Airlines warned over safety as jets return from pandemic storage

[webfact]

Airlines warned over safety as jets return from pandemic storage

By Jamie Freed

 

FILE PHOTO: Wizz Air Airbus A320-232 plane HA-LWE taxies to take-off in Riga International Airport in Riga, Latvia January 17, 2020. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Regulators, insurers and experts are warning airlines to take extra care when reactivating planes left in extended storage during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing potential pilot rustiness, maintenance errors and even insect nests blocking key sensors.

 

The unprecedented number of aircraft grounded as coronavirus lockdowns blocked air travel - at one point reaching two-thirds of the global fleet - has created a spike in the number of reported problems as airlines return them to service.

 

The number of "unstabilised" or poorly handled approaches has risen sharply this year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Such mishaps can result in hard landings, runway overshoots or even crashes.  

 

Worried by IATA's data, insurers are questioning airlines about whether they are doing extra pilot training to focus on landings, said Gary Moran, head of Asia aviation at insurance broker Aon PLC.

 

"They want to know about the circumstances of the training," he said.

 

Approaches and landings place significant demands on crew for which training and regular experience are seen as vital.       

According to aircraft maker Airbus SE, the largest category of fatal accidents can be traced back to the approach to an airport, while the largest number of non-fatal accidents happen during landing.

 

In May, a Pakistan International Airlines jet crashed after an unstabilised approach, killing 97 people, while 18 died in an Air India Express crash on landing in August, also after an unstabilised approach.

 

INSECTS IN TUBES

Training is not the only concern.

 

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has reported an "alarming trend" in the number of reports of unreliable airspeed and altitude readings during the first flight after a plane leaves storage.

 

In some cases, take-offs had to be abandoned or the aircraft had to return to base.

 

In most cases, the problem was traced back to undetected insect nests inside the aircraft's pitot tubes, pressure-sensitive sensors that feed key data to an avionics computer.

 

In June, a Wizz Air Holdings PLC jet halted take-off after the captain found the airspeed was reading zero.

 

Examination of the plane found insect larvae in one of the pitot tubes, with the aircraft having been parked for 12 weeks before the flight, the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch said last month. No passengers were on board.

 

Insects blocking a pitot tube contributed to the 1996 crash of a chartered Birgenair plane in the Dominican Republic that killed all 189 people on board.

 

Kate Seaton, a Singapore-based aerospace partner at law firm HFW, said flight crews need to be aware of potential defects that might not have been identified properly as planes return to service after an unprecedented grounding.

 

"We are in new territory - the industry must take steps to mitigate the risks but need to be prepared for the unexpected," she said.

 

HONEST ASSESSMENT

EASA said last month that issues found after prolonged parking included an engine shutdown in flight after technical problems, fuel system contamination, reduced parking brake pressure and emergency batteries losing their charge.

 

"We've got people returning to work who are quite rusty, which is a big issue," insurer Aon's Moran said.

 

Airlines have developed training programmes for pilots re-entering service ranging from theory refreshers to multiple simulator sessions and supervised in-flight checks, depending on the length of absence.

 

Australia's aviation regulator said on Nov. 30 its inspectors would beef up surveillance on COVID-19 related risks involving the re-entry into service, pilot training and safety risk management for the remainder of the year through to June 30, 2021.

 

Pilots also need to make an honest assessment of their skills and confidence upon returning to work, International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations representative Peter Meiresonne said at an industry webinar in October. They may need to turn down offers like shorter landing approaches from air traffic control if they do not feel ready, he said.

 

"Maybe now is a good time to say, 'We are not able today' or 'Give us a six- or 10-mile lineup rather than a four-mile lineup', which you might accept when you are more proficient and (flight experience is) more recent," he said.

 

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-15

 

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[teacherclaire]

In June, a Wizz Air Holdings PLC jet halted take-off after the captain found the airspeed was reading zero.

 

Time for a thoroughly check. 

[Tug]

I remember one incident in South America a mud dabber built a nest in the pedo tube they killed a hundred or passengers on that one I’d  be worried about mice chewing on the wires as well 

[mtls2005]

There have been some engine incidents (thankfully not double-ones) in 737's (not MAX) post-storage such that the FAA has issued specific inspection order just for them.

 

FAA orders emergency inspections of 2,000 Boeing 737s after engine failures post-coronavirus storage

 

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive  (AD) for 2,000 Boeing 737s that have been parked.

 

The FAA issued the directive after inspectors found compromised air check valves when bringing the aircraft out of storage, agency spokesman Lynn Lunsford said. Corrosion on the "fifth stage bleed air check valve'' could result in dual-engine failure, he said.

 

The FAA took the action after four recent reports of single-engine shutdowns due to check valves being stuck open, according to the Airworthiness Directive. It did not detail the incidents or name the airlines operating them, but Alaska Airlines confirmed one of its planes suffered an "engine shutdown issue'' on a July 15 flight from Seattle to Austin, Texas. Spokesman Ray Lane said the "safety of the flight was not compromised.'' The 737 made an emergency landing in Austin and the engine was replaced, he said.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/07/24/faa-emergency-inspections-boeing-737-corrosion-engine-failures-coronavirus-storage/5501391002/

 

 

 

737 Max's have been parked a lot longer of course.

[JoePai]

2 hours ago, Tug said:

I remember one incident in South America a mud dabber built a nest in the pedo tube they killed a hundred or passengers on that one I’d  be worried about mice chewing on the wires as well 

Umm a bit of a slip - or an intentional poke at a certain S. African...

[nauseus]

9 hours ago, Tug said:

I remember one incident in South America a mud dabber built a nest in the pedo tube they killed a hundred or passengers on that one I’d  be worried about mice chewing on the wires as well 

 

 pedo tube?

 

think you mean pitot - or at least I hope so.

Edited December 15, 2020 by nauseus

[Olmate]

9 minutes ago, nauseus said:

 

 pedo tube?

 

think you mean pitot - or at least I hope so.

 

[Peterphuket]

The pedo tube, unfortunately they need on every plain.

[Damrongsak]

The pitot tube was invented by the French engineer Henry Pitot in the early 18th century. 

[teacherclaire]

Corrosion on the "fifth stage bleed air check valve'' could result in dual-engine failure, he said.

 

Even planes got COVID. Scary thought when all engines fail. 

[Tug]

Thankyou pitot tube I stand corrected but hey ya got a chuckle 

[JonnyF]

A good point. These machines are designed to be run regularly. I've put various cars and motorcycles into storage over the years and invariably end up with seized parts, failed sensors, leaks etc.

 

Time for a thorough check. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the first flight of a plane that's been in storage for 12 months.

[nrasmussen]

6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

A good point. These machines are designed to be run regularly. I've put various cars and motorcycles into storage over the years and invariably end up with seized parts, failed sensors, leaks etc.

 

Time for a thorough check. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the first flight of a plane that's been in storage for 12 months.

 

That's exactly why the manufacturers provide very detailed procedures that must be followed when putting aircrafts into storage, how to take care of them while they are in storage, and how to prepare them for flight when they are taken out of storage.

[mtls2005]

Air Canada Boeing 737 Max Suffers Engine Problem: Aviation24

 

An Air Canada Boeing 737-8 Max on a test flight suffered engine issues that forced the crew to shut down one of the plane’s engines and make an emergency landing in Tucson, Arizona, Aviation24.be reported.

 

Shortly after takeoff, the crew received an indication of hydraulic low pressure in the left engine, the website said. The three-member crew of the empty plane initially decided to continue the flight to Montreal, but shut down the engine and diverted to Tucson after receiving an indication of a fuel imbalance from the left-hand wing, Aviation24.be said.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-25/air-canada-boeing-737-max-suffers-engine-problem-aviation24