Airplane Geeks Podcast

Li-ion thermal runaways in aircraft cabins, Ryanair engine blade-out accident, two planes with the same flight number at the same airport at the same time, Marine One and commercial operations at DCA, Air India crash report update, Boeing 737 Max crack inspections, hiring gamers to become air traffic controllers, and the Heart Aerospace X1 battery-electric demonstrator first flight.

Aviation News

Li-ion Thermal Runaways on the Rise in Aircraft Cabins

UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) issued a 2025 Data Review, Lithium-ion Battery Incidents in Aviation [PDF, 13 pages]. The study reports a 15% increase in Lithium-ion battery thermal runaway incidents on passenger flights in 2025, compared to the year prior. Portable charger incidents increased 42%, ahead of e-cigarettes, with cell phones the third most common device involved in thermal runaways.

The data comes from the voluntary ULSE Thermal Runaway Incident Program (TRIP). More than 40 passenger and cargo airlines participate in the program. These incidents cost the industry an average of $1.8 million a year, or $96,000 per incident, “in damage, disruption, and associated losses.”

To mitigate the risk of thermal runaway incidents, ULSE recommends cabin crew training, standards for onboard safety equipment to help manage thermal runaways, and more passenger education.

Bird strike suspected in Ryanair engine blade-out accident

In July, a Malta Air Boeing 737-800, doing business as Ryanair flight 1879, experienced a No 2 fan-blade-out failure as it climbed out of Thessaloniki International Airport in Greece. Engine fragments breached the fuselage and the cabin depressurized. A passenger was partially sucked out through a window that blew out.

In its Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report [PDF, 13 pages], the NTSB reports:

“Examination of the airplane revealed that the No. 2 engine, an CFM International (a joint company between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace) model CFM56-7B26, experienced a fan blade separation that resulted in engine fragments striking the fuselage and the right horizontal stabilizer. The pressurized section of the fuselage was penetrated 1) through the passenger cabin window located at row 11, as well as 2) lower lobe fuselage skin behind the right wing-to-body fairing… Additional impact damage was found on the right wing-to-body fairing, a dent with paint smearing on the fuselage window belt skin, a dent on a stringer common to the dented fuselage window belt skin, a gouge on the right horizontal stabilizer upper skin and a dent on the right horizontal stabilizer leading edge.”

View of the No.2 (right) engine inlet. View is looking aft..Courtesy NTSB.

“Examination of the engine and nacelle revealed that one fan blade (No.10) had fractured and separated below the blade platform. The outer blade tips were fractured and separated on two additional fan blades (Nos. 16 and 21). All remaining blades were full length but exhibited varying levels of impact deformation. Three loose fan blade fragments were recovered from the engine. A visual examination of the core was performed and there was no evidence of radial uncontainment though the engine cases, or any undercowl fire. The engine inlet cowl, which is forward of the fan case, exhibited evidence of punctures…”

Bird remains were recovered and hand-carried to the Smithsonian Institution Feather Identification Lab in Washington. The Greece Hellenic Air and Railway Safety Investigation Authority (HARSIA) delegated the investigation in full to the NTSB.

See: Ryanair Uncontained Engine Failure followed by Cabin Depressurization and Passenger Window Injury), 

2 planes with the same flight number avoid possible disaster thanks to quick-thinking controller

Recently, American Airlines flight 2482 was departing Phoenix International Airport (PHX) while another American Airlines flight 2482 was arriving at the same airport from Chicago. A Phoenix air traffic controller with 25 years on the job quickly recognized the problem and referred to the flights as “American 2482 on the arrival” and “American 2482 on the departure.”

See: ‘It Could Have Been Disastrous’: Air Traffic Controller Carefully Handles Two American Airlines Planes With the Same Callsign as They Flew Towards One Another

Passenger plane taking off got too close to Trump’s Marine One helicopter, NTSB and FAA to investigate

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is located about three miles from the White House. When the president departs the Ellipse in Marine One, airport traffic is typically halted. This time, airport traffic continued for a few minutes. The FAA said, “…there was momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another.”

Ahmedabad tragedy: Supreme Court accepts pilot dad’s plea not to make Air India crash report public

The Supreme Court of India granted a request from the 91-year-old father of one of the pilots killed in the June 2025 Air India Ahmedabad crash (Flight AI171, 260 dead) that the final crash investigation report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) be submitted to the court in a sealed cover rather than made public. 

The AAIB had told the court its final report would be ready by October, and the government agreed to submit it in a sealed cover out of respect for the father’s wishes, even though the Solicitor General had initially opposed keeping it confidential, citing international investigation norms under ICAO.

FAA orders crack inspections for hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets

The final rule applies to certain Boeing 737-8, -9, and -8200 Max models, estimated to be 471 planes. While no cracks have been found in these Max models, the FAA received reports of cracks in a forward “bear strap” for several older 737 NG planes.

Mentioned

Video: Heart Aerospace – X1 First Flight – World’s Largest Electric Aircraft – Electric Airliner

https://youtu.be/fEudbAjschs?si=fp2Bwkq-qE2Xzb74

Cathay Pacific Lounge at San Francisco International Airport.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, Rob Mark, and Erin Applebaum.

From EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026: interviews with Cirrus, Joby, the Seaplane Pilots Association, Skyfly, Factory Direct Models, SarahNautics, Samaritan Aviation, and Goodyear.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 Interviews

Hillel and Brian attended AirVenture this year. It was Brian’s first time, while Hillel has returned many times. Both recorded the following interviews:

Ivy McIver, Executive Director, SR Series Product on the Cirrus Aircraft TRAC10.

Lydon Sleeper, Head of U.S. Strategic Policy, Joby Aviation, 

Steve McCaughey, Executive Director, Seaplane Pilots Association.

Michael Thompson, CEO, Skyfly.

Mike Gibson, Managing Director, Factory Direct Models.

Sarah Daniels, Commercial Pilot, Cirrus owner, creator, aviation storyteller.

Mark Palm, founder, Samaritan Aviation.

Capt Adam, Pilot, Goodyear Wingfoot 1.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, Rob Mark, Hillel Glazer, and Brian Coleman.

We speak with a oneworld Alliance VP about airline alliances in general, and oneworld in particular. In the news: a mid-air near miss at Atlanta, NTSB and families call on Congress to act on the DCA accident recommendations, a civilian plane crash and military GPS jamming, adaptive-cycle jet engines and sixth-generation combat aircraft, and the unleaded avgas transition plan.

Guest

Roger Blackburn, Vice President – Commercial and Loyalty, oneworld Alliance.

Roger Blackburn serves as the Vice President – Commercial and Loyalty for the oneworld Alliance. He leads the commercial team and oversees corporate revenue, events, and alliance fare products, as well as the development of oneworld’s loyalty proposition. A member of oneworld’s leadership team for the past six years, Roger has led several key alliance initiatives, including the creation of oneworld’s first two branded lounges.

In our conversation with Roger, we learn about the value that airline alliances provide to the member airlines, and what value accrues to the flying public. We look at criteria for membership in an alliance, network fit, commercial value, and alliance governance, as well as loyalty programs and lounges.

For reference, here are the three major global airline alliances:

Star Alliance, founded in 1997 by Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways, and United.

oneworld, founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas.

SkyTeam, founded in 2000 by Delta, Air France, Aeroméxico, and Korean Air.

Aviation News

Two Delta Air Lines Jets in Mid-Air Near Miss at Atlanta Hartsfield as Air Traffic Control Direct Departing Aircraft into Path of Other Plane

This was a mid-air near-miss at ATL with two Delta Air Lines flights: Flight DL-1568 from Pittsburgh to Atlanta operated by a Boeing 737-900, and Flight DL-2472 from Atlanta to Rochester, New York, an Airbus A321.

The airport was experiencing weather delays, and controllers were working at full capacity to clear the backlog. Departures and arrivals were taking place on parallel runways. DL-1568 had been scheduled to land three hours earlier and was diverted to Chattanooga to wait out a storm.

The arriving flight 1568 elected to make a go-around after seeing a Frontier flight taking a long time to clear the runway. At the same time, departing flight 2472 was directed to turn and climb to the same altitude as the other Delta flight. A TCAS Resolution Advisory alarm sounded, and the aircraft came within 1,800 feet of each other.

NTSB Chair, Victim’s Families Call Upon Congress toTake Action on 50 Safety Recommendations After DC midair

It’s been a year and a half since American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near DCA, killing 67 people. Six months ago, the NTSB issued safety recommendations. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and families of the victims want Congress to take action on the 50 open recommendations.

So far, Congress has failed to pass either the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act or the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act.

Statement from NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy on the open recommendations for the investigation of the January 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

In part: “Six months ago, we concluded our investigation and adopted our final report, issuing 75 findings and 50 safety recommendations, all of which must be implemented to prevent reoccurrence, yet we are no closer today to addressing many of the serious safety gaps that contributed to this terrible tragedy.

“Every day that passes without implementation of all 50 NTSB recommendations represents a continued and unacceptable risk to public safety.

“The National Transportation Safety Board provided a clear roadmap to improve aviation safety and reduce the risk of another catastrophic midair collision. Now it’s time for action that was promised months ago; we owe it to the victims, to the families who continue to grieve their loss, and to the millions of people who rely on the safety of our aviation system every day.”

A Civilian Plane Crashed in New Mexico. Was Military GPS Jamming To Blame?

On May 14, 2026, a Trans Aero MedEvac Beechcraft King Air 90 crashed in the New Mexico Capitan Mountains, killing four people. The NTSB’s preliminary report [PDF] stated that routine military GPS jamming exercises from White Sands Missile Range were active at the flight’s altitude and location. ADS-B was also degraded. The crew’s ForeFlight pre-flight package briefed the pilots on the jamming threat.

Air Force eyes next-gen engine ‘integration’ by 2030

Although no decision has been made, the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) system could go into the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform. Both Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace are developing NGAP prototypes which the Air Force intends to compete for future production. NGAP is designed to be platform agnostic and is a multi-billion-dollar program using adaptive-cycle jet engines for sixth-generation combat aircraft that change jet engine characteristics in flight, allowing more fuel-efficient cruising or increased thrust.

GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney (RTX) are the two competitors, building prototypes designated GE’s XA102 and P&W’s XA103. As of late July 2026, the program completed a pre-prototyping readiness review, with both contractors having met the Air Force’s design requirements, clearing the way to begin building and testing hardware.

‘Final’ Unleaded Avgas Transition Plan Released

The so-called “Version 1.0” of the 72-page FAA transition plan was released, updating a draft plan released earlier this year. The FAA says it’s keeping the 2030 target date for replacing 100LL with unleaded fuel.

Unleaded fuel takes center stage at AirVenture

The FAA took some of the comments received to heart, including communication and transparency. AOPA reports, “the FAA plans to release new versions of the transition plan after each phase. The agency also plans to publish two additional documents soon: an FAQ on unleaded fuel and a summary of the input received during the public comment period in early 2026.”

Four transition phases make up the plan:

Authorizing fuels and doing comparison testing.

Focus on unleaded fuels gaining market experience for the benefit of fuel producers, aircraft owners, fuel retailers, and others.

Wide-scale transition, first in the Lower 48 by 2030.

Followed by Alaska two years later.

Mentioned

Air Traffic Control: 45 Years After the PATCO Strike

Video: Spurwink Farm International Fly-In 2026

https://youtu.be/H6uUaq1R7Kk?si=ln-5YizGViSbEznH

Two Australian helicopters in deadly midair collision fighting fires in Greece

Hiller Aviation Museum

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, Rob Mark, David Vanderhoof, our Main(e) Man Micah, and Brian Coleman.

Volunteer pilot groups delivering service through aviation, and the origins of ANR headsets.

Guests

Hillel Glazer represented Airplane Geeks at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 and recorded conversations with a number of people. In this episode, we have two of his interviews.

Mark Hanson, President of the Air Care Alliance,

Mark Hanson is the President of the Air Care Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public service organization that represents a nationwide network of volunteer pilot groups that deliver service through aviation.

Mark became a pilot in 2009 and is a nationally recognized advocate for general aviation’s role in all types of public benefit flying. He has served on the Air Care Alliance Board of Directors since 2020, most recently as President. He is a seasoned FAA Safety Team Lead Safety Representative who runs a national monthly FAA Safety webinar series, an accomplished aviator, and a longtime advocate for charitable aviation. He has flown more than 500 volunteer missions supporting children, veterans, patients, and wildlife for organizations such as Angel Flight, Veterans Airlift Command,  Sky Hope, Turtles Fly Too, STEM Flights, and others.

Dan Gauger, a Distinguished Engineer (retired) at Bose Corporation, worked on the headsets for the Burt Rutan-designed high-altitude composite ultralightweight aircraft Voyager. In 1986, Bose engineers approached the Voyager team with two ANR headset prototypes just before their record-breaking flight around the world. The pilots were risking the loss of 20% of their hearing. They agreed to try the prototypes. Three years later, the first ANR aviation headset was available to all pilots.

Working on the ANR headset at the bench.

The ANR headset.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight and Hillel Glazer.

New Sikorsky Marine One helicopters damage the White House lawn, the airports renamed for U.S. presidents, airline consolidation, DCA crash safety recommendations, controversy over ADS-B In regulations, Air France and Airbus manslaughter verdict, passengers sue Delta over turbulence injuries, a Ryanair window ruptures, and a seaplane makes a hard landing in New York’s East River. Also, interviews from the Spurwink Farm fly-in.

Aviation News

Lockheed Martin Is Covering the Cost of Trump’s White House Helipad

President Trump said that Sikorsky, part of Lockheed Martin, would cover the cost of building a new helipad at the White House. Lockheed Martin confirmed the report. Sikorsky helicopters have been used to transport the president since the 1970s. 

The new VH-92A Patriot helicopter has propulsion exhaust vents located toward the rear of the airframe and pointed downward, unlike the VH-3D’s configuration. Also, with much more powerful engines, the VH-92A generates significantly more downwash than the VH-3D. The hot exhaust gets combined with the intense rotor downwash at touchdown, and the combined heat-and-airflow effect scorches the turf and can physically rip sod loose.

Airline consolidation now rules the skies. Has it been good for passengers?

Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and US Airways are gone. Spirit Airlines is gone as well. Now, the Big Four U.S. airlines control roughly three-quarters of the U.S. market. Has this been good for the flying public? It depends on who you ask.

Former governor Chris Sununu, now the head of Airlines for America, said at a Capitol Hill hearing, “We have more competition per route than ever before. When I go to buy a ticket, I have four, five, or six carriers going from Wichita to Dallas. So now they’re all competing on that exact same route.”

There are six airlines serving Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, but there’s only one that flies nonstop to Dallas. Past guest Ganesh Sitaraman, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School and the author of the book Why Flying Is Miserable and How to Fix It said, “From the airlines’ perspective, it makes sense. Bigger is better, and it’ll be more efficient for them, even if there’s a lot of drawbacks for communities and passengers.”

A Florida airport is officially renamed for Trump. What does he stand to gain?

FAA Details First Official Response to DC Crash Safety Recommendations

After the January 2025 midair collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people, the NTSB issued nearly three dozen recommendations. As is always the case, the FAA is not obligated to implement the NTSB’s recommendations. Earlier this year, the FAA said it had fully addressed seven of the recommendations and that it would evaluate the others, with further updates to come by May 31, 2027.

The Air Current reported that the FAA indicated it is evaluating whether the number of arrivals permitted per hour at DCA is appropriate. This is a key metric that the NTSB said contributed to the airport’s congestion at the time of the crash. Also, any adjustments will be determined after an official analysis in 2027.

This $50,000 Safety Fix Is Dividing the Aviation Industry and Washington

This could be characterized as a conference-committee fight over how strong an ADS-B In mandate should be, not whether there will be one. ALPA and NTSB are on one side (ROTOR Act), and industry groups like A4A/AOPA/NBAA on the other (ALERT) side. 

Senate: ROTOR Act (Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act)

Would require all aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B In and repeal certain military exemptions from the technology requirements.

Passed the Senate by unanimous consent in December, with strong support, including from ALPA.

The House rejected it on February 24, 2026, falling one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed after the Defense Department raised national security concerns

House: ALERT Act (Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act)

House lawmakers revised the bill to explicitly include an ADS-B In mandate after the earlier version was criticized for failing to clearly require it.

The updated version requires that aircraft carry both ADS-B In and ACAS X (Airborne Collision Avoidance System X), integrated so ADS-B In data feeds the alerting function.

Opposition: ALPA doesn’t endorse it, arguing that ACAS Xa (the large-commercial-aircraft variant) isn’t yet commercialized, that no integration standards exist, and that the system suppresses alerts below 1,000 feet when situational awareness matters most.

The NTSB also declined to support it, saying it falls short of requiring ADS-B In for all aircraft operating in airspace where ADS-B Out is already required, even though it allows compliance via portable receivers with line-of-sight limitations.

Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter over 2009 plane crash

A Paris Appeals Court found Air France and Airbus “solely and entirely responsible” for the 2009 AF447 accident, which killed 228 people when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The companies were cleared in April 2023 but were found guilty after an eight-week trial. Both Air France and Airbus have denied the charges and say they will appeal. In 2012, French investigators found a combination of technical failure involving ice in the pitot tubes and pilot confusion over faulty air-speed readings. Pilot training has since been modified, and pitot tube sensors have been replaced.

20 Sue Delta Over 2.5 Minutes of Terror on Flight Out of Utah

A lawsuit has been filed against Delta Air Lines on behalf of 20 passengers of Delta Flight 56, claiming that pilots “recklessly flew” too close to thunderstorms, where severe turbulence caused multiple injuries. The turbulence lasted 2 1/2 minutes over Wyoming, and the flight was diverted to Minnesota. Twenty-five people were transported to local hospitals.

The NTSB said the pilots were caught by surprise. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that the National Weather Service issued an advisory warning that turbulent conditions were present in the mountains east of Salt Lake City and that thunderstorms were present along portions of the flight path.

Apparent engine fan blade failure preceded rupture of Ryanair 737 window

The Air Current reports that the rupture of a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 window resulted from a fan blade failure on the right CFM56-7B engine. Fan blade failures are serious but rare. Aircraft engines are designed to contain fan blade failures and are tested during the certification process. 

The FAA issued airworthiness directives to mitigate the risk of fan blade failure through inspections and an engine inlet redesign to ensure containment. The FAA set a July 31, 2028, deadline for compliance.

Small plane makes hard landing into New York’s East River, officials say

A Kodiak 100 seaplane with eight people on board made a hard landing in the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan. There was “substantial damage” to the plane, but there were no injuries. The plane bounced three times, and the pilot subsequently told the passengers that a pontoon had broken.

A pattern of progressive porpoise leading to structural failure appears in NTSB seaplane accident reports across various types, including Cessna 206 and 208 Caravan floatplanes, de Havilland Beavers, and Twin Otters on floats.

A few East River/urban seaplane-specific factors that might be in play:

Wake and chop from harbor traffic (ferries, tour boats) create a much less predictable water surface than open lake/bay operations.

Confined approach corridors near Skyport limit go-around and abort options if the pilot senses a bad touchdown developing.

The area has had at least one other recent seaplane mishap (a two-seater damaged by a wave three weeks prior), suggesting water-surface conditions have been a recurring operational challenge this season.

The NTSB and FAA will be looking at whether this was primarily a pilot technique issue (porpoise recovery), an environmental factor (wake/wave state at touchdown), or a mechanical issue in the float attachment itself.

Spurwink Farm International Fly-In

From the fly-in, Micah brings us interviews with Spurwink Farm Manager Christina Mitchell, listener Tad Yergey, and Cessna 185 Floatplane Pilot John Hartz.

John Hartz, one and a half of his children, and his Cessna 185.
Micah at the Spurwink Farm Fly-In,
Mentioned

Ever wonder if pilots become frightened during an emergency? In the Stories About Flying podcast, Rob looks at the topic through the lens of a near catastrophe: “Aircraft Emergencies and the Saga of Speedbird 009.”

NightSide with Dan Rea, WBZ NewsRadion, Not Just A Plane Topic.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, David Vanderhoof, and Erin Applebaum.