Flight Safety Information - December 17, 2025 No. 250 In This Issue : Incident: Malta Air B38M at Krakow on Dec 8th 2025, sun visor temporarily shuts engine down : Incident: Hokkaido AT42 at Okushiri on Dec 16th 2025, problems with left aileron : Incident: Frontier A21N at Cleveland on Dec 15th 2025, engine failure on climb out : Passengers landing at JFK got stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours after a snowstorm hit New York : Congress must ensure US Air safety is never again a political bargaining chip : Cosmic Radiation Threatens the Reliability of Aircraft Systems : Schenectady man faces 14 felonies after TSA finds fake IDs at airport checkpoint : Dubai-based Emirates Plans to Recruit 5,000 Pilots to Support Widebody Fleet Expansion : US Air Force to buy two more 747-8s for presidential fleet support : Embry Riddle President Puts Forward New Approach to Resilient Performance in Aviation Safety : Calendar of Events Incident: Malta Air B38M at Krakow on Dec 8th 2025, sun visor temporarily shuts engine down A Malta Air Boeing 737-8 MAX on behalf of Ryanair, registration 9H-VUE performing flight FR-3505 from Krakow (Poland) to Milan Bergamo (Italy), was climbing through FL080 out of Krakow's runway 25 when a sun visor was torn off and impacted one of the engine start levers causing the engine (Leap) to be shut down. The crew declared PAN PAN, levelled off at FL100 continuing on present heading and attempted an engine restart, which was successful. The crew cancelled PAN PAN and continued the flight to Milan for a safe landing about 90 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Milan for about 50 hours, then returned to service. The BAAI Malta (Bureau of Air Accident Investigation) rated the occurrence an incident and opened an investigation. https://avherald.com/h?article=53143d57&opt=0 Incident: Hokkaido AT42 at Okushiri on Dec 16th 2025, problems with left aileron A Hokkaido Air System Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-600 on behalf of JAL Japan Airlines, registration JA13HC performing flight JL-2891 from Hakodate to Okushiri (Japan), was on approach to Okushiri Island when the aircraft entered a hold due to problems with the left hand aileron. The crew subsequently decided to return to Hakodate, climbed to FL150 and landed safely on Hakodate's runway 30 about one hour after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Hakodate about 15 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=53143a2f&opt=0 Incident: Frontier A21N at Cleveland on Dec 15th 2025, engine failure on climb out A Frontier Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration N619FR performing flight F9-2467 from Cleveland,OH to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing out of Cleveland's runway 24L when the crew declared Mayday, Mayday Mayday reporting the failure of their #1 engine (PW1133G). The aircraft levelled off at 3000 feet, the crew subsequently reported they had "all engines available" and were returning to the field. The crew advised they did have a compressor stall, the cause was unclear, and still expected some potential for the engine to fail. The aircraft landed safely on Cleveland's runway 24R about 20 minutes after departure. The FAA reported: "Frontier Airlines Flight 2467 returned safely to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio around 1 p.m. local time on Monday, Dec. 15, after the crew reported an engine issue. The Airbus A321 was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The FAA will investigate." A replacement A321-200N registration N609FR reached Atlanta with a delay of about 17 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Cleveland about 24 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53143636&opt=0 Passengers landing at JFK got stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours after a snowstorm hit New York Nearly five inches of snow fell at JFK Airport on Sunday. Passengers were left waiting on the tarmac for hours after landing. As congestion built up, Delta flights into JFK were temporarily stopped from taking off. A snowstorm left passengers waiting for hours on the tarmac at New York's JFK Airport on Sunday. The National Weather Service said that 4.6 inches of snow had fallen in the area by 1 p.m., some two inches more than at Newark and LaGuardia. Temperatures dropped into the low teens overnight. Data from Flightradar24 showed how incoming planes had lengthy delays before being able to park at their airport gates. Delta Air Lines Flight 5052, from Charlotte, was nearly three hours behind schedule when it touched down at JFK. It then took another three and a half hours before it reached the gate. American Airlines passengers from Miami also had to be patient. They departed two hours late, then circled twice on approach to JFK, before spending over an hour taxiing, per Flightradar24. Air traffic control advisories show how the airport's arrival rate was dramatically slowed so that snow and ice could be removed. One advisory at around 10 a.m. said that the ground delay program could see average delays of over three hours, and some people being nearly five hours behind schedule. As congestion built up, Delta flights to JFK were temporarily stopped from taking off. "Winter weather conditions impacting taxiways at JFK contributed to flight delays Sunday evening," Delta told Business Insider in a statement. "Safety is always our top priority, and we appreciate our customers' patience during this period and apologize for the delay in their travels." Data from FlightAware showed that over 1,400 flights were delayed or canceled in the New York City area — including over 500 at JFK. Over half of the flights at JFK and Newark were delayed, while about one-fifth were canceled. Meanwhile, 40% of flights were canceled at LaGuardia, according to FlightAware. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside US working hours. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/passengers-landing-jfk-got-stuck-141727972.html Congress must ensure US Air safety is never again a political bargaining chip Before every takeoff and every landing, pilots and air traffic controllers exchange a few words. Most of this communication is direct, formal and procedural — going over flight protocols, weather data, or safety information. But it’s not uncommon for these conversations during less busy times to include a quick aside: the “How are you today?” or “Stay safe up there” of two professionals working together. These small moments of connection underscore the mutual respect our two professions share as we work together to keep millions of passengers safe every day. That partnership is one of the reasons U.S. aviation safety remains the gold standard worldwide, but the recent government shutdown put it to the test. Tens of thousands of air traffic controllers, transportation security officers, system specialists and other federal workers were forced to work without pay while carrying the immense responsibility of keeping America’s airspace safe and secure. No one performing such critical work should have to wonder how they’ll pay the mortgage or cover childcare. Yet, for more than 40 days, that was the reality — one Congress must ensure never happens again. Although the shutdown ended before the busy holiday travel period, it underscored the vulnerability of the reliable air service that Americans count on every day. Worried about widespread disruption as flight delays and cancellations mounted, many travelers changed plans or put off travel altogether for Thanksgiving — resulting in significant dips in traffic at major U.S. airports. The shutdown also offered a clear reminder of the complexity and interconnectedness of our aviation system — and what happens when the dominoes start to fall. Aviation safety is not political. It is fundamental. The shutdown added unnecessary risk to the safety of our skies and placed an unbearable burden on the frontline aviation workers who perform critical work. With November’s shutdown over, and the threat of another one looming in January, we must ensure that these professionals are never put in the same untenable position again. That’s why Congress must pass the Aviation Funding Stability Act to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration can operate without interruption in case of future political gridlock. Such legislation is critical not only to the safety of our skies but to the very backbone of America’s economy and the lifeline many communities depend on nationwide. The shutdown inflicted real damage, adding strain to a system already stretched thin by a nationwide controller shortage and aging technology. It disrupted operations and stalled critical contract negotiations. Many controllers took on side jobs — delivering groceries, driving for rideshare services or finding other ways to make ends meet after long shifts in the control tower. This is simply unacceptable. The professionals ensuring the safety of the entire U.S. air transportation system deserve better, and so does the flying public. As air travel picks up once again in the coming weeks, the pressure on pilots, controllers and other frontline aviation workers will intensify. High traffic volume means tighter spacing between flights and less margin for error. Winter weather increases the likelihood of delays and cancellations, which can quickly ripple across the country. For pilots, this translates into reduced schedule flexibility and the increased chance of crew timeouts that frustrate passengers. For controllers, it means longer hours, less time between shifts and a heavier workload as they juggle more aircraft than usual. The shutdown may be over, but such seasonal strain should serve as a reminder for lawmakers of the need to keep the FAA insulated from political gridlock. As pilots, we know what’s at stake when stress replaces stability in a system that depends on precision and focus. Maintaining the highest safety standards demands a system that can operate without interruption — one where the FAA’s mission to protect the public is never compromised by politics. Every flight demands the highest level of concentration from both the flight deck and the air traffic control facilities, and that focus is only possible when the people managing U.S. airspace can dedicate their full attention to safety. America’s aviation safety record didn’t happen by accident — it’s the result of partnership, professionalism and constant vigilance. As the holiday travel season ramps up, it should serve as a reminder for lawmakers that our nation’s air system is strongest when the professionals who keep it running can fully focus on the task at hand. Congress has a responsibility to safeguard that stability by guaranteeing the FAA and air traffic control remain unaffected during government shutdowns — ensuring air safety remains a top national priority, not a political bargaining chip. Capt. Jason Ambrosi is the 12th president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International, the world’s largest airline pilot union representing more than 80,000 airline pilots in the U.S. and Canada. https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/labor/5649520-government-shutdown-impact-aviation/ Cosmic Radiation Threatens the Reliability of Aircraft Systems Recently, a remarkable incident made the news: thousands of Airbus aircraft worldwide were grounded after cosmic radiation disrupted digital electronic systems. A problem long familiar in space applications is becoming increasingly relevant for aviation. Ongoing digitalisation is making modern systems more vulnerable to invisible radiation from space. An unusual aviation incident captured global attention in late November. It resulted in thousands of Airbus aircraft being grounded after it emerged that cosmic radiation – high-energy particles from space – had disrupted digital avionics systems in late October. Now, the aircraft are back in operation after software updates that mitigate the problem. Nevertheless, the incident highlights a broader trend: as (aircraft) electronics become more advanced and compact, their sensitivity to cosmic radiation increases. An invisible threat “Cosmic radiation is invisible and always present,” Jasper Dijks, avionics systems researcher at NLR, explains. “At cruising altitude, aircraft are struck by millions of these particles every second. A single particle with sufficient energy can be enough to disrupt a flight computer – with potentially serious consequences.” The phenomenon is not new to aviation, but it is relatively rare. Older aircraft with analogue systems and larger, more robust chips are generally less susceptible to radiation. In contrast, modern cockpits with more digital technologies rely on ever smaller transistors, making them more vulnerable, as less energy is required to cause a malfunction. Satellites have been dealing with this issue for decades. Outside the protection of the atmosphere, cosmic radiation is so intense that unprotected satellites could become unusable within hours. For this reason, space computers are typically equipped with radiation-hardened chips, error-correcting codes and redundant systems. What is cosmic radiation? Cosmic radiation consists of high-energy particles (mainly electrons, protons and ions) from space that travel through the universe at nearly the speed of light. They originate from solar flares or stellar explosions. On Earth we are protected by the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere, but at cruising altitude (around 10 km) radiation intensity is already forty times higher than at sea level. A flight from Amsterdam to New York exposes pilots and passengers to roughly the same amount of radiation as a chest X-ray. For electronics, the risk is different and statistically more significant: a single particle with sufficient energy, striking the wrong spot, could temporarily or permanently damage electronics with unpredictable consequences. Predict and prevent Addressing this problem requires two things. First, up-to-date knowledge of space weather conditions: solar activity, cosmic radiation peaks and geomagnetic storms. Organisations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the USA and the European Space Agency (ESA) continuously monitor this activity and issue warnings when radiation levels are elevated. What makes the Airbus incident particularly notable is that it occurred without major solar flares or extreme events. “This suggests that even normal background radiation or focused particle streams from solar activity can cause problems in sensitive modern electronics,” Dijks says. “That makes prediction all the more important, but also very hard.” The second piece of the puzzle is even more complex: how sensitive are specific chips and systems exactly? “The only reliable way to determine that is through testing,” Dijks states. “Preferably under realistic and representative radiation conditions.” A growing problem for critical systems The issue becomes more relevant as technology evolves. The most advanced chips have transistors only a few nanometres in size – almost ten thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair. The smaller the transistor, the less energy is generally needed to disrupt it. This applies to virtually all electronics on Earth. Data centres deploying ever more powerful chips, for example, are also becoming more susceptible to these effects. By better understanding when the risk is high and which systems are most vulnerable, system users – or the devices themselves – can act proactively: postponing critical operations during radiation peaks, activating redundant systems, or adjusting flight routes and altitudes. “The technology that enables us to do so much is at the same time becoming increasingly sensitive,” Dijks concludes. “That is why it is essential that we learn to properly understand these effects, predict them and protect ourselves against them – on Earth and beyond.” https://www.asdnews.com/news/aerospace/2025/12/16/cosmic-radiation-threatens-reliability-aircraft-systems Schenectady man faces 14 felonies after TSA finds fake IDs at airport checkpoint Albany, NY (WRGB) — Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple, Sr. reports the arrest of a Schenectady man on 14 felony charges after authorities discovered numerous forged identification documents at an airport security checkpoint. According to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, deputies were notified by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) after an individual attempted to pass through a security checkpoint while in possession of suspected fraudulent documents. The individual was identified as 34-year-old Quayshaun Graham from Schenectady. Following an investigation, deputies determined Graham was carrying multiple forged identification documents in his carry-on luggage, including five fraudulent driver’s licenses issued by different states, six fraudulent Social Security cards, and three fraudulent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot licenses, authorities said. Graham was arrested and charged with fourteen counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a Class D felony. He was arraigned in Colonie Court and released under the supervision of probation. As with all criminal matters, the charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/schenectady-man-faces-14-felonies-after-tsa-finds-fake-ids-at-airport-security-checkpoint-quayshaun-graham-transportation-security-administration-faa-federal-aviation-administration-social-security-cards-drivers-license-colonie-court-albany-cbs6-wrgb Dubai-based Emirates Plans to Recruit 5,000 Pilots to Support Widebody Fleet Expansion United Arab Emirates – Emirates, Dubai’s flagship carrier, has outlined plans to recruit 5,000 pilots over the next eight years, underscoring the scale of flight crew demand tied to its widebody fleet expansion and long-term network growth strategy. The hiring target was confirmed by Adel Ahmed Al Redha, Co-Deputy President and Chief Operating Officer of Emirates to local Newspaper Gulf News, during the sixth graduation ceremony of the airline’s cadet pilot programme at the Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA). Emirates’ pilot recruitment plan aligns with broader regional forecasts indicating that Middle Eastern airlines will require more than 10,300 additional pilots by 2030 to support fleet and network expansion. The airline holds commitments for approximately 375 future widebody aircraft, including Boeing 777X, 777F, 787, and Airbus A350-900 aircraft, following additional orders placed at the Dubai Airshow last month. Emirates is pursuing a multi-channel pilot sourcing strategy, combining cadet pilots trained internally at EFTA, experienced direct-entry pilots, and international recruits trained outside the group. The Emirates Flight Training Academy has already produced more than 300 pilots currently flying for the airline, providing a controlled pipeline aligned with Emirates’ operational and cultural standards. The pilot recruitment plan forms part of a wider Emirates Group hiring initiative announced in July 2025, targeting 17,300 new hires across 350 roles in the current financial year. Since 2022, Emirates Group has onboarded over 41,000 professionals, bringing total group headcount to approximately 121,000 employees. Source: Emirates, EFTA and Gulf News https://afm.aero/dubai-based-emirates-plans-to-recruit-5000-pilots-to-support-widebody-fleet-expansion/ US Air Force to buy two more 747-8s for presidential fleet support WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday it was acquiring two Boeing 747-8 jumbo jets for $400 million to establish a training and sustainment program for its future presidential airlift fleet. The purchase is part of the service's efforts to accelerate the presidential airlift program as it prepares to transition to the newer and larger 747-8 model from the aging 747-200, the Air Force said in a statement. The first aircraft is expected to arrive in early 2026, with the second delivery scheduled before year-end. The Air Force said the acquisition was necessary because ⁠the 747-8i was no longer in active production by Boeing and it differed significantly from the 747-200 aircraft currently used in the presidential fleet. The two planes will be used for crew training and as a source of spare parts, officials said. Several published reports suggested the Air Force was buying the planes from Lufthansa, one of the few passenger airlines to have bought the 747-8 model, which was more popular with cargo carriers before Boeing ended production in early 2023. A spokesperson for the German airline declined to comment. The purchase is separate from two 747-8i aircraft that Boeing is currently modifying under the VC-25B program, which will serve as the next generation of Air Force One. The first of those heavily modified aircraft is expected to ⁠be delivered in mid-2028, the Air Force said. An Air Force official, speaking on background, said the two training aircraft were also distinct from a 747-8i aircraft gifted to the United States by Qatar. The Air Force One program has faced delays and cost overruns ⁠since Boeing agreed to a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract in 2018 to deliver two modified 747-8s to replace the current fleet. The Air Force said on Friday ⁠the delivery of the first of the two new Air Force One jets from Boeing had been delayed by another year to mid-2028. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-air-force-buy-two-000247545.html Embry Riddle President Puts Forward New Approach to Resilient Performance in Aviation Safety In his latest Aviation Week essay, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D., explores how researchers and airlines are studying positive performance to improve aviation safety. Through the Hunt Library, the Eagle community can log on to ERNIE to access the op-ed. Alternatively, subscribers to Aviation Week can log on to the publication’s website to access the essay, which is also provided below. By P. Barry Butler While aviation tends to focus on learning from mistakes — and rightly so — the potential to learn from positive outcomes often goes unrecognized. Dr. Jon Holbrook, a cognitive scientist specializing in aviation at NASA’s Langley Research Center, says that pilot intervention has “kept millions of flights safe.” Pilots intervene to manage aircraft malfunctions on a fifth of normal flights, according to a 2013 joint report by a team that analyzed safety and operational data from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Line Operations Safety Assessment program. Holbrook, by extrapolating this finding to worldwide jet data on 266 million flights between 2007 and 2016, estimated that pilots kept flights safe from aircraft malfunctions nearly 49 million times during that period. This means, according to Holbrook, that crews intervened 157,000 times for every time that human error was implicated in an accident during that same ten years. The reasons for that success are harder to measure. Investigative resources to date have focused on negative outcomes, for good reason. But as a result, the system is not designed to capture the routine yet unexpected events that pilots manage safely. Research has also shown that pilots are not likely to reflect on their day-to-day challenges — from sick passengers to traffic conflicts — and how their planning, adaptation and coordination help them overcome these challenges. That is why a team of researchers from Embry Riddle and NASA is working to find ways to capture systematically the practices that keep the U.S. aviation system — the largest and most complex in the world — so safe. A key objective is collecting and analyzing data on specific pilot actions taken to manage operational difficulties. Researchers have already begun to address this knowledge gap. First, they are using automatic speech recognition to analyze audio and video from simulator sessions in which pilots navigate real-world challenges, including heavy traffic, weather diversions, shifting winds and wake turbulence. The recordings also capture video of the pilots reviewing their performances as they narrate play-by-plays of their flights. The Embry Riddle and NASA team is now applying coding and natural language processing to identify resilient performance and evaluate the impact of the pilot debriefing sessions. “When we analyze those data, we are looking for evidence of resilient performance — what did the crews do that helped them anticipate problems, plan for possibilities and coordinate their response?” explains Dr. Kristy Kiernan, associate director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry Riddle and the project’s lead investigator. Kiernan also serves as program coordinator for the Master of Science in Aviation Safety at Embry Riddle’s Worldwide Campus and as an associate professor in the Department of Aeronautics. Second, the team is developing a large language model to analyze National Transportation Safety Board accident reports and dockets for evidence of resilient performance, with the goal of maximizing lessons learned from these unfortunate events. Major airlines are working with their pilots on various debriefing methods. Both American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have dedicated teams and resources to programs that collect data on positive performance. Directors of these programs say they have seen results. Capturing more granular information about operations on the 45,000 daily flights in the national airspace will require new tools. Fortunately, newer aircraft are collecting more data. Tools and techniques for analyzing it, including artificial intelligence, hold promise for “insights into routine performance that were not possible before,” Kiernan says. Finally, aviation is entering a new era of automation and autonomous flight. An already congested airspace will need to accommodate a growing number of new entrants, including more drones and breakthrough categories such as advanced air mobility aircraft. Flight controls are evolving, and pilots will need to learn new technologies and flight capabilities. For now, however, it is in the “human element where most of the resilience resides,” Kiernan says, and that resilience is what needs to be captured to reinforce safety in this emerging system. Aviation has always benefited from a culture of continuous learning, and our industry must learn from all operations for this positive, resilience-based approach to work. We’ve created the world’s safest form of transportation through obsessively reporting our errors. Imagine what our industry could achieve if we examined our successes with equal rigor. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/embry-riddle-president-puts-forward-new-approach-to-resilient-performance-in-aviation-safety CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Singapore Airshow 2026 - FEBRUARY 3-6, 2026. . 60th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium - March 31 - April 1, 2026 (Irving, TX) . 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 . IATA World Maintenance & Engineering Symposium (23-25 June, Madrid, Spain) . ISASI - 2026 (September/October 2026) - Dubai, UAE . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis