Feds unwittingly leak pilots' pre-crash conversation
The NTSB inadvertently released a spectrogram of cockpit audio from a UPS plane crash, allowing the recovery of the pilots' last words. This incident has raised concerns about privacy and the integrity of investigations, as the agency typically does not disclose such recordings. The NTSB is now taking steps to address the issue and remove reconstructed audio from public platforms.
- ▪The NTSB released a spectrogram related to a UPS plane crash that occurred in November 2025.
- ▪Technically skilled individuals were able to reconstruct audio from the spectrogram and share it online.
- ▪The NTSB has stated that federal law prohibits the public release of cockpit voice recordings due to their sensitive nature.
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