Use ASRS to Report UAP and UFO Encounters - Episode 234

08/14/24 • 52 min

NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) can be used by pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and others in the aviation safety community to report UAP or UFO encounters without revealing their identity or the identity of their employers.

Todd Curtis discussed this in a June 2024 presentation at the Contact in the Desert Conference in Palm Springs, California. In this episode, he and John Goglia dig deeper into the issue of reporting of these encounters in the aviation community. While neither of them has seen an incident report that mentioned a UFO or UAP, that it does not mean that they have never happened.

Based on his experience in both industry and academia, Curtis believes that if he had come across this kind of information, he would not have included that fact in any report because it would not have been well received by his colleagues.
UAP and UFOs are legitimate risk concerns, but civilian organizations like the FAA have not formally started to collect this kind of data. Todd and John share the factors that they think are barriers to such data collection.

NASA's ASRS database already has at least 13 UAP events, each involving an unidentified phenomenon, an aerospace vehicle with unconventional capabilities, or a conventional aerospace vehicle in an unconventional location or situation. Todd and John discuss the most unusual report, involving an aerospace vehicle that was too small to carry a pilot and that exhibited extraordinary speed and maneuverability.
Anyone with an aviation-related UAP encounter should submit a report to the ASRS to help the aviation community better understand UAP risks.

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Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

Previous Episode

NTSB Party System Scrutinized - Episode 233

Issues from the NTSB investigation of a 2023 railroad accident are used to discuss the voluntary party system. The system is designed to encourage cooperative efforts in an investigation, which does not always work.
In the party system, an organization or an individual with relevant expertise or information is invited to participate directly in an NTSB investigation. These parties are required to follow basic rules. They are expected to provide the NTSB information or expertise that helps the investigation and limit discussing details with the media and others not involved in the investigation.
In the NTSB investigation of a 2023 rail accident involving a Norfolk Southern train in Ohio, Norfolk Southern was a designated party. Late in the investigation, Norfolk Southern submitted information that the NTSB rejected because of how and when it was submitted.
Based on statements in the final report and in the public docket, Norfolk Southern did not operate properly as a party to the investigation. They conducted an independent investigation and held information that should have been given to the NTSB.
Should inappropriately late submissions be included in an NTSB investigation? The NTSB did not state if this late submission had critical information. Greg Feith and John Goglia favor analyzing all information to determine whether it helps the investigation.

Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.

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Next Episode

Brazilian Aviation Woes: VoePass Deadly Crash & ATC Comms Issues - Episode 235

What led to the deadly crash of a Voepass Linhas Aereas in August? Video of the flight's final moments show the aircraft rapidly descending in a flat spin. Early reports on the accident mention that icing conditions were present in the area at the time of the crash.

Recovering from a spin in a large airliner is a significant challenge for pilots. Understanding how to avoid situations that lead to stalls and spins is the best way to avoid these tragedies.

Flight training typically does not require pilots to experience actual spins. Even full-motion simulators do not provide the full range of physical experience on an actual airplane. Pilots need to understand their aircraft's stall and spin characteristics and the situations that make an aircraft's wings more prone to stalling.
John Goglia shares his experience as an NTSB Board member investigating a 1994 icing-related crash of an ATR72. That investigation included an FAA test involving another ATR72 in controlled icing conditions, which revealed that certain icing conditions could result in icing that the ATR72's deicing system could not control.

Todd Curtis and John also delve into an incident at Boston Logan Airport where the pilot of a Brazil-registered Embraer Phenom 300E who had difficulties communicating with an air traffic controller. The pilot could not follow several ATC requests, resulting in altitude and speed deviations during a landing approach.

English is the language used by ATC at international airports, but pilots from countries where English is not the language used to communicate can have difficulties. The English used for air traffic control is not the same English used in normal conversations. Even native English speakers have challenges when communicating with ATC, particularly those performing a single-pilot IFR flight.

Related documents are available at the Fight Safety Detectives website.

Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8