Flight Safety Information - August 11, 2025 No. 159 In This Issue : Incident: Qantas A333 at Melbourne on Aug 10th 2025, hydraulic problems : Incident: Indigo A20N at Singapore on Aug 8th 2025, locked flaps : Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Aug 1st 2025, engine problems : Incident: France A359 over Atlantic on Aug 8th 2025, burning odour on board : Incident: Wizz A320 at Skopje on Aug 6th 2025, bird strike : Incident: KLM B773 over Atlantic on Aug 6th 2025, passenger's power bank overheated : Boeing 777-246ER - Bird Strike (Paris) : Delta plane clips empty jet during pushback from gate at Atlanta airport : EasyJet pilot suspended after 'drunk and naked' incident : Why Boeing Can Build A 737 In 9 Days (But The 747 Took Much Longer : Two Major Airlines Share Huge Warning to Domestic Travelers : ISASI - 2025 - Denver, CO - September 29-October 3, 2025. : Calendar of Events Incident: Qantas A333 at Melbourne on Aug 10th 2025, hydraulic problems A Qantas Airbus A330-300, registration VH-QPJ performing flight QF-29 from Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Hong Kong (China), was climbing out of Melbourne's runway 34 when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet due to a hydraulic problem, the landing gear had remained extended. The crew advised they needed to maintain 175 KIAS and needed to return to Melbourne. The aircraft landed safely back on runway 34 about 45 minutes after departure and stopped at the end of runway 34. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 30 minutes later. The flight was cancelled. https://avherald.com/h?article=52b807ca&opt=0 Incident: Indigo A20N at Singapore on Aug 8th 2025, locked flaps An Indigo Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-IZE performing flight 6E-1007 (dep Aug 7th) from Tiruchirapalli (India) to Singapore (Singapore), was descending through 8000 feet towards Singapore when the crew reported flight control problems and entered a hold, subsequently advising ATC they had their flaps locked at zero degrees. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 20C at a higher than normal speed about 35 minutes after entering the hold. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 23 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=52b800d9&opt=0 Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Aug 1st 2025, engine problems A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N666DN performing flight DL-8962 from Atlanta,GA to Chicago Midway,IL (USA) with 44 people on board, was climbing out of Atlanta's runway 26L cleared to climb to 14000 feet when the crew requested to maintain 10,000 feet. The crew subsequently reported they had right hand engine (PW2037) problems, no oil pressure, a long final was requested. The aircraft landed on Atlanta's runway 26R about 23 minutes after departure. Attending emergency services reported seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The aircraft returned to service 2 days later. https://avherald.com/h?article=52b75d56&opt=0 Incident: France A359 over Atlantic on Aug 8th 2025, burning odour on board AN Air France Airbus A350-900, registration F-HTYC performing flight AF-460 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) with 320 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 650nm southsouthwest of Terceira, Azores Islands (Portugal) when the crew decided to turn north and divert to Terceira due to a burning odour on board. The aircraft landed safely on Terceira's runway 33 about 100 minutes later. The airline reported the aircraft diverted due to an unusual burning odour on board. A replacement aircraft is being dispatched to Terceira. https://avherald.com/h?article=52b6c566&opt=0 Incident: Wizz A320 at Skopje on Aug 6th 2025, bird strike A Wizz Air Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LWC performing flight W6-4793 from Skopje (North Macedonia) to Basel/Mulhouse (Switzerland/France), was climbing out of Skopje's runway 34 when the crew stopped the climb at 10,000 feet following a bird strike into one of the engines (V2527) and decided to return to Skopje. The aircraft landed safely on Skopje's runway 34 about 23 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Skopje about 50 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52b6c341&opt=0 Incident: KLM B773 over Atlantic on Aug 6th 2025, passenger's power bank overheated A KLM Boeing 777-300, registration PH-BVP performing flight KL-792 (dep Aug 5th) from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was enroute over the Atlantic Ocean about 4 hours prior to estimated landing in Amsterdam when a passenger's power bank overheated and emitted smoke. Cabin crew secured the device enabling the flight to continue to destination for a safe landing on runway 18C. The airline reported the crew followed standard operating procedures for landing lithium ion battery fires. The aircraft departed for the next flight about 3:20 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52b69653&opt=0 Boeing 777-246ER - Bird Strike (Paris) Date: Sunday 10 August 2025 Time: c. 08:16 LT Type: Boeing 777-246ER Owner/operator: MyWay Airlines, opf Air Senegal Registration: 4L-MWB MSN: 32891/427 Year of manufacture: 2003 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG) - France Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Dakar-Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS/GOBD) Destination airport: Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A MyWay Airlines Boeing 777-246ER, performing Air Senegal flight SZN403, experienced a bird strike upon landing at runway 08R at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG). The airplane was taken out of service. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/536041 Delta 757 Collides with Another Aircraft at Atlanta Airport The flight crew halted operations immediately after the incident, and ground staff inspected the aircraft to assess any damage. ATLANTA- A Delta Air Lines (DL) Boeing 757 clips an empty aircraft during pushback from the gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on Sunday morning, according to the airline. The incident occurred before departure for Guatemala City (GUA). Passengers and crew were safe and were moved to another aircraft after a delay. Delta Air Lines (DL) confirmed that during pushback from the gate, the wing of a Boeing 757 Aircraft clipped an empty plane. The plane involved in the incident was scheduled to operate a flight from Atlanta (ATL) to Guatemala City (GUA) with 192 passengers, 2 pilots, and 4 flight attendants on board. According to the Daily Mail, the airline stated that no injuries occurred as a result of the contact. The flight crew halted operations immediately after the incident, and ground staff inspected the aircraft to assess any damage. Passengers were then accommodated on an alternative aircraft to complete their journey. Pushback incidents can occur when ground maneuvering space is limited or when environmental factors like visibility and ramp congestion affect movement. Delta noted that safety protocols were followed, and the affected aircraft was taken out of service for inspection. Delta’s Operational Safety Delta Air Lines operates a vast domestic and international network, and safety remains a top operational priority. Procedures for ground handling, including pushback and taxiing, are designed to minimize the risk of aircraft contact. Atlanta Airport handles more passenger traffic annually than any other airport worldwide. The complex nature of ramp operations at such a busy facility requires precise coordination between pilots, ramp agents, and air traffic controllers. Following the incident, Delta provided updates to passengers and worked to minimize disruption to their travel plans. Although departure was delayed, affected customers reached Guatemala City on a replacement aircraft. The airline also reiterated its commitment to handling such events with transparency and efficiency. Similar Incident On April 10, 2025, two American Airlines (AA) aircraft clipped wings on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) while preparing for departure. The incident occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. and involved American Eagle flight 5490 to Charleston (CHS) and American Eagle flight 4522 to New York JFK Airport (JFK). At least seven members of Congress were among the passengers on one of the aircraft. The ground contact involved a Bombardier CRJ 900 operated by PSA Airlines for flight 5490 and an Embraer E175 operated by Republic Airways for flight 4522. Both aircraft sustained wing damage, with at least one requiring further inspection. Across both planes, 147 passengers and 8 crew members were on board, and no injuries were reported. American Airlines confirmed that both flights returned to their gates following the incident, and passengers were rebooked on alternative services. The airline emphasized that safety is its top priority and issued an apology to affected customers. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/08/11/delta-plane-clips-aircraft-during-pushback-at-atlanta/ Why Boeing Can Build A 737 In 9 Days (But The 747 Took Much Longer Boeing has been very fast at making the 737, maybe a little too fast, according to an NTSB investigation. As many as 52 Boeing 737s were leaving the assembly line every month by early 2019, thanks to production advances that shortened the assembly process to just nine days per plane. That's a sharp contrast to earlier days of the 737, when seven planes were produced on a monthly basis. But in March 2019, the FAA grounded the 737 MAX in response to two fatal crashes of the plane, one earlier that year and one in 2018. Production and sales would drop dramatically, but production would slowly start to rebound, that is, until January 5, 2024, when a 60-pound chunk of the fuselage blew off in the middle of Alaska Airlines flight 1262, depressurizing the entire cabin. This led to another temporary grounding, as well as another plummet in production and sales. The January 5 incident was due to the 737 in question leaving the factory with an unsecured door plug. The NTSB would place at least part of the blame on the rushed production of the 737 MAX, and the company would be forced by the FAA to cap its monthly output to 38 planes. It would take until May 2025 for Boeing to build back up to those production numbers, though. But, thanks to its nine -day build process, the company plans to increase monthly production of the 737 MAX to 42 planes by the end of this year, with FAA approval. If all goes according to Boeing's plan, production will ramp up to 57 planes per month by May 2027. Why Do They Need To Build The Boeing 737 So Fast? Boeing's ambitious goals to ramp up production of the 737 may seem odd in view of the plane's recent difficulties. But in spite of the 2018 and 2019 crashes, the 2024 Alaska Airlines incident, the FAA groundings, and the impact these events have had on sales, Boeing still has a massive backlog of over 4,000 orders to fill. Sales have begun to rebound, as well. Saudi-based AviLease, for example, recently ordered 30 Boeing 737 MAX planes. This follows an order by American Airlines for 85 737 MAX-10 planes, even though the MAX-10 isn't even certified yet. In fact, the Boeing CEO claims that the 737 is sold out for the rest of the decade. Then there are market pressures caused by competition. For instance, Airbus before the COVID-19 pandemic was able to produce over 60 of its A350 series planes on a monthly basis. It delivered 602 of these planes last year, averaging about 50 per month. Airbus plans to expand its production facilities and ramp up to 75 planes per month in 2026. Obviously, Boeing does not want to fall behind. The financial bottom line is important, too. Boeing needs to keep manufacturing costs down on a plane like the 737 in order to stay competitive. The more time a plane spends on the production line, the more man-hours are involved. Furthermore, Boeing has to keep its customers and shareholders confident that it can deliver planes on a timely basis. How The Boeing 737 Is Built So Fast Building a jet in just nine days is no easy task. Boeing began production of the 737 in 1968 and, by 1998, it was producing a mere seven planes a month, as everything in the build process was pretty much done manually. That year it would increase monthly production of the 737 Next Generation to 14 planes. In 1999, Boeing radically changed the way this plane was manufactured, enabling the 737 to be built in 11 days. When Boeing moved on to the 737 MAX, the process was further streamlined to nine days. Before this change, the 737 was assembled the way planes are traditionally built, which is called "garage-style". With this method, the plane stays in one spot during the entire process, while the different teams come to it at various stages in the production timeline. But the large volume of orders placed for the Boeing 737 meant there needed to be a faster way to build it. So, the jet is now placed on a conveyor that moves it forward at a speed of 2 inches per minute from one assembly team to the next. In theory, if one team can't finish its tasks before the plane has moved on, this is documented for the next team to finish. However, it is speculated that this is the part of Boeing's 737 build process that broke down and resulted in the January 5, 2024, Alaskan Airlines incident. The unsecured door plug wasn't documented, and thus the next team in the production didn't know it needed to be secured. So, Boeing has modified the production to a "move-ready" process, whereby the plane is moved along the line only after the team that is currently working on it has finished critical tasks. Building A Boeing 737: Days 1-4 One of the ways that Boeing has streamlined the assembly process of the 737 is that it orders the fuselage pre-built, instead of building it in the plant. The hollow shell is delivered by train from a supplier in Wichita, Kansas. Once it arrives at the factory in Renton, Washington, the assembly can begin. On days one through three, all the things that go inside the walls and panels, the wiring harnesses, plumbing, and insulation are installed, much the way a house is built after the frame and outer walls go up. At this stage, the avionic electronics are installed as well. Once these things are done, the hollow tube can be turned into an airplane. On day four, the wings, also pre-built, are lifted by cranes and attached to the fuselage. Lasers are employed to ensure the precise alignment needed for the wings. The vertical tail fin is also attached, as well as the landing gear. At this point, the structure is looking like a real airplane, at least from the outside. Building A Boeing 737: Days 5-9 By day five, system functional tests are ready to be conducted. This is also when the horizontal stabilizer, or tailplane, is fitted. Most work shifts to the inside, where floor panels are laid and galleys and lavatories are installed. Final work on flight control wiring is completed, as well. On day six, the power is turned on. This allows the team to test the landing gear, making sure it retracts like it is supposed to. Other major subsystems are able to be tested as well. This is a very important point in the build process. On day seven, the plane is able to stand on its own "feet", so to speak. It is taken off of the assembly jacks and lowered on to its own wheels. This is also when the engines are mounted to the 737, and the engine wiring and fuel lines are installed. A lot of testing is done on day eight. Diagnostics are run on the flaps, slats, rudder, elevator and other flight controls. The cockpit systems are tested pretty rigorously, as well. The systems are specifically tested to see how they work together. Final quality checks are done on day nine. The customer will conduct a walkthrough inspection while the plane is still in the factory. Once it passes all inspections, it is rolled out of the factory and on to a field for engine run-ups, taxi tests, and eventually a first flight. All that's left is painting the plane, which will take a few days. But by the end of day nine, the 737 is fully assembled. Why Did It Take So Long To Build The Boeing 747? Since the Boeing 737 can be built so efficiently, it might seem odd that it would take so much longer to complete a 747, 43 days, to be precise. But did you know that a single Boeing 747 contains 150 miles of wiring and over 6 million parts overall? The sheer size and complexity of the widebody 747 is one reason building it would take so long to build. The 747 weighs 206 tons empty, over four times heavier than a 737, and its wingspan is nearly twice that of the 737. Each wing required 40,000 rivets, and moving and attaching these massive wings required the use of cranes, which would take some time. The comparatively low sales volume of the 747 was another factor. During the 55 years it was in production, only 1,574 were built, compared to over 11,000 of the smaller 737s during that time. By the time production of the Boeing 747 was discontinued, only one plane was being built every two months, and the company was still keeping up with demand. It wasn't practical to dramatically overhaul the manufacturing process for the 747, as it was for the 737. Simply put, Boeing never needed to build the 747 in nine days. Boeing has certainly accomplished an impressive feat in its ability to build the 737 in just nine days on a consistent basis. But that speed in production hasn't come without cost, as seen in the government findings for Alaska Airlines flight 1262. Still, Boeing is determined to keep rolling out 737s at an ever-increasing pace. https://www.yahoo.com/autos/articles/why-boeing-build-737-9-142500314.html EasyJet pilot suspended after 'drunk and naked' incident EasyJet has suspended one of its captains after he was reportedly seen roaming a luxury hotel drunk and naked. The unnamed pilot was witnessed walking through common areas of a five-star resort in Cape Verde without any clothes on in the early hours of the morning on 5 August, after an extended drinking session in a bar, according to the Sun. He was due to operate a return flight to Gatwick more than 36 hours later, but was grounded after the budget airline received complaints about the incident and a replacement pilot found. An EasyJet spokesman told the BBC the pilot now faces an investigation and that the safety of passengers and crew was its "highest priority". The captain arrived at the Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa in the West African island nation on 4 August and proceeded to begin drinking, the Sun reports. At around 02:30 local time (04:30 BST) the following morning, hotel guests reportedly saw him strip off and wander into the reception, before moving onto the gym and spa, according to the newspaper. "The pilot did not have a stitch on and reeked of alcohol," an anonymous source inside the airline was quoted by the paper as saying. "Anyone who saw the pilot cavorting naked in the early hours on the day before a flight would not dream of getting on a plane with him at the controls." He was scheduled to helm the 2,332-nautical-mile (4,318km) trip back to Gatwick on the afternoon of 6 August, but was removed from the flight. An EasyJet spokesman said: "As soon as we were made aware, the pilot was immediately stood down from duty, in line with our procedures, pending an investigation. "The safety of our passengers and crew is EasyJet's highest priority." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80dd15378eo Two Major Airlines Share Huge Warning to Domestic Travelers Two of the nation’s biggest airline executives are signaling turbulent skies ahead for domestic travelers. Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle sounded the alarm during the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, August 5, cautioning that cuts to flight schedules may be inevitable. “There’s going to continue to be reductions in capacity in this industry,” he said, noting that many domestic routes are no longer profitable. Biffle explained that the supply of flights within the U.S. has outpaced demand, squeezing margins for airlines. “I’m talking about domestic fares in the domestic marketplace,” he said. “We believe that the entire industry is not making money…nThe domestic [flights are] not making money. And that’s because there is too much supply relative to demand.” People reports that the low-cost carrier received $929 million in revenue for the quarter but posted a net loss of $70 million. His comments come just weeks after United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby issued a similar prediction, per The Street. Speaking earlier this summer, Kirby pointed out that “every airline that’s not named United or Delta” is losing money on a sizable portion of its routes. “And the only way for them to get margins that are anywhere close to their WAC is to stop flying places that lose money. And that is going to ultimately happen,” he said. While Kirby suggested the changes wouldn’t happen “tomorrow” or “in the near term,” he emphasized that “economic gravity is ultimately going to win,” predicting that reductions in supply would benefit United and Delta most in the long run. Biffle’s remarks, however, imply that the reckoning could arrive faster than expected — potentially leading to fewer flight options and reduced competition on domestic routes. For travelers, that could mean higher fares and less flexibility when booking trips within the U.S. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/two-major-airlines-share-huge-171621223.html "Soaring To New Heights: A World of Innovation" September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025 Renaissance Denver Hotel & Conference Center 3801 Quebec Street Denver, CO 80207 USA https://web.cvent.com/event/a6ec0291-9280-4529-b72f-fb38e0cabc17/summary CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 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