After Alaska Airlines planes bump runway, a scramble to ‘pull the plug’

On the morning of Jan. 26, as two Alaska Airlines flights from Seattle to Hawaii lifted off six minutes apart, the pilots each felt a slight bump and the flight attendants at the back of the cabin heard a scraping noise. As the noses of both Boeing 737s lifted skyward on takeoff, their tails had scraped the runway. Alaska’s flight operations staff quickly realized that a software bug was sending bad takeoff weight data to its crews. (www.seattletimes.com) More...

Flight attendants want to ban lap babies on planes

When the seat belt light blinks on, every passenger buckles up except for one group of fliers: lap babies. Unrestrained children sharing a seat with their parents are exempt from the safety mandate, presenting a growing concern amid recent incidents of severe turbulence. ... Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. “The G-forces are not something even the most loving mother or father can guard against and hold their child. It’s just physically… (www.seattletimes.com) More...

Fake spare parts sold to repair CFM56 engines

"Numerous Authorised Release Certificates for parts supplied via AOG Technics have been forged," the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said ... the organization identified as the manufacturer "confirmed that they did not produce the certificate, and that they were not the originator of the part." It's unclear how many fake parts may have been installed or how many aircraft might be affected. The CFM56, the world's best-selling jet engine, is installed on… (www.detroitnews.com) More...

American Airlines fined $4.1 million for dozens of long tarmac delays that trapped passengers

The federal government is fining American Airlines $4.1 million for dozens of instances in which passengers were kept on board planes without a chance to exit during long ground delays. The U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday it is the largest such fine against an airline since rules covering long ground delays took effect about a decade ago. (abcnews.go.com) More...

Pension deadline could speed retirement of experienced Boeing engineers

Boeing may see hundreds of veteran engineers retire this fall ahead of a pension adjustment that will dramatically slash the payouts to those who choose to take the money in a single lump sum. The interest rates used to determine the lump sum will be updated in November, after which one 35-year Boeing employee calculates that his payout will be cut by more than $200,000. ... Matt Kempf, senior director for compensation and retirement for SPEEA, estimates around 600 or 700 experienced local… (www.seattletimes.com) More...

Southwest Airlines proposed a ploy to deceive FAA on Boeing 737 MAX, legal filing alleges

In April 2016, when Boeing’s 737 MAX was in flight test a year ahead of its certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, Southwest Airlines made a strange proposal to Boeing — one that suggests an effort to deceive the FAA. According to a legal filing by attorneys pursuing a lawsuit against the airline, Southwest manager Bill Lusk asked Boeing officials, including the MAX chief technical pilot Mark Forkner, if engineers could install a new flight control safety alert required for the… (www.seattletimes.com) More...

Air India B777 Delhi-San Francisco flight diverted to Russia after 'technical issue'

The plane, carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew members, landed safely at Russia’s Magadan airport in the country’s far east on Tuesday, Air India said in a statement. ... Air India would be sending a replacement aircraft to Russia so the passengers could continue their travel to the U.S. (ground.news) More...

Air traffic control ‘failure’ hits UK airports

Air passengers across Europe faced potential delays on Monday after the UK’s air traffic control system suffered a “technical issue” resulting in restrictions on flights. Britain’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said that UK airspace would remain open while it tried to resolve the problem. (www.cnn.com) More...

Engine maker Rolls-Royce reuses spare parts amidst supply chain crunch

British engine maker Rolls-Royce is repairing and reusing spare parts in light of supply chain issues that are causing issues for the aerospace industry. ... A lack of spare parts is already impacting airlines. Latvia-based airBaltic revealed on August 3, 2022, that six of its Airbus A220s are unable to fly because regular maintenance can’t be carried out. ... (www.aerotime.aero) More...

FAA Alert: United delays all flights nationwide due to ‘equipment outage’

The FAA alert says the airline requested that all flights be held at their departure airports—known as a ground stop—until 2 p.m. EDT. The agency did not elaborate, referring questions to United. “We are experiencing a systemwide technology issue and are holding all aircraft at their departure airports,” (www.cnn.com) More...