Aviation Safety Survey – Dec 2019

 

Aviation Safety Management Society of India 

December 02, 2019-AVIATIONSAFETYINDIA

SAUDI FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING IN BENGALURU, DISRUPTS OPERATIONS FOR 45 MINS

A Saudi Arabian Airlines flight (SV 3835 D) from Kuala Lumpur to Medina made an emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, disrupting flight operations for around 45 minutes.

According to sources, a technical glitch forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing on Sunday morning at 9.08 am. Around 250-280 passengers and crew were on board and all have been reported safe.

The emergency landing disrupted flight operations for about 45 minutes at the airport, it is learnt. The technical glitch was noticed when the aircraft was close to the Chennai airport but bad weather forced it to be diverted to Bengaluru, sources said.

On Sunday evening at around 7 pm, the airline sent a replacement aircraft (an Airbus A330) to fly the passengers to Medina.

On November 11, a GoAir aircraft from Nagpur veered off the runway at the Kempegowda International Airport due to bad weather conditions. Around 170 passengers escaped unhurt as the aircraft touched the unpaved surface along the runway before taking off again. The aircraft was diverted and all the passengers, crew and aircraft landed safely at Hyderabad.

 

 

DECEMBER 2, 2019 AVIATIONSAFETYINDIA

IndiGo’s A320neo engine issue linked to how airline flies planes, believes DGCA

DGCA told IndiGo that IndiGo’s practice of revving A320neo jets at full thrust could wear down engines, say sources

IndiGo still needs to replace 110 engines out of 196 that were affected

IndiGo and Go Airlines India Ltd. use the same type of engine made by Pratt & Whitney that’s susceptible to mid-flight shutdowns. Yet IndiGo, one of Airbus SE’s biggest customers, is the only one to encounter turbine failures this year, drawing heavy scrutiny from the aviation regulator.

The reason could be linked to how the budget airline flies. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation told IndiGo’s operator, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., that its practice of revving A320neo jets at full thrust right after takeoff could wear down the engines, people familiar with the matter said. By contrast, Go Air — India’s fourth-largest carrier by market share — typically uses a so-called alt-climb approach that applies less thrust, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing a private matter.

Climbing at full thrust can help planes burn less fuel, two of the people said. IndiGo has suffered 13 engine shutdowns related to low-pressure turbines during climbs this year, according to one of the people who was directly involved in an investigation where the DGCA ran a comparative analysis on how both airlines operate.

The issue has been costly. The DGCA this week said every time a new plane joins IndiGo’s fleet, it must ground one A320neo that hasn’t had its engines fixed. That essentially prevents Asia’s biggest budget airline by market value from adding new flights until the issue is addressed. IndiGo has 730 of the latest model on order — making it the world’s top A320neo customer — and wants to expand its network beyond cities such as Istanbul to destinations including London.

Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp., invested $10 billion to develop its fuel-efficient geared-turbofan engine for single-aisle jets like the A320neo, but it’s suffered repeated setbacks since its commercial introduction in 2016, including a cooling problem, durability issues and delivery delays. IndiGo shifted away from the engines in June with a $20 billion order to CFM International Inc., a joint venture between General Electric Co. and France’s Safran SA, although those deliveries have yet to start.

An IndiGo spokeswoman said the matter is “strictly between the airline and the concerned authorities.” The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t established any connection between the climb procedure and engine problems, she wrote in a text message, adding that the safety of passengers, crew and aircraft remains the utmost priority.

An Airbus spokesman said the planes are designed to handle full thrust, but it is “established best practice” for pilots to lower the thrust while climbing to reduce stress on the engine.

IndiGo has a lot of aircraft operating in an “aggressive environment” and flies them “hard” with a high number of hours, Michael Schreyoegg, chief program officer at Germany’s MTU Aero Engines AG, a partner with Pratt on the GTF, said Wednesday at an investor event in Langenhagen near Hanover. His comment was in response to a question about why IndiGo keeps having engine issues while others don’t.

Pratt is was working with airlines to incorporate upgrades in the low pressure turbine “to address a known issue,” the company said in a statement via text message, adding that the upgrades are already certified and incorporated into new engines, and during planned maintenance visits. A representative for the aviation ministry, which oversees the DGCA, referred queries to the regulator, saying it was a “technical” question. A Go Air spokesman didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

India originally asked IndiGo to replace all its faulty engines by Jan. 31, but the DGCA said Monday that the airline’s efforts to meet the deadline didn’t “instill enough confidence.” In a meeting with the regulator Monday, IndiGo offered to replace all unmodified engines by January 2021, but the request was denied, one of the people said, adding that the initial deadline remains.

IndiGo still needs to replace 110 engines out of 196 that were affected, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Wednesday. He said GoAir hasn’t had the problems IndiGo encountered on its A320neo jets, without providing a reason. After the DGCA informed IndiGo of its findings, the company started taking steps to employ a climbing procedure similar to GoAir, the people said.

Given the number of replacements required and Airbus delivery delays, IndiGo may not be able to update all the engines by the fiscal year ending in March, according to Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. In a note Tuesday, the brokerage cut its capacity growth estimate for IndiGo to 14% from 25% this year, and to 6% from 10% for next year.

 

 

 

 

DECEMBER 3, 2019 AVIATIONSAFETYINDIA

IndiGo stops pushing Airbus engines to limit after shutdowns

IndiGo has told its pilots to stop pushing engines on its new Airbus SE jets to the limit when the planes are climbing, after India’s aviation regulator said the practice may have contributed to turbines failing in the air.

All the budget airline’s A320neo aircraft now use a lower thrust setting following take off, according to a spokeswoman from IndiGo, which has suffered 13 engine shutdowns during ascents this year. The decision was taken “in order to make every possible effort to minimize exposure of engines,” she wrote in an email, adding that manufacturer Pratt & Whitney stated there’s no evidence of a connection between climbing procedure and engine incidents.

Ascending at maximum power can help burn less fuel as it takes less time to reach cruising altitude. IndiGo made the switch only after India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation found in a probe – first reported by Bloomberg on Friday – that full-thrust climbs could wear down the engines and probably contributed to the shutdowns, people familiar with the matter said earlier.

IndiGo instructed pilots of the A320neo-family of jets last month to use no more than 93% thrust on the Pratt engines until they reach 25,000 feet (7,622 meters), the people said. They asked not to be identified because the change hadn’t been made public.

The airline spokeswoman said the change had “hardly any difference” in day to day operations, beyond taking two to three minutes longer for aircraft to reach optimum flight level due to lower thrust settings. “Difference in fuel consumption is marginal,” she said.

IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., is among the world’s fastest-growing carriers. Smaller rival Go Airlines India Ltd., which uses the same Pratt engine, typically uses the more gentle alt-climb approach now employed by IndiGo and hasn’t faced similar engines failures, people familiar with the matter have said.

Pratt representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, while the DGCA declined to comment on what it described as an internal issue for IndiGo. Airbus declined to comment on its customers’ operations.

Holding Back Expansion
IndiGo’s mid-flight dramas have been a headache for the airline. The DGCA has said every time a new plane joins IndiGo’s fleet, it must ground one A320neo that hasn’t had its engines fixed. That essentially prevents Asia’s biggest budget airline by market value from adding new flights until the issue is addressed.

IndiGo is the world’s top A320neo customer. It has 730 of the latest model on order and wants to expand its network beyond cities such as Istanbul to destinations including London.

IndiGo told pilots, engineers and training crew in mid-November about the “alternate max climb rating option” on its A320neo-family of jets, the people said. Such a practice is also known as a “derated takeoff.”

IndiGo told pilots, engineers and training crew in mid-November about the “alternate max climb rating option” on its A320neo-family of jets, the people said. Such a practice is also known as a “derated takeoff.”

The airline’s new guidelines say the Pratt engines on the A320neo cannot return to full thrust before 31,000 feet, while the bigger A321neo needs to gain a further 2,000 feet before maximum power is applied, they said. That process will reduce wear and tear on the engines, and will be applicable to all new engines as well, one of the people said.

Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp., invested $10 billion to develop its fuel-efficient geared-turbofan engine for single-aisle jets like the A320neo, but it has suffered repeated setbacks since its commercial introduction in 2016, including a cooling problem, durability issues and delivery delays.

Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp., invested $10 billion to develop its fuel-efficient geared-turbofan engine for single-aisle jets like the A320neo, but it has suffered repeated setbacks since its commercial introduction in 2016, including a cooling problem, durability issues and delivery delays.

IndiGo shifted away from engines in June with a $20 billion order to CFM International Inc., a joint venture between General Electric Co. and France’s Safran SA, although those deliveries have yet to start.

 

Comments by ASMSI

Indigo and Go Air, both have suffered heavily due to the New Engine Option on Air Bus 320. Although fuel efficient, New Engines have had many problems like engine shut down in flight, heavy engine vibrations, oil leaks etc. DGCA having appreciated the Flight and passenger safety aspects, has been fully involved and have set deadlines to replace the trouble prone Engines, on number of occasions. Of Course, the Air Bus has not been able to keep pace with the replacement of the NEO in tune with DGCA instructions and now 31 May 20 is the new likely deadline. Hopefully by then, all the trouble prone NEO will be replaced. During this phase, the Airline, Pilots and Engineers have to be very cautious and fully involved to ensure no safety compromise takes place.

During the investigation by the regulator, it was revealed that the number of problems on NEO engines with GO Airline aircraft were considerably less compared to Indigo. It was found that the GO Air Pilots were not continuing to use Full thrust for climb after takeoff while the Indigo Pilots were found to be using full thrust till reaching 25000 ft. This aspect of using full power for a longer duration (high Temperature and stress) may have been causing increased number of problems with the Indigo Aircraft NEO.

We wonder if there was any interaction between Go air and Indigo related to the common engine problems faced by both airline more so by Indigo. May be out of commercial and professional rivalry/competition, ego and pride, the airlines do not interact among each other.

It is essential for the Airlines operating same type of Aircraft to have some meetings, discussions so that they can learn from each other’s experiences and knowledge. It is necessary that concerned authorities apply their mind, involve themselves to dig deeper and not remain fixated only on one angle.

DGCA may consider facilitating better interaction among airlines particularly when such situation develops.

Spicejet Boeing 737-800 near Muscat on Dec 4th 2019, smoke on board

 

A Spice jet Boeing 737-800, registration VT-SZI performing flight SG-18 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Kochi (India), was enroute at FL350 about 30nm south of Muscat (Oman) when the crew decided to divert to Muscat. The aircraft landed safely on Muscat’s runway 26R about 50 minutes later.

A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration VT-SLE reached Kochi with a delay of 12.5 hours.

The airline reported a technical problem prompted the diversion to Muscat. A replacement aircraft was dispatched to Muscat.

Passengers reported smoke was detected on board prompting the diversion.

DECEMBER 7, 2019 AVIATIONSAFETYINDIA

FAA Issues Updated Equipment Rules for Boeing’s 737 Max Jet

• Proposals mark a step in returning grounded plane to service
• S. regulator is revising aircraft’s operational requirements

In a small step toward returning Boeing Co.’s 737 Max to service, U.S. regulators are revising requirements for how airlines must operate the plane if equipment breaks down.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued proposed new rules for airline operations on the Max that adapt to the fixes being finalized for the grounded jetliner. The public will have 30 days to comment on the document, which was posted on the FAA’s website.

Boeing is finalizing changes to a flight-control system linked to two fatal crashes, in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. The manufacturer is also altering the plane’s flight-control computers after tests showed they were vulnerable to failure.

The company must complete an audit of the software changes and test the revised system in flight simulators with a variety of pilots. In addition to signing off on the redesign, the FAA is also devising new pilot training.

One of the more technical steps in the process is to revise what is known as the Master Minimum Equipment List, which lays out conditions under which an operator can fly the aircraft with a variety of malfunctions. Major breakdowns require that a plane get fixed before flight, but airlines can fly with relatively minor malfunctions if there are adequate backups and repairs are performed within a prescribed time.

Because of revisions to the 737 Max’s flight computers — which will be checking each other in Boeing’s proposed new design — the FAA is changing requirements for how airlines operate if the computer or related functions aren’t working properly.

“This is a positive sign of the measured approach for ensuring the safe return to service of the 737 Max and the thorough approach by the FAA in this process,” Boeing spokesman Paul Bergman said in an email on Thursday night.

Comments by ASMSI

FAA, which had almost given some autonomy to Boeing in deciding on the airworthiness of Boeing Max aircraft, appears to be in high gear to resolve the issues, afflicting Max aircraft to make it fool proof. All the aspects of the failure which occurred in both fatal accidents have been thoroughly analysed and necessary modifications are being tested and it is expected that FAA will not approve the airworthiness of Max till they are fully satisfied about the safety of the aircraft.

FAA and Boeing seem to have learnt their lesson well and are fully involved in placing stringent requirements for how the Pilots will respond if the computers or other software related problems occur in flight. It is hoped that the safety aspects of the aircraft with high degree of computer control and malfunction will be taken care of after the regulator and the manufacturers have learnt their lessons from the fatal accidents.

DECEMBER 11, 2019 AVIATIONSAFETYINDIA

DGCA Gives Nod for Boeing Training Facility in Singapore

In a first of its kind flow, aviation regulator DGCA has given clearance for a Boeing training facility in Singapore as according to the Indian watchdog’s certification  system,  in keeping with a senior respectable. The legit said the clearance  might help complete carrier Vistara in inducting Boeing 787 planes early subsequent 12 months due to the fact there’s only one such facility in India which does no longer have spare capacity.

Approval has been accorded to Boeing training facility in Singapore for 787 sort of plane. Pilots go through education at Approved Training Organisations (ATOs). With Vistara poised to tentatively get these plane type from February 2020, the approval for the Singapore facility might facilitate the induction, the reliable source stated.

Currently, the schooling facility for this kind is handiest to be had with Air India however does now not have spare capacity to educate every other pilots. Till now, the DGCA changed into most effective accepting approval, as granted via another ICAO contracting kingdom, for remote places ATOs.

Currently, the schooling facility for this kind is handiest to be had with Air India however does now not have spare capacity to educate every other pilots. Till now, the DGCA changed into most effective accepting approval, as granted via another ICAO contracting kingdom, for remote places ATOs.

Comments by ASMSI

India is a big Aviation market and in near future, it is expected to be third largest aviation market in the world. However, we are still dependent on Singapore and other destinations for our ATO requirements. There is an urgent need to establish these facilities in India on high priority.

DECEMBER 11, 2019 AVIATIONSAFETYINDIA

GoAir Singapore-Bengaluru flight grounded after technical glitch

A Go Air flight en direction to Bengaluru was Monday, 9^th Dec 2019 grounded in Singapore following a technical problem. According to GoAir spokesperson, flight – G8 28 Singapore – Bengaluru had an air turn back on priority rapidly after takeoff.

“There were 158 passengers on board. The aircraft is currently being attended to by the Go Air engineering team,” he said.

Meanwhile, a passenger tweeted announcing the GoAir Singapore-Bengaluru flight grounded due to the scent of oil stated in cabin mid-air. Kumar Jiwitesh, tweeted, “GoAir flight scent of oil suggested in cabin mid-air. Literally Stranded at Changi Airport from the past 2 days! No update yet from the group. Cooking up memories to simply fool the passengers!”

GoAir spokesperson said, “the boarding has commenced to Bengaluru and safety of passengers and crew is of paramount importance and we sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to our passengers.”

Comments by ASMSI

Smell of Oil in the passenger cabin is a freak incident, not commonly heard. The airlines must ensure that they inform the passengers in a truthful manner about any technical or other issues and efforts to mislead passengers should be best avoided. Safety and comfort level are very important for the passengers.