continued to Malakal Airport where it executed a no-gear landing after burning off fuel in a holding pattern. Preliminary reports suggest the damage occurred when the aircraft collided with a dyke at Maban, leading to the loss of both main gear wheel assemblies, resulting in substantial damage.
25 July 2024: SpaceX finds cause of Falcon 9 failure
A SpaceX Starlink launch on July 11, 2024, experienced of a build-up of liquid-oxygen ice on the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket's first stage performed normally that day, but its upper stage sprang a leak of liquid oxygen, which prevented it from conducting an orbit-raising burn as planned; the Starlink satellites were deployed too low as a result and came back down to Earth in relatively short order, burning up in our planet's thick atmosphere. The cause of the leak is a mystery no longer. It resulted from "a crack in a sense line for a pressure sensor attached to the vehicle’s oxygen system," SpaceX announced in an update on 25th July "This line cracked due to fatigue caused by high loading from engine vibration and looseness in the clamp that normally constrains the line." The upper stage's single Merlin engine performed its first burn as planned on July 11, entering a coast phase in an elliptical orbit right on schedule. But the leak prevented the engine from conducting a second burn, which was designed to circularize its orbit ahead of Starlink satellite deployment, according to SpaceX's anomaly investigation, which was overseen by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The leak "led to the excessive cooling of engine components, most importantly those associated with delivery of ignition fluid to the engine," the company wrote in Thursday's update. "As a result, the engine experienced a hard start rather than a controlled burn, which damaged the engine hardware and caused the upper stage to subsequently lose attitude control." The upper stage was able to deploy all 20 satellites, but, as noted above, they didn't stay in orbit long. SpaceX has submitted its mishap report to the FAA. In a post on X on Thursday afternoon, the company said that it's "poised to rapidly return to flight as soon as 27th July." This anomaly was SpaceX's first in-flight failure since June 2015, when a Falcon 9 broke apart while launching a robotic Dragon cargo capsule toward the International Space Station. The mishap led to the loss of the Dragon. In just 15 days, SpaceX identified and resolved the issue and now has returned to flight. It’s difficult to contextualize how impressive that is. Even working through an anomaly investigation, that turnaround far exceeds the regular launch frequency of every other launch provider in the world. It is also an important reminder that spaceflight is never easy and never routine. Pushing the boundaries of physics, spaceflight is unforgiving, and the smallest hardware deficiency can wreak havoc to an entire mission. The small part that failed on the July 11 mission was part of a redundant sensor system, but the downstream effect of this failure prevented a clean ignition for the second stage’s second burn, resulting in the stage unable to circularize its orbit and deploy the Starlink satellites. The short-term resolution was to simply delete the part!
19 July 2024: Major US carriers asked for a ground stop for all flights due to a IT communications meltdown
The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) asked the air traffic controllers to inform pilots already in the air about various airlines facing communication problems. It was reported that all flights already airborne would continue, but no new flights would take off. According to CNN, the ground stop impacts all airlines' flights, regardless of where they were scheduled to fly. Details are still emerging, but it’s uncertain how long the ground stop will last. The FAA had earlier said that an update might be available later in the day. Earlier on Thursday, low-cost carriers, such as Frontier, Allegiant, and Sun Country, also reported outages, affecting their operations. Frontier said that a "major Microsoft technical outage," affected its operations, while Sun Country reported booking and check-in issues. Spirit Airlines also eventually joined the list of carriers calling for a ground stop.
12 July 2024: SU95 Crash on first flight post-maintenance
A Gazpromavia Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, registration RA-89049, near Apraksino, Russia, shortly after departing Lukhovitsy Airfield for Moscow Vnukovo. All three crew members perished when the aircraft, undergoing its first flight post-maintenance, lost altitude and impacted the ground seven minutes after takeoff. Preliminary investigations by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) suggest an engine failure may have occurred, and both black boxes have been recovered for further analysis.
9 July 2024 LATAM Boeing 777 Tailstrike after Pilots Entered Wrong Takeoff Parameters in Flight Computer
The LATAM Airlines B777-300ER, registered as PT-MUG, was scheduled to operate flight LA8073 between MXP and São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU). The load sheet for the aircraft stated that the zero fuel weight (ZFW) was 219,460 kg, the takeoff weight (TOW) was 328,425 kg and the fuel in the tanks was 109,625 kg. Onboard the aircraft were three pilots, 12 flight attendants, and 383 passengers, in total 398 people. Some 30 seconds into takeoff the pilot flaying began pitching up the nose lift it off the runway at a speed of 153 knots. Five seconds later the onboard tail strike indicators signals were activated. The local air traffic control told the LATAM Airlines pilots about parts that detached from the aircraft. At the time, the flight crew had been in the air and were dumping fuel for their turn back. In around 32 minutes, the B777-300ER threw out around 72,000 kg of fuel before landing at the main airport in Milan, Italy, with aircraft that suffered damage to the tail skid, a drain mast, and a tail strike sensor during the incident. The preliminary report detailed that the pilots had entered V1, VR, and V2 as 145 kt, 149 kt, and 156 kt, respectively, onboard the 777-300ER's flight management system. Following the event, LATAM Airlines did a performance calculation with the onboard performance tool (OTP) with identical TOW and weather conditions. The calculation showed that the V1, VR, and V2 speeds should have been 173 kt, 181 kt, and 186 kt, respectively, which was significantly lower than the decision, rotation, and takeoff speeds that the pilots had entered into the FMS before departing. The aircraft returned to Brazil five days after the incident.
7 July 2024: Engineer Killed During Maintenance at Chabahar Konarak Airport
While performing maintenance on a Boeing 737-5Q8 owned by Varash Airlines, an engineer, Abolfazl Amiri, was killed at Chabahar Konarak Airport, Iran,. The incident occurred when the aircraft's starboard engine, running with its cowlings open, ingested Amiri after he entered the safety exclusion zone to retrieve tools. The Air Accident Board has launched an investigation, collaborating with the airline to evaluate and improve safety training for ground staff working near operating aircraft.
13 June 2021 Boeing Discovers Faulty Fastener Installation On Undelivered 787 Dreamliners
Boeing is investigating another quality lapse. This time, the manufacturer discovered hundreds of fasteners incorrectly installed on its undelivered 787 Dreamliner aircraft, assembled in Charleston, South Carolina. Here, Boeing puts together the 787s from pieces of the aircraft that are flown in from several places around the world. During final assembly, a lightweight carbon-composite skin is attached to skeletal supports inside the fuselage sections called longerons. The incorrectly installed fasteners were torqued from the head instead of the nut. Reports say that more than 900 fasteners were affected per plane. According to Boeing “Our 787 team is checking fasteners in the side-of-body area of some undelivered 787 Dreamliner airplanes to ensure they meet our engineering specifications. The in-service fleet can continue to safely operate. We are taking the time necessary to ensure all airplanes meet our delivery standards prior to delivery. We are working closely with our customers and the FAA and keeping them updated.”
11 June 2024: Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 Incident: Hydraulic Failure and Tyre Damage
An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration N429MC, suffered a hydraulic failure and tyre damage shortly after departing from Seoul Incheon, South Korea, during flight 5Y-8692 to Anchorage, Alaska. The aircraft halted its climb at 10,000 feet, circled at 7,000 feet to dump fuel, and returned safely to land on runway 15R approximately 90 minutes after takeoff, but was disabled on the runway due to tyre damage. It was later learned that tyre tread separation during rotation severed a hydraulic line, causing the failure of hydraulic system #1 and subsequent tyre blowouts on landing.
11 June 2024: Flooding At Palma De Mallorca Airport Leads To 119 Cancelled Flights
Following severe weather over the Balearic Islands, Spain, Mallorca and its airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), suffered significant disruption, as a result, more than 100 flights were delayed, cancelled, or diverted from PMI during the day. Eurowings was forced to cancel the largest number of flights from/to PMI, totalling 27 flights. Ryanair was second with 24 cancelled arriving and departing flights. Pilots and dispatcher work together to make sure the plane is on the ground with plenty of fuel still in the tanks. However, the situation normalizing on June 12.
31 May 2024: High temperature in cargo divert B777
A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration AP-BGJ performing flight PK-839 from Karachi (Pakistan) to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) with 329 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 150nm south-southeast of Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) when the crew set course to divert to Riyadh due to a high temperature indication for one of the cargo holds. The aircraft landed safely to Riyadh 35 minutes after initiating the diversion. The airline reported the crew received a high temperature indication for a cargo hold. The sensor was found to be faulty. A passenger reported he heard sort of an explosion prior to the diversion. The aircraft remained on the ground in Riyadh for about 5 hours, then continued the flight and reached the destination 5.5 hours later than scheduled.
29 May 2024: Person was sucked into the running engine at Amsterdam-Schiphol Involving KLM Cityhopper
A fatal accident occurred at Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport when a person was sucked into the running engine of a KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-190STD during pushback for flight KL1341 to Billund, Denmark. The individual, whose identity remains unclear, was confirmed dead by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, and the aircraft sustained minor damage. Passengers and crew were safely evacuated without injuries, and the Dutch Safety Board is currently investigating the incident, while victim support services are being provided to those affected.
26 May 2024: Turkish airlines flight attendant breaks spine after hitting cabin ceiling during severe turbulence rocks A321
A Turkish Airlines Airbus A321 flight from Istanbul to Izmir was rocked by sudden turbulence shortly after the pilot turned on the sign to fasten the seat belts. Flight attendants are often the most vulnerable in such situations as they perform other flight duties and may not reach their seats in time to avoid injuries. In this case a flight attendant, who was just two months into the job, was flung to the ceiling before falling hard on the floor, suffering from a broken backbone.
20 May 2024: Technician Overrun by A320 at Yekaterinburg Airport
A Ural Airlines A320 ran over a technician inspecting the plane's landing gear before takeoff earlier today, at Yekaterinburg Airport (SVX/USSS) in Russia. The technician was injured when the pilot of the Yekaterinburg-Bishkek flight began to move without waiting for the permission signal. The victim, who survived with broken bones, was taken to the hospital, and the entire crew has been suspended.
21 May 2024: Severe Turbulence Leads to Fatality and Injuries on Singapore Airlines B777
Singapore Airlines flight SQ321, a Boeing 777-312ER, experienced severe turbulence en route from London to Singapore, resulting in one fatality and injuries to 30 passengers, over the Irrawaddy Basin, Myanmar. The aircraft, carrying the 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, diverted to Bangkok, landing at 15:45 local time; injured passengers included citizens from various countries and were treated in Thai hospitals, with 20 in intensive care. Preliminary investigations suggest the deceased, a 73-year-old Briton, suffered a heart condition; authorities from Singapore, Thailand, and the US are investigating the incident.
20 May 2024: Emirates B777 Lands Safely After Hitting 39 Flamingos in Mumbai
The incident happened on Monday evening as Emirates Flight EK508 from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Mumbai International Airport (BOM), carrying around 310 passengers, was involved in a bird strike incident upon landing. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked without injury, however sadly a number of flamingos were lost. Residents in the area alerted authorities about scattered bird carcasses and body parts, including beaks and claws. Forest Department officials collected the remains of the unlucky birds, with the carcasses to be sent for an autopsy. An estimated 39 birds have been recovered and there are likely to be a few more as yet undiscovered. The damaged aircraft is a 777-300ER, registered as A6-ENT, approaching ten years old after joining the Emirates fleet in August 2014. Mumbai welcomes hordes of flamingos every winter, which come to the region's wetlands between November and May each year. Both the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) and Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) can be found during this period, and it hasn't been confirmed which type was involved in the bird strike. The Lesser Flamingo would qualify as a medium-sized bird with a typical weight of between 1.2kg and 2.7kg.
8 May 2024: Fire Induced Emergency Evacuation from A321neo At Sea-Tac
A Delta Air Lines A321neo flight from Cancun to Seattle had a mechanical malfunction, which caused a small the fire below the cockpit near the nose of the aircraft. The fire was out within 30 seconds to a minute after the passengers evacuated the plane. Although a few people suffered minor injuries, the evacuation process was reportedly smooth. According to the crew some people responded to the fire with panic; there was a little bit of jostling in the aisles to get to the exit. But overall, it was a pretty smooth evacuation process. Such incidents are sporadic, and air travel remains the safest transportation available today. The aviation industry's strong safety culture ensures that each incident is investigated and recommendations are implemented to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
6 May 2024: Mask Mandate Finally Lifted For Flight Crews In China
Since the global spread of COVID-19 began at the end of 2019, airlines worldwide, including those in China, have announced requirements for both crew members and passengers to wear masks while flying. However, in January 2020, the rampant spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, some Chinese airlines did not allow flight attendants to wear masks, citing concerns about damaging the company's image. However, this drew criticism from the public regarding the airline management's apparent disregard for the safety of frontline staff. As the world understood the pandemic, airlines worldwide imposed strict requirements for both crew members and passengers to wear masks. In August 2020, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also issued a call on its official website, emphasizing that during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew members, it was mandatory for all passengers to wear masks while travelling. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic gradually stabilized and control measures eased, requirements for wearing masks while flying began to relax. Starting from March 2022, British airlines and KLM lifted mask restrictions, while in April, a US court ruled that the US government's mask mandates for airlines and public transportation were no longer effective. Finally, Hainan Airlines Group announced on 30th April its that in accordance with the latest requirements from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), from the 6th May 2024 their flight attendants will no longer be required to wear masks. However, there are two situations in which crew members need to wear masks: when they exhibit symptoms of infectious diseases such as fever, cough, runny nose, or sore throat, and when replacing High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters on the aircraft
4 May 2024: Bird Strike Forces B737 Return at Bishkek Airport
Avia Traffic flight K9117, operating a Boeing 737, registered EX-37020, encountered a bird strike during takeoff from Bishkek-Manas International Airport, Kyrgyzstan. The aircraft, bound for Osh Airport, sustained minor damage to its engine fan blades and safely returned to Bishkek 20 minutes post-departure. There were no fatalities among the occupants, and the aircraft is currently undergoing further technical examination
28 April 2024: Hail Strike on B777 at Hong Kong
An Atlas Air Boeing 777-200, registration N709GT performing flight 5Y-8341 from Hong Kong (China) to Liege (Belgium), was climbing out of the Hong Kong's runway 07R when the aircraft flew through hail. The aircraft continued to Liege for a landing without further incident. According to information The Aviation Herald received, the weather radar was inoperative following the hail strike, post flight inspection revealed a penetration of the vertical stabilizer and reshaped radome in addition to many hail stone impact marks around the entire aircraft. The crew consulted with operations in flight and was advised to continue to Liege.
20 April 2024: NASA satellites shocking space junk near miss was even closer than thought
On 28th February 2024 the dead Russian spy satellite Cosmos 2221 and NASA's TIMED craft, which has been studying Earth's atmosphere since 2001, made an uncomfortably close pass in orbit, zooming within a mere 20 meters of each other, according to the initial estimate, anyway. However, detailed study shown that it was actually even closer, according to NASA. "We recently learned through analysis that the pass ended up being less than 10 meters, within the hard-body parameters of both satellites,” was reported during a presentation at the 39th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Had the two satellites collided, we would have seen significant debris generation, waiting to puncture a hole in another spacecraft, potentially putting human lives at risk. hile such hits remain rare, near misses such as the one TIMED survived are becoming more and more common, for Earth orbit is getting more and more crowded. There are currently about 11,500 satellites circling our planet at the moment, 9,000 of which are operational, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). More than half of these functional craft, by the way, are part of SpaceX's Starlink broadband network; the ever-growing megaconstellation currently consists of nearly 5,800 satellites.
19 April 2024: Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 has been completely destroyed by fire
An ex-Cathay Pacific Airbus A330, B-HLH, has been completely destroyed by fire at Ciudad Real Airport, Spain. The A330 caught fire while it was parked in long-term storage, where had been stored at the airport since 2020. It was reportedly awaiting to be scrapped. The fire broke out around noon local time and was extinguished by fire-fighters from Ciudad Real and Puertollano within a few hours. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the incident. The head of the airport mentioned that it’s the first time they’ve had to address airport infrastructure issues due to a fire.
16 April 2024: Extreme Flooding At Dubai Airport Causes Flight Diversions and Cancellations
As Dubai is surrounded by desert, it is extremely rear occasion to see such high levels of rainfall. In the past 24 hours alone, Dubai has seen 119 mm of rainfall, which is equivalent to one and a half year's worth of normal rainfall for the city. Rainwater was seen deluging the city's road network, and as such, the Dubai Metro has extended its operating hours to 03:00. Dubai International Airport has paused arriving flights due to severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. Departing flights are unaffected. 21 departures and 24 arrivals were cancelled, with flights to and from destinations across the world impacted.
17 April 2024: FAA issues ground stop advisory for Alaska Airlines
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop advisory on Alaska Airlines, saying: “All Alaska mainline and subcarrier flights ground stopped.” In a separate statement, the FAA said the carrier “asked the FAA to pause the airline’s mainline departures nationwide”. Alaska said in a statement: “This morning we experienced an issue while performing an upgrade to the system that calculates our weight and balance. A ground stop for all Alaska and Horizon flights was instituted at approximately 7.50am PT. We’re working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage guests to check the status of their flights on alaskaair.com or the Alaska App prior to heading to the airport.”
7 April 2024: An engine cowling on B737 rips off during takeoff
An engine cover on Southwest Airlines B737-800 fell off on Sunday during takeoff in Denver and struck the wing flap. No one was injured and Southwest Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport and was towed to the gate. There were 135 passengers and six crew members aboard climbed to about 10,300 feet before returning 25 minutes after takeoff. Southwest declined to say when the plane's engine had last had maintenance.
30 March 2024: A330 Hydraulic leaks causes not full retraction of landing gear
A Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration B-LNR, encountered a negative functionability event manifested as not full landing gear retraction during its ascent from Bangkok, Thailand, to Hong Kong, China. The incident prompted the crew to halt the climb at 5,000 feet due to a gear strut not fully retracting, leading to a return and safe landing in Bangkok approximately 35 minutes later. The cause of the functionability event was a detected hydraulic leak in the affected gear strut. The aircraft resumed its journey, arriving in Hong Kong about 17 hours behind schedule after a 16.5-hour delay for repairs.
29 March 2024 As B787-10 Hits Severe Turbulence 22 Injured
The B787-10, registered as N14016, operated as UAL85 from Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv, Israel. It proceeded to an initial cruising altitude of 34,000 feet before jumping up to 36,000 feet. As it crossed over the North Atlantic Ocean, the plane subsequently climbed to 38,000 feet and continued west for the remainder of its cruise, which appeared to be uneventful. However, 10 hours and 51 minutes into the flight, it had begun its initial descent. Ten minutes after beginning its descent, the aircraft was around 20,000 feet and well went well until the moment the aircraft had lined up for final approach on Runway 22L and was descending through 3,000 feet. It then continued for what appeared to be a normal approach. Flight data shows that the plane was only 350 feet in the air over the runway at approximately when it then climbed 3,200 feet and continued flying south of the airport before turning northwest. The Dreamliner eventually reached 4,200 feet before descending and landing at SWF. N14016 landed safely on Runway 27. It is unclear when the aircraft encountered the severe turbulence, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would investigate the incident. The agency told Simple Flying that the crew reported a passenger emergency, which prompted the diversion. There were 312 passengers onboard, out of which 15 were treated by paramedics at SWF, while seven were taken to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital. The incident was the second United aircraft to make an emergency landing in about 24 hours. On Thursday, UA990 was enroute from San Francisco to Paris when it diverted to Denver following engine issues. United has been under the spotlight for experiencing a slew of safety incidents in the past few weeks. Last week, the FAA said it would increase its oversight of United’s operations to ensure safety compliance.
27 March 2024: An Emirates A380 Was Damaged By A Ground Vehicle At Moscow
Emirates flight from Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) had to be cancelled after the aircraft was damaged by a ground vehicle. The Airbus A380 was preparing to operate flight EK134 with a scheduled departure of 16:35 and an arrival in Dubai at 23:15. Images doing the round on social media show a yellow ground vehicle wedged under the superjumbo, severely damaging its belly. The structural damage was quite evident in the pictures, possibly grounding the aircraft for days for repairs. Thankfully, there have been no reports of any injuries to passengers. Simple Flying received a statement from Emirates that said, The aircraft involved in the incident is an almost 14-year-old Airbus A380 (registered A6-EDM), delivered to Emirates in September 2010. It can seat 489 passengers in a three-cabin configuration – 399 in economy, 76 in business class, and 14 in first class. Over the years, A6-EDM has accumulated almost 46,000 flight hours across 5,678 flight cycles. It remains to be seen how long it stays in Moscow for repairs.
24 March 2024 Emirates And Ethiopian Airlines Collision At 37,000ft Averted By Somaliland ATC
The Somaliland Civil Aviation and Airports Authority (SCAAA) reported that an Emirates Boeing 777 and an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX narrowly avoided collision while flying over Somaliland. It involved Emirates Flight EK722 en route to Dubai and Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET690 en route to Bangalore. According to the SCAAA, the two nearly collided while flying at 37,000 ft. They had reportedly received conflicting instructions from air traffic controllers in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX was flying from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Bengaluru Kempegowda International (BLR). The SCAAA's report suggests that both flights had been directed to converge at the same time and location. However, Somaliland air traffic controllers intervened and collaborated with the Ethiopian flight crew to avoid disaster. The Ethiopian pilots eventually ascended to 39,000 ft and maintained safe separation. According to by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airspace over Somalia and the surrounding ocean is managed by the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) from the Mogadishu Area Control Center. Both Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates were not available for comment at the time of publishing.
23 March 2024: FAA warns of air travel disruptions in path of April 8 eclipse
The eclipse on 8th April 2024 will cross North America in its path, going over Mexico, the United States and Canada. It is expected to impact the U.S. from about 2:30 p.m. EDT to 3:40 p.m. EDT. Consequently, the US Federal Aviation (FAA) warned pilots to prepare for operational changes and higher-than-normal traffic volume at airports along the eclipse’s path. These airports include Burlington International Airport, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Fort Wayne Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. While there may be disruptions on the ground, Delta Air Lines offered two flights for travellers to see the eclipse from the sky. The two flights will depart from Dallas-Fort Worth and arrive in Detroit at times to give travellers “the best change of safely viewing the solar eclipse.” Delta said viewing opportunities will be available on five additional routes April 8, listed on their website, and advised passengers aboard these flights to bring protective viewing glasses. This is the last total eclipse that will affect sky over North America until 2044. According to Delta Air “This eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017, and the path is nearly twice as wide.”
15 March 2024: Laser strike reports 2023 as record year
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that 2023 was a record year with more than 13,000 laser strikes. It is up about 27% in the state in just a year. Recently, pointing a laser at an aircraft is made a federal crime, which carries with it significant penalties and even, in some cases, some jail time. Police reported, when they catch those responsible, one of the first things people say is they did not think it was a big deal. However, those on receiving end reported that they blinded,, “we could not see the gauges inside the aircraft and got disoriented, which could lead to loss and a tragic event”.
11 March 2024: FAA Issues New Warning Of Wiring Issue On 737 MAX Wing Spoilers
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published a new proposed airworthiness directive for B737 MAX planes following reports of improperly installed spoiler wire bundles. This fault has caused unintended rolls in flight and could lead to pilots losing control of the aircraft. Spoilers are panels mounted on wings that, when extended, disrupt airflow over the wings, resulting in increased drag and less lift. If a spoiler ‘hardovers,’ it has reached its maximum limit and is effectively jammed. The FAA has received reports of “multiple unusual spoiler deployments, which resulted in an un-commanded roll to the right” during the cruise phase of flight. The FAA investigation “identified the potential for a hardover of more than one flight spoiler on the same wing, which can exceed full lateral control capability leading to loss of control of the airplane.” In the cases reported, the “spoilers” warning light on the aircraft affected switched on, and the spoiler control electronics issued a spoiler fault code. The FAA says the fault was “intermittent and was seen on multiple flights.” The root cause was determined to be “wire chafing damage due to spoiler control wire bundles riding on the landing gear beam rib in the right wing trailing edge due to non-conforming installation of spoiler wire bundles that occurred during production.” The FAA’s proposed AD would make completing the tasks specified by Boeing’s alert bulletin mandatory to address this “unsafe condition” on Boeing’s: 737–8, 737–9, and 737–8200 MAX planes.
8 March 2024: Indonesian airline pilots fell asleep mid-flight
On 25th January 2024 a Batik Air A320's 153 passengers and four flight attendants were flying from South East Sulawesi to the capital Jakarta. About half an hour after the plane took off, the captain asked permission from his second-in-command to rest for a while, with the request being granted. The co-pilot then took over command of the aircraft, but also inadvertently fell asleep. A few minutes after the last recorded transmission by the co-pilot, the area control centre in Jakarta tried to contact the aircraft. It received no answer. Twenty-eight minutes after the last recorded transmission, the pilot woke up and realised his co-pilot was asleep and that the aircraft was not on the correct flight path. He immediately woke his colleague up, responded to the calls from Jakarta and corrected the flight path, the report said. The plane landed safely after the incident. The incident resulted in a series of n