Flight Safety Information - August 5, 2025 No. 155 In This Issue : Incident: SAS A320 near Brussels on Aug 3rd 2025, pilot incapacitated : Fokker 50 - Engine Failure (Panama) : Passenger kicked off flight after causing 2-hour delay over major plane violation : Iberia Flight Attendant Treated for Smoke Inhalation After New Jet Suffers Violent Bird Strike Near Madrid : Tensions Flare Between Two Federal Agencies Charged With Aviation Safety : Air traffic controller suspended for letting teenage son interact with planes : Türkiye may ban power banks on flights after mid-air incident : Spirit Airlines pilot ‘removed from duty’ after being arrested on stalking charges : NetJets Pilots Can Monitor Performance with FlightPulse : The 10 U.S. Airlines Most Likely to Lose Your Luggage, Ranked Incident: SAS A320 near Brussels on Aug 3rd 2025, pilot incapacitated A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OY-KAU performing flight SK-4671 from Oslo (Norway) to Alicante,SP (Spain), was enroute at FL390 about 30nm southwest of Brussels (Belgium) when the aircraft was diverted to Brussels because one of the pilots had become incapacitated. The aircraft landed safely on Brussels' runway 25R about 25 minutes later. The aircraft later continued the journey and reached Alicante with a delay of about 5:40 hours. The airline reported one of the pilots did not feel well, the aircraft diverted as a precaution. Another crew was dispatched to Brussels to continue the flight. https://avherald.com/h?article=52b3a297&opt=0 Fokker 50 - Engine Failure (Panama) Date: Monday 4 August 2025 Time: Type: Fokker 50 Owner/operator: Air Panama Registration: HP-1793PST MSN: 20162 Year of manufacture: 1989 Engine model: P&W Canada PW125B Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Over Panama - Panama Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Bocas Del Toro Airport (BOC/MPBO) Destination airport: Panama City Albrook-Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport (PAC/MPMG) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: An Air Panama Fokker 50, flight PST681, experienced an engine failure while en route. The engine was shut down and the flight diverted to Rio Hato/Scarlett Martínez International Airport (RIH/MPSM) and landed safely. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/532800 Passenger kicked off flight after causing 2-hour delay over major plane violation He went one toke over the air-line. A passenger was escorted off the aircraft by six cops after he was busted vaping in the lavatory, which resulted in a two-hour delay. “He was taken off, he was very calm, didn’t argue or anything, no drama,” eyewitness Tristan James Walker, 39, who captured the incident on camera, told Jam Press. The infraction occurred on July 3 at Edinburgh airport in Scotland aboard a Ryanair flight that was flying to Alicante, Spain. The aircraft was slated to depart at 9:45 a.m., but was reportedly delayed after a staffer fell ill.. The passengers’ dreams of a smooth flight subsequently went up in smoke after the butt-huffing hellion decided to have an impromptu vape break. Walker said that the lavatory smoke detector went off, reportedly triggered by said bozo puffing away on his e-cigarette inside like it was an in-flight smoking lounge. “The pilot then came out after the air stewardess explained what happened, and then the pilot stated he would be removed from the plane,” recalled Walker. Shortly thereafter, a sextet of authorities boarded the plane and escorted the vaping enthusiast off the aircraft and into a van on the tarmac, as seen in the viral clip. Despite being forcibly deplaned, the young passenger reportedly disembarked without a fuss. All told, the incident pushed the flight back by two hours. Coincidentally, Walker happened to bump into the bozo later at the famous nightlife hub, Calle Gerona, in Benidorm, Spain, whereupon the fellow informed them that he’d reportedly been blacklisted by Ryanair. Police Scotland spokesperson reported in a statement that the “21-year-old man was charged in connection with an aviation offence.” This isn’t the first time some tobacco-toking travelers have caused a major flight delay. Last month, passengers were stranded in a “war zone” at a Maine airport for over 17 hours after their flight was diverted due to a couple of ash-holes puffing cigarettes on board. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/passenger-kicked-off-flight-causing-130835097.html Iberia Flight Attendant Treated for Smoke Inhalation After New Jet Suffers Violent Bird Strike Near Madrid A flight attendant had to be treated for smoke inhalation, while several passengers on an Iberia flight from Madrid to Paris required assistance for anxiety attacks after the plane hit a large bird shortly after takeoff from Adolfo Suárez Barajas Airport on Sunday. The almost brand-new plane, which was only delivered to the Spanish flag carrier last month, suffered significant damage as a result of the bird strike, with photos of the badly punctured radome quickly going viral on social media. Flight Details: Flight Number: IB-579 (MAD-ORY) Aircraft: Airbus A321XLR Delivery date: July 2, 2025 Engines: 2 x CFM LEAP 1A What Happened? Iberia flight IB-579 from Madrid to Paris Orly on Sunday afternoon was being operated by a brand new Airbus A321 XLR for what should have been a routine one and a half hour flight. The flight departed runway 36L at Madrid Barajas at approximately 4:42 pm on July 3, but just a few minutes after takeoff and in the midst of its initial ascent, the aircraft suffered a bird strike. The large bird collided with the nose of the plane and was then sucked into the left engine. The aircraft climbed to a maximum altitude of around 6,500 feet, as the pilots immediately turned around and landed back in Madrid just 23 minutes after taking off. It has been reported that shortly after the bird strike, smoke started to fill the cabin of the plane, and one of the flight attendants had to be treated for smoke inhalation. Several passengers became so upset during the incident that they had to receive medical care for anxiety attacks. Once safely on the ground, the damage to the radome of the plane became clear, with a large portion of the nose missing. Damage was also spotted around the fan blades of the left-hand engine. What Does Iberia Says About The Incident? In a detailed statement, a spokesperson for Iberia explained: “A few minutes after taking off from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, flight IB579 bound for Paris was struck by a large bird on the front section of the aircraft and on one of its engines.” “In accordance with the established safety protocols for such situations, the captain requested authorization to return to the departure airport, where the aircraft landed safely.” The statement added: “As a result of the incident, one cabin crew member was treated for smoke inhalation and several passengers required assistance on the ground due to anxiety attacks.” “The entire flight crew, including pilots and cabin crew, acted with the utmost professionalism to manage the situation and care for the passengers.” The spokesperson noted that an extra flight was added to get the delayed passengers to Paris on the same day, with the new flight departing Madrid at 7:30 pm on Sunday. Could A Safety Feature In The Engines Be To Blame? The fact that the bird strike reportedly caused smoke to enter the cabin has raised fears that a safety feature built into the engines could be to blame. There have been similar incidents linked to the ‘Load Reduction Device’ installed on CFM LEAP engines, which were the engines on this particular aircraft, although a spokesperson for Iberia for not specifically comment on this issue. The Load Reduction Device (LRD) is designed to activate when the engine fan suffers serious damage, say as a result of a bird strike. In these circumstances, the fans could be imbalanced and start vibrating, so the LRD disconnects the fan from the engine shaft. Aviation Regulators Issue Urgent Alert Over Safety Feature Unfortunately, there have been two recent incidents in which the LRD was activated on CFM LEAP engines on Boeing 737 MAX jets, which caused an oil leak in the engine. As the air to the cabin and cockpit is supplied through engine ‘bleed’ air, it’s suspected that the oil vaporized and was sucked into the bleed air system, ending up in the cockpit in one incident and the cabin in another incident. In June, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the US issued an alert for CFM LEAP engines installed on Boeing 737 jets following a bird strike on a Southwest Airlines flight that ended with smoke in the cockpit. CFM and Boeing are currently working on a software patch that will shut off the pressure regulating valve more quickly in the event of the LRD activating. This should then prevent any smoke from entering the cockpit or the cabin. At the moment, this warning only applies to Boeing 737 aircraft and not Airbus planes with CFM LEAP engines. Other Recent Bird Strike Incidents Perhaps the most worrying recent bird strike incident in recent times occurred on December 29, 2024, when a Jeju Air Boeing 737 crashed at Maun International Airport in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, killing all but two people onboard the plane. The aircraft is believed to have suffered a bird strike to the starboard engine as it was on final approach for landing. While the exact circumstances of what happened next are still being examined, investigators suspect that the pilots may have accidentally shut down the wrong engine. The plane then failed to decelerate as it landed and slid down the end of the runway, colliding with a large barrier and bursting into a ball of flames. Two flight attendants who were sitting at the very back of the plane managed to escape the wreckage, but everyone else tragically died. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/08/04/iberia-flight-attendant-treated-for-smoke-inhalation-after-new-jet-suffers-violent-bird-strike-near-madrid/ Tensions Flare Between Two Federal Agencies Charged With Aviation Safety A marathon of recent public hearings highlighted a rift over the investigation into the fatal midair crash in January between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet. Jennifer Homendy, the National Transportation Safety Board chair, accused the Federal Aviation Administration of stonewalling parts of the board’s investigation into the crash. The relationship between the National Transportation Safety Board, the government entity that investigates civilian airplane accidents, and the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency responsible for aviation safety, can frequently be contentious, especially after a major national tragedy. Last week, a rift between those two main regulators of aviation safety spilled out into public view. Frustrations — and sometimes tempers — flared in uncommonly raw fashion during the board’s marathon of investigative hearings into the deadly midair crash between a military helicopter and a commercial jet near Ronald Reagan National Airport in January. Board members grilled witnesses, including air traffic controllers and F.A.A. managers, over three days and 30 hours of public testimony. Jennifer Homendy, the N.T.S.B. chair, led other board members in accusing the F.A.A. of knowingly stymieing efforts to improve safety at Reagan National Airport and stonewalling parts of the board’s investigation into the crash. And Ms. Homendy directly accused the agency of fostering a culture among the air traffic control operation that discouraged employees from raising legitimate safety concerns, including by wielding the threat of retaliation. “There is and always has been a healthy tension between the two agencies,” said Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator for the F.A.A. and the N.T.S.B. While the level of public outrage on display during board hearings depends largely on the proclivities of its members and the subject at hand, he added, “in this particular case, it’s a shift.” Ms. Homendy and the other board members were careful not to direct their ire toward Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, or Bryan Bedford, the F.A.A. administrator. Still, the very public airing of grievances raised questions about the working relationship between the two agencies at a critical juncture. The N.T.S.B. makes safety recommendations, but it is up to the F.A.A. to put them into place. The crash at Reagan National Airport, and a series of near misses and tower outages at major airports in the months since, have dampened public confidence in the safety of flying, intensifying the need for cooperation. “Warning signs were ignored, or just not known or identified or sought, which is quite tragic,” Ms. Homendy told reporters late Wednesday, after the first day of testimony. In a statement, the F.A.A. said officials “have and will continue to fully support the N.T.S.B.’s investigation,” stressing that the agency had been proactive about addressing concerns and adopting the board’s early recommendations. The statement added that “if there has been any stonewalling, withholding of information or intimidation — those actions will be identified and remedied without hesitation.” The gloves had already begun to come off in the final hours of the hearing on Wednesday. Ms. Homendy lost her patience with F.A.A. managers who claimed they never knew that air traffic officials from Reagan National Airport had urged higher-ups to address the potential risks posed by a helicopter route, known as Route 4, that crossed under the descent path for airplanes landing on a supplementary runway, No. 33. The Army Black Hawk that crashed into the commercial jet on Jan. 29 was flying along Route 4, and at the time of impact, was 78 feet higher than the F.A.A.-mandated ceiling of 200 feet. A number of witnesses testified that the devices pilots relied upon to measure their altitude frequently were off by about 100 feet of helicopters’ actual flying height. Air traffic controllers, knowing the risks, sought to make changes as part of a helicopter-focused working group at the airport — but were told by district managers that doing so would be seen as “too political,” according to the transcript of an interview included in an N.T.S.B. report. “Every sign was there that there was a safety risk, and the tower was telling you that,” Ms. Homendy told F.A.A. officials. She accused agency managers of routinely dismissing safety concerns raised by employees in the airport’s air traffic control tower and of reassigning people who had previously voiced concerns after the accident. She also said they used F.A.A. bureaucracy as an excuse to avoid making needed changes. “Are you kidding me? Sixty-seven people are dead,” she said, denouncing the F.A.A.’s process for reviewing safety recommendations. “Fix it. Do better,” she added. By the last day of the hearings, Ms. Homendy was accusing F.A.A. officials outright of trying to stymie the N.T.S.B.’s investigation by withholding documents and data the board had been requesting for months. “I think you’re interfering in the investigation,” she charged, “because you’re basically telling us ‘no’ every way you can.” Aviation safety experts said it was understandable for tensions to run unusually high after the collision because of the magnitude and rarity of the tragedy — it was the first fatal crash involving a major American airline in over 15 years. But part of the N.T.S.B.’s visible agitation in the hearings could also be strategic, those experts said. The fact that the crash happened just outside the nation’s capital — along with the fact that power brokers from the Trump administration and Congress are eager to respond — has created a unique opportunity for the board to influence sweeping changes. “The intensity has increased partly because of the visibility of this particular catastrophe and the proximity to Washington,” said Alan Diehl, a former aviation safety official with the N.T.S.B. and the F.A.A. “By doing that, the N.T.S.B. hopes to convince both the F.A.A. and Congress that we need a revolution,” he added, “in both personnel policies within the F.A.A. as well as the funding policies.” Ms. Homendy, who spent more than 14 years on Capitol Hill before President Trump nominated her to fill one of the Democratic slots on the board, has a keen understanding of Washington dynamics, according to board watchers. She is known for being more public-facing and, at times, being more comfortable adopting an adversarial posture than some of her predecessors. But she was not alone last week in being pointedly critical of the F.A.A. J. Todd Inman, a Republican member of the N.T.S.B, also accused the agency of stonewalling the investigation. The F.A.A. withheld documents about staffing at the control tower for months, he charged, dumping thousands of pages on the board on the Friday before the hearing, only after Ms. Homendy appealed to agency and Transportation Department leaders for help. At another point, Mr. Inman lost his patience with officials’ promises to do better. “We’d like to be treated privately the same way we are publicly,” he said. Mr. Inman also accused the F.A.A. of refusing to share critical data about real-time flight tracking technology, forcing the safety board to spend $50,000 annually to evaluate it “because the F.A.A. does not consider N.T.S.B. a trusted government partner.” F.A.A. officials in the hot seat frequently defended their agency. Nick Fuller, the F.A.A.’s acting deputy chief operations officer, responded to allegations that the agency had withheld documents and data by arguing that some of the board’s requests had been unclear, and that “in fact, we just gave you the latest and greatest” information. Mr. Fuller also pushed back on accusations from all three presiding board members that after the Jan. 29 accident, the F.A.A. had removed managers at Reagan National’s control tower who had previously raised concerns about traffic, staffing or other safety pitfalls. He argued that staffing changes had not been retaliatory, but rather executed in the interest of solving the problem quickly. “I was given a task to fix the facility risk between helicopters and fixed wing,” Mr. Fuller said, referring to airplanes, “and it wasn’t to work through a collaborative process and allow a few months — it was to get the job done immediately.” On several occasions during the hearings, Ms. Homendy sought assurances that F.A.A. employees who were called as witnesses in the investigation would not be retaliated against for their testimony — a step prompted by reports that some who had critical things to say were being harassed, she told reporters on Thursday after that day’s testimony. “Nobody can take what is clearly a safety issue and get it up through the offices that should be making the decision to ensure safety in the airspace — or somebody’s ignoring them,” she told reporters. “You raise a red flag, and two things happen: You don’t get it, you don’t get the safety change that you have asked for, or you’re transferred out after an accident occurs.” But experts warned against assuming that the acrimony of the hearing would disrupt the two agencies’ expert staff members from being able to work together. “Overall, the process is healthy,” said John Cox, a former airline pilot who runs a safety consulting firm. “Is there friction? Yes. Is it normal? Yes. Was last week a little more so than normal? Yes,” he added. “Will that encourage F.A.A. to move more quickly? I hope.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/us/politics/faa-ntsb-dc-crash.html Air traffic controller suspended for letting teenage son interact with planes An air traffic controller in Bogota, Colombia, was suspended for allowing his teenage son to take the reins for an hour and interact with aircraft. The incident took place on July 21, 2025, at El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogota, where the air traffic controller allowed his 18-year old son to communicate with aircraft for 50 minutes. According to local reports, the controller wanted his son to have “work experience” to gauge whether he wanted to proceed with an air traffic controller course. One of the aircraft that the teenager gave clearance to was Avianca (AV) flight AV-217, an A330-300 bound for Buenos Aires, operated by Wamos Air, sparking national concern and regulatory investigation. The teenager allegedly posted a video of his work experience online, which went viral and caught the attention of Colombia’s Aeronautica Civil, which investigated the incident and found that safety protocols had been breached. “This incident constitutes a violation of rules that safeguard air safety and compromises the integrity of passengers, crew, and aircraft,” the regulator said in a statement posted to its official Facebook account. “The individual behaviors observed do not represent the body of air traffic controllers as a whole, which is largely composed of professionals committed to strict compliance with aeronautical regulations,” the regulator added. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/air-traffic-controller-suspended-for-letting-teenage-son-interact-with-planes Türkiye may ban power banks on flights after mid-air incident Türkiye could soon ban portable chargers, commonly known as power banks, on flights over safety concerns, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu signaled on Monday. Uraloğlu's remarks came a week after Asiana Airlines' Istanbul-Seoul flight was forced to turn back while flying over Kazakhstan after a passenger dropped a power bank between the seats, where it became stuck and could not be retrieved. "This incident once again underscores the critical importance of flight safety," Uraloğlu said in a written statement. Lithium batteries in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, electronic cigarettes and power banks can produce smoke, fire or extreme heat when manufacturing faults or damage cause them to short-circuit. Uraloğlu warned that power banks pose a fire risk when crushed, struck, or compressed, emphasizing the need for all electronic devices onboard to comply with international aviation safety standards. "The proper handling of electronic devices on aircraft is essential for ensuring flight safety," he said. "It is crucial to strictly follow international rules regarding portable electronics." Recalling an incident in South Korea, where a power bank was cited as a cause of a fire that engulfed a plane in January before destroying it, Uraloğlu said the Turkish authorities were acting to prevent similar risks. "To mitigate the chances of such incidents occurring in our country, we have advised our airlines, through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, to consider banning the use of portable chargers during flights," he said. Aviation has long recognized lithium batteries as a safety concern, and rules are periodically tightened in response to accidents. From this March, South Korea has changed rules on carrying batteries onboard flights, including keeping power banks and e-cigarettes with passengers and not in overhead bins, and not charging devices on board. Last year, three incidents every two weeks of overheating lithium batteries on planes were recorded globally by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), compared to just under one a week in 2018. https://www.dailysabah.com/business/transportation/turkiye-may-ban-power-banks-on-flights-after-mid-air-incident Spirit Airlines pilot ‘removed from duty’ after being arrested on stalking charges Dominic Cipolla was arrested at New Orleans’s international airport on stalking charges out of Kansas, officials say A Spirit Airlines pilot has been “removed from duty” after being arrested at work at New Orleans’s international airport on stalking charges out of Kansas, according to officials. Dominic A Cipolla, 40, was charged with stalking two different people in a criminal complaint dated 11 July, records in the Johnson county courthouse in Olathe, Kansas, show. Officials haven’t released much information about the charges against Cipolla, but the dates of birth listed in court documents for his alleged victims indicate that they are approximately 12 and 17 years old. Local law enforcement officers arrested Cipolla in connection with that complaint on 17 July while he was working at Louis Armstrong airport in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Louisiana. He was held as a fugitive at a local lockup before being transferred to the Johnson county jail on 2 August. He soon posted a $12,500 bond for his release from custody while awaiting the outcome of the charges against him and was tentatively scheduled to make an initial court appearance on 12 August, records show. When asked about Cipolla on Monday, a spokesperson for Spirit – which is based in Florida and known for its low air fare – said in a statement that the company was “aware of a matter involving a pilot at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport … which was unrelated to the performance of their job duties”. “The pilot was removed from duty pending our investigation into the matter,” the airline’s statement said. “And we arranged for another pilot to operate the flight.” Records in Cipolla’s case show that the charge he faces in connection with the younger of the two alleged victims is considered a severity level 7 person felony in Kansas, which is a crime that can carry about one to three years in prison under the state’s laws. The other charge is considered a class A person misdemeanor, which can carry a fine of up to $2,500 or up to a year in county jail. Cipolla is described as a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, in court records. Kansas City is about 22 miles (35km) north of Olathe. Attempts to contact Cipolla were not immediately successful. A profile under his name at a publicly accessible sales and recruiting platform says Cipolla once served in the US military and joined Spirit in 2022 as a first officer after spending the previous three years in the same role at the Texas regional airline Envoy Air. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/spirit-airlines-pilot-stalking-charges NetJets Pilots Can Monitor Performance with FlightPulse GE Aerospace extension of FOQA program provides quick insights to flight crew GE Aerospace’s FlightPulse gives pilots rapid feedback on flight performance, including comparison to peer results. Fractional-share aircraft provider NetJets has made GE Aerospace’s FlightPulse app available to pilots to monitor their performance as derived from the GE flight data monitoring (FDM) program that NetJets uses. The app is available to the more than 4,400 NetJets pilots in the U.S. and Europe. Pilots typically don’t have direct or rapid access to FDM or flight operational quality assurance information, and FlightPulse quickly shows each pilot their individual results and compares them to averages according to specific aircraft types. A typical day gathers data from 2.5 million flights. “In the world of aviation, safety is paramount and will always be NetJets’ first and highest priority, integral to every decision we make,” said NetJets chairman and CEO Adam Johnson. “As the industry leader, it is our responsibility to elevate our safety programs by utilizing cutting-edge tools like FlightPulse to continue to bring best-in-class service to our customers worldwide.” “This collaboration marks a significant milestone, expanding the global reach of business jet pilots using our software,” said Andrew Coleman, president and general manager at GE Aerospace Software as a Service. “Together, we are helping to drive innovation and safety in aviation by providing pilots with actionable, data-driven insights to optimize every flight.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-08-04/netjets-pilots-can-monitor-performance-flightpulse The 10 U.S. Airlines Most Likely to Lose Your Luggage, Ranked Flying soon? These airlines have the worst track records for lost luggage. There’s nothing like that sinking feeling when the luggage carousel stops moving, and your bag is nowhere in sight. A new study just revealed which U.S. airlines are the most likely to mishandle your luggage, and let’s just say… some of these results might make you rethink who you fly with next. Using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation between 2021 and 2024, researchers looked at how many bags (including wheelchairs and scooters) were boarded and how many were reported as mishandled. Here are the top 10 airlines with the worst baggage mishandling rates. 10. Spirit Airlines – 4.93 mishandled reports per 1,000 items Spirit might be known for its ultra-low fares, and it was even named one of the best U.S. airlines, but it’s not immune to baggage issues. Out of more than 37 million items enplaned, over 185,000 were reported as mishandled. A colorful suitcase and a tracking device might be a wise move here. 9. Delta Air Lines – 5.10 mishandled reports per 1,000 items Delta is often praised for reliability, but baggage isn’t completely safe from mishaps. With over 217 million items boarded during the study period, more than 1.1 million ended up in the mishandled category. Yikes. 8. SkyWest Airlines – 5.28 mishandled reports per 1,000 items If you're flying with SkyWest (which operates regional flights for big carriers), don’t assume your bag is in the clear. They logged over 439,000 mishandled reports from 2021 to 2024. 7. JetBlue Airways – 5.67 mishandled reports per 1,000 items JetBlue might win points for legroom and snacks, but not so much for luggage handling. Over a quarter-million bags went missing or were damaged out of the 44 million they carried. If you’re flying on a budget but still want peace of mind, check out the safest low-cost airlines in the world. 6. PSA Airlines – 6.06 mishandled reports per 1,000 items As a regional carrier for American Airlines, PSA isn't a household name, but its baggage record stands out, and not in a good way. Over 207,000 items were mishandled over just four years. 5. United Airlines – 6.43 mishandled reports per 1,000 items United boards a massive amount of luggage, more than 144 million items, during the study period. But nearly a million of those didn’t make it to their final destination in one piece. Not exactly confidence-inspiring. 4. Alaska Airlines – 6.69 mishandled reports per 1,000 items Alaska has a solid reputation, but it still ranks fourth in luggage mishandling. Over 400,000 bags were affected. If you’re flying up north (or anywhere else they go), keep an eye on that suitcase. 3. Republic Airways – 7.01 mishandled reports per 1,000 items Another regional carrier with a not-so-great track record. Out of nearly 28 million items enplaned, Republic lost or damaged close to 200,000. Small airline, with a big baggage problem. 2. Envoy Air – 8.25 mishandled reports per 1,000 items Envoy, which also flies under the American Airlines umbrella, came in second with over 224,000 reports. If you’ve ever had to gate-check a bag on a tiny regional jet, you might already be familiar with this stat. 1. American Airlines – 8.71 mishandled reports per 1,000 items And the (unfortunate) winner is… American Airlines. With more than 1.75 million mishandled items over four years, they top the list for baggage woes. That’s out of over 200 million bags—so the odds might not be terrible, but they’re still the worst in the country. What to Do if Your Bag Goes Missing According to Ronan McLoughlin from Boutique Hotel Hub: “When traveling, the last thing you expect is for your bag to be lost or otherwise mishandled by your airline. It can add a lot of unnecessary stress to an expensive vacation, and while accidents do happen, passengers have a right to be upset when this happens.” If your bag doesn’t arrive, report the issue at the airport before you leave the baggage claim area. Most airlines have a dedicated desk for this, and the sooner you report it, the better your odds of a resolution. And for a little peace of mind? Use a unique-looking suitcase, add a luggage tag with your contact info, and consider dropping a tracking device like an AirTag inside. It might just save you a headache later. Want to avoid these baggage mishaps altogether? You might want to check out the best U.S. airlines for overall service before booking your next flight. https://www.yahoo.com/creators/lifestyle/story/the-10-us-airlines-most-likely-to-lose-your-luggage-ranked-214402559.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation, 5 to 7 August 2025 Woburn MA 01801 USA. . 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 . 2025 NBAA Single-Pilot Safety Standdown; Monday, Oct. 13 | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; Las Vegas, NV . 2025 NBAA National Safety Forum, Tuesday, Oct. 14 – Wednesday, Oct. 15; Las Vegas, NV . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 78TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT (IASS) - Lisbon, November 4–6 . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada . 2026 ACSF Safety Symposium; April 7-9, 2026; ERAU Daytona Beach, FL . 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference; May 5-7, 2026; New Orleans, LA . BASS 2026 - 71st Business Aviation Safety Summit - May 5-6, 2026 | Provo, Utah . The African Aviation Safety & Operations Summit - May 19-20 | Johannesburg, South Africa . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis