Flight Safety Information - December 19, 2025 No. 252 In This Issue : Incident: Astana A21N at Almaty on Dec 17th 2025, smoke in cabin : Incident: India Express B738 at Jeddah on Dec 18th 2025, suspected tyre burst on departure : Incident: Swiss A20N at Zurich on Dec 18th 2025, engine vibrations : Cessna 550 Citation II - Fatal Accident (North Carolina) : NTSB Investigators Traveling to Site of Business Jet Crash in North Carolina 12/18/2025 : Mexican airlines Volaris and Viva Aerobus strike merger agreement : NASA, Boeing Test How to Improve Performance of Longer, Narrower Aircraft Wings : Alaska Air Group welcomes Ryan Sather as new vice president of safety and security : Calendar of Events Incident: Astana A21N at Almaty on Dec 17th 2025, smoke in cabin An Air Astana Airbus A321-200N, registration EI-KDG performing flight KC-851 from Almaty to Astana (Kazakhstan), was climbing out of Almaty's runway 05R when the crew declared Mayday reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft stopped the climb at about 10,000 feet and returned to Almaty for a safe landing on runway 05R about 20 minutes later. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport reported the crew declared emergency due to smoke in the cabin. The occurrence is being investigated. https://avherald.com/h?article=53162cfe&opt=0 Incident: India Express B738 at Jeddah on Dec 18th 2025, suspected tyre burst on departure An Air India Express Boeing 737-800, registration VT-GHC performing flight IX-398 from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to Kozhikode (India) with 160 people on board, departed Jeddah's runway 34C and climbed to cruise level 350, later 370 across the Arabian Sea. The crew decided to divert to Kochi (India), about 80nm south of Kozhikhode, suspecting a tyre had burst. The aircraft landed on Kochi's runway 09 but became disabled on the runway with both right hand main tyres deflated. There were no injuries. The airline reported the crew diverted to Kochi instead of Kozhikode's table top airport as a precaution suspecting one of the tyres had burst on departure from Jeddah. https://avherald.com/h?article=5316249c&opt=0 Incident: Swiss A20N at Zurich on Dec 18th 2025, engine vibrations A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration HB-JDA performing flight LX-324 from Zurich (Switzerland) to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 156 people on board, was climbing out of Zurich's runway 28 when the crew stopped the climb at FL160 due to vibrations in the left hand engine (PW1127G). The aircraft returned to Zurich for a safe landing in low visibility on runway 14 about 50 minutes after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=53160478&opt=0 Cessna 550 Citation II - Fatal Accident (North Carolina) Date: Thursday 18 December 2025 Time: c. 10:15 LT Type: Cessna 550 Citation II Owner/operator: GB Aviation Leasing LLC Registration: N257BW MSN: 550-0283 Year of manufacture: 1981 Fatalities: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Category: Accident Location: Statesville Regional Airport (SVH/KSVH), Statesville, NC - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Statesville Regional Airport, NC (SVH/KSVH) Destination airport: Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, FL (SRQ/KSRQ) Investigating agency: NTSB Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Cessna 550 Citation II, N257BW, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Statesville Regional Airport (SVH/KSVH), Statesville, North Carolina. The two pilots and five passengers were killed in the accident. Preliminary information indicates the jet was trying to return to runway 28 following an issue on departure. The airplane collided with terrain short of the runway, crossed a road and the airport perimeter fence before finally coming to rest on the runway. A post crash fire ensued. The aircrafts speed was fluctuating. A postaccident review of available meteorological data established that day instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. At 0955 LT, the SVH automated surface observing system reported winds from 40 at 3 knots, 10 miles surface visibility, 3900 ft above ground level (agl) scattered ceiling, 5000 ft above ground level (agl) overcast ceiling, temperature 7°C, dew point 0°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.19. At 1015 LT, the SVH automated surface observing system reported a calm wind, 5 miles surface visibility, heavy drizzle, 1200 ft and 2200 ft above ground level (agl) broken ceiling, 5000 ft above ground level (agl) overcast ceiling, temperature 7°C, dew point 1°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.19 inches of mercury. At 1035, about 20 minutes after the accident, the SVH automated surface observing system reported a calm wind, 1.75 mile surface visibility, heavy rain, a 400 ft above ground level (agl) scattered ceiling, a 1000 ft above ground level (agl) overcast ceiling, temperature 6°C, dew point 4°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.19 inches of mercury. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/563730 NTSB Investigators Traveling to Site of Business Jet Crash in North Carolina 12/18/2025 NTSB briefing on Friday WASHINGTON (Dec. 18, 2025) — Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board departed Washington Dulles Airport at about 5:30 pm ET Thursday and are en route to North Carolina to begin their investigation of Thursday’s accident involving a Cessna 550 airplane that crashed on return to landing following departure from Statesville Regional Airport. The NTSB is leading the investigation of the crash, which occurred at approximately 10:15 a.m. NTSB Member Michael Graham is expected to hold an initial media briefing on the investigation on Friday. Details on location and time will be posted Friday morning on Twitter @NTSB_Newsroom. The NTSB team of 16 includes those with expertise in the following areas: Systems Recorders Powerplants Drones Family assistance The investigation is also being supported in Washington by specialists in operations, air traffic control and meteorology. The team is led by Investigator-In-Charge Dan Baker. Mr. Baker has more than 25 years experience investigating aviation accidents. NTSB investigators expect to be on scene in North Carolina for about a week. An NTSB investigation looks not only at what occurred but why and proposes recommendations to prevent future similar tragedies. The NTSB has no role in the release of the identities of accident victims and/or the extent and number of injuries, nor does it release the identities of those injured or killed; that’s handled by local authorities. Sarah Sulick of NTSB Media Relations is traveling with the team in North Carolina. She can be reached at mediarelations@ntsb.gov. To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7). https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20251218A.aspx Mexican airlines Volaris and Viva Aerobus strike merger agreement Mexico’s two busiest airlines, Volaris and Viva, said on Thursday they have agreed to merge, creating a new low-cost airline group that would become the country’s largest domestic carrier. The carriers will continue operating under their existing brands, preserving independent commercial operations while combining ownership at the holding-company level, the companies said in a joint statement, confirming an earlier Reuters exclusive saying a deal was near. Both airlines exclusively fly Airbus planes and operate similar routes. Their largest domestic competitor is flagship airline Aeromexico “We expect the formation of the new airline group will allow us to realize significant growth opportunities for air travel in Mexico,” Volaris Chief Executive Enrique Beltranena said. The deal would promote low-cost air travel in Mexico by boosting its network and reducing operating costs, which, in turn, would contribute to the country’s economic growth, the pair said in their statement. The companies expect the deal to close in 2026, with shares remaining listed in Mexico and New York. The deal will need the blessing of antitrust regulators and will likely attract opposition from Aeromexico, which is currently the largest Mexican carrier for international travel and takes about a third of domestic business, as do Volaris and Viva. Merger of equals Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will combine their holding entities in a merger of equals. Viva shareholders will receive newly issued shares in Volaris’ holding company, while existing Volaris investors will retain their stakes, leaving each side with 50% ownership. Volaris’ largest shareholder is private equity firm Indigo Partners, which also controls U.S. airline Frontier and Chile’s JetSMART. Viva is privately owned and controlled by transportation group IAMSA, headed by transportation magnate Roberto Alcantara. The new group’s board will be made up of members from both carriers and headed by Alcantara. The deal comes amid recent years of turbulence for Mexico’s aviation market, including disputes with U.S. regulators. In October, the U.S. Department of Transportation rejected more than a dozen flight routes proposed by Mexican airlines to the U.S., citing disagreements over Mexico’s handling of flight slots at the country’s main capital airport and its decision to move cargo flights to a more distant facility. In November, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexican airlines would cede some of their slots at the capital airport to their U.S. competitors. U.S. operators hold more than half of Mexico’s international market share by passengers carried in the year through October, while Mexican airlines account for just under 30%. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/19/mexican-airlines-volaris-and-viva-aerobus-strike-merger-agreement.html NASA, Boeing Test How to Improve Performance of Longer, Narrower Aircraft Wings The airliner you board in the future could look a lot different from today’s, with longer, thinner wings that provide a smoother ride while saving fuel. Those wings would be a revolutionary design for commercial aircraft, but like any breakthrough technology, they come with their own development challenges – which experts from NASA and Boeing are now working to solve. When creating lift, longer, thinner wings can reduce drag, making them efficient. However, they can become very flexible in flight. Through their Integrated Adaptive Wing Technology Maturation collaboration, NASA and Boeing recently completed wind tunnel tests of a “higher aspect ratio wing model” looking for ways to get the efficiency gains without the potential issues these kinds of wings can experience. “When you have a very flexible wing, you’re getting into greater motions,” said Jennifer Pinkerton, a NASA aerospace engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “Things like gust loads and maneuver loads can cause even more of an excitation than with a smaller aspect ratio wing. Higher aspect ratio wings also tend to be more fuel efficient, so we’re trying to take advantage of that while simultaneously controlling the aeroelastic response.” Without the right engineering, long, thin wings could potentially bend or experience a condition known as wing flutter, causing aircraft to vibrate and shake in gusting winds. “Flutter is a very violent interaction,” Pinkerton said. “When the flow over a wing interacts with the aircraft structure and the natural frequencies of the wing are excited, wing oscillations are amplified and can grow exponentially, leading to potentially catastrophic failure. Part of the testing we do is to characterize aeroelastic instabilities like flutter for aircraft concepts so that in actual flight, those instabilities can be safely avoided.” To help demonstrate and understand this, researchers from NASA and Boeing sought to soften the impacts of wind gusts on the aircraft, lessen the wing loads from aircraft turns and movements, and suppress wing flutter. Reducing or controlling those factors can have a significant impact on an aircraft’s performance, fuel efficiency, and passenger comfort. Testing for this in a controlled environment is impossible with a full-sized commercial airliner, as no wind tunnel could accommodate one. However, NASA Langley’s Transonic Dynamics Tunnel, which has been contributing to the design of U.S. commercial transports, military aircraft, launch vehicles, and spacecraft for over 60 years, features a test section 16 feet high by 16 feet wide, big enough for large-scale models. To shrink a full-size plane down to scale, NASA and Boeing worked with NextGen Aeronautics, which designed and fabricated a complex model resembling an aircraft divided down the middle, with one 13-foot wing. Mounted to the wall of the wind tunnel, the model was outfitted with 10 control surfaces – moveable panels – along the wing’s rear edge. Researchers adjusted those control surfaces to control airflow and reduce the forces that were causing the wing to vibrate. Instruments and sensors mounted inside the model measured the forces acting on the model, as well as the vehicle’s responses. The model wing represented a leap in sophistication from a smaller one developed during a previous NASA-Boeing collaboration called the Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR). “The SUGAR model had two active control surfaces,” said Patrick S. Heaney, principal investigator at NASA for the Integrated Adaptive Wing Technology Maturation collaboration. “And now on this particular model we have ten. We’re increasing the complexity as well as expanding what our control objectives are.” A first set of tests, conducted in 2024, gave experts baseline readings that they compared to NASA computational simulations, allowing them to refine their models. A second set of tests in 2025 used the additional control surfaces in new configurations. The most visible benefits of these new capabilities appeared during testing to alleviate the forces from gusting winds, when researchers saw the wing’s shaking greatly reduced. With testing completed, NASA and Boeing experts are analyzing data and preparing to share their results with the aviation community. Airlines and original equipment manufacturers can learn and benefit from the lessons learned, deciding which to apply to the next generation of aircraft. “Initial data analyses have shown that controllers developed by NASA and Boeing and used during the test demonstrated large performance improvements,” Heaney said. “We’re excited to continue analyzing the data and sharing results in the months to come.” NASA’s Advanced Air Transport Technology project works to advance aircraft design and technology under the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles program, which studies, evaluates, and develops technologies and capabilities for new aircraft systems. The project and program fall within NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-boeing-test-aircraft-wings/ Alaska Air Group welcomes Ryan Sather as new vice president of safety and security Alaska Air Group welcomes Ryan Sather as new vice president of safety and security SEATTLE, Dec. 19, 2025 SEATTLE, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alaska Air Group board of directors has elected Ryan Sather as vice president of safety and security for Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines, where he will lead safety and security functions across the company's airline operations. The transition reinforces the company's unwavering commitment to the safety of its employees and guests. Safety is the foundational value at Alaska, Hawaiian, Horizon and McGee, and their individual safety programs are built on trust, innovation, and a shared dedication to protecting guests and employees. In his new role, Sather will oversee all safety functions, develop and execute long-term safety and security strategies, and continue to advance Air Group's world-class safety culture. "Ryan's extensive experience across Alaska Air Group and aviation more broadly will benefit every employee and guest across our system," said Brooke Vatheuer, senior vice president of safety and audit. "His knowledge and ability to move the ball forward is matched only by his care for the people on his team and those he is working with. Ryan's leadership will be essential as we continue bringing Alaska and Hawaiian together under a single safety system and throughout the global expansion." Sather brings more than a decade of progressive leadership experience at Alaska and Horizon, Alaska's regional carrier, with responsibilities spanning safety, system operation control, station operations, project management, and internal evaluation programs. His operational expertise has fostered strong relationships with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and he is recognized for his commonsense approach and ability to unite teams to deliver results. Most recently, Sather led the effort to achieve a single operating certificate between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. On Oct. 29, 2025, the FAA officially recognized Alaska and Hawaiian as one operating airline with two guest-facing brands. A retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, Sather completed 26 years of service, earning advanced tactical and standardization flight qualifications, including instructor pilot status. Sather succeeds Max Tidwell, who will retire in January after eight years of distinguished service. Under Tidwell's leadership, Alaska Air Group navigated some of the most challenging moments in the company's recent history, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the response to Alaska Flight 1282, and the 2024 grounding of the Boeing MAX fleet. About Alaska Air Group Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a global airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. We'll serve Europe beginning in spring 2026. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Alaska is a member of the oneworld alliance, with Hawaiian scheduled to join oneworld in spring 2026. With oneworld and our additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem points for travel to over 1,000 worldwide destinations with Atmos Rewards. Learn more about what's happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "ALK." SOURCE Alaska Airlines https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20251219sf51457/alaska-air-group-welcomes-ryan-sather-as-new-vice-president-of-safety-and-security 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) . ISASI - 2026 (September/October 2026) - Dubai, UAE . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis