Flight Safety Information - May 25, 2026 No. 101 In This Issue : Incident: Easyjet A20N near Rome on May 19th 2026, charging power bank in cargo hold : Incident: Jet2 A21N near Porto on May 22nd 2026, captain incapacitated : Accident: India Express B738 at Muscat on May 15th 2026, lined up with runway edge lights for departure : Accident: Cathay Pacific A359 enroute on May 23rd 2026, turbulence injures 10 : Incident: Xiamen B738 at Fuzhoe on May 22nd 2026, engine failure : Incident: India A20N at Delhi on May 21st 2026, engine fire : Incident: United B772 near Calgary on May 14th 2026, captain incapacitated : GPS jammed on RAF jet carrying UK defence secretary close to Russian border : Graduate Research Request-1 : Graduate Research Request - 2 : Calendar of Events Incident: Easyjet A20N near Rome on May 19th 2026, charging power bank in cargo hold An Easyjet Airbus A320-200N, registration G-UZEH performing flight U2-2618 from Hurghada (Egypt) to London Luton,EN (UK), was enroute at FL360 about 130nm eastnortheast of Rome (Italy) when the crew decided to divert to Rome after being informed, that a charging power bank was in the cargo hold. The aircraft landed safely on Rome Fiumicino's runway 16L about 30 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Rome over night and reached London with a delay of about 15:45 hours. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Rome as precaution after the crew was informed that a power bank was charging in checked luggage in the cargo hold. Passengers reported the captain announced, that there was something in the cargo hold that should not be there. A fellow passenger informed cabin crew about the power bank in the checked luggage. https://avherald.com/h?article=539a23d0&opt=0 Incident: Jet2 A21N near Porto on May 22nd 2026, captain incapacitated A Jet2.com Airbus A321-200N, registration G-SUNC performing flight LS-1266 (dep May 21st 2026) from Tenerife South,CI (Spain) to Birmingham,EN (UK) with 220 people on board, was enroute at FL350 about 140 nm westnorthwest from Porto (Portugal) when the first officer took control of the aircraft after the captain became incapacitated with a suspected heart attack. Cabin crew looked for passengers with medical expertise while the aircraft descended towards Porto and landed on Porto's runway 17 about 45 minutes later. Emergency services boarded the aircraft to provide assistance to the captain and take him to a hospital. The airline reported the aircraft diverted after one of the pilots felt unwell. A replacement pilot was flown to Porto. The aircraft had departed Tenerife with a delay of about 90 minutes, was able to depart again about 10.5 hours after landing and reached Birmingham with a delay of about 12.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=539a2200&opt=0 Accident: India Express B738 at Muscat on May 15th 2026, lined up with runway edge lights for departure An Air India Express Boeing 737-800, registration VT-AXR performing flight IX-712 from Muscat (Oman) to Kannur (India), lined up runway 26L from taxiway E7 at 21:32L (17:32Z) in night time conditions but aligned with the right hand edge lights and commenced takeoff destroying a number of edge lights in the process. Following a loud bang and a master caution indication the crew rejected takeoff and stopped on the runway. The aircraft became disabled with a hydraulic leak from system A and a flat tyre. Passengers and crew disembarked onto the runway. The aircraft is still on the ground in Muscat on May 23rd 2026. Oman's OTSB reported the occurrence was rated an accident and is being investigated telling The Aviation Herald: "Prior to taking off from Runway 26L the flight crew entered to line up from E7 taxi way for takeoff at the right shoulder of the runway and following the right edge runway lights. They went through over many lights that had been damaged. The crew rejected the take off after hearing a big bang and master caution electric light in the cockpit. After that a complete hydraulic leak from system A with flat tire. The crew and passenger disembarked the aircraft safely in the runway." The airline reported the flight could not depart due to a tyre problem. Passengers reported they were kept on board for about 2 hours before disembarking and being returned to the terminal. They were informed there was a tyre problem that could not be fixed. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration VT-TGH performed the flight the following day and reached Kannur with a delay of about 13.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=53996e82&opt=0 Accident: Cathay Pacific A359 enroute on May 23rd 2026, turbulence injures 10 A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-900, registration B-LRV performing flight CX-156 from Brisbane,QL (Australia) to Hong Kong (China), was enroute when the aircraft encountered turbulnce causing minor injuries to 6 passengers and 4 cabin crew. The aircraft landed safely on Hong Kong's runway 25L about 8:10 hours after departure. The airline reported 6 passengers and 4 cabin crew received minor injuries in the turbulence encounter, 8 of them were taken to a hospital. https://avherald.com/h?article=539968a6&opt=0 Incident: Xiamen B738 at Fuzhoe on May 22nd 2026, engine failure A Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration B-7197 performing flight MF-877 from Fuzhoe (China) to Seoul (South Korea), was climbing out of Fuzhoe's runway 03 when the crew stopped the climb at about 1900 meters (6200 feet) after one of the engines (CFM56) had failed resulting in vibrations of the airframe. The aircraft returned to Fuzhoe for a safe landing on runway 21 about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration B-1302 reached Seoul with a delay of about 2.5 hours. The airline reported a mechanical problem. Airport sources reported an engine failure and subsequent vibrations of the airframe, possibly caused by a bird strike. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Fuzhoe about 11 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5398d2b1&opt=0 Incident: India A20N at Delhi on May 21st 2026, engine fire An Air India Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-CIO performing flight AI-2802 from Bangalore to Delhi (India), was on approach to Delhi when the crew received a fire indication for one of the engines (LEAP). The aircraft landed safely on Delhi's runway 29R and stopped on the runway. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 30 minutes later. The airline reported the crew received a fire indication for one of the engines on final approach to Delhi. The indication was subsequently identified as correct, the fire was extinguished on the runway. All passengers and crew disembarked safely. https://avherald.com/h?article=5398c377&opt=0 Incident: United B772 near Calgary on May 14th 2026, captain incapacitated A United Boeing 777-200, registration N788UA performing flight UA-990 from San Francisco,CA (USA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with 274 passengers and 13 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 70nm southeast of Calgary,AB (Canada) when the captain became incapacitated. A relief pilot assumed the captain's duties, the crew diverted the aircraft to Calgary for a safe landing on runway 35R about 30 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4.5 hours, then returned to San Francisco. https://avherald.com/h?article=5398b6d0&opt=0 GPS jammed on RAF jet carrying UK defence secretary close to Russian border Russia suspected of obstructing signal on flight bringing John Healey home from visit to British troops in Estonia An RAF jet carrying the defence secretary, John Healey, had its signal jammed for the entire three-hour flight after it flew near the Russian border. Healey had been visiting British soldiers in Estonia and was travelling back to the UK when the electronic attack happened, the Times reported. It is thought Russia was behind the incident on Thursday. Smartphones and laptops were unable to connect to the internet and pilots had to use a different navigation system as the plane’s GPS was disabled. It is unclear if Healey was deliberately targeted but the flight path was visible on aircraft tracking websites. Passengers, who included photographers and a reporter, were told the Dassault Falcon 900LX aircraft could still operate safely. Healey had met the Estonian minister of defence, Hanno Pevkur, in Tallinn to discuss long-term bilateral defence cooperation and its strategic expansion. On Wednesday the Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed two Russian jets had “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted an RAF spy plane above the Black Sea last month. A Russian Su-35 jet flew so close to the British reconnaissance aircraft that it triggered its emergency systems, including disabling the autopilot. A Russian Su-27 also flew six metres from the unarmed Rivet Joint’s nose and carried out six passes in front. The MoD said it was the most dangerous Russian action against a British Rivet Joint aircraft since a plane fired a missile over the Black Sea in 2022. A Rivet Joint is a spy plane, with a crew of up to 30, capable of a wide range of electronic surveillance at a ranges of about 150 miles, and would have been monitoring Russian activity as part of a Nato patrol. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/24/gps-jammed-on-raf-jet-carrying-uk-defence-secretary-close-to-russian-border Graduate Research Request - 1 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 Graduate Research Request - 2 My name is Michail Karyotakis, Lt. Col. (P) HAF, Part-time PhD Student in Aerospace, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing at the Cranfield University in the UK. Currently, I am working on the final stage of my Research project, which is focused on developing a Flexible and Dynamic Safety Management Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations. I kindly invite you to participate in this survey validating or arguing against the findings of the respective research. Findings are illustrated in the form of questions. Everyone’s level and kind of experience is considered useful not to mention those with aviation and/or piloting background. By sharing your perspectives, you will contribute to developing effective and sustainable mechanism of safety risk management for Unmanned Aircraft Operations in the current aviation environment. Specifically, this Research is focused on: • Reviewing the existing Safety Management approaches for the UAS operations that are in the scope of the Research. • Introduce, test and validate the concept of Total System Safety Performance for UAS operations in the scope of this research. • Assessing Safety risks related to the operations of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Package Delivery. • Assessing the impact of Human Factors, Terrain management and different flight phases in UAS operations. • How could the current safety management framework for UAS operations be updated and streamlined according to the specific needs of every operator and the specificities of every UAS operation. Your participation in this survey is entirely voluntary, and it is estimated to take approximately 15 to 20 minutes of your time. This survey is undertaken as part of my research thesis submission and is not affiliated with any airline, training organisation, or any other. Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous (if desired by the participants, personal info may be shared). The survey will take about 15 minutes to be completed. Thank you in advance for your time and patience. Your participation is highly appreciated. Please click the link below to enter the survey: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3fvlBSGnO7TxeJ0 Student email: michail.k.karyotakis@cranfield.ac.uk 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