How a programming mistake in an avionics software update combined with a stray neutron from outer space to take down the best-selling passenger jet in the world. And no, it wasn’t a solar flare!
Punching Upwards, Episode 13 for 7 December 2025
Topic: Aviation
Credits
Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Fadi Mansour and Evgeny Kuznetsov for subscribing to the podcast on Substack and supporting it financially! Additional thanks to Sir Galteran who continues to provide financial backing via Fountain.fm!
Sources
* Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2025-24-51, FAA, 28 November 2025
* Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2025-0268-E, EASA, 28 November 2025
* Accident: Jetblue A320 near Tampa on Oct 30th 2025, inflight upset causes injuries, The Aviation Herald, 31 October 2025
* Airbus rush to update A320 software after plane’s sudden altitude drop, France 24, 29 November 2025
* Should every computer chip have a cosmic ray detector? (archive.org copy), New Scientist, 7 March 2008
* Critical vulnerability in Airbus A320: downgrade or replace a Thales ELAC “before next flight” ✈️👊🌞🛬💥, Eye on Cyber, 29 November 2025
The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast — new media, new rules!
