JPATS News

An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N776AN performing flight AA-784 from Charlotte,NC (USA) to Munich (Germany), was enroute at FL380 over the Atlantic Ocean about 170nm southsoutheast of St. John's,NL (Canada) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to New York JFK,NY (USA) due to the cracked windshield at the first officer's side. The aircraft descended to FL300 and landed safely on JFK's runway 22L about 2:40 hours later.

A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N786AN reached Munich with a delay of about 7.5 hours.

The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in New York about 40 hours after landing.

https://avherald.com/h?article=53936b28&opt=0

Incident: BAW E190 at London on May 13th 2026, lightning strike

A BAW British Airways Embraer ERJ-190, registration G-LCYM performing flight BA-8724 from London City,EN to Glasgow,SC (UK), was climbing out of London City's runway 27 when lightning struck the aircraft. The crew continued the climb to FL160, then decided to return to London City for a safe landing on runway 27 about 65 minutes after departure.

A passenger reported there was a loud bang.

A replacement Embraer ERJ-190 registration G-LCAD reached Glasgow with a delay of about 2:20 hours.

The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 15.5 hours, then positioned to Exeter,EN (UK) before being returned to service.

https://avherald.com/h?article=53935ff0&opt=0

Incident: Southwest B737 near Tulsa on May 11th 2026, cracked windshield

A Southwest Boeing 737-700, registration N265WN performing flight WN-2665 from Albuquerque,NM to Baltimore,MD (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 80nm northwest of Tulsa,OK (USA) when the crew descended the aircraft and diverted to Tulsa due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft landed safely on Tulsa's runway 18L about 30 minutes later.

A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N442WN reached Baltimore with a delay of about 4 hours.

https://avherald.com/h?article=539356de&opt=0

Beechcraft C90 King Air - Fatal Accident (New Mexico)

Date: Thursday 14 May 2026

Time: c. 00:12 LT

Type: Beechcraft C90 King Air

Owner/operator: Angels Envy Aviation LLC

Registration: N249CP

MSN: LJ-841

Year of manufacture: 1979

Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4

Other fatalities: 0

Aircraft damage: Destroyed

Location: Capitan Mountains, NE of Capitan, NM - United States of America

Phase: En route

Nature: Ambulance

Departure airport: Roswell International Air Center Airport, NM (ROW/KROW)

Destination airport: Ruidoso-Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, NM (RUI/KSRR)

Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:

A Beechcraft C90 King Air, N249CP, crashed in a wooded area in the Capitan Mountains, northeast of Capitan, New Mexico, and starting a fire.

The four occupants perished and the medevac aircraft was destroyed.

https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/570410

Small medical plane (Beechcraft C-90 KingAir) crashes in New Mexico mountains, killing all 4 people aboard

The crash sparked a fire that had grown to 35 acres by midday amid dry, windy conditions.

A small medical plane crashed in a mountain range outside Ruidoso, New Mexico, before dawn Thursday, killing all four people aboard and sparking a wildfire in the surrounding forest, officials said.

The fire had grown to 35 acres by midday amid dry, windy conditions, according to Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns. Burns said county officials were “very concerned” about the blaze and local agencies were working with the U.S. Forest Service to contain it.

The cause of the crash was unknown, Burns said. The plane was located between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Thursday in steep, rocky terrain in the Capitan Mountains that was difficult to access, with crews hiking the last half-mile to reach the crash site, he said.

The victims were flight crew and medical personnel, Burns said. Their names have not yet been made public.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families, loved ones, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident,” Burns said at a news conference.

The flight departed from Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

The plane operated by Trans Aero MedEvac had been on a medical transportation mission and was reported overdue after communications and radar contact were lost, the company said in a statement.

Trans Aero MedEvac has operated in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas since 1966.

Ruidoso, a mountain town with a year-round population of less than 8,000, sits at the base of south-central New Mexico’s Sierra Blanca range. The surrounding area, which includes Lincoln National Forest, is heavily forested and rural.

Five people were killed when a medical plane crashed in the Devil’s Canyon area of Lincoln National Forest in 2007. That crash came almost immediately after the flight left Ruidoso Regional Airport bound for Albuquerque.

Prior to Thursday’s crash, there were 25 fatal crashes of medical planes over the past 25 years that killed nearly 70 people, according to NTSB records.

Several occurred in the past 18 months, including when a jet crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood in January 2025, killing eight people, and four people were killed in August when a plane crashed on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona. In December, a Mexican Navy plane carrying a young patient and seven others crashed off the coast of Texas in the Gulf.

Medical evacuation plane flights generally aren’t more dangerous than other flights because they travel between airports just like any other plane, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said. Medical helicopter flights are more dangerous because they often involve landing on roads or other improvised landing sites such as near a vehicle crash to get injured people to a hospital quickly.

A study of air medical accidents over a 20-year period ending in 2020 found that more than 70% of fatalities occurred on helicopters.

“Typically when an air medical air plane accident occurs, the reasons are usually the same as any other airplane accident. There’s not unique issues with the air medical mission,” said Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for the NTSB and FAA.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/small-medical-plane-crashes-new-mexico-mountains-killing-4-people-rcna345268

NTSB Study Shows Increase In Drug Detection Among Fatal Accident Pilots

More than half of pilots tested had at least one drug detected, while potentially impairing drugs were found in 28.6%.

NTSB Study Shows Increase In Drug Detection Among Fatal Accident Pilots [Credit: NTSB]

The National Transportation Safety Board has published an updated study on drug presence among fatally injured pilots, showing increases in both overall drug detection and the presence of drugs the agency classified as potentially impairing.

The report, 2018–2022 Update to Drug Use Trends in Aviation, examined toxicology results from 930 pilots killed in U.S. civil aviation accidents from 2018 to 2022. According to the NTSB, 52.8% of those pilots tested positive for at least one drug of any type, including medications such as cardiovascular drugs, cholesterol-lowering drugs and nonsedating over-the-counter medications. The study separately found that 28.6% tested positive for drugs classified as potentially impairing, a category that includes some prescription and over-the-counter medications, controlled substances and illicit drugs.

The most commonly detected potentially impairing drug remained diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine used in many allergy and nighttime cold medications. The NTSB also reported that illicit drug detection rose to 7.4%, with the increase primarily tied to delta-9-THC, the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana. Drug presence was lower among Part 135 pilots than among general aviation pilots, lower among pilots with an active medical certificate than those without one, and lower among pilots holding airline transport or commercial certificates than among private, sport or student pilots, or those with no certificate.

The NTSB noted that a positive toxicology result does not, by itself, establish impairment. The agency also cautioned that pilots should not infer that a drug may be used safely or legally based on how it was classified in the report, noting that some drugs outside its potentially impairing category may still have impairing effects, may be used to treat conditions that affect flying or may be subject to FAA restrictions.

https://avweb.com/flight-safety/ntsb-shows-rise-drug-detection-fatal-crash/

Sens. Duckworth, Baldwin call on FAA to study impact of reduced flight attendant staffing

A pair of Senate Democrats is demanding answers from FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on airplane evacuation testing that's nearly two years overdue and his agency's decision to allow airlines to be able to reduce the number of flight attendants on some long-haul widebody flights. They say their concern is that there may be more emergency exit doors than flight attendants in the event of an evacuation.

"Without a certified Flight Attendant positioned at every dual-aisle floor-level exit, passengers could be left vulnerable at precisely the moment they must rely on skilled, decisive guidance and rapid action from highly trained and certified Flight Attendants," Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin wrote in a letter exclusively obtained by CBS News. "Furthermore, reduced staffing poses additional risk in the unfortunate event that a Flight Attendant is left incapacitated during a serious incident."

The senators say American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have all received approval from the FAA to reduce the number of flight attendants on some aircraft under rules that require one flight attendant for every 50 passengers.

"... [I]t violates the purpose of evacuation certification and creates a dangerous gap in safety," Duckworth and Baldwin wrote. "Reducing the minimum crew requirement means that a single Flight Attendant is solely responsible for operating two doors, up to 19 feet apart. This means one Flight Attendant could be responsible for evacuating hundreds of passengers across two aisles and middle column seats."

Last year, the FAA certified American's new 787-9P aircraft seating configuration with minimum staffing of seven flight attendants despite the plane having eight exit doors. The airline says it continues to assign eight to 10 flight attendants on those flights depending on distance, but that minimum staffing level allows the carrier to be able to operate a flight if a crew member issue, such as an illness, occurs while during a trip or while aboard.

"FAA safety regulations base flight attendant requirements on airplane seating capacity. On June 25, the FAA observed American Airlines successfully complete evacuation safety demonstrations with seven flight attendants on its Boeing 787-9P airplanes. American's 787-9P aircraft have a lower seating capacity than its other 787 models, which require eight flight attendants," the FAA said in a statement at the time.

The airlines must successfully complete that FAA evacuation demonstration for every seating configuration of an airliner in their fleet to determine minimum staffing requirements. Those requirements may vary based on the seating configuration and duration of the flight. Airlines may also opt to schedule additional cabin crew members above that minimum number.

"Today, nothing stops airlines from assigning one Flight Attendant to cover two door exits on widebody aircraft. Previous accidents have shown that leaving exits unattended during an evacuation leads to chaos, results in unusable exits being opened, causes injury, and increases smoke and fumes into the cabin," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, including United. "Our union is calling on Congress and the FAA to require at least one Flight Attendant per door exit on widebody aircraft."

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union representing American Airlines flight attendants, met with lawmakers, including Duckworth, about their staffing concerns in December, calling the minimum staffing numbers an "industry-wide problem of airlines reducing minimum crew, leaving widebody exit door(s) exposed without a trained Flight Attendant to evacuate."

Duckworth, the ranking Democrat on the Senate aviation subcommittee, has long pushed for the FAA to conduct evacuation testing that reflects real-world conditions including small children, elderly and disabled passengers, as well as luggage, service animals and other potential obstacles.

The senators are also seeking an update on evacuation testing that Congress mandated the FAA complete within one year of the FAA's reauthorization bill passing. That deadline passed in May 2025. The updated testing was to replace a series of tests the FAA conducted in 2019 that did not include any real-world scenarios such as luggage in the cabin and passengers who were children, seniors or disabled.

"Almost two years after enactment, the report is still not complete," the senators wrote.

The FAA requires an aircraft to be able to be evacuated within 90 seconds, but real-world evacuations often take far longer. In 2024, it took passengers and crew between 11 and 18 minutes to fully evacuate Japan Airlines Flight 516 after it collided with a coast guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, according to accounts from the airline and the Japan Transport Safety Board.

"This standard is not arbitrary—it is based on the harsh reality that seconds can be the difference between life and death," Duckworth and Baldwin write in their letter.

"After seeing more and more aircraft evacuations that don't meet the 90-second standard that the FAA is supposed to hold itself to, we passed legislation requiring them to ensure that evacuation standards reflect the world of flying today. Two years later, they still haven't done so," Duckworth said in a statement to CBS News. "All the while, the FAA continues to allow airlines to reduce the size of their crew, further weakening their ability to meet federal evacuation standards. Absolutely nothing about this makes the flying public safer."

A 2020 Department of Transportation Inspector General report found the FAA's process of updating evacuation standards "lacks data collection and analysis on current risks."

In 2024, Duckworth, who lost both of her legs while serving in the Iraq War, told CBS News she was not confident she would be able to get off a plane in less than 90 seconds in an emergency.

"Not at all confident, not at all confident. I often fly where I'm not wearing both my artificial legs," Duckworth said at the time. "I don't think it's realistic anymore. … Conduct a real test and let's see what the realistic standard is."

"We need answers. Are the current [plane] evacuation standards, are they adequate?" former National Transportation Safety Board chair and CBS News transportation safety analyst Robert Sumwalt told CBS News last August. "It's definitely time for the FAA to go back and reassess what standards they're using for evacuations. It's been almost 35 years since those standards were published."

The senators are now calling on the FAA to study the impact of the reduced flight attendant staffing on evacuation efficiency.

"The presence of Flight Attendants, stationed in the right locations, help passengers survive when their lives depend on it. Appropriate crew staffing is not a luxury; it is a life-saving necessity," the senators wrote.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/duckworth-baldwin-faa-study-impact-reduced-flight-attendant-staffing/

FAA completes first phase of NOTAM overhaul

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has successfully completed Phase One of a major overhaul of the country’s “Notices to Airmen” (NOTAM) system, a critical aviation safety network that provides pilots with real-time operational and hazard information.

The upgrade marks a significant step in modernising a system that has been in operation for decades and has faced increasing criticism over reliability and ageing infrastructure. The FAA said the modernisation programme is designed to prevent future nationwide airspace shutdowns, improve safety and strengthen communications across the U.S. aviation network.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy described the previous NOTAM infrastructure as a “40-year-old aviation alert system” that was close to failure when inherited by the current administration. He said the government accelerated the programme to avoid another major disruption similar to the nationwide ground stop that occurred in January 2023 after the legacy NOTAM system failed, grounding flights across the country.

According to the Department of Transportation, previous estimates suggested a full transition of the NOTAM system would not be completed until late 2027. However, the FAA successfully moved the system into a cloud-based environment in April 2026 and completed the first phase of the transition significantly ahead of schedule.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the introduction of the upgraded system would strengthen both safety and operational reliability across the National Airspace System. He added that the agency remains focused on creating a more resilient and efficient aviation infrastructure capable of supporting the demands of the world’s busiest airspace.

The NOTAM system plays a central role in aviation operations by distributing time-sensitive alerts and information to pilots, airlines and air traffic controllers. These notices can include runway closures, navigational outages, temporary flight restrictions and other operational hazards that may affect flight safety.

The FAA said work on the remaining phases of the modernisation programme is continuing as part of a broader effort to improve the resilience and long-term reliability of U.S. aviation systems.

https://avitrader.com/2026/05/15/faa-completes-first-phase-of-notam-overhaul/

USAF to Buy Thousands of New Radios to Help Rescue Downed Pilots

The Air Force plans to start buying thousands of advanced new handheld radios in 2027 for downed aircrew to communicate with search-and-rescue forces, a capability spotlighted earlier this year during the recovery of two aviators shot down in Iran.

The Next-Generation Survivor Radio will replace the current Combat Survivor Evader Locator radio, which has been in service since 2006. Development of the NGSR kicked off with a small investment in 2025 and picked up with $51.7 million in R&D funding in the 2026 budget.

The Air Force is requesting $96 million for the program in 2027, $80 million of which would buy 6,868 radios, spares, and associated support equipment. While the Air Force is taking the lead on the program, the radios will also go to aviators in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.

According to budget documents, NGSR will replace the existing radio’s “legacy satellite communication and encryption methods.” It will have “secure, over-the-horizon, two-way data communications and precise geo-positioning information” and be approved by the National Reconnaissance Office as having a low probability of being detected or intercepted. It will also have “modern encryption technology” certified by the National Security Agency.

“NGSR is one node of an overall personnel recovery network which includes multiple on-orbit satellite constellations, geographically dispersed satellite ground stations, joint service CSAR communication devices, and a Joint Personnel Recovery Center cloud-based web application,” the budget documents state.

In 2026, the Air Force is working on testing and integrating the new radio within that personnel recovery network. In 2027, it wants to transition to rapid fielding.

General Dynamics is building the NGSR and says it will be lighter, smaller, and more power efficient than the current radio, while touting its “cell phone-like form factor.” It is roughly similar in size to an iPhone 17 Pro Max, albeit much thicker at 1.5 inches.

The radio is software-defined, meaning it can be reprogrammed and upgraded to work with future waveforms, and it can send both voice and text messages. It also works with the more advanced, secure M-code GPS signal.

The existing CSEL radio has been upgraded over time and provides secure voice and data transmissions over a variety of different frequencies and satellite constellations.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lance Paquette, 100th Operational Support Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist, utilizes a Combat Survivor Evader Locator radio during a SERE training exercise at Suffolk, England, Jan. 20, 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jacob Wood

That radio proved crucial in the early April rescue operation for the downed F-15E pilot and weapon systems officer known by the call sign “DUDE 44.” President Donald Trump confirmed April 6 that one of the aviators used his radio to transmit his location.

“They have a very sophisticated beeper-type apparatus that is on them at all times,” Trump said. “When they go out on these missions, they make sure they have lots of battery space and they’re in good shape, and this one worked really well, amazingly, saved his life.”

An Air Force official confirmed to Bloomberg at the time that Trump was referring to the CSEL.

Boeing has built more than 50,000 CSELs for the U.S. The Air Force’s budget documents do not say how many NGSRs the service plans to buy over time, and projected procurement funding drops in 2028, but the service noted that it will certify its spending plans in a future budget, suggesting more money may be added in the years to come.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-new-radios-help-rescue-downed-pilots/

Boeing shares drop 4% after Trump announces China orders just 200 jets

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Summary

Boeing shares fall more than 4%

Sources said Trump, Beijing had discussed 500 jets

China's last major Boeing order was in 2017

Airbus has outpaced Boeing in Chinese deliveries since 2018

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE, May 14 (Reuters) - China has agreed to buy 200 Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab jets, U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News Channel on Thursday, a number that was far fewer than analysts ‌had expected, and the planemaker’s shares fell.

Details of the deal were not immediately available, including when and which type of jets would be delivered, but the amount was much smaller than the roughly 500-plane package that sources told Reuters was under discussion ahead of a meeting on Thursday between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

"One thing he agreed to today, he's going to order 200 jets ... 200 big ones," Trump said on Fox News' Hannity, referring to Xi.

Boeing shares fell 4.1% during market trading on Thursday.

A large Boeing order was one of many ⁠business deals expected to come out of the closely watched summit, as well as an extension of a fragile trade truce struck last October, when Trump suspended triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods and Xi backed away from choking global supplies of vital rare earths.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wall Street's reaction to the announcement.

The talks had been for 500 Boeing 737 MAX jets, plus possibly dozens of more expensive widebody jets in follow-on orders after the summit, according to sources familiar with the discussions. China has also been in talks for a similarly sized deal with European planemaker Airbus.

China placed an average of 127 orders per year from 2005 through 2017. Since then, Chinese airlines have ordered an average of 6 airplanes a year.

The rival planemakers have been competing fiercely for sales to China, the world's second-largest aviation market. In the 2010s, Airbus pushed past Boeing to take majority control of the market, even opening an A320 final assembly plant in Tianjin.

Beijing has to buy from both to ‌keep ⁠up with booming growth in travel demand. China needs to order as many as 1,000 new airplanes now, according to many analysts.

The country will require at least 9,000 new jetliners by 2045 according to market projections by both Boeing and Airbus.

The country's last big order with Boeing was during Trump's November 2017 trip to Beijing, when it agreed to buy 300 Boeing jets. Relations between the two countries soured after that, and Boeing has received 51 orders, mostly for freighters, since then.

Analysts ⁠say Beijing has a history of using diplomatic summits to make high-profile aircraft order announcements that reflect the political climate at least as much as contractual realities.

Airplane purchases by Chinese airlines require approval from the central government, frequently tied to diplomatic visits. The actual operator oftentimes is not clear until closer to delivery of an ⁠airplane, Matt Akers, an aerospace investment analyst with BNP Paribas, told Reuters.

"It’s possible we still get more orders this trip, but right now investors are interpreting this as being less than hoped for," he said.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and GE Aerospace (GE.N), opens new tab CEO Larry Culp were among the American executives ⁠who accompanied Trump to China, in hopes of clinching deals or resolving disputes.

Trump has aggressively pushed countries during trade talks to boost purchases of Boeing airplanes.

Ortberg last month told Reuters he was counting on the Trump administration's support to seal a major deal with China.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/china-has-agreed-to-buy-200-boeing-jets-trump-says-2026-05-14/

Spirit Airlines employees file class-action lawsuit against carrier over lost wages

Spirit Airlines is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit from former employees who claim the company violated federal labor laws by abruptly shutting down operations and laying off roughly 17,000 workers without advance notice.

Spirit Airlines is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit following the low-budget carrier's announcement earlier this month that it would cease operations permanently.

The lawsuit was filed May 12 in the Southern District of New York on behalf of former employees who claim the company violated federal labor laws when it abruptly shut down operations on May 2 and reduced the work force by roughly 17,000 employees without advance notice.

According to the complaint, Spirit Airlines ceased operations and informed employees the same day in an email from company leadership.

The complaint alleges the company told employees in an email at the time that it was unable to give more advance notice of the layoffs, "because the Company was actively seeking capital to avoid these layoffs and closures and notice would have precluded the Company from obtaining the capital needed," according to a copy of the message included in this week's filing.

The complaint claims that workers immediately lost their jobs, benefits, and access to company systems at that time, and were owed accrued vacation and sick pay.

The complaint alleges that employees were shocked when the airline announced it was immediately ending operations and winding down the business.

Workers were allegedly told they would be paid through May 2, 2026, according to the complaint. However, the suit alleges many workers have still not received final paychecks or compensation for unused vacation and sick time.

The former employees are seeking damages equal to 60 days of wages and benefits under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN Act, which the U.S. Department of Labor describes as "help[ing to] ensure advance notice in cases of qualified plant closings and mass layoffs," according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to certify the case as a class action covering all affected Spirit workers.

Spirit Airlines announced on May 2 that it had begun "an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately," citing a "material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business" that had "significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook."

The announcement came after the airline's negotiations with the federal government to secure a $500 million rescue deal stalled.

"To our Guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available," a message on the Spirit website reads. "We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 33 years and had hoped to serve our Guests for many years to come."

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/economy/policy/articles/spirit-airlines-employees-file-class-153110655.html

NTSB Releases Agenda for Two-Day Investigative Hearing on UPS Cargo Plane Crash

WASHINGTON (May 12, 2026) — The National Transportation Safety Board has released the agenda for the two-day investigative hearing into the November 2025 crash of United Parcel Service flight 2976, a Boeing MD-11F cargo airplane, shortly after takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky.

On Nov. 4, 2025, at about 5:14 p.m. Eastern time, the airplane, operating as a domestic cargo flight from Louisville to Honolulu, was destroyed after impacting the ground shortly after takeoff. The three crewmembers aboard the airplane and 11 people on the ground were killed in the Nov. 4, 2025, crash. Another 23 people on the ground were injured.

The NTSB conducts investigative hearings to determine the facts and circumstances of transportation accidents or incidents under investigation. Although the investigative hearing is open to the public, only NTSB board members, investigators, witnesses and parties to the hearing are allowed to participate.

WHAT: Investigative fact-gathering hearing on the crash of United Parcel Service flight 2976, a Boeing MD-11F cargo airplane, shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky.

WHO: NTSB board members, investigative staff, scheduled witnesses and parties to the hearing.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 19, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, and Wednesday, May 20, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time.

WHERE: NTSB Boardroom and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024.

HOW TO VIEW: Attend in person or watch the livestream.

HEARING DOCKET: The hearing docket, including factual reports, photographs and other investigative materials, will be opened at the start of the hearing. Once available, it can be accessed on the NTSB website under investigation number DCA26MA024.

In addition to the agenda, the witness list and additional details are posted on the investigative hearing event webpage.

Media planning to attend the investigative hearing should RSVP by email at [email protected].

https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/nr20260512.aspx

Graduate Research Request

candidate in Aviation with a specialization in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

With nearly 40 years of experience in aircraft maintenance and aviation safety, his dissertation research examines how Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) experience and describe decision-making during troubleshooting, inspection, and repair activities in Part 121 and Part 135 operations. The IRB-approved study seeks currently employed Part 121 and Part 135 AMTs with at least one year of maintenance experience to participate in one confidential 60 to 75-minute virtual interview focused on real-world maintenance decision-making. Participation is voluntary and confidential, and no proprietary or company-specific information will be requested.

Although employed by the FAA, this research is conducted solely in an academic capacity and is not affiliated with or conducted on behalf of the FAA. Individuals interested in participating or learning more may contact Steve Poiani at [email protected].

Steve Poiani

Doctoral Candidate

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

[email protected]