Public Briefing on NTSB Process

We like data and science, and actual information. One of our favourite shows is a Canadian one, Mayday. You can read about the history of the show on Wiki. You can watch them on YouTube.

For this reason, I watched the Public Briefing on NTSB Process 📹   regarding the air incident Wed., Jan. 29, 2025. Joe was out shopping, and I taped it, knowing he'd want to see it. His back is easing up, thankfully. No more loading the dishwasher for him, though! 😏 

As many of you heard, a helicopter and jet plane collided in the US. While some, i.e. the US president, jumped to conclusions, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held this impressive conference. They are absolutely professional, methodical, and follow strict protocols. This is comforting, since my family are frequent fliers. Once a situation occurs, the NTSB will investigate and this means the industry has to follow up with change. 

Jennifer Homendy, NTSB Chair, explained: 

• Charged with investigating civil aviation, and significant events.
• We're going to conduct a thorough investigation of this entire tragedy based on nothing but the facts.
• 50 people are working on scene, and many back in the nearby labs.
• Reagan airport has 390 flights a day, 100 helicopters a day, from the base.

flight tracked

Lead: Brice Banning, senior investigator, serving as Investigator In Charge. 

Todd Inman did the brief:

Investigative Process

The government was briefed: P and VP, House & Senate; acting admin Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Chris Rocheleau, Secr. of Defense Hegseth. 

They study the Human/Machine/Environment through the department divisions. These are their tasks, and procedures:

• Understand what and why happened, and recommend changes to prevent it in the future.
• Preliminary report in 30 days, final after all fact-finding and investigation. 
• Parties that have standing: PSA Airlines; GE Aerospace; Sikorsky; ; Union Reps: pilots, flight attendants, controllers; Transportation Safety Board of Canada (under Annex 13); Bombardier. 
• Only NTSB that will provide and share this information. 
• The fatalities list will be released by DC Medical Examiner's Office.

Groups coordinated by NTSB during this investigation:

• Operations, history of accident flight, crew duties
• Structures: documenting wreckage and scene, impact angles
• Power Plants: engines and accessories
• Systems: component, hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic
• Air Traffic Control: review of systems, flight track info: radar, controller/pilot communications
• Impacted groups: rescue efforts, EMS, firefighters, 
• Helicopter group
• Human Performance Group: part of operations, fatigue, work environment.

The Government in the last 11 days has:

➡️ January 20: FAA director fired ➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen ➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded ➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees ➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years

"The new president fired 400 FAA senior officials, the TSA head, and 3,000 air traffic controllers just 8 days ago. Policy choices have consequences."

The website has been taken down! 

This is what I learned yesterday.

Snow day!

It's the time of year here for hot meals, warm clothes and cocoon time. I love seeing my blog friends' posts about sun, flowers, and summertime. It heartens me to know spring is coming. Sometime!

I was proud of myself. I built a crock pot of chilli. A couple cans of beans, ground turkey, a yellow and red onion, minced garlic, yellow and orange peppers, a can of tomato paste, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of pineapple chunks, S & P, etc. I did taste test it. For that reason, I looked at the spice jar. The Best Before date? It was 2020. No wonder... Throwing in a bunch of red pepper flakes fixed that.We ate our fill and I just popped the bowl onto the garage landing. It was -6 overnight. Our winter refrigerator! 

This afternoon, I'll pop it back onto the heat. Some biscuits, and we are good. 

Speaking of food. We enjoy watching them from the kitchen window.

I'll leave this here. We all need a good giggle. 

Mad Libs

They are really fun, and teach grammar. I used to do these all the time with my students. They'd read a sentence aloud to a partner, then ask their partner to fill in a word, noun, adjective, etc.   

you can download printables here!

This is really funny. Time for adults to do them. This is our Premier, who called an early provincial election. It's not what we need now, but he is afraid of the federal election coming up. Most of us are really upset. He has ignored citizens and scientists regarding the environment, COVID practices, healthcare issues, and was useless during the Truck Convoy. His buddies are land developers. He sorta sounds like someone south of the border. It truly is discouraging as anyone with a conscience will tell you. 

posted on Bluesky

☃We've had our fair share of snow. Not as much rain as last year.

A snowy night!

The winds blew the trees clean!

I had some work to do. 

Back in business. 

It was good exercise to clean off the driveway and sidewalk. Exercise is good. So is fresh air!

I thought I had an appointment in town. Turns out I was a week off. But I'm not failing! Back home to mope. Everything seems so discouraging. 

Blowing snow!

 

Monday was garbage day!

I went into town on Monday. The wind was throwing around the garbage cans. Mine were rolling around. I threw the can behind the fence, the recycling bin (in the ditch) I'd pick up after I shopped.

I like online orders. Stores still give me the heebee-jeebies. 

Arriving in the designated parking spot, I grabbed my phone to let them know I was there. Then, I reopened up my wounded finger. I wrapped it in a tissue, while the employee and I loaded up my car. 

Thankfully there is a First Aid Kit in the car! 

Back home, I had to bring in the garbage can and recycling bins. It was cold.

The snow blows onto the roads, and it is suddenly slippery. When it went to -14 overnight, everything froze. Black ice on the road is dangerous. 

 A storm!

Power was out for a lot of homes, very spotty, which is more difficult for Hydro to repair. I checked it to see if we should get our flashlights out! 

We are south of Perth, and kept our power.

Not everyone was so lucky. As I sat in my chair, I saw four emergency vehicles zip by, lights flashing. I wished them well., out there in the dark.

Cinnamon was bored. Nutmeg had already gone to bed all by herself. She is a loner.

We had another 7.5 cm overnight. I have some work to do! See you on the other side.

A good season for reading!

We had 80km winds on Monday. There is lots of loose and drifting snow. I drove into town to pick up a grocery order, and there are garbage cans and recycling bins all over the place. My recycling bin was in the ditch. The garbage can on the road, and rolling. I threw it behind the fence while I carried on into town.

We had snow overnight, on top of the cold winds. I heard Ottawa is a bit of a mess in spots. It is still dark as I write this. I'll have to do the driveway!  After breakfast and coffee!

I found an old video from Muskoka, where we used to live. This is from 14 years ago. Lake Effect Snow!

These are days for reading indoors. I have three library books out. It is time to Take It Back! 😏 (Get it, A/C?!) Two new authors for me. Kia Abdulah is very interesting. A twist on what one expects in both books. It is an excellent introduction to Islamic religion and culture. I've taught many kids from diverse backgrounds. It helps to understand.

📚I haven't attacked the green one yet, it's a series, and !

🇺🇸 I had a thought. The US president thinks Canada is benefitting from US protection. They think we need to increase our defence budget. Thing is, we don't have many enemies, and if the US didn't provoke so many other nations, we wouldn't need protection! Just sayin'!

Seth Abramson is pointing out the really poor decision-making of the US Administration. Middle class taxpayer money, since oligarch brolicarchs don't pay much in taxes. Nor do they donate to good causes. 

🇨🇦 Same old critters at the feeders. Great excitement, we are having family visit on Family Day weekend! It'll be nice to have someone else to talk, to other than each other and the birds and cats! 

🛷 I did a Wetland walkies with Daisy back in March, 2017. This sled I hauled up to the back yard. It was interesting to research it!

 

I spotted an old archival photo, and that is the sled I found in our backyard wetland.

😺This is the link for Cat zoomies, in case you cannot see it. Let me know if you can't see it. A couple of people have said they can't see my embedded videos. It is posted below: 

I hung this Jan. 4th on the guest room door. The plan was to find a local, hand done one, but there aren't many festivals these days. This will do for now. 

Are you X or Y or a combination?

I like science. I believe in scientists. If you are a politician, and a lawmaker, you really need to do some homework. This holds for both sides of the border. 

 According to this article:

On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order aimed at redefining sex and targeting what the order referred to as "gender ideology." The order specifies that "female" is defined as "a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell," and "male" as "a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell."

Trans US Rep. Sarah McBride points out some facts in the article. 

Ignorance IS NOT an excuse for these US lawmakers. Sarah McBride carries the weight of all this, being refused the use of federal bathrooms. Thing is, we are all female at conception. It takes 6 weeks for embryos to differentiate between X and Y chromosomes. Some people have variations on XY combinations.

Biology is complex. There are several chromosome combinations they haven't heard of and refuse to learn about. 

Traditionally, Conservative Politicians have tried to avoid science, data, and facts. The Harper government is a case in point, when scientists were muzzled. I don't need my government to pull the wool over my eyes. If they are harming the environment, we should know this. 

There is a difference between gender and sex, i.e., sexual genitalia. What does it mean to have feminine or masculine traits? We all have this social construct in our minds. 

An excellent article

"Gender can’t be binary, because it is a personal identity and is socially constructed."

Lots of critters are unisex. Some Native Americans self-identify as Two-Spirited. Many cultures have names for this. 

I continue to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. This means I deal in the science and facts. It means I support my Queer and Trans grandies. I love them. 

reposted from George Takei

Passports in the US had an option, as Canadians do, to declare M, F, or X. Many countries do not recognize the 'X.' CBC posted an article: Unclear How Trump's gender order would impact Canadians. 

Helen Kennedy, executive director of advocacy organization Egale Canada, said it's a "scary" and "precarious" time for Canadians with gender-neutral passports — and the 2SLGBTQ+ community in general.

Julie Lalonde is an Ontario woman and leads training seminars, a survivor, Resistance is Futile: The life and death of Julie S. Lalonde (memoir).

I went shopping!

First, sad news. I went down to check the driveway entrance. We'd had snow, it does  pile up when the snowplow goes by. A pair of crows flew up. I looked around, and found a half-eaten cottontail. It's so sad. Drivers just fly along the road. R.I.P little bunny.

 A busy week, it was. I went into town to fetch deer food. Saturday we had 10 friends visiting! Not at the same time, once I went out. Several aren't our regulars, and took off. We've a healthy group of deer. All of them get a mouthful. Not a lot, but enough. I am watching for an antler this year, but I am not exactly hopeful. I haven't seen any bucks in weeks. They drop them January/February here, after rutting season, and testosterone drops with lack of food and the cold.

Friday, I had major errands. Kitty litter, cat food, potassium chloride for our hard water. These are errands Joseph usually does, but his back is not great. With his health issues he cannot lift them, but last week he didn't even feel up to driving. This is serious. We have great people who carry out the heavy things for us. It is an aging community! 

Home Hardware has two little sheds for shopping carts! It makes sense. 

This is the best, though. A sauna! I would love a sauna and a hot tub. It's not going to happen, although my brother, from whom I am estranged, said he'd buy us one! What a dreamer.

Not too many shoppers and/or weird drivers, hell bent for election. The trunk filled up.

 

I have a story! I was so proud of myself. I began to shovel the sidewalk, but found ice underneath. This isn't good. I put on my boots with cleats. They are wonderful. On sale, the last pair in the store and I scooped them up. 

Not being too happy with slipping, I figured I'd best put some salt down. It can be very dangerous for us old farts. The problem is, I haven't used this for the pool in a couple of years, it's too small for our teenaged grandies. The salt is hard. Using a hammer, I smacked it to break up the chunks. Well, most of them.

I had a chunk, flung it at the pavement hoping it would smash to smithereens. It did. But some bounced off the step, backwards into my hair. I forgot about it until bedtime. Reading in bed, my scalp was itchy. Sure enough, salt all over the pillow! I could have gotten up and washed my hair, but I resisted the urge. Manana...

Speaking of shovels, apparently you can't have too many! They were quite necessary in Bala, Muskoka, in Central Ontario.