Flight Safety Information - January 19, 2026 No. 013 In This Issue : Incident: United A320 at Grand Rapids on Jan 18th 2026, hydraulic indication : Crash: IDA AT42 near Makassar on Jan 17th 2026, aircraft collided with terrain : Incident: Qatar B788 near Lagos on Jan 16th 2026, oxygen system failure : Incident: Cairo A320 near Cairo on Jan 15th 2026, cabin pressure, then generator problems : Incident: American A319 at Monterey on Jan 15th 2026, landing gear did not extend : Accident: Hevilift AT42 at Simberi on Jan 15th 2026, runway excursion on landing : Wreckage of missing plane found in Indonesia : Delta Eyes Another Widebody Aircraft Order After New 787 Deal : Calendar of Events Incident: United A320 at Grand Rapids on Jan 18th 2026, hydraulic indication A United Airbus A320-200, registration N1902U performing flight UA-2622 from Chicago O'Hare,IL to Grand Rapids,MI (USA), was on approach to Grand Rapids descending through about 10000 feet when the crew declared emergency reporting they had an hydraulics indication that might affect their landing gear, the landing gear was down and locked however. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 26L about 11 minutes later. The aircraft vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. The aircraft was able to depart for the return flight with a delay of about 80 minutes. https://avherald.com/h?article=53344535&opt=0 Crash: IDA AT42 near Makassar on Jan 17th 2026, aircraft collided with terrain An IDA Indonesia Air Transport Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-500, registration PK-THT performing a flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar (Indonesia) with 11 people on board, was enroute near Makassar when the aircraft disappeared from radar, radar and radio contact was lost. The last radar position according to AirNav Indonesia was 04°57’08” S / 119°42’54” E at 13:17L (06:17Z). The aircraft was later found at the peak of Mount Bulu Saraung at about 5100 feet MSL, no survivors are being reported. Indonesia's CAA reported, the aircraft had already been cleared for an approach to Makassar's runway 21 when ATC observed the aircraft was not on the correct approach path and redirected the aircraft onto the approach path, however radio and radar contact was lost about 11nm northeast of the threshold runway 21. Emergency services report the search operation is hampered by fog and rain. Local residents reported the sound of an explosion in the Mount Lapiau area, Leang-Leang coinciding with the time of the last contact. Subsequently they saw smoke at the mountain side. Search and Rescue Teams (SAR) reported, they believe the aircraft crashed within the Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park area at Mount Bulusaraung. The SAR teams have arrived on scene. The local disaster management agency reported the aircraft has been found at the peak of Mount Bulu Saraung. Later SAR stated, they can not confirm the aircraft found on Mount Bulu Saraung by a climber. The images taken by the climber are currently being checked with the airline and a SAR team is on its way there. The search will continue throughout the night. On Jan 18th 2026 SAR reported the aircraft has been found at Mount Bulu Saraung at position 04°55'48"S 119°44'52"E, debris and one body have been recovered so far. Mount Bulu Saraung (north of the last radar position) rises up to 5135 feet MSL, The Leang Leang Park (south of the last radar position) up to about 1500 feet MSL. https://avherald.com/h?article=53325cc4&opt=0 Incident: Qatar B788 near Lagos on Jan 16th 2026, oxygen system failure A Qatar Airways Boeing 787-8, registration A7-BCL performing flight QR-1406 from Lagos (Nigeria) to Doha (Qatar) with 248 passengers and 12 crew, was climbing through about FL220 out of Lagos when the crew reported a failure of their oxygen system, rapidly descended the aircraft to FL100 and returned to Lagos for a safe landing on runway 18R about one hour after stopping the climb. The aircraft is still on the ground in Lagos about 47 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5332933b&opt=0 Incident: Cairo A320 near Cairo on Jan 15th 2026, cabin pressure, then generator problems An Air Cairo Airbus A320-200, registration SU-BPX performing flight SM-427 from Cairo (Egypt) to Gassim (Saudi Arabia), was climbing through about FL270 out of Cairo when the cabin altitude climbed through 11000 feet prompting the crew to initiate a rapid descent to FL100. The aircraft returned to Cairo. While on approach at 3000 feet the crew disconnected one of the engine driven generators due to low oil pressure leaving the aircraft down to one generator only. The aircraft landed safely back on Cairo's runway 05C about 45 minutes after departure. The Aviation Herald received information that the aircraft had been dispatched under Minimum Equipment List requirements with the APU being inoperative. While nearly at FL280 the crew called Mayday and reported the cabin altitude had reached 11000 feet. At 3000 feet the crew disconnected one of the IDGs due to low oil pressure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Cairo about 50 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53328f60&opt=0 Incident: American A319 at Monterey on Jan 15th 2026, landing gear did not extend An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N816AW performing flight AA-1866 from Phoenix,AZ to Monterey,CA (USA) with 90 people on board, was on final approach to Monterey's runway 10R when the crew initiated a go around reporting a problem with the aircraft. The crew subsequently declared PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN advising their landing gear did not come down and they would divert to San Francisco hoping to be able to lower the gear by alternate means until then. While enroute to SFO the crew advised, they were able to extend the landing gear via alternate means and had three greens, they would stop on the runway and have emergency services check the aircraft. The would need to be towed off the runway as they did not have any nose wheel steering. The aircraft landed safely on San Francisco's runway 28R about 35 minutes after the go around. A passenger reported the crew announced they could not get the landing gear down and were diverting to SFO as a precaution for the longer runway and emergency services available. The landing gear did not come down until they were nearly at SFO, the passenger thought they would do a belly landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5331a2ab&opt=0 Accident: Hevilift AT42 at Simberi on Jan 15th 2026, runway excursion on landing A Hevilift Avions de Transport Regional ATR-42-500, registration P2-KSA performing a charter flight from Port Moresby to Simberi (Papua New Guinea) with 11 passengers and 3 crew, landed on Simberi's runway 28 at about 16:30L (06:30Z) but veered right off the runway and impacted an earthwall. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however. The airline reported the aircraft swerved off the runway on landing in wet and slippery conditions at about 16:30L operating a charter flight with 11 passengers and 3 crew. The aircraft sustained some damage. https://avherald.com/h?article=5331892a&opt=0 Wreckage of missing plane found in Indonesia Rescuers during the search operation on Mount Bulusaraung, which is being hampered by thick fog and difficult terrain The body of one of 11 people on board a plane that crashed in eastern Indonesia was found on Sunday with the debris of the aircraft. The Indonesia Air Transport passenger plane went missing in mid-flight on Saturday after losing contact with air traffic control in the South Sulawesi province. It had been flying from Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, to Makassar, on Sulawesi island. Search and rescue workers found the body in a steep mountain ravine, but poor weather conditions, including fog, and harsh terrain forced them to delay its recovery until Monday. The team also found wreckage believed to be the fuselage, tail and windows of the ATR 42-500 turboprop, according to Muhammad Arif Anwar, a local official. Other wreckage, including the plane’s engine and passenger seats, has also been found. Wreckage was found on the mountainside during the operation led by Basarnas, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency Three government workers and eight crew members were believed to be on board the plane as part of an aerial monitoring mission for Indonesia’s ministry of marine affairs and fisheries. The plane crashed into Mount Bulusaraung in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, which borders the city of Makassar, Mr Anwar said. The crash site is approximately 1,500km north east of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city. The official added that a unit had been deployed by air to search for the 10 remaining passengers and crew. The search mission on land and air has involved more than 1,000 people, including members of the air force, police and volunteers. The cause of the crash remains to be determined. In a statement, IAT said the aircraft had had technical problems but was declared safe before flying to Makassar. Indonesia is heavily reliant on air transport to connect the thousands of islands making up the archipelago. The country has a poor record of aviation safety, with several fatal crashes in recent years. In 2015, all 54 people on board an ATR 42-300 died after it crashed into a mountain in the Papua region. In September, a helicopter crash killed all eight people on board in the South Kalimantan province. Less than two weeks later, four people had died in a helicopter crash in Papua. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/missing-plane-found-indonesia-160154606.html Delta Eyes Another Widebody Aircraft Order After New 787 Deal If Delta moves forward with another widebody order in the near term, the Airbus A330-900neo stands out as the most practical option. ATLANTA- Delta Air Lines (DL) is reassessing its widebody fleet roadmap after confirming a major Boeing order that will not begin deliveries until the next decade. The timing has reopened questions around capacity, replacement cycles, and delivery gaps. With no widebody aircraft scheduled to arrive for several years, Delta’s leadership is reportedly evaluating another aircraft order. The discussion centers on maintaining operational stability from core hubs such as Atlanta (ATL) while managing an aging long-haul fleet. Delta New Widebody Aircraft Order Delta Air Lines recently placed a firm order for 30 Boeing 787-10 aircraft, with options for an additional 30 units. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2031, marking a notable Boeing win for an airline whose recent widebody renewal has leaned heavily toward Airbus. While the order strengthens Delta’s long-term international capacity, it does not address a clear delivery gap. Between the final Airbus A350-1000 arrivals and the first Boeing 787-10 delivery, Delta is not expected to receive any new widebody aircraft for roughly three years. Confirmed Widebody Deliveries and Timelines Delta’s next-generation widebody commitments are clearly defined: 39 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft are currently in service 40 Airbus A350-900 aircraft in service, with four additional units on order 20 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on firm order, scheduled for 2027 and 2028, with options for 20 more 30 Boeing 787-10 aircraft on order, delivering from 2031 onward The A350-1000 fleet is primarily intended for ultra-long-haul growth, including potential new routes to Asia, the Middle East, and India. These aircraft are not direct replacements for much of Delta’s existing widebody capacity, OMAAT reported. Aging Aircraft Still Supporting the Network Delta continues to rely on a large group of older widebody aircraft: 11 Airbus A330-200 aircraft with an average age of 21 years 31 Airbus A330-300 aircraft with an average age of 17 years 38 Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with an average age of 29 years 21 Boeing 767-400ER aircraft with an average age of 25 years Many of these aircraft remain in active service across transatlantic and domestic long-haul routes. Delta has historically extended aircraft life cycles through heavy maintenance programs and interior upgrades, including planned cabin refreshes for the A330-300 fleet. Why the A330-900neo Is the Most Logical Gap Filler If Delta moves forward with another widebody order in the near term, the Airbus A330-900neo stands out as the most practical option. The aircraft is already part of Delta’s fleet, fits existing pilot and maintenance infrastructure, and offers better near term delivery availability than the A350 or 787 families. Additional orders for the A350-1000 or exercising Boeing 787-10 options remain plausible, but both would primarily address post-2031 needs rather than the immediate delivery gap. Separating Fact From Market Signals Confirmed facts include Delta’s existing aircraft orders, fleet composition, and delivery timelines. Reports suggesting another aircraft order stem from industry sources and market observers, indicating internal evaluation rather than a finalized decision. No manufacturer selection or contract has been announced. Bottom Line Delta Air Lines has secured long term widebody growth through Boeing 787-10 and Airbus A350 programs, but a mid term delivery gap remains unresolved. To sustain capacity from hubs such as Atlanta (ATL), additional widebody aircraft will be required over time. If Delta acts before the end of the decade, the Airbus A330-900neo appears to be the most viable short-term solution, while larger aircraft options remain part of a longer horizon strategy. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2026/01/17/delta-eyes-another-widebody-aircraft-order-after-new-787-deal/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Singapore Airshow 2026 - FEBRUARY 3-6, 2026. . VERTICON 2026 - Atlanta March 9-12 . 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