Flight Safety Information - December 23, 2025 No. 253 In This Issue : Incident: Swiss A320 at Zurich on Dec 21st 2025, rejected takeoff due to FMS indication : Incident: THY A21N at Amsterdam on Dec 20th 2025, hydraulic failure : Incident: India B773 at Delhi on Dec 22nd 2025, engine shut down in flight : Incident: France A320 near Lyon on Dec 20th 2025, engine shut down in flight : Accident: Lingus A21N at Dublin on Dec 13th 2025, hard landing : Beechcraft B300 King Air 350i - Fatal Accide3nt (near Galveston-Scholes International Airport, TX) : Plane makes safe emergency landing in Colorado without a pilot's help, in first "Autoland" use : Boeing seeks FAA Emissions Exemption to Sell Additional 777F Aircraft : Boeing To Increase Monthly 737 MAX Production To 47 Aircraft In 2026 : Calendar of Events Incident: Swiss A320 at Zurich on Dec 21st 2025, rejected takeoff due to FMS indication A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration HB-IJM performing flight LX-1954 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Barcelona,SP (Spain), was accelerating on Zurich's runway 28 when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed, the aircraft vacated the runway. The crew told tower, they had a wrong indication on the FMS and needed to reset the FMS. The aircraft subsequently returned to the hold short position, departed about 15 minutes later and reached Barcelona without further incident. A passenger reported: "The Airbus 320, registration HB-IJM, was already accelerating when suddenly the thrust was abruptly reduced and the aircraft was braked. This sounded rather strange and was almost alarming. After a short pause, the jet moved away from the runway under its own power and remained there for a while. Among the passengers, we heard speculation that perhaps a tire had burst or an engine was defective. The captain then explained that he had aborted the takeoff due to a warning or message on his screen and would now perform a system restart. After about 10 minutes, the captain announced again that everything was fine and they could now take off. The rest of the flight was uneventful." https://avherald.com/h?article=531945ee&opt=0 Incident: THY A21N at Amsterdam on Dec 20th 2025, hydraulic failure A THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration TC-LSA performing flight TK-1955 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was descending towards Amsterdam when the crew reported a hydraulic failure. The crew advised ATC they needed a tow truck after landing, their company would arrange for that. When ATC queried whether they were down to one hydraulic system only, the crew said negative, they still had two hydraulic systems working. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 06 about 25 minutes later. The return flight was cancelled. The aircraft returned to Istanbul as flight TK-6894 after 16 hours on the ground. https://avherald.com/h?article=53193efb&opt=0 Incident: India B773 at Delhi on Dec 22nd 2025, engine shut down in flight An Air India Boeing 777-300, registration VT-ALS performing flight AI-887 from Delhi to Mumbai (India) with 335 people on board, was climbing out of Delhi's runway 11L when during flap retraction the right hand engine's low oil pressure indication activated shortly followed by the engine oil pressure dropping to zero. The crew shut the engine down, levelled off at FL070 and returned to Delhi for a safe landing on runway 11R about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration VT-ALP reached Mumbai with a delay of about 7 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Delhi about 18 hours after landing. India's DGCA reported the right hand engine's oil pressure dropped to zero during flaps retraction. The crew shut the engine down and returned to Delhi. The airline reported a technical issue https://avherald.com/h?article=53193a21&opt=0 Incident: France A320 near Lyon on Dec 20th 2025, engine shut down in flight An Air France Airbus A320-200, registration F-HBNJ performing flight AF-7562 from Paris Orly to Ajaccio (France), had just levelled off at FL390 when the crew decided to divert to Lyon, the crew subsequently shut the left hand engine (CFM56) down and landed safely on Lyon's runway 17L about 25 minutes after leaving FL390. The airline reported the aircraft diverted due to a technical problem, an engine surge that caused vibrations ultimately prompting the crew to shut the engine down. Passengers reported there were severe vibrations, one of the engines emitted a loud bang and streaks of flames. The vibrations stopped once the engine was shut down. A replacement A320-200 registration F-GKXY continued the journey but landed in Bastia (France) rather than Ajaccio with a delay of about 5 hours. The passengers were bussed to Ajaccio. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Lyon 48 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53193424&opt=0 Accident: Lingus A21N at Dublin on Dec 13th 2025, hard landing VIDEO An Aer Lingus Airbus A321-200N, registration EI-XLT performing flight EI-155 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Dublin (Ireland), landed on Dublin's runway 28L at 12:18L (12:18Z) but touched down hard and bounced before settling on the runway. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron. The next approach, going around, reported windshear. The aircraft is still on the ground in Dublin on Dec 22nd 2025. According to local sources the aircraft registered 3.3G vertical load on touch down and needs a new landing gear. https://avherald.com/h?article=53193130&opt=0 Beechcraft B300 King Air 350i - Fatal Accide3nt (near Galveston-Scholes International Airport, TX) Date: Monday 22 December 2025 Time: c. 15:15 LT Type: Beechcraft B300 King Air 350i Owner/operator: Armada de México Registration: ANX-1209 MSN: FL-936 Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 8 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Category: Accident Location: near Galveston-Scholes International Airport, TX (GLS/KGLS) - United States of America Phase: Approach Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Mérida-Rejon Airport (MID/MMMD) Destination airport: Galveston-Scholes Field, TX (GLS/KGLS) Investigating agency: NTSB Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Mexican Navy Beechcraft 350i, ANX-1209, operating an air ambulance flight from Merida to Galveston crashed near Scholes Airport. Of the 8 occupants, at least 6 were killed with 2 survivors. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/564178 Plane makes safe emergency landing in Colorado without a pilot's help, in first "Autoland" use A plane landed at Colorado's Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport without a pilot's help on Saturday in what appears to be the first real-world use of new safety technology. According to Garmin, their emergency "Autoland" system was activated for the first time ever for the landing at around 2 p.m. Saturday. The landing was successful and the charter company for the plane told CBS Colorado that everyone involved was OK. According to LiveATC and a pilot who heard the communication at the time, a robotic voice over air traffic control communication can be heard saying, "Pilot incapacitation, two miles south… emergency Autoland in 19 minutes on runway 3-0." It came not long after taking off from Aspen's airport and pilots reported a pressurization problem while flying over the Denver Metro area. Adam Lendi "We lost pressurization," the pilot told air traffic control. Cases of pilot incapacitation are rare, but nearly always fatal. The Autoland system works with the push of a button and can be activated by anyone on board the aircraft or can self-activate after a prolonged period of no pilot activity. In the air traffic control audio, the same robotic voice can also be heard describing the flight's tail number as N479BR. On Flight Aware, this tail number is shown landing at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport on Saturday afternoon, flying in from Aspen. Local flight instructor Adam Lendi was with a student when he says he heard the traffic over his radio and went out to see the plane land. "We saw the fire trucks starting to head out," Lendi went on to explain, "I was familiar with the auto land systems, and I recognized that's what was going on. So I told my student, I said, 'We might be witnessing something pretty cool here.'" In a statement to CBS Colorado, Garmin said: "Garmin can confirm that an emergency Autoland activation occurred at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, Colorado. The Autoland took place on Saturday, Dec. 20, resulting in a successful landing. We look forward to sharing additional details at the appropriate time." Flight Aware shows the operators of the plane that landed at that time as Buffalo River Aviation, who say everyone involved is OK. On Monday, the company sent CBS News Colorado a statement, saying no passengers were on board and that the pilots allowed the system to retain control of the plane, "exercising conservative judgement." "Climbing through 23,000ft MSL, the aircraft experienced a rapid, uncommanded loss of pressurization. As per standard procedures, the two pilots immediately put on their oxygen masks," the company's CEO Chris Townsley. "The aircraft, equipped with Garmin Aviation's latest Emergency Descent Mode (EDM) and Autoland systems, automatically engaged exactly as designed when the cabin altitude exceeded the prescribed safe levels. The system selected a suitable airport per Garmin criteria (KBJC, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport), navigated to it, and communicated automatically along the way." Townsley said that reports of the pilots being incapacitated are "incorrect" and were the result of the technology's automated communication and reporting functions. "In this case, the crew consciously elected to preserve and use all available tools and minimize additional variables in an unpredictable, emergent situation, prioritizing life and a safe outcome over all other factors, as they are trained to do. The aircraft returned home the following day without incident," Townsley said. "Buffalo River Aviation is grateful to the pilots for their exceptional judgment and execution of protocols, and to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and Denver Center Tracon personnel for their assistance and support during this event." Garmin's Autoland technology for a general aviation aircraft came out in 2019, and the company says this is the first time it's ever been activated. CBS News cameras were the first to be allowed on board to see the technology in action back in 2019, as it was being approved by the FAA. Larry Anglisano, an aviation journalist for AVBrief, described Autoland as a fail-safe for when the airplane is in working order but the pilot might not be able to take control. It can even turn itself on if the pilot fails to interact with the system for a long period of time. "This is a smart computer that's smart enough to know the pilot is incapacitated and smart enough to know where to put the airplane down for a safe landing based on the amount of runway that's needed; it'll fly around weather," Anglisano said. And on Saturday, the tech did just that as it brought anyone on board safely to the ground. Lendi says flights were kept out of the airspace for about an hour during this time. "It's reassuring just to know that, if you know, as I progress in my flying career, that if I were in a situation where something happened to me, there could be an option for everybody in the plane to make it on the ground safely," Lendi said. The Federal Aviation Administration released this statement to CBS Colorado: "A Beechcraft Super King Air landed safely at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Colorado around 2:20 p.m. local time on Saturday, Dec. 20, after the pilot lost communication with air traffic control. An onboard emergency autoland system was activated. Two people were on board. The FAA is investigating." RMMA told CBS Colorado it was aware of the situation and that the plane landed safely without incident. https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/plane-emergency-landing-colorado-autoland/ Boeing seeks FAA Emissions Exemption to Sell Additional 777F Aircraft On December 19, Boeing asked the US Federal Aviation Administration to waive airplane emissions rules to allow it to sell another 35 Boeing 777F aircraft, citing steady customer demand and a delay in the next-generation plane’s certification. Summary Boeing’s 777F will exceed regulations FAA’s new rules Boeing requests permission to sell additional 777Fs Boeing requests emmission waivers to sell 35 additional 777F aircraft © Boeing Boeing requests emissions waiver to sell 35 additional 777F aircraft © Boeing Boeing’s 777F will exceed regulations The new rules for airplane emissions take effect in 2028. Under FAA regulations aircraft which exceed certain fuel-efficiency limits will no longer be eligible for flight certificates after that date. Boeing acknowledged that the 777F ‘exceeds’ the set fuel efficiency limit, but says its next-generation 777-8 Freighter, which complies with the set limits, will not be ready until after that date. Boeing said the waiver would allow it to meet anticipated customer demand for cargo planes prior to the 777-8F entering service. Boeing’s 777-8F will not be ready until after Dec. 31 2027 © Boeing FAA’s new rules In 2024, the FAA issued final rules adopting international standards to reduce carbon pollution from most large airplanes flying in US airspace. With the new rules airplanes manufactured after January 1, 2028, are required to incorporate improved fuel-efficient technologies before they can take to the skies. However, the rules do not apply to aircraft made or in service before that date. The FAA has reported that civil aircraft account for 9% of domestic transportation emissions and 2% of total US carbon pollution. The air freight market ‘relies’ on the 777Fs © Boeing Boeing requests permission to sell additional 777Fs Boeing is requesting permission to sell 35 additional 777Fs, which would otherwise be denied under the new rules. The company has said: “Additional 777Fs are needed after [Jan.1 2028], to maintain an uninterrupted supply of large freighters to the market prior to the introduction of the 777-8F. The requested relief will allow Boeing to meet anticipated customer demand and support the substantial public interest in the sustained transportation of air cargo prior to the 777-8F entering service.” Boeing is hoping to secure the exemption by the beginning of May 2026. It argues that the air freight market ‘relies’ on the 777F, which is powered by GE Aerospace GE90 engines, to connect major cargo hubs. It also says the 777F is the only high-capacity freighter in production, and maintaining continuity to the 777-8F is “critical” to the economic stability of the programme. https://travelradar.aero/boeing-seeks-faa-emissions-exemption-to-sell-additional-777f-aircraft/ Boeing To Increase Monthly 737 MAX Production To 47 Aircraft In 2026 Luke Diaz is a freelance military writer with experience with active duty experience in the US Navy as well as defense and industrial engineering. He is a former Naval Flight Officer who performed tactical air control on the carrier-based E-2 Hawkeye. Boeing’s troubled 737 MAX series is said to begin the new year with a strong start. The Federal Aviation Administration gave approval for the American planemaker to increase from 38 deliveries per month to 42 this year. The firm is now aiming for 47 in the next few months, with the goal to achieve 53 off the line every month by the end of the year. The Hindustan Times reported these ambitions, which come as the FAA continues to uphold a strict on-site monitoring presence. Inspectors scrutinize the assembly line at the Renton, Washington, plant with inspections of every aircraft that rolls off the line before it is certified for delivery. In 2025, the FAA gave approval to raise the monthly quota cap from 38 to 42 aircraft. Boeingcontinued to have issues with supply chain and production capacity, meaning that it did not achieve the maximum potential number of 737 MAX deliveries every month, even with the reduced restrictions. That is expected to change going into 2026. The company completed a merger with Spirit Aerosystems, which fabricates roughly 70% of the parts used to construct 737 aerostructures and components. This process brings greater control over quality assurance from the “nose to the tail.” It should allow Boeing to better manage production flow. Boeing also anticipates receiving certification for the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 variants in 2026, though initial MAX 10 deliveries may lag behind production as certification is expected late in the year. Boeing’s Executive VP of Finance & CFO, Jay Malave, was quoted by AeroTime as saying: “When you now fast forward to 2026, we’re going to be increasing our deliveries, but there won’t be hardly any aircraft, if any at all, that will be coming out of inventory.” Boeing reached a major milestone at its Moses Lake operation (located at Grant County International Airport) by officially closing its 'shadow factory' for the 737 MAX. In August 2025, Boeing flew the last of its 250 previously stored 737 MAX 8 jets out of Moses Lake. This concluded a six-year effort to maintain and rework approximately 450 aircraft that were grounded globally in 2019. Boeing has shut down the shadow factory, which was a large-scale maintenance and rework operation that at its peak employed nearly 1,000 people to keep stored jets flight-ready. While the storage crisis has ended, the site remains a permanent part of Boeing's operations. It now serves as a primary site for flight tests and preparations for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 as well as the next-generation 777X widebody jet, which uses the site's massive hangars (originally built for B-52 bombers). By clearing the Moses Lake inventory, Boeing has removed a major expense and financial drain. This allows the company to reallocate experienced mechanics back to the main production lines in Renton and Everett to support the planned 2026 production ramp-up to 47 and eventually 53 jets per month. Boeing has overseen a massive overhaul of its entire manufacturing process related to the 737 MAX family. This stemmed from the tragic fatal accidents of Lion Air flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 which caused the deaths of nearly 350 people led to the longest and most widespread grounding of any commercial aircraft. In 2024, the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 door plug blowout led to further degradation of the jetliner's slowly recovering reputation. Also in 2025, Airbus overtook the Boeing 737 with the A320 family, claiming the title of the best-selling commercial aircraft in history. This opportunity was made possible by the low output from the American company. As Boeing is now ready to resume normal rate production, the backlog of orders has grown to epic proportions. If the legendary manufacturing giant regains its former glory, it may well be able to take back the prestigious honor of maker of the world's most popular airliner. https://simpleflying.com/boeing-increase-monthly-737-max-production-47-aircraft-2026/ 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