Flight Safety Information - March 7, 2025 No. 048 In This Issue : Incident: Saudia B744 at Amsterdam on Mar 5th 2025, engine failure : NTSB releases preliminary report on Philadelphia plane crash : No voice recording from medical jet crash: NTSB releases preliminary report : Security scare that led to diverted flight was hoax by 2 young children: FBI : Thailand eyes FAA top safety rating after nearly 10 years : Global Aerospace's SM4 Aviation Safety Program on the Factors Influencing Safety and Professionalism in Aviation : Airbus Delivers 40 Aircraft In February : Argus: Business Aircraft Flying Climbs in February : Air Force aircraft readiness plunges to new low, alarming chief : Smart Sensors and AI: The Next Frontier in Aircraft Safety : Calendar of Events Incident: Saudia B744 at Amsterdam on Mar 5th 2025, engine failure A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration 9H-AKJ performing flight SV-934 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), was climbing out of Amsterdam when the crew stopped the climb at FL190 and declared Mayday Mayday Mayday reporting the failure of their engine #4 (PW4056, outboard right hand). The aircraft subsequently diverted to Liege (Belgium) where the aircraft landed safely on runway 23L about 80 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Liege about 23 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=524e8420&opt=0 NTSB releases preliminary report on Philadelphia plane crash NTSB releases preliminary report on Philadelphia plane crash The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary investigation into the Philadelphia medevac jet crash that killed seven people last month, just days after the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in over 20 years. On board the crashed plane were Valentina Guzmán Murillo, an 11-year-old girl, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna, 31, who had just left Shriners Children's Hospital Philadelphia, where the child spent five months receiving life-saving treatment. The pair were heading home to Mexico on the aircraft with a planned pit stop at Springfield-Branson National Airport in Springfield, Missouri. The Learjet 55 departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport around 6:06 pm. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft proceeded southwest before it turned slightly right then entered a gradual left turn, ultimately reaching 1,650 feet, according to the crash report. The plane crashed a minute after it took off, killing everyone on board. Crew members, including two pilots and two medics, never issued a distress call, the new report states, noting the blackbox did not record the flight and had likely not been functioning for years. The crew was in contact with the airport’s air traffic control tower at the time of the accident, according to officials. Besides the mother and daughter, the other victims were Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, 41, pilot Alan Montoya Perales, 46, copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, 43, and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, 41. One person on the ground was also killed when the plane crashed into a residential and commercial area. Four people were seriously injured and 20 people incurred minor injuries. Security camera footage showed a large explosion triggered by the initial impact. The wreckage debris field spanned roughly 1,410 feet in length and 840 feet wide. By morning, the crash site revealed an eight-foot-deep crater in the sidewalk. Debris penetrated numerous homes, commercial buildings and cars in the area, resulting in extensive damages, the report noted. The report did not provide any details about what may have caused the crash. Federal investigators typically release a final report about a year after transportation incidents. The agency is currently analyzing an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System recovered from the jet. The crash occurred two days after an American Eagle regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. on January 29. All 64 people on board the plane died, as did the three soldiers on the helicopter. A preliminary report on that crash is due any day. It was the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. since American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Belle Harbor, New York two months after 9/11, killing 251 passengers, nine crew members and five people on the ground. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ntsb-releases-preliminary-report-philadelphia-224344726.html No voice recording from medical jet crash: NTSB releases preliminary report The National Transportation Safety Board released its investigation findings on the fatal plane crash in Philadelphia on Jan. 31 in a preliminary report Thursday. A medical transport Learjet 55 crashed into a sidewalk in a residential neighborhood shortly after takeoff from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to the report. The aircraft, registered in Mexico, was on an air ambulance flight to Springfield, Missouri. The incident killed all six people onboard and one person on the ground while injuring 24 others and leaving wreckage amongst homes and buildings. Preliminary flight data showed that after departing from Runway 24 at 6:06 p.m., the jet climbed to 1,650 feet before entering a left turn and descending rapidly. The last recorded altitude was 1,275 feet at a speed of 242 knots. There were no distress calls from the pilots before impact. Surveillance footage captured a large explosion at the crash site, and debris scattered over a 1,400-foot area, damaging multiple homes, businesses, and vehicles. Investigators retrieved the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder, which was buried under eight feet of debris. However, it's likely it had not been recording audio for years. The aircraft’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) has been shipped back to its manufacturer to be evaluated for any relevant flight data. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2025/03/06/ntsb-philly-crash-update/81809623007/ Security scare that led to diverted flight was hoax by 2 young children: FBI The handwritten note was reported to the flight crew. The security scare that led to a diverted flight in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday was a threatening handwritten note that turned out to be a hoax by two young children, the FBI said. Sun Country Airlines Flight 593, with 156 passengers on board, was headed from Minneapolis to Mazatlan, Mexico, when it was diverted Wednesday evening to El Paso International Airport in response to a "security threat," the low-cost airline said in an initial statement about the matter. The handwritten note -- which read "You Are All Going to Die, Help Me" -- was reported by other passengers to the flight crew, according to the FBI. "During interviews, it was uncovered the threat was a hoax initiated by two young children on the flight," the FBI said in a statement. The exact age of the children was not provided. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas declined to prosecute the matter, the FBI said. It's unclear where exactly the note was written. MORE: Couple arrested for trying to board American Airlines flight without authorization After the plane safely landed in El Paso, passengers, photos provided by a passenger on the flight showed luggage being removed from the plane and spread out on the tarmac. "Each threat of violence is taken seriously as your safety is paramount," said John Morales, FBI El Paso special agent in charge, in a statement. https://abcnews.go.com/US/plane-diverted-el-paso-international-airport-after-threat/story?id=119498451 Thailand eyes FAA top safety rating after nearly 10 years The Civil Aviation Authority is gearing up for a crucial inspection, aiming to reclaim its Category 1 rating after being downgraded in 2015 The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) aims to reclaim its Category 1 (CAT1) aviation safety rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during a five-day inspection that kicks off on Monday. The FAA downgraded Thailand to Category 2 (CAT2) after identifying 36 problems based on the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) standards. Regaining the CAT1 rating would significantly boost the Thai aviation industry, allowing airlines to expand routes to the US and other countries that endorse FAA standards, such as South Korea, CAAT director Air Chief Marshall Manat Chavanaprayoon said on Friday. Thailand eyes FAA top safety rating after nearly 10 years He added that CAAT has been working to rectify all 36 issues, focusing on legislative changes that ensure the agency has full independence in overseeing and regulating aviation safety without political interference. Manat said the CAAT committee has passed a resolution reinforcing its authority which could be formalised into law in the future. Other key improvements include enhancing air safety training oversight and tightening certification processes to align with FAA regulations. “We have done our best to fix these issues, though the FAA may find new concerns during the audit,” Manat said. “To ensure a smooth process, we have assigned experts to respond to FAA auditors in each specific area.” The FAA is expected to announce the inspection results within 60 days. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40047128 Global Aerospace's SM4 Aviation Safety Program on the Factors Influencing Safety and Professionalism in Aviation How High Demand Can Lead to Decreased Professionalism Morris Plains, New Jersey--(Newsfile Corp. - March 6, 2025) - It's a good time to be an aviation professional. Demand is high, and supply is low. Options are many. Wages are up. For the first time in years, professionals in the aviation industry have the upper hand. But there is a dark underbelly to these good times. Mechanic and flight engineer having a discussion On the surface, this should be the golden age for those in aviation, where the hard work pays off and careers take flight. However, there's a downside that too few people are acknowledging--the erosion of personal and professional standards. The Risk of High Demand It seems like the only time we end up hiring bad people is when we need them really bad. It's a saying that echoes across industries, but it rings especially true in aviation, where safety, precision, and high standards are nonnegotiable, or at least should be. When the demand for skilled labor is so intense that supply can't keep up, companies start compromising on their hiring criteria. They lower the bar--not because they want to, but because they feel they must. In this environment, those who may not have been hired in leaner times suddenly find themselves with opportunities they might not have earned otherwise. This isn't just about hiring the underqualified; it's about creating an environment where mediocrity can thrive across the workforce. As companies scramble to fill positions, it's not just the hiring standards that drop--expectations do, too. Supervisors become more lenient because they can't afford to lose people. If workers are in high demand, management is less likely to confront performance issues or enforce strict standards. They know their employees could walk out the door and find a new job within days. But once you allow standards to drop, the problem takes on an inertia of its own, and it becomes very hard to regain control. The Consequences of Lowering Standards This gradual erosion of professionalism doesn't happen overnight. It's a slow process--subtle enough that you might not even realize how far you've strayed until it's too late and something unthinkable happens. But when the market inevitably shifts and the job supply catches up with demand, those bad habits won't just disappear. The standards and behaviors you allowed to slip during the boom times will stick with you, damaging your culture, tarnishing your reputation, and limiting future opportunities. Dr. Phil once told a young reporter named Megyn Kelly, "The difference between you and those you envy is that you settled for less." It's a harsh but truthful statement. If you allow yourself to settle for mediocrity now--because the job market lets you get away with it--you will be setting yourself up for long-term professional damage. The high demand in the aviation industry won't last forever, but the attitudes and behaviors you develop during this time will. Now Is the Time to Hone Your Professionalism The irony of these high-demand periods is that they should be the time when professionalism matters most. When there's a shortage of skilled workers, and everyone is scrambling, the true professionals are the ones who will stand out and hold the line. They will be the ones who continue to hold themselves to high standards, even if others around them are lowering theirs. Now is the time to hone your professionalism--not let it slide. This is the perfect opportunity to showcase your commitment to excellence, ability to adapt under pressure, and integrity in a fast-paced, high-demand environment. These traits will set you apart when the boom times end and companies once again have the luxury of being selective with who they hire and promote. It's tempting to ride the wave of high demand and take advantage of the opportunities to slack off that come with it. But be cautious. The habits you form today will shape your professional future. Are you developing a reputation for excellence or settling for less because the current environment allows it? Leadership's Role in Preserving Professionalism This is a leadership challenge as well. As a supervisor or manager, you may be tempted to let things slide to keep people around. After all, you need bodies to keep the business running. But the short-term gain of keeping someone in a position at any cost will come back to haunt you later. Good leaders know that the standards they set in times like these are vitally important, not just to current safety but to the long-term culture of the entire organization. The damage will outlast the economic and personnel challenges, and when the market turns, you'll be left with a team that isn't prepared for the competition that's coming. Conclusion: Don't Settle for Less The aviation industry is experiencing a boom, and it's easy to get comfortable when demand is high and opportunities are plentiful. But don't settle for less. Whether you're a line worker or a leader, now is the time to ensure that your standards of excellence are getting stronger, not weaker. Remember Dr. Phil's words: The difference between you and those you envy is that you settled for less. The boom times won't last forever, but the professionalism you maintain during these times will define your career long after the job market returns to stability. About Global Aerospace SM4 Aviation Safety Program The Global Aerospace SM4 Safety Program has revolutionized the way insurance specialists help their clients achieve higher levels of operational safety. SM4 was built on the concept of integrating four critical safety components: planning, prevention, response and recovery. Its mission is to help organizations manage risk, enrich training efforts, strengthen safety culture and improve safety management systems. https://sm4.global-aero.com/ Global Aerospace SM4 Aviation Safety Program Media Contact Suzanne Keneally Vice President, Group Head of Communications +1 973-490-8588 https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/global-aerospaces-sm4-aviation-safety-program-on-the-factors-influencing-safety-and-professionalism-in-aviation-1034450170 Airbus Delivers 40 Aircraft In February Airbus has disclosed its February deliveries and orders, with the European plane maker handing over 40 aircraft to its customers and securing only 14 orders during the month, all for the A321neo. Three widebody deliveries According to the orders and deliveries filings Airbus released on March 7, the European aircraft manufacturer delivered 40 aircraft during the month, split between 37 single-aisle and three twin-aisle deliveries. The three widebodies that Airbus handed over to its customers were two A330-900s, one to Delta Air Lines and Malaysia Airlines (via CIT Leasing) each, and one A350-900, which Air France welcomed to its fleet on February 27. In terms of single-aisle deliveries, Airbus customers added four A220-300, one A319neo (Tibet Airlines), 12 A320neo, and 20 A321neo aircraft during the month. United States-based airlines welcomed eight Airbus jets in February, including American Airlines welcoming one A321neo, Delta Air Lines taking delivery of the aforementioned A330-900, one A220-300, and one A321neo, Frontier Airlines adding one A321neo, and Spirit Airlines, despite currently operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections, taking delivery of two A321neo aircraft. Mexico’s Volaris also took delivery of two aircraft on the same day, February 3, with the carrier introducing an A320neo and A321neo into its fleet. The aircraft, registered as XA-VUP and XA-VUQ, respectively, have been in active service since February 20, according to Flightradar24 data. Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-300 departings Los Angeles International Airport LAX shutterstock_2228950643-1 Airbus Delivers 3 A220 Jets To US Airlines In January In total, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and United Airlines added five Airbus aircraft to their fleets in January. Two A321neo orders Meanwhile, in February, Airbus added only 14 aircraft to its backlog, finalizing agreements with two customers for A321neo aircraft: Korean Air (six) and an undisclosed customer (eight). Korean Air disclosed the six orders in a Korean stock exchange filing on December 4, 2024, saying that at list prices, the investment in the six A321neo aircraft would be $934.2 million, which could change due to exchange rate fluctuations or other reasons. The manufacturer’s order book has not changed compared to January. The plane maker ended last month with 51 net orders, and with 14 net orders in February, its net orders so far in 2025 increased to 65. Gross orders climbed to 69, with Airbus’ customers removing orders for one A220-100 and three A320neo in January. Korean Air Places Order For 20 More Airbus A321neos Korean Air ordered more Airbus A321neo aircraft, taking its order book of the type to 50. Lagging behind Year-to-date (YTD), Airbus has delivered 65 aircraft, split between seven A220-300, three A319neo, 19 A320neo, 31 A321neo, two A330-900, two A350-900, and one A350-1000. Compared to the same two-month period in 2024, Airbus is lagging behind since, as of February 2024, the plane maker had delivered 79 aircraft, including four A330-900s. In terms of orders, Airbus only had 33 orders (gross and net) at the end of February 2024, compared to 65 net orders at the end of February 2025. When Airbus unveiled its 2024 results, which included a net profit of €4.2 billion ($4.5 billion), the company’s outlook indicated that in 2025, the European plane maker plans to deliver “around” 820 aircraft, or 54 more than it had handed over in 2024. The 766 deliveries were much fewer than Airbus initially planned for the year. In February 2024, when the company posted its 2023 results, the company unveiled plans for “around” 800 deliveries, which had to be downgraded in June 2024 due to component shortages, including engines. https://simpleflying.com/airbus-orders-deliveries-february/ Argus: Business Aircraft Flying Climbs in February Activity buoyed by Asia-Pacific, South America, and Africa as Europe and North America see declines Global business aircraft flight activity last month rose 1.1% year over year (YOY), with North America and Europe seeing declines of 2.6% and 4.8%, respectively, while the rest of the world climbed by 10.6%, according to TraqPak data from Argus International. When corrected for the leap day last February, flying was up 4.7% globally last month, it added. Argus analysts are predicting a 0.6% YOY increase in North America and a 2.9% traffic decrease in Europe this month. In North America, results by operational category were mostly positive last month, with fractional activity once again leading the way with 3.6% YOY gains. Part 135 flying inched up by 0.4%, marking the third consecutive month of increases, while Part 91 plunged 7.5%. But aircraft categories in the region were all negative versus last February: large-cabin jets, -4.4%; light jets, -4%; turboprops, -2.7%; and midsize jets, -0.5%. The largest and only double-digit increase in individual categories in North America was fractional large-cabin activity, which climbed 10.2% YOY. According to Argus, European activity was “sluggish” last month, with aircraft categories in the red: turboprops, -7.3%; light jets, -5%; large-cabin jets, -3.9%; and midsize jets, -3.1%. But it was the complete opposite in the rest of the world: turboprops, +43.6%; midsize jets, +20.1%; light jets, +16.8%; and large-cabin jets, +7.5%. “Overall demand continues to remain strong in North America. Activity was technically down in February, but it was up when adjusted for the extra day in 2024. Part 135 activity has now produced three straight monthly increases, and, while there is no guarantee of gains every single month, we still expect activity to be positive for that segment in 2025,” said Argus v-p of software Travis Kuhn. “Part 91 and large-cabin activity continue to be areas of focus as we see some continued softening in demand.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-03-06/argus-business-aircraft-flying-climbs-february Air Force aircraft readiness plunges to new low, alarming chief Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said the service's maintainers have pulled off "miracles" to keep planes in the air, despite a lack of spare parts, manpower and decades-old aircraft. Here, an F-16 flies in formation with F-35s over Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, in January. (A1C Katelynn Jackson/Air Force) AURORA, Colo. — Barely more than six in 10 aircraft in the Air Force’s fleet were able to carry out their missions on an average day in fiscal 2024, according to a Defense News analysis. The fleet-wide mission capable rate of 62% is the lowest in recent memory. It comes as the Air Force’s arsenal of more than 5,000 planes is aging and the service finds it increasingly difficult to keep some in the air. The Air Force provided statistics on how many of each kind of aircraft it had in 2024, as well as the percentage of time each aircraft was ready to carry out its mission. Those stats were first reported by Air and Space Forces Magazine. To come up with a fleet-wide mission-capable rate, Defense News calculated a weighted average of all airframes. Using a weighted average places more emphasis on airframes that the service has more of — such as the C-17 Globemaster, F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter — and less emphasis on rarer airframes. With the Air Force’s fleet at 5,025 — the smallest in the service’s 78-year history — a 62% mission-capable rate equates to roughly 1,900 planes being out of commission at any given time. Heather Penney, a former F-16 pilot and senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said the figures are concerning, and suggest the situation is likely getting even worse this year. “Readiness is often a lagging indicator,” Penney said. “And those aren’t even today’s MC rates,” which she predicted will be even worse when 2025 is done. The Air Force, along with other services, has for years struggled to pull up its mission-capable rates. President Donald Trump’s first defense secretary, Jim Mattis, in 2018 set an ambitious goal of 80% readiness for F-16s, F-22s and F-35s — which went unmet. And judging by a similar metric — aircraft availability — the true state of the fleet may even be worse. According to a 2019 paper by analysts at the Air Force Institute of Technology and Air Force Materiel Command, mission-capable rates do not consider aircraft that are awaiting depot maintenance or are otherwise not possessed at the unit level. Those analysts said aircraft availability rates are a truer measure of how the Air Force’s planes are doing. In his Monday keynote address to the Air and Space Force Association’s AFA Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin used that aircraft availability statistic to sound perhaps the strongest alarm yet about the state of the service’s fleet. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin sounded an alarm about declining readiness in the service's aging fleet at the Air and Space Forces Association's AFA Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, on Monday. Allvin displayed a chart showing the increasing trouble facing the Air Force’s planes. The chart tracked a steady growth of the average aircraft age in the fleet — from about 17 in 1994 to nearly 32 in 2024 — while aircraft availability plummeted from 73% to 54%. Allvin praised the service’s maintainers, who work long hours in tough conditions to keep their planes flying. “You wouldn’t know this on the front lines,” Allvin said of the growing availability problems, “because of the miracles that are going on from our maintainers and those who are sustaining [airplanes]. … We’re eating into whatever margin we had.” Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have proclaimed a focus on improving the military’s “lethality,” firing top brass they perceive to be standing in the way. Fresh budget cuts to the Defense Department have had the services clamoring to be spared from measures that would bring down readiness rates further. In this environment, Penney said, poor aircraft readiness rates make top Air Force leaders vulnerable. Even more worrying to Penney is that there’s no simple way to turn the situation around. “It’s complex, because it’s spares, maintenance manpower, maintenance experience levels [and] depots, which are so behind right now,” Penney said. ‘Tired iron,’ even more exhausted The Air Force’s current predicament, as Penney sees it, is largely due to the lack of enough major aircraft modernizations. Much of the Air Force’s fleet was around during the Cold War, and there are several air frames — such as the B-52 Stratofortress, C-5 Galaxy and KC-135 Stratotanker — that were around during the Vietnam War. Air Force officials commonly refer to such planes as “tired iron,” and quip that they “find new and interesting ways to break.” Without enough modernizations to replace those planes with new airframes, the service is forced to sustain them longer and longer, trying to scrounge up spare parts to fix them. In the case of the Air Force’s 76 B-52Hs, which have been flying since the early 1960s, some companies that originally made spare parts are no longer in business. This often forces the service to find new sources for those parts, custom make the parts itself, or “cannibalize” parts from other Stratofortresses that are even more broken. The situation results in a slow and steady decline in the B-52′s availability. In 2021, the bomber had a 59% mission-capable rate, but that has now slid to 54%. The overall numbers show a swift decline in aircraft readiness over the last few years, driven by some of the service’s most crucial airframes, such as the F-35A. The Air Force’s overall mission-capable rate was nearly 78% in 2012, but steadily slid as the decade progressed to a then-low of slightly below 70% in 2018. Two years later, that fleet-wide figure had risen to 72.7%, and then dropped to 71.5% in 2021. The Lockheed Martin-made F-35A — the cornerstone of the service’s fighter fleet and one of the most expensive military programs in history — has been plagued with reliability and availability issues. In 2021, the fighter was available nearly 69% of the time, according to the Air Force. But the F-35A’s mission capable rates have since plunged, and the jet was ready 51.5% of the time in 2024. The Joint Strike Fighter’s lagging availability has become such a problem that its program executive officer, Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, in 2023 announced a “war on readiness” that seeks to improve how often the F-35 can fly. The Government Accountability Office in 2023 released a report on the entire F-35 fleet’s maintenance challenges, which said services lacked spare parts and technical data needed to repair the fighters. Maintainers were also not properly trained, GAO said, and an effort to expand repair depots was falling behind. To replenish spare parts stocks, sometimes airmen like aircraft metals technician Senior Airman Sean Consolazio, of the 60th Maintenance Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., make replacement parts from scratch. Chauncey McIntosh, a Lockheed vice president and general manager of the company’s F-35 program, said in an interview at AFA that he is focused on improving the jet’s mission readiness, and is working with the F-35 Joint Program Office to do so. Most parts in the F-35 are lasting longer than expected, McIntosh said, and the company is focused on improving those parts that are less reliable, which the program refers to as “degraders.” “We’ve been able to drive down those top degraders, and there’s only really a few left that we’re focused on now,” McIntosh said. The next major issue to tackle, he said, will be to ensure that repair depots have all the spare parts they need to fix F-35s. “As we get the right parts, and get the right [funding from Congress for them], then we’ll be able to go procure those parts, put those parts on the shelf,” McIntosh said. “This is a growing fleet, so we need to make sure that the [spare parts inventory] keeps up with the fleet size — for not only the U.S., but all of our international partners.” Readiness drops across the fleet Other key airframes that dropped precipitously in recent years include the A-10 Warthog, the CV-22 Osprey, the F-16 fighter, the KC-46 Pegasus tanker and the T-38C Talon jet trainer. Mission-capable rates for the Air Force’s Ospreys were at about 51% in 2021, but by 2023 plunged to 46% and then to 30% in 2024. The Osprey, which is also flown by the Navy and Marine Corps, has been plagued in recent years by faulty components, clutch problems and fatal crashes that led to multiple groundings. The A-10 Warthog’s readiness rate slid from 72% in 2021 to 67% in 2023 and 2024. The F-16C fell from almost 72% in 2021 down to 64% in 2024; while the two-seater variant, the F-16D, dropped even more precipitously during that time, from 69% to 59%. The KC-46′s mission capable rates dropped from 71% in 2021 to 61% in 2024. The T-38C’s availability also declined from 63% in 2021 to 55% in 2024. The Air Force is buying new T-7A Red Hawk trainers from Boeing to replace the nearly 60-year-old T-38. But the T-7 has repeatedly fallen behind schedule, which will require the Air Force to keep flying — and maintaining — T-38s years longer than originally expected. The lack of enough mission-capable aircraft has forced the Air Force to make tough choices on how to use its working planes. The service has for years prioritized its ability to carry out operational missions over other missions like training. This means it front-loads its working aircraft to units overseas or that otherwise carry out operations, but stateside units are more likely to have shortages of working aircraft. U.S. Air Forces Central Command, which for decades has flown aircraft such as the A-10, F-15, F-16 and F-35 in the Middle East to project American airpower, is one example of a command that is prioritized in such a way. But even getting to the head of the line for things like spare parts doesn’t automatically solve all of AFCENT’s problems, commander Lt. Gen. Derek France told reporters at AFA. Sometimes logistical hurdles mean spare parts still take a while to get to the deployed jets that need them, he said. And environmental factors such as heat and sand — particularly in summertime — can wear on the aircraft, France said. And most of all, he said, AFCENT’s planes are growing old, just like the rest of the service’s aircraft. “The fact of the matter is, we’ve got an aging fleet,” France said. “Our AFCENT airmen do heroic work in keeping them in the air. The things that I have seen, with our airmen, to be able to put together the parts, and get after the things they need to, has been impressive in our [area of responsibility], for sure.” France could not quantify readiness rates for AFCENT planes, but said “our airmen meet mission when they need to.” A critical part of being AFCENT commander, he said, is forecasting when his units will need to surge aircraft and put large numbers of jets in the air, and when they can pull back. Those “pull back” phases give maintainers time and space to work more intensely on AFCENT’s planes and “get our jets healthy again,” France said. In his speech at AFA, Allvin stressed how important it is for the Air Force to fix this problem once and for all. “Our Air Force continues to be the most dominant on the planet,” Allvin said. “I don’t want to be here next year, or have the next chief, say we’re no longer [dominant]. So we’ve got to work on this.” https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/03/06/air-force-aircraft-readiness-plunges-to-new-low-alarming-chief/ Smart Sensors and AI: The Next Frontier in Aircraft Safety In avionics, the integration of advanced sensor technologies is revolutionizing aircraft safety and performance. Two key innovations driving this trend are engine vibration diagnostics and “smart skins,” both of which are significantly enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). In avionics, the integration of advanced sensor technologies is revolutionizing aircraft safety and performance. Two key innovations driving this trend are engine vibration diagnostics and “smart skins,” both of which are significantly enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). Engine vibration diagnostics, once a niche technology used for monitoring wear and tear on engines, has evolved into a critical component of predictive maintenance. By installing vibration sensors on key engine components, engineers can monitor real-time conditions and detect potential issues before they lead to costly repairs or, worse, catastrophic failure. These sensors capture minute vibrations, which AI algorithms then process to identify patterns or deviations from normal behavior. This data is invaluable for maintenance crews, enabling them to perform targeted interventions that minimize downtime and extend the lifespan of the engine. The advent of smart skins… Meanwhile, smart skins represent a leap forward in aircraft performance. Smart skins in avionics refer to advanced, multifunctional materials integrated into the exterior surfaces of aircraft. These materials can detect, respond to, or adapt to environmental conditions, offering enhanced capabilities for monitoring, communication, and performance. Typically, smart skins involve technologies such as: Sensors: Embedded sensors that monitor various parameters, like temperature, pressure, strain, and vibration. These sensors can detect structural integrity, identify damage, or assess airflow around the aircraft. Self-healing Materials: Some smart skins are designed with materials that can heal themselves if they suffer minor damage, like cracks or punctures. This improves aircraft safety and reduces maintenance costs. Energy Harvesting: Smart skins can sometimes capture and store energy from the environment, such as solar energy, to power onboard systems. Communication: Certain smart skin technologies can function as antennas or communication devices, reducing the need for traditional external antennas. Adaptive Surfaces: Smart skins can change their shape or surface properties in response to external conditions, like aerodynamic adjustments, which can improve fuel efficiency and aircraft performance. This cutting-edge technology is still in development but has immense potential to revolutionize aviation by improving aircraft performance, maintenance, and safety. Real-time analysis… The integration of AI enhances this technology by enabling real-time analysis of airflow, pressure changes, and stress on the structure. This allows for immediate navigational adjustments to be made during flight, improving fuel efficiency and optimizing flight performance. AI plays a pivotal role in both of these advancements. By processing vast amounts of sensor data from various components across the aircraft, AI can identify trends, detect anomalies, and even predict potential malfunctions before they occur. The result is not just enhanced safety but a more efficient flight experience overall. Together, engine vibration diagnostics and smart skin technologies powered by AI are setting new standards in aircraft performance. The ability to predict and respond to maintenance needs, coupled with optimized avionics, is reshaping the aviation industry’s approach to safety and operational efficiency. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2025/03/06/smart-sensors-and-ai-the-next-frontier-in-aircraft-safety/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS · "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 . 70th annual Business Aviation Safey Summit (BASS), May 6-7, 2025, Charlotte, N.C., organized by Flight Safety Foundation in partnership with NBAA and NATA. · Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore · Flight Safety Foundation - Aviation Safety Forum June 5-6, 2025 - Brussels . 2025 EASA-FAA International Aviation Safety Conference, 10 Jun 2025 to 12 Jun 2025, Cologne, Germany · The 9th Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exposition 2025; June 11 to 13, 2025 . 3rd annual Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS), July 15-17, 2025, Singapore, organized by Flight Safety Foundation and CAAS. · ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025'September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025, DENVER, COLORADO . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis