Flight Safety Information - December 10, 2025 No. 245 In This Issue : Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Chicago on Dec 8th 2025, stab trim runaway, roll control difficult : Global pilots warn India's rest rule exemption for IndiGo raises safety concerns : Aviation safety through collaboration: Inside Destination 10X : Incident: MEA A320 at Beirut on Dec 7th 2025, bird strike : DGCA Takes Action on 19 Airline Safety Violations in 2025 : Reports Indicate Safety Troubles in Russian Commercial Aviation : Vision System Helps Airport Emergency Responders : South Korea prioritizes aviation safety, to build AI accident prevention system : The Safest Seat on an Airplane, Based on Crash Statistics : Calendar of Event Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Chicago on Dec 8th 2025, stab trim runaway, roll control difficult By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Dec 9th 2025 19:02Z, last updated Tuesday, Dec 9th 2025 19:02Z A Skywest Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of United, registration N963SW performing flight UA-5344 from Chicago O'Hare,IL to Saginaw,MI (USA) with 48 people on board, was in the initial climb out of runway 28R when the crew declared Mayday upon contacting departure reporting they had a stab trim runaway. The crew requested to be kept close to the aerodrome and not over the lake, north of the airfield. The crew subsequently advised they were able to maintain 5000 feet, however, their roll control was also a bit difficult, they needed emergency services at the runway. The crew requested runway 22L for landing back and safely landed on that runway about 13 minutes after departure. A replacement CRJ-200 registration N679SA reached Saginaw with a delay of about 6.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Chicago about 25 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL5344/history/20251208/1715Z/KORD/KMBS Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Chicago on Dec 8th 2025, stab trim runaway, roll control difficult Global pilots warn India's rest rule exemption for IndiGo raises safety concerns By Allison Lampert December 8, 202511:03 PM CST SummaryCompanies • India grants IndiGo exemption from pilot night-duty rulesIFALPA president warns exemption not based on scientific evidencePilots push for global common standard to combat fatigueCanadian pilots say regulator has proposed exemptions to duty rules Dec 9 (Reuters) - India's decision to ease stricter rules on pilot rest following a wave of flight cancellations by the country's largest carrier should be reversed due to the adverse effect of fatigue on safety, the head of global pilot union group IFALPA said. IndiGo (INGL.NS), opens new tab, which controls about 65% of India's domestic aviation market, has said it failed to plan adequately for a November 1 deadline to implement stricter rules on night flying and weekly rest for pilots. The poor planning resulted in at least 2,000 flight cancellations this month, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded, upending vacation plans and weddings, and sparking growing fury about lost luggage. India's aviation regulator on Friday granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from new pilot night-duty rules and withdrew a rule that stopped airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest. Captain Ron Hay, president of the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), said India's decision to grant the exemption to the rest rules was concerning because it was not based on scientific evidence. Advertisement · Scroll to continue "We are informed that the change is due to staffing issues," he told Reuters on Monday. "This is troubling as fatigue clearly affects safety." Hay warned the government's decision could also exacerbate staffing issues given that working conditions account for one of the reasons pilots depart airlines based in the country. India's civil aviation ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours. MORE SPECIFIC GLOBAL PILOT FATIGUE STANDARD SOUGHT Hay's comments come as IFALPA is pushing for a more specific global standard that would combat pilot fatigue evenly across regions, as aviators in other countries also press back against exemptions. Under the U.N. aviation agency's global standard, each country can set its own duty-time limits using scientific knowledge and operational experience. The result is there are still regional differences, with some of the most robust systems to promote pilot rest found in Europe and the United States, Hay said. Advertisement · Scroll to continue In Canada, the Air Line Pilots Association said the country's regulator has proposed exemptions to science-based duty-time regulations. For example, one proposed exemption from Transport Canada would allow pilots to work up to 23 days in a row rather than having a day off per week, ALPA Canada President Captain Tim Perry said in an interview. "If adopted we would have more pilots fatigued, more often, and with worse fatigue symptoms, all to the detriment of air safety," he said. Global pilots warn India's rest rule exemption for IndiGo raises safety concerns Aviation safety through collaboration: Inside Destination 10X Airbus's commitment to flight safety extends beyond aircraft production. We foster a strong safety culture through comprehensive training and information sharing with the global community that operates our aircraft. Airbus actively informs stakeholders and the public about flight safety initiatives, and the Destination 10X project is a central part of this commitment. Destination 10X is a platform dedicated to enhancing safety across the aviation industry. It does so by facilitating experience sharing and joint initiatives, fostering stronger collaboration between Airbus and its aircraft operators, and among operators themselves. This collaborative approach promotes the development of pragmatic solutions for critical safety issues. Its name comes from its objective to further reduce the current accident rate by at least a factor of 10 and even more in the future. This is our shared safety destination. The platform organises regular regional meetings and workshops, bringing aviation safety professionals together to discuss best practices. Since 2023, eight such meetings have been held across the world. Looking ahead, an online event will gather European stakeholders in November 2025, followed by an in-person meeting for the South East Asia region in Kuala Lumpur in December 2025. These meetings lead to the production of safety promotion materials – such as comics and posters –, which are then disseminated to a broader audience through the d10x.airbus.com website. How collaborative workshops drive safety best practices At Destination 10X workshops, participants are split into small groups, focusing on a dedicated topic. A Middle East event in 2024 directly addressed several primary safety threats. One of the groups worked on runway incursion, assessing the associated risks, brainstorming effective mitigations and designing a storyboard for a short and comprehensive serious comics to raise awareness on this topic.Captain Anders Hedblom, Qatar Airways Airbus Fleet Safety Manager and attending this session, praised the two-day event for its innovative approach: "Everyone is brought into the discussion, promoting ideas and learning from others”, he said. Tackling flight safety challenges: Interference on the global navigation satellite systems At the same event, another safety threat discussed was the interference on the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Captain Hedblom remarked: "This is a highly relevant topic as all the Middle East carriers face this problem on a daily basis due to the proximity to multiple conflict zones. Mitigation strategies were discussed and Airbus presented future enhancements in MMR (Multi-Mode Receiver, the equipment that receives different signals including the GNSS signal) updates." Captain Hedblom also highlighted the high-level connection and cooperation. He shared his airline's experience of using the Flight management system Landing System (FLS), in non-precision approaches, especially in environments subject to GNSS interference. "Representing a large airline with global operations gave me a great opportunity to share our experiences," he said. He eagerly anticipates future D10X workshops, recognising them as invaluable for sharing safety information and expertise within the aviation community. Aviation safety through collaboration: Inside Destination 10X Incident: MEA A320 at Beirut on Dec 7th 2025, bird strike By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Dec 9th 2025 17:38Z, last updated Tuesday, Dec 9th 2025 17:38Z A MEA Airbus A320-200, registration OD-MRS performing flight ME-326 from Beirut (Lebanon) to Najaf (Iraq), was climbing out of Beirut's runway 21 when a bird impacted the aircraft. The aircraft continued the climb, but levelled off at about FL250 due to the failure of their weather radar. The crew inquired with ATC and other aircraft about weather conditions around and subsequently decided to return to Beirut. The aircraft landed safely back on Beirut's runway 16 with a damaged radome about 45 minutes after departure. The aircraft was able to depart again after about 2 hours on the ground and reached Najaf with a delay of about 2.5 hours. Incident: MEA A320 at Beirut on Dec 7th 2025, bird strike DGCA Takes Action on 19 Airline Safety Violations in 2025 By Team TWA - December 8, 2025 India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has taken action against 19 safety-related violations by airlines so far in 2025, Parliament was informed on Monday. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol presented data on airline non-compliance, enforcement actions, safety budgets and staffing levels across key aviation institutions. The information was furnished in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha. The minister said the DGCA has significantly stepped up regulatory enforcement over the past five years. Data shared with Parliament showed a steady rise in actions taken against scheduled airlines, from two cases in 2021 to seven in 2022, ten in 2023 and 22 in 2024. In the current year, enforcement action has already been taken in 19 cases. According to the minister, regulatory measures imposed by the DGCA include financial penalties, suspension of approvals or authorisations, and issuance of official warnings, depending on the nature and severity of violations. The violations recorded span a wide range of operational and safety lapses. These include non-compliance with mandatory breath analyser tests for flight crew, shortcomings in flight data monitoring systems and instances of unauthorised access to aircraft cockpits. Other violations involved inadequate quality assurance audits, misuse of flight simulators without DGCA approval, deployment of crew members without completing mandatory training and breaches of prescribed Flight Duty Time Limitations. The regulator also flagged multiple maintenance-related deficiencies. These included failure to adhere to approved maintenance procedures, shortcomings identified during spot checks and cases where aircraft were operated with expired or unserviceable emergency equipment. The minister informed Parliament that the government has been allocating funds to strengthen the DGCA’s safety and regulatory oversight capabilities. Details of the annual budget allocation for the regulator were provided in an annexure accompanying the reply. Mohol also outlined the staffing position across four major aviation bodies, the DGCA, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Air Traffic Controllers cadre. He said information on sanctioned posts and existing vacancies in each organisation had been shared with Parliament. The disclosure of vacancy figures was aimed at highlighting manpower gaps that could impact safety oversight and regulatory effectiveness in the aviation sector. The government, the minister said, continues to monitor staffing and compliance issues to ensure adherence to safety standards across the industry. DGCA Takes Action on 19 Airline Safety Violations in 2025 Reports Indicate Safety Troubles in Russian Commercial Aviation Every time a subject comes up concerning commercial aviation safety, it is customary to say that travelling by plane is safe. It is very safe. Accidents are few and far between. However, the situation in Russia is rapidly changing and not to the positive side. Like most other countries, Russia mostly operates Airbus and Boeing planes in its commercial fleet. Image credit: Mchs.gov.ru via Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0) Russia hardly produces any civilian aircraft itself. Yes, they do have a working aviation industry and bizarrely large ambitions, but like other countries, they fly mostly Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Due to sanctions, Russian airlines have not received parts for their Western-made aircraft for a long time. Of course, as everyone knows at this point, these sanctions were implemented for a very good reason – Russia has launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. And now they do not get parts for their planes. More precisely, they do get some parts, but very little. Russians buy aircraft components through unofficial channels or get them by dismantling older planes. The situation is far from ideal, and it might already be impacting aviation safety in Russia. Novaya Gazeta Europa reports that due to sanctions and the lack of local production of spare parts, the number of aviation incidents in Russia has increased fourfold over the past year. More than 800 technical failures were recorded per year, which led to the cancellation of flights or aborted flights. In 2024, Russia experienced just over 200 such incidents. The difference in breakdowns recorded in 2024 and 2025 is staggering and definitely underlines the deterioration of the safety situation in Russian commercial aviation. This year, Russian commercial aviation has suffered two minor accidents and two plane crashes, in which a total of 53 people died. This may not seem like a large number, but if solutions are not found, the situation will definitely not improve. Over the next five years, Russia may lose 339 airplanes, but only 109 of them are foreign-made aircraft. They will simply become obsolete because they are no longer provided with quality maintenance services. In addition, Russia plans to decommission 200 helicopters – 190 domestic and 10 foreign-made. This is relevant because if sanctions continue, Russia will not be able to buy new flying assets from the Western countries. As negotiations are going now, there is no way to predict sanctions easing up anytime soon. One avenue for parts Russia could exploit is Belarus. The United States has officially lifted sanctions on Belarusian airlines Belavia as of September 11, 2025, following Belarus’s release of 52 political prisoners. Maybe Russia will find some ways to acquire some parts through this company, but it is unlikely to be enough, and the aviation safety situation may continue to deteriorate. Reports Indicate Safety Troubles in Russian Commercial Aviation Vision System Helps Airport Emergency Responders Fusion Vision System uses augmented reality thermal imaging Longan Vision has used augmented reality technology to improve visibility for firecrews and first responders. By Jennifer Meszaros • Contributor - Asia December 9, 2025 A Canadian company has introduced technology that it says will improve visibility for firefighters to deal with dangerous incidents where visibility can be near-zero. At the recent Aero Asia show in China, Longan Vision demonstrated its Fusion Vision System (FVS), which provides a hands-free augmented reality (AR) thermal solution for critical airport rescue operations, including aircraft cabin and cargo fires, runway fuel spills, and post-crash search and rescue. “The FVS is purpose-built for extreme rescue environments, unlike consumer AR or standalone thermal cameras,” Longan Vision CEO Enzo Jia told AIN. “It combines certified thermal imaging, ruggedized hardware, and real-time command connectivity into one hands-free wearable system.” The system overlays real-time thermal imaging with AR visuals, allowing emergency responders to view heat signatures through smoke, identify aircraft structures, locate victims, and receive live instructions—all without taking their eyes off the incident they are dealing with. According to the Ontario-based company, the combination of AR and thermal data helps teams maintain situational awareness, make faster decisions, and enables quicker victim location, safer navigation, and more coordinated team movements. Jia added that FVS streams live video, location, and unit status to command centers, giving incident commanders immediate visibility of frontline conditions to support faster tactical decisions, efficient resource deployment, and personnel tracking. “Hands-free AR thermal vision enhances safety and efficiency in low-visibility or high-risk emergencies by eliminating the need to carry handheld devices,” he explained. “Firefighters maintain full mobility while receiving continuous visual intelligence, reducing disorientation, search time, and exposure to hazards.” The system is already deployed or undergoing testing with airport and municipal fire departments in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Osaka, multiple Korean cities, New York City, and Vaughan in Canada. Longan Vision said it has also been adopted by several European emergency response agencies. Planned upgrades include AI-assisted human and hazard detection, improved positioning, expanded command software, and lighter, aviation-specific configurations. Vision System Helps Airport Emergency Responders South Korea prioritizes aviation safety, to build AI accident prevention system MOLIT to strengthen runway risk inspections and introduce AI monitoring while addressing airline market concentration By Kim Min-jeong Published 2025.12.10. 11:00 A view of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the Government Sejong Complex. /Courtesy of News1 The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 10th it will make aviation safety its top priority for the next five years. It is the first national plan prepared after the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster at Muan Airport on Dec. 29 last year. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) finalized the Fourth Basic Aviation Policy Plan after a review by the Aviation Policy Committee. The plan is the top-level roadmap that sets the broad direction of the aviation sector, from airport operations and safety management to flight allocation. The core is a full overhaul to strengthen aviation safety. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will reinforce bird strike prevention equipment at airports and create a system for constant inspection of risk factors around runways. It plans to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system that analyzes aviation safety data in real time to detect early signs of accidents. It will also revise qualification management standards for aviation workers, including pilots, to meet international levels. The air traffic operation system will also change to prepare for increasing traffic and the opening of new airports. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will re-segment national airspace and secure additional Korean Augmentation Satellite System (KASS) satellites No. 3, 4, and 5 to improve navigation accuracy. It will also build a new system to integrate the management of aircraft arrival and departure times and weather data. The competitive environment for airlines will be reorganized. After the integration of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, the government will support the entry of alternative carriers and continuously monitor the market to reduce concerns about monopolies. For domestic airlines with weak financial structures, it will ensure that safety investment and consumer protection do not falter. Policies for regional airports will also change. In the process of building new airports, the government will increase participation by local companies and review plans to attract duty-free, logistics, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industries. Regional airports will increase charter and domestic flights to improve accessibility and will be converted into airports with multiple functions, including urban air mobility (UAM), maintenance, and training. User protection measures will also be strengthened. The standards for managing flight delays will be revised, and mobility for people with transportation challenges will be improved. The support system for aviation accident victims will be overhauled around manuals. To reduce carbon emissions, the government will also push a roadmap to mandate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The plan also includes fostering new industries such as drones and urban air mobility (UAM). The government will localize core drone technologies and expand their use in industries such as delivery and leisure. For UAM, it will establish operating standards and a safety system with the goal of commercialization in 2028. Minister Kim Yun-duk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said, "If aviation safety is shaken, the entire industry shrinks," and added, "We will prioritize advancing safety management." South Korea prioritizes aviation safety, to build AI accident prevention system The Safest Seat on an Airplane, Based on Crash Statistics Anna Lena Kuhn Destinations December 9, 2025 Most of us never think twice about where we sit on a plane. We’re focused on legroom, proximity to the bathroom, or whether we can snag a window seat for those Instagram-worthy cloud shots. Yet there’s a question that occasionally crosses our minds during turbulence or when boarding a particularly old aircraft: Does my seat actually matter if something goes terribly wrong? The answer might surprise you, because decades of crash data reveal patterns that challenge what many of us assume about airplane safety. Researchers have combed through flight accident records spanning multiple decades, analyzing survivor rates seat by seat. What they’ve found isn’t just academic curiosity. These statistics offer real insights into how forces distribute during impacts, where structural integrity holds strongest, and which positions give passengers the best odds when disaster strikes. While flying remains extraordinarily safe compared to any other form of transportation, understanding these patterns can inform your choices next time you book a flight. Let’s dive into what the data actually tells us. Rear Seats Consistently Show Lower Fatality Rates Rear Seats Consistently Show Lower Fatality Rates (Image Credits: Pixabay) In 2015, Time magazine studied 35 years of aircraft accidents from the FAA’s Aircraft Accident Database. They examined accidents with fatalities and survivors and analyzed 17 of the seating charts between 1985 and 2000. The study found the seats in the back third of the aircraft had a 32% fatality rate, compared with 39% in the middle third and 38% in the front third. These numbers aren’t just random statistics. They come from real crashes involving real people. The data reveals something important, though it’s hard to think about. As per a report in Popular Mechanics, quoting reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the rear cabin offers the highest rate of survival. According to them, after analysing 20 air crashes in the US since 1971, those seated in the back had 69 per cent of survival, and the least was business/first class at 49 per cent. In 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer E190 was involved in an accident during its landing in Aktau, Kazakhstan. Most of the survivors were sitting at the back. All 29 survivors of the Azeri crash were seated at the back of the aircraft, which split into two, leaving the rear section relatively intact. This recent case echoes patterns researchers have documented for decades. The Middle Rear Seats Offer the Best Statistical Protection The Middle Rear Seats Offer the Best Statistical Protection (Image Credits: Wikimedia) Looking at row position, the middle seats in the rear of the aircraft had the best outcomes with a 28% fatality rate. The worst-faring seats were on the aisle in the middle third of the cabin, with a 44% fatality rate. Let’s be real, nobody wants that middle seat. It’s cramped, there’s no window view, and you’re stuck between two strangers. Yet here’s the thing. Those very seats you avoid during booking might give you an edge if the unthinkable happens. According to Time’s analysis of FAA air accident data from 1985 to 2000, people sitting in the center seats in the back of the plane had a 28% fatality rate, while the least safe were the aisle seats in the middle third of the cabin, with a 44% fatality rate. Center seats offer greater protection because passengers are protected by people seated on either side of them. The logic makes sense when you think about crash dynamics. The human body, in this grim equation, becomes a buffer. Proximity to Emergency Exits Can Save Your Life Proximity to Emergency Exits Can Save Your Life (Image Credits: Unsplash) Ed Galea’s research on 105 plane crashes and interviews with over 2,000 survivors revealed another key factor: proximity to an emergency exit. The closer you are to an exit, the better your chances of survival. Specifically, passengers seated within five rows of an exit are significantly more likely to escape unscathed. According to aviation expert Ed Galea, 80% of crashes happen within three minutes after takeoff or the final eight minutes before landing. The 90-second rule is critical here: this is the maximum time passengers have to evacuate after a crash. The speed of evacuation matters enormously when fire or smoke fills the cabin. Being six rows away from an exit instead of five might seem like a small difference during a normal flight. Sitting within five rows of an exit ramp up your chances of survival significantly. However, if you find yourself more than six rows away, the survival statistics take a nosedive. Seconds count when the fuselage is filling with toxic fumes. The Safest Seat on an Airplane, Based on Crash Statistics 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 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis