Flight Safety Information - November 25, 2025 No. 235 In This Issue : Incident: Norwegian B38M at Malaga on Nov 22nd 2025, another aircraft on landing runway : Incident: American A321 near Houston on Nov 23rd 2025, fumes on board : Incident: United B763 near London on Nov 23rd 2025, fumes on board : Incident: Scoot A21N at Singapore on Nov 22nd 2025, power bank catches fire : Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Sydney on Nov 23rd 2025, engine problem and medical : Incident: Ariana Afghan A313 at Delhi on Nov 23rd 2025, landed on wrong runway : Flights cancelled after Ethiopia volcano erupts for first time in 12,000 years forming huge ash cloud : 5 hospitalized after fumes force American Airlines flight to divert to Houston : Wing Walker Hit By Arriving American Airlines Jet — Similar Accidents Show How Dangerous Ramp Jobs Can Be : Korean Air to construct $119 million mega maintenance hangar at Incheon Airport : UPS and FedEx Strain as MD-11 Jets Stay Grounded : PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST : Calendar of Event Incident: Norwegian B38M at Malaga on Nov 22nd 2025, another aircraft on landing runway A Norwegian Air Shuttle AOC Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration LN-FGF performing flight DY-1800 from Oslo (Norway) to Malaga,SP (Spain) with 189 people on board, was on short final approach to runway 12 descending through about 400 feet AGL when the crew spotted a private aircraft on the runway and initiated a go around. The aircraft climbed to 7000 feet, positioned for another approach and landed safely about 20 minutes later. According to the weather cam of meteo365.es, that recorded the situation, a private Embraer Phenom 300 business jet was just touching down on the runway when the Norwegian initiated their go around. https://avherald.com/h?article=5301f59d&opt=0 Incident: American A321 near Houston on Nov 23rd 2025, fumes on board An American Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N139AN performing flight AA-2118 from Orlando,FL to Phoenix,AZ (USA), was enroute at FL320 about 140nm east of Houston,TX (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Houston due to fumes in flight deck and cabin. The aircraft landed on Houston Intercontinental Airport's runway 27 about 30 minutes later. The FAA reported: "American Airlines Flight 2118 landed safely at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston around 7:10 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 23, after the crew reported fumes in the flight deck and cabin. The Arbus A321 departed Orlando International Airport and was headed to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The FAA will investigate." https://avherald.com/h?article=5301eb1e&opt=0 Incident: United B763 near London on Nov 23rd 2025, fumes on board A United Boeing 767-300, registration N665UA performing flight UA-12 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), was enroute at FL320 about 60nm north of London Heathrow,EN (UK) when the crew decided to divert to Heathrow reporting fumes on board. The aircraft landed safely on Heathrow's runway 27R about 30 minutes later. A passenger reported it appeared there were engine problems shortly after departure, a number of passengers and cabin crew became sick, the aircraft diverted to London. The remainder of the flight was cancelled. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 24 hours, then continued to Chicago O'Hare as flight UA-3908 reaching Chicago estimated to land with a delay of about 26 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=5301e20e&opt=0 Incident: Scoot A21N at Singapore on Nov 22nd 2025, power bank catches fire A Scoot Airbus A321-200N, registration 9V-NCJ performing flight TR-939 from Hong Kong (China) to Singapore (Singapore), was descending towards Singapore when a passenger's power bank overheated and caught fire. Cabin crew used fire extinguishers and water to put the fire out and put the power bank into a safe container. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 20C. The airline reported a small fire from a passenger's power bank, which was promptly extinguished by cabin crew. Passengers reported there had been a strong burning odour in the cabin when the aircraft was about to land. Flight attendants were rushing through the aircraft with protective gloves, fire extinguishers and subsequently carried a bag towards the aft galley. The aircraft returned to service about 10 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5301de21&opt=0 Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Sydney on Nov 23rd 2025, engine problem and medical A Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800, registration VH-VUZ performing flight VA-424 from Sydney,NS to Adelaide,SA (Australia), was climbing out of Sydney's runway 16R when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting they had problems with their #1 engine (left hand CFM56). The aircraft levelled off at about 10,000 feet and positioned for a return to Sydney requesting to hold initially to work the checklists. While in the hold ATC advised the crew they would need to take them out of the hold due to another aircraft having fallen "NORDO" and unable to communicate with ATC. ATC turned the aircraft into another hold, in the meantime other aircraft that had been assigned runway 16R for landing were redirected to runway 16L. The crew subsequently reported a medical emergency on board as well and commenced their approach to runway 16R, landed and taxied to the gate where an ambulance was awaiting the aircraft. Emergency services reported they took a female passenger in her 50ties to a hospital for breathing difficulties. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 23 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5301dc78&opt=0 Incident: Ariana Afghan A313 at Delhi on Nov 23rd 2025, landed on wrong runway An Ariana Afghan Airlines Airbus A310-300, registration YA-FGF performing flight FG-311 from Kabul (Afghanistan) to Delhi (India), was cleared to land on Delhi's runway 29L, read back their clearance to land on runway 29L but touched down on runway 29R, slowed, vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. At the time all arriving aircraft before and after landed on runway 29L without a problem. India's DGCA opened an investigation into the serious incident stating, that the crew of the A313 told them, that they had lost the ILS at 4nm out in poor visibility, the aircraft had turned right, and they were visually landing on the runway visible ahead. The crew remarked ATC had not made them aware of the deviation. The DGCA added, that it was not clear whether aircraft's ILS system had malfunctioned. https://avherald.com/h?article=5301d66f&opt=0 Flights cancelled after Ethiopia volcano erupts for first time in 12,000 years forming huge ash cloud A volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending a vast ash cloud across major air corridors in the Red Sea and forcing airlines in India and the Middle East to cancel or divert flights. The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours, spewing ash up to 14km (nine miles) into the atmosphere. Regional officials have said many villages are ‘covered in ash’ (Afar Government Communication Bureau) Thick plumes were tracked drifting over Yemen and Oman before spreading across Pakistan and into northern India on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre and the India Meteorological Department. Local officials said there were no casualties, but villages close to the eruption were blanketed in ash. Mohammed Seid, an Afar regional official, told reporters that while no people or livestock were killed, “many villages have been covered in ash and as a result their animals have little to eat”. Residents said they heard loud explosions and shockwaves. “It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash,” said Ahmed Abdela, a resident of the Afar region, where ash covered homes and stranded travellers heading towards the Danakil desert. The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program says there is no known record of Hayli Gubbi erupting during the Holocene, the geological period beginning roughly 12,000 years ago. Simon Carn, a volcanologist at Michigan Technological University, said on the social media platform Bluesky that the volcano “has no record of Holocene eruptions”. The drifting ash led to significant disruption across India’s western and northern airspace. Air India said it cancelled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to carry out precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown near affected regions, following a directive by India’s aviation regulator. Akasa Air cancelled services to Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, while IndiGo diverted a Kannur-Abu Dhabi flight to Ahmedabad on Monday night. KLM also cancelled a flight from Amsterdam to Delhi due to the volcanic ash plume. Airports across Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan warned passengers to expect delays and cancellations. Mumbai airport issued an advisory saying the ash cloud could affect some international routes and urged passengers to check schedules before travelling. India’s directorate general of civil aviation instructed airlines to avoid affected altitudes, monitor real-time advisories and inspect runways for possible ash contamination. Airlines said they were prioritising safety while keeping operations under review. The ash plume arrives in northern India amid already dire air quality, with several protests ongoing. There were some public concerns that the ash cloud could worsen air quality further, although experts said it was unlikely to impact the Air Quality Index (AQI). The ash cloud travelled over Delhi overnight, according to Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director-general of meteorology at the India Meteorological Department, and was travelling over Eastern India on Tuesday evening at a speed of 100-150 kmph. It was expected to then pass over Bangladesh, parts of Myanmar and China and may reach the southern coast of Japan. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/flights-cancelled-ethiopia-volcano-erupts-054403582.html 5 hospitalized after fumes force American Airlines flight to divert to Houston Five people on board an American Airlines flight bound for Phoenix were hospitalized after the crew reported fumes inside the plane, forcing it to land in Houston, according to the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration. American Airlines Flight 2118 departed Orlando International Airport for Phoenix Sky Harbor on Sunday, but the plane was diverted to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston once crew members "reported fumes in the flight deck and cabin," the FAA said in a statement. The flight landed safely in Houston at around 7:10 p.m. local time, according to the FAA. The agency said it will investigate. "I'm gonna have some transports here out of the airport on this," a crew member said as the flight was diverted, according to CBS affiliate KHOU-TV. Four flight attendants and one passenger were taken to a hospital "out of an abundance of caution" following the Houston landing, said American Airlines in another statement. First responders had met the aircraft at the gate when it arrived, according to the airline. "American Airlines flight 2118 landed safely and taxied to the gate under its own power at Houston (IAH) following reports of an odor on board," the statement said. "We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for their experience." The flight departed from Houston shortly after landing there, using a replacement aircraft, according to American Airlines. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/5-hospitalized-fumes-force-american-194221535.html Wing Walker Hit By Arriving American Airlines Jet — Similar Accidents Show How Dangerous Ramp Jobs Can Be Tragically, a wing walker was hit by the engine of an arriving American Airlines aircraft on November 12th at Dallas – Fort Worth. This was originally reported by aviation watchdog JonNYC and hasn’t been picked up anywhere else. Engine ingestion and aircraft collision fatalities for wing walkers happen more often than one might imagine. It’s hardly a daily or monthly occurrence, but for an industry so focused on safety it’s a suprisingly non-zero event. For instance, American Eagle (Envoy Air) Embraer 175 arrived as flight AA3408 from Dallas – Fort Worth to Montgomery, Alabama with an inoperative auxiliary power unit, so the left engine was kept running at the gate while waiting for ground power on December 31, 2022. A Piedmont ramp agent approached the aircraft to place cones and was pulled into the running engine and killed. The NTSB final report concluded that she repeatedly approached too close to the engine despite warnings. They also highlighted cognitive impairment from a cannabis product as a contributing factor. Delta 1111 from Los Angeles to San Antonio taxied to the gate on one engine on Jun 23, 2023. A ground worker was ingested into the operating engine and killed. This incident was classified as a suicide. An American Airlines wing walker was killed in Charlotte on January 27, 2025 after walking back toward the gate following pushback when he was run over from behind by the tug that had just pushed the aircraft. Some classic cases that have been studied are American Airlines in San Juan (1989) where a ramp guide stumbled while walking behind an aircraft’s nose gear during pushback; US Airways at LaGuardia (1992) where a worker was killed by a tug during pushback; and Delta at New York JFK (1997) where a wing walker was run over by the aircraft’s nose gear after walking in front of it to retrieve a headset cord while the aircraft was still moving. Typically, ground rules manage this by making certain no one enters the hazard zone until the plane’s parking brake is set, engines are switched off and rotating beacon lights are off (a proxy for “engines have fully stopped”). Sometimes planes land with their auxiliary power units inoperative, and it’s common to keep one engine running for power and air until ground power is connected. And sometimes ramp agents internalize “arrived at gate means engines off” even when APUs are inoperative. Sometimes procedures are breached. Standard hand signals can be misinterpreted. The cockpit has poor visibility of the exact position of people near the engines, especially at night or in bad weather. The fact that these incidents don’t happen a lot makes it easy to feel like nothing bad like this happens, and become too lax. A wing walker may be focused on the aircraft wingtips and tail clearances, and not the tug, or walks into the path of the aircraft. I’m not going to offer speculation or commentary specifically on the November 12th tragedy, just to note that this is a more dangerous job than we – and those who do it, even – often think about. https://viewfromthewing.com/wing-walker-hit-by-arriving-american-airlines-jet-similar-accidents-show-how-dangerous-ramp-jobs-can-be/ Korean Air to construct $119 million mega maintenance hangar at Incheon Airport Korean Air is expanding its maintenance infrastructure, announcing plans for a next-generation aircraft hangar at Incheon International Airport (ICN) that will anchor its goal to become a global maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) powerhouse. The carrier signed an agreement on November 24, 2025, with Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), committing KRW 176 billion (approximately US$119 million) to the H3 Maintenance Facility Development Project. Korean Air said the signing drew over 90 representatives from government, local authorities, and the National Assembly, underlining the project’s significance to South Korea’s aviation sector. More than steel and concrete Vice Chairman Keehong Woo addressed the signing event, calling the facility much more than steel and concrete. “A maintenance hangar is not merely a building; it is a cradle of safety and a vital foundation for upholding Korean Air’s top priority of absolute safety,” Woo said. “From the earliest design phase, we will ensure this new hangar becomes the safest, most advanced, and most exemplary maintenance base—a true stronghold of aviation safety.” The numbers back up the ambition. Spread across 69,299 square meters within Incheon’s High Tech Aviation Complex, the hangar will handle two widebody aircraft and one narrowbody simultaneously. The size is critical as Korean Air prepares to merge operations with Asiana Airlines. Essential infrastructure Construction will kick off in 2027, with operations targeted for late 2029. Once operational, approximately 300 maintenance specialists will call the facility home, performing everything from routine airframe inspections to complex heavy maintenance and aircraft modifications. The timing isn’t coincidental. As Korean Air moves toward launching its integrated carrier following the Asiana merger, the new hangar becomes essential infrastructure for handling an expanded fleet and positioning Incheon as Asia’s premier MRO hub. “We will work closely with Incheon International Airport Corporation to ensure the seamless and timely progress of the project,” a Korean Air representative said in a statement. “Guided by our Safety First principle, Korean Air will continue to drive innovation and transformation as we move toward becoming the world’s most beloved airline.” The hangar represents just one piece of Korean Air’s infrastructure puzzle. The carrier is simultaneously advancing a KRW 578 billion (approximately US$391 million) engine maintenance facility on Yeongjong Island that is expected to be Asia’s largest. In addition, the airline is also building a KRW 1.2 trillion (approximately US$812 million) Future Urban Air Mobility & Aviation Safety R&D Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/korean-air-to-construct-119-billion-mega-maintenance-hangar-at-incheon-airport UPS and FedEx Strain as MD-11 Jets Stay Grounded Peak Season Freight Shifts to Charters as Inspections Drag On UPS has 26 MD-11s, about 9% of its jet fleet, which doesn’t include chartered planes. (Jim United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. are working to secure enough freighters as they grapple with a ban on a pillar of their air-cargo fleets through the crucial holiday delivery season, and potentially beyond. An indefinite grounding of the workhorse MD-11 jet is in place as investigators probe why an engine tore off a 34-year-old widebody just as it took off on Nov. 4. The resulting crash killed 14 people. The grounding has drained capacity and complicated operations for the world’s largest package delivery companies just as shipping volumes surge for the peak period through Christmas. The crash also injected new uncertainty into planning for an aircraft that was already approaching the end of its service life. “It’s creating a real capacity crunch for UPS and FedEx,” said Derek Lossing, founder of Cirrus Global Advisors, a logistics consulting firm. “They will adjust their networks, but at the end of the day, they were planning on flying those aircraft.” UPS has 26 MD-11s, about 9% of its jet fleet, which doesn’t include chartered planes. The 28 FedEx had in operation before the grounding accounted for roughly 4% of its in-service aircraft. A preliminary report from U.S. safety investigators Nov. 20 found evidence of fatigue cracks in the structure that attached the turbofan to the stricken plane’s wing. The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring thorough inspections of all 167 grounded airplanes — a number that includes models similar to the MD-11 and applies to all operators of the jets. What’s still unclear: the measures MD-11 operators will need to take to inspect and repair the engine pylon so the aircraft can return to the skies. “It’s going to take a while. This is an area that is not easily accessible,” said former FAA accident investigation chief Jeff Guzzetti, referring to where the structure is located on the aircraft. Prior to the NTSB’s preliminary report, analysts expected that the scale of disruption should be relatively contained, given the couriers are well-versed in dealing with snarls from weather or geopolitical conflicts. Smoke from the crashed UPS cargo jet near Muhammad Ali airport in Louisville, on Nov. 4. Still, the grounding is pushing the couriers to turn to third-party charters to maintain operations, according to JP Morgan analyst Brian Ossenbeck. The outsourcing is likely to lead to higher costs for the companies. “Protecting service during peak comes at a cost,” Ossenbeck said in a note to clients, adding that some express packages could be at risk of being slowed down. A representative for UPS declined to speculate on potential additional peak season costs and said the company would provide an update in its January earnings report. FedEx said it is cooperating with Boeing Co. and the FAA on inspections and declined to respond to questions about network disruptions. RELATED: FedEx CEO Says Global Supply Chain Shocks to Persist FedEx Chief Financial Officer John Dietrich earlier this month said that the company is deploying spare aircraft, adjusting maintenance schedules and shipping cargo in the bellies of commercial planes. The company also expects to return the planes to service one by one, as they pass inspections, Dietrich said during a Nov. 11 investor conference. “It’s not like we’re waiting for the whole fleet to be inspected before concluding whether they can safely go back into service,” he said. The MD-11 grounding isn’t expected to ruin Christmas because retailers already have inventory in place, said Satish Jindel, president of ShipMatrix, a logistics data firm. “The public should not have any concern,” Jindel said. “Let them shop all they want.” UPS has predicted its average daily peak volumes to be down year-over-year due in part to a planned pullback of its Amazon.com Inc. volume. Meanwhile, FedEx has said it is planning for “modest demand” during the holidays. A protracted grounding risks pushing the companies into the unenviable position of needing to buy planes to replace lost capacity when cargo jets are in short supply. FedEx is exploring options for such a scenario and finding almost no replacement freighters available on the secondary market, either through passenger conversions or brand-new Boeing and Airbus SE models, a person familiar with the matter said. FedEx declined to comment on the matter. UPS had retired two fully depreciated jets from service in the first nine months of this year and was planning to retire a third in the last quarter. FedEx was on track to retire all of its 34 MD-11s by the end of 2032. The jets carried about 17% of FedEx’s traffic, down from 27% five years ago, according to Australia-based researcher Trade and Transport Group. The newest Boeing and Airbus freighters are running behind schedule. Airlines are hanging onto widebody jets to move passengers, leaving few to be converted to carry freight. UPS and FedEx will get some relief from new cargo jets both are slated to receive from Boeing over the next two years. Both couriers are able to tap into their truck networks to make up for some lost air capacity domestically. But finding dedicated replacement transportation on some international and long-haul routes is much more difficult. FedEx and UPS can rely on a few dozen smaller Boeing jets in storage but not enough to make up for its widebody workhorse, said Frederic Horst, a managing director at Trade and Transport Group. “The MD-11 generally seems to get very high usage in the weeks before Christmas – more so than other aircraft types,” he said. UPS ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 5 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies. It also ranks No. 4 on the TT Top 50 global freight companies list. FedEx ranks No. 2 on the for-hire TT100, No. 3 on the global freight TT50 and No. 43 on the logistics TT100. https://www.ttnews.com/articles/ups-fedex-md-11-holiday PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST My name is Nathan Schultz, and I am a doctoral candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the Ph.D. in Aviation program. I am conducting my dissertation research under the guidance of Dr. Scott Winter. We are interested in understanding pilot perspectives on operating at airports under various weather conditions. I am seeking participants to complete a brief online survey (5-7 minutes). Eligibility Requirements: -Must be 18 years of age or older -Must hold an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certification -Must be a current or former pilot of crewed aircraft (UAS-only pilots are not eligible) Additional Information: -Participation is entirely voluntary and anonymous -There will be no compensation for participation -The study has been approved by the Embry-Riddle Institutional Review Board (IRB) Please use the following electronic questionnaire link: https://forms.gle/x6rbqNRGiRYm96ADA Best regards, Nathan Schultz PhD in Aviation, Candidate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 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