Flight Safety Information - February 5, 2025 No. 026 In This Issue : Incident: Libya RJ1H at Sofia on Feb 3rd 2025, cabin pressurization problem : Incident: Canada Rouge A319 near Tampa on Jan 31st 2025, smoke and fumes on board : Incident: France BCS3 near Milan on Feb 3rd 2025, smoke on board : de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 - Ground Collision (Japan) : Azerbaijan jet that crashed was riddled with holes, report says : Remains of all 67 victims of the midair collision near DC recovered as NTSB probes altitude data : Army Black Hawk Helicopter Flew Too High Before D.C. Jet Crash: NTSB : NTSB finishes work on site of deadly medical jet crash in Philly : Flexjet signs firm order for 182 Embraer jets in $7 billion deal : America’s air traffic controllers are in short supply—those who qualify can make $137,000 annually, with no bachelor’s required : Boeing executive says supplier Spirit Aero has a substantial inventory of 737 fuselages : Two ex-Japan Airlines pilots grounded after lying about drinking : Ex-United Pilot Sues After Buckling 767 Fuselage : 'We all lose': Trump’s FAA says employees 'should not attend' meetings on aviation safety : Drone Pilot Who Flew Into Firefighting Airplane Attempts to Avoid Prison : International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and ACAO Breached: Cyberespionage Groups Targeting Aviation Safety Specialists : Calendar of Events Incident: Libya RJ1H at Sofia on Feb 3rd 2025, cabin pressurization problem An Air Libya Avro RJ-100, registration 5A-FLF performing flight 7I-155 from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Alexandria (Egypt), was climbing out of Sofia when the crew requested to stop the climb at FL160 reporting they had a high cabin altitude, they wanted to return to Sofia. ATC cleared the aircraft to descend to FL120, the aircraft positioned for an approach to Sofia's runway 27 and landed safely about 25 minutes after departure. The aircraft had flown to Sofia on Jul 19th 2024 and had not flown since. The aircraft remained on the ground in Sofia about 23 more hours, then departed to and arrived in Benghazi (Libya) via Alexandria. https://avherald.com/h?article=523adfe4&opt=0 Incident: Canada Rouge A319 near Tampa on Jan 31st 2025, smoke and fumes on board An Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319-100, registration C-FYJP performing flight RV-1659 from Tampa,FL (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada), was enroute at FL340 about 150nm north of Tampa when the crew donned their oxygen masks, turned around and returned to Tampa. The aircraft landed safely on Tampa's runway 19R about 70 minutes after departure. A passenger reported smoke and extremely strong fumes in the cabin, many passengers experienced irritiations in eyes, noses and throats. Emergency services attended to the aircraft with air sensor monitors and subsequently cleared to disembark. The aircraft is still on the ground in Tampa on Feb 4th 2025 about 112 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=523add12&opt=0 Incident: France BCS3 near Milan on Feb 3rd 2025, smoke on board An Air France Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration F-HPNM performing flight AF-1228 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Bologna (Italy), was enroute at FL330 about 20nm northeast of Milan Malpensa (Italy) when the crew reported smoke on board and decided to divert to Malpensa where the aircraft landed safely on runway 35L about 18 minutes later and taxied to a remote apron. The remainder of the flight as well as the return flight were cancelled, the passengers were bussed to Bologna. The aircraft is still on the ground in Milan about 31 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=523ad9f3&opt=0 de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 - Ground Collision (Japan) Date: Sunday 2 February 2025 Time: 9:00 LT Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 Owner/operator: All Nippon Airways - ANA Registration: JA465A MSN: 4571 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 28 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Fukushima Airport (FKS/RJSF) - Japan Phase: Taxi Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Osaka-Itami Airport (ITM/RJOO) Destination airport: Fukushima Airport (FKS/RJSF) Narrative: An ANA Wings DHC-8 aircraft operating All Nippon Airways flight NH1695 hit the jet bridge when its left wing collided with it upon arrival at spot 3 of Fukushima. Four crew members and 24 passengers were uninjured, but three flights were cancelled and around 100 people are expected to be affected. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/474946 Azerbaijan jet that crashed was riddled with holes, report says A Russia-bound Azerbaijani jet that crashed in Kazakhstan in December had probably been damaged by "external objects" before it hit the ground, according to a report released Tuesday. The 53-page preliminary report published by Kazakhstan's transport ministry included photographs of the plane riddled with holes, but it did not identify the reason why the plane went off course and crashed in its western city of Aktau. The crash killed 38 of the 67 people on board. According to its probe, the crew had reported to air traffic control in Russia's city of Grozny about losing a GPS signal, and shortly later, lost control of the plane. The report said that the plane had "various shapes and size of damage in the tail section" and "similar damage was found on the left engine and left wing of the aircraft." Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly said that Russian air defense unintentionally shot down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. Russian officials had initially attributed the crash to a possible bird strike or the explosion of some sort of gas cylinder. Russian President Vladimir Putin then issued a rare public apology for what the Kremlin called in a statement a "tragic accident," saying that Russia's air defense system was working to repel a Ukrainian drone attack on the day the plane crashed. But Moscow stopped short of claiming responsibility for the crash. A U.S. official previously told CBS News there were early indications a Russian anti-aircraft system may have struck the plane in a region where Ukrainian and Russian forces have traded drone and rocket fire for months. The Kremlin statement noted that it had launched a criminal probe into the incident. Kazakhstan is heading the investigation as the crash happened on its territory. But the country, one of Russia's closest allies, has not directly blamed Moscow. https://www.yahoo.com/news/azerbaijan-jet-crashed-riddled-holes-220847111.html Remains of all 67 victims of the midair collision near DC recovered as NTSB probes altitude data ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The remains of all 67 victims of last week's midair collision of an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter near the nation's capital have been recovered, authorities said Tuesday. All but one has been identified. Meanwhile the NTSB said it was examining new data that could put the helicopter above its 200-foot (61-meter) flight ceiling. The airport's air traffic control screen — relying on radar sensors and other data — had it at 300 feet (91 meters), the agency said. However that figure would have been rounded to the nearest 100 feet, according to authorities. Investigators said they need to get more information from the still-submerged Black Hawk to verify the data. The jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet (7.6 meters). Earlier in the day, crews working in choppy conditions raised a number of large pieces of the jetliner from the Potomac River, including the right wing, the center fuselage and parts of the forward cabin, cockpit, tail cone and rudder. “Our hearts are with the victims’ families as they navigate this tragic loss,” officials said in a joint statement from the city and federal agencies involved in the search and recovery, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navy dive teams and Washington police and fire crews. The chief medical examiner will be working to positively identify the final set of remains, officials said. The collision occurred last Wednesday night as the plane was about to land at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing everyone on board both aircraft. Authorities said early on that they expected to recover the remains of everyone who died, and they are now focusing on retrieving the jet and hope to recover the helicopter later this week. On Monday salvage crews were able to pull one of the two jet engines from the river, along with large pieces of the plane’s exterior, Col. Francis B. Pera of the Army Corps of Engineers said. Sixty passengers and four crew were on the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, including figure skaters returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships there. The Black Hawk was on a training mission. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland; and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, were aboard. Federal investigators are trying to piece together the events that led to the collision. Full investigations typically take a year or more, but they hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days. Wednesday’s crash was the deadliest in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five on the ground. https://www.yahoo.com/news/recovery-resumes-deadly-plane-chopper-152802804.html Army Black Hawk Helicopter Flew Too High Before D.C. Jet Crash: NTSB A military helicopter was flying above the maximum altitude for its route when it collided with a passenger plane near Washington, D.C., last week, authorities said. The National Transportation Safety Board said in an update on Tuesday that it obtained data, rounded to the nearest 100 feet, that showed the Black Hawk helicopter was flying at roughly 300 feet at the time of its fatal collision with American Airlines Flight 5342, which was flying into the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from Wichita, Kansas. “The ceiling of that route was 200 feet,” NTSB investigator Brice Banning said in a press briefing over the weekend. Officials earlier said initial data showed the Army helicopter flying at 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, at the time of the crash. The Tuesday update was based on the latest information. “NTSB needs additional information to verify data points from the Black Hawk,” the agency said in a statement. “In order to obtain this information, the Black Hawk needs to be recovered from the water, which is expected to take place later this week.” “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot,” he said. “It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later doubled down on Trump’s statement, saying “there was some sort of an elevation issue” that was being investigated. The crash killed all 67 people in both aircraft—64 in the passenger plane and three in the helicopter—making it the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001. Authorities announced on Tuesday that the remains of all 67 victims had now been recovered. “Our hearts are with the victims’ families as they navigate this tragic loss,” city and federal agencies said in a release. https://www.yahoo.com/news/army-black-hawk-helicopter-flew-005431012.html NTSB finishes work on site of deadly medical jet crash in Philly The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) finished their work on-site in Northeast Philadelphia after the deadly medical jet crash. City officials shared the next steps in the investigation and cleanup efforts. What to Know • The National Transportation Safety Board finished their work on site and will continue to investigate after a medical jet crashed into a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday, killing all six people on board, a seventh person in a vehicle on the ground, injuring at least 24 others and damaging around 366 properties. • The Learjet 55 -- operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance -- crashed along Cottman Avenue in front of the Roosevelt Mall near Roosevelt Boulevard shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. • The medical jet was transporting a child who had just completed treatment for a life-threatening condition at Shriners Children's Philadelphia, her mother and four others when it crashed, officials have said. All six victims were from Mexico, which was the flight's final destination following a planned stop in Missouri. • Jet Rescue Air Ambulance identified the crew as Capt. Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla. The Government of Ensenada also identified the patient and her mother who were in the plane as Valentina Guzman Murillo and Lizeth Murillo Ozuna, respectively. • A seventh person -- who has not yet been identified -- was also killed in a vehicle on the ground during the crash while at least 24 other people who were on the ground in Northeast Philadelphia were injured, officials said. • The NTSB recovered the jet's black box on Sunday, Feb. 2, and released a photo of it on social media on Tuesday, Feb. 4. • The Fraternal Order of Police also said some of the officers who responded to the crash are currently dealing with breathing problems. • During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Philadelphia Managing Director Adam Thiel said the NTSB had finished their on site work and will leave Philadelphia soon to continue their investigation. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philadelphia-jet-plane-crash-black-box-ntsb/4098867/ Flexjet signs firm order for 182 Embraer jets in $7 billion deal The Flexjet firm order includes Phenom 300Es, Praetor 500s, and Praetor 600s, plus options for 30 more jets and an extended service agreement. During the opening of its $50 million operations center and headquarters in September 2023, Flexjet, Inc. Chairman Kenn Ricci teased an upcoming order for new private jets. The order was announced earlier today and is valued at up to $7 billion. ‘I’m as bullish on private aviation, fractional ownership and Flexjet as I have ever been’ – Mike Silvestro, Co-CEO, Flexjet, Inc. It is “the largest firm order” in history for both Embraer Executive Jets and the fractional operator. Included is a firm order of 182 aircraft. There are also 30 options and an enhanced services and support agreement as part of the deal. The net effect is that Flexjet’s fleet size will nearly double to around 600 aircraft by 2031. Flexjet, Inc. Co-CEO Mike Silvestro says the world’s second-largest commercial operator of private jets currently has over 300 aircraft, with around 150 from Embraer. The deal follows an oversubscribed $550 million bond offering in late December. “I’m as bullish on private aviation, fractional ownership, and Flexjet as I have ever been,” Silvestro said during an interview last night before the announcement. Silvestro has been in the corner office since 2008 and entered the industry in 2000. In 2023, he was honored with the Living Legends of Aviation Lifetime Aviation Industry Award. Advertisement Last year, private aviation posted its third-best year ever based on flight hours despite declining for the third straight year. Its 1.1% year-over-year dip was offset by a 6.5% gain in fractional flying. Younger, Larger, Longer Today’s order includes Praetor 600, Praetor 500, and Phenom 300E models. The Praetor 600 is a super-midsize jet, and the 500 is midsize. The Phenom 300E series is a light jet. Deliveries will begin in 2026. Deliveries this year come from a $1.4 billion order placed in 2019. Silvestro said, “The vast majority of those firm and option orders” are Praetors. He called it a reflection of three trends he classified as “younger, larger, longer.” New customers are starting at a younger age – in their 40s. Silvestro said that instead of starting in light jets, they are entering bigger aircraft and flying longer segments. According to the most recent survey of Private Jet Card Comparisons subscribers, 95.8% of Flexjet customers rate its service as Excellent/Very Good, compared to 73.3% for the overall industry of fractional and jet card sellers. Flexjet Middle East? Silvestro said the U.S. will remain the dominant market for customers. However, Flexjet is looking to expand its geographic customer base. With the additional aircraft, Flexjet could base aircraft in the Middle East, which Silvestro calls an extension of its European operations. It has 14 aircraft in its European fleet after launching its fractional program there during the Covid pandemic in 2020. Reports from Saudi Arabia yesterday said the Kingdom’s civil aviation authority will allow foreign operators to operate domestic flights starting in May 2025. It is part of a government plan to build private aviation into a $2 billion industry by 2030, supporting 35,000 jobs. “We are looking very seriously at the best way to serve those Middle East customers,” Silvestro said. Embraer President & CEO Michael Amalfitano said, “We are delighted with Flexjet’s renewed commitment to Embraer through this comprehensive purchase agreement, which strengthens even further our strategic partnership of over 20 years.” The OEM boss added, “We are very excited to have many more loyal Flexjet fractional owners enjoy access to our industry-leading Phenom and best-in-class Praetor jets.” Last year, Embraer delivered 130 private jets, an increase of 13% despite continuing supply chain challenges. Flexjet and Embraer history Embraer’s relationship with the company dates back to 2003 with Flight Options. Ricci founded Flight Options before selling it to Raytheon in 2002 and repurchasing it in 2008. He then bought Flexjet from Bombardier in 2012, merging the two flight providers and transitioning to the Flexjet brand. Flexjet CEO Michael Silverstro said, “Now in our 30th year at Flexjet, it seems fitting to extend our rewarding and long-term relationship with Embraer with this historic and groundbreaking firm order.” Silvestro noted, “The Praetor 600 was so well accepted in Europe, we opted to include it in our North American fleet in 2023, extending our Embraer fleet across two continents.” Flexjet has launched several Embraer products, including the Legacy Executive in 2003, the Phenom 300 in 2010, the Legacy 450 in 2016, and the Praetor 500 and 600 in 2019. It received Embraer’s 100th Phenom 300 in 2012 and the OEM’s 1,000th executive jet in 2016. Silvestro declined to discuss other possible fleet orders, saying he was focused on Embraer today. Embraer may have beat out Bombardier for the super-midsize part of the order. A dozen Challenger 3500s, which were thought to be headed to Flexjet, ended up going to rival NetJets early in 2024. In 2019, Gulfstream announced Flexjet as its North American launch fleet customer for the G700. Back-of-the-envelope math would suggest if Flexjet expects to have about 600 aircraft by 2031, currently has 300, and has tabbed Embraer for 212 orders and options, it is still in the market for at least 90 jets, not accounting for retirements. Flexjet, Inc. also owns jet card broker Sentient Jet, on-demand broker FXAir, several MROs, and management companies. https://privatejetcardcomparisons.com/2025/02/05/flexjet-signs-firm-order-for-182-embraer-jets-in-7-billion-deal/ America’s air traffic controllers are in short supply—those who qualify can make $137,000 annually, with no bachelor’s required Expensive, grueling, and time-consuming training has exacerbated the shortage of controllers. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Several deadly plane crashes this year have put the spotlight on the U.S.’s air traffic controller shortage. Experts point to COVID-era woes and expensive, time-consuming job training. But a six-figure salary is on the table for those who make the cut. Last week, an American Airlines passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter right outside Reagan Washington National Airport, killing all 67 people involved. Two days later, a small medical plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one on the ground. Both incidents left the American public confused—and terrified. While many have posited theories about the deadly plane crashes—from miscommunication to governmental chaos caused by the new Trump administration. As it turns out, America has grappled with an air traffic controller shortage for years. There are a few key reasons as to why there aren’t enough workers on call—from costly and time-consuming training, to high churn in the coaching phases. But for those who hold out in the field, there are several upsides. Air traffic controllers make an average of six figures per year, and demand for them is growing within the labor market as the travel industry continues to thrive. “The investment in air traffic control, technology, and individuals has been below the level it needs to be, and now we’re paying the price for that,” Geoff Freeman, president of the U.S. Travel Association, told Local 3 News. Why there’s an air traffic controller shortage in the U.S. The recent string of deadly plane crashes has stoked fear among the American public. It’s even more disconcerting once you know how understaffed most airports are. About 91%, or 285 of 313 U.S. air traffic control facilities, operate below the FAA’s recommended staffing levels, according to data from the union representing controllers. What’s worse: At 73 of these locations, at least a quarter of the workforce is missing. Operations in New York and Long Island are especially squeezed for staffers. Aviation safety experts have connected the staffing shortage among air traffic controllers with a high number of near misses, or aircraft almost hitting each other. There were about 1,757 of these “runway incursions” in 2024, when there is an incorrect presence or position of plane or person on the runway. Some pointed fingers at Trump’s anti-DEI stance for worsening the labor gap, which in theory could deter or limit the applicant pool. But this has been an issue long before he took office. Air traffic control has historically been an understaffed profession. Experts point to a few factors, but many contend the friction lies within the onboarding process. Training a new air traffic controller can take anywhere from 16 months, like at Reagan National Airport, to several years. And when the pandemic hit, many employers paused the coaching process. During that time, many older controllers also transitioned into retirement. Training new air traffic controllers is also neither cheap nor easy. The former Department of Transportation inspector general, Mary Schiavo, said getting these workers prepped and primed is extremely costly. And for some who do make it to onboarding, the job turns out more grueling than expected. “It takes a long time to train an air traffic controller,” Schiavo told CNN. “It’s very expensive. And about a third of them wash out because it’s very rigorous.” The career life span for an air traffic controller is limited too. In the U.S., controllers have to retire by the age of 56. Because of this, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants fresh meat; it's unwilling to hire anyone older than 31, in order for employees to have 25 long years on the job. As the American workforce ages, Gen Z will have to step in as the next cohort of air traffic controllers. Anyone who can last in the difficult industry will reap a comfortable salary and find better-than-average job security. Getting into the understaffed profession—and making six figures Being an air traffic controller is no walk in the park. Workers describe long working hours to fill scheduling gaps, unaddressed mental health concerns, and unpredictable shift patterns. There is one upside to the role: financial stability. Air traffic controllers make an average of $137,000 per year, according to a 2023 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But the path to that high-paying position isn’t easy. The job doesn’t require multiple degrees. The typical education level for being an air traffic controller is having an associate’s degree, according to the BLS. And while having a relevant work background isn’t essential, entry-level employees must spend months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City for mandatory training. After that, another two to three years of classroom studies and on-the-job experience are required before receiving a controller certification. Applicants also need to have other qualifications. To be considered as an air traffic controller, candidates must be U.S. citizens under the age of 31, clear both a medical exam and security investigation, pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests, have decent English fluency, and possess three years of “progressively responsible” work experience and/or a bachelor’s degree. The FAA says fewer than 10% of applicants meet these criteria and are accepted into the training program. For those who do make the cut, their career outlook is positive. The profession is expected to grow 3% between 2023 and 2033, with 2,200 new openings projected each year, according to the BLS data. And as Americans continue to indulge in travel, more and more aviation staff will be needed to helm the growing vacation industry. https://www.yahoo.com/news/america-air-traffic-controllers-short-111800388.html Boeing executive says supplier Spirit Aero has a substantial inventory of 737 fuselages SEATTLE (Reuters) -Boeing's key supplier Spirit AeroSystems has a substantial inventory of 737 fuselages that are ready to ship, an executive with the planemaker told a Seattle aerospace conference on Tuesday. The U.S. planemaker is working to grow production of its 737 MAX jet to at least 38 a month this year after drastically curbing output in 2024 following quality concerns after a mid-air panel blowout on a near-new model. Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior VP for global supply chain and fabrication, told the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA) supplier conference that the quality of the Spirit Aero-produced fuselage has significantly improved. Boeing is aiming to improve quality by minimizing the transfer of work from one supplier to another within its vast supply chain, a shift that Mounir said is the leading cause of quality defects. Boeing is in the process of buying financially-strapped Spirit Aero even as the planemaker tries to revive its battered supply chain after a weeks-long strike last year by its Northwest factory workers halted most jet output. Wichita-based Spirit Aero has increased fuselage production from a rate of 21 a month to 31 a month, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Spirit Aero spokesperson Joe Buccino said the company "remains committed to meeting our customer's production targets." Boeing said last month it has $87.5 billion in inventory, ample enough to allow it to produce its strongest-selling 737 MAX at a rate of 38 a month. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-executive-says-supplier-spirit-191646471.html Two ex-Japan Airlines pilots grounded after lying about drinking TOKYO: Two former Japan Airlines (JAL) pilots were suspended from flying by the Japanese transport ministry on Tuesday (Feb 4) for excessive drinking before a flight and lying to their former employer. The ministry said the two former captains "drank alcohol in excess of the limit, although they were aware of the rules" that limit the amount of alcohol consumed 12 hours before a scheduled flight. The men both "gave false explanations to the company after arrival and attempted to cover up the excessive drinking", the ministry said, giving them suspensions of up to seven months. The pair were fired by JAL after a flight from Melbourne to Tokyo in December was delayed for three hours because alcohol exceeding the allowed limit was detected in their systems. JAL said last month its two most senior executives would take a 30 per cent pay cut for two months over the incident. The transport ministry instructed JAL last year to take preventive measures after a flight from Dallas to Tokyo was cancelled because a pilot had created a disturbance after getting drunk at a hotel. Japan introduced new regulations in 2019 to clamp down on alcohol consumption by pilots after several incidents hit the headlines. All Nippon Airways delayed a domestic flight that year after a co-pilot failed an alcohol breath test. In 2018, a JAL co-pilot was arrested in Britain shortly before a flight for being almost 10 times over the legal blood alcohol limit. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/ex-japan-airlines-pilots-grounded-lying-drinking-alcohol-excess-4915796 Ex-United Pilot Sues After Buckling 767 Fuselage The first officer has sued United alleging the carrier falsely reported aviation records to the Federal Aviation Administration. A final report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that a United first officer was responsible for a “hard landing” nearly two years ago in Houston. The final report, published on January 15, 2025, determined the first officer’s “improper control inputs after the airplane touched down” and the flight crew’s “lack of recognition that the speedbrakes were not armed” caused their delayed deployment. On July 29, 2023, a Boeing 767-300 operating United flight 702, was damaged while landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. None of the 202 passengers and crew aboard the airplane were injured in the incident. According to the report, the first officer – identified from his lawsuit against United as Romullo Tadeu Melo Silva – was the pilot flying, and the captain was the pilot monitoring. After an uneventful departure and cruise segment of the flight, Silva stated he held aft pressure on the control yoke to keep the nosewheel from hitting the runway after the main landing gear touched down. However, the nosewheel hit the runway with “abnormal force” and the airplane seemed to bounce. That’s when Silva pulled the control yoke back to keep the nosewheel from hitting the runway a second time. “Flight data recorder (FDR) data indicated that control column inputs ranged from about 5° nose high to 5° nose low during the landing,” the report stated. “Data also indicated that the speedbrakes deployed simultaneously as the thrust reversers transitioned from not deployed to deployed, and the nosewheel bounced a second time. Subsequently, the nosewheel contacted the runway a third time and the airplane began to decelerate.” The captain assumed control of the airplane and the remainder of the landing rollout was normal. Photos included in the report show the Boeing 767’s left fuselage was damaged in the landing. The aircraft remained out of service for several months as repairs were made. Silva Sues United After being pulled from flight duty following the incident – and eventually being terminated – Silva filed a lawsuit against United in December 2024 alleging the carrier falsely reported that he was the pilot in command of the flight. According to Silva’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Silva was not the pilot in command of the flight. He said that his captain – the other pilot on the flight – was the pilot in command and “failed to arm the speed brake on the aircraft.” While Silva does affirm that he was landing the jet, he argued that the touchdown “was not hard.” In his complaint, Silva stated that the airline pulled him from flight duty on July 29, 2023, and he was not allowed to return to service until September 30, 2023. He would later be sent to a landing-only simulator by the carrier. Silva said that no simulator preparation was provided for the testing, wherein a pilot operates an aircraft with a senior pilot to determine whether the testing pilot is ready to fly passengers. He alleged that the senior pilot he eventually flew with on October 12, 2023, was “hostile, degrading and intimidating.” After the ride, Silva was failed by the senior pilot and terminated by United. Afterward, Silva alleges United filed a report with the Federal Aviation Administration falsely stating he was the pilot in command on the flight. “As a result of this report, Mr. Silva’s record with the FAA has been substantially tarnished, and he has been unable to fly for any other air carrier, including private carriers under 14 CFR Part 135,” the complaint stated. Silva was hired as a first officer at United in February 2023, just seven months before the incident. He was formerly a flight attendant at the airline. The complaint alleged the carrier defamed Silva through its FAA report and requested payment for damages. United has yet to file its response to the complaint and has an extended deadline until Feb. 19, 2025, to do so. https://airlinegeeks.com/2025/02/04/united-pilot-sues-after-buckling-767-fuselage/ 'We all lose': Trump’s FAA says employees 'should not attend' meetings on aviation safety Despite two deadly plane crashes rocking the Northeastern United States in the span of less than a week, President Donald Trump's administration is reportedly telling employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to not participate in discussions to advance aviation safety. Politico reported Tuesday on a memo from the FAA that instructed employees who work on various advisory committees in the aviation industry that they "should not attend (in-person or virtually) … until further notice." These committees are made up of government officials, representatives from the airline industry, unions representing airline workers and companies that manufacture airplane components, with a focus on better air traffic control and safety improvements. The email to FAA workers banned them from taking part in "[Advisory and Rulemaking Committees]/[Aerospace Rulemaking Committees] or Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) meetings,” though it went on to emphasize that it was "not the intent to disrupt the committees work, so meetings may continue with [an industry representative]" rather than someone from the FAA. An anonymous former FAA official argued to Politico that the decision to sideline the agency's participation in these committees was a mistake, saying a "healthy aviation system depends on free and open exchange of ideas and expertise." "It appears that safety is being forced to take a back seat due to fear of retribution, which means we all lose," the source said. The email was sent just after a week that saw the first mid-air collision involving a commercial jet in decades, when American Airlines Flight 5342 crashed with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter last Wednesday, killing 67 people as the jet approached the Washington D.C. National Airport. Just days later, a small LearJet crashed in a populated area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania shortly after taking off, killing seven people and injuring nearly two dozen others. The New York Times reported that staffing at the D.C. airport was "not normal" at the time of the crash, and that one air traffic controller was doing the job of two controllers before the fatal accident. Shortly after Trump began his second term, he dismantled the Aviation Safety Advisory Committee and froze hiring of all open federal positions, including for new air traffic controllers. https://www.alternet.org/trump-faa-aviation-safety/ Drone Pilot Who Flew Into Firefighting Airplane Attempts to Avoid Prison The co-founder of an influential video game company has pled guilty to flying his drone into a firefighting aircraft operating above the Los Angeles wildfires last month. Peter Tripp Akemann admitted to flying his DJI Mini 3 Pro drone into a Super Scooper water dumping plane that was actively fighting the Pacific Palisades fire near Santa Monica. In a court hearing on Friday, Akemann pled guilty in a bid to avoid prison and receive 150 hours of community service instead. He has also offered to pay for the repairs of the plane which is at least $65,000. “This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property,” acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally says in a statement, per Courthouse News Serivce. “This damage caused to the Super Scooper is a stark reminder that flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people.” A red object with a hole in it on the left, and a white drone with a broken arm in a clear evidence bag on the right. The scene suggests possible damage or collision involving the drone. Akemann’s defense attorneys Glen T. Jonas and Vicki Podberesky say he is “deeply sorry.” In future proceedings, his legal team will argue there were several mitigating factors including his reliance on the DJI’s geofencing which allegedly failed. DJI recently said it will no longer enforce “No-Fly Zones”, also known as geofencing, putting the onus on pilots to ensure they don’t fly in restricted areas. Who is Peter Akemann? Akemann, it turns out, is an influential figure in the video game industry having helped to co-found Treyarch Invention LLC, a major developer in the Call of Duty series. According to GameRant, he would later serve as president for VR games developer Skydance Interactive Akemann’s drone caused serious damage to the Super Scooper’s left wing. The aircraft landed safely but it was out of commission for several days while the fires raged. It was only one of two Super Scoopers available. When the incident happened, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued Temporary Flight Restrictions that prohibited drone operations near the wildfires. It’s a federal crime to fly a drone during firefighting efforts and Akemann could face up to 12 months in prison. https://petapixel.com/2025/02/03/drone-pilot-who-flew-into-firefighting-airplane-attempts-to-avoid-prison/ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and ACAO Breached: Cyberespionage Groups Targeting Aviation Safety Specialists The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is investigating a data breach affecting system and employee security. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is investigating a significant data breach that has raised concerns about the security of its systems and employees data. In the updated statement published by ICAO, the agency said it is “actively investigating reports of a potential information security incident allegedly linked to a threat actor known for targeting international organizations.” This comes after an individual claimed in a January 5 post on a popular hacking forum to have accessed 42,000 documents from ICAO, including personal information (PII). “ICAO has confirmed that the reported information security incident involves approximately 42,000 recruitment application data records from April 2016 to July 2024 claimed to be released by the threat actor known as Natohub.” reads the statement published by the International Civil Aviation Organization. “After completing careful review of the data, ICAO can now confirm that 11,929 individuals are affected. ICAO is now reaching out to these individuals.” From this perspective, the actors were interested not in disrupting specific IT/OT processes, but in acquiring targeted intelligence about specific individuals and their digital identity information. Such tactics are pertinent to traditional espionage and human intelligence (HUMINT), where cyberspace is a key channel for obtaining interest data. After completing a careful review of the data, ICAO confirmed that 11,929 individuals were affected. The compromised data includes recruitment-related information that applicants entered into the compromised system, such as names, email addresses, dates of birth, and employment history. Shortly after the ICAO incident, Resecurity identified threat actors targeting the ACAO (Arab Civil Aviation Organization). As a result of a successful SQL injection exploitation in a vulnerable web application, records of staff/members and their credentials were exfiltrated. Multiple victims identified in the stolen data set included Safety Aviation Specialists and Incident Investigators. Such experts have a first-hand knowledge from the field and may be involved in sensitive communications. Traditional cybercriminal actors would not be interested in it due to the relatively low probability of monetization for profit via Dark Web markets, besides the opportunity to sell it to state-sponsored actors looking for specific targets of interest. Considering the tight timing of the recently disclosed ICAO incident, such a trend of targeting (international aviation organizations) is concerning. Resecurity has notified the affected agency and shared the acquired data dump, which resulted from threat actors’ investigation. The data breach has not been previously disclosed. While specific details about the nature of the leaked data and the extent of the breach remain unclear, the incident highlights ongoing vulnerabilities within aviation organizations. The observed data set includes logins (usernames), hashes of passwords, emails, titles, and communications. Similar to the ICAO incident, the data has been leaked via one of the popular Dark Web communities on February 4, 2024. The leaked data set identified representatives of the Qatar Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Unit (QAAI), the Aviation Investigation Bureau (AIB) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Iran Civil Aviation Authority, the Jordan Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC), and various members of the Aviation Accident Investigation Division (AAID). Notably, last year was extremely challenging due to the number of significant aviation incidents, some of which triggered a complicated geopolitical narrative based on the circumstances and the root cause investigation. The correlation with the newly disclosed malicious cyber activity targeting aviation safety experts at the beginning of Q1 2025 creates a precedent. It requires increased attention to protecting critical infrastructure and relevant organizations. https://securityaffairs.com/173863/data-breach/icao-and-acao-breached-cyberespionage-groups-targeting-aviation-safety-specialists.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS • · Sponsor the 2025 Fuzion Safety Conference! March 4 & 5, 2025 (Orlando) • · "Automation in Transportation: Lessons for Safe Implementation," on March 11-12, 2025, in Washington, DC. • · Annual Women in Aviation International Conference, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Conference Center | Denver Colorado, March 27-29, 2025 • · 59th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium is scheduled March 31 - April 2, 2025 • · Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Safety Symposium April 7-9, 2025 • · AIA Conference: The Aviation Insurance Association's annual conference in Orlando, Florida from April 25–28, 2025 • · Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore • · The 9th Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exposition 2025; June 11 to 13, 2025 • ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025'September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025, DENVER, COLORADO • CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis