Flight Safety Information - June 24, 2025 No. 125 In This Issue : Incident: American B738 at Cincinnati on Jun 22nd 2025, engine problem : Incident: Frontier A20N at Atlanta on Jun 21st 2025, engine problem : Accident: American A321 near Raleigh/Durham on Jun 22nd 2025, turbulence injures 5 : India's aviation watchdog cancels planned Air India audit, sources say : Qantas Jet Takes 15-Hour Flight To Nowhere Due To Mideast Crisis : Jet Linx Grounds Fleet for Annual Safety Summit : US safety board to scrutinize Boeing role in 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency : United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER Returns To Washington Dulles After Engine Overheats : Too hot to board? Flight attendants call for federal standard for airplane cabin temperature : Southwest Airlines pilot union can sue Boeing after deadly crashes, groundings : Taiwan's China Airlines postpones retirement of older planes due to Boeing 787 delays : Israel approves $8 billion war insurance cover for Israeli and foreign airlines : Calendar of Events Incident: American B738 at Cincinnati on Jun 22nd 2025, engine problem An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N802NN performing flight AA-3073 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Cincinnati,FL (USA), was descending towards Cincinnati when the crew reported an engine issue. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Cincinnati's runway 18L. The aircraft is still on the ground in Cincinnati about 19.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5296e817&opt=0 Incident: Frontier A20N at Atlanta on Jun 21st 2025, engine problem A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration N332FR performing flight F9-3508 from Atlanta,GA to Orlando,FL (USA), was climbing out of Atlanta's runway 09L when the crew stopped the climb at 10,000 feet due to an engine (LEAP) oil indication. The aircraft returned to Atlanta for a safe landing on runway 09L about 20 minutes after departure. The FAA reported: "Frontier Airlines Flight 3508 returned safely to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 8:15 p.m. local time on Saturday, June 21, after the crew reported a possible oil warning light issue. The Airbus A320 was headed to Orlando International Airport. The FAA will investigate." https://avherald.com/h?article=5296e67b&opt=0 Accident: American A321 near Raleigh/Durham on Jun 22nd 2025, turbulence injures 5 An American Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N189UW performing flight AA-1286 from Miami,FL to Raleigh/Durham,NC (USA), was descending towards Raleigh/Durham when the crew reported severe turbulence had caused a number of injuries on board. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Raleigh/Durham's runway 23R. The airline reported three flight attendants and two passengers were taken to a hospital. The seat belt sign had been on during the turbulence encounter. https://avherald.com/h?article=5296d3ed&opt=0 India's aviation watchdog cancels planned Air India audit, sources say NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's aviation safety watchdog has cancelled its planned visit to Air India headquarters on Tuesday for an annual regulatory audit, two people with direct knowledge said. Air India late on Monday ceased all its operations to the Middle East, Europe and the East Coast of North America until further notice due to Israel-Iran tensions. One of the sources said that was a key reason for cancelling the audit as the airline was occupied with tackling the crisis. Ten officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were to visit Air India headquarters near New Delhi on Tuesday for an annual audit, just as the airline is facing intense scrutiny after a plane crash killed 271 people. Air India and the DGCA did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/indias-aviation-watchdog-cancels-planned-054504134.html Qantas Jet Takes 15-Hour Flight To Nowhere Due To Mideast Crisis A Paris-bound Qantas Airways Ltd. flight returned to Perth mid-air due to Iran's missile attack. Passengers aboard a Paris-bound Qantas Airways Ltd. flight spent more than 15 hours in the air only to find themselves back where they started from in Australia after an Iranian missile attack shut down swathes of Middle East airspace. The Boeing Co. 787 jet departed Perth for the usual 17-hour haul to Paris at 7.35 pm local time Monday. It made it as far as the south-west fringes of Indian airspace when the airline was told about the missile attack, forcing it to turn around. The plane landed safely back in the Western Australian capital around 11 am Tuesday. Another Qantas flight from Perth bound for London Heathrow was also affected and diverted to Singapore, Qantas said in a statement. Passengers on both flights will be accommodated overnight. The diversions will also affect the return flights from London and Paris, and Qantas said it is working through options for affected passengers. The airline said it would continue to monitor airspace availability and utilize a number of flight paths for flights to Europe factoring in weather and the security situation. Qantas's non-stop European flights from Perth routinely fly over the Middle East region, and at times have been forced to take longer detours to skirt airspace restrictions or stop in Singapore to refuel. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/paris-bound-qantas-jet-takes-15-hour-flight-to-nowhere-due-to-mideast-crisis-8747636#google_vignette Jet Linx Grounds Fleet for Annual Safety Summit NASA, USAF speakers address culture and decisionmaking Jet Linx Safety Summit Charter operator Jet Linx grounded all flight operations on June 10 to hold its ninth annual Safety Summit, bringing together more than 500 employees for a full day of scenario-based training and discussions focused on safety culture and decision-making. “Safety: Beyond the Checklist,” this year’s theme, encouraged team members to reflect on communication, leadership, and personal accountability in operational contexts. Sessions included topics such as fatigue management, airspace awareness, and real-time decision making. Employees also renewed safety pledges and recognized peer contributions to safety leadership over the past year. Jet Linx estimated that the annual standdown represents more than $850,000 in lost revenue but emphasized that the investment aligns with its long-term safety priorities. The Omaha-based company has voluntarily paused all operations for the event each year since 2017. This year’s summit featured keynote speakers including former NASA chief astronaut Charlie Precourt, human factors expert Rich Loudon, and Major Tyler Hicks of the U.S. Air Force. "A healthy safety culture is when every single team member is engaged in the safety thought process every day," said Jamie Walker, executive chairman of Jet Linx. "And while this is just one day out of 365, the fact that we continue to commit this kind of time and resources year after year, shows just how meaningful it's become to every member of our team." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2025-06-20/jet-linx-grounds-fleet-annual-safety-summit US safety board to scrutinize Boeing role in 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency The board is expected to harshly criticize Boeing's safety culture and its failure to install four key bolts in a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9, officials told Reuters The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will hold a hearing on Tuesday to determine the probable cause of a mid-air cabin panel blowout of a new Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight in January 2024 that spun the planemaker into a major crisis. The board is expected to harshly criticize Boeing's safety culture and its failure to install four key bolts in a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9, officials told Reuters. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy has said the incident was entirely avoidable because the planemaker should have addressed unauthorized production work long ago. "This accident should have never happened. This should have been caught years before," Homendy said last August during a two-day investigative hearing. "The safety culture needs a lot of work." The accident prompted the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation and declare that Boeing was not in compliance with a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement and CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would step down within a few months of the mid-air panel blowout. The incident badly damaged Boeing's reputation and led to a grounding of the MAX 9 for two weeks and a 38 planes per month cap by the Federal Aviation Administration on MAX production that still remains in place. Boeing created no paperwork for the removal of the 737 MAX 9 door plug - a piece of metal shaped like a door covering an unused emergency exit - or its re-installation during production, and did not know which employees were involved, the NTSB said last year. Boeing did not respond to a request for comment ahead of the meeting. Then-FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said in June 2024 the agency was "too hands off" in Boeing oversight and it has boosted the number of inspectors at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems factories. Boeing had agreed last July to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge after two fatal 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. But it last month struck a deal with the Justice Department to avoid a guilty plea. The Justice Department has asked a judge to approve the deal, which will allow Boeing to avoid pleading guilty or facing oversight by an outside monitor but will require it to pay an additional $444.5 million into a crash victims fund to be divided equally per crash victim. https://www.zawya.com/en/business/aviation/us-safety-board-to-scrutinize-boeing-role-in-737-max-9-mid-air-emergency-d0q28cd8 United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER Returns To Washington Dulles After Engine Overheats On Saturday, June 21, a United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER took off from Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) but returned after only an hour airborne due to an engine that overheated severely during takeoff. The jet itself has not left IAD in the wake of the incident. FlightAware data shows that flight UA803 was bound for Tokyo but never made it, spending about two and a half hours taxiing before deplaning back at IAD. Thankfully, there would be no mishaps or casualties, and despite a rather prolonged delay, all the travelers bound for the land of the rising sun from America’s capital would eventually reach their destination. The Aviation Herald reports that United’s widebody Boeing, registration N798UA was destined for Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) on Saturday, but a replacement of the same model, registration N78001 took its passengers to Japan instead. The big jet remains on the ground 25 hours later, undergoing what can only be presumed to be inspections and maintenance that normally follow such an incident, but the scale of which is unknown. The plane was climbing to cruising altitude after takeoff, but the flight crew leveled off at 4,000 feet after observing one engine, a Pratt & Whitney 4090, severely overheating during the ascent. The pilots consulted with air traffic control (ATC) before executing a normal landing on runway 01R. The jet was able to taxi back to the gate and transfer its passengers who arrived in Tokyo after a seven-hour delay. The Guardian relayed comments from the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) following a dramatic 2021 incident that saw a Boeing 777 engine catch fire mid-air over Denver, Colorado. Robert Sumwalt, the chair, remarked: “What is important that we really truly understand the facts, circumstances and conditions around this particular event before we can compare it to any other event.” The jet that saw its right engine consumed by fire was another United Airlines aircraft, this time a standard-range Boeing 777-200. This 26-year-old airplane was powered by P&W 4077 turbofans. The report by the NTSB was released in 2023 and described the cause of the catastrophic failure as a fatigued fan blade, which separated from the disk and caused the fan cowl to fail, including the main beam. Saturday’s jet was even older, as Planespotters records, the widebody is over 27-years-old, having served with United since it rolled off the factory floor at Boeing’s Everett, Washington plant. The powerplants differ, however, the maker does not. Obviously, drawing a direct correlation is pure speculation, but the similarities give a good explanation as to why the flight crew would exercise caution. The phrase "written in blood" stems from the reality that many safety rules have been put in place after a death or serious injury. In the context of Naval Aviation, and thereby aviation in general, the saying rings equally true. Air travel remains the safest means of transportation in the world, only because of the professionals that strive to make it so every day, just like the pilots of UA803 last weekend. United Airlines is the largest carrier in the world, with over 1,000 jets in its fleet. The airline has both Airbus and Boeing planes of a wide variety of models and variants, from new to old. The Boeing 777 series has been an integral part of the international strategy for decades, and despite no longer being in production, the jets still serve United fliers all over the world. As United eagerly awaits the arrival of the long-delayed Boeing 777X, its legacy fleet of 777s is going on 30 years old. The massive widebody jets fly some of the longest flight paths on earth and connect many of the most important global cities with direct, nonstop service. Until the arrival of the 777X, we can expect that these stalwart old birds will continue to soldier on, ferrying international travelers all over the world. https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-boeing-777-200er-returns-washington-dulles-engine-overheats/ Too hot to board? Flight attendants call for federal standard for airplane cabin temperature ABC15 has reported on a number of situations over the years where flight attendants and passengers have gotten sick while waiting for hot airplanes to take off Flight attendants are calling for federal oversight when it comes to cabin temperature while boarding airplanes. ABC15 has reported on a number of situations over the years where flight attendants and passengers have gotten sick while waiting for hot airplanes to take off. PHOENIX — Flight attendants are calling for federal oversight when it comes to cabin temperature while boarding airplanes. ABC15 has reported on a number of situations over the years where flight attendants and passengers have gotten sick while waiting for hot airplanes to take off. In fact, two years ago, a federal investigation looked into why passengers were forced to wait on a plane in Las Vegas in 100º+ temperatures. While cities like Phoenix and Tempe have passed ordinances protecting workers in the heat, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants says those ordinances don’t protect people on airplanes. The APFA sent ABC15 a few of the reports fellow flight attendants have made this past year, describing extreme heat situations on flights. One described the temperature being 90 degrees, writing, “Panic attacks by children, elderly suffered from extreme cabin heat, all passengers very agitated and uncomfortable.” Flight attendant Andrew Rhinehart, who serves as APFA’s National Safety & Security Chair, says there are a number of factors that can result in an airplane heating up quickly while waiting on the tarmac. He says it’s not until you’re in the air that the air-conditioning fully kicks on. “What we’re doing today is not enough,” said Rhinehart. “We have to realize that if it’s approaching dangerous temperatures, we have to stop and cool the aircraft. It’s not worth someone dying of heat exhaustion.” The APFA says each airline has its own policy on what the temperature threshold should be, adding some have a threshold of 90 degrees. ABC15 reached out to multiple major airlines about their policy and the union’s concerns, but has not heard back. A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration sent ABC15 a statement that reads, “The Federal Aviation Administration entered into an agreement to work with the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (ASEM) to conduct a study on the health and safety impacts of cabin temperature. The final report is expected by May 2026, and we cannot comment on potential actions at this time.” https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/too-hot-to-board-flight-attendants-call-for-federal-standard-for-airplane-cabin-temperature Southwest Airlines pilot union can sue Boeing after deadly crashes, groundings The Texas Supreme Court justices sided with the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, the union representing pilots for the Dallas carrier, can carry on with a lawsuit against Boeing for allegedly misleading them about the 737 MAX aircraft's safety. The win for the pilots comes after an opinion was issued by the Texas high court late last week, but the complaint goes back to 2019, when the pilots association filed a lawsuit against Boeing over the grounding of the 737 MAX. Then, the union said they had agreed to fly the 737 MAX aircraft based on Boeing’s representations that it was airworthy. "These representations were false," the union alleged, before referencing the fatal crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019. "Boeing's errors cost the lives of 346 people, damaged the critical bond between pilots and passengers, and reduced opportunities for air travel across the United States and around the world." The pilots association noted in October 2019 that the March 2019 grounding of the 737 MAX caused more than 30,000 scheduled Southwest flights to be eliminated, allegedly bringing compensation losses for union pilots to more than $100 million. But Boeing argued that the Railway Labor Act—a federal law that governs labor relations in the rail and airline industries—preempts the claims and that the association lacks standing to assert them on their members' behalf. On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court justices sided with the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), saying the resolution of the organization's claims against Boeing is not "substantially dependent" upon an interpretation of either of the parties' collective bargaining agreements. "We conclude that the Railway Labor Act does not preempt SWAPA’s claims," Justice Jeff Boyd wrote. The case will return to a lower trial court. Meanwhile, Boeing continues to be in the spotlight after the Air India crash of a Boeing 787 killed at least 270 people earlier this month. Investigators believe the plane had an emergency power generator operating when it crashed, but haven't determined if engine, hydraulic or other problems triggered the emergency system. Safety continues to be a pressing matter for fliers and carriers. Last week, Southwest announced that Honeywell is working on activating its fleet with new safety software, which can also notify pilots when they are moving too fast, flying too high, or are directed toward the wrong runway. The two boasted that it will help flight crews with situational awareness during taxi, take-off and landing. https://www.chron.com/culture/article/southwest-airlines-pilots-lawsuit-boeing-20390137.php Taiwan's China Airlines postpones retirement of older planes due to Boeing 787 delays TAOYUAN, Taiwan (Reuters) -Taiwan's China Airlines is postponing the retirement of some of its older aircraft due to delays in getting Boeing 787-9 jets that may result in compensation payments from the planemaker, the carrier's newly appointed chairman said. Taiwan's oldest airline, established in 1959, is in the midst of a fleet renewal, last year splitting an order for new long-haul aircraft worth almost $12 billion at list prices between Boeing and European rival Airbus. China Airlines has also ordered 24 Boeing 787s for regional and some longer-distance routes, including 18 787-9s and six of the stretched 787-10 variant. But Chairman George Kao said China Airlines' fleet renewal plan to replace ageing Airbus A330s and Boeing 737-800s with 787-9s and A321neos was being hit by delays in getting new aircraft delivered, especially the 787-9s. "We are at present being greatly impacted. Some aircraft that were scheduled to be phased out, or handed back at the end of their lease, as some are leased, will remain and have their leases extended," he told Reuters in an interview at the airline's headquarters in Taoyuan, home to Taiwan's main international airport. Boeing has not given China Airlines an exact timeframe for the 787-9 delays, though it has said deliveries will "basically" start from the end of 2025, added Kao, a pilot by training who started out as a flight attendant and became chairman in March. "This is written into the contract," he said, when asked whether China Airlines would seek compensation. "For example, if it's in the supply chain, the responsibility is Boeing's, and Boeing has to provide some compensation. But if it's not, then there is no compensation. It's all recorded in the contract." Boeing did not respond to a request for comment. Other airlines are facing similar issues. International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh, whose group represents airlines globally, this month called predictions of aircraft delivery delays throughout this decade "off-the-chart unacceptable". Still, Kao was upbeat about expansion plans, pointing to the more fuel-efficient 777-9s and A350-1000s ordered last year that will enable more capacity to be added to routes like New York and London, and a new third terminal at Taoyuan airport, the first section of which is expected to open later this year. He signalled further aircraft additions ahead for subsidiary Mandarin Airlines, which flies almost exclusively domestic routes with ATR-72 turboprops and is getting a revamp to focus on regional routes from southern and central Taiwan with new jet aircraft. "I can talk about this with aircraft lessors," he said, without disclosing the jet models it could add. "We have this plan, to let Mandarin Airlines grow up." China Airlines faces competition at home not only from long-established rival EVA Air but also rapidly growing Starlux Airlines, which last week placed an order for 10 more A350s. Kao said while the Taiwan market itself was small, transit traffic, which all three airlines are focusing on, meant supporting three full-service airlines was not an issue. Seoul's Incheon airport is too big, meaning passengers can get lost, Tokyo's landing fees are too expensive and Hong Kong has "political issues", whereas Taoyuan airport's new terminal will greatly improve the travel experience, he said. "Our passengers are not all Taiwanese; many are transit. Because Taiwan's location, connecting the Pacific to all of Asia, is really very convenient." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/taiwans-china-airlines-postpones-retirement-051339391.html Israel approves $8 billion war insurance cover for Israeli and foreign airlines Once Israeli airspace reopens, state-backed guarantee will enable foreign airlines to obtain wartime insurance policies, hopefully encouraging them to keep flying despite fighting The Knesset Finance Committee on Monday approved a state-backed guarantee of $8 billion for the coverage of insurance against war risks to Israeli airlines and, for the first time, also to foreign airlines for the coming two years. The move is intended to encourage foreign airlines to return to flying to Israel when the country’s airspace fully reopens. Many foreign carriers have not resumed flight operations since the Houthi missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport at the beginning of May. Since Israel’s airspace was closed on June 13, in the wake of the attacks on Iran, most foreign airlines extended flight suspensions until after the summer months and some until October. Israel launched a campaign of extensive strikes against Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile targets. Iran has retaliated to Israel’s attacks by launching over 550 ballistic missiles and around 1,000 drones at Israel. Meanwhile, Ben Gurion Airport has remained closed for takeoffs and landings, except for restricted repatriation flights that were launched on Wednesday to help bring Israelis stranded abroad back home. Due to the Iran conflict, insurance companies insuring Israeli airlines — El Al, Israir, and Arkia — have announced that they are entitled to cancel insurance policies. The state guarantee framework is put in place upon request by the accountant general to provide Israeli airlines as well as foreign carriers with insurance policies against war risks if needed, to ensure continuity of air operations of repatriation flights, cargo flights, and to maintain the proper functioning of the economy. “There is a need to maintain the continuity of the economy, imports, exports, the transportations of goods, and we also need to provide security to foreign companies as well,” said Accountant General official Michal Sheshinski. The insurance policies are issued by state-owned Inbal Insurance Company Ltd. and are contingent on the cancellation or reduction of existing insurance coverage held by airlines. To keep the skies open since the outbreak of war with the Hamas terror group on October 7, 2023, Israel approved $6 billion in insurance guarantees to Israeli airlines, enabling flag carrier El Al Airlines, as well as Arkia and Israir, to continue repatriating Israelis from abroad and help bring reserve soldiers home. Since the start of the Hamas war, most foreign airlines have repeatedly canceled and resumed their flights to and from Israel and have called on the government to provide them with assistance also related to insuring their operations in Israel, similar to the assistance given to Israeli airlines. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-approves-8-billion-war-insurance-cover-for-israeli-and-foreign-airlines/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 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 . 2025 PROS IOSA SUMMIT - SEPT 10-11 - Denver, CO · 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