Flight Safety Information - August 7, 2026 No. 154 In This Issue : Incident: Swiss A20N at Ljubljana on Aug 5th 2026, sensor problem at emergency exit : Incident: Lufthansa B748 near Brazzaville on Aug 6th 2026, odour in cabin : Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign - Runway Excursion (North Carolina) : FAA orders inspections of 737 Max jets after cracks found in older planes : Flight from Texas to Detroit evacuated after verbal bomb threat on the plane : 31,000 Boeing 737 MAX Seats May 'Disengage' From Their Tracks In Severe Turbulence, FAA Says : FAA Adopts New AD for Diamond DA42 : Man arrested for allegedly sneaking onto JetBlue plane in Florida : Brazil formally accuses 16 people over 2024 Voepass deadly plane crash : United flight returns to SFO after tire blows out during takeoff, airline says : Sun Country Airlines Drastically Cut Flights Because Its Pilots Left For Delta, CEO Admits : American flown to a New Zealand hospital in a rare midwinter Antarctic rescue mission : Calendar of Events Incident: Swiss A20N at Ljubljana on Aug 5th 2026, sensor problem at emergency exit A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration HB-JDA performing positioning flight LX-5225 from Ljubljana (Slovenia) to Zurich (Switzerland), was climbing out of Ljubljana when the crew stopped the climb at FL180 and decided to return to Ljubljana for a safe landing on runway 30 about 25 minutes after departure. The airline reported the crew received indication of a malfunction at one of the emergency exits due to a sensor fault. The aircraft, that had flown to Ljubljana on Feb 2nd 2026 and had remained on the ground in Ljubljana for more than 6 months until Aug 5th 2026, remained on the ground in Ljubljana for about one hour, then departed again, reached Zurich. The aircraft returned to service on Aug 6th 2026. https://avherald.com/h?article=53ce8c7d&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa B748 near Brazzaville on Aug 6th 2026, odour in cabin A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, registration D-ABYO performing flight LH-573 from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was enroute at FL340 over DR Congo about 380nm northeast of Brazzaville (Congo) when the crew decided to divert to Brazzaville due to an unidentifyable smell in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Brazzaville's runway 23 about 50 minutes later. The airline reported an indefinable odour in the cabin. The aircraft is still on the ground in Brazzaville about 13 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53ce8844&opt=0 Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign - Runway Excursion (North Carolina) Date: Thursday 6 August 2026 Time: c. 18:25 LT Type: Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign Owner/operator: Bravo Aviation LLC Registration: N96HE MSN: 680-0315 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Statesville Regional Airport, NC (SVH/KSVH) - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Charleston Municipal Airport, SC (CHS/KCHS) Destination airport: Statesville Regional Airport, NC (SVH/KSVH) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: The aircraft suffered a runway excursion. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/575699 FAA orders inspections of 737 Max jets after cracks found in older planes The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets after cracks were found in parts of some older model Boeing planes. The FAA Thursday issued fuselage inspections for certain 737 Max 8, 737 Max 9 and 737-8200 models after reports of cracks were discovered in the structural reinforcement around the forward service door near the galley on the right side of some older generation 737 planes. The directive applies to 471 planes in the U.S. and 1,429 planes worldwide, according to the FAA. So far, no cracks have been found in Boeing Max jets specifically. The order, though, sets a timeline for mandatory inspections to catch cracks and make any needed repairs before they become a safety issue. The FAA said the cracks that were found in the older planes had developed in what is known as the bear strap, which reinforces areas around doorways and emergency exits. Over time, the stress of takeoffs and landings can lead to cracking near door corners. In a statement provided to CBS News, Boeing said it first notified operators of its 737 Next Generation planes of the issue in 2019, when it provided them with "detailed instructions for conducting the recommended inspections." Boeing said that although the issue has not so far been observed in its 737 Max fleet, in 2024, it "extended the inspections to 737 MAX airplanes as the model shares a similar design and build process" to its Next Generation model. Boeing said it is also conducting analysis to determine the root cause of the cracks and prevent them in future aircraft. Southwest Airlines, which is one of the primary operators of 737 jets in the U.S., told CBS News in a statement that it was "reviewing" the FAA's airworthiness directive and "will accomplish the inspections on the affected airplanes according to the schedule specified by the FAA." A United Airlines spokesperson told CBS News in a statement: "We don't anticipate any impact to our operations in the near term and will accomplish the inspections during heavy maintenance visits. And given where our oldest MAX total flight cycles are right now it won't be for some time until those inspections are due." https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/faa-orders-inspections-737-max-235328409.html Flight from Texas to Detroit evacuated after verbal bomb threat on the plane The Brief A Frontier flight from Texas to Michigan was deplaned after a bomb threat, airline officials say. Frontier said a passenger made a verbal bomb threat, leading to passengers being evacuated. It is unknown at this time if anyone was arrested during this incident. DETROIT (FOX 2) - Passengers aboard a Texas flight to Detroit were deplaned after one person made a bomb threat. Flight from Texas to Michigan evacuated What we know On Thursday, Frontier flight 1958 was preparing for takeoff from George Bush Intercontinental Airport heading to Detroit Metro Airport (DTW). Frontier said in a statement while the plane was heading to the runway, a passenger made a verbal bomb threat, leading to passengers being evacuated. Police investigated the plane and found nothing of concern. Passengers are now being placed on a new flight later Thursday night. What we don't know It is unknown at this time if anyone was arrested during this incident. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/flight-texas-detroit-evacuated-verbal-234153932.html 31,000 Boeing 737 MAX Seats May 'Disengage' From Their Tracks In Severe Turbulence, FAA Says FAA found that 31,000 seats on Boeing 737 Max planes are improperly installed, posing a safety risk to passengers and crew. American aviation giant Boeing has stirred up quite a lot of controversy over the past few years, from the 737 Max door plug that blew out mid flight to losing over $3 billion on the new Air Force One program. That doesn't appear to be changing any time soon, either, since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found that 31,000 seats on Boeing 737 Max planes are improperly installed, and may 'disengage' from their tracks during emergency situations or severe turbulence. According to the proposed airworthiness directive, the FAA estimates that up to 69 seats on every one of the 453 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 U.S.-based jets included in this directive could require reassembly. Forbes reported, "The U.S. airlines with the highest number of impacted Boeing 737 MAX jets in their fleets are United Airlines (about 284) and Southwest Airlines (over 260), according to industry data." This comes on the heels of the news that the FAA decided to once again allow Boeing to self-certify its own planes for safety. FAA estimates the inspections and repairs will cost airlines $2.7 million Naturally, seats that disengage from their tracks pose a safety risk to passengers and crew alike, and may impede evacuation efforts in the event of an emergency, so this problem requires airlines to inspect and address any affected seats. The FAA estimates that each seat assembly will cost airlines about $85 to inspect including the cost of labor, which is estimated to equal out to $2,656,845. Globally, the directive will include checking the seats on 1,028 Boeing airplanes. A Boeing spokesperson told The Seattle Times that the company issued guidance to operators about the issue in December last year, but that they support the FAA making the guidance mandatory. Boeing now inspects the seat installations before aircraft leave the factory, so new 737s should not be affected by the issue. Hopefully this is the final issue found with the problematic Boeing 737 Max, but gauging by its track record I wouldn't get my hopes up. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/31-000-boeing-737-max-185943261.html FAA Adopts New AD for Diamond DA42 The FAA has issued a new airworthiness directive for the Diamond DA42 to address uncommanded rudder deflection caused by a cracked nose landing gear hydraulic actuator rod end. The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Diamond DA42 to address occurrences of uncommanded rudder deflection caused by a cracked nose landing gear (NLG) hydraulic actuator rod end. According to the agency, this could lead to failure of the NLG actuator and interference with the rudder control system, forcing the rudder into left-hand deflection. The FAA action follows an emergency AD issued in June by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). EASA Emergency AD 2026-0125-E addresses occurrences of uncommanded rudder deflection that were reported due to a cracked NLG hydraulic actuator rod end. According to the FAA, this AD requires a revision of the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) for the aircraft to provide flight crews with "revised operating limitations, repetitively inspecting certain NLG hydraulic actuator rod ends for cracks, deformation, corrosion, damage, and free movement of the spherical bearing, and depending on the results of any inspection, replacing the affected NLG hydraulic actuator rod end with a serviceable part." The AD prohibits the installation of an affected NLG hydraulic actuator rod end unless certain conditions are met. The FAA has determined that the risk to the flying public justifies forgoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule because the failure of the NLG actuator and interference with the rudder control system could result in reduced control of the airplane. "Because this condition can occur without warning and vary from airplane to airplane, the FAA is requiring an immediate flight operating restriction for those airplanes that have 1,000 hours total time-in-service and a compliance time for inspections for some airplanes as low as 5 flight cycles (takeoffs and landings)," the AD states. The FAA estimates the AD will affect 267 airplanes in the U.S. The cost of compliance with the AD is estimated to be $340 per airplane per cycle for inspection, which will take approximately four hours to complete, for a total of $90,780. Revising the AFM will cost approximately $22,695. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/faa-adopts-ad-diamond-da42-133000366.html Man arrested for allegedly sneaking onto JetBlue plane in Florida JetBlue employees discovered the man in the plane's bathroom, officials said. Florida man arrested after allegedly sneaking onto plane, found sleepingInvestigators say Sammuel Lackey, 32, climbed a fence and entered a maintenance area, before boarding a JetBlue Airbus A320 parked for maintenance. A man was arrested after he was allegedly discovered sleeping on a JetBlue plane at a maintenance facility near Fort Lauderdale Airport on Sunday. JetBlue employees discovered 32-year-old Sammuel Prescott Lackey in the bathroom on a JetBlue Airbus A320 while conducting a routine interior inspection before moving the aircraft, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office. The plane had been parked at an airport facility operated by Jetscape for maintenance with one of the rear doors open and portable stairs placed against the aircraft to allow access for maintenance employees, according to the sheriff's office complaint affidavit. Surveillance video showed a man "fitting Lackey's exact description" walking on a road near the Jetscape facility at 9:51 p.m. on Saturday, the complaint affidavit said. The individual scaled an eight-foot fence that was topped with barbed wire around the perimeter of the airport to gain access to a private hangar in a "remote location" away from the passenger terminal complex, according to the Broward County Aviation Department, the airport's operator. Lackey admitted to climbing over the airport fence and later entered the aircraft using the portable stairs, according to the complaint affidavit. "At an unknown time, Sammuel Lackey climbed the portable stairs, entered the aircraft, and hid in the aft lavatory," the complaint affidavit states. Around 4:25 a.m. the following day, the aircraft was pushed back to its parking space at the facility and its doors were closed and latched. Lackey remained onboard the plane before eventually being discovered by employees, according to the sheriff's office complaint affidavit. Lackey's discovery resulted in a disruption of service that cost JetBlue $2,400.96, the complaint affidavit said. Lackey was charged with unarmed burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, criminal mischief and interruption of critical infrastructure, according to the booking report. He is currently in custody at the Broward County jail on $10,000 bond. "The safety of our customers and crewmembers is JetBlue's first priority. We will assist law enforcement with any relevant investigation," JetBlue told ABC News. The Fort Lauderdale Airport and Jetscape did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment. The Broward County Aviation Department said in a statement it is "fully cooperating with federal authorities as they conduct their investigation, as maintaining a safe and secure airport is always a top priority." The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Transportation Security Administration are investigating, the department said. https://abcnews.com/US/man-arrested-allegedly-sneaking-jetblue-plane-florida/story?id=135425251 Brazil formally accuses 16 people over 2024 Voepass deadly plane crash Official says plane was irregularly cleared for departure before crash that killed 62 people outside Sao Paulo. Brazil’s federal police have formally accused 16 current and former employees of the Voepass airline of actions contributing to the August 2024 crash that killed all 62 people on board the plane. Investigators on Thursday announced several acts of alleged malpractice, omission and negligence by the company. Voepass owner and president Jose Luiz Felicio Filho was among those formally accused over the accident that took place in the city of Vinhedo, outside Sao Paulo. Local prosecutors must still decide whether he and the other accused will be charged at a date to be determined. Aside from the owner, the police accused 15 former and present Voepass employees of endangering air traffic safety, resulting in a fatal disaster, which could put them in prison for up to 12 years. Additional charges against some of the group include the omission of technical failures from aircraft logbooks. The accident happened when an ATR 72-500 twin-engine turboprop en route from Cascavel, in the southern state of Parana, to Guarulhos international airport plummeted 13,000 feet (3,960 metres) into the back yard of a gated condominium, killing 58 passengers and four crew members. Investigators added that the aircraft’s data recorders showed that its de-icing system had repeatedly failed or was manually cycled on and off during 136 flights. Federal police investigator Andre Ribeiro said the aircraft was irregularly cleared for departure into known severe icing conditions despite experiencing de-icing system failures on three prior flights that same day. “This is a watershed in air crash disasters here,” said Ribeiro, who also suggested prosecutors should look into new potential accusations against the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC). Two-year investigation Thalles Andrade, a lawyer for the families of the victims, said in a statement that he will seek damages “against everyone responsible, people and companies, including directors, companies involved in the operation and in ticket sales”. “We will go for everyone who, by action or omission, contributed to this,” Andrade said. The 16 people formally accused in the case did not make comments about the federal police move. The federal police findings were announced in a news conference after a two-year investigation. The force concluded that deliberate omissions, improper maintenance practices, and organisational failures directly contributed to sending the aircraft into dangerous weather conditions. Last month, a Brazilian Air Force probe confirmed that a combination of severe icing conditions, mechanical system failures and pilot distractions contributed to the incident. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/7/brazil-formally-accuses-16-people-over-2024-voepass-deadly-plane-crash United flight returns to SFO after tire blows out during takeoff, airline says A United Airlines flight traveling from San Francisco to San Jose del Cabo returned to SFO shortly after takeoff Thursday due to a tire blowout. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A United Airlines flight traveling from San Francisco to San Jose del Cabo returned to San Francisco International Airport shortly after takeoff Thursday due to a tire blowout. According to air traffic control audio, the tire burst during the takeoff roll. Flight tracking shows the Boeing 737-800 making a U-turn over Monterey County. The aircraft returned to SFO and landed safely, according to the airport's spokesperson, who also said passengers were being deboarded and bused back to the airport terminal. United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement and said a new flight was being coordinated for passengers: "United flight 1189 sustained damage to one tire while departing San Francisco and safely returned to the airport. Customers deplaned via airstairs on the tarmac and were bused to the terminal. We've arranged for a different aircraft to take them to Los Cabos later this afternoon." The incident has affected arrival times for some flights due to a blocked runway. https://abc7news.com/post/united-airlines-flight-returns-san-francisco-international-airport-tire-reportedly-blows-during-takeoff/19637330/ Sun Country Airlines Drastically Cut Flights Because Its Pilots Left For Delta, CEO Admits A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Sun Country Airlines has had to make significant cuts to its September schedules out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) in the US state of Minnesota. A key reason behind these dramatic alterations is reportedly the fact that the carrier is suffering high rates of pilot attrition. Specifically, increased hiring at Delta Air Lines has resulted in many of Sun Country's junior pilots jumping ship. Sun Country Airlines' position was explained in the recent second-quarter earnings call held by Allegiant Air, its new parent company. During the call, while Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson did not explicitly name Delta as the destination for its departing junior pilots, he alluded to them joining "the largest full-service carrier [at] MSP," a title that can only be held by the SkyTeam member. Let's examine the situation. Sun Country's MSP Capacity Is Down Almost 40% This September According to current scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Sun Country Airlines is set to operate some 344 flights out of MSP this September, offering a grand total of 63,866 seats in the process. Compared to last September's totals of 567 flights and 105,477 seats, these totals represent respective year-on-year declines of 39.3% and 39.5%. ASMs are down by 37.3%. Sun Country Plans To Operate Its Boeing 737-800s Into Their 30s According to Airline Geeks, Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson confirmed in the recent call that pilot attrition at MSP is a driving force behind these cuts, as he noted that pilots "want to work for a full-service carrier." With Delta having reportedly increased hiring by "maybe double or more" at MSP, this gave Sun Country Pilots, many of whom had only joined in recent years, an easy way out. Anderson explained that: "Over the past few months, Sun Country has experienced elevated pilot attrition, concentrated among its junior MSP pilots and largely driven by increased hiring at the largest carrier in the Twin Cities." Diving deeper into the data from Cirium, the dominance of Delta Air Lines at MSP is plain to see. The Atlanta-based US 'big three' legacy carrier and SkyTeam founding member is clearly the "largest carrier in the Twin Cities" that Anderson is alluding to, with the airline set to operate some 9,557 flights out of MSP this September. This represents a 0.7% increase compared to September 2025's 9,489. Delta's presence at MSP isn't just dominant, but it is also diverse, with the carrier operating just about every kind of route imaginable out of its Minnesota hub. Indeed, of its 9,557 departures next month, 3,498 will be operated by its feeder partners under the Delta Connection regional brand, with all but 232 of this batch of flights being domestic. Internal flights also dominate Delta's mainline operations at MSP. Indeed, of the 6,059 mainline services that Delta Air Lines is set to operate out of the Twin Cities next month, 5,588 will serve destinations that are located within the United States of America. This leaves 471 mainline international flights (up 5.6% vs 446 in September 2025), with the most popular destinations being Vancouver (YVR) and Calgary (YYC). Further afield, Amsterdam (AMS) is its top route to Europe. Minneapolis Celebrates New Delta Air Lines Routes To Europe The expansion brings Delta's total nonstop European destinations from Minneapolis Airport to eight. When looking at operations in Minneapolis as a whole, Delta's dominance becomes even clearer. Indeed, the 9,557 flights that it is set to operate out of MSP next month represent some 77.5% of the facility's entire monthly total for September (12,329). For context, American Airlines is the next largest carrier by flights, but, with a total of just 650, it only accounts for 5.3% of MSP's monthly services. https://simpleflying.com/sun-country-drastically-cut-flights-pilots-left-delta/ American flown to a New Zealand hospital in a rare midwinter Antarctic rescue mission Australia Antarctic Rescue MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian air crew flew an American from an Antarctic base to a New Zealand hospital in a rare midwinter rescue. The Airbus A319 Long Range aircraft, with the call sign Snowbird 1, flew from the Australian city of Hobart to the U.S. McMurdo Station in Antarctica on July 31 in response to an "urgent request for assistance," the jet's Melbourne-based owner Skytraders said in a statement Thursday. The jet landed after a five hour and 30 minute flight at the Phoenix Airfield near McMurdo in darkness and with temperatures as low as minus 43 C (minus 45.4 F), the statement said. The American was flown on the same day to a hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand, as weather conditions at the Antarctic air strip worsened, said Skytraders, which is contracted by the Australian Antarctic Division. The U.S. National Science Foundation told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the patient was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital in a "serious condition." The AAD said in a statement Friday the patient continued to receive medical treatment in Christchurch. "This was a complex operation carried out in the depths of the Antarctic winter, and it highlights both the capability of our people and the strong partnerships that underpin Antarctic programs around the world," the head of AAD, Emma Campbell, said. New Zealand's Health Ministry on Friday would not comment on the American's condition or say whether the American remained in hospital. The mission's copilot, Louise Robertson, said conditions were close to the limit of the aircraft's capabilities. "We had some what's called nautical twilight, which is a very minimal amount of light that is pretty much pitch blackness and also the extreme cold temperatures. We are right on the verge of the limitation of the aircraft," Robertson told ABC. "It was very close to being too cold," she said. "It got down to minus 43 (Celsius), which is the coldest I've ever felt. It was about 8 knots of wind, so quite a bit of wind-chill as well." Robertson said plans to fly to the base on the Ross Ice Shelf a day earlier were aborted due to a snow storm. "There … was really just such a narrow window of opportunity," Robertson said. "To get there in complete darkness in these extreme cold temperatures is very, very rare. I believe it hasn't been done before," she added. The sun last set at the geographic South Pole on March 23 and will not rise until Sept. 21. The New Zealand Air Force evacuated a New Zealand citizen working on the U.S. Antarctic Program from the Phoenix Airfield in a C-130 Hercules in a medical emergency in April, which is the Southern Hemisphere autumn. In August last year, the final month of the Southern Hemisphere winter, New Zealand used the same type of four-engine turboprop transport aircraft to evacuate three people on a flight from McMurdo for medical treatment. McMurdo shares its airstrip with New Zealand's nearby Scott Base. https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/american-flown-zealand-hospital-rare-043056360.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS . ALPA's 70th Air Safety Forum -September 14-17, 2026; Washington, DC . ICAO/EASA Third Global RSOO/RAIO Forum for Aviation Safety — September 29–30, 2026, in Georgetown, Guyana., https://www.icao.int/events : NATA Ground Handling Safety Symposium - September 15-16, 2026 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX www.nata.aero/ghss : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 22-23 September 2026 . ISASI - BOSTON 2026 - September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026 . Global Aviation Conference Frankfurt- 29-30SEP2026 - Frankfurt, Germany . Defence Aviation Safety Conference 2026 — October 5–6, 2026, United Kingdom. . 79TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT MONTREAL | NOVEMBER 10-12, 2026. . Airlines 2026 conference - November 11, 2026 (London) . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV . Bombardier Safety Standdown (November 10–12, 2026 in Wichita, KS) . 2027 ACSF Safety Symposium - April 6-8, 2027 - ERAU Daytona Beach, FL Curt Lewis