Flight Safety Information - May 5, 2025 No. 089 In This Issue : Incident: Swiss B773 near Singapore on May 4th 2025, smell in cockpit : Incident: Qatar A320 at Budapest on May 2nd 2025, flock of birds : Incident: Vietjet A321 near Kaohsiung on May 3rd 2025, cracked windshield : Incident: Jet2 B738 near Luxembourg on May 3rd 2025, smoke on board : Incident: Easyjet Europe A21N at Milan on May 3rd 2025, smoke in cabin : Incident: Indigo AT72 at Chandigarh on May 2nd 2025, both engines temporarily flamed out : Incident: Delta A319 and Republic E170 at Washington on May 1st 2025, instructed to go around due to military helicopter : Incident: El Al B789 enroute on May 1st 2025, cracked windshield : U.S. Travelers Warned to Avoid Major Airport, 'It Is Not Safe' : United to cancel 10% of daily flights from Newark, cites FAA staffing, equipment : ICAO Council condemns radio frequency interference affecting civil aviation safety, urges DPRK to stop disruptive activities : NTSB probing aborted landings at Reagan National Airport prompted by nearby Army helicopter : Calendar of Events Incident: Swiss B773 near Singapore on May 4th 2025, smell in cockpit A Swiss International Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration HB-JNF performing flight LX-177 from Singapore (Singapore) to Zurich (Switzerland) with 320 passengers and 17 crew, was enroute at FL300 about 270nm northwest of Singapore when the crew decided to return to Singapore due to an unusual odour in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely back in Singapore about 100 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights. The airline reported an unusual odour in the cockpit prompted the crew to return. https://avherald.com/h?article=52749d47&opt=0 Incident: Qatar A320 at Budapest on May 2nd 2025, flock of birds A Qatar Airways Airbus A320-200, registration A7-AHX performing flight QR-202 from Budapest (Hungary) to Doha (Qatar), was climbing out of Budapest's runway 13L when the crew reported they had a bird strike over the runway. Subsequently a runway inspection revealed the aircraft had flown through a flock of birds with a number of birds impacting the aircraft. The crew advised they had high vibrations on their right hand engine (V2527), stopped the climb at 5000 feet and entered a hold. The aircraft returned to Budapest for a safe landing on runway 13L about one hour after departure. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Budapest about 60 hours (2.5 days) after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=52749be3&opt=0 Incident: Vietjet A321 near Kaohsiung on May 3rd 2025, cracked windshield A VietjetAir Airbus A321-200, registration VN-A642 performing flight VJ-881 from Seoul (South Korea) to Da Nang (Vietnam), was enroute at FL340 about 50nm south of Kaohsiung (Taiwan) when the crew declared Mayday and requested to descend to FL150 "now" subsequently stating they were in an emergency descent. The crew advised they had a cracked windshield. The aircraft entered a hold at 3000 feet and landed on Kaohsiung's runway 09 about 40 minutes after leaving FL340. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Kaohsiung about 19 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5273d6a1&opt=0 Incident: Jet2 B738 near Luxembourg on May 3rd 2025, smoke on board A Jet2.com Boeing 737-800, registration G-GDFD performing flight LS-1209 from Birmingham,EN (UK) to Dalaman (Turkey) with 183 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 70nm west of Luxembourg (Luxembourg) still in French Airspace when the crew decided to divert to Luxembourg reporting smoke in the cockpit that expanded into the cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Luxembourg's runway 24 about 18 minutes later, vacated the runway and stopped clear of the runway. The passengers disembarked onto the taxiway via stairs, the aircraft was later towed to the apron. https://avherald.com/h?article=5273d4ed&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet Europe A21N at Milan on May 3rd 2025, smoke in cabin An Easyjet Europe Airbus A321-200N, registration OE-ISD performing flight U2-3775 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Fuerteventura,CI (Spain) with 203 people on board, was climbing through about 9000 feeet out of Malpensa's runway 35L when the crew reported smoke in the cabin, stopped the climb and decided to return to Malpensa. The aircraft landed safely on runway 35R and taxied to the apron with emergency services in trail. Passengers reported there was some smell and visible white smoke in the cabin. A replacement A321-200N registration OE-ISC reached Fuerteventura with a delay of about 7 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Milan about 11 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5273c86a&opt=0 Incident: Indigo AT72 at Chandigarh on May 2nd 2025, both engines temporarily flamed out An Indigo Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration VT-IRA performing flight 6E-7742 from Jaipur to Chandigarh (India), was descending towards Chandigarh in heavy rain when one of the engines (PW127M) flamed out and recovered a few seconds. Another few seconds later the other engine flamed out and also recovered after a few seconds. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Chandigarh's runway 11. India's DGCA reported one of the engines restarted after a momentary flame out, then the same happened with the other engine, luckily the flameouts did not happen at the same time. The aircraft is grounded for inspections. Seemingly the engine performance was degraded due to weather related issues showing a decreased propeller speed, the engine control system detected and corrected the issue, the passengers did not notice anything unusual. The engine manufacturer has been informed. https://avherald.com/h?article=5273c56a&opt=0 Incident: Delta A319 and Republic E170 at Washington on May 1st 2025, instructed to go around due to military helicopter A Republic Airways Embraer ERJ-170 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N879RW performing flight DL-5825 from Boston,MA to Washington National,DC (USA), was on final river approach descending through about 450 feet MSL over the 14th Street Bridge when the crew were instructed to go around and complied. A Delta Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N364NB performing flight DL-1671 from Orlando,FL to Washington National,DC (USA), was on final river approach to National's runway 19 when the aircraft was instructed to go around by ATC. The crew complied and went around from about 700 feet MSL (above Little Island). The FAA reported: "Air traffic control instructed Delta Air lines Flight 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825 to perform go-arounds at the Reagan Washington National Airport due to a Priority Air Transport helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport. The FAA is investigating the event that occurred around 2:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 1." On May 2nd 2025 the NTSB announced: "NTSB investigating Thursday's incidents at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in which a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 were instructed by air traffic control to perform go-arounds due to a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter inbound to the Pentagon." Both aircraft landed safely on runway 19 about 10 minutes later. https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email#/edit/activity/160eb70b-bad8-4c76-a68f-63e850dbc7df Incident: El Al B789 enroute on May 1st 2025, cracked windshield An El Al Boeing 787-9, registration 4X-EDK performing flight LY-8 (dep Apr 30th) from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was enroute when a windshield developed a crack. The aircraft continued to Tel Aviv for a safe landing on runway 21. The aircraft is still on the ground in Tel Aviv about 21 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5272e9c1&opt=0 U.S. Travelers Warned to Avoid Major Airport, 'It Is Not Safe' Travelers using Newark Liberty International Airport have been warned. The busy flight hub is "not safe." Since Monday, Newark has experienced severe delays on both incoming and outgoing flights. On Saturday, over 270 flights were backed up, according to FlightAware, which also reports that inbound planes were delayed more than two hours before landing on Sunday. Making matters worse, NBC News correspondent Tom Costello cited an unnamed air traffic controller who called Newark unsafe at this time. “It is not safe. It is not a safe situation right now for the flying public,” Costello reported. "Really an incredible statement, unsolicited," Costello added about the source's comments. "He just said that to me, and separately: ‘Don’t fly into Newark. Avoid Newark at all costs.’” According to reports, the issues at Newark are largely due to staffing, with more than 20% of the airport's FAA controllers having recently walked off the job. United Airlines announced it is canceling 35 roundtrip flights daily as a result of the ongoing crisis. "In the past few days, on more than one occasion, technology that FAA air traffic controllers rely on to manage the airplanes coming in and out of Newark airport failed - resulting in dozens of diverted flights, hundreds of delayed and canceled flights and worst of all, thousands of customers with disrupted travel plans," United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement on Friday. "Unfortunately, the technology issues were compounded as over 20% of the FAA controllers for EWR walked off the job. "Keep in mind, this particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years and without these controllers, it’s now clear – and the FAA tells us – that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead." Newark, which is the second busiest airport in the New York City area, has certainly earned its share of complaints from commuters over the years, but this week has been on a different level. https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-travelers-warned-avoid-major-182127606.html United to cancel 10% of daily flights from Newark, cites FAA staffing, equipment (Reuters) -United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said on Friday that the carrier will begin canceling 35 flights a day - or about 10% - at its Newark hub starting this weekend due to government equipment failures and air traffic control staffing issues. Throughout the week, United was forced to delay, cancel or divert dozens of flights at its hub airport just outside New York City, where it flies about 328 flights daily. "Technology that FAA air traffic controllers rely on to manage the airplanes coming in and out of Newark airport failed - resulting in dozens of diverted flights, hundreds of delayed and canceled flights and worst of all, thousands of customers with disrupted travel plans," Kirby said in an email to customers. "Unfortunately, the technology issues were compounded as over 20% of the FAA controllers for (Newark) walked off the job." A union representing the controllers declined to comment as did the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA last year relocated control of the Newark airspace area to Philadelphia to address staffing and congested New York City area traffic. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who intends to propose a plan next week to fix badly crumbling air traffic control infrastructure, visited the FAA Terminal Radar Approach Control at Philadelphia on Friday. "The technology that we are using is old. That’s what is causing the outages and delays we are seeing at Newark," Duffy said. On Thursday, Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said the agency has a team investigating the interruptions at Newark. "We need to make sure the controllers have the proper equipment and that they're obviously appropriately staffed," he said. Major U.S. airlines asked the FAA to extend cuts to minimum flight requirements at congested New York City-area airports through October 2027, citing severe air traffic controller staffing shortages. Under minimum flight requirements, airlines can lose their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. The FAA's waiver allows airlines to fly fewer flights and still retain slots. The FAA is about 3,500 controllers short of targeted staffing. A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and, at many facilities, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. United in November said it was forced to reduce traffic there because of low FAA staffing on a dozen days, disrupting more than 343,000 United travelers. It had already reduced flights at Newark before Friday's announcement. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/united-airlines-travelers-face-check-202331570.html ICAO Council condemns radio frequency interference affecting civil aviation safety, urges DPRK to stop disruptive activities Montréal, 2 May 2025 – Through its decision published on 17 April 2025, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) noted with grave concern the continuing incidents of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) radio frequency interference in the Incheon Flight Information Region (FIR), which have been ongoing since 2 October 2024. The Council noted that these interference incidents, originating from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), continue despite previous Council decisions. These incidents jeopardise the safety of international air navigation and contradict principles enshrined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) and its Annexes. The Council strongly urged the DPRK to fully implement those previous decisions and to comply strictly with its obligations under the Chicago Convention. The Council has also reiterated its call to the DPRK to ensure that similar occurrences do not recur in the future. Given the serious and continuous risk to international civil aviation, the Council will shortly consider reporting this matter to the 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly to be held in September 2025, in accordance with Article 54(k) of the Chicago Convention. The Council will continue to maintain close oversight of developments regarding this situation. About ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and its 193 member states develop and implement global aviation strategies, technical standards, and capacity building activities to enhance the safety, sustainability, and inclusivity of air services worldwide. ICAO's mission is to expand access to air transport while progressing towards zero aviation fatalities and net-zero carbon emissions. This year, the Organization is celebrating its 80th anniversary. https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/ICAO-Council-condemns-radio-frequency-interference-TBC.aspx NTSB probing aborted landings at Reagan National Airport prompted by nearby Army helicopter The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the aborted landings of two commercial flights approaching Reagan National Airport on Thursday as a US Army Black Hawk helicopter was approaching the Pentagon nearby. Helicopters near the airport have been under intense scrutiny since the January 29 midair collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter from the same unit. The crash killed 67 people. The Federal Aviation Administration, which is also investigating, said air traffic controllers instructed Delta flight 1671 and Republic flight 5825 “to perform go-arounds at the Reagan Washington National Airport due to a Priority Air Transport helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport” around 2:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. In a Sunday statement, US Army spokesperson Capt. Victoria Goldfedib said, “While conducting flight operations into the Pentagon in accordance with published FAA flight routes and DCA Air Traffic Control, a UH-60 Blackhawk initiated a ‘go-around’ after Pentagon Air Traffic Control told them they were not cleared to land, overflying the Pentagon helipad while maintaining all approved flight procedures. As a result, DCA Air Traffic Control issued a ‘go-around’ to two civil fixed wing aircraft to ensure the appropriate deconfliction of airspace.” Goldfedib added that the incident is being investigated. “The United States Army remains committed to aviation safety and conducting flight operations within all approved guidelines and procedures,” she said. Following the incident, the ranking Democrat who sits on the senate committee overseeing the FAA called on the agency and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, “to give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves.” Pilots had reported near-misses with helicopters at Reagan National Airport in the years before the deadly crash “It is outrageous that only three months after an Army Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided with a passenger jet, the same Army brigade again flew a helicopter too close to passenger jets on final approach at DCA,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington. “This comes less than a week after this brigade resumed flights in the National Capital Region.” Sen. Ted Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said he would pursue legislation to “keep the flying public safe from Army helicopter flights that are dangerously close” to the airport. “I believe it’s time for the FAA to act swiftly and assert control over the national airspace so the Army stops running air taxis for military officials near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,” Cruz said in a post on X. The closest proximity of the first aircraft, Delta Flight 1671 to the helicopter was “0.89 miles and 400 feet,” according to information the FAA shared with Congress. The second flight, Republic 5825, came within “0.4 miles and 200 feet” of the helicopter. “It appears the Blackhawk operation did not proceed directly to the Pentagon Heliport,” said a preliminary FAA report shared with members of Congress. “Instead that took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport.” The early FAA report says the helicopter was not in a restricted area put in place by the agency in the days after the January 29 midair collision. The Black Hawk in question was part of the 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the same unit involved in the crash over the Potomac. Flight corridor near airport under scrutiny Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, at the NTSB’s recommendation, banned helicopter traffic on a four-mile stretch over the Potomac River following the January crash of the American Airlines flight and the Army helicopter. Duffy told CNN on Friday the Pentagon may need to look into ground transportation more often, which he said may be a safer option, rather than putting commercial flights at risk. The air traffic controllers did the right thing by diverting the flights, he added. While the helicopter in Thursday’s incidents was not in the banned area, planes at the airport are stopped for necessary helicopter flights – such as when President Donald Trump leaves the White House on Marine One – which has led to flight delays and diversions. “We remain concerned about the significant potential for a future midair collision,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a briefing in March. The collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and the Army Black Hawk helicopter occurred on January 29 under clear skies over some of the country’s busiest and most tightly controlled airspace. The passenger jet was moments away from touching down when it was struck on the right side by the military helicopter at an altitude of roughly 300 feet, investigators said. The helicopter was on a training mission. A preliminary analysis of the flight data and voice recorder on board the Black Hawk indicated its altimeter may have been inaccurate and the pilots may not have heard some calls from the Reagan National Airport control tower, NTSB officials said last month. Investigators uncovered 15,214 “near miss events” between 2021 and 2024 nationwide where aircraft were within one nautical mile of colliding, with a vertical separation of less than 400 feet. Additionally, there were also 85 cases where two aircraft were separated by less than 1,500 feet, with a vertical separation of less than 200 feet, according to the NTSB. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/us/ntsb-investigation-dca-aborted-landings CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 70th annual Business Aviation Safey Summit (BASS), May 6-7, 2025, Charlotte, N.C., organized by Flight Safety Foundation in partnership with NBAA and NATA. · Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore · Flight Safety Foundation - Aviation Safety Forum June 5-6, 2025 - Brussels . 2025 EASA-FAA International Aviation Safety Conference, 10 Jun 2025 to 12 Jun 2025, Cologne, Germany · The 9th Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exposition 2025; June 11 to 13, 2025 . Airborne Public Safety Association -APSCON / APSCON Unmanned 2025 in Phoenix, AZ | July 14-18, 2025 . 3rd annual Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS), July 15-17, 2025, Singapore, organized by Flight Safety Foundation and CAAS. . Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar 2025; 10-11 September 2025; Manila, Philippines · ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025'September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025, DENVER, COLORADO . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis