Flight Safety Information - June 5, 2025 No. 112 In This Issue : Accident: Ryanair B738 near Munich on Jun 4th 2025, turbulence causes 9 injuries : Incident: Alaska B739 near Seattle on Jun 3rd 2025, loss of cabin pressure : Incident: Ryanair B738 near Madrid on Jun 4th 2025, gear well fire indication : Incident: Delta A319 at Chicago on Jun 3rd 2025, flaps issue : Incident: Allegiant A320 at Huntington on Jun 2nd 2025, engine failure : Incident: United B772 over Pacific on Jun 1st 2025, electrical problems : Charges: Woman assaults flight attendant on Delta plane at MSP after being told to put bag away : Carrying explosives without declaring': DGCA warns Turkish Airlines to follow rules after surprise checks of its flights : DoorDasher drives onto tarmac at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, exposing security flaw : California airplane startup eyes Greensboro for potential 10,000-worker plant : Suspect wanted after causing $400k in damages while attempting to steal airplanes from Foothills Regional Airport: Sheriff : Airline, aerospace industries warn Trump tariffs could risk air safety, supply chains : Aeroflot to Build Jet Engine Repair Plant in 2028 as Sanctions Spark Concerns : US FAA not currently considering lifting Boeing 737 MAX production cap : GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST : Calendar of Events Accident: Ryanair B738 near Munich on Jun 4th 2025, turbulence causes 9 injuries A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EKN performing flight FR-8 from Berlin (Germany) to Milan Malpensa (Italy) with 179 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL360 over Rosenheim (Germany), about 30nm southsoutheast of Munich (Germany) at about 20:25L (18:25Z) when the crew decided to divert after the aircraft had encountered severe turbulence causing 9 injuries on board. The weather at Munich Airport prevented a diversion to Munich, hence the crew diverted the aircraft to Memmingen (Germany), where the aircraft landed on runway 24 about 20 minutes later. Local police reported 9 people on board received injuries, 3 of them were taken to hospitals, the others received treatment by paramedics at the airport. One woman complained about back pain, another woman received a laceration at her head, her child received contusions. Passengers reported a mother with her toddler had just been in the toilet when the turbulence occurred, both mother and toddler received injuries. The fasten seat belt signs had not been on continuously, hence a number of passengers had not been strapped in. At the time of the occurrence thunderstorms were over Bavaria including super cells. https://avherald.com/h?article=528a642c&opt=0 Incident: Alaska B739 near Seattle on Jun 3rd 2025, loss of cabin pressure An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N462AS performing flight AS-825 from Seattle,WA to Kahului,HI (USA), was enroute at FL340 over the Pacific Ocean about 220nm southwest of Seattle when the crew initiated an emergency descent to 9000 feet due to the loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft returned to Seattle for a safe landing on runway 34R about 90 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-900 registration N468AS reached Kahului with a delay of about 6 hours. The FAA reported: "Alaska Airlines Flight 825 returned safely to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport around 11 a.m. local time on Tuesday, June 3, after the crew reported a pressurization issue. The Boeing 737-900 was headed to Kahului International Airport in Hawaii. The FAA will investigate." https://avherald.com/h?article=528a0230&opt=0 Incident: Ryanair B738 near Madrid on Jun 4th 2025, gear well fire indication A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EBK performing flight FR-8163 from Malaga,SP (Spain) to London Stansted,EN (UK), was enroute at FL340 about 140nm north of Madrid,SP (Spain) when the crew decided to divert to Madrid reporting a wheel well fire indication. The aircraft turned around and landed safey on runway 18R about 40 minutes later, against active runways 36/32. Spain's ATC reported the crew declared emergency due to a possible fire in the landing gear. Landings and takeoffs on runways 32/36 were halted until the aircraft had landed on runway 18R. https://avherald.com/h?article=5289f490&opt=0 Incident: Delta A319 at Chicago on Jun 3rd 2025, flaps issue A Delta Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N342NB performing flight DL-2417 from Chicago Midway,IL to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing out of Midway's runway 22L when the crew levelled off at 5000 feet initially reporting they had an issue. Subsequently the crew advised they had a flaps issue, didn't want to take this back to Midway and decided to divert to Cincinnati,KY. The aircraft maintained 5000 feet enroute to Cincinnati's Covington Airport and landed safely on runway 27 about 70 minutes later. The airline reported a mechanical issue. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N3748Y reached Atlanta with a delay of about 4:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground at Covington Airport about 22 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5289ee49&opt=0 Incident: Allegiant A320 at Huntington on Jun 2nd 2025, engine failure An Allegiant Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N230NV performing flight G4-2599 from Huntinton,WV to St. Petersburg,FL (USA) with 140 people on board, was climbing through FL180 out of HUntington's runway 30 when the crew stopped the climb due to the failure of the left hand engine (CFM56). The aircraft returned to Huntington for a safe landing on runway 30 about 40 minutes after departure. The airport reported the left hand engine failed. A replacement A320-200 registration N238NV reached St. Petersburg with a delay of about 7.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Huntington about 21 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5289e838&opt=0 Incident: United B772 over Pacific on Jun 1st 2025, electrical problems A United Boeing 777-200, registration N78002 performing flight UA-863 (dep May 31st) from San Francisco,CA (USA) to Sydney,NS (Australia), was enroute at FL320 about 400nm south of Honolulu,HI (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Honolulu reporting electrical problems. The aircraft maintained FL320, landed safely on Honolulu's runway 08L about one hour later and taxied to the apron. The FAA reported: "United Airlines Flight 863 landed safely at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, June 1, after the crew reported an electrical issue. The Boeing 777-200 departed from San Francisco International Airport and was headed to Sydney Airport in Australia." The remainder of the flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft departed Honolulu after 41 hours on the ground and positioned back to San Francisco before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=5289e188&opt=0 Charges: Woman assaults flight attendant on Delta plane at MSP after being told to put bag away A California woman is facing charges in Minnesota after a disturbance on a Delta flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport over the weekend. Priya Swaminathan, a 45-year-old attorney from San Jose, is charged with obstruction of the legal process – a gross misdemeanor, 5th-degree assault, disorderly conduct and interference with flight operations due to an incident on board Delta flight DL2089 from MSP to San Francisco on Sunday evening. According to the charges, police were called to Gate C14 at Terminal 1 on a report that a passenger was "causing a disturbance, yelling at passengers, and had allegedly assaulted a Delta crew member." A Delta flight attendant says that the passenger, allegedly identified as Swaminathan, had been asked to put her bags in the overhead compartment but refused to do so. When it was time to close the plane's doors, Swaminathan was informed there was no more room for her bags and she would need to "plane-side check them." At this point, the passenger allegedly "became angry and starting yelling while pacing up and down the aisle and screaming at other passengers." She then allegedly "charged" at one of the flight attendants "and pushed her with both hands in the chest." The criminal complaint says Swaminathan then refused to disembark the plane, and when officers arrived they found her "standing in the aisle and leaning up against a seat back between rows 1 and 2." Two officers grabbed Swaminathan's arms, with the complaint saying she refused to put her hands behind her back. She was then taken off the aircraft and moved "up against the jet bridge wall in an attempt to control her." Police claimed that Swaminathan had a "strong odor of a consumed alcoholic beverage," and allegedly had bloodshot and watery eyes. As they escorted her down the jet bridge stairs, she allegedly refused to walk, and when lifted, she "began to flail her body and kicked herself free from [the officer's] grasp." The complaint says she also knocked off an officer's bodycam, and tried to unbuckle her seat belt when placed in a squad vehicle. In the end, takeoff for Delta flight DL2089 was delayed by 20 minutes. https://www.yahoo.com/news/charges-woman-assaults-flight-attendant-185800607.html Carrying explosives without declaring': DGCA warns Turkish Airlines to follow rules after surprise checks of its flights India has cautioned Turkish Airlines to adhere to regulations following safety inspections at multiple airports, revealing significant lapses. These include the alleged undisclosed carriage of explosives and procedural violations in ground operations. The DGCA will conduct follow-up inspections to ensure continuous safety oversight, emphasizing its commitment to regulatory compliance for foreign operators within Indian airspace. NEW DELHI: India has warned Turkish Airlines to comply with all rules after a surprise inspection of its aircraft at four airports over the last one week revealed lapses, including the alleged carriage of explosives without disclosing the same on one flight. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had conducted “safety oversight and ramp (SOFA/RAMP)” inspections of the airline’s passenger and cargo flights at Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru from May 29 to June 2, 2025. The operations of Turkish to India will be under the lens as the regulator says it will conduct flow-up inspections “as necessary to ensure continuous safety oversight.” The key lapses found during this surprise “surveillance of foreign (Turkish) aircraft” include: “The cargo contained dangerous goods for which permission is required from DGCA for carriage of explosives to/from over India. This was not found to be attached, nor was it mentioned in the dangerous goods declaration,” according to an aviation ministry statement. The other findings include: “At Bengaluru, the marshaller handling ground operations lacked proper authorisation and a valid competency card for marshalling functions. During the arrival of aircraft, the aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) was unavailable, and the arrival procedure was carried out by a technician instead. Airworks is the authorised engineering service provider for Turkish Airlines,” it added. The check revealed there was no “service level agreement in place between Turkish Airlines and its ground handling agent (GHA). Equipment such as ladders, step ladders, trolleys and ground power units (GPUs) lacked proper accountability and monitoring at Hyderabad and Bengaluru, where Globe Ground India was providing ground services without formal handover from Celebi,” the ministry statement said. “The DGCA emphasises its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and regulatory compliance of all foreign operators within Indian airspace. Turkish Airlines has been directed to address these findings promptly and ensure full compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices as well as DGCA regulations. Further follow-up inspections will be conducted as necessary to ensure continuous safety oversight.” Senior officials say the checks were conducted on Turkish Airlines aircraft operated by the airline and not the two Boeing 777s wet-leased (hired with crew) by IndiGo from it. Turkish and IndiGo each operate a daily passenger flight between Delhi & Istanbul and Mumbai & Istanbul. Following Turkey’s support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and the firing of Turkish drones by Pakistan, New Delhi is reviewing its ties with Istanbul. The security clearance of Turkish ground handler Celebi was withdrawn last month and it had to wind up activities from nine Indian airports. Then the DGCA asked IndiGo to wrap up its wet lease of two Boeing 777s from Turkish by Aug 31, 2025, by giving a “last and final three-month extension.” This final extension was given after getting an “undertaking from (IndiGo) that they will terminate the damp lease with Turkish Airlines within this extension period, and not seek any further extension for these operations.” https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/carrying-explosives-without-declaring-dgca-warns-turkish-airlines-to-follow-rules-after-surprise-checks-of-its-flights/articleshow/121628468.cms DoorDasher drives onto tarmac at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, exposing security flaw CHICAGO (WGN) — Newly obtained video shows a DoorDash driver’s attempt to deliver food to a customer at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport last month not only breached perimeter security but also failed to trigger an immediate response. In surveillance video obtained by Nexstar’s WGN, the delivery driver’s red Hyundai Elantra is seen pulling up just behind and to the right of a United Airlines wide body jet parked at Terminal 1, Concourse C around midday on May 17. The vehicle stopped for approximately 20 seconds before pulling forward again and then stopping alongside the jet. Baggage handlers noticed the driver and approached, however it took nearly 10 minutes for a marked Chicago police vehicle to arrive. It’s unclear from the video whether police or airport security officers may have approached the scene sooner on foot. WGN Investigates has learned the driver entered the restricted area through a security gate at the southeast corner of O’Hare, indicating he traveled a significant distance across the massive airfield without being stopped or raising alarm. “No guard was clearly visible and [he] proceeded through the gate, following instructions from his GPS coordinates in an aim to deliver the meal,” the driver told police, according to records obtained by WGN Investigates. Police found the food order and a Door Dash receipt in the driver’s car and released him without issuing any citations. The private security guard manning the perimeter checkpoint told police she didn’t immediately report the breach. “The vehicle had indeed driven through her post to which she regarded as strange and unfamiliar,” she told officers according to their reports. “She then closed the gate but made no attempt to contact [the operations center] or notify her direct supervisor.” “Following this incident, [Chicago Department of Aviation] leadership met with the contractor, Lincoln Security, to review what occurred and referred the matter to the Transportation Security Administration for further investigation,” airport spokesperson Kevin Bargnes told WGN Investigates. “The employee involved is no longer employed by Lincoln Security, and their airport credentials have been terminated by the CDA.” A DoorDash spokesperson did not answer a question about whether the driver is still delivering food for the company. https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/5334050-door-dasher-ohare-airport-security-flaw/ California airplane startup eyes Greensboro for potential 10,000-worker plant In what would rank as the largest jobs commitment in recent North Carolina history, the California aviation startup JetZero has named Greensboro as a finalist site for its first manufacturing plant. The company projects its future factory will require more than 10,000 workers at full capacity. This surpasses the current record forecast for a North Carolina-backed economic project, the 7,500 jobs promised by the automaker VinFast in Chatham County. Greensboro is one of three candidates to land the facility, JetZero spokesperson Jenny Derwin said in an email. The company would not disclose the two other potential locations, she said, “in order to preserve the integrity of the process, and to preserve future opportunities with finalist candidates sites.” Guilford County Board of Commissioners chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston declined to discuss JetZero’s prospects during a phone call, but he hinted at an approaching timeline. “I think we’ll be making some kind of announcement, possibly in the next week,” he said. “But I can’t comment on that at this point.” The Guilford board is scheduled to convene for a special session on June 12 to discuss awarding “an unnamed manufacturing company” an economic incentive grant worth up to $76 million. The company is expected to be identified during this meeting. The potential grant recipient “is also requesting state and other local incentives before making a location decision,” the meeting notice stated. Founded in 2020, JetZero has designed a plane with unique dimensions and lighter materials that the startup says offers superior fuel efficiency. Resembling a manta ray, the “Z4” aircraft’s flatter “all-wing design” enables more efficient lift than standard aircraft, Derwin said. The company plans to produce 20 airplanes a month at its inaugural plant, with each aircraft capable of seating 250 passengers. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines are both investors and have inked conditional purchase agreements with the startup. Once production begins, Derwin said the hiring ramp-up period will last at least five years. If JetZero comes to Greensboro, it would join another aviation startup with big plans in the Piedmont city. The jet manufacturer Boom Supersonic has committed to assemble and test its sound barrier-breaking aircraft at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. North Carolina and Guilford County combined to offer Boom a $121.5 million performance-based incentive package through which Boom has pledged to employ up to 1,760 local workers. The state’s main incentive tool is called a job development investment grant, or JDIG. These are realized through payroll tax rebates only after recipients achieve certain job creation and investment targets. JDIGs are awarded by the N.C. Economic Investment Committee, which is scheduled to next meet on June 5. Since the JDIG program began in 2003, most recipient companies have failed to meet their projected hiring goals. This includes the biggest-ever JDIG commitment, given to the Vietnamese carmaker VinFast in 2022. Despite promising to create at least 7,500 jobs, the company has postponed the opening of its Chatham County factory until at least 2028. It originally said it would begin production in 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-airplane-startup-eyes-greensboro-174022719.html Suspect wanted after causing $400k in damages while attempting to steal airplanes from Foothills Regional Airport: Sheriff MORGANTON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Burke County officials are looking for an individual accused of causing thousands of dollars in damages to airplanes at Foothills Regional Airport. On May 26, deputies and NC State Highway Patrol responded to a reported breaking and entering at the airport. Surveillance video captured a white or silver/gray SUV, possibly a Jeep Grand Cherokee, pulling up to the airport around 8:39 p.m. A white man, around 30 to 40 years old, was seen exiting the vehicle. He was seen wearing light-colored pants, a dark shirt, dark boots, a dark baseball cap and carrying a small military-style backpack with MOLLE webbing. Officials say he attempted to steal multiple aircraft out of an airplane hangar. Although he was unsuccessful, the attempt caused an estimated $400,000 in damages to several airplanes, according to the aircraft owners. The investigation remains ongoing. If you have any information regarding this incident, please call the Burke County Sheriff’s Office at 828-438-5500. https://www.qcnews.com/news/u-s/north-carolina/burke-county/suspect-wanted-after-causing-400k-of-damages-while-attempting-to-steal-airplanes-from-foothills-regional-airport-sheriff/ Airline, aerospace industries warn Trump tariffs could risk air safety, supply chains Major airlines already scaling back flight schedules amid economic uncertainty President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported commercial aircraft, jet engines and parts could trigger risks to air safety and the supply chain, groups representing airline and aerospace companies warned on Tuesday. Trump has already hit the industry with a sweeping 10% tariff on all imports in April. The Commerce Department followed with an investigation it opened last month called Section 232, which is assessing risks to U.S. national security from imported goods and could be used to justify even higher tariffs on imported planes, engines and parts, Reuters reported. The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), which represents hundreds of companies including Boeing, Airbus and GE Aerospace, urged the Commerce Department in a filing to consult with the industry on any Section 232 tariffs to ensure they "do not put the supply chain and aviation safety at risk," according to the outlet. The AIA asked the Commerce Department for a 90-day extension to Section 232’s public comment period and to impose no new tariffs for at least 180 days, the report said, citing the filing. Airlines for America, an airline trade group that represents major carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, warned that increased tariffs could spike ticket prices and shipping rates, hurt the recovering aviation supply chain, increase the number of counterfeit parts in the market and have other unintended consequences. "Injecting higher costs into the commercial aviation sector will weaken our economic and national security and have a material and debilitating impact on the domestic commercial aviation industry’s ability to grow, compete, innovate and invest," the airlines wrote in comments filed with the Commerce Department, per Reuters. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/airline-aerospace-industries-warn-trump-tariffs-could-risk-air-safety-supply-chains Aeroflot to Build Jet Engine Repair Plant in 2028 as Sanctions Spark Concerns Russia’s flagship airline, Aeroflot, has created a new company that will build a jet engine repair facility in 2028, its CEO said, as Western sanctions have caused concerns about a growing number of malfunctions in the three years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At full capacity, the plant should be able to perform up to 70 major engine repairs per year, serving different engine models, Aeroflot CEO Sergei Alexandrovsky said in an interview excerpt published by the Kommersant business newspaper Wednesday. The facility will reportedly perform maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the French-American CFM engine and the Russian-made PD-8 and PD-14 engines. Few other details were reported about the plant, including its cost and location. Much of Aeroflot’s fleet has been affected by the U.S. and EU ban on the supply of aircraft and aircraft components to Russia. Unresolved engine issues have forced Russian airlines to ground half of their Airbus A320neo family aircraft, Kommersant reported last fall. Eleven engine failures were reported over a 50-day span in December-January alone, with five incidents in October-November. Moscow has asked Washington to lift sanctions against Aeroflot to resume direct flights with the United States after Donald Trump’s return to the White House this year. The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia also called for the removal of sanctions on Russia’s aviation sector as a “humanitarian necessity” following reports that the U.S. was drafting a list for potential sanctions relief. Aeroflot was cut off from many of its most profitable routes after Western countries closed their airspace to Russian aircraft in retaliation for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/06/04/aeroflot-to-build-jet-engine-repair-plant-in-2028-as-sanctions-spark-concerns-a89337 US FAA not currently considering lifting Boeing 737 MAX production cap WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration said he is not currently considering lifting a production cap of 38 planes per month on Boeing's 737 MAX imposed after a January 2024 mid-air emergency involving a new Alaska Airlines Boeing plane missing four key bolts. "Not at this time," Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told reporters after a U.S. House hearing. He also said he was not discussing a change to the agency's policy of inspecting all Boeing 737 MAXs and 787 Dreamliners before issuing airworthiness certificates for individual planes, rather than delegating those tasks to Boeing. Boeing did not immediately comment. The FAA last week - in a decision first reported by Reuters - extended by three years a program that allows Boeing to perform some tasks on the agency's behalf like inspections, saying the planemaker had made improvements. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said last week the planemaker is "pretty confident" that it can increase production of its best-selling 737 MAX jets to 42 a month. After the FAA approves Boeing increasing output to 42 a month, "we do have subsequent rate increases in our plan," which will typically be in increments of five aircraft a month and at least six months apart, he said. In May 2022, the agency agreed to renew Boeing's Organization Designation Authorization for three years rather than the five Boeing had asked for to ensure the planemaker implemented "required improvements." Congress passed sweeping reforms in December 2020 on how the FAA certifies new airplanes after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people and led to the plane's 20-month grounding. The Office of Inspector General said FAA officials in 2023 sought to allow Boeing’s ODA to resume issuing final airworthiness certificates for 737 and 787s. Before FAA senior officials could approve the request, the Alaska mid-air emergency occurred. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/us-faa-not-currently-considering-163009094.html GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Calling all U.S. airplane pilots! I am a doctoral student at FIU. My research focuses on pilot decision making and digital twins. I will greatly appreciate your help sharing the link to my survey with your network: https://fiu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3rPGG1cVfuOWiyO Thank you! AI generated with the prompt: pilot midair 😂 -- Respectfully, Garrett Feldman, MBA (786)286-9170 CALENDAR OF EVENTS · 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 . South Texas Business Aviation Association June 20th at the Galaxy FBO at Conroe Airport, Texas. . NTSB set hearing date in Boeing 737-9 plug door incident investigation - June 24, 2025 . Gulf Flight Safety Association (GFSA) Conference, June 25 & 26 2025 Riyadh Air Headquarters . 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