Flight Safety Information - November 20, 2025 No. 232 In This Issue : Volcanic Eruption up to FL590 in Indonesia : Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Lexington on Nov 18th 2025, lightning strike : Passenger Jet Starts to Fall Apart Mid-Air, Forcing Emergency Landing : Recent data shows significant spike in US military aircraft accidents : Plane headed to Ohio airport loses piece of wing after collision : New system vibrates airplane wings to shake off the ice : Ethiopian Airlines orders six additional Airbus A350-900s : Another United flight U-turned over the Atlantic after someone dropped a laptop down the side of their seat : FAA Plans V2500 Compressor Blade Swap Mandate : PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST : Calendar of Event Volcanic Eruption up to FL590 in Indonesia Darwin's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) have issued a red alert for aviation after Indonesian Volcano Semeru (about 56nm south of Surabaya, Indonesia) erupted several times throwing ashes up to FL590. Indonesia's Authorities reported the eruptions started at 14:13L (07:13Z) ultimately resulting in the highest alert being issued at 17:00L (10:00Z). While the initial eruption threw ashes 2000 meters above the crater, the eruptions continued to increase. https://avherald.com/h?article=52fe8bd5&opt=0 Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Lexington on Nov 18th 2025, lightning strike A Skywest Airlines Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N738SK performing flight DL-3574 from Lexington,KY to Detroit,MI (USA) with 36 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through 10,000 feet out of Lexington's runway 22 when the aircraft received a lightning strike. The aircraft continued to Detroit for a safe landing about one hour later. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LIGHTNING STRIKE AT 10,000 FEET CAUSING UNSPECIFIED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOOR." The aircraft is still on the ground in Detroit about 14 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52fe7eb9&opt=0 Passenger Jet Starts to Fall Apart Mid-Air, Forcing Emergency Landing The Rossiya Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Khabarovsk, Russia on Saturday, Nov. 15 A passenger aboard a Rossiya Airlines flight documented pieces of the plane seemingly breaking off mid-flight Officials confirmed the flight made an emergency landing in Khabarovsk, Russia A passenger jet reportedly had to make an emergency landing mid-flight after parts of the aircraft began to detach from the body. On Saturday, Nov. 15, a plane operated by Rossiya Airlines made an emergency landing in Khabarovsk, Russia in the morning, according to the Svodka25 Telegram channel and The Khabarovsk Transport Prosecutor's Office channel. "The Khabarovsk Transport Prosecutor's Office monitored the emergency landing of an aircraft at Khabarovsk Airport," the office said in a statement on their Telegram channel. "According to preliminary data, today at 9:00 (local time) an aircraft carrying 90 passengers from Vladivostok to Blagoveshchensk made an emergency landing at Khabarovsk Airport due to a technical malfunction." In a post translated from Russian, a subscriber told the Svodka25 Telegram channel that the plane "suffered a skin tear" during the flight. A video shared on the channel shows the covering of an engine appears to have been torn off and is missing. The Khabarovsk Transport Prosecutor's Office monitored the emergency landing of an aircraft at Khabarovsk Airport. After the emergency landing, fire trucks and an ambulance were located at the scene. There were reportedly no injuries. PEOPLE has contacted the Rossiya Airlines for comment. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Following the incident, some passengers stated they wouldn't board another plane while others waited for a backup aircraft to pick them from Vladivostok, per Svodka25 Telegram channel. A preliminary investigation into violations of air transport safety regulations has been launched by the Investigative Committee, according to The Moscow Times. Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! Law enforcement officials are also set to assess the "circumstances and causes of the incident, and a procedural decision will be made based on the results,” the outlet wrote, citing the Eastern Interregional Investigative Directorate for Transport's Telegram channel. The emergency landing comes after Dmitry Yadrov, the Federal Air Transport Agency, revealed that Russia's civil aviation industry could lose a third of it’s aircraft and 200 helicopters by 2030, according to the U.K. newspaper Metro. He also reportedly told a committee on Oct. 7 that there could be a loss of Sukhoi Superjets as a result of issues with the engines. https://people.com/passenger-jet-falls-apart-forcing-emergency-landing-11851565 Recent data shows significant spike in US military aircraft accidents The number of major accidents involving military aircraft spiked in 2024, internal Pentagon figures show, and a series of high-profile aviation mishaps with deaths and the loss of aircraft in 2025 suggest the disturbing trend may be continuing. Across the military, the rate of severe accidents per 100,000 flight hours rose 55% in the 2024 budget year compared with four years earlier. The Marine Corps saw the highest increase, nearly tripling its rate over the same period. The data, which was released by the Defense Department to Congress and provided exclusively to The Associated Press, tracks Class A mishaps — the most serious accidents, which result in death or a permanent full disability. An aviation expert noted that broader worsening trends are unlikely the result of a single factor but rather a reflection of multiple smaller issues that accumulate to create an unsafe culture. These issues include increased operational demands, riskier aircraft like the V-22 Osprey and interruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a significant curtailing of flying time across the military. But the rising number of serious accidents has some in Congress looking for answers. The data was released to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, in January after her office asked for the figures after a spate of deadly mishaps involving the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Warren’s office provided the data to the AP, which reviewed it independently. The statistics cover the full budget years 2020-2023 and then the first 10 months of the 2024 budget year, through July 31. In those 10 months of last year, 25 service members and Defense Department civilian employees were killed and 14 aircraft were destroyed. “These accident rates are incredibly troubling and demand action,” Warren told the AP in an emailed statement. She said legislative changes to make accident reports more accessible ”are desperately needed so Congress can understand the root causes of these accidents to save service member lives.” Several military aircraft have been especially prone to crashing The Osprey, which flies like a plane but converts to land like a helicopter, has been among the most dangerous aircraft, as the AP has reported extensively. In addition, the new Defense Department data shows the Apache helicopter had about 4.5 times the rate of the most serious Class A accidents during the 2024 budget year compared with four years earlier. The C-130 transport plane, a workhorse of the military, nearly doubled its rate over the same period, even as it reported safer years in between. The Pentagon, when asked about these trends, did not immediately respond. A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey and V-22 Ospreys with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force fly in formation, Sept. 18, 2025. (Cpl. Jeremiah Barksdale/Marine Corps) The Navy’s data on just its own aviation mishaps shows a marked increase this year. The Naval Safety Command reported eight Class A aviation mishaps in 2024. In 2025, that total has spiked to 14. Aviation expert and former military pilot John Nance said the ever-growing demands being placed on military pilots are most likely playing a major part in the growing number of mishaps. “Whether we’re talking about the end of Afghanistan, whether we talk about deployments to Djibouti, or the back and forth across Saudi Arabia to get to the Emirates, I think that as the pace (of military operations) ticks up, the mishaps are going to tick up,” Nance said. This year has seen a series of accidents While the data does not continue into 2025, there have been multiple high-profile aviation mishaps this year, including a spate on aircraft carriers at sea and the collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet over Washington, D.C., in January, which killed 67 people. Investigations found that the Black Hawk helicopter’s altimeter gauge was broken, there were issues with the military pilot’s night vision goggles, and the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t address warnings about the dangers that helicopters presented in the area around the Washington airport. Unlike their civilian counterparts, military aviators face far less predictability and routine when they fly, Nance said. “You’ve got aircraft commanders ... making decisions with the best information they’ve got, but on the spur of the moment and there’s a level of uncertainty and a level of unpredictability that is wildly beyond anything the commercial airlines experience,” he said. In the spring, the Navy’s USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier lost two F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets in the span of a few weeks — one to a bad landing and another slipped off the deck of the ship and fell into the sea. In December 2024, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly shot down an F/A-18 from the carrier. No aviators were killed in any of these episodes. The Navy has not released the results of investigations into the causes of these mishaps. More recently, four U.S. Army soldiers who were part of an elite team that does nighttime missions died when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed near a military base in Washington state while on a training mission in September. Then, in October, a fighter jet and a helicopter based off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz both crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other, though no one was killed. Nance didn’t rule out the possibility that this spike in mishaps is the downstream effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, when military pilots had far less flying time. “The safety buffer is impacted by a million things,” Nance said. Some things make tiny impacts and others are major. According to him, the pandemic “was a major impact on the operational capabilities.” Warren’s office is now asking for more detailed figures from the Pentagon on aviation mishaps and over a longer period of time, from 2019 to 2025, according to a request sent to the Pentagon and reviewed by AP. The request includes questions about Class A mishaps but asks for data on the less serious Class B and C mishaps as well. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2025/11/19/recent-data-shows-significant-spike-in-us-military-aircraft-accidents/ Plane headed to Ohio airport loses piece of wing after collision CLEVELAND — A plane lost a piece of its wing after a collision with another aircraft on Tuesday night. A United Airlines plane, which was leaving Houston and headed to Cleveland Hopkins, made contact with another plane as it was preparing to taxi, according to our CBS news affiliate, WOIO. A passenger on the flight said that everyone in the back of the plane could feel the minor collision. Another passenger said they saw a piece of the wing had fallen off. Both planes returned to their gates, and passengers were moved to another aircraft, with no injuries. After the collision, a passenger had pushed the flight attendant button and reported the collision. The flight attendant allegedly said, “No, that didn’t happen.” The flight headed to Cleveland had 101 passengers and six crew members on board. The other aircraft was headed to Orlando and was carrying 73 passengers with six crew members. https://www.whio.com/news/local/plane-headed-ohio-airport-loses-piece-wing-after-collision/AGBUSMR6N5FRNL4EHZRKFVEBPA/ New system vibrates airplane wings to shake off the ice While most planes use heat to melt ice that can form on the wing either before takeoff or during flight, the process is highly energy intensive and can impact engine efficiency. A new process from German researchers shakes the ice off instead. Even a small amount of ice can dramatically impact the performance of an airplane wing. Because ice crystals are rough, they effectively change the shape of the wing, interrupting the smooth flow of air over its surface. This increases drag, decreases lift, and affects the plane's longitudinal stability. So keeping wings ice-free is an important part of aviation. Until now, the most common way to keep wings ice free is through systems that channel hot air from the engines over the wings. However, according to researchers from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute, this uses a lot of energy and makes engines less efficient. So they decided to come up with a better way. They developed a system that relies on tiny piezoelectric actuators embedded on the wing's surface. These actuators vibrate when a current flows to them, and have the ability to shake off the ice that forms above them. "The vibrations are in the range of just a few kilohertz," said Denis Becker, a researcher at Fraunhofer. "They are invisible to the naked eye but very effective. The ice clinging to the wing breaks up and falls off." This image shows a simulation of vibrations on an airplane wing entering eigenmode, a state at which multiple parts of the wing vibrate at the same frequency This image shows a simulation of vibrations on an airplane wing entering eigenmode, a state at which multiple parts of the wing vibrate at the same frequencyFraunhofer LBF In addition to being a greener method to keep wings ice free, the system also positions itself to work with aircraft of the future, which might not have heat-producing engines based on new propulsion technologies. "The propulsion systems of the future will no longer produce any hot exhaust gas or waste heat, which thermomechanical deicing systems require to do their job," says Becker. "Our method holds out the prospect of cutting energy consumption by up to 80 percent, making it an important contribution to sustainable aviation." Math matters While tiny vibrating motors that shake off ice crystals might sound like an obvious way to keep airplane wings ice-free, the real breakthrough in the work came in the form of the algorithm that calculates the natural resonance frequency at which the actuators start vibrating – a frequency that can change constantly during flight. "The determining factors include the material the wings are made from, the speed, the altitude of flight, the temperature, humidity and how thick the layer of ice is," said Becker. The scientists tested their algorithm-powered actuators in an icing wind tunnel, which allowed them to optimize their function and prove that they could do their job. They next plan to further dial in the actuators to get them ready for in-flight testing. The wings were developed as part of the European Union's Clean Aviation Project, an initiative that seeks to achieve climate-neutral aviation by 2050. https://newatlas.com/aircraft/vibrating-wings-ice/ Ethiopian Airlines orders six additional Airbus A350-900s Ethiopian Airlines strengthens its position as Africa’s largest A350 operator with order for six additional A350-900s Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 18 November 2025 – Ethiopian Airlines has placed a firm order for six Airbus A350-900 aircraft, further strengthening its position as the largest A350 customer in Africa. This agreement was signed at the Dubai Airshow by Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO and Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business. “We are delighted to expand our Airbus fleet size with this order and strengthen our partnership with the Airbus company. As the continent’s leading airline and the largest operator of the A350, this milestone order further supports our vision to grow sustainably while providing a world-class travel experience to our passengers and strengthening our position as the aviation leader in Africa.” said Mr. Mesfin Tasew. “We are proud to further deepen our partnership with Ethiopian Airlines, a long-standing Airbus customer and a benchmark for aviation excellence in Africa. The A350’s state-of-the-art technology, efficiency and versatility will bring even greater value to Ethiopian’s operations,” said Benoit de Saint-Exupéry. The A350 is the world’s most modern widebody aircraft, designed to fly up to 9,700 nautical miles / 18,000 kilometres non-stop, setting new standards for intercontinental travel. The aircraft includes state-of-the-art technologies and aerodynamics delivering unmatched standards of efficiency and comfort. Its latest generation Rolls-Royce engines and use of lightweight materials bring a 25 per cent advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. The A350’s unique Airspace cabin offers passengers and crews the latest modern in-flight products for a comfortable flying experience. As with all Airbus aircraft, the A350 is already able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus is targeting to have its aircraft up to 100% SAF capable by 2030. At the end of October 2025, the A350 Family had won over 1,400 orders from 64 customers worldwide. https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-11-ethiopian-airlines-orders-six-additional-a350-900s Another United flight U-turned over the Atlantic after someone dropped a laptop down the side of their seat A passenger dropped a laptop down the side of a seat while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. This posed a fire risk, so the plane had to turn around and divert to Dublin. United Airlines Flight 925 ultimately reached Washington, DC, five hours later than planned. A United Airlines plane was forced to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean when a passenger dropped a laptop down the side of a business-class seat. Wednesday's Flight 925 took off from London and was supposed to land at Washington Dulles International Airport about eight hours later. However, two hours into the journey, the Boeing 767 turned around while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. It was over 250 miles from Ireland's west coast. Data from Flightradar24 shows it diverted to Dublin, touching down shortly after 8 p.m. local time — more than three hours after takeoff. United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside US working hours. Online aviation enthusiasts picked up a message sent from the plane's Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). It said a passenger dropped a laptop between the side wall and armrest of a business-class seat, and that it appeared to be stuck. United Airlines Flight 925 from London diverted to Dublin after turning around over the Atlantic This would pose a safety risk due to the laptop's lithium battery. If overcharged or damaged, it can result in thermal runaway, leading to rapid temperature increase. Since the laptop was inaccessible, the crew might not know if it had caught fire until it was too late. That's the same reason many airlines have tightened their rules on power banks this year. The United plane spent nearly three hours on the ground in the Irish capital, departing at 11 p.m. Passengers ultimately reached Washington, DC, five hours later than planned, at 1:14 a.m. This isn't the first time a passenger's lost device has forced a diversion. Five weeks ago, a similar incident occurred on another United Airlines flight, en route from Washington, DC, to Rome. From the ritual of Japanese tea ceremonies to time-honored kimono dyeing techniques, modern-day artisans find harmony in tradition. Enter a world of tradition inspired by the past. The pilots told air traffic control that a passenger dropped their laptop, which fell into the plane's cargo hold. "We don't know the status of it, we can't access it, we can't see it," he added. "So our decision is to return to Dulles and find this laptop before we can continue over the ocean." https://www.businessinsider.com/transatlantic-united-airlines-diversion-after-passenger-dropped-laptop-2025-11 FAA Plans V2500 Compressor Blade Swap Mandate The FAA plans to mandate manufacturer-recommended swaps of certain IAE V2500 high pressure compressor (HPC) stage 3 rotor blades to address durability issues linked to in-service incidents. A Nov. 18 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) lays out a plan that would have operators swap HPC stage 3 blade sets during the next scheduled shop visit. Affected engines are found on Airbus A320ceos and Embraer KC-390s. The new blades have an improved shroud coating that reduces the risk of fractures, the FAA said. IAE developed the new blades in response to “multiple” reports of failed blades that caused engine fires, inflight shutdowns, aborted takeoffs, and unscheduled engine removals, the agency added. If adopted, the FAA’s rule would affect nearly 1,500 engines on U.S.-registered aircraft—essentially the entire V2500-A5 population. The similar global population is about 5,540 engines, according to the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database. Adoption of any FAA mandate by other regulators is likely. The directive does not reference any service bulletins or provide a hard deadline for the blade swaps. A full, 31-blade set of V2500 HPC Stage 3 blades costs $30,000, the FAA estimates. “The NPRM is consistent with guidance previously provided to operators and will be implemented during regularly scheduled maintenance,” Pratt & Whitney said, declining to answer questions about the issue. The company owns 61% of the IAE joint venture. Durability issues with the V2500 HPC blades date back years. IAE introduced a redesigned blade in 2005 to address fractures linked to specific wear patterns combined with impact events, such as bird strikes. The redesigned blade featured new, stiffened clappers, or mid-span shrouds. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/faa-plans-v2500-compressor-blade-swap-mandate PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST My name is Nathan Schultz, and I am a doctoral candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the Ph.D. in Aviation program. I am conducting my dissertation research under the guidance of Dr. Scott Winter. We are interested in understanding pilot perspectives on operating at airports under various weather conditions. I am seeking participants to complete a brief online survey (5-7 minutes). Eligibility Requirements: -Must be 18 years of age or older -Must hold an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certification -Must be a current or former pilot of crewed aircraft (UAS-only pilots are not eligible) Additional Information: -Participation is entirely voluntary and anonymous -There will be no compensation for participation -The study has been approved by the Embry-Riddle Institutional Review Board (IRB) Please use the following electronic questionnaire link: https://forms.gle/x6rbqNRGiRYm96ADA Best regards, Nathan Schultz PhD in Aviation, Candidate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 2026 ACSF Safety Symposium; April 7-9, 2026; ERAU Daytona Beach, FL . 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference; May 5-7, 2026; New Orleans, LA . BASS 2026 - 71st Business Aviation Safety Summit - May 5-6, 2026 | Provo, Utah . The African Aviation Safety & Operations Summit - May 19-20 | Johannesburg, South Africa . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis