Flight Safety Information - May 22, 2026 No. 100 In This Issue : Incident: Skywest E175 at Bentonville on May 19th 2026, dropped wheel on departure : Incident: Delta A333 near Paris on May 19th 2026, engine problem : Incident: AirAsia A320 at Kuala Lumpur on May 17th 2026, engine problem : Accident: India A21N at Bangalore on May 21st 2026, tail strike on go around : Air France 447: A tragedy that should never have happened : Air Boss Orders Flight Demo Team Safety Stand Down Following Growler Crash : India to monitor Boeing fuel-switch test tied to Air India London incident, documents show : US begins enhanced airport screening as race to contain Ebola outbreak continues : United flight forced to land at Dulles after unruly passenger incident : “Struck Your Tail”: United Airlines Plane Hits ANA Cargo Boeing 777F At Chicago O’Hare : Graduate Research Request : Calendar of Events Incident: Skywest E175 at Bentonville on May 19th 2026, dropped wheel on departure A Skywest Embraer ERJ-170 on behalf of United, registration N131SY performing flight UA-5849 from Bentonville,AR to Houston Intercontinental,TX (USA), departed Bentonville's runway 16L but dropped the outboard left main wheel. The aircraft climbed to FL340, landed on Intercontinental's runway 08R and taxied to the apron. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT LOST LEFT MAIN OUTBOARD WHEEL ON DEPARTURE AND IT WAS DISCOVERED AFTER LANDING AT IAH, FAYETTEVILLE, AR." (Editorial note: Bentonville and Fayetteville are neighbour cities, the airports are about 17nm apart). The aircraft returned to service about 20 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53982543&opt=0 Incident: Delta A333 near Paris on May 19th 2026, engine problem A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration N818NW performing flight DL-286 (dep May 18th) from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Milan (Italy), was enroute at FL370 about 140nm south of Paris (France) when the crew decided to divert to Paris Charles de Gaulle after the left hand engine emitted series of sparks. The aircraft landed safely on runway 26R about 45 minutes later. A replacement Airbus A330-900 registration N436DX reached Milan with a delay of about 8:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Paris 62 hours (2 days 14 hours) after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53982235&opt=0 Incident: AirAsia A320 at Kuala Lumpur on May 17th 2026, engine problem An AirAsia Airbus A320-200, registration 9M-AQG performing flight AK-5192 from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan (Malaysia), was climbing out of Kuala Lumpur's runway 14R when the crew stopped the climb at about 17000 feet due to the right hand engine (CFM56) emitting flames and sparks. The aircraft returned to Kuala Lumpur for a safe landing on runway 15 about 50 minutes after departure. Malaysia's CAA reported the pilot requested to return to Kuala Lumpur due to a technical indication. The airline reported a technical indication. A passenger video shows the right hand engine emitted streaks of flames in rapid succession (about 3 flashes per second) and sparks. https://avherald.com/h?article=5398209d&opt=0 Accident: India A21N at Bangalore on May 21st 2026, tail strike on go around An Air India Airbus A321-200N, registration VT-TVF performing flight AI-2651 from Delhi to Bangalore (India) with 179 people on board, was about to land on Bangalore's runway 27L when the crew initiated a go around, however, the aircraft's tail contacted the runway surface. The aircraft climbed out to safety, positioned for another approach and landed without further incident about 15 minutes after the go around. There were no injuries. The return flight was cancelled, the aircraft is still on the ground in Bangalore about 11 hours after landing. The airline reported the aircraft encountered wake turbulence and encountered a tail strike on landing in Bangalore. https://avherald.com/h?article=53981653&opt=0 Air France 447: A tragedy that should never have happened The startle effect generated ‘a highly charged emotional factor for the two co-pilots’, found investigators Story of a tragedy: BEA, the French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation, providing an account of events on the flight deck of AF447 At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Airbus and Air France have been found guilty of corporate manslaughter in the 2009 crash of flight AF447 over the Atlantic. Airbus has announced it will appeal against the verdict of the court in Paris. The case has brought fresh focus to a tragedy could have been avoided. In the dispassionate language used by accident investigators, the cause of the tragedy of Air France AF447 – and the needless loss of 228 lives – is revealed in the final accident report issued by the BEA. This is the highly regarded French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation. In the dead of night, passengers were sleeping when the fatal events began. “At around 2 h 02, the captain left the cockpit,” the report says. “At 2 h 10 min 05, likely following the obstruction of the pitot probes by ice crystals, the speed indications were incorrect and some automatic systems disconnected.” The tubes that are used to measure airspeed were blocked. The autopilot handed back control to the two co-pilots. “The aeroplane’s flight path was not controlled by the two copilots. They were rejoined 1 minute 30 later by the Captain, while the aeroplane was in a stall situation that lasted until the impact with the sea at 2 h 14 min 28.” The Airbus A330, on a routine flight from Rio to Paris, encountered a problem that had happened repeatedly: ice blocking the sensors, resulting in the autopilot handing back control to two co-pilots. The flight management system was effectively saying: “These readings don’t compute – over to you.” The “pilot flying” (PF) was inexperienced and reacted with “inappropriate control inputs that destabilised the flight path”: pulling back on the stick, putting the aircraft into a climb, when remaining level or descending would have been the appropriate action. The “startle effect” generated “a highly charged emotional factor for the two co-pilots”. The “pilot not flying” (PNF), who was more experienced, failed to overrule his colleague’s actions. The accident report found: “Initial and recurrent training as delivered today do not promote and test the capacity to react to the unexpected.” Even when the stall alarm sounded for 54 seconds, the crew failed to heed the warnings and failed to take “actions that would have made recovery possible”. With airspeed catastrophically low and the nose tilted up at 40 degrees, the crew and their passengers were doomed. “Only an extremely purposeful crew with a good comprehension of the situation could have carried out a manoeuvre that would have made it possible to perhaps recover control of the aeroplane. In fact, the crew had almost completely lost control of the situation.” As with all such tragedies, lessons have been learnt that make future aviation even safer. “The sole objective of the investigation is to improve air safety,” the BEA says. “It is intended neither to apportion blame nor to assess responsibility.” But that is no comfort to those who lost their loved ones in what was a survivable set of circumstances. Within weeks, a final report is expected on the cause of the crash of Air India flight 171. The Boeing 787 bound for London Gatwick crashed seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. The families of the victims, and the wider aviation community, must hope than the investigation is as thorough, honest and transparent as the report into AF447. https://www.the-independent.com/travel/news-and-advice/air-france-af447-paris-rio-tragedy-b2981316.html Air Boss Orders Flight Demo Team Safety Stand Down Following Growler Crash U.S. Naval Air Forces issued a safety stand down for four tactical aviation teams following a crash between two EA-18G Growlers at an air show over the weekend. All four Naval aviators ejected from the two aircraft, assigned to the “Vikings” of VAQ-129 EA-18G Growler Demo Team out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. One person was treated for a non-life threatening injury at a local hospital as a result of the Sunday crash, according to a statement from Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The tactical demonstration team from the Vikings is one of four teams under the stand down. The other three teams are from Navy fleet replacement squadrons’ “Flying Eagles” of VFA-122, the “Gladiators” of VFA-106 and the “Rough Raiders” of VFA-125, the Navy confirmed Thursday to USNI News The Flying Eagles and Gladiators are both Rhino Demonstration Teams – one on each coast – that fly the two-seater F/A-18F. The Rough Raiders fly F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters. The teams can still do flyovers and static displays in air shows as part of the stand down but can’t put on tactical demonstrations. The Blue Angels, which fly F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, are not part of the stand down. The Blue Angels, as well as the Army’s Golden Knights and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds, are the three Pentagon-sanctioned aerial demonstration teams, which are different from tactical demonstration teams. Unlike the Blue Angels, the TACDEMO teams aren’t a full-time job but a collateral duty for the instructors at the training squadrons around the fleet. The pilots selected for the program are committed to an airshow schedule in addition to their training duties of new Navy pilots, USNI News understands. “FRS TACDEMO, when conducted in a safe and professional manner, projects a highly favorable image of naval airpower to the civilian community, other military services, and members of the naval establishment unfamiliar with naval aviation,” reads a 2016 instruction on the TACDEMO teams. The East Coast Rhino Demo Team was next slated to appear this weekend in the Hyundai Air and Sea Show in Miami Beach, Fla., while the West Coast team’s next show is in September. The F-35C Lightning II demo team is expected at the Dayton, Ohio, air show in June. Meanwhile, the cause of the Growler crash is under investigation, service officials told USNI News. https://news.usni.org/2026/05/21/air-boss-orders-flight-demo-team-safety-stand-down-following-growler-crash India to monitor Boeing fuel-switch test tied to Air India London incident, documents show India regulator insists on presence at tests of fuel switches in Seattle, email shows Indian officials have described the matter as 'sensitive' Air India said earlier that fuel-switch checks on its 787s found no issues Seattle testing aims to examine switch's locking mechanism, government source says Testing coincides with anniversary of fatal crash involving fuel switches NEW DELHI, May 19 (Reuters) - Indian air safety officials plan to travel to Seattle to observe Boeing's testing of a fuel-control switch panel that was removed from an ‌Air India 787 in February after the pilots on a London-Bengaluru flight flagged a possible defect, according to documents seen by Reuters. The testing, described by Indian officials as "sensitive", renews the spotlight on the switches on Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab Dreamliners that regulate the flow of jet fuel into a plane's engines as investigators prepare a final report into an Air India 787 crash that killed 260 people in Gujarat last June. Get the latest news from India and how it matters to the world with the Reuters India File newsletter. Sign up here. The switches, designed to be immovable without specific actions from pilots, have come under scrutiny since the preliminary report into the crash found they had been shut off nearly simultaneously, starving the engines of fuel. During the February incident in London, the pilots observed during the engine start that the fuel switches did not remain fixed in the "run" position on the first two attempts when light vertical pressure was applied but were stable on a third ⁠try before takeoff, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said previously. UK authorities investigated the incident, but Boeing privately told Air India in February the module containing the fuel switches was found to be "serviceable," according to an email seen by Reuters. The DGCA had said the switches passed checks. The module was nevertheless sent to a Boeing facility in Seattle for testing, according to confidential emails seen by Reuters being reported for the first time. As "the matter is sensitive in nature, Air India is hereby directed to ensure that the strip/test examination at OEM's (Boeing) premises is carried out in the presence of a DGCA officer," Manish Kumar, a DGCA deputy director of airworthiness, wrote in his March 9 email. While it is not unusual for planemakers to perform such analyses for airline customers, the email did not explain why India's regulator considered the matter sensitive and insisted on attending. In a statement, Air India said the module was confirmed as "fully functional" by Boeing and the DGCA, but the decision to proceed with further testing is "understood to be intended to ensure a thorough and conclusive evaluation ... as a measure of abundant caution." This leather factory in India's Uttar Pradesh state once employed over 500 workers. The additional testing "involves examination in a controlled laboratory environment to definitively confirm its performance and integrity," said Air India, which is owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), opens new tab. The DGCA and Kumar did not respond to Reuters' queries. “We are in contact ‌with our ⁠customer and will continue to support them,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement. INDIA PLANS JUNE VISIT TO BE 'THOROUGH' The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates Boeing aircraft, has said last year's Air India crash, the world's deadliest in a decade, does not appear to have been caused by a mechanical issue. Recorded dialogue between the two pilots on the flight suggested that the captain cut the flow of fuel to the engines while the first officer was flying the plane, Reuters reported last year citing a source briefed on U.S. officials' early assessment. Such a prospect was denounced by a pilots' union in India and the captain's father, who called for an independent investigation to look into other causes. Under international rules, a final report into the crash from India's ⁠Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is due next month, and if that is not achievable, an interim update is required. The AAIB did not respond to a request for comment. In relation to the February incident in London, the testing of the switch module is due to take place in June, the emails showed, around the time of the anniversary of last year's crash. The DGCA now wants to examine the switch's locking mechanism, including whether external pressure applied at a particular angle could move it ⁠when locked, said an Indian government official explaining the reasoning behind the Seattle visit. The Indian government "wants to be thorough", the official said on condition of anonymity because the matter is sensitive. Air India is paying for the trip, which will have two DGCA officials travel to the Boeing facility, said another source familiar with the matter. While the DGCA said publicly in February the switches "were checked and found satisfactory", the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) queried the airline ⁠at the time to understand why the pilots took off with the alleged defect and reported the incident only on landing. Air India at the time told the CAA the unit was found serviceable, one of the emails showed. In a statement to Reuters, the CAA said its review of the incident is ongoing and it "is closely monitoring Air India’s adherence to its processes." Boeing has said it did not change its fuel switch procedures on the 787 after the June 2025 crash. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-monitor-boeing-fuel-switch-test-tied-air-india-london-incident-documents-2026-05-19/ US begins enhanced airport screening as race to contain Ebola outbreak continues Beginning today, all US nationals and lawful permanent residents who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, or Uganda in the past 21 days must go through Washington-Dulles International airport for enhanced Ebola screening. So far the outbreak in the DRC remains at more than 600 suspected cases and 148 deaths, per the United Nations. Experts believe transmission may date back to early April, weeks before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an outbreak on May 15. Foreign nationals who have been in the three spotlighted countries the previous three weeks are not able to enter the United States at this time. All travel restrictions are in place for 30 days. The risk of Ebola domestically is low. “To date, no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in the United States, and the risk of Ebola domestically is low,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement today. “However, public health entry screening is part of a layered approach that, when used with other public health measures already in place to detect symptomatic arriving travelers, can slow and reduce the spread of disease into the United States.” Yesterday, an Air France plane headed to Detroit was diverted to Montreal after US Customs and Border Protection related that a passenger on that flight was from the DRC. Air France told The Washington Post the diversion represented no medical emergency and was instead an effort to comply with US entry requirements. Residents burn treatment center Today the Associated Press is reporting an arson attack in Rwampara, Ituri province, with angry residents burning an Ebola treatment center because the body of deceased man would not be released to his friends for burial. Handling dead bodies can be a common transmission route in Ebola outbreaks, but burial rituals are important to local residents. Experts are working to contain the virus, identify transmission chains, and educate the population on proper handling of suspected patients, which are the only tools to curb the outbreak, because there is no available vaccine or treatment for the circulating Bundibugyo strain. The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention will host a meeting in the next two days in Kampala, Uganda in collaboration with health ministries of Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan. The meeting will establish key outbreak response protocols. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/ebola/us-begins-enhanced-airport-screening-race-contain-ebola-outbreak-continues United flight forced to land at Dulles after unruly passenger incident WASHINGTON (7News) — A United Airlines flight headed to Guatemala City made an emergency landing at Washington Dulles International Airport Thursday night after an incident involving an unruly passenger. A spokesperson for United Airlines told 7News that United Flight 1551 landed safely at the Virginia airport and was met by law enforcement officers upon arrival. The flight, which was traveling from Newark Liberty International Airport to Guatemala City, was operated on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 145 passengers and six crew members. No injuries were reported. According to ABC News, which obtained an ATC recording, the passenger tried to open the door mid-flight and assaulted another passenger. United said the flight was canceled following the incident, and the airline added a replacement flight for Friday morning. Passengers were also provided overnight accommodations. Officials have not released additional details about what led to the disturbance on board. 7News has reached out to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for more information. https://wjla.com/news/local/united-airlines-dulles-airport-emergency-landing-unruly-passenger-tried-to-open-door-in-air-flight-diversion-airline-boeing-police-newark-guatemala-aviation-airline-incident-law-enforcement “Struck Your Tail”: United Airlines Plane Hits ANA Cargo Boeing 777F At Chicago O’Hare A United Airlines aircraft taxiing to the gate at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) clipped the tail of an All Nippon Airways (ANA) Cargo Boeing 777Fon Thursday. According to aviation insider JonNYC, it is believed to be a 'light scrape' with very minor damage. ANA confirmed the incident and is still working to verify information and the damage. The ANA Cargo aircraft was parked, awaiting clearance to enter one of O'Hare's busy runways, when the United 737-900ER arriving from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) was taxiing behind. When the planes crossed paths, the 737 reportedly clipped the tail of the cargo airplane, sustaining damage. "Another Aircraft Might Have Clipped Your Tail" The two flights involved NH8421, a nonstop flight from Chicago to Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT), and UA1834, which had just arrived from Boston. Air traffic control transcripts from LiveATC.net detailed what might have happened, with the controller requesting that the ANA flight taxi off the runway, as it was believed to have sustained damage from the United plane. It is recorded that they believed the winglet of the 737 struck the tail of the plane. This has resulted in the 777F being removed from service and left on the ground in Chicago while the damage is inspected. ATC: “All Nippon 8421 Heavy, just hold position please.” Pilot: “Okay.” ATC: “All Nippon 8421 Heavy, I have to taxi you off of the runway. So, uhh, another aircraft might have clipped your tail. So I need you to taxi forward down the runway and then turn left at taxiway Mike, and I will have more for you there. Taxi forward, turn left on Mike, and I will have more for you.” Pilot: "Did we get any damage to the aircraft?" ATC: “I’m not sure, we’re gonna find that out, but there’s a possible uhh, aircraft winglet that might have struck your tail. We’re not sure just yet, we’re gonna find out what’s up.” Pilot: “Okay.” Simple Flying reached out to both ANA and United for comment on the matter. ANA immediately responded, saying it was looking into the matter. "All Nippon Airways (ANA) is aware of an incident involving flight NH8421 and a United aircraft at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)," it explained. "We are working with relevant authorities to verify information." A United spokesperson also confirmed the incident. "While taxiing to the gate, a United 737 lightly scraped the tail of another aircraft," they said. "Customers deplaned normally at the gate." Both aircraft remain grounded at O'Hare while damage is inspected and repairs are undertaken. Fortunately for the United flight, this had just arrived, so passengers were able to deplane normally and safely, and there have been no reports of injury. The Chicago-based legacy airline confirmed there were 154 passengers and 7 crew members. United Airlines Boeing 737-700 runway No injuries were reported after Friday afternoon's incident. According to ch-aviation, both aircraft are owned by the respective airlines. It is common practice that when a plane clips the tail of another, an immediate halt to operations for both planes is required. This allows the airlines to inspect for structural damage and undertake repairs to ensure airworthiness. Passengers are usually kept onboard while the ground crew initially inspects the plane to ensure it remains safe. The taxiway or runway is then inspected by ground vehicles to ensure there is no loose debris that could lead to damage to other aircraft. Depending on the severity of the damage, this can lead to aircraft remaining out of operation for several days or weeks, and this leaves both airlines needing to find replacement aircraft while their planes are grounded. https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-plane-hits-ana-cargo-boeing-777f-chicago-ohare/ 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 .2026 FAA-EASA International Aviation Safety Conference — June 16-18, 2026, in Chantilly, Virginia, with the theme “Safety Together: Innovation, Integration and Trust.” https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/newsroom-and-events/events/2026-faa-easa-international-aviation-safety-conference . 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 . ICAO/EASA Third Global RSOO/RAIO Forum for Aviation Safety — September 29–30, 2026, in Georgetown, Guyana., https://www.icao.int/events : 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