Flight Safety Information - May 20, 2026 No. 098 In This Issue : Incident: Easyjet A21N near Milan on May 12th 2026, first officer incapacitated : Incident: TAP A320 at Rome on May 19th 2026, tail scrape on departure : Incident: American A319 at Chicago on May 19th 2026, engine failure : Accident: UPS B748 enroute on May 17th 2026, fumes on board : Attorney for Victims of UPS Cargo Jet Crash Says NTSB Hearings Clearly Reveal Deficiencies in Boeing, UPS, ST Aerospace, and FAA Safety and Maintenance Processes of Crashed Airplane : United Airlines Fires Two 757 Pilots After Coach Sits in Captain’s Seat on Rockies Charter : Faulty Part in UPS Plane Crash Was Often Overlooked, Witnesses Say : China Confirms Massive 200-Jet Boeing Order After Summit : United Express plane that landed at IAH from Arkansas experienced landing gear issue, airline says : Graduate Research Request : Calendar of Events Incident: Easyjet A21N near Milan on May 12th 2026, first officer incapacitated An Easyjet Airbus A321-200N, registration G-UZME performing flight U2-2058 from Heraklion (Greece) to Manchester,EN (UK), was enroute at FL340 about 80nm eastnortheast of Milan (Italy) when the captain decided to divert the aircraft to Milan Malpensa due to the first officer needing medical assistance. The aircraft landed safely on Malpensa's runway 35L about 25 minutes later. The airline reported the captain diverted the aircraft to Milan Malpensa due to the first officer requiring medical assistance. The captain performed a routine landing, the aircraft was met by medical services. The passengers were put in hotels and given meals. The flight was rescheduled to the following morning. The aircraft remained on the ground in Milan for about 12 hours, then continued the journey to Manchester. https://avherald.com/h?article=5397213f&opt=0 Incident: TAP A320 at Rome on May 19th 2026, tail scrape on departure A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320-200, registration CS-TNX performing flight TP-831 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Lisbon (Portugal), was departing Fiumicino's runway 25 when the tail contacted the runway surface. The aircraft stopped the climb at 4000 feet, entered a hold to burn off fuel and returned to Rome for a safe landing on Fiumicino's runway 16L about one hour after departure. Italy's ANSV dispatched an investigator on site stating there had been no injuries. The damage is currently being assessed. https://avherald.com/h?article=5396cf40&opt=0 Incident: American A319 at Chicago on May 19th 2026, engine failure An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N9006 performing flight AA-2952 from Chicago O'Hare,IL to Boston,MA (USA) with 114 people on board, was climbing out of Chicago's runway 27L when the crew declared Mayday reporting a left hand engine (CFM56) failure. The aircraft stopped the climb at 6000 feet and returned to Chicago for a safe landing on runway 28R about 35 minutes after departure. The aircraft stopped for an inspection on the runway and taxied to the apron about 7 minutes later. https://avherald.com/h?article=5396cd34&opt=0 Accident: UPS B748 enroute on May 17th 2026, fumes on board A UPS United Parcel Service Boeing 747-8 freighter, registration N624UP performing flight 5X-110 from Anchorage,AK (USA) to Tokyo Narita (Japan), was enroute at FL380 over the Bering Sea about 670nm westsouthwest of Anchorage when the crew decided to return to Anchorage reporting fumes/hazmat exposure on board. On approach to Anchorage the crew advised they needed medical services to meet the aircraft at the apron. The aircraft landed safely on runway 15 about 3:10 hours after departure. The crew was taken to a hospital. Emergency services reported they responded to a 747 that turned back after the crew experienced symptoms associated with hazardeous materials. Hazmat teams were checking the aircraft. The aircraft was pressurized later the day to ensure that no hazmat was present. The aircraft is still on the ground in Anchorage with all doors open to ventilate the airframe. https://avherald.com/h?article=5396be81&opt=0 Attorney for Victims of UPS Cargo Jet Crash Says NTSB Hearings Clearly Reveal Deficiencies in Boeing, UPS, ST Aerospace, and FAA Safety and Maintenance Processes of Crashed Airplane Bradley M. Cosgrove, partner at Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, who filed the first wrongful death lawsuits in Kentucky regarding the November 2025 crash of a UPS cargo jet, is in attendance on the first day of National Transportation Safety Board hearings alongside some of his clients. “The NTSB’s Preliminary Report and early hours of its Public Hearing show that Boeing, UPS, and ST Aerospace (aircraft maintenance provider for UPS) MD-11 engine pylon structural safety analyses and inspection and maintenance processes were clearly incorrect, unsafe, and insufficient to prevent this accident,” he said. Cosgrove, who heads the team of aviation lawyers, pilots, and technical experts at the firm on this crash, continued, “The remainder of this Public Hearing and NTSB investigation and reporting process will hopefully produce thorough documentation of the Boeing, UPS, ST Aerospace, FAA, and other organizational failures that led to this crash. Clifford Law Offices will continue its own investigation and make sure those responsible for this crash are held accountable.” The morning of May 19, 2026, the NTSB released 6,000 pages of documents on this November 4, 2025, crash, and “Clifford Law Offices is already in the process of reviewing this complex and highly specialized information with its experts as part of the firm’s own investigation to ensure that the truth is uncovered,” Cosgrove said. During the Tuesday hearing, the NTSB is calling numerous witnesses, including representatives from UPS, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Boeing, which manufactured the MD-11F cargo jet that crashed into a recycling area near the airport, killing 15 people and injuring 23 more on the ground. Clifford Law Offices, an internationally recognized aviation firm based in Chicago, represents seven of the victims’ families who lost loved ones in the crash, as well as several other people who were severely injured in the inferno when the Boeing jet loaded with fuel crashed heading to Hawaii. The families of several victims who were injured or killed in the crash of a UPS cargo jet shortly after takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky, are in attendance at the NTSB hearing in Washington, D.C., along with dozens of others attending, and are sitting through the day-long hearing that will continue tomorrow. Many are choosing to stay in a private room set aside for the grieving families, so they are not seated in a public area. NTSB’s preliminary report, issued about a month after the crash, revealed that the aircraft’s left engine and pylon separated from the wing during rotation and takeoff. In its initial fact gathering, the NTSB found mechanical problems involving fatigue fractures with the aircraft’s left pylon. NTSB investigators noted parallels today to the 1979 American Airlines Flight 191 crash at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, where the engine and pylon also detached from a similar aircraft (the DC-10) upon takeoff rotation. UPS Flight 2976 crashed on November 4, 2025, at about 5:15 p.m. EST shortly after it took off from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville. The first day of the hearing dealt with “Fleet Safety Processes,” during which technical experts were questioned by the NTSB Board about maintenance issues, quality assurance, and communication processes. Day 2 is anew panel expected to delve into “Pylon Design Requirements.” The agenda released by the NTSB is being streamed live and can be accessed here. The hearings, part of the NTSB’s ongoing investigation, will resume at 8 a.m. EST Wednesday, May 20, at the NTSB boardroom, 490 L’Enfant Plaza SW in the nation’s capital. https://www.cliffordlaw.com/attorney-for-victims-of-ups-cargo-jet-crash-says-ntsb-hearings-clearly-reveal-deficiencies-in-boeing-ups-st-aerospace-and-faa-safety-and-maintenance-processes-of-crashed-airplane/ United Airlines Fires Two 757 Pilots After Coach Sits in Captain’s Seat on Rockies Charter A public hearing in Denver opens May 19 as allegations point to charter program safety gaps and pressure on a voluntary reporting system. CHICAGO— United Airlines (UA) has terminated two pilots following an April 2024 charter flight on which a Colorado Rockies coach sat in the captain’s seat of a Boeing 757 while the aircraft was at cruising altitude. The flight operated from Denver (DEN) to Toronto (YYZ). A public hearing on the case of former United captain Cynthia Clifford is scheduled for May 19 to 21, 2026, at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards Office in Denver, Colorado. The matter was brought to wider attention by former Delta Air Lines (DL) captain Karlene Petitt, who covers aviation safety topics. United Airlines Fires Two Pilots The Colorado Rockies chartered a United Boeing 757 to fly from Denver to Toronto. During the flight, while the aircraft was at cruising altitude, one of the team’s coaches sat in the captain’s seat and posted a video of the moment on social media. The post drew significant media attention. On charter flights, an open cockpit door and cockpit visits during cruise are not unusual. Sitting in the seat of the captain or first officer while inflight, however, is treated as a line that cannot be crossed. The captain had left the cockpit to use the lavatory at cruising altitude. While she was away, the coach entered the cockpit and ended up in her seat. The captain learned what had happened when she returned. After the flight concluded, she filed a report with United’s Flight Safety Action Program (FSAP), a system intended to let pilots report safety issues without fear of retaliation. The Event Review Committee and the FAA Vote According to Petitt, whose account the original report could not independently verify, the three-person Event Review Committee (ERC) accepted the captain’s report, which should have closed the matter. One committee member belongs to the FAA. Petitt states that when the FAA learned no action would follow, it replaced its committee member with someone who would vote differently. The argument reportedly used against the captain was that an FSAP could not be filed because drinking was involved. That provision normally applies to crew members. In this case, it was applied because the passenger had consumed a drink. The first officer, who was in the cockpit at the time, was also fired, OMAAT reported. Allegations Against United Leadership Petitt alleges that United CEO Scott Kirby used Clifford as a scapegoat to cover up systemic safety issues in the company’s charter program, issues that managers had reportedly raised for years with United safety program manager Sasha Johnson. United ALPA Master Executive Chair Captain Anne Worster provided deposition testimony describing the steps she took to protect Clifford’s job and the integrity of the voluntary safety reporting program. According to Petitt, Worster escalated the matter to CEO Scott Kirby without success. Petitt further alleges that ALPA attorneys pressured the first officer to write that he willfully violated Federal Aviation Regulations in exchange for a promise that he could keep his job and receive less discipline from the FAA. The first officer’s initial ALPA representative warned against this. That representative was then replaced without being informed, after which the statement was made. The coach faced no consequences, and United did not terminate its contract with the Colorado Rockies. An FAA Audit and the Charter Grey Area United was undergoing an FAA audit at the time, prompted by a series of close calls. The FAA’s report ultimately did not identify any systematic issues. The claim now being advanced is that the airline fired both pilots to create the appearance of taking safety seriously during that audit. Petitt describes airline sports charters as high-revenue operations in which every passenger is treated as a first-class passenger. She states that leaving the cockpit door open has functioned as an unwritten policy for years at most airlines, driven by the understanding that the charter customer “owns the plane.” The coach testified that he had sat in the cockpit on many airlines and that the door was almost always open on charters. Petitt notes that sitting in a pilot’s seat remained a clear line, and that Clifford filed her safety report after learning the coach had occupied her seat while she was out of the flight deck. Additional Details For and Against the Captain Several further points emerged in questioning. The captain reported that this was her first charter flight as a captain and that she had not been properly trained on charter procedures, so she asked the lead flight attendant, who handles many charters, who said an open cockpit door is common on these flights. According to statements from others, the captain may have been standing outside the lavatory when the coach entered the cockpit, meaning she would have seen him enter, though not necessarily seen him sit in her seat. According to the offender’s statements, when he sat in the captain’s seat, the first officer explained the controls and did not ask him to leave; the coach left on his own after some time. As the aviation industry faces a significant shortage of pilots, airlines such as Southwest (WN), United Airlines (UA), and Delta Air Lines (DL) are grappling with finding a solution to the ongoing challenge, and FAA Reauthorization Bill can be the solution. Bottom Line The case highlights a gap in United’s safety standards and training for crews operating charter flights. A captain having to ask a flight attendant whether the cockpit door should remain open points to procedures that are not clearly defined. Charter customers are treated differently, which can make it harder for crews to speak up when lines are crossed. With the hearing now public, the outcome is expected to draw close attention across the industry. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2026/05/19/united-airlines-fires-two-757-pilots-after-coach-sits-in-captains-seat/ Faulty Part in UPS Plane Crash Was Often Overlooked, Witnesses Say Investigators suggested that infrequent maintenance requirements, among other issues, appeared to contribute to the faulty part that caused the crash, which killed 15 people last year. Weeks after a UPS cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Ky., last November, a preliminary report by investigators identified the cause as a fractured bracket that led an engine to break off. On Tuesday, the investigators revealed factors that appeared to have contributed to the part’s failure: infrequent maintenance requirements, siloed inspection information and ignorance among line mechanics and other key people about longstanding warnings that a bearing assembly within the bracket could fail. Those details emerged in a National Transportation Safety Board hearing about the crash, which killed 15 people on the outskirts of the Louisville airport. The bearing problem was known for years and was identified by Boeing, the manufacturer, in a series of service bulletins over a decade ago. The bulletins recommended periodic visual inspections and replacing the faulty apparatus with an updated mechanism avoiding the same fundamental weaknesses. But those warnings may have been insufficient, investigators suggested, as they questioned representatives of UPS; the Federal Aviation Administration; Boeing; the Teamsters; and ST Engineering San Antonio Aerospace, which had conducted maintenance on the plane. Boeing never insisted that operators must replace the bearing assembly, and didn’t flag the problem as posing a potential flight-safety issue, some testified. “Pre-accident, it was never scheduled to be replaced,” David Springer, the senior director of engineering at UPS, said of the problematic bearing, which, when it failed, ended up damaging lugs in the bracket assembly and set off a chain of catastrophic events. “It would have flown to failure.” The Louisville crash harked back to the deadliest one in United States aviation history: the 1979 crash of American Airlines Flight 191 that killed all 271 people on board. That plane, a McDonnell-Douglas DC-10, was the forerunner to the MD-11 jet that crashed in Louisville, and it also went down when the left engine separated and fell to the runway. The Louisville accident also raised questions about why, in later years, a string of problems with the MD-11’s bearing assembly hadn’t prompted more decisive action from the manufacturer or regulators — and why, in some cases, episodes appeared to have gone unreported to the Federal Aviation Administration. Investigators zeroed in on four reports of failed bearings that were made to the F.A.A., in 2007, 2008, 2017 and 2020. As investigators scrutinized those episodes, some — including the board chair, Jennifer Homendy — questioned why Boeing had never identified the problematic bearing as a “principal structural element,” a designation it had given the lugs holding the assembly together. “There was a misunderstanding initially, 20 years ago, about the severity of the event that might result from the failure of this bearing,” said Melanie Violette, an F.A.A. engineer. “It was not believed to be critical to the integrity, the safety of the aircraft.” Were it known that a bearing failure could severely damage the lug, “that would have changed the safety determination,” she added. Henry Gallegos, the director of engineering at ST Engineering San Antonio Aerospace, said there were certain reasons to examine the bearings, which were encased in a sealant. But if the bearing “was just beginning to migrate, you would not be able to see it with that sealant installed,” he said. As it was, the Louisville plane was up-to-date with its required maintenance schedule. But during the hearing, expert testimony revealed that the bearings could degrade even if no one was yet scheduled to look at them. A maintenance technician told investigators that in 2020, while removing the engine on an MD-11 to reach an area of the wing he had to repair, he happened to see a bearing so corroded it had to be replaced. But in transcribed interviews released by the N.T.S.B. on Tuesday, mechanics, quality control specialists and UPS’s own aircraft maintenance representative said they had been completely unaware of Boeing’s service letter regarding bearing maintenance. Their testimony strongly suggested they might not have known to look for degradation or damage outside of the specific visual check the F.A.A. requires every six years. “I have never heard of that until now,” one mechanic who had been with ST Engineering for five years told N.T.S.B. investigators who asked about the published bulletin, according to transcripts. “That’s probably out of my job description,” said another, when asked if mechanics ever tried to look for potential bulletins or other airworthiness problems with the planes they serviced, outside of those flagged by UPS. Two quality control officials for ST Engineering San Antonio Aerospace who were interviewed also professed ignorance about the existence of the service letter regarding the bearings. So did an aircraft maintenance representative for UPS. “I learned of that in Louisville a week and a half ago,” the representative said in December after the accident, according to an interview transcript. “I think somebody showed me that.” An overhead shot of a charred, somewhat-winding path across the ground. The scene of the plane crash.Credit...National Transportation Safety Board, via Associated Press In the aftermath of the Louisville crash, MD-11 planes were grounded and subjected to inspections. In the course of those checks, three were found to have cracks in the same bearing apparatus. But like the plane that crashed, they were not due for visual inspections. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/us/ntsb-ups-plane-crash-louisville.html China Confirms Massive 200-Jet Boeing Order After Summit China has officially put pen to paper on a commitment to buy 200 Boeing commercial aircraft for the country's airlines. The news comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump's visit to the Asian nation, where, among other things, he met with Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, in the capital of Beijing. A high-profile Boeing order was always in the running for this visit, with Simple Flying having reported earlier this month that Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was among the delegation that traveled with Trump to China. While the 200-aircraft order already represents a sizeable deal, it is thought that further purchases may follow. As reported by the BBC, Boeing has officially secured an order for 200 of its commercial aircraft from China following Mr Trump's economic bridge-building visit. News of this agreement was hinted at last week by the President himself, who even said that the figure of 200 jets exceeded Boeing's planned target of 150. This represents a major step forward for Boeing in a market that is big but, of late, has been a tough nut to crack. Going forward, the US planemaker may yet see further orders, with Trump going on to say that further positive progression in negotiations could see the overall total rise to as many as 750 jets. In any case, for the 200 planes that have been confirmed, the BBC notes that, according to China's Commerce Ministry, Boeing has committed to providing China and its airlines with guarantees for things like engine parts. The planemaker said: "We had a very successful trip to China and accomplished our major goal of reopening the Chinese market to orders for Boeing aircraft. This included an initial commitment for 200 aircraft, and we expect further commitments will follow." For Boeing, the confirmation of this major Chinese order represents the light at the end of a tunnel in a commercial aviation market that is lucrative, but one where it has not seen a great deal of success in recent years. According to The Independent, the all-American nature of the deal extends beyond the aircraft themselves, with GE Aerospace having been chosen to supply the engines. The General Electric firm is based in Evendale, Ohio. Further reporting by The Independent highlights the fact that it has been almost a decade since Boeing has been able to secure such a significant order for its commercial aircraft in the Chinese market. In recent years, various aviation-related and non-aviation factors have made China a tough nut to crack for Boeing, such as the multi-year grounding of the 737 MAX family and trade tensions between the US and China amid Trump's tariff war. Things came to a head in a particularly dramatic manner in April of last year, when China banned deliveries of Boeing aircraft. This prompted Boeing to fly 737 MAX aircraft from the Zhoushan Completion and Delivery Center in China back to the US, with the American planemaker reportedly starting talks with other carriers to sell the aircraft that had been abandoned by Chinese carriers. Deliveries of Boeing jets eventually resumed in June 2025. Boeing already has a considerable footprint in the Chinese market, with present scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, showing that a grand total of 169,007 Boeing-operated flights are set to depart from airports in China in May of 2025 alone. China Southern accounts for the largest proportion of this total, with 21,761 Boeing-operated flights, followed by Hainan Airlines (18,012) and China Eastern (16,589). The vast majority of China's Boeing-operated flights use narrowbody twinjets, with widebodies only accounting for 8,474 departures: 5,669 with the 787 family, 2,580 with the 777 family, 180 with the 767 family, and 45 with the 747 family. Meanwhile, the remaining 160,533 flights are not only all operated by Boeing narrowbodies, but all of them use the 737 family. It will be interesting to see how these figures develop following the new order. https://simpleflying.com/china-confirms-massive-200-jet-boeing-order/ United Express plane that landed at IAH from Arkansas experienced landing gear issue, airline says HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A United Express plane that landed at Bush Intercontinental Airport from Arkansas experienced a landing gear issue that forced its deplaning on the tarmac, according to officials. SkyWest Airlines, which operated the United Express flight, said Flight 5849, headed from Bentonville, Ark., to Houston, experienced a mechanical issue with a landing gear tire on departure. SkyEye13 was overhead as images showed the aircraft surrounded by emergency vehicles and people getting off the plane using portable stairs. SkyEye13 images showed the United Express plane surrounded by emergency vehicles after the FAA issued a departure ground stop at IAH due to a disabled aircraft. SkyEye13 images showed the United Express plane surrounded by emergency vehicles after the FAA issued a departure ground stop at IAH due to a disabled aircraft. A SkyWest Airlines statement read in part: The aircraft landed safely in Houston and customers deplaned via air stairs and were transported to the gate. The aircraft has since been removed from service for inspection. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop on departures to IAH on Tuesday afternoon, but it was lifted before 1:45 p.m. Initial FAA reports simply said the plane was disabled. SkyEye13 images later showed the plane being towed from the tarmac. SkyWest Airlines did not say exactly when the issue occurred or when it was detected. It also did not say whether there were any injuries. https://abc13.com/post/departures-halted-iah-disabled-aircraft-reported-runway-according-faa/19131985/ Graduate Research Request candidate in Aviation with a specialization in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With nearly 40 years of experience in aircraft maintenance and aviation safety, his dissertation research examines how Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) experience and describe decision-making during troubleshooting, inspection, and repair activities in Part 121 and Part 135 operations. The IRB-approved study seeks currently employed Part 121 and Part 135 AMTs with at least one year of maintenance experience to participate in one confidential 60 to 75-minute virtual interview focused on real-world maintenance decision-making. Participation is voluntary and confidential, and no proprietary or company-specific information will be requested. Although employed by the FAA, this research is conducted solely in an academic capacity and is not affiliated with or conducted on behalf of the FAA. Individuals interested in participating or learning more may contact Steve Poiani at poianadf@my.erau.edu. https://sites.google.com/view/aircraftmaintenancestudy/home Steve Poiani Doctoral Candidate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University poianadf@my.erau.edu CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 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