Flight Safety Information - October 24, 2025 No. 213 In This Issue : Incident: Westjet B38M at Vancouver on Oct 12th 2025, engine failure on very short final : Incident: ANZ A20N at Sydney on Oct 24th 2025, hydraulic failure : Incident: KLM B773 at Paramaribo on Oct 22nd 2025, in search for ATC : Passenger fumes at ‘absolutely ridiculous’ decision to turn JetBlue flight around because of ‘disruptive’ man: ‘He was sober’ : The Foundation for Aviation Safety Calls for Global Reform of Aircraft Accident Investigations : Maker of China’s C919 jet to visit Dubai Airshow, scout for Middle Eastern buyers : Finnair grounds eight Airbus A321s over seat cover fire safety concerns : Calendar of Event Incident: Westjet B38M at Vancouver on Oct 12th 2025, engine failure on very short final A Westjet Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration C-GFJM performing flight WS-707 from Toronto,ON to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 183 people on board, was on short final to Vancouver's runway 08R descending between 700 and 300 feet AGL when the left hand engine (Leap) lost power, the aircraft on autopilot drifted to the left and the airspeed reduced by about 7 knots, the crew observed an engine fail and autothrottle caution light. The captain announced an engine failure, the crew elected to continue the landing. At that time the left engine stabilized again, the parameters returned to normal. The aircraft landed safely with both engines operating normally and taxied to the apron. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance performed numerous activities to troubleshoot the power loss. During a fuel nozzle check a loose B-nut was discovered which was retorqued. The fuel metering unit was also replaced. The aircraft returned to service on Oct 15th 2025. Incident: Westjet B38M at Vancouver on Oct 12th 2025, engine failure on very short final A Westjet Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration C-GFJM performing flight WS-707 from Toronto,ON to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 183 people on board, was on short final to Vancouver's runway 08R descending between 700 and 300 feet AGL when the left hand engine (Leap) lost power, the aircraft on autopilot drifted to the left and the airspeed reduced by about 7 knots, the crew observed an engine fail and autothrottle caution light. The captain announced an engine failure, the crew elected to continue the landing. At that time the left engine stabilized again, the parameters returned to normal. The aircraft landed safely with both engines operating normally and taxied to the apron. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance performed numerous activities to troubleshoot the power loss. During a fuel nozzle check a loose B-nut was discovered which was retorqued. The fuel metering unit was also replaced. The aircraft returned to service on Oct 15th 2025. https://avherald.com/h?article=52ebf7b3&opt=0 Incident: ANZ A20N at Sydney on Oct 24th 2025, hydraulic failure An ANZ Air New Zealand Airbus A320-200N, registration ZK-NHC performing flight NZ-221 from Christchuarch (New Zealand) ti Sydney,NS (Australia), was descending towards Sydney when the crew reported a hydraulic failure. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Sydney's runway 25. The return flight to Queenstown (New Zealand) was cancelled. https://avherald.com/h?article=52ec6c52&opt=0 Incident: KLM B773 at Paramaribo on Oct 22nd 2025, in search for ATC A KLM Boeing 777-300, registration PH-BVR performing flight KL-713 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Paramaribo (Suriname), was descending towards Paramaribo when the crew stopped the descent at FL180 at about 13:35L (16:35Z) and entered a hold due to unavailability of Air Traffic Control. After about 25 minutes in the hold the crew decided to divert to Cayenne (French Guyana) where the aircraft landed safely about one hour after aborting the approach to Paramaribo. The aircraft remained on the ground in Cayenne for about 80 minutes, then departed Cayenne for Paramaribo and landed in Paramaribo with a delay of about 3 hours. Suriname's Ministry of Transport reported in the morning there was a shortage of ATC controllers due to a series of sick leave messages, if not addressed traffic to and from Paramaribo would come to a stand still by 16:00, they were working on calling air traffic controllers in. https://avherald.com/h?article=52ebefa1&opt=0 Passenger fumes at ‘absolutely ridiculous’ decision to turn JetBlue flight around because of ‘disruptive’ man: ‘He was sober’ A man on a JetBlue flight from Boston to Las Vegas, which had to return to Logan International Airport Monday night because of a “disruptive” passenger, said he believes the flight attendant overreacted to a mid-air situation. The witness, who asked to remain anonymous when speaking with NBC Boston, said he was seated diagonally from the 37-year-old Kentucky man, who Boston police said was non-compliant and verbally abusive on Flight 777. "He was sober and never stood up once while we were in the plane, never raised his voice, never swore, nothing," he told the news outlet. According to the witness, the situation escalated after the man asked a flight attendant if he could move to one of the many empty seats. The attendant reportedly said he needed to check with another crew member, prompting one flight attendant to storm down the aisle and question if there was a problem. “The passenger said to him, ‘Well, I'm going to file a complaint against you with JetBlue. I have all this recorded because you were going to file a false report against me,’” the witness said. The flight attendant then ordered the plane to turn around near Rochester, New York, he said. Providing a photo of troopers escorting the Kentucky man off the plane in Boston, the witness said he feels the whole incident could’ve been avoided. “Look how much money they probably spent to turn that aircraft around,” he told NBC Boston. “Ruin this guy's day. Ruin our night…” The witness also said two other people, a couple who were trying to defend the “disruptive” man, were also escorted off in Boston. Police have not shared any further details about the incident. NBC Boston reports that the man was facing a charge of interfering with a flight crew, however. JetBlue said the flight resumed to Las Vegas after the disruptive passengers were removed. NBC Boston reports that the flight finally landed in Vegas about four hours later than expected at 2:30 a.m. "Safety is JetBlue's first priority, and we appreciate everyone’s patience while we addressed this situation," JetBlue told the outlet in a statement. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/passenger-fumes-absolutely-ridiculous-decision-171038541.html The Foundation for Aviation Safety Calls for Global Reform of Aircraft Accident Investigations WASHINGTON, October 23, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Foundation for Aviation Safety is calling for urgent reform of the international aircraft accident investigation system, citing outdated protocols, conflicts of interest, and systemic failures that endanger public trust and delay lifesaving safety improvements. Outdated Standards in a Modern World International accident investigations are governed by procedures set under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 standards — a framework developed in the 1950s. Despite decades of updates, the system has not kept pace with the complexity of modern aviation. Today’s aircraft involve advanced software, automation, and global supply chains, yet investigations remain bound by procedures designed for a simpler era. The result is a process vulnerable to bias, political interference, and even criminal concealment. When manufacturing defects, software failures, or supply chain breakdowns are potential causes, investigative authorities often lack the technical depth to identify them. Many default to blaming pilots or isolated mechanical issues — a pattern reinforced by their dependence on "parties to the investigation," including the very manufacturers whose systems may be at fault. Built-In Conflicts of Interest Under Annex 13, the "state of occurrence" leads the investigation. This arrangement can trap the process within local bureaucracies or political pressures. Even more troubling, manufacturers’ technical experts — while ostensibly assisting investigators — may face intense pressure to deflect corporate culpability. This conflict of interest has produced a consistent and dangerous trend: prematurely blaming pilots before all evidence is examined. The Air India Flight 171 disaster illustrates this systemic flaw. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released an incomplete and misleading preliminary report, omitting critical data such as: Without including the complete factual audio recording, the system fault messages, and flight deck instrument warnings, such omissions confuse the real sequence of electronic and systems failures that led to the tragedy. The Air India investigation is not an isolated case. The two Boeing 737 MAX crash investigations exposed similar issues: not including data, obstruction of independent analysis, and violations of international standards. The Foundation for Aviation Safety has provided evidence of electrical system defects on both the MAX airplanes to U.S. aviation authorities. NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s leading body of pilots has asked the civil aviation regulator to inspect all Boeing 787 Dreamliners operating in the country for electrical issues after one of the planes abruptly deployed an emergency power system midair over the weekend. The device, a small propeller that acts as a backup generator and which is known as the ram air turbine, or RAT, normally would be activated when an aircraft's engines lose power, its hydraulic systems register critically low pressure or its electrical systems fail. However, the RAT engaged unexpectedly on Saturday aboard Air India flight 117 from the northern Indian city of Amritsar moments before it landed safely in Birmingham, England. The Federation of Indian Pilots, which represents about 6,000 pilots, asked for the investigation Sunday evening. Air India, owned by business conglomerate Tata Group, said in a statement that an initial inspection following the weekend incident found that “all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal” and that the aircraft landed safely. The midair deployment of the emergency device has reignited concerns in India over the safety of the Dreamliner. In June, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London crashed in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, killing 260 people including 19 on the ground, in one of India’s worst aviation disasters. A preliminary report into the June 12 crash found that the fuel control switches for the engines were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel. The RAT system activated as it was supposed to have done when the plane lost power and engine thrust, the report said. Charanvir Singh Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, said that he'd never heard of the RAT system being deployed even when there are no problems in the engines, hydraulics or electrical systems, as appeared to be the case over the weekend. "It’s a serious concern that warrants a detailed inquiry,” he said. Randhawa, whose career spans five decades in aviation, wrote an email to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Sunday, apprising it of the incident and urging an investigation into the electrical systems of all Boeing Dreamliners operating in India. A spokesman for India’s Civil Aviation Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment, and a spokeswoman for Boeing India was not immediately available for comment. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/foundation-aviation-safety-calls-global-170800320.html Maker of China’s C919 jet to visit Dubai Airshow, scout for Middle Eastern buyers Comac has been looking for overseas buyers of its two passenger jets after growth in orders in China China’s passenger jet manufacturer will make its Dubai Airshow debut next month, when it is likely to scout for buyers of its small C909 and narrowbody C919 aircraft in the Middle East. The air show’s website lists Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) among its 1,500 exhibitors, and analysts said the Shanghai-based, state-owned planemaker’s participation at the event from November 17 to 21 would mark a first for the company. Comac has been looking for overseas buyers of its older, smaller C909 aircraft, formerly known as the ARJ21, along with its newer single-aisle C919 jets after growth in orders in China. A take-off in overseas sales would advance Comac’s ambition to disrupt the global Airbus-Boeing duopoly for passenger aircraft. Comac’s slot at the Dubai Airshow will give it exposure to more than 148,000 attendees, according to figures on the show’s website. “It’s absolutely an important air show,” said Hugh Ritchie, CEO of Australia-based Aviation Analysts International. “I think [Comac] will get a lot of attention. If I were an airline manager, I’d be looking very astutely at the Chinese aircraft.” The C909 and C919 could be flying high on the recent growth in China’s trade ties with the Middle East. China and countries in the Middle East have stepped up trade over the past few years following President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and increasing tensions in China’s trade relationship with the United States. Beijing’s 12-year-old Belt and Road Initiative, which is focused on building trade-linked infrastructure overseas, resulted in US$19.4 billion in construction engagement in the Middle East in the first half of this year, according to a report released in July by the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia. China’s home-grown C919 plane touches down in Hong Kong on ‘historic’ flight Independent aviation analyst Li Hanming said Comac was keen to attract more attention to the C909 and C919. “The belt and road is an investment framework under which Comac may offer airlines funding support by Chinese banks or leasing companies,” Li said. Comac did not respond to a query from the Post about its participation in the air show, which takes place every two years. Outside China, use of the C909 has made headway over the past few years in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam – particularly since Comac’s appearance at last year’s Singapore Airshow. However, overseas expansion also poses challenges. Vietnamese budget airline VietJet Air said this week it had suspended two routes flown by C909s that had operated for half a year. An airline spokeswoman did not give a reason for pausing them, but did not rule out bringing the C909 back into service should they resume. Li said VietJet could be looking for better terms on a new lease with Comac. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330179/maker-chinas-c919-jet-visit-dubai-airshow-scout-middle-eastern-buyers Finnair grounds eight Airbus A321s over seat cover fire safety concerns Finnair has been forced to ground eight Airbus A321 aircraft after the airline was alerted to safety concerns over approximately 1,700 seat covers. On October 22, 2025, the Finnish flag carrier announced that it had been informed by the original seat cover manufacturer that the “impact of washing on the fire protection of the seat covers had not been verified in the required manner”. Finnair subsequently pulled the eight affected aircraft from service, resulting in the cancellation of around 70 flights, affecting the travel plans of around 11,000 customers. According to Finnair, it was originally alerted to the issue on October 13, 2025, and expects the eight A321s to be back in service by the end of the month. The first aircraft has already resumed operations. Pekka Korhonen, SVP Technical Operations at Finnair, said: “We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption this has caused our customers. The safe operation of our flights is the foundation of everything we do. Once we received information that the impact of washing on the fire protection of the seat covers had not been verified in the required manner, it was clear that the aircraft had to remain on the ground until the issue was resolved.” The airline has said that the affected seat covers were manufactured by a long-standing Finnair partner, based on specifications provided by the original seat manufacturer. “The covers have been washed in accordance with the information received from the original seat manufacturer,” a spokesperson for Finnair explained. “Seats are typically washed every two years. Washing is a standard cleaning method for aircraft seats and is used across the rest of Finnair’s fleet.” New seat covers from multiple suppliers are now being installed to allow the aircraft to return to service. In the meantime, Finnair has leased two aircraft with crew to operate part of its network. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/finnair-grounds-airbus-a321s-seat-cover-fire-safety CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 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