Flight Safety Information - December 15, 2025 No. 248 In This Issue : Incident: Challenge B744 at Liege on Dec 14th 2025, gear problems on departure : Incident: Jetblue A320 near Curacao on Dec 12th 2025, near collision with invisible US military aircraft : Incident: United B772 at Washington on Dec 13th 2025, engine shut down in flight : Accident: Indigo AT72 at Ranchi on Dec 12th 2025, tail strike on landing : Incident: Hokkaido AT42 at Sapporo on Dec 11th 2025, engine shut down in flight, temporary loss of thrust on the other : Accident: Aerosucre B722 at Barranquilla on Dec 12th 2025, left main gear up landing : JetBlue pilot narrowly avoids 'midair collision' with Air Force plane near Venezuela : Probe launched after 3 Air Force F-16 pilots at Germany base complain of laser incidents : FAA begins review of Boeing’s redesigned alerting system for 737 MAX 10 : Calendar of Event Incident: Challenge B744 at Liege on Dec 14th 2025, gear problems on departure A Challenge Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration OO-ACE performing flight X7-541 from Liege (Belgium) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was climbing out of Liege's runway 23L when the crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet reporting problems with their landing. The aircraft subsequently climbed to FL060 to dump fuel and returned to Liege for a safe landing on runway 23L about 80 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Liege about 3 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53125d49&opt=0 Incident: Jetblue A320 near Curacao on Dec 12th 2025, near collision with invisible US military aircraft A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N809JB performing flight B6-1112 from Curacao (Curacao) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was climbing through about FL333 out of Curacao cleared to climb FL350 when the crew spotted a military tanker, the transponder of which was not transmitting, ahead of them in close proximity crossing their flight path, obviously on its way into Venezuelean Airspace. Tthe A320 flight crew subsequently reported to ATC, that they had a military aircraft, a USA tanker aircraft without having its transponder on, crossing into their flight path at about the same altitude about 2-3nm ahead of them, they had to stop their climb, it was outragerous, the crew provided the approximate position to ATC. ATC confirmed they did not have that aircraft on their radar, later adding that aircraft was at FL340. The A320 crew advised they would be reporting the occurrence, they rated it a near midair collision. The A320 continued their climb normally and landed safely in New York about 4 hours later. Air Traffic Control in Curacao confirmed, that the military aircraft was not visible on their radar. The occurrence was also reported to the FAA by the Jetblue crew and is being investigated. https://avherald.com/h?article=5312489b&opt=0 Incident: United B772 at Washington on Dec 13th 2025, engine shut down in flight A United Boeing 777-200, registration N78004 performing flight UA-803 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 275 passengers and 15 crew, was climbing out of Dulles' runway 01C when the crew declared Mayday Mayday Mayday reporting they had lost the left hand engine (GE90). Smoke developed at the side of the runway prompting emergency services to respond, a small grass fire was extinguished. The aircraft stopped the climb at 5000 feet and entered a hold dumping fuel, then returned to runway 01R for a safe landing about 45 minutes after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=5311d112&opt=0 Accident: Indigo AT72 at Ranchi on Dec 12th 2025, tail strike on landing An Indigo Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration VT-IRN performing flight 6E-7361 from Bhubaneswar to Ranchi (India) with 56 people on board, landed on Ranchi's runway 31 but touched down hard, the tail contacted the runway surface. The aircraft rolled out without further incident. A number of passenger reported minor injuries. The aircraft is still on the ground in Ranchi about 26.5 hours after landing. The airline reported an attempt to provide a replacement aircraft for the return flight was not successful, the 77 passengers were taken to hotels. https://avherald.com/h?article=53119bcf&opt=0 Incident: Hokkaido AT42 at Sapporo on Dec 11th 2025, engine shut down in flight, temporary loss of thrust on the other A Hokkaido Air Systems Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-600 on behalf of JAL Japan Airlines, registration JA14HC performing flight JL-2823 from Sapporo Okadama to Akita (Japan) with 26 people on board, was climbing out of Okadama Airport'S runway 32 when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet and entered a hold due to a problem with the right hand engine (PW127M) prompting the crew to shut the engine down. The aircraft subsequently climbed to 8000 feet and diverted to Hakodate (Japan) for a safe landing on runway 12 about one hour after departure. The airline reported the aircraft experienced problems with the right hand engine possibly due to heavy icing. The occurrence is under investigation. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported, the JTSB have dispatched two investigators on site, the occurrence was rated a serious incident. The aircraft suffered the failure of the right hand engine in cloud shortly after departure resulting in an emergency landing in Hakodate. Subsequent investigation revealed the left hand engine had temporarily lost thrust as well causing the occurrence to be rated a serious incident. The aircraft is still on the ground in Hakodate about 53 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5310ebe1&opt=0 Accident: Aerosucre B722 at Barranquilla on Dec 12th 2025, left main gear up landing An Aerosucre Boeing 727-200 freighter, registration HK-5216 performing flight A4-141 from Barranquilla to Bogota (Colombia), was climbing out of Barranquilla's runway 05 when the crew stopped the climb at about 15000 feet, decided to return to Barranquilla and descended to 3000 feet and entered a hold. The aircraft subsequently touched down on runway 05 about one hour after departure. During roll out the left wing lowered to the runway surface and skidded on the runway. The crew managed to keep the aircraft on the runway. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to left wing and gear however. Colombia'd Aerocivil reported the aircraft returned to Barranquilla after a fault with the left main gear. Emergency services were on standby and confirmed the failure of the left main gear, the aircraft came to a stop on the left side of the runway. There were no injuries. An investigation has been opened. https://avherald.com/h?article=5310c72f&opt=0 JetBlue pilot narrowly avoids 'midair collision' with Air Force plane near Venezuela A JetBlue Airways pilot said he narrowly avoided a "midair collision" with a U.S. military aircraft that entered his flight path while the JetBlue plane was climbing after takeoff from Curaçao on Friday, according to the airline and ATC recordings. Curaçao is a Dutch Caribbean island near Venezuela. The JetBlue pilot is heard telling the air traffic controller they had to stop their climb after a U.S. Air Force air refueler entered its flight path at the same altitude “directly in front” and "within five miles" of the JetBlue plane. JetBlue flight makes emergency landing after plane loses altitude, passengers injured The pilot said the military aircraft was headed towards the Venezuelan airspace and the air traffic controller noted not seeing the military aircraft on their end, as it had the transponder off and was not transmitting its location. “We almost had a midair collision up here,” the pilot said, according to ATC recordings. "They passed directly in our flight path ... They don’t have their transponder turned on; it’s outrageous." In a statement to ABC News, JetBlue said the crew is trained to follow proper procedures for various flight situations. The airline said it has reported the incident to federal authorities and will participate in any investigation. The JetBlue flight 1112 was en route to New York City’s JFK Airport at the time of the incident. “We are aware of the recent reporting regarding U.S. military aircraft operations in the Caribbean and are currently reviewing the matter," U.S. Southern Command said in a statement to ABC News. JetBlue flight rolls into grass after landing at Boston's Logan airport: Officials "Military aircrews are highly trained professionals who operate in accordance with established procedures and applicable airspace requirements. Safety remains a top priority, and we are working through the appropriate channels to assess the facts surrounding the situation,” the agency added. The FAA does not control air traffic around Curaçao and deferred ABC News to the Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority, which has not returned a request for comment. A NOTAM, Notice to Air Missions, is in place near and over the Curaçao airspace until the end of the month, advising pilots to exercise "extreme caution" after pilot reports and primary radar indicated the presence of "non-identified aircraft operations." https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/jetblue-pilot-narrowly-avoids-midair-000734010.html Probe launched after 3 Air Force F-16 pilots at Germany base complain of laser incidents A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon lands at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 21, 2025. Three incidents have been reported this month in which a laser beam from an unknown source was pointed at fighter pilots on approach to the base, and German authorities are investigating. (Gretchen McCarty/U.S. Air Force) KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — German authorities have launched a criminal investigation into apparent laser beam attacks earlier this month on pilots of American F-16s at Spangdahlem Air Base. Three fighter pilots reported encountering what they described as a blue laser beam while on approach to Spangdahlem, the Trier criminal investigation department said in a statement Friday. The department is part of the Rheinland-Pfalz police agency. Two of the incidents occurred on Dec. 2, and another a week later, on Dec. 9, while the aircraft were only a few kilometers away from the base, the statement said. In all three cases, which occurred between 8 and 8:30 p.m., the pilots landed safely, German authorities said. Laser attacks pose a high risk to pilots, as they can cause temporary blindness and disorientation as well as eye injuries, according to Air Force investigators. The 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem is tracking the incidents in the Trier police report, said Master Sgt. Alex Riedel, the wing spokesman, on Friday. “In all instances, the aircraft landed safely,” Riedel said. “Our pilots are well-trained for these scenarios and report the laser source’s location to the U.S. law enforcement and German police, with whom we are fully cooperating. Further details are pending investigation.” The source of the laser beams is unknown, and anyone who witnessed the incidents or has information about them is asked to come forward, Trier investigators said Friday. In 2023, the Air Force reported a surge in incidents involving laser pointers, describing the effect of a laser beam on pilots as being like a camera flash in a pitch-black car at night, according to an Air Force statement. Even seemingly harmless beams, such as those used for classroom presentations or amusing a house cat, can be dangerous to pilots, it said. The Air Force is upgrading eyewear for aircrews to provide combined laser and ballistic protection capability for the first time, according to Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. The initial plans called for more than 42,000 devices to be fielded to units by 2027. AVIATION AIR FORCE https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2025-12-12/spangdahlem-laser-f16-20068398.html FAA begins review of Boeing’s redesigned alerting system for 737 MAX 10 The FAA has begun reviewing Boeing’s redesigned crew-alerting and angle-of-attack systems for the 737 MAX 10, marking the start of a formal evaluation process Congress mandated before Boeing can win certification of the long-delayed jet. The review also covers retrofits that must eventually be installed across the entire MAX family under post-crash safety reforms, the agency said. The proposed package adds a synthetic enhanced angle-of-attack system and introduces a new capability for crews to disable stall warning and overspeed alerts in specific scenarios. The FAA will assess whether these design changes satisfy the safety improvements Congress required following two MAX crashes and the overhaul of the aircraft certification process. Lawmakers waived a 2022 deadline that would have forced Boeing to redesign the alerting architecture for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 before certification. In exchange, Congress required Boeing to retrofit the MAX 10 fleet with approved safety upgrades within three years of the aircraft entering service. The FAA said it will also review changes planned for other MAX variants to ensure the entire series receives the mandated improvements. The review, announced on December 12, 2025, comes as Boeing continues to navigate long delays in certifying both the MAX 7 and MAX 10. The program has faced setbacks linked to an engine de-icing issue, quality-control problems, and heightened regulatory scrutiny. The FAA has kept the MAX 10 under close watch as it works through outstanding design requirements tied to flight-deck systems and crew alerting. Southwest Airlines, the largest MAX operator, has said it now expects the MAX 7 to be certified by August 2026, with entry into service early the following year. The MAX 10, which is further behind, remains without a firm timeline. The FAA has reiterated it will not set target dates and will instead advance the aircraft only when all requirements are met. Boeing’s alerting-system proposal reflects lessons learned from the two fatal MAX accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019. Investigators found that crews received limited or conflicting information as the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) repeatedly activated, forcing the nose down. Those accidents killed 346 people and led to a 20-month global grounding of the MAX fleet. The FAA and Congress later pushed for more intuitive cockpit alerting across commercial aircraft to help pilots diagnose and respond to abnormal situations. MCAS is an automated flight-control law designed for the 737 MAX to improve handling at high angles of attack by commanding nose-down stabilizer trim when needed. Boeing introduced MCAS because the MAX’s larger, more fuel-efficient engines changed the aircraft’s aerodynamics and made it more prone to pitch up in certain conditions. MCAS was intended to make the MAX’s handling feel similar to earlier 737 models and meet certification requirements without extensive pilot retraining. As part of the MAX 10 review announcement, the FAA said it will monitor Boeing’s efforts to provide airlines with the service bulletins and technical data needed to comply with future retrofit requirements. Regulators will also certify design changes for other MAX models to ensure the safety enhancements apply consistently across the series. The FAA’s action underscores the level of oversight Boeing continues to face as it works to restore confidence in its narrowbody program. The agency recently lifted a production cap that had limited MAX output to 38 aircraft per month after a 2024 accident involving an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 exposed lapses in Boeing’s manufacturing processes. The FAA raised the cap to 42 jets per month only after requiring targeted improvements to Boeing’s quality-control system. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/faa-review-boeing-737-max-10-alerting-system-certification CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Singapore Airshow 2026 - FEBRUARY 3-6, 2026. . 60th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium - March 31 - April 1, 2026 (Irving, TX) . 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 . IATA World Maintenance & Engineering Symposium (23-25 June, Madrid, Spain) . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis