Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

An FAA <a href="https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/SAFO26002.pdf">Safety Alert</a> for Operators (SAFO) recommends that outfits flying aircraft equipped with cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) help prevent loss of valuable safety data by preserving recordings as soon as possible after a reportable event.
The FAA cited the Jan. 5, 2024 in-flight loss of a cabin emergency door plug by an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max as the accident that precipitated the SAFO. Other incidents have occurred, such as runway incursions at airports where aircraft continued flying, overwriting CVR data.
A recent FAA final rule mandates 25-hour CVRs in new-production aircraft operated under Part 121 and other aircraft weighing 59,525 pounds or more operated under Parts 91, 125, or 135, so this problem shouldn’t be an issue on these aircraft.
The SAFO is a response to an NTSB recommendation following the Alaska Airlines accident. “The NTSB concluded that Alaska Airlines’ procedures at the time of the accident were ineffective in ensuring that the CVR data from the accident flight were preserved, resulting in the loss of critical information for the investigation,” according to the SAFO.
As a result, the FAA recommends that operators of CVR-equipped aircraft “confirm that company manuals contain instructions that the CVR circuit breaker be pulled after a reportable event.”

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

FAA Safety Alert Recommends Aircraft Operators Save CVR Recordings

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The SAFO is a response to an NTSB recommendation following the Alaska Airlines cabin door failure accident.

FAA SAFO Recommends Operators Save CVR Recordings

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