# Pp Airframe > Aircraft forensics from open public records — tail-number dossiers, fleet research, model-level safety, and NTSB event archaeology. Trigger phrases: `look up tail number`, `who owns this plane N…`, `what aircraft does own`, `safety record of `, `accident history for`, `crash history for `, `find aircraft registered to`, `NTSB event ERA…`, `use airframe`, `run airframe`. Secondary (day-of only, requires flight-goat + within 72hr of departure): `is UA safe`, `what plane is `. - Skill: `mvanhorn-printing-press-libra/pp-airframe` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add mvanhorn-printing-press-libra/pp-airframe` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mvanhorn-printing-press-libra/pp-airframe/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - License: Apache-2.0 - Author: mvanhorn (https://skillmd.com/u/mvanhorn-printing-press-libra) - Updated: 2026-09-09 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mvanhorn-printing-press-libra/pp-airframe --- # airframe — Printing Press CLI ## Prerequisites: Install the CLI This skill drives the `airframe-pp-cli` binary. **You must verify the CLI is installed before invoking any command from this skill.** If it is missing, install it first: 1. Install via the Printing Press installer. It defaults binaries to `$HOME/.local/bin` on macOS/Linux and `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\PrintingPress\bin` on Windows: ```bash npx -y @mvanhorn/printing-press-library install airframe --cli-only ``` 2. Verify: `airframe-pp-cli --version` 3. Ensure the reported install directory is on `$PATH` for the agent/runtime that will invoke this skill. If the `npx` install fails (no Node, offline, etc.), fall back to a direct Go install (requires Go 1.26.6 or newer): ```bash go install github.com/mvanhorn/printing-press-library/library/developer-tools/airframe/cmd/airframe-pp-cli@latest ``` If `--version` reports "command not found" after install, the runtime cannot see the binary directory on `$PATH`. Do not proceed with skill commands until verification succeeds. ## The two-tier model (read this first, every invocation) | Tier | Dataset | Install requirement | Answers questions like | |------|---------|---------------------|------------------------| | **1** | FAA Aircraft Registry | **none** — just `airframe-pp-cli` | "Who owns N12345?" • "How old is this plane?" • "What aircraft does Berkshire Hathaway own?" • "What type is this Mode-S code?" | | **2** | NTSB CAROL accident database | **`mdbtools` package** | "How safe is a Cessna 172?" • "Crash history for the Boeing 737 MAX 8" • "Has tail N12345 ever been in an incident?" • "Probable cause of event ERA22LA001" | `airframe flight ` additionally requires `flight-goat-pp-cli` installed + `FLIGHT_GOAT_API_KEY_AUTH` set, **and only works within ~72 hours of departure** (airlines don't assign a specific tail to a flight before then). For pre-purchase or pre-booking "is my flight safe" questions, use a Tier 2 model-level lookup with the equipment type from the booking site. ## Step 0 — Always run doctor first Before answering any user question, run: ```bash airframe-pp-cli doctor --json ``` Parse the JSON to determine: - `db_exists` — has the user ever synced? - `sync_meta` — which sources (faa_master, ntsb_avall) are present and how fresh? - `mdbtools.detected` — can we serve Tier 2 questions? - `flight_goat.detected` — can we serve `flight ` questions? **Branch from here** based on what the user actually asked. ## Decision tree (use this to drive every user interaction) ### A) User asks a Tier 1 question and Tier 1 is missing *Example: "Who owns N628TS?" but `airframe-pp-cli doctor` shows db_exists=false or sync_meta is empty.* 1. Tell the user: "I need to download the FAA registry first (~80 MB, ~30 seconds, no setup needed)." 2. Offer to run `airframe-pp-cli sync` for them. 3. After sync completes, answer their original question. ### B) User asks a Tier 1 question and Tier 1 is ready Just answer it directly: ```bash airframe-pp-cli tail N628TS airframe-pp-cli owner "Berkshire" --limit 20 ``` ### C) User asks a Tier 2 question (safety / accident / NTSB) and **`mdbtools` is missing** *This is the most important branch — handle it with care.* Surface a clear explanation: > "To answer that, I need NTSB accident data, which requires the `mdbtools` package (NTSB ships their data in Microsoft Access format). It's a one-time install — would you like me to install it for you?" If the user says yes, detect their OS and run the right command: ```bash # Detect OS uname -s # → "Darwin" for macOS, "Linux" for Linux # Detect Linux distribution if Linux cat /etc/os-release 2>/dev/null | grep -E '^ID=' ``` Then propose **before running**: | OS detected | Command to run | |---|---| | macOS (`Darwin`) | `brew install mdbtools` | | Ubuntu / Debian (`ID=ubuntu`, `ID=debian`) | `sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y mdbtools` | | Fedora (`ID=fedora`) | `sudo dnf install -y mdbtools` | | RHEL / Rocky / Alma (`ID=rhel`/`ID=rocky`/`ID=almalinux`) | `sudo dnf install -y mdbtools` | | Arch (`ID=arch`) | `yay -S --noconfirm mdbtools` *(AUR — needs `yay` or `paru`; if neither is present, tell the user to install one first)* | **Important:** never run `sudo` commands without first showing the user what you plan to run and confirming. The `--noconfirm` for `yay` is OK because the user has already opted in once. After `mdbtools` installs, run: ```bash airframe-pp-cli sync --source all ``` Then answer the original question. ### D) User asks a Tier 2 question and `mdbtools` is present but NTSB hasn't been synced *`doctor` shows `mdbtools.detected=true`, but `sync_meta` has no `ntsb_avall` row.* Tell the user: "I have the NTSB ingest tool installed but haven't synced the data yet. Would you like me to run that now? It's ~90 MB and takes about a minute." If yes: ```bash airframe-pp-cli sync --source ntsb ``` ### E) User asks a flight-ident question — **first, check the 72-hour gate** *Examples: "Is UA1234 safe?", "What plane will I be on for AA200?", "Is my flight on DL5678 tomorrow OK?"* **Critical context:** Airlines don't assign a specific tail to a flight until ~48–72 hours before departure. If the user is more than 72 hours from their flight (or shopping a ticket they haven't booked yet), looking up the specific tail is **impossible** — there is no tail yet. Don't burn a flight-goat call on it. **Step 1 — establish when the flight is.** Ask the user (or infer from context): > "When is the flight? Tail assignments are made 48–72 hours before departure — if you're shopping or it's further out than that, I'll point you at the model-level safety lookup instead, which is more reliable for that horizon." **Step 2 — branch:** - **Flight is >72 hours away or hypothetical** → recommend the model-level fallback. Most airline booking sites tell you the equipment type (e.g. "Boeing 737 MAX 8" or "Airbus A321neo"). Run: ```bash airframe-pp-cli model "Boeing 737 MAX 8" ``` This answers the user's underlying question ("is the type of plane I'll be on safe?") and needs no flight-goat at all. (It still needs Tier 2 / mdbtools for safety data — fall through to branch C if missing.) - **Flight is ≤72 hours away OR the user is asking about a flight that already happened (post-incident research)** → proceed with flight-goat resolution. Continue to step 3. **Step 3 — flight-goat present? If not, install it.** If `flight_goat.detected=false`, tell the user: > "To resolve a specific flight ident (like UA1234) to a tail number, I need `flight-goat-pp-cli`. Would you like me to install it? It also requires a FlightAware AeroAPI key — that part you'll need to provide." If yes: ```bash go install github.com/mvanhorn/printing-press-library/library/travel/flight-goat/cmd/flight-goat-pp-cli@latest ``` **Step 4 — `FLIGHT_GOAT_API_KEY_AUTH` set? If not, explain the cost.** If the env var is unset, tell the user that flight-goat routes through FlightAware's AeroAPI (paid service) and they'll need to sign up at flightaware.com/aeroapi to get a key. Don't push past without explicit direction. **Step 5 — run the lookup.** ```bash airframe-pp-cli flight UA1234 ``` Note that the result may include **multiple recent tails** that have flown the same ident over the past 14 days — flight-goat returns the history, not just the next scheduled flight. For post-incident research, look at the date-aligned tail; for pre-departure curiosity, look at the most recent one. ## Commands | Command | Tier | What it does | |---|---|---| | `sync [flags]` | both | Download bulk data, replace local tables, VACUUM | | `tail ` | 1 (+2 enriches) | Aircraft dossier + accident history | | `owner ""` | 1 | Aircraft fleet by registered owner | | `model " [model]"` | 2 | Aggregate NTSB events by model | | `event ` | 2 | One NTSB event | | `flight ` | 1 + flight-goat | Resolve ident → tail → enrich | | `search ""` | 1+2 + `--with-fts` | FTS5 search | | `doctor` | — | Health check | All commands accept `--json`, `--select `, and `--db-path`. ## Trigger-phrase → tier mapping For fast classification of what the user is asking. **Most user questions are answered by Tier 1 or Tier 2 alone** — the flight-goat path is the exception, not the rule. **Tier 1 phrases** → just need FAA sync - "who owns N…", "who owns the plane with tail N…" - "what aircraft does own", " fleet" - "how old is this plane", "when was this tail manufactured" - "what type/model is N…", "what's the Mode-S for N…" - "find aircraft registered to " **Tier 2 phrases** → need NTSB + mdbtools - "how safe is a ", "is the safe", "safety record of " - "accident history for ", "crash history of " - "ever had an incident with this tail" (when N-number is known) - "NTSB events for", "show me event ERA…" - "fatal accidents in this year" - "crashes in last " **Tier 1 + flight-goat phrases** → require ident resolution and **only work within ~72 hours of departure** - "is UA1234 safe" *(only useful if flight is within 72 hours)* - "what plane is United 1234 today/tomorrow" - "my flight is DL567 in a few hours — what aircraft" - "what tails did UA89 fly last week" *(post-incident — always works)* For any "is my flight safe" / "what plane will I be on" question, **always ask when the flight is first**. If the user is shopping or the flight is more than 72 hours out, redirect to a model-level lookup (`airframe-pp-cli model ""`) using the equipment type from the user's booking site. Most airline booking pages display the aircraft type for every flight at search time. ## Output and agent mode `--agent` (= `--json --compact --no-input --no-color --yes`) is the default mode for programmatic consumption. The envelope is `{meta, results}` matching `sec-edgar`. Use `--select results.aircraft.owner_name` to extract a single field. ## Caveats to surface to the user - FAA owner data may be a Delaware LLC shell. airframe reports the registry value verbatim; it is not a beneficial-ownership tool. - NTSB only investigates incidents meeting their reporting threshold — "no events" is not "perfect record." - `flight` requires a paid AeroAPI key via flight-goat. FAA + NTSB are free; ident-to-tail resolution is what costs.