Flight Safety Information - May 27, 2025 No. 105 In This Issue : Incident: American B738 at Havana on May 21st 2025, bird strike : Incident: Southwest B38M at Denver on May 25th 2025, lightning strike, loss of communication : Incident: KLM A332 at Amsterdam on May 25th 2025, flat tyre in flight : Runway lights weren’t working as pilot tried to land at foggy San Diego airport before fatal crash : Chopper crash inquest to look at pilot's cocaine use (Australia) : South Korea fines Korean Air, Jeju Air and T’way Air US$2.6 million for safety violations : Singapore Airlines turbulence investigation not yet complete, ministry says : Former Student Files $500K Lawsuit Against United Pilot Academy : Canadian Owners And Pilots Association Eyes Name Change : The jet Qatar gave Trump is valued around $400 million. It might cost taxpayers $1 billion just to upgrade it to presidential standards : Flames burst out of United Airlines flight's engines while taking off in China : Boeing’s 2025 Safety Report Highlights Progress in Safety Culture and Practices : 2024 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference predications become reality : Nominations for ISASI - Jerry Lederer Award - Please submit before May 30 : ISASI 2025 - Denver : Calendar of Events : TODAY'S PHOTO Incident: American B738 at Havana on May 21st 2025, bird strike An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N927NN performing flight AA-837 from Miami,FL (USA) to Havana (Cuba), was on final approach to Havana's runway 06 when a bird impacted the aircraft's nose landing gear. The aircraft continued for a safe landing, however, was unable to vacate the runway and needed to be towed off the runway. Cuba's Transport Ministry reported according to preliminary investigation the bird strike at about 300 feet AGL damaged a hydraulic line causing directional control problems on vacating the runway. A replacement Boeing 737-8 MAX registration N339TP positioned to Havana and performed the return flight AA-838 reaching Miami with a delay of about 6:40 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=5283e5e4&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B38M at Denver on May 25th 2025, lightning strike, loss of communication A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration N8887Q performing flight WN-168 from Tampa,FL to Denver,CO (USA), was on approach to Denver at 11,000 feet when the aircraft received a lightning strike. Subsequently ATC could not hear the aircraft anymore and transmitted instructions into the blind, which were followed by the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on Denver's runway 17L about 12 minutes later. The airline reported the aircraft received a possible lightning strike but landed safely. The aircraft is still on the ground in Denver about 15.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5283e3a9&opt=0 Incident: KLM A332 at Amsterdam on May 25th 2025, flat tyre in flight A KLM Airbus A330-200, registration PH-AOB performing flight KL-676 (dep May 24th) from Edmonton,AB (Canada) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was descending towards Amsterdam when the crew reported one of their 4 main tyres was flat advising they expected a normal landing but needed to taxi slowly. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 18C and taxied to the apron. The aircraft returned to service about 6 hours later. https://avherald.com/h?article=5283ccd3&opt=0 Runway lights weren’t working as pilot tried to land at foggy San Diego airport before fatal crash SAN DIEGO (AP) — The runway lights were out, a weather alert system wasn’t working and there was heavy fog at a San Diego airport when a pilot who had flown across the country made the decision to proceed with landing but came up short and crashed into a neighborhood, likely killing all six aboard the aircraft, investigators said Friday. Investigator Dan Baker of the National Transportation Safety Board said officials will work over the next year to determine what caused the Cessna 550 Citation to crash just before 4 a.m. Thursday. The jet was carrying a music executive and five others. No one in the neighborhood of U.S. Navy housing died, but eight people were treated for smoke inhalation from the fiery crash and non-life-threatening injuries. The pilot acknowledged the weather conditions for landing at the small airport were not ideal and debated diverting to a different airport while discussing the visibility with an air traffic controller at a regional Federal Aviation Administration control tower, according to audio of the conversation posted by LiveATC.net. The FAA had posted an official notice for pilots that the lights were out of service, but it’s not known whether the pilot had checked it. He didn’t discuss the lights being out with air traffic control, but was aware that the airport’s weather alert system was inoperable. Ultimately, the pilot is heard saying that he’ll stick with the plan to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. The plane crashed about 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) from the airport. Baker said a power surge knocked out the weather system at the airport but the pilot was aware of the fog and an air traffic controller gave him weather information from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, about 4 miles (6.44 kilometers) north. Music talent agent Dave Shapiro, and two employees of the music agency he co-founded, Sound Talent Group, were among the dead along with the former drummer for metal band The Devil Wears Prada. Shapiro, 42, had a pilot’s license and was listed as the owner of the plane. The two employees who died were Kendall Fortner, 24, and Emma Huke, 25, both Southern California natives and booking associates for the agency. The crash added to a long list of aviation disasters this year while federal officials have tried to reassure travelers that flying is the safest mode of transportation, which statistics support. Shapiro’s aircraft took off from Teterboro, New Jersey, near Manhattan, at about 11:15 p.m. local time Wednesday and made a fuel stop in Wichita, Kansas, before continuing on to San Diego. He was returning to San Diego after a band he manages, Pierce The Veil, played for a sold-out audience at Madison Square Garden. That overnight schedule wouldn’t be allowed for an airliner under federal crew rest rules, but those regulations don’t apply to private planes. Assistant San Diego Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said the fog was so thick in the morning that “you could barely see in front of you.” Former NTSB and FAA crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti said he thinks dense fog and fatigue after the pilot flew all night long were likely factors in the crash. “This accident has all the earmarks of a classic attempt to approach an airport in really bad weather and poor visibility,” Guzzetti said. “And there were other airports that the crew could have gone to.” He said pilots are required to check FAA posts called Notices to Airmen that alert pilots to any issues such as runway lights being out. “It’s fairly easy for the pilot to get that information and they are required to get that information before any flight they take,” Guzzetti said. The pilot also would have likely noticed the lights weren’t working as he descended. Without lights, procedure dictated that he should have climbed and diverted to another airport, Guzzetti said. Fragments of the plane were found under power lines that are about a half block from the homes. It went on to lose a wing on the road directly behind the homes. Guzzetti said even if the plane had missed the power lines it may have still crashed because it was coming in too low in the fog. A terrifying wakeup The crash site shows more damage on the front side of homes, including a smashed stone landscaping wall and an incinerated truck that was parked across the street and shoved into the living room of its owner’s home before catching fire. Ben McCarty and his wife, who live in the home that was hit, said they felt heat all around them after being woken up by an explosion. “All I could see was fire. The roof of the house was still on fire. You could see the night sky from our living room,” McCarty, who has served in the Navy for 13 years, told local ABC affiliate KGTV. Flames blocked many of the exits so they grabbed their children and dogs and ran out the back but the burning debris blocked the gate so neighbors helped them climb over the fence to escape. “We got the kids over the fence and then I jumped over the fence. They brought a ladder and we got the dogs,” McCarty said. Meanwhile, fiery jet fuel rolled down the block igniting everything in its path from trees to plastic trash containers to car after car. McCarty’s home was the only one destroyed, though another 10 residences suffered damage, authorities said. McCarty said his family used to enjoy living under the flight path so they could watch the planes pass overhead. “Us and our kids would sit on our front porch and we’d look up and my sons would always be excited saying ‘plane plane’ watching the planes go by and ironically right where we were sitting is where that plane hit,” McCarty said. Now, he wants to move. “I’m not going to live over that flight line again — it’s going to be hard to sleep at night,” McCarty said. It could have been much worse Guzzetti said in his experience there often aren’t deaths on the ground when a plane crashes in a residential area unless people are right where the plane hits such as in Philadelphia in January. At least 100 residents in the San Diego neighborhood were evacuated and officials said it was unclear when it would be safe for people to return. Thursday’s crash comes only weeks after a small plane crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley northwest of Los Angeles, killing both people and a dog aboard the aircraft but leaving no one on the ground injured. In October 2021 a twin-engine plane plowed into a San Diego suburb, killing the pilot and a UPS delivery driver on the ground and burning homes. https://apnews.com/article/san-diego-plane-crash-music-agent-military-navy-479ff8084c7ba4fe66adc0f213d3b92b Chopper crash inquest to look at pilot's cocaine use (Australia) A pilot's cocaine use before a mid-air helicopter collision will come under scrutiny as part of an inquest into the fatal crash, a coroner has been told. Four people died when two Sea World helicopters collided above the Gold Coast Broadwater in January 2023 during the busy summer holiday season. A litany of factors led to the crash, including limited visibility, failed radio transmissions and a lack of safety protocols, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report revealed in April. A pre-inquest hearing in Brisbane on Monday was told the safety bureau report had provided scope for the helicopter crash inquest to be held at a later date. Four people died and nine were injured in the mid-air collision. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS) Pilot Ashley Jenkinson 40, Ronald and Diane Hughes, 65 and 67, and Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, died in the crash while nine others were injured in the catastrophic collision more than two years ago. The pilot's drug use before the crash would be one of 11 issues to come under the microscope at the inquest, counsel assisting Ian Harvey said on Monday. "The ATSB report includes a finding that it was very likely that pilot Ashley Jenkinson used cocaine around one-and-a-half days prior to the accident," Mr Harvey told the court. "Their conclusion is that the pilot Ashley Jenkinson was unlikely to have been directly affected by the drug at the time of the accident. "The word 'directly' is of some significance." Other issues to be addressed at the inquest would include the high frequency of Sea World helicopter flights as well as the design and control of landing sites, he said. Adequacy of training, radio equipment serviceability and effectiveness along with Sea World's air communication systems would also be examined, the coroner heard. One of the outstanding issues the safety bureau found was an antenna failure in one helicopter's radio that existed for days. One of the pilots tried to make a call to alert the other helicopter that they were leaving but it was never delivered to the other aircraft due to the fault, the safety bureau report said. The inquest is expected to run over a 10-day period from a date yet to be set. https://au.news.yahoo.com/chopper-crash-inquest-look-pilots-071605043.html South Korea fines Korean Air, Jeju Air and T’way Air US$2.6 million for safety violations The country’s aviation safety standards have come under intense scrutiny after the fatal crash landing of Jeju Air Flight 2216 last year Korean Air was one of three South Korean airlines fined on May 27 by the government for safety violations. Korean Air, Jeju Air and T’way Air have been fined a total of 3.54 billion won (US$2.6 million) by South Korea’s government for safety violations. The three South Korean airlines violated the Aviation Safety Act, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported, citing a statement by the country’s ministry of land, infrastructure and transport on Tuesday. The fines come five months after the country’s aviation safety standards were in the spotlight following the crash landing last December of Jeju Air Flight 2216, which ran into a wall at South Korea’s Muan International Airport, killing 179 passengers and crew members. The deadliest aviation incident on South Korean soil prompted calls for stricter safety and maintenance checks on local airlines. In June last year, a Korean Air flight bound for Taiwan had to turn back and make an emergency landing after a fault with the aircraft’s pressurisation system was detected. In addition to imposing fines, the government also suspended the licenses of eight aviation maintenance engineers – three each from T’way Air and Jeju Air, and two from Korean Air – for between 15 days and 45 days. The decision was finalised after a penalty review committee meeting held in early April. T’way Air faces the heaviest fine of 2.6 billion won. The airline was found to have violated maintenance manuals by skipping hydraulic fluid tests, failing to replace filters and reusing filters. It was also found to have inspected three B737-800 aircraft using its own arbitrary intervals, instead of the standard seven-day interval set by manufacturer Boeing. When defects were rediscovered after an airworthiness check, the airline had deleted or altered its original maintenance records. Jeju Air was fined 800 million won for failing to conduct required flight checks for two aircraft within a stipulated 48-hour period. It had also failed to follow proper engine troubleshooting steps when an engine malfunction occurred, leading to repeated defects. Korean Air was fined 133 million won for improper flap system maintenance on A330-300 models. It was found to have installed equipment using temporary securing components, deviating from standard procedures. “To ensure airlines do not neglect investments in aviation safety, we will continue to strengthen oversight across all aspects of maintenance and operations,” a ministry official said, as cited by Yonhap news agency. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3311944/south-korea-fines-korean-air-jeju-air-and-tway-air-us26-million-safety-violations Singapore Airlines turbulence investigation not yet complete, ministry says SEOUL, May 27 (Reuters) - Singapore authorities said on Tuesday that an investigation into a Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), opens new tab flight last year that hit turbulence, injuring dozens of people and killing one, was still awaiting analysis of the plane's weather radar systems. A 73-year-old passenger died of a suspected heart attack in the incident, which occurred after flight SQ321 from London to Singapore encountered what the airline described as sudden, extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar. It was civil aviation's first death linked to airplane turbulence in 25 years and put seatbelt practices in the spotlight. It also prompted calls from the airline industry for improved turbulence forecasting as experts warn severe weather patterns brought about by climate change could lead to more incidents. An interim update of the investigation on Tuesday said that, in addition to the death, 79 people were injured on the flight, which diverted to Bangkok with 211 passengers and 18 crew members aboard. The short update from Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, part of the transport ministry, was released a week after the one-year anniversary of the May 21, 2024 incident. The ministry said a final report would be issued once the investigation is complete. "Components of the aircraft's weather radar system have been sent for examination and tests in the U.S.," the interim update said. Global aviation guidelines call for an initial report within 30 days of an accident and a final one ideally within a year. Failing that, investigators should issue interim statements on each anniversary. In a preliminary report last year, the transport ministry said rapid changes in gravitational forces over 4.6 seconds resulting in an altitude drop of 178 feet (54 m) likely caused passengers and crew to become airborne and then fall, causing the injuries. Passengers on the flight, speaking after the incident, said that crew and those not strapped in left the floor or their seats and slammed into the cabin ceiling, cracking it in places. The Bangkok hospital that treated passengers said there were spinal cord, brain and skull injuries. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/singapore-airlines-turbulence-investigation-not-yet-complete-ministry-says-2025-05-27/ Former Student Files $500K Lawsuit Against United Pilot Academy Thompson’s lawsuit echoes a March 2025 class action filed by several other former UAA students who allege similar experiences. CHICAGO- A former student has filed a $500,000 lawsuit against United Aviate Academy (UAA), alleging misrepresentation and delays that disrupted her pilot training timeline at the United Airlines (UA) flight school. The lawsuit stems from delays at the academy based at Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR), where the student claims the training failed to meet advertised timelines. This case follows a broader class action alleging similar concerns from other former students. United Aviate Academy Faces Lawsuit United Airlines acquired Westwind School of Aeronautics in February 2020 and rebranded it as United Aviate Academy (UAA) to meet its goal of training over 10,000 new pilots. Located at Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR), the academy was promoted as a fast-track program designed to provide all certifications to become a commercial pilot within 12 months. The plaintiff, Carrie Lynne Thompson, enrolled in October 2022 after being assured of the one-year completion timeline. Her complaint, initially filed on July 15, 2024, and amended on April 12, 2025, alleges she relied on widely disseminated claims about the academy’s pace—including printed advertisements, web content, and enrollment agreements, flagged Flying Mag. Court documents outline a program structure consisting of seven sequential phases—from private pilot training to multiengine flight instructor certification—each with specific duration expectations. However, Thompson claims it took her nine months just to obtain her Private Pilot License (PPL), which was supposed to be completed in two months. She alleges this delay, and the overall training schedule extending beyond 18 months caused significant financial loss. Prohibited from working during the program, she accrued over $49,000 in tuition, an estimated $25,000 in relocation costs, and forfeited approximately $100,000 in lost wages. Broader Pattern of Complaints Thompson’s lawsuit echoes a March 2025 class action filed by several other former UAA students who allege similar experiences. That filing claimed some students received only around 300 hours of flight time over two years, far below expectations. Students reportedly received vague reassurances like “we’re working out the kinks” when raising concerns. Many, according to Thompson, were dismissed from the academy for falling behind due to delays beyond their control. A key moment highlighted in the complaint is a January 25, 2023, graduation ceremony attended by United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. Thompson alleges only one student had actually completed the full program by that date, calling the event “purely for show.” Thompson formally left the program in July 2023. She stated she was denied her request to return to work as a flight attendant while remaining enrolled at UAA, citing the financial burden and prolonged training duration as unsustainable. Legal Arguments Thompson’s complaint includes claims under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act, false advertising, and promissory estoppel. She argues that the academy’s failure to meet its advertised training timeline constituted consumer fraud and caused significant emotional and financial distress. United Airlines filed a motion to strike the amended complaint. On May 1, 2025, a federal judge granted that motion, ruling the revised filing included unauthorized new allegations and causes of action. Despite this setback, Thompson may still contest the decision and continue her case. She is representing herself in the legal proceedings. United Airlines has not directly addressed the specific allegations but told the Associated Press it maintains “the highest confidence” in UAA’s training quality and noted the successful graduation of hundreds of students. Implications for Future Aviation Trainees The lawsuit raises broader concerns about the transparency and accountability of airline-sponsored pilot academies, particularly for students making significant financial and career sacrifices. If the courts side with Thompson or the class action group, the case could lead to increased scrutiny of fast-track training programs and their marketing practices—especially in an industry racing to address pilot shortages. Prospective students considering such programs may now pay closer attention to actual completion rates and student experiences rather than advertised timelines. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/05/24/student-files-500k-lawsuit-against-united-pilot-academy/#google_vignette Canadian Owners And Pilots Association Eyes Name Change Group would be known as Aviators Canada Association if change is endorsed by membership. The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association’s (COPA’s) board of directors is proposing the name of the organization be changed to Aviators Canada Association, which it believes will be truncated to Aviators Canada in normal communications. Whether the name will be changed will be up for discussion at COPA’s annual general meeting in Vernon, B.C., on June 21. Members unable to attend the AGM can sign proxies for members in attendance to vote on their behalf. There has been some discussion on social media among members. In a letter to members, COPA president Doug Ronan said the current name no longer represents the broad range of participation by other sectors of the aviation industry and is actually a barrier to entry by those who don’t fly or own aircraft. “General Aviation in Canada encompasses a far broader group of people and professions—including student pilots, drone operators, aircraft mechanics, airport and aerodrome operators, aviation parts suppliers, flight school personnel, regional commercial operators, aviation enthusiasts and future flyers,” he said. “To grow and thrive our community must be open to all those who believe in and contribute to general aviation.” The current name has stood since the organization’s inception in 1952. It’s a founding member of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations and remains the second largest member behind AOPA. Membership has been slipping in recent years and now stands at about 11,000 members. The group recently hired Marcia Kim as president and CEO, saying she has 15 years of leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector. She replaced businessman Mark van Berkel, who led the organization for two years. AVweb received a statement from the COPA board and it’s copied as follows: Statement From Canadian Owners and Pilots Association “Accessing the skies is a privilege that citizens of few countries enjoy as freely as we do in Canada (and the USA). Sadly, fewer and fewer Canadians are taking to the skies—the number of private pilots in Canada has been in severe decline and doing so despite an increasing population. Many Canadians believe that flying is beyond them … exclusive, unattainable— something reserved for ‘other people.’ Before Canadians can become pilots or aircraft owners, they need to be able to visualize themselves as aviators … to dare to dream that the passion for flight is open to them as well. Being an ‘aviator’ starts in the heart. And it manifests itself in individuals becoming pilots and owners, but also AMEs, air traffic controllers, aerodrome operators, flight school operators, etc… Only with more pilots, more flight schools, healthy airports, accessible AMEs, etc … will we, together, be able to preserve the remarkable freedom to fly that we enjoy in Canada. Those of us who are privileged to know the bliss of ‘slipping the surly bonds of Earth’ must open our arms wide and welcome others into our organization and into aviation.” https://avweb.com/aviation-news/canadian-owners-and-pilots-association-eyes-name-change/ The jet Qatar gave Trump is valued around $400 million. It might cost taxpayers $1 billion just to upgrade it to presidential standards The Boeing 747 Qatar donated to the Air Force One fleet costs roughly $400 million when new, but outfitting the jet to fit presidential requirements may cost up to $1 billion, according to experts. The Qataris have had trouble trying to sell the aircraft as 747s have fallen out of popularity within the aviation industry and are no longer manufactured. While President Donald Trump flaunts his $400 million Qatari airplane, touted to be the newest member of the Air Force One fleet, experts say it could cost $1 billion just to bring the jet up to presidential standards. In addition to ethical concerns over the Qatari-owned Boeing 747 becoming the largest foreign gift ever received by the U.S. government, Sen. Tammy Duckworth said the jet could also cost up to 10 figures in taxpayer dollars to operate within the Air Force One fleet. “Far from saving money, this unconstitutional action will not only cost our nation its dignity, but it will force taxpayers to waste over a billion dollars to overhaul this particular aircraft, when we currently have not one, but two fully operational and fully capable Air Force One aircraft,” the Illinois Democrat said in a statement to multiple outlets. One expert puts that figure higher: Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at aviation consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said converting the aircraft into an Air Force One jet would cost billions and take years. “You’re taking a 747, disassembling it, reassembling it, and then jacking it up to a very high level,” Aboulafia told NBC News. In order to secure the jet for presidential use, it would have to be examined for any listening devices and outfitted with communications equipment and missile defense systems. These costs would accumulate at least $1 billion, current and former Pentagon officials told The New York Times. White House officials have said the government is looking into partnering with government contractor L3Harris to maintain the jet, the Times reported. The cost of the reported deal has not been public. L3Harris declined Fortune’s request for comment. As the jet’s upgrades will take a couple years, the government has already paid Boeing for two new Air Force One jets projected to be completed by 2027. “That’s a better dollar value than trying to take an airplane from somebody else and trying to make it into a presidential plane. It makes no sense,” Marc Foulkrod, an aerospace engineer who had tried to help Doha sell the jet, told The New York Times. Meanwhile, the price tag for a crew on a traditional Air Force One jet reaches more than $37 million annually, while the total operating cost sits at roughly $134 million per year, according to Pentagon documents. A White House spokesperson said, “It has been stated time and time and time and time again this was donated as a gift to the DoD and the Air Force” and referred Fortune to the DoD for further comment. The DoD declined to comment. Prior to offering the jet to the U.S., the Qataris had been unsuccessful in finding a suitor for the Boeing 747. Foulkrod said while the plane is in great condition, it’s hard to find a buyer for a VIP styled-aircraft. “You might find that one-off guy that has a super ego that wants to buy one and ride around in it,” Foulkrod said. Commercial airlines lacked interest in the jet because 747s are no longer manufactured and are falling out of popularity among the aviation industry, and the jet was too lavishly outfitted to be suitable for commercial use. https://fortune.com/2025/05/23/airplane-qatar-air-force-one-cost/ Flames burst out of United Airlines flight's engines while taking off in China A massive ball of fire burst out of the engines of United Airlines flight UA889 during takeoff at Beijing Capital International Airport in China on May 26. The Boeing 777 was en route to San Francisco when the incident forced the plane to halt takeoff. No crew members or passengers were injured. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/flames-burst-united-airlines-flights-100729458.html Boeing’s 2025 Safety Report Highlights Progress in Safety Culture and Practices Boeing has published its fourth annual Chief Aerospace Safety Officer (CASO) report, detailing the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance product safety. Boeing [NYSE: BA] recently published its fourth annual Chief Aerospace Safety Officer (CASO) report, detailing the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance product safety. The 2025 report outlines advancements in safety culture, safety practices, and collaboration with customers and industry partners. By focusing on continuous improvement, Boeing aims to uphold the highest safety standards in aerospace. Don Ruhmann, Boeing’s Chief Aerospace Safety Officer, emphasized, “Safety is at the core of everything we do. Continuous learning drives improvements that protect human lives.” Strengthening Safety Culture Boeing has prioritized fostering a robust safety culture. The company enhanced its Speak Up program, an employee reporting channel for safety, quality, and compliance concerns. This initiative encourages workers to voice issues, ensuring potential risks are addressed promptly. Additionally, Boeing doubled the number of participants in its Safety Management System (SMS) Champions Program to over 1,000 employees. This program promotes SMS understanding and advocacy across teams and factories, embedding safety principles into daily operations. These efforts reflect Boeing’s commitment to empowering employees to prioritize safety. Advancing Safety Practices The 2025 report highlights significant strides in safety practices. Boeing submitted a comprehensive action plan to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), addressing recommendations from a Congressionally authorized expert panel’s safety review. The company also introduced Design Build Safety reviews, ensuring engineering requirements translate effectively into production through rigorous safety risk management. Furthermore, Boeing expanded its safety data sources and increased the use of machine learning. This technology helps identify and mitigate potential hazards proactively, enhancing overall safety performance. Industry Collaboration Boeing’s commitment extends beyond its operations, emphasizing industry-wide collaboration. The company engaged over 300 airline operators to develop integrated safety solutions, fostering a collective approach to aviation safety. Additionally, Boeing hosted its third annual Aviation Safety Conference, attended by approximately 300 industry experts. The event facilitated knowledge sharing and discussions on safety improvements, reinforcing Boeing’s role as a leader in advancing aviation safety standards. Addressing Past Challenges Boeing’s 2025 CASO report reflects its efforts to overcome significant safety and operational challenges, particularly those stemming from the 737 MAX crises. Following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, the US plane manufacturer faced intense scrutiny over design flaws, inadequate safety protocols, and regulatory oversights. These incidents led to a global grounding of the 737 MAX, damaging the company’s reputation and trust with stakeholders. The latest report addresses these issues by detailing the implementation of a robust Safety Management System (SMS) and actions responding to a Congressionally authorized expert panel’s recommendations. Boeing appears to be enhancing transparency through its Speak Up program and leveraging advanced data analytics to proactively identify risks. By doubling its SMS Champions Program and engaging with airline operators, Boeing aims to rebuild trust, and strengthen safety culture. The goal will be to ensure such failures are not repeated, prioritizing passenger safety and operational integrity. https://aviationsourcenews.com/boeings-2025-safety-report-highlights-progress-in-safety-culture-and-practices/ 2024 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference predications become reality By Aircraft Cabin Air Conference 21 May 2025 When the 2024 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference closed last September in London, many left the event predicting significant new developments in the contaminated air on aircraft issue would emerge in 2025 and they were not wrong. Last year, the preliminary findings of the EU funded and industry supported research into the topic, announced that mice exposed to heated engine oil decomposition products suffered no health effects. This week, a published paper from the University of Washington in Seattle, looking at humans exposed to the same oils and reporting health effects after exposures, showed specific protein decoration. The paper is the first paper from an ongoing research project funded by the military and unions to develop a blood test to confirm exposure. This new paper brings into question the EU industry supported research findings and confirms a definitive blood test to confirm exposure is not far from becoming reality for the travelling public and airline crews. Cabin air on commercial aircraft comes from two sources – half from recirculated cabin air and half from “bleed air” from the compression section of the engine, what some in the industry refer to as “fresh air”. Today’s commercial aircraft have High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter systems for the recirculated air, but there is no filtration for the “fresh air” component. The “fresh air” component of cabin air either comes from air bleed off the compressor stages of the engines or in the case of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, from ram air coming from outside the aircraft. However, this “fresh air” could contain many contaminants including carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), ozone (O₃), hydraulic fluids, engine oils, pyrolysis products, Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOC/VOC) and particulates. In an aircraft Environment Control System (ECS), the removal of these contaminants is essential to prevent “fume events” and improve cabin air quality for the safety and well-being of flight crews and passengers. The US company PTI Technologies has been involved in developing and producing cabin air filtration since the 1980s, when they first developed the Cabin Air Filtration (CAF) System for the B-2 program, and they continue to invest in special filter media and customized proprietary adsorbents to meet challenging customer requirements for air filtration. Today, PTI Technologies has developed and is actively testing patented integrated filter technology to capture contaminants for ECS bleed air filtration handling flows up to 1,200 cfm and temperatures up to 500 °F (250 °C). PTI have completed their first prototype testing against various contaminants including toluene, engine oils, carbon monoxide, ozone and propylene glycol at various temperatures. With the results from these tests, the PTI team is now developing an updated design capable of high levels of contaminant and particulate removal. This updated design will provide long life, easy to maintain filtration for ECS bleed air capable of being installed in narrowbody aircraft, and it will be fully tested in the summer of 2025. The next step will be on-aircraft flight-testing. This technology could offer “fresh air” filtration for both new production and existing aircraft fleets, enhancing the safety and comfort of anyone who flies on a commercial aircraft. Concerns about the ingredients in and decomposition products from, advanced synthetic jet engine oils, have been discussed for decades. It is widely expected that a new less hazardous jet engine oil could be announced as soon as the Paris air show next month. The Global Cabin Air Quality Executive (GCAQE) that represents aircrew globally welcomes these new developments and says the filtering of the ‘bleed air’ and introducing less hazardous oils would be two significant steps forward. However, it calls for contaminated air warning systems to be installed on all aircraft to enhance flight safety and protect crew and public health. The British Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) twice recommended to EASA and the FAA that all aircraft should have contaminated air warning systems over a decade ago and these are yet to be installed. The GCAQE argue the reason these have not been installed is because aircraft manufacturers are worried about the legal implications of what the sensors will reveal. A new feature length investigative documentary film into the topic of contaminated air, ‘This is your Captain speaking’, is set to premiere at the 33rd Raindance Film Festival in London on 23 June 2025. https://www.flightglobal.com/paid-content/2024-aircraft-cabin-air-conference-predications-become-reality/163076.article 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 Previous Winners: • 2024 - Robert L. Sumwalt III • 2023 - Wing Commander Syed Naseem Ahmed (Retired) • 2022 – Barbara Dunn • 2021 – Howard Keith Hagy • 2020 – Ralph M. Sorrells, Jr. • 2019 – Capt. Akrivos Tsolakis • 2018 - Capt. Mohammed Aziz • 2017 - Mr. Chan Wing Keong • 2016 - Eugene "Toby" Carroll • 2015 - Ladislav Mika (Ladi) • 2014 - David King • 2013 – Frank S. Del Gandio and Myron P. “Pappy” Papadakis • 2012 - Dr. Curt Lewis • 2011 - Paul-Louis Arslanian • 2010 - Michael Poole • 2009 - Capt. Richard B. Stone • 2009 - Australian Transport Safety Bureau • 2008 - Don Bateman • 2007 - Tom McCarthy • 2006 - Richard H. Wood • 2005 - John D. Rawson • 2004 - Ron Chippindale • 2003 - Caj Frostell • 2002 - Ronald L. Schleede • 2001 - John Purvis and The Transportation Safety Board of Canada • 2000 - Nora Marshal • 1999 - Capt. James McIntyre • 1998 - A. Frank Taylor • 1997 - Gus Economy • 1996 - Burt Chesterfield • 1995 - Dr. John K. Lauber • 1994 - U.K. Aircraft Accidents Investigation Branch • 1993 - Capt. Victor Hewes • 1992 - Paul R. Powers • 1991 - Eddie J. Trimble • 1990 - Olof Fritsch • 1989 - Aage A. Roed • 1988 - H. Vincent LaChapelle • 1987 - Dr. Carol A. Roberts • 1986 - Geoffrey C. Wilkinson • 1985 - Dr. John Kenyon Mason • 1984 - George B. Parker • 1983 - C.O. Miller • 1982 - H. Prater Hogue • 1981 - Dr. S. Harry Robertson • 1980 - John Gilbert Boulding • 1979 - Gerard M. Bruggink • 1978 - Allen R. McMahan • 1977 - Samuel M. Phillips "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 · 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