Flight Safety Information - October 28, 2025 No. 215 In This Issue : Cessna 208B Grand Caravan - Fatal Accident (Kenya) : Airbus A321-211(WL) - Power Bank catches fire (China) : ACSF - INDUSTRY AUDIT STANDARD LITE : Flight delays soar past 1,660 as government shutdown hits Day 27 : Delta flight attendant pops emergency slide before takeoff in $100,000 accident : Boeing 787 Flight Hour Extensions Spark Pilots Backlash in India : “Bad Fuel” May Have Caused Back-To-Back Nimitz Aircraft Crashes: Trump : Russian Airlines Struggle Under Sanctions as Maintenance Gaps Threaten Flight Safety : India plans national aviation safety centre few months after Air India crash : Calendar of Event Cessna 208B Grand Caravan - Fatal Accident (Kenya) Date: Tuesday 28 October 2025 Time: c. 08:30 LT Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Owner/operator: Mombasa Air Safari Registration: 5Y-CCA MSN: 208B1248 Year of manufacture: 2007 Fatalities: Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Category: Accident Location: near Kwale - Kenya Phase: En route Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Ukunda Airport (UKA/HKUK) Destination airport: Kichwa Tembo Airport (HKTB) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Mombasa Air Safari Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, flight RRV203, crashed near Kwale. The eleven occupants, 10 European tourists and 1 pilot, perished and the aircraft was destroyed. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/556474 Airbus A321-211(WL) - Power Bank catches fire (China) Date: Monday 27 October 2025 Time: Type: Airbus A321-211(WL) Owner/operator: West Air Registration: B-321S MSN: 7348 Year of manufacture: 2016 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Category: Incident Location: Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX/ZGSZ) - China Phase: Standing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX/ZGSZ) Destination airport: Jinan-Yaoqiang Airport (TNA/ZSJN) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: West Air flight PN6333, an Airbus A321-200, was at the gate at Shenzhen (SZX) when during the boarding process, a passenger's power bank suddenly emitted smoke. The crew immediately responded by containing the device. No one was injured and the aircraft was not damaged. The subsequent flight took off at 11:45. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/557713 Flight delays soar past 1,660 as government shutdown hits Day 27 WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Air travel turmoil deepened with more than 1,660 flights delayed nationwide on Monday and more than 8,600 delays on Sunday, with air traffic controller absences surging amid a federal government shutdown now in its 27th day. The Federal Aviation Administration cited staffing shortages affecting flights across the Southeast and at Newark Airport in New Jersey, while the FAA imposed a ground delay at Los Angeles International that delayed flights by an average of 25 minutes. Southwest Airlines had 45%, or 2,000, of its flights delayed on Sunday, while American Airlines had nearly 1,200, or a third, of its flights delayed, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. United Airlines had 24%, or 739, of its flights delayed and Delta Air Lines had 17%, or 610, of its flights delayed. A U.S. Department of Transportation official said 44% of Sunday’s delays stemmed from controller absences — up sharply from the usual 5%. Roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work without pay and will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday. The mounting delays and cancellations are fueling public frustration and intensifying scrutiny of the shutdown’s impact, raising pressure on lawmakers to resolve the budget impasse. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/flight-delays-soar-past-1-151844853.html Delta flight attendant pops emergency slide before takeoff in $100,000 accident Frustrated passengers were delayed for hours after a Delta Airlines flight attendant accidentally activated an emergency exit slide – a mishap that may have cost up to $100,000. The incident occurred Saturday on Delta flight 3248 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Salt Lake City, Utah. “While the aircraft door was being opened, crew inadvertently deployed an emergency slide at the arrival gate in PIT,” a spokesperson said in a statement shared with The Independent. “As a result, customers on the return flight from PIT to SLC were rebooked on other Delta flights to their destination later that evening or the following morning. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel plans.” The experience was described as a “cluster f***” by one passenger, who recalled the experience on Reddit. The flight attendant, who cited over 26 years of experience flying, was “quite flustered” and had apologized for the mistake, they said. In a follow-up post the passenger described hearing a small “boom” and seeing the slide deploy. The slide was deployed against the jet-bridge causing passengers to be trapped onboard until the slide could be detached by maintenance workers, according to The New York Post. According to data from Flightradar24, the incident caused the flight to be delayed by almost four hours, departing from Pennsylvania at 9.21 p.m. instead of 5.30 p.m as scheduled. Accidental deployment of emergency slides can occur when the door handle is raised while arming doors for departure, due to the triggering of an emergency power assist response. Repacking an evacuation slide for the Airbus A220 models clocking in at between $50,000 to $100,000, multiple sources told The New York Post. Industry analysts also told the outlet that the total figure could be closer to six figures when maintenance inspections, passenger compensation and relocation costs are added. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/delta-flight-attendant-pops-emergency-222201667.html Boeing 787 Flight Hour Extensions Spark Pilots Backlash in India ALPA warns DGCA after 0.5-hour FDTL extension raises Boeing 787 duty to 14 hours, citing serious fatigue and safety risks. DELHI— The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) has called on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to immediately withdraw the recent extension of flight duty time limits (FDTL) for Boeing 787 two-pilot operations. According to ALPA, the DGCA’s decision to raise duty time from 10 hours to 10.5 hours and extend flight duty periods from 13 hours to 14 hours represents a “grave operational and safety concern”, as quoted in India Today. Boeing 787 Pilot Flight Hours Extension ALPA stated that the extension effectively pushes the limits of safe flight operations. It argued that pilots flying long-haul and night flights should operate with a minimum of three flight crew members rather than two to ensure adequate rest opportunities during extended duty periods. The association said the DGCA must “immediately withdraw the FDTL extension” and mandate three-member crews for flights exceeding eight hours. It further urged the regulator to undertake a comprehensive fatigue risk assessment in coordination with pilot representatives before considering any additional relaxations to crew duty limits. Pilots highlighted that fatigue is not merely a comfort issue but one directly linked to flight performance and situational awareness — both crucial for safety on long sectors. Pilots flying Boeing 787 aircraft for carriers such as Air India (AI) and Vistara (UK) often operate long-haul routes from major airports including New Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM), where fatigue management is already a significant operational challenge. The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) has called on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to immediately withdraw the recent extension of flight duty time limits (FDTL) for Boeing 787 two-pilot operations. FAA Measures Influence Debate ALPA’s demand follows similar safety concerns raised by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recently mandated restrictions on the captain’s seat recline function in the Boeing 787. The FAA directive came after reports that seat recline limitations could compromise crew rest quality on long-haul flights. According to ALPA, this restriction “has had a direct and severe impact on in-flight rest effectiveness.” The inability to recline, it said, “significantly reduces rest quality,” especially during overnight operations when pilots are already battling circadian disruptions. The association noted that India’s regulators should adopt a precautionary approach, maintaining enhanced crew requirements until Boeing implements corrective seat modifications across its 787 fleet. Fatigue Risk and Safety ALPA emphasized that the DGCA’s decision “strikes at the heart of flight safety,” warning that extended duty periods may compromise the operational readiness of pilots responsible for long-duration international flights. “If left unaddressed, the move exposes both operating crew and passengers to unnecessary and preventable risk,” the union said. It urged the DGCA to prioritize fatigue science and align its policies with global safety standards rather than administrative convenience. The pilots’ body reiterated that fatigue-related incidents often occur subtly but can have severe consequences if ignored. It called for transparency and data-backed risk assessments to safeguard both crew welfare and flight safety. Bottom Line India’s aviation regulator faces growing pressure from pilots to reconsider its decision to extend Boeing 787 flight duty hours. With fatigue emerging as a major safety issue, ALPA’s warning underscores the delicate balance between operational efficiency and human endurance. Unless the DGCA re-evaluates its policy, long-haul operations could face heightened scrutiny from both domestic and international safety watchdogs. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/10/28/boeing-787-duty-extensions-spark-pilot-fatigue-backlash-in-india/#google_vignette “Bad Fuel” May Have Caused Back-To-Back Nimitz Aircraft Crashes: Trump An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed into the South China Sea within a half-hour of each other on Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that contaminated fuel may have been a factor in the U.S. Navy’s loss of an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet in the South China Sea on Sunday. In a very strange chain of events, the two aircraft, both assigned to the supercarrier USS Nimitz, went down within 30 minutes of each other while on separate missions. The crews of the Seahawk and the Super Hornet were both safely retrieved. “They’re gonna let me know pretty soon,” Trump told reporters while flying aboard Air Force One on Monday. “I think they should be able to find out. It could be bad fuel. I mean, it’s possible it’s bad fuel. Very unusual that that would happen.” Asked whether he thought “foul play” led to the crashes, Trump said “I don’t think so,” and reiterated his contaminated fuel theory. “We don’t believe it was anything nefarious,” a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone. U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLEET), which oversees naval operations in the South China Sea region, declined to comment on Trump’s statements about the crashes and referred us to the White House. We have yet to receive a response and will update this story with any pertinent information provided. The first of the two mishaps occurred about 2:45 PM local time, according to PACFLEET. That’s when the Seahawk, assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 (HSM-73), “went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from” the Nimitz, a PACFLEET release stated. “Search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11 safely recovered all three crew members.” A half hour later, an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22 (VFA-22) “also went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from Nimitz,” PACFLEET announced. “Both crew members successfully ejected and were also safely recovered by search and rescue assets assigned to Carrier Strike Group 11. All personnel involved are safe and in stable condition. The cause of both incidents is currently under investigation.” While the particular circumstances of the recent mishaps in the South China Sea remain under investigation, fuel contaminated with water and/or other foreign substances, or that otherwise falls below specifications, can present serious problems for aircraft, including causing engines to fail in flight. Checking fuel quality is a common part of an investigation following any aviation mishap, military or civilian. In addition, carrier-based aviation operations present unique conditions when it comes to the transfer of fuel, both into storage tanks on the ship to begin with, which can occur while the carrier is underway at sea, as well as in port, and then into aircraft. Personnel aboard all Navy carriers perform regular fuel quality checks at multiple steps in the fuel distribution process. Navy sailors seen inspecting a fuel sample taken from an aircraft aboard the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in 2005. USN Trump’s comments about the mishaps came as the President is traveling throughout Asia. He is scheduled to have a meeting on Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss trade issues. Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest carrier, is on its final cruise before its planned decommissioning next year. The flattop is currently in the process of returning to its home port in Naval Base Kitsap in Washington State after having been deployed to the Middle East for most of the summer, primarily as part of the U.S. response to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial shipping. Also known by its hull number CVN-68, the Nimitz, which was first commissioned into service in 1975, is the lead ship in its class. The vessel’s design built on the Navy’s prior experience with its pioneering nuclear-powered supercarrier, the one-of-a-kind USS Enterprise (CVN-65), which served from 1961 to 2012. The Navy began preparing for the Nimitz’s demise in 2023, which you can read more about here. The Newport News Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries has received multiple contracts already to begin laying the groundwork for removing the nuclear fuel from the carrier’s reactors and other aspects of the disposal process. Whether contaminated fuel turns out to be a factor in, or even the root cause of the Seahawk and Super Hornet going down in the South China Sea, remains to be seen. U.S. military aviation accidents typically take weeks if not months to complete. https://www.twz.com/sea/bad-fuel-may-have-caused-back-to-back-nimitz-aircraft-crashes-trump Russian Airlines Struggle Under Sanctions as Maintenance Gaps Threaten Flight Safety Despite Moscow's public insistence that sanctions are “ineffective,” Russia's aviation sector is facing a deepening crisis characterized by escalating costs and serious safety concerns, according to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine on October 27 (SZRU). The crisis stems directly from restricted access to modern aircraft, spare parts, and crucial maintenance services. “Despite claims that sanctions are not working, the Russian aviation industry is seriously feeling them. After all, restricted access to modern aircraft, spare parts, and maintenance only exacerbates the crisis in Russian aviation. Ultimately, the main hostages of the situation are the passengers, who will pay for the industry's rising costs out of their own wallets,” the SZRU noted. Russia's flagship carrier, Aeroflot, has already warned of significant fare hikes. Average ticket prices for the airline rose by 6% in the first half of 2025 alone, with further sharp increases expected. This surge is attributed to the rapidly rising costs of aircraft and passenger servicing. Complicating the cost crisis is the worsening technical state of the fleet. A lack of spare parts and maintenance under sanctions has led to a growing number of malfunctions and emergency landings, jeopardizing flight safety across Russia. The industry is also struggling with airport expenses, which now account for up to 30% of the ticket price on some routes. To manage this, airlines are introducing an additional “infrastructure fee” that will be entirely borne by the consumers. “The head of ‘Aeroflot’ openly admitted: it is impossible to shift all costs onto the air carriers, and there are no alternative sources of income,” the SZRU added. Earlier, the US proposed blocking Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on American routes, stating that this gives them an unfair benefit over US carriers by saving time and fuel. https://united24media.com/latest-news/russian-airlines-struggle-under-sanctions-as-maintenance-gaps-threaten-flight-safety-12844 India plans national aviation safety centre few months after Air India crash Civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said various steps are being taken to boost country's civil aviation space India will set up a national aviation safety centre modelled on global best practices to train aircraft accident investigators and aviation professionals, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Mentioning about various steps being taken to boost the country's civil aviation space, civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the number of professionals in regulatory and investigation roles is being doubled. "India is establishing a national aviation safety centre… the first of its kind institution in the region to train investigators and aviation professionals modelled on global best practices. This initiative represents our long-term vision to build world-class safety infrastructure and human capital," he said, emphasising that aviation safety is a shared responsibility. He was speaking at the inaugural of the 13th Asia Pacific Accident Investigation Group (APAC-AIG) meeting, which is taking place in India for the first time. At the inaugural, the participants stood in silence for a brief while as a mark of respect for those who died in the fatal Air India plane crash on June 12 that had killed 260 people. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash. AAIB Director General G V G Yugandhar said the implementation of the recommendations of AAIBs' is a grey area. Most of the countries have independent AAIBs. "All the accidents are categorised for study and analysis by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and all other member nations. However, implementation of the recommendations is a grey area because all the investigation reports are submitted and hosted by individuals AAIBs. "The recommendations are kept subjective and they are not classified further…," Yugandhar said. Globally, he said all investigation agencies have one challenge, that of recruiting and retaining qualified investigators. The AAIB DG also said it can provide support for other countries with defect investigations. "India has got well-established aerospace, material testing and research laboratories with experienced scientists. We would like to offer support from Indian laboratories for defect investigations by member states," he added. The four-day meeting, which started in the national capital on Tuesday, is being hosted by the AAIB. Around 90 aircraft accident investigators are expected to participate in the meeting. AAIB is responsible for classifying safety occurrences involving aircraft operating in Indian airspace as accidents, serious incidents, or incidents. It conducts detailed investigations into accidents and proposes measures to improve safety. Currently, AAIB is handling around 25 aircraft accident investigations, including the fatal Air India plane crash that killed 260 people on June 12. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/india-plans-national-aviation-safety-centre-few-months-after-air-india-crash-13637528.html 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