#NTSB recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR)

[wherepond]

Philadelphia medical jet crash

What caused it | New NTSB video

Jeff Ostroff thoroughly analyzes the crash of the medical jet, a Learjet 55 in Philadelphia at 6:07 PM 31 January 2025, offering several probable causes and his choice for the most likely root cause of this plane crash. Also included is some newly released NTSB video from the crash scene in Philly.

The NTSB is on scene investigating a Learjet 55 (MTS056) Medevac crash into a commercial and residential area shortly after departure from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:06 p.m. ET on 31 January 2025.

NTSB investigators are on scene documenting the wreckage, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. All aspects of this incident remain under investigation.

A preliminary report is expected within 30 days from the date of the accident. The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash and any contributing factors will come in the final report, which is expected in 12 to 24 months.

NTSB investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 55 that crashed on 31 January in Philadelphia. The CVR was located at the site of initial impact, at a depth of 8 feet.​ NTSB investigators also recovered the airplane's enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which could also contain flight data. Both components will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for evaluation.

NTSB investigators have recovered both engines. Wreckage recovery continues. All of the wreckage will be sent to a secure location in Delaware for further examination.

NTSB investigators have obtained surveillance videos of the crash and numerous witness statements

[cupcakke-freak]

One Year After China's Worst Plane Crash in Decades: What We Know and Don't Know

One year ago today, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed into a forested hillside in Guangxi province, killing all 132 people on board. It was China's deadliest aviation disaster since 1994, when a China Northwest Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 crashed near Xian, killing 160 people.

The cause of the crash remains unknown, despite an ongoing investigation by Chinese and international experts. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a brief statement on Monday, saying that due to the complexity and rarity of this accident, the investigation is still being carried out in an in-depth manner.

The statement did not provide any new information or data from the plane's black boxes, which were recovered days after the crash and sent to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for analysis. The CAAC said that experts had inspected more than 100 pieces of wreckage and focused on how key components were performing before the crash. They also looked into air traffic control, passengers and cargo.

The lack of transparency and details has raised questions and frustrations among some aviation experts and relatives of the victims. Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of industry publication FlightGlobal, said that the brevity of the CAAC's one-year statement was unusual, noting that one-year reports published by other Asian countries were often dozens to hundreds of pages long and included detailed analysis.

"The objective is not to attribute blame, but rather to improve the safety standards of the industry in general," he said. "This data from this equipment should have yielded detailed insights into conditions with the aircraft and in the cockpit at the time of the crash."

Waldron added that while every aircraft disaster was complex, there should have been enough clues from various sources to narrow down possible scenarios or rule out some factors.

According to previous reports by Reuters and other media outlets, based on anonymous sources familiar with preliminary findings from flight data recorder (FDR) readings:

- The plane was flying normally at cruising altitude when it suddenly entered a steep dive for about 10 seconds. - The pilots managed to pull up briefly but then lost control again and crashed into a mountainous region at high speed. - There was no indication of mechanical failure or external interference before or during the dive. - There was no distress call or communication from the cockpit crew before losing contact with air traffic control. - The weather was clear and there was no turbulence or icing reported along their route.

Some possible explanations for such an unexplained dive could include:

- A deliberate act by one or both pilots or someone else on board who gained access to flight controls. - A loss of consciousness or incapacitation of both pilots due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen), carbon monoxide poisoning or other medical reasons. - A malfunction or misinterpretation of flight instruments or automation systems that led to confusion or incorrect actions by pilots. - A sudden structural failure or damage caused by undetected fatigue cracks, corrosion or foreign object debris.

However, none of these scenarios can be confirmed or ruled out without more evidence from other sources such as cockpit voice recorder (CVR), radar data, satellite communications data, maintenance records and witness statements.

The NTSB has not commented publicly on its role in assisting with analyzing black box data from MU5735 flight. Under international rules governing air accident investigations led by another country's authority - such as CAAC - NTSB can only release information if authorized by CAAC.

A final report into what caused MU5735 crash could take two years or more to compile according to Chinese officials last year.

Meanwhile relatives are still waiting for answers as they mourn their loved ones who perished in this tragedy. Some have filed lawsuits against China Eastern Airlines and Boeing seeking compensation and accountability.

China Eastern Airlines grounded all its Boeing 737-800s after MU5735 crash but later returned them back into service after conducting safety checks. The airline said it had full confidence in its fleet safety standards.

Boeing said it was cooperating with authorities investigating MU5735 crash but declined further comment citing respect for ongoing process.

The Boeing 737-800 is one of most widely used models worldwide with more than 5000 planes delivered since its introduction in 1998. It has generally good safety record but has been involved several fatal accidents over years including Lion Air Flight JT610 which crashed into Java Sea shortly after takeoff

[thecenteroftheheart]

Track 18 - Mayday, mayday!

Name: Aiden Remi Morrish

Age: 27

Sign: Cancer

Affiliation: National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB)/Unyu Anzen Iinkai(JTSB).

Biography:

Aiden was born in and grew up around the Lincoln Square, Manhattan. Far away from the worries that most children had. In fact, he had so little worry that he only started to think what he wanted to do in life when he was over 18 years old. In these times, he saw a lot of his close friends advancing in life, while he wasn’t. After watching a tv show about Amelia Earhart, he started to wonder if even nowadays flights could disappear completely and never be recovered. He was so, indeed, interested on that, he decided to become an investigator himself. 

Because of that, he studied at ERAU, eventually specializing in aviation technology, systems for tracking aircrafts, FDR/CVR recovery and reading. His major interest as an investigator is giving closure to unsolved cases.

About a year after starting his work at NTSB as a proper agent, he was temporary transferred to JTSB to investigate an incident involving a plane from Asiana that was crashed on purpose by a depressed pilot, while miraculously, all passengers and crew survived, the impact damaged the Cockpit Voice Recorder. When he successfully managed to fix the damage and was able to recover the information, JTSB asked a permanent transference. 

Personality: Hardworking, playful, can be shy during the early stages of meeting someone.

Extra info:

- His mother, Runa, is a famous japanese model and his father, Ashton, is a British-born man who made big in Wall Street. They met during her travels for work and married shortly after. She started to work on America, but her career wasn’t as successful, which made her an overly dedicated mother.

- On official documents of JTSB, his middle name ‘Remi’ is written with kanji, as it’s the japanese name his mother gave him. The characters for writing are ‘ 天瞳’ meaning ‘heavenly pupils/eyes’.

- As he lived in America most of his life, his japanese is not that good and he makes use of a lot of English words while speaking. His usual formal way of speaking often causes people to say that he has a girly-type of japanese speech.

- While he can pilot small planes, he just doesn’t. He prefers to trust other people to fly him.

[planetalkinguk]

Episode 361 - Sky High Weddings, Dallas Style

Join Carlos, Matt, Nev and a virtual Armando for this week's programme.

In this week's show Ryanair spend some money on a new Sim, one airline performs an over 20 hour flight, and another airline has a wedding in the sky. In the military this week NATO Interceptors are Scrambled 10 Times In 6 Hours, the RAF are Set To Retire Older Typhoons, Chinooks, and the Future RAF will mix crewed fighters, UAVs and swarming drones.

In this week's Plane Truth Captain Al talks to Matt about Cabin Temperatures.

Don't forget you can get in touch with us all at : WhatsApp +44 757 22 491 66 Email podcast@planetalkinguk.com or comment in our chatroom on YouTube.

Here are the links to the stories we featured this week :

COMMERCIAL

INDONESIA RECOVERED COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER OF CRASHED SRIWIJAYA AIR BOEING 737 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-crash/indonesia-recovers-cockpit-voice-recorder-of-crashed-sriwijaya-air-jet-idINKBN2BN062 https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/accidents-ntsb/sriwijaya-air-cvr-recovered/

RYANAIR PURCHASE A SECOND B737 MAX SIMULATOR IN PREPARATION FOR PILOT TRAINING https://aviationvoice.com/ryanair-purchases-a-new-boeing-737-max-simulator-202103311214/

737 MAX 8200 RECEIVES FAA CERTIFICATION https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-737max-idUSKBN2BN3NT https://theaircurrent.com/aviation-safety/boeing-737-max-re-certificaton-likely-to-slide-into-2020-ryanair-model-faces-new-design-issue/

BRITISH AIRWAYS NAMED SECOND BIGGEST CLIMATE POLLUTER https://airqualitynews.com/2021/03/29/british-airways-named-second-biggest-climate-polluter/ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/complying-with-the-uk-ets-as-an-aircraft-operator https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1265/schedule/1/made

BRITISH AIRWAYS BACKS ZEROAVIA'S PLAN FOR HYDROGEN AIRLINER https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2021-03-31/british-airways-backs-zeroavias-plan-hydrogen-airliner https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/ba-backs-zeroavia-as-it-eyes-hydrogen-power-for-future-short-haul-fleet/143117.article

DRONAMICS LAUNCHES DRONE-BASED CARGO AIRLINE https://www.aircargonews.net/airlines/dronamics-launches-drone-based-cargo-airline/

COMLUX SETS WORLD RECORD! https://www.airlive.net/a-comlux-boeing-787-business-jet-operated-a-20-hour-flight-from-seoul-to-buenos-aires/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/comlux_boeing-airbus-welcome-activity-6765589034824671232-_jeL

SOUTHAMPTON AIRPORT RUNWAY DECISION PUT BACK AFTER REJECTION https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-hampshire-56541494?__twitter_impression=true

THIS AIRLINE SEAT CAN BE BOTH PREMIUM ECONOMY AND BUSINESS CLASS https://simpleflying.com/gamechanging-this-airline-seat-can-be-both-premium-economy-and-business-class/?utm_source=Bibblio https://www.butterflyseating.com/

TEXTRON AVIATION DELIVERS 1,000TH CITATION 560XL TWINJET https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-03-31/textron-aviation-delivers-1000th-citation-560xl-twinjet

WEDDINGS IN THE SKIES https://simpleflying.com/southwest-airlines-pilot-married/ https://twitter.com/emirates/status/1377275055302877185

RYANAIR BOEING 737 ROLLS INTO FUEL TANKER AT MALTA AIRPORT https://simpleflying.com/ryanair-737-fuel-tanker-roll/

  MILITARY

US ARMY ENTERS FINAL PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT BEFORE KICKING OFF FUTURE LONG RANGE ASSAULT AIRCRAFT PROGRAM https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/03/31/us-army-enters-final-phase-of-development-before-kicking-off-future-long-range-assault-aircraft-program/

FUTURE RAF WILL MIX CREWED FIGHTERS, UAVS AND SWARMING DRONES https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/future-raf-will-mix-crewed-fighters-uavs-and-swarming-drones-cds/

NATO INTERCEPTORS SCRAMBLED 10 TIMES IN 6 HOURS TO SHADOW RUSSIAN BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS NEAR ALLIANCE AIRSPACE https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/30/nato-interceptors-scrambled-10-times-in-6-hours-to-shadow-russian-bombers-and-fighters-near-alliance-airspace/

RAF SET TO RETIRE OLDER TYPHOONS, CHINOOKS AND OTHER TYPES FOLLOWING THE DEFENCE REVIEW https://theaviationist.com/2021/03/27/raf-set-to-retire-older-typhoons-chinooks-and-other-types-following-the-defence-review-heres-our-analysis/

RAAF’S CENTENARY FLYPAST IN CANBERRA https://australianaviation.com.au/2021/03/in-pictures-raafs-centenary-flypast-in-canberra/ https://australianaviation.com.au/2021/03/canberras-raaf-100-flypast-every-time-of-every-aircraft/ https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/queen-elizabeth-makes-surprise-appearance-at-raaf-centenary-20210331-p57fo3.html

Our latest episode is now ready for your listening pleasure -->

[kansascityhappenings]

The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and 8 others lacked several safety features

https://newsource-embed-prd.ns.cnn.com/videos/newsource-video-embed.js

CALABASAS, Calif. — If the helicopter had been 30 feet higher, millions of people might not be in mourning.

The aircraft carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant and eight others crashed into a hillside and missed the top of the hill by 20 to 30 feet, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

Preliminary information suggests the helicopter descended rapidly before it crashed in Calabasas, NTSB member Jennifer Homendy said.

“The descent rate for the helicopter was over 2,000 feet a minute,” Homendy said. “This is a pretty steep descent at high speed.”

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash and whether the pilot should have been granted special permission to fly in the foggy conditions Sunday morning.

FAA records reviewed by CNN reveal Island Express Holding Corp., the company operating the helicopter, was certified only for visual flight rules flights. Visual flight rules require pilots to stay clear of clouds and in good visibility while using both visual and instrument navigation.

Investigators are also looking into whether a safety system — recommended by federal authorities years ago — could have prevented the tragedy.

The helicopter lacked a recommended safety feature

The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, built in 1991, did not have a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), Homendy said.

TAWS is a safety feature that alerts pilots when they might hit terrain.

After a 2004 helicopter crash in Texas that killed 10 people, the NTSB recommended all new and existing helicopters with six or more passenger seats be equipped with TAWS, Homendy said.

But the NTSB doesn’t have the authority to set new rules based on recommendations. That’s up to the Federal Aviation Administration, which didn’t implement the recommendation, Homendy said.

An FAA spokesman did not provide a direct response Wednesday to CNN’s request for explanation on why the agency did not make TAWS mandatory for all helicopters.

The FAA has estimated that TAWS would cost “$35,000 per helicopter for equipment and installation, plus $7,000 for revenue loss for equipment downtime,” according to a government document from 2014.

The FAA must consider cost-benefit analyses before making new rules, said Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the NTSB.

But Goelz said he and other aviation experts believe “when it comes to safety, the cost-benefit analysis should never be the final call.” He said some helicopter pilots may consider TAWS to be a nuisance, especially in good conditions when the terrain is visible but the alerts keep going off.

“If you have a device in a helicopter, which is often flying at low altitudes, often (TAWS) will go off and you will get alerts and that will cause the pilot to ignore it,” Goelz said.

But he said that concern is “overstated.”

“You can calibrate these things very carefully,” he said. “The workload argument doesn’t hold up when you weigh it against the safety benefits.”

Island Express declined to comment on why the aircraft did not have TAWS.

“Because this is an ongoing investigation, Island Express defers comment on this matter to the NTSB,” according to a company statement.

The helicopter also lacked a flight data recorder

TAWS isn’t the only recommended feature that wasn’t on the helicopter. The aircraft also lacked a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder, Homendy said.

“Having a CVR and an FDR would have helped us significantly in this investigation,” the NTSB member said.

When contacted by CNN, Island Express declined to say why the helicopter didn’t have the recorders, citing the ongoing investigation.

Goelz said one reason used in the past for why some helicopters lack flight data recorders was that the devices were “too big and too heavy.”

But “they have now miniaturized them — they are 5 pounds at the most,” Goelz said.

“The idea that these kinds of devices aren’t mandatory is really unacceptable.”

What was found at the scene

While investigators won’t find a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, they did find debris stretching over 500 feet, the NTSB said.

The agency recovered an iPad, a cell phone and documents such as the helicopter’s maintenance records, registration and airworthiness certificate.

Timeline: Here’s what happened in the minutes before crash

Homendy said the NTSB will release its preliminary report on the crash in about 10 days — but it won’t answer everyone’s questions.

“It’s not going to contain our findings, our analysis,” she said. “It’s not going to contain any safety recommendations or probable cause. But it’s going to provide some factual information — more than we have now.”

She said a final report will be out in about 12 to 18 months.

Families remember the parents and children killed

While Bryant was the most famous passenger in the helicopter, families want the public to remember the lives of all nine people on board.

Christina Mauser was an assistant girls basketball coach, former teacher and mother of three. Her youngest daughter is turning 4 next week.

Mauser had been recruited by Bryant himself to help coach a team in his basketball academy, her husband Matt Mauser said. She was one of several parents killed in the crash.

“The first day was brutal,” her husband said. “I woke up this morning and I said, ‘I’m OK,’ and then I walked out and I started to cry. And then I saw my kids and I started to cry.”

Pilot Ara Zobayan was also killed in the crash. Neighbors and fellow pilots remember him as a lovable, affable man.

The three youngest victims were all headed to a youth basketball game.

Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna was a rising basketball star.

Alyssa Altobelli was flying with her parents, John and Keri.

And Payton Chester was flying with her mother, Sarah Chester.

Todd Schmidt, a former principal at the elementary school Payton once attended, said the Chesters were just as important as Bryant.

“While the world mourns the loss of a dynamic athlete and humanitarian, I mourn the loss of two people just as important,” Schmidt wrote on Facebook.

He said “their impact was just as meaningful, their loss will be just as keenly felt, and our hearts are just as broken.”

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2020/01/29/the-helicopter-carrying-kobe-bryant-and-8-others-lacked-several-safety-features/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2020/01/29/the-helicopter-carrying-kobe-bryant-and-8-others-lacked-several-safety-features/

[aeroclix]

NTSB recovers crashed Atlas Air 767 cockpit voice recorder

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on March 1 that it has recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from an Atlas Air Boeing 767-300 freighter six days after it crashed in Trinity Bay, Texas, killing three people on board. read more Link to the original sitehttps://www.aeroclix.com/uncategorized/ntsb-recovers-crashed-atlas-air-767-cockpit-voice-recorder/