Flight Safety Information - April 28, 2026 No. 082 In This Issue : Accident: Swiss A333 at Delhi on Apr 26th 2026, rejected takeoff due to engine failure : Incident: BAW B772 near London on Apr 26th 2026, electrical burning odour : Incident: Delta A321 near Milwaukee on Apr 26th 2026, smoke and fire on board : Incident: Delta B712 at Louisville on Apr 26th 2026, engine compressor stall : Incident: ANZ DH8C near Auckland on Apr 25th 2026, hydraulic problems : Incident: United B789 near Singapore on Apr 24th 2026, electrical smell on board : Baby on board! Delta passenger gives birth before flight lands : Joby Aviation completes first NYC test flight, sending electric air taxi from JFK to Manhattan : The hardest-working staff at the airport? These two good boys. : Tampa Passenger Films Couple Delaying Flight by an Hour to Sit Together : Calendar of Events Accident: Swiss A333 at Delhi on Apr 26th 2026, rejected takeoff due to engine failure A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration HB-JHK performing flight LX-147 from Delhi (India) to Zurich (Switzerland) with 232 passengers and 13 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Delhi's runway 28 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 105 knots over ground) due to the left hand engine (Trent 772) emitting a loud bang and failing. The aircraft slowed safely and stopped on the runway, smoke became visible on the left hand side of the aircraft obviously due to wheels/brakes catching fire, emergency services responded and began to spray the left hand main gear. The crew initiated an emergency evacuation via slides. Six passengers received injuries, two of them serhttps://avherald.com/h?article=5386949b&opt=0ious injuries (leg fractures), as result https://avherald.com/h?article=5386949b&opt=0of the evacuation. https://avherald.com/h?article=5386949b&opt=0 Incident: BAW B772 near London on Apr 26th 2026, electrical burning odour A BAW British Airways Boeing 777-200, registration G-YMMD performing flight BA-2203 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Cancun (Mexico), was enroute at FL340 about 150nm west of London Gatwick when the turned off the airway, continued for about 15 minutes into the direction of destination before deciding to return to Gatwick due to an electrical burning odour on board. The aircraft landed safely back on Gatwick's runway 08R about 100 minutes after departure. The airline reported a technical issue with the aircraft. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration G-YMMB reached Cancun with a delay of about 4.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 21 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=53875b02&opt=0 Incident: Delta A321 near Milwaukee on Apr 26th 2026, smoke and fire on board A Delta Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N359DN performing flight DL-2309 from Minneapolis,MN to Orlando,FL (USA) with 137 people on board, was enroute at FL350 about 90nm west of Milwaukee,WI (USA) when the crew donned their oxygen masks and decided to divert to Milwaukee reporting smoke and a fire on board somewhere in the back between seatrows 23, 24 and 25. The aircraft landed on Milwaukee's runway 07R and stopped on the runway for inspection by emergency services. After about 10 minutes the aircraft taxied to the apron after emergency services found the temperatures okay, the assumption was the smoke/smell related to the inflight entertainment system. The aircraft continued the flight to Orlando after about 14 hours on the ground and reached Orlando with a delay of about 14 hours. The airline reported the aircraft diverted due to a smokey odour on board. Passengers reported smoke and fumes in the back of the aircraft, the smell of melting plastics. https://avherald.com/h?article=538789b8&opt=0 Incident: Delta B712 at Louisville on Apr 26th 2026, engine compressor stall A Delta Airlines Boeing 717-200, registration N899AT performing flight DL-2801 from Louisville,KY to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing out of Louisville's runway 35R when the crew declared emergency reporting their left hand engine (BR715) had suffered a compressor stall. The aircraft stopped the climb at 3000 feet and returned to Louisville for a safe landing on runway 35R about 25 minutes after departure. A post flight inspection revealed the inboard left hand main tyre had burst. The FAA reported on Apr 27th 2026: "AIRCRAFT BLEW A TIRE ON TAKEOFF, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO HEAVY VIBRATIONS, LANDED AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO LEFT FLAP, LOUISVILLE, KY." The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground about 3 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5386ecb7&opt=0 Incident: ANZ DH8C near Auckland on Apr 25th 2026, hydraulic problems An ANZ Air New Zealand de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration ZK-NFI performing flight NZ-5171 from Auckland to Gisborne (New Zealand), was climbing through FL200 out of Auckland when the crew decided to return to Auckland due to a hydraulic problem. The aircraft landed safely back on Auckland's runway 28L about 50 minutes after departure. The airline reported the crew received indication of a hydraulic issue. The aircraft is still on the ground in Auckland about 29 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5386b221&opt=0 Incident: United B789 near Singapore on Apr 24th 2026, electrical smell on board A United Boeing 787-9, registration N61101 performing flight UA-2 from Singapore (Singapore) to San Francisco,CA (USA), was climbing through FL330 about 170nm east of Singapore when the crew stopped the climb and decided to return to Singapore due to an electrical smell on board. The aircraft landed safely on Singapore's runway 02C about 1:50 hours after departure. The airline reported a maintenance issue. Passengers reported an electrical smell came from the air vents. After landing the aircraft was towed for an engine (GEnx) test to check whether the smell could be replicated. It looked like the aircraft could depart although with an intermediate stop in Honolulu for a crew change, however, it was ultimately found out, that the issue could not be fixed prior to the crew timing out, the flight was therefore cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Singapore about 13 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=53858237&opt=0 Baby on board! Delta passenger gives birth before flight lands A pregnant passenger gave birth aboard a flight from Atlanta to Portland, Oregon, last Friday. Delta confirmed the baby's birth aboard DL478 approximately 30 minutes prior to landing at Portland International Airport, thanking the doctor and two nurses who stepped in to assist the Delta flight crew in a statement to ABC News. "We extend our sincere thanks to the crew and medical volunteers on board who stepped in to provide care to a customer onboard prior to landing in Portland. The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority, and we wish the new family all the best," Delta said. In audio from the flight, shared by Broadcastify, a crew member can be heard saying, "The baby has been delivered on the aircraft. So, they're gonna be coming in with the baby delivered." It is not known how far along the passenger was in their pregnancy. According to Delta, the crew requested priority handling with air traffic control, and the plane, which was carrying 153 customers and four flight attendants, was met by EMS after landing. The airline added that its crew members "undergo comprehensive medical training" for such situations. The Port of Portland, which handles operations for Portland International Airport, confirmed Portland Airport Fire & Rescue responded to the incident. Passenger gives birth on flight from Jamaica to New York "They found everyone in stable condition when the aircraft landed shortly before its regularly scheduled arrival time of approximately 10 p.m. PT. The baby had been delivered in-flight," a Port of Portland statement read. "Our responding crew found the mother and baby healthy, and the new family was transported to a local hospital for observation." On its website, Delta states that it does not "impose restrictions on flying if you're pregnant," noting that it doesn't require any sort of medical certificate for pregnant passengers to travel. Mother gives birth to baby mid-air on transatlantic United flight The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also shares travel guidelines for those who are pregnant on its website and says it is generally safe to travel during pregnancy but that there may be risks "depending on how far along you are in pregnancy." "It's usually safe to travel until close to your due date as long as you take safety precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey," the organization states. "But the risks of travel may change depending on how far along you are in pregnancy. And travel may not be recommended if you have pregnancy complications." https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/baby-board-delta-passenger-gives-142258202.html Joby Aviation completes first NYC test flight, sending electric air taxi from JFK to Manhattan Flying air taxis took one step closer to being reality above the skies of New York City. Joby Aviation (JOBY) on Monday completed the first-ever point-to-point eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) demonstration flights in New York City history, signaling a turning point for urban air mobility in the country’s most congested metropolis. Flying between John F. Kennedy Airport and Manhattan’s existing heliport network — including Downtown Skyport and the Blade Air Mobility lounge at the West 30th Street Heliport — Joby’s aircraft, dubbed the N545JX, demonstrated routes that could one day shrink a 60-to-120-minute drive to JFK into a seven-minute flight. Eric Allison, Joby's chief product officer, said it’s a critical proof of concept, with the company targeting passenger flights as soon as the second half of 2026. “This is how we supercharge this. This is how we are able to scale, both in terms of the cost structure and in terms of the environmental friendliness of this," Allison said to Yahoo Finance from the Blade Air Mobility lounge. “This is a zero-emissions aircraft, flying from JFK to here and back, but also incredibly low noise. We left the door open when we landed — if you left the door open when a helicopter landed, no one’s happy in the lounge.” Reporters, Joby officials, and customers witnessed Monday’s midday test flight from the Blade Air Mobility lounge in Midtown, where the company operates traditional helicopter flights, and, eventually, its eVTOL aircraft. That noise advantage is central to Joby’s pitch. Unlike conventional helicopters, Joby’s aircraft is designed to minimize sound. The all-electric propulsion system is also zero emissions, and Allison argues the aircraft can unlock markets that traditional helicopters can’t. “There are places where people don’t want helicopters to land,” he said. “With this type of technology, the convenience of vertical flight — being able to book a trip through the Uber app and fly at 200 miles an hour to the airport — you want that closer to you, and that’s critically important for this business.” Joby acquired the passenger business of helicopter booking service Blade Air Mobility in 2025, gaining access to Blade’s passengers and a network of Manhattan-area heliports. Read more: Find the best travel credit cards for April 2026 Allison said this week that Blade customers waiting for helicopter flights to JFK saw the Joby aircraft land and asked if they could wait and take it instead. “It just shows there’s so much excitement around this that we just can’t wait to get this thing launched,” he said. Joby isn't alone in the race. UK-based competitor Vertical Aerospace (EVTL) has been developing its Valo aircraft, targeting similar urban air mobility routes in Europe with airline partners including American Airlines (AAL) and Virgin Atlantic. Joby has relationships with Delta Air Lines (DAL), as well as Virgin Atlantic and Japan’s ANA. “We can only focus on what we’re doing,” Allison said when asked about Vertical Aerospace. “We’ve been doing this for a while — I think we’re the leaders in this space. We understand the technology from top to bottom better than just about anyone else.” Joby said FAA certification for its aircraft is advancing, and its first conforming aircraft is now in testing. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/markets/article/joby-aviation-completes-first-nyc-test-flight-sending-electric-air-taxi-from-jfk-to-manhattan-185130159.html The hardest-working staff at the airport? These two good boys. CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The wildlife patrol at West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) has gone to the dogs - specifically, to border collies Hercules and Ned. Five days a week, and sometimes weekends, the herding dogs punch the clock and go to work clearing birds and woodland creatures from the mountaintop airfield at CRW. Their job as “wildlife canines” is critical to protecting planes and passengers from potentially dangerous wildlife strikes. “My co-workers are all about the safety of the people flying in and out of the airport,” said Chris Keyser, 59, the airport’s wildlife specialist and dog handler. “They always want to do their job to make everybody safe.” Collisions with local fauna is a real and rising threat. Between 1990 and 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration received reports of 313,716 strikes, including 25 accidents that caused 52 human deaths. In 2024, the agency registered 22,372 collisions, a 14 percent increase from the previous year. Since the dogs joined CRW’s wildlife management team - Hercules in 2018 and Ned in 2024 - Keyser said bird strikes have declined by more than 70 percent. As of January, according to the FAA Wildlife Strike Database, the airport has submitted only one incident to the agency, a brush with a common grackle. “Border collies are so intelligent and can endure the heat and cold really well,” said Keyser, who owns seven dogs. “They are full of energy and they like doing their job, because they’re herding dogs. It’s born in them.” The 9-year-old Hercules owes his livelihood to Piper, the border collie who chased 9,347 birds over 6,206 hours at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Michigan. Piper died of cancer in 2018. CRW airport authorities, inspired by Piper’s accomplishments, decided to recruit a border collie of their own. After graduating from Flyaway Geese, a North Carolina dog-training facility, Hercules moved to the Charleston airport. When he was 7 years old and starting to slow down, Keyser drove back to North Carolina and returned with Ned, a tireless go-getter with a shiny black coat and pointy bat ears. “Herc is a working dog and loving dog,” Keyser said. “And Ned is all about work, but he likes to play ball, too.” Since introducing Hercules and later Ned, 4, on social media, the pups have gained celebrity status with about 72,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. Passengers and flight crew members passing through Charleston often request a cuddle session with the pups. The dogs even have their own apparel line as well as souvenir swag sold at the airport gift shop. I count myself a fan and was delighted when Keyser invited me to accompany the pups on a daily patrol earlier this month. Unlike many working dogs at airports, petting Hercules and Ned is allowed. The wildlife team, in fact, encourages it. Preparing the dogs for duty 6:49 a.m. Keyser arrives in the pre-security departures hall a few minutes after the first plane of the day, a Chicago-bound United flight, has lifted off. He dashes outside to grab a biscuit from a friend who asks if, in return, he can say hello to the dogs. Unfortunately, Hercules and Ned have not clocked in yet. 7:04 a.m. In a back office inside the Airport Response Coordination Center, a creature stirs. “I can see a little nose,” says Keyser, peering through a crack in the blinds covering the door to their den. Hercules and Ned live at the airport full-time, in an all-white room furnished with dog beds and kennels, hooks for their leashes, harnesses, pilot hats and coats, and a shrine to them. Portraits by admirers adorn the walls, and a display case contains military patches that soldiers traded in exchange for a Wildlife Patrol CRW badge embossed with a cartoon image of the pups. After a breakfast of kibble and fish oil, Keyser says the magic words: “Are you ready to run some birds?” First runs of the day 7:30 a.m. Hercules and Ned jump into the back seat of a white SUV emblazoned with a logo of the goggled dogs - the same graphic that appears on the back of Keyser’s hoodie and the patches as well as the magnets and mugs sold in the airport gift shop. (Some of the products predate Ned and feature only Hercules.) Inside the vehicle, the air conditioning blasting on a crisp April morning, Keyser describes the four seasons through the lens of a border collie. In the spring, when migratory birds are flying north, the dogs can disperse flocks of up to 200 crows, rafters of turkeys and nimbus clouds of starlings, one of the most dangerous hazards for planes. If starlings make contact with an aircraft, Keyser said it is like “getting hit with a shotgun.” April rains turn the grassy airfield into an all-you-can-eat buffet for birds. “If we make it unpleasant, they won’t want to come here to eat,” he said. Summer slows down, as birds seek shade from the heat. Fall picks up with birds of prey, such as barn and screech owls and red-tail hawks. On gusty days, upward of 50 turkey vultures can surf the wind currents overhead. Anytime of the year, the dogs might come across a whitetail deer, coyote or turtle, which can derail a taxiing plane. 7:45 a.m. Before driving onto the airfield, Keyser calls the air-traffic control tower to check in. Ned, upon hearing a voice crackle over the radio, joins the conversation, whining and barking. Keyser runs the dogs on all four taxiways, plus the perimeter and the one runway, totaling five or six miles a day. Though the 767-acre airport is small - it served 423,000 passengers last year, nearly 106 million fewer than Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - it can be busy. In addition to three major airlines and one budget carrier, CRW serves the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing; private jets, military and cargo planes from the Capital Jet Center; and Marshall University’s flight school. 7:50 a.m. On their first lap, the dogs speed by a parking lot of C-130 Hercules aircraft, the namesake of the elder border collie. (Keyser had tried to rename Ned, but the young pup ignored any commands directed at “Charlie.”) “Shake ’em out. Flush ’em out. Get the stubborn ones,” Keyser shouted at the blur of fur. “Look, look, look. Look, look, look. Shh, shh, shh.” Two killdeer shoot out of the grass like skeets at a range. “Good job!” Keyser shouts, their reward for being such good dogs. 8:55 a.m. By the time Breeze Airways rumbles down the runway, Hercules and Ned have cleared more killdeer, American robins, sparrows, woodcocks and starlings. Whenever a plane lands or takes off, Keyser instructs the pups to lie down. He can’t risk a fleeing bird slamming into an active plane. The dogs stay down but they can’t sit still. Hercules munches on grass, and Ned scratches his back on the green-and-brown stubble. 9:27 a.m. Keyser receives a message that an American Airlines flight crew has requested an audience with the pups. Though Ned can run up to 35 miles an hour and Hercules is just about 10 mph behind him, the humans are too slow and miss the rendezvous. Break time 10:38 a.m. Hercules naps on the cool floor under a desk in the command center. Ned plays ball. Over and over and over again. 11:04 a.m. Back to work. Turkey vultures circle above, teasing the wildlife team. At 100 feet above the airport, they are too high for Hercules and Ned. So, Keyser returns the dogs to the car, to protect their ears, and pulls out a pistol. He shoots blanks into the air and scans the sky. Empty. 1:11 p.m. All species stop for lunch. Hercules and Ned eat a bowl of pumpkin and kibble. I run down to the cafe/gift shop, where baskets overflow with plush toys of a young Hercules, when his nose was mottled pink. While waiting for my order, I skim a children’s book called “The Adventures of Hercules: A New Friend.” Preboarding therapy session 2 p.m. Hercules pads into the waiting area of Gate B2 dressed in a patch-covered vest and a blue pilot’s cap, his greeter attire. When he’s not hazing birds, he’s comforting passengers as a therapy dog. He sniffs Rowdy, a 10-month-old shih tzu, then takes a seat between a goateed man in a Bart Simpson T-shirt and a woman in a bubblegum pink top. Two hands reach out to pet him. He jumps to the floor for more scratches. A woman steals glances at him. Keyser leads him over to her. Marjorie Halfhill, an Orlando resident with West Virginia roots, looks deeply into his heterochromia eyes - one blue, one brown - and speaks softly to him. “You have an important job, don’t you?” Halfhill says. He licks her face. “I am so glad I got to meet you. I won’t forget you.” More shared kisses. The gate agent starts the boarding process. Passengers shuffle by Hercules, pausing to snap selfies or straighten his hat. After the doors close, Hercules looks around the gate before hitting up a TSA officer for pets. Clocking out 2:44 p.m. “Want a nap?” Keyser asks Hercules after he has completed his inspection of the cafe floor. He tilts his head, ears up like antennae. It’s quitting time. 2:57 p.m. Hercules falls asleep under a desk, done for the day. Ned is wandering around the office, hoping Keyser or the mysterious voice over the radio will ask him to work overtime. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/hardest-working-staff-airport-two-195719131.html Tampa Passenger Films Couple Delaying Flight by an Hour to Sit Together A Tampa passenger recently recorded a couple delaying a flight by an hour because they wanted to sit together. The flight was amid boarding passengers in Los Angeles, California, and was set to head to Tampa, Florida. But one couple aboard the aircraft made it “chaotic” to take off. An individual named Archer Hayes shared a recording of the incident on his TikTok account in two parts. Hayes appeared to be recording from his window seat on the plane, and adjacent to him was the couple who wanted to sit together. Initially, the man asked the flight attendant if his seat could be moved next to his fiancée. To this, the air hostess responded by politely denying his request. She claimed that “on the ground” that wasn’t possible. The flight attendant urged him to return to his seat, but the man refused and insisted on sitting next to his fiancée. He even asked the attendant if he needed to deboard the plane, book another seat, and then be allowed to sit next to her. To which the woman claimed that it was the individual’s choice to do so, but she couldn’t reassign him to a seat until the plane took off. The man argued once more, claiming that there was no one sitting in the seat next to her. After being denied boarding, Marissa Bode reveals the airline is responding and promises changes for disabled travelers. Her push for accountability puts major focus on the challenges faced by travelers with disabilities. 11 Hidden Airplane Features You Had No Idea Existed Once more, the flight attendant calmly responded by citing the strict rules against moving someone from their seat until boarding was complete. The Tampa man noted that the conversation “overheated.” This was apparently because the man who was arguing allegedly didn’t respect the flight attendant’s instructions. Tampa Man Posts Part 2 of The ‘Overheated Conversation’ The Tampa man continued to record the overheated conversation and posted “Part 2” on his TikTok account. This time, the man was confronted by what appeared to be an official on the plane. Instead of sticking to his account of wanting to sit next to his fiancée, he changed his narrative. The person claimed that he was asking the flight attendant about which gate to go to since they were going to be late. And then mentioned that he had requested the flight attendant “to reconsider.” His fiancée stepped in and apologized on his behalf since they were reportedly getting late for their connecting flight. However, since they caused a significant delay of about an hour, they were being escorted off the plane. After a brief argument between the couple and an aircraft official, the husband finally agreed to deboard. His fiancée, however, hesitated over whether or not to accompany him. Ultimately, she was seen grabbing her suitcase and following right behind him. The Internet Responded to the One-Hour Delay on TikTok Since posting both parts of the incident, Hayes has generated immense traction among his nearly 69K followers on TikTok. One individual said, “I understand it’s a long flight, and it would be more enjoyable to sit next to your travelling companion, but this is ridiculous.” The next one asked, “How long is the flight that they can’t be separated for a few hours?” Another wondered, “Do they know that even if they don’t sit next to each other, they will end up at the same destination?” A fourth individual suggested, “If you want to sit with your fiancee then buy the seats together.” One more person claimed that the behavior had been encouraged for far too long. And instead blamed the aircraft entourage, saying, “I blame the captain and FA (Flight Attendant). They let that go on for far too long.” The couple’s identity has not yet been made public to maintain their privacy. However, further details about what happened after they deboarded are not yet known. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/tampa-passenger-films-couple-delaying-101142891.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference; May 5-7, 2026; New Orleans, LA . World Aviation Training Summit - 5-7 May 2026 - Orlando . 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 . ESASI 2026, 20-21 May, Dubrovnik . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course 7 to 9 July 2026; Woburn MA 01801 USA : APSCON/APSCON Unmanned 2026 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL - July 13-17, 2026 : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 22-23 September 2026 . IATA World Maintenance & Engineering Symposium (23-25 June, Madrid, Spain) . ISASI - BOSTON 2026 - September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis