Flight Safety Information - May 22, 2025 No. 102 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa B789 at Hyderabad on May 21st 2025, rejected takeoff : Incident: Indigo A21N at Srinagar on May 21st 2025, hail strike : Boeing 737-524 (WL) - Navigation Failure (Russia) : Smoke-filled Delta flight had "no oil visible" in right engine: NTSB : Delta Pilots Used Oxygen Masks as ‘Tremendous’ Amount of Smoke Filled Cabin : United Airlines flight from Hawaii to LAX diverted after 'potential security concern' found in bathroom : Nose landing gear and tire broke off as Frontier Airlines flight from Orlando attempted landing, NTSB preliminary report says : US air traffic control system failing Americans, airline CEOs say : Over 40 US Airports Had Air Traffic Control Outages Since 2022, Report Says : Indigo pilot reports emergency after Srinagar-bound aircraft with over 200 people hits turbulence : FAA issues ground stop at Austin airport over staffing issues; 160 flights delayed : Southwest Airlines bans battery charging in carry-on bags : EBACE Adds Safety To Agenda As Part of Regulatory Conversations : Aircraft Lessor SMBC’s Proceeds From Russian Jet Insurance Settlements Hit $1.4B : Boeing increases 737 production pace as quality, safety culture improves : Nominations for ISASI - Jerry Lederer Award - Please submit before May 30 : ISASI 2025 - Denver : Calendar of Events Incident: Lufthansa B789 at Hyderabad on May 21st 2025, rejected takeoff A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9, registration D-ABPD performing flight LH-753 from Hyderabad (India) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 196 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Hyderabad's runway 09R when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 150 knots over ground) due to a problem with the nose wheels. The aircraft slowed safely and briefly stopped on the runway, then vacated the runway and stopped on the parallel taxiway. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Hyderabad about 16 hours after the rejected takeoff. The airline reported the aircraft vacated the runway after the rejected takeoff, a number of tyres deflated as result of the hard braking. The passengers disembarked via stairs. https://avherald.com/h?article=52806c3d&opt=0 Incident: Indigo A21N at Srinagar on May 21st 2025, hail strike An Indigo Airbus A321-200N, registration VT-IMD performing flight 6E-2142 from Delhi to Srinagar (India) with 227 people on board, was descending towards Srinagar when the aircraft flew through hail. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Srinagar's runway 31. The airline reported the aircraft encountered sudden hailstorm during the descent towards Srinagar resulting in damage to the radome. No Metars are available. https://avherald.com/h?article=52808603&opt=0 Boeing 737-524 (WL) - Navigation Failure (Russia) Date: Wednesday 21 May 2025 Time: 08:50 Type: Boeing 737-524 (WL) Owner/operator: UTair Airlines Registration: RA-73035 MSN: 27315/2571 Year of manufacture: 1993 Engine model: CFMI CFM56-3 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: 80 km north of Moscow - Russia Phase: Initial climb Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Moskva-Vnukovo Airport (VKO/UUWW) Destination airport: Naryan-Mar Airport (NNM/ULAM) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: 80 km north of Moscow, FL250. Crew report of navigation system failure. Captain decides to return to Vnukovo departure airport, landing in normal mode. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/513350 Smoke-filled Delta flight had "no oil visible" in right engine: NTSB After a Delta flight made an emergency landing in Atlanta in February, a maintenance crew found there was barely any or possibly "no oil visible" in the aircraft's right engine, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released Wednesday. Delta Air Lines Flight 876 was bound for South Carolina after it took off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Feb. 24. Not long after the plane was in the air, "possible smoke" started filling the flight deck, the Federal Aviation Administration said at the time. According to the NTSB's preliminary report, flight attendants in the front and rear of the aircraft all noticed smoke coming through a door and "coming out of all the vents" on takeoff. They tried to alert the pilots but didn't initially get a response. The lead flight attendant, who said the smoke was so thick "that he was unable to see past the first row of seats," knocked on the cockpit door, the report said. That's when the pilots also reported seeing smoke rising from the floor at the back of the cockpit and hearing the flight attendants contacting them. "They donned their oxygen masks and initially delayed responding to the flight attendant calls, as the captain focused on flying the airplane while first officer declared an emergency with air traffic control," the NTSB report said. The flight eventually landed safely and nearly 100 passengers were evacuated, the report said. When maintenance personnel performed an examination of the aircraft following the incident, they found "no oil visible in the sight glass of the right engine reservoir," which indicated that the oil was empty or nearly empty, according to the NTSB report. The Boeing 717-200 airplane was equipped with Rolls-Royce engines, the report said. It wasn't immediately clear whether the right engine oil reservoir was in that state before takeoff, and the NTSB's investigation is still ongoing. The preliminary NTSB report was among a number of other reports of ongoing investigations the agency released Wednesday. It comes amid the FAA's heightened concerns following high-profile incidents, including major delays at Newark International Airport and the deadly midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Eagle flight over the Potomac River in January. https://www.yahoo.com/news/smoke-filled-delta-flight-had-211736954.html Delta Pilots Used Oxygen Masks as ‘Tremendous’ Amount of Smoke Filled Cabin A Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta that was forced to double back and make an emergency landing in February was filled with such thick smoke that pilots needed to wear oxygen masks, and flight attendants struggled to see passengers beyond the first row, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board has revealed. Crew members onboard the Boeing 717 from Atlanta to South Carolina first noticed smoke near a front cabin door shortly after takeoff. The smoke soon began to pour from the plane’s air vents and fill the cabin with a thick haze. Attendants tried to inform the pilots, but were initially prevented from doing so as the cockpit was focused on emergency protocols and flying the aircraft. Amid rising panic, flight attendants reassured passengers they were trained for such emergencies and urged everyone to stay calm as the plane quickly turned around and returned to Atlanta. All 99 passengers were evacuated safely, although two received minor injuries while departing the craft. The cause of the smoke remains under investigation, although an oil leak was reported on the plane’s right engine shortly after the craft turned around, the NTSB reports. The investigation is expected to conclude next year. https://www.thedailybeast.com/delta-pilots-used-oxygen-masks-as-tremendous-amount-of-smoke-fills-cabin/ United Airlines flight from Hawaii to LAX diverted after 'potential security concern' found in bathroom A United Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles from Hawaii was diverted Tuesday after a "potential security concern" was found in the plane bathroom, according to the airline. United Airlines 1169 departed from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu around 9:40 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. But about an hour and a half after taking off, the plane turned back to the Honolulu airport, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware. Police searched the Boeing 777 plane, which had about 339 passengers and 10 crewmembers, after the aircraft landed, according to an airline spokesperson. The representative declined to say what, if anything, was discovered on the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration didn't respond to a request for comment. A traveler told Hawaii News Now that they waited about four hours on the tarmac after the plane returned to Hawaii while law enforcement and dogs screened each passenger. "Later I found out through the airport security manager that someone had written on the bathroom mirror that there was a bomb on the plane,” passenger Kouhei Massey told the outlet. A United Airlines spokesperson told The Times that the airline is "rebooking customers on another flight to Los Angeles that departs later this evening." https://www.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-flight-hawaii-lax-014453512.html Nose landing gear and tire broke off as Frontier Airlines flight from Orlando attempted landing, NTSB preliminary report says A nose landing gear wheel and tire broke off and hit an engine and wing during a Frontier Airlines attempted landing in Puerto Rico last month, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. On April 15, Frontier Flight 3506, an Airbus A321, was arriving from Orlando International Airport when its first landing attempt failed at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to the flight crew, the first officer was the pilot flying, and the captain was the pilot monitoring during the night flight. There were 228 passengers and seven crew members on board. When the plane was about 15 feet above the ground, the captain called for a go-around, instructing the first officer to abort the landing. The captain believed the aircraft was “running out of flying speed quickly” so he took over and accelerated to circle the airport just as the plane touched down, according to the NTSB report. Data from the plane showed the wheels initially hit the ground at 2.2 times the force of gravity, greater than Frontier’s “hard landing” limit of 1.8 Gs. During the go-around, the pilots “heard a loud bang coming from under the fuselage” and the first officer said that an engine failure was displayed on the electronic centralized aircraft monitor display, according to the NTSB. The captain asked for a sweep of the runway and metal and tire debris were found. Metal from the damaged nose landing gear was sucked into the plane’s left engine and hit parts of the wing, the NTSB found. The plane flew near the air traffic control tower to check if all three landing gears were down, and a controller reported they all appeared to be intact. The plane then landed normally and the passengers safely evacuated by air stairs. The preliminary NTSB report does not determine what caused the accident, which will be outlined in a final report that usually takes about a year. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nose-landing-gear-tire-broke-202109254.html US air traffic control system failing Americans, airline CEOs say WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Major airline CEOs on Wednesday called on Congress to approve billions of dollars in funding to modernize the United States' aging air traffic control system, saying it is "failing Americans." The Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control network's woes have been years in the making. But a rush of high-profile mishaps, near-misses and a deadly January crash involving an American Airlines regional jet caused public alarm and prompted new calls for action. In a joint letter, the airline executives cited recent failures involving Newark Airport and said the FAA's technology "is wildly out of date." "Aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the U.S., but for it to remain so, serious upgrades need to happen now," said the letter, citing a 2023 independent review that raised safety concerns. The executives called for urgent action as the busy summer travel season begins with the Memorial Day holiday this weekend. The FAA on Tuesday predicted a record number of Memorial Day holiday flights despite imposing temporary flight cuts at Newark due to runway construction, technology issues and persistent air traffic control staffing shortages. The letter was signed by the heads of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines, Atlas Air, trade group Airlines for America and senior executives at FedEx and UPS. Airlines and others this month called for at least $31 billion in spending on air traffic reform. The U.S. House is considering legislation that includes an initial $12.5 billion for air traffic control reform efforts. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants billions of dollars to replace outdated radar and telecommunications systems, air traffic control towers and other facilities and increase air traffic control staffing. The FAA wants funding for new radios, network connections and to replace 618 radars, install anti-collision tarmac technology at 200 airports, build six new air traffic control centers and expand its ADS-B network of real-time aircraft traffic information. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airline-ceos-us-air-traffic-124555220.html Over 40 US Airports Had Air Traffic Control Outages Since 2022, Report Says More than 40 reports of radar and radio glitches at dozens of air traffic control facilities have occurred since 2022, CNN reports, suggesting communication breakdowns are relatively commonplace and go far beyond Newark. Key Facts More than 40 reports of radar and radio failures at dozens of airports nationwide were filed to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System since 2022, CNN reported. According to a 2023 report, one veteran air traffic controller in Tampa described losing all contact with pilots as two planes, including a commercial passenger flight, narrowly missed each other after converging on a clear “collision course.” Describing a tech failure in 2022 that “literally put someone’s life in danger,” an Indiana-based air traffic controller described losing communication with a plane making an emergency landing after a door blew off. The FAA declined to confirm the accuracy of CNN’s report, but said in a statement: “The FAA has more than 74,000 pieces of equipment in the National Airspace System. Every air traffic control facility has a contingency plan to ensure safety, and we have built-in redundancies, backup systems, and procedures in the case of system failure, weather, or other unplanned event.” In the past three weeks, air traffic controllers guiding planes into New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport experienced four equipment outages of between 2 seconds and 45 minutes, during which air traffic controllers lost contact with planes they were guiding to land at the airport. On May 12, air traffic controllers at Denver International Airport lost contact with pilots for at least 90 seconds when multiple radio transmitters failed, the FAA confirmed. Michael McCormick, former vice president of FAA Management Services, urged caution in reading the NASA database incidents, noting that reporting is voluntary and anonymous and some controllers and pilots “tend to engage in hyperbole,” according to CNN. Key Background The FAA’s aging infrastructure is straining the country’s air traffic system. In recent weeks, controllers responsible for the nation’s airspace have experienced a string of equipment outages and other technological failures at airports around the country. “What you see in Newark is going to happen in other places across the country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted during an interview on May 11 on NBC’s “Meet the Press With Kristen Welker, adding, “I’m concerned about the whole airspace.” Duffy has characterized the existing equipment as safe, but old. “We have redundancies, multiple redundancies in place to keep you safe when you fly,” Duffy told Welker. “But we should also recognize we're seeing–we’re seeing stress on an old network, and it's time to fix it.” Which U.S. Airports Have Experienced Air Traffic Control Communication Failures? Besides the four outages at Newark Airport, recent weeks have seen similar communication breakdowns at Denver International Airport, William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation’s busiest. The CNN article mentions reported incidents at “dozens” of airports stretching back to 2022, specifically citing Tampa, Miami and an unspecified facility in Indiana. Is Flying Safe During An Air Traffic Control Equipment Outage? The chances of dying in a commercial airline crash is miniscule, with a fatality rate of 17 deaths per billion passengers, according to the latest safety report by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The FAA oversees roughly 45,000 flights per day in U.S. airspace. In the event of a communication failure between air traffic control and planes, both the FAA and airlines have backup plans. “Every air traffic control facility has a contingency plan to ensure safety, and we have built-in redundancies, backup systems, and procedures in the case of system failure, weather, or other unplanned event,” the FAA said in a statement. “When equipment issues occur, the FAA will ensure safety by slowing down air traffic at an airport.” Likewise, commercial pilots are trained to handle a wide range of situations, including outages. Earlier this month, United Airlines released a video of a veteran pilot explaining the several layers of redundancies, “including additional facilities that will provide radar services and a safe handoff to the tower facility in the event of an equipment outage,” Captain Miles Morgan says in the video. “On the flight deck, we have advanced safety technology that allows pilots to see other aircraft around us.” How Long Will It Take The Faa To Upgrade Its Outdated Technology? On May 8, Duffy announced a plan to completely rebuild the United States’ air traffic control system, replacing outdated telecommunications with new fiber, wireless and satellite technologies and equipping controllers with new radar, radios and voice switches. Duffy said his agency would build a new system “in three to four years” but needed Congress to allocate tens of billions of dollars to make that happen. The agency will roll out improvements in stages and prioritize facilities “based on needs,” Frank McIntosh, the FAA’s deputy chief operating officer for Air Traffic Organization, testified at a recent Senate hearing on FAA reauthorization. https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2025/05/21/air-traffic-control-outages-dozens-us-airports-since-2022/ Indigo pilot reports emergency after Srinagar-bound aircraft with over 200 people hits turbulence All Aircrew and 227 passengers are safe and flight is declared AOG by Airline, says an official A Srinagar-bound Indigo flight from Delhi with more than 220 people on board hit turbulence midair on Wednesday due to inclement weather, prompting the pilot to report the "emergency" to air traffic control at Srinagar. The flight later landed safely here, officials said. "Indigo flight 6E2142 enroute Delhi to Srinagar experienced bad weather (hail storm), emergency reported by Pilot to ATC SXR (Srinagar)," an official of the Airport Authority of India said here. He said the flight landed safely at Srinagar at 6.30 pm. "All Aircrew and 227 passengers are safe and flight is declared AOG by Airline," he added. https://www.telegraphindia.com/business/indigo-pilot-reports-emergency-after-srinagar-bound-aircraft-with-over-200-people-hits-turbulence/cid/2101046 FAA issues ground stop at Austin airport over staffing issues; 160 flights delayed The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Wednesday, delaying more than 100 flights amid ongoing staffing shortages — part of a broader national trend straining the air traffic control system. The disruption comes as Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest hubs, enters its fourth week of significant delays and, more recently, flight caps due to a combination of staffing shortages, recent technological failures, and ongoing runway construction. The FAA, currently facing a shortfall of thousands of air traffic controllers, recently terminated hundreds of probationary employees and is now scrambling to recruit replacements under the guidance of the Department of Government Efficiency. According to KUT, each tower shift in Austin is supposed to include 14 air traffic controllers, but today’s shifts are staffed with only eight to 10. Airport media personnel were unable to confirm those staffing levels or whether air traffic controllers were specifically the reason for the ground stop, which was labeled only as a “staffing” issue. The FAA has not yet responded to a request for confirmation. Currently, more than 180 flights are delayed or canceled in Austin. More: Free bags no more: Here's the last day to book tickets with free checked bags at Southwest When will operations resume as normal in Austin? According to the FAA website, the ground stop, which temporarily halts incoming flights, is scheduled to end by 9 p.m. Currently, the average delay is about 49 minutes. Texas airport delays: See live flight status See up-to-date information on Texas' 10 busiest airports. Austin Dallas-Fort Worth El Paso Houston (IAH) Houston (HOU) Love Field Lubbock McAllen Midland-Odessa San Antonio To view flights at smaller airports in Texas, visit FlightAware and search by flight number or location. What is the DOT Dashboard? The Department of Transportation created a dashboard for travelers to easily access information about services that U.S. airlines provide in the case of cancellations or delays. Click here to access the DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. A new rule from the DOT that went into effect at the end of October requires airlines to refund passengers if their flight is significantly delayed for reasons within the carrier's control and also makes airlines more responsible for following their own customer commitments in those cases. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2025/05/21/faa-ground-stop-austin-airport-delays-cancellations-flight-status/83767183007/ Southwest Airlines bans battery charging in carry-on bags With the new policy, travelers will be required to keep active devices in clear sight. Southwest Airlines, citing safety concerns, will no longer allow passengers to charge their devices with a power bank stowed inside a carry-on bag. Starting on May 28, travelers must place their activated portable charging equipment in a visible location, such as in a seat pocket or on a tray table. In a statement, the airline said the initiative is an important measure in case a lithium battery-powered device overheats or catches fire during a flight. The rule applies to charging devices stashed inside bags under a seat or in an overhead bin. Powered-off devices are still permitted inside cabin luggage, and people may use chargers that are in plain view. “This policy by Southwest is trying to minimize and address that risk by having them visible and accessible,” said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for aviation safety. “If it is not accessible, it is a problem.” Since March 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration says it has verified 620 lithium battery incidents involving extreme heat, fire or smoke on cargo and passenger aircraft. Battery packs, the electronic device with the highest frequency of occurrences, caused 240 of them. As of Monday, the agency had recorded 22 events involving these devices this year. Last year’s total was 89. In 2023, a Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas to Orlando made an emergency landing in Jacksonville, Florida, after a battery in an overhead bin caught fire, filling the cabin with smoke. A YouTube video shows passengers spraying the compartment with water and a fire extinguisher. The FAA has been aware of the risk for decades. Since 2020, it has prohibited passengers from packing spare lithium batteries in checked luggage. It recently updated the ban to include portable chargers and power banks. Southwest is the first major U.S. carrier to institute a rule in the cabin. The airline defined “visible” as “within sight,” such as on a lap or table tray or in the seat pocket or atop the bag at your feet. Many Asian airlines have implemented stronger restrictions on the devices. Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways no longer allow passengers to use their power banks in-flight. In a February announcement, the South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport began restricting storage of these items to “their person” or the seat back pocket, so flight attendants can respond immediately to any problems. Overhead storage and direct charging in any capacity — in-flight outlet, battery-to-battery — is not allowed. The ministry said it would provide “short-circuit-prevention” plastic bags at check-in counters and onboard. Since March 1, Korean-owned airlines have prohibited passengers from stowing these devices in overhead bins. Fliers must pack them in protective pouches or clear transparent plastic bags, or cover connectors with insulating tape. On the Taiwanese carrier Eva Air, travelers cannot use or charge their power banks during the flight. The rule follows a serious incident aboard an Air Busan flight in South Korea in January, when a fire filled the cabin with smoke, leading to the evacuation of about 180 passengers and flight crew members. Investigators have not said whether they know the cause of the fire, but the country’s Transport Ministry said a degraded power bank could have been the culprit, Reuters reported in March. Shahidi recommends passengers use the outlet by their seat to charge their devices. However, Gary Leff, founder of the View from the Wing blog, said that Southwest “has fewer outlets than most” and that they are “only USB.” To be safe, juice up your gadgets before your departure — but not to the top. In a 2023 episode of the FAA’s podcast “The Air Up There,” Robert Ochs, manager of the fire safety branch at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center, recommends capping your phone charge at 30 percent. “It’s less likely to undergo thermal runaway, and the reaction would be less severe,” he says. For devices you don’t plan to use on the flight, Ochs suggests unplugging them and powering them off. https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/05/21/southwest-battery-chargers-ban/ EBACE Adds Safety To Agenda As Part of Regulatory Conversations GENEVA—Enhanced safety, effective regulations for business aviation, and better collaboration between business aviation entities and the European regulator are action items for business aviation industry stakeholders. “We’re seeing more of a close collaboration on the most important principles of safety” between the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), national business aviation associations and the industry, says Maxime Wauters, European Business Aviation Association (EBAA)’s senior manager for safety and regulatory affairs. That is part of the reasons the association combined its EBACE exhibition with its AirOps event to “brings everyone together to realize that safety is not separate ... from operational activity,” Wauters says. “Safety promotion is the essential key that oils the engine,” says Yngvi Rafn Yngvason, an EASA safety analyst. “It’s a behavioral modification process. If we use it correctly and we engage people, we get discussions flowing, people change their way of working and do it in a more safety-minded manner.” He emphasizes that is why safety promotion is a pillar in the ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization] Annex 19,” which is a global aviation safety standard. Yngvason is attending EBACE for the first time and says “I love being here and being able to connect [with people] ... It helps us connect to industry and have this collaboration on issues that is so needed on a global level.” Wauter adds that safety discussions inevitable end up including how to apply regulations to an operation. “That drills down to your people at the end of the day, so we need to make sure we speak the same language,” he says. Business aviation leaders agree that the conversation with EASA began to shift for the better three or four years ago, when John Franklin, who is the head of safety promotion at EASA, took over. “John has been championing safety promotion,” and he brings energy and passion, says Colin Russell, Flexjet Operations’ European safety and compliance director. Russell, who participated on a safety panel with Wauters, Yngvason, Tony Cramp, Shell Aviation’s managing director and this author, says “When we were talking about leadership, engagement and listening, that all comes from a position of care. If you care about the topic or you care about the people you’re engaging with it, it shines through.” Franklin stands out for this, says Russell: “John’s care for promoting and sharing strong message has cascaded into the asset.” Cramp thinks these increased conversations between EASA, the EBAA and European business aviation community presents an opportunity to support smaller operators. Because the business sector is characterized by many small operators, “they don’t have the resources that large airlines do,” so the consequences of an accident are catastrophic for them “but they’re also pretty bad for the whole industry,” he says. Fostering connections and providing learning opportunities to make their operations better means “the industry as a whole gets lifted,” Cramp says. “Having EBAA and national business aviation associations working together, focused on the right staff, but also with the right data” is another crucial way to improve the industry, he says. The industry generates a lot of data that is underutilized, in his opinion. For instance, “You need to be understanding what each company’s flight data monitoring programs tell them. Where are they getting those little high-potential incidents that either fail luckily or never result in anything. Those are the leading indicators that you take action on, that an organization can build its best practice around, and that other operators can learn from them so they don’t fall into the same traps,” says Cramp. https://aviationweek.com/shownews/ebace/ebace-adds-safety-agenda-part-regulatory-conversations Aircraft Lessor SMBC’s Proceeds From Russian Jet Insurance Settlements Hit $1.4B Aircraft lessor SMBC Aviation Capital has booked a further $654 million in proceeds from insurance settlements over the past year related to jets stranded in Russia following Western sanctions, the Irish-headquartered company said on Thursday. That brought SMBC’s total recoveries from claims following the sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine to $1.41 billion. It was one of six lessors that ended an Irish lawsuit against their insurers last month following a series of settlements. SMBC recorded an impairment of $1.6 billion in 2022 to cover the full financial impact of having 34 jets stuck in Russia after the sanctions forced the termination of all Russian leases. The world’s third-largest aircraft lessor gave the update in its full year results to the end of March, which showed pretax profits rose 22% year-on-year to a company record $563 million, excluding the benefit of the insurance settlements. SMBC, owned by a consortium including Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, said its core lease rental revenue grew by 3% to $2 billion and its asset sales hit $1.9 billion following the sale of 48 older aircraft. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2025/05/22/824738.htm Boeing increases 737 production pace as quality, safety culture improves SEATTLE (Reuters) -Boeing expects to stabilize 737 MAX production at 38 airplanes a month over the next couple of months, its Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Quality Doug Ackerman told reporters on Tuesday. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration capped output at 38 airplanes a month after a mid-air panel blowout in a nearly new 737 in January 2024. Prior to that, monthly production of its best-selling airplane had bounced between the teens and the thirties but Boeing struggled through a series of crises and controversies that have battered its finances, strained employee morale and shredded public trust. After losing nearly $12 billion last year, the U.S. planemaker needs to increase 737 production to bring in more cash. The company is on track to produce about 38 of the popular single-aisle airplanes this month, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. A Boeing spokesperson declined to comment on the production rate for May. Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg previously said that the company needs to prove it can maintain production at that level for several months before it asks the FAA to lift the cap. Once production is running smoothly, the company would also resume work on adding a fourth production line, Ackerman said. Boeing is making steady progress on all six production quality and safety metrics created by the company and regulators, according to its annual Chief Aerospace Safety Officer Report, which was released on Wednesday. Safety concerns submitted by employees to the company's Speak Up reporting system rose by 220% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report. Ongoing changes continue to make the program more effective, Chief Aerospace Safety Officer Don Ruhmann said during the media briefing on Tuesday. For example, safety concerns are now evaluated by managers from other sections who are more likely to be impartial, rather than those who oversaw the work in question. Boeing is also using machine learning to catch quality problems in its supply chain before they become widespread. While it is still "fine tuning" the approach, it is seeing statistical correlations between the data and the likelihood of supply chain issues, Ackerman said. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-increases-737-production-pace-140221731.html Nominations for ISASI - Jerry Lederer Award - Please submit before May 30 Please consider nominating someone who you know is deserving of the Jerry Lederer Award: any member of ISASI may submit a nomination. The nominee is not required to be an ISASI member and may be an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. The nomination can be for a single event, a series of events, or a lifetime of achievement. Nomination statements should emphasize an original and remarkable contribution and personal effort beyond normal duty requirements. To nominate, a letter no more than a single page, is written outlining the individual’s achievements; such traits as persistence, standing among peers, manner and techniques of operating, and achievements are considered. The nomination letter is to be e-mailed to both the ISASI office (ann.schull@isasi.org ) and to the Awards Committee Chair (Dave King - kingdfk@aol.com). Nominations must be received by May 30th. www.isasi.org "Soaring To New Heights: A World of Innovation" ISASI 2025 September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025 Renaissance Denver Hotel & Conference Center 3801 Quebec Street Denver, CO 80207 USA CALENDAR OF EVENTS · 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 . South Texas Business Aviation Association June 20th at the Galaxy FBO at Conroe Airport, Texas. . Airborne Public Safety Association -APSCON / APSCON Unmanned 2025 in Phoenix, AZ | July 14-18, 2025 . 3rd annual Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS), July 15-17, 2025, Singapore, organized by Flight Safety Foundation and CAAS. . Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar 2025; 10-11 September 2025; Manila, Philippines · ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025'September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025, DENVER, COLORADO . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis