Khaberni - A Jet Blue flight heading from Cancun in Mexico to Newark in New Jersey experienced a sudden incident after the Airbus A320 model plane descended 100 feet within just seven seconds, resulting in injuries to 20 passengers, some of whom were in critical condition and needed to be transported to the hospital immediately after the emergency landing in Tampa, Florida.
Experts in space and radiation suggested that the likely cause of the sudden descent was exposure to high-energy particles emitted by exploding stars in distant galaxies, known as cosmic rays.
Reports clarified that the passengers suffered varying injuries, including wounds and head bleeding due to severe air turbulence.
The pilot quickly regained control of the aircraft and directed it for an emergency landing in Tampa, where 15 injured passengers were immediately treated.
In statements carried by "The Sun" newspaper, Clive Dyer, an expert in space science and radiation from Surrey University, said that high-energy particles, traveling millions of light years across the universe from the explosion of a massive star in another galaxy, struck the computer onboard the aircraft, causing a sudden malfunction in the control system.
He added that the effects of these particles could range from minor changes in data to failures in critical equipment, including electronic flight control devices.
Airbus mentioned in an official statement dated November 28 that intense solar radiation could cause disruptions in control systems.
The company added that it had identified a potential weakness affecting a number of A320 aircraft, prompting it to suspend the operation of 6,000 airplanes of this model to address the issue. However, Dyer clarified that the levels of solar radiation mentioned were not strong enough to cause such a sudden descent, emphasizing the need for robust electronics design to withstand harsh conditions, especially in devices related to passenger safety.
The expert affirmed that cosmic rays "can interact with modern electronics and change the state of the electrical circuit," adding that they "cause a minor shift in data from zero to one or vice versa, confusing the information and leading to misoperations," and warned of their ability to cause failures in electronic devices by generating an electric current that burns the components.
Clive Dyer pointed out that the ability to resist cosmic radiation has become a fundamental requirement to avoid similar malfunctions, confirming that the incident highlights the need to rethink the design of modern aircraft systems to face the challenges that come from space.
