Flight Safety Information - October 9, 2026 No. 199 In This Issue : Incident: United B772 at San Francisco on Oct 6th 2026, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Indigo A20N at Lucknow on Oct 7th 2026, lightning and hail strike : Incident: Nesma A321 at Warsaw on Sep 24th 2026, autopilot and flaps problems on approach, hard landing : Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner - powerbank battery of a passenger suffered thermal runaway (Japan) : A 10-person Midair Brawl Forced This Plane to Turn Around Just 30 Minutes After Takeoff : Flight Simulator Instructors Reveal the Emergency Pilots Practice Most : Piper Calls For Rudder Cable Inspection : 'It's not a prank': Dangers of laser strikes on aircraft : Avolon Orders 250 Airbus and Boeing Aircraft : Airbus confirms 72 jet deliveries in September : Boeing's $715 Billion Backlog, Explained : The AMA to FAA: Don't wing it on in-flight medical kits : 8 hospitalized after severe turbulence forces New York City bound flight to divert to MIA, officials say : Frontier flight attendant pushes screaming passenger who appears to try to open exit door after flight is stranded at gate : Calendar of Events Incident: United B772 at San Francisco on Oct 6th 2026, engine shut down in flight A United Boeing 777-200, registration N796UA performing flight UA-7 from San Francisco,CA (USA) to Beijing (China), was climbing through FL280 out of San Francisco when the crew stopped the climb due to the right hand engine (PW4090) emitting loud noises and suffering severe vibrations. The crew shut the engine down and returned to San Francisco for a safe landing on runway 28R about 90 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in San Francisco about 48 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=542e6ad9&opt=0 Incident: Indigo A20N at Lucknow on Oct 7th 2026, lightning and hail strike An Indigo Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-IQZ performing flight 6E-925 from Patna to Lucknow (India) with 104 passengers and 6 crew, was descending through FL170 towards Lucknow when lightning and hail struck the aircraft. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 27 about 20 minutes later. A post landing inspection revealed a dented radome. The aircraft is still on the ground in Lucknow about 33 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=542e6486&opt=0 Incident: Nesma A321 at Warsaw on Sep 24th 2026, autopilot and flaps problems on approach, hard landing A Nesma Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration SU-NMY performing flight NE-4610 from Hurghada (Egypt) to Warsaw (Poland), was on approach to Warsaw when the crew reported problems with the autopilot and flaps. The aircraft continued for a landing on runway 33 and vacated the runway. Poland's PKBWL reported the crew reported autopilot and flap problems to the TWR, without declaring an emergency. During landing, the aircraft made a hard touchdown and then began intensive braking, slowing the runway and stopping at a safe distance. Momentary smoke was observed in the area of the main landing gear. A local fire brigade (LSP) was dispatched to assess the condition and temperature of the brake assemblies. The parking area was secured, and deboarding was performed. Towing the aircraft was not possible due to air loss in the right main landing gear. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated. https://avherald.com/h?article=542e599a&opt=0 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner - powerbank battery of a passenger suffered thermal runaway (Japan) Date: Thursday 8 October 2026 Time: c. 14:30 Type: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Owner/operator: United Airlines Registration: N29984 MSN: 66143/1044 Year of manufacture: 2020 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Category: Incident Location: Tokyo/Narita International Airport (NRT/RJAA) - Japan Phase: Standing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Houston/George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH/KIAH), TX, USA Destination airport: Tokyo/Narita International Airport (NRT/RJAA), Japan Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: In the cabin of a Boeing 787-9 of United Airlines, operated flight UAL/UA7 from Houston/George Bush, TX, USA to Tokyo/Narita, Japan, a powerbank battery of a passenger suffered thermal runaway and ignited causing a seat to be burnt out partially on arrival at Narita. No reported injuries. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/583087 A 10-person Midair Brawl Forced This Plane to Turn Around Just 30 Minutes After Takeoff The Tenerife-to-Liverpool flight returned about 30 minutes after takeoff, where police removed the passengers involved before the plane continued to England. An onboard fight among passengers sent an easyJet flight back to the Canary Islands shortly after takeoff this summer. Flight EZY3352 left Tenerife South Airport (TFS) for Liverpool, England, on the evening of July 21. But about 30 minutes into the flight, the crew told Spanish air traffic controllers that roughly 10 passengers had started fighting on board, the BBC reported. In a statement to the network, air traffic controllers said "the captain decided to return due to the danger it posed to the safety of the flight," adding, "We expedited their return as much as possible while coordinating with the airport for police presence." Controllers reported the plane landed and cleared the runway without incident. Police met the 186-passenger aircraft at the crew's request. "Our cabin and ground crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time," an easyJet spokesperson told the BBC. "We take these incidents very seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behavior towards our staff. The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is always our highest priority." Officers from Spain's Civil Guard removed the passengers involved, all reportedly British citizens, per Travel Radar. No arrests were reported. The flight then continued on to Liverpool with the remaining passengers on board and landed at 2:19 a.m. local time, one hour and 54 minutes behind schedule, per Sky News, citing data from Flightradar24. The Tenerife South Airport handled a similar case nearly six weeks earlier. On June 11, the crew of a flight from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) alerted controllers to 12 disruptive passengers on board and requested police to meet the aircraft after landing, according to Canary Islands broadcaster RTVC. Controllers shortened the plane's approach to speed its landing. Passengers who cause trouble in the air could soon face wider consequences. The U.K. government is working with airlines and trade unions on a system to share information about persistently disruptive passengers. Currently, passenger bans are implemented at each airline's discretion. In the United States, unruly passengers can face fines up to $40,000, potentially lose access to TSA PreCheck, be placed on internal no-fly lists, or even face jail time. Individual airlines have also implemented consequences for disruptive behavior, like United Airlines, which has vowed to crack down on passengers who listen to music or other content without headphones. If a disturbance breaks out on your flight, avoid getting involved and follow instructions from the cabin crew, who are trained to handle disruptive passengers. And if another passenger's behavior ultimately causes a lengthy delay or diversion, keep your boarding pass and receipts for unexpected expenses and check with the airline about rebooking or other assistance, as passenger protections vary depending on the circumstances and itinerary. https://www.yahoo.com/travel/advice/safety/articles/10-person-midair-brawl-forced-151800209.html Flight Simulator Instructors Reveal the Emergency Pilots Practice Most Walk into any serious flight training facility and the Full Flight Simulator runs almost around the clock. Some slots are for initial type ratings, some for line checks. The majority, though, are reserved for emergencies that can't safely be practiced in a real aircraft. What exactly fills those hours? The answer follows a recognizable pattern across training centers worldwide, shaped by accident data, regulatory requirements, and the hard-won judgment of the instructors who design these sessions. Here is what they repeatedly drill, and why. Engine Failure After Takeoff: The One Drill That Never Leaves Most flight instructors drill five core emergencies, and engine failure after takeoff sits at the very top of that list. The reason is simple and sobering: the departure phase is when pilots are most exposed, with the least altitude to absorb a mistake. The deadly instinct is to turn back to the runway, and engine failure after takeoff kills more pilots than almost any other emergency because that turn so often fails. In October 2024, the FAA published AC 61-83K, the current revision of the Flight Instructor Refresher Course advisory circular, and it reversed a decades-old training orthodoxy on this very topic. The new guidance is more demanding: flight instructors should demonstrate and teach trainees when and how to make a safe 180-degree turnback to the field after an engine failure, and the pre-takeoff briefing must include the expected altitude loss in a turnback for the specific make and model. Engine Failure in Cruise: Diagnosis Under Pressure The memory items for engine failure in cruise begin with pitching for best glide speed, typically 65 to 75 knots in a Cessna 172, then trimming and troubleshooting: carb heat on, fuel selector to both, mixture rich, magnetos checked, primer locked. The simulator is where this checklist sequence gets burned into muscle memory through repetition, because in a real failure the workload arrives all at once. A key feature of modern simulators is their ability to replicate various aircraft failures with surprising accuracy, allowing trainees to repeatedly practice emergency procedures in a risk-free environment before facing such challenges in the real world. Most engine failures actually occur during cruise, which is exactly why this scenario gets repeated across session after session. V1 Cuts: The Standard That Defines Airline Training Airline simulator sessions commonly follow a structured pattern: a hot start on the apron, a V1 cut on takeoff, securing or restarting the engine depending on its condition, then continuing to the destination. The V1 cut, an engine failure triggered precisely at decision speed, is perhaps the single most defining exercise in commercial pilot recurrent training. It forces crews to continue the takeoff on reduced power and climb away safely, all while managing aircraft handling, checklists, and communications simultaneously. Training department records show that engine failure scenarios account for roughly a third of all simulator check failures, largely due to improper memory item execution or inadequate single-engine approach techniques. That statistic alone explains why instructors return to this drill so relentlessly. Windshear Recovery: A Scenario That Demands Instant Commitment Severe weather scenarios are a staple of simulator training, and instructors use flight simulators to expose pilots to turbulence, low visibility, and the strong winds that occur during thunderstorms. Windshear stands apart from other weather threats because the correct response runs counter to instinct: maximum thrust, specific pitch attitude, no hesitation. Hesitation costs altitude that may not be available to recover. Windshear and windshear-ahead are both classified as memory item emergencies on modern aircraft like the Airbus A320, meaning pilots must recall and execute the procedure from memory without reaching for a checklist first. The simulator is the only place this reaction can be trained to the level of true automaticity before a crew ever encounters the real thing on approach. Rapid Decompression and Emergency Descent At cruise altitude, a pressurization failure leaves the crew with a very short window before hypoxia begins to impair judgment. The emergency descent drill is therefore built around speed, with the goal of reaching a breathable altitude as quickly as possible while simultaneously donning oxygen masks and communicating with air traffic control. Emergency descent following rapid decompression is specifically classified as a memory item procedure on modern commercial aircraft. High-altitude flight presents unique challenges including reduced oxygen levels and extreme temperatures, and pilots use flight simulators to practice managing the aircraft's systems at these altitudes, ensuring they can maintain proper cabin pressure, oxygen levels, and temperature control. In a full-motion simulator, instructors can reproduce the physiological and procedural pressure of a real decompression event in a way no classroom exercise can match. Hydraulic System Failures: Silent and Progressive Hydraulic failures are particularly difficult because they rarely announce themselves dramatically. Systems degrade, warnings appear in sequence, and crews must interpret what remains available for flight controls, brakes, and landing gear. Hydraulic and trim malfunctions are among the regularly practiced emergencies in advanced simulator training. There are failures that, for safety reasons, are impossible to replicate in a real aircraft, and a simulator is the only place where a pilot can practice a hydraulic failure in a critical phase of flight to perfection, turning emergency procedures into an automatic, instinctive response. Instructors often layer hydraulic failures on top of other abnormalities, deliberately increasing the cognitive workload to simulate how real emergencies tend to compound. Spatial Disorientation Recovery: The Invisible Killer Statistics indicate that weather-related accidents account for a measurable portion of general aviation fatalities, with VFR into IMC among the most lethal subsets. Spatial disorientation, the loss of accurate perception of the aircraft's attitude without visual references, is a core mechanism behind many of those accidents. The simulator is the only training environment where an instructor can genuinely disorient a pilot and observe the recovery in real time. A landmark experiment conducted by the University of Illinois found that twenty non-instrument-rated pilots who flew from visual into simulated instrument conditions all reached a dangerous attitude, with an average time to dangerous condition of just 178 seconds. That figure shaped instructor thinking for generations and remains the foundational argument for simulator-based disorientation training today. Electrical Failures and Smoke in the Cockpit An electrical fire is one of the five core emergencies that most flight instructors drill without exception. Smoke in the cockpit creates an urgency that compounds every other task: donning oxygen masks, identifying the source, executing the appropriate electrical load-shedding checklist, and deciding whether an immediate diversion is warranted. The simulator allows instructors to introduce degraded instrument displays alongside the failure, which is closer to what a real electrical emergency looks like. In-flight electrical fires and instrument approaches with partial panel are both standard components of simulator-based emergency training. Practicing with partial panels, where key instruments have been failed, builds the cross-check habits that prevent a bad situation from becoming an uncontrolled one. Instrument Approaches with Degraded Systems Instrument Landing System approaches are crucial for safe landings especially when visibility is poor, and flight simulators allow pilots to hone these skills by replicating various landing scenarios including low visibility and adverse weather. Instructors push this further by combining low-visibility conditions with partial instrument failures, forcing pilots to complete precision approaches using fewer data sources than normal. This is where the real skill gap between trained and undertrained crews tends to surface. Weather-related approaches, particularly CAT II and CAT III approaches and windshear recovery scenarios, account for a significant portion of simulator check failures, stemming from poor decision-making under pressure. The combination of near-zero visibility, degraded avionics, and a stable-approach requirement creates exactly the kind of high-stakes environment that requires repeated simulator exposure to handle reliably. Compound and Unexpected Failures: The Frontier of Modern Training Compound and Unexpected Failures: The Frontier of Modern Training (Image Credits: Pexels) Compound and Unexpected Failures: The Frontier of Modern Training (Image Credits: Pexels) Pilots who go longer between training cycles often handle standard procedural items well but struggle when an unusual or compound malfunction is introduced, precisely because those edge-case scenarios aren't rehearsed regularly in line flying. Research in aviation human factors training has consistently demonstrated that emergency procedure recall drops measurably after 60 to 90 days without practice. Some advanced simulators now integrate artificial intelligence to produce unforeseen emergency scenarios, challenging pilots' adaptability by forcing them to constantly improvise, which greatly enhances their critical decision-making. A study of airline flight crews comparing performance at six months and twelve months after training found that both normal and emergency maneuvers decayed significantly more by the twelve-month mark, leading researchers to conclude that a six-month training schedule produces better retention of knowledge and skill. What These Drills Have in Common Every emergency on this list shares one quality: it demands a response faster than deliberate thought allows. That is precisely why simulator repetition matters so much. Scenario-based training, the approach endorsed by the FAA Industry Training Standards, emphasizes the development of critical thinking and flight management skills rather than solely maneuver-based skills, with the goal of accelerating the acquisition of higher-level decision-making abilities. Real-world incidents have pointed to the conclusion that simulator-trained pilots often perform better than those solely trained in actual aircraft when emergencies arise, highlighting the growing recognition of the simulator's ability to prepare pilots for complex, high-stakes decision-making. The drills covered here are not arbitrary. They reflect decades of accident investigation, regulatory evolution, and the quiet expertise of instructors who have watched, corrected, and refined these responses thousands of times. The simulator doesn't just prepare pilots for emergencies; it gradually makes the unlikely feel familiar enough to survive. https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/flight-simulator-instructors-reveal-emergency-155839107.html 'It's not a prank': Dangers of laser strikes on aircraft How many laser strikes were reported in Birmingham through August 2026? What are the maximum federal penalties for shining a laser at aircraft? Why does Birmingham account for most of Alabama’s laser strikes? BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — A laser pointed into the night sky can become a serious hazard in seconds, especially for pilots approaching an airport. The Federal Aviation Administration says laser strikes against aircraft are down nationwide for the third straight year, but Birmingham continues to account for a significant share of Alabama’s reported incidents. Jeff Cotton, vice president of aviation at Southern Sky Aviation, said he has experienced a laser strike firsthand. “Well, we were landing in Birmingham at night. And I happened to be, you know, looking out the window, and the light, when the laser hit my eyes, and all I could see was just glass. The other pilot had to land the aircraft, you know, and we filled out a bunch of forms with the FAA and FBI, but nothing was ever done about it because it's hard to catch somebody that does it,” Cotton said. Cotton said he has been a pilot for four decades and has been flying jets out of Birmingham for about 20 years. He said laser strikes are something pilots discuss regularly. “I hear it on the radio about once a month or so, just listening to other aircraft, but it's happened to me once in 15 years,” Cotton said. FAA data shows pilots reported 18 laser strikes associated with Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport through August this year. That is down from 39 in 2025, which was Birmingham’s highest annual count in the records. Even with the decrease, Birmingham still accounts for the largest share of Alabama’s reported strikes. Through August, there were 49 reports statewide. Of those, 18 were associated with Birmingham, 11 were around Huntsville and 10 were around Mobile’s airports. The FAA Figures reflect pilot-reported laser strikes associated with airports, not necessarily incidents that happened on airport property or inside city limits. The agency also notes statewide numbers can fluctuate. The FAA says pilots reported 4,470 laser strikes across the country this year, a significant drop from the 13,304 reported in 2023, an all-time high. The agency says outreach and training with local, state and federal law enforcement has helped drive the national decline. Cotton said people may not understand how dangerous it can be to aim a laser at an aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing. “There is. It's not a prank, and it might seem like harmless fun, but, you know, it usually happens down low, you know, during a critical phase of flight, which is landing or taking off, which is, you know, when it's really important to be able to see the terrain or other aircraft or airport environments,” Cotton said. The FAA is also warning about holiday laser-light displays, saying concentrated beams can travel farther than people may realize and can distract or temporarily blind pilots. The FAA has recorded 322 pilot injuries from laser strikes since it began tracking them in 2010. Shining a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime. The FAA can fine someone up to $11,000 per violation. Federal criminal penalties can also include up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, on top of state and local penalties. “You know, people depend on you to get from point A to point B safely, and something like that can really interfere with the safety of flight. Enjoy the night view. If you see an airplane, enjoy the view, but it's not, you know, it's not a game, and there's serious consequences,” Cotton said. BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT The FAA encourages anyone who sees a laser strike to report it to the agency and local law enforcement, saying reports can help investigators identify where and when laser strikes are happening. https://abc3340.com/news/abc-3340-news-iteam/laser-strikes-aircraft-planes-laser-pointers-airport-pilot-landing-caution-federal-aviation-administration-trends-statistics-concerns Global Aerospace’s SM4 Aviation Safety Program Provides the Essentials on the Risks of Pilot Fatigue and Distraction, the Myth of Compartmentalization, and the Danger of a Culta visual approach when your mind drifts to something that escapes the mental box you thought you had locked, and suddenly the runway numbers don’t look quite right. You correct. You make it. And you tell yourself it was nothing. Don’t even get me started on over-the-counter meds. Quite a few so-called aviation professionals treat them like breath mints. The bottle says “may cause drowsiness.” We read it, shrug and figure it doesn’t apply to us because we’ve done it so many times before. The FAA has a whole list of unauthorized meds, but more than a few are flying on stuff they bought at the airport CVS. The Complicity of Silence Here’s the edgy part nobody wants to say out loud: We’re complicit. We brag about our sterile cockpit rule but treat our own heads like a 24-hour open mic. We drill CRM until we can recite it in our sleep, yet we still hesitate to tap the guy on the shoulder and ask, “You good?” because that feels soft. That feels like weakness. Better to let the distracted, exhausted or otherwise impaired crewmember keep quiet and hope the autopilot and the other guy catch whatever slips. The airplane doesn’t care about your problems. It will let you stall it, land short or bust an altitude just as happily whether your mind is on the approach plate or on the fight you had before leaving home. The hidden risk isn’t dramatic. It doesn’t make the headlines. It just quietly turns good pilots and mechanics into near misses and accident statistics. A Preflight Check of the Most Critical System Next time you walk to the aircraft, do the preflight on yourself first. Not the company questionnaire that asks if you’ve had eight hours of sleep, ask the real questions. Are you actually all here with the best version of yourself? If the answer is no, speak up. Call in fatigued. Call in distracted. Call in whatever the heck you need to call it. The system won’t thank you, but the guy riding in back with his family might. Because the next chart that gets published, the one with the little red dot where everything went sideways, might have your name on it. Not because you forgot how to fly, but because you forgot to check the one thing you can’t see from the flight deck: yourself. About Global Aerospace SM4 Aviation Safety Program The Global Aerospace SM4 Safety Program has revolutionized the way insurance specialists help their clients achieve higher levels of operational safety. SM4 was built on the concept of integrating four critical safety components: planning, prevention, response and recovery. Its mission is to help organizations manage risk, enrich training efforts, strengthen safety culture and improve safety management systems. https://sm4.global-aero.com/ https://www.nbcrightnow.com/online_features/press_releases/global-aerospace-s-sm4-aviation-safety-program-provides-the-essentials-on-the-risks-of-pilot/article_7d655987-e742-5ec4-9be4-278e70c5fa21.html Avolon Orders 250 Airbus and Boeing Aircraft DUBLIN, October 09, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avolon, a leading global aviation finance company, today announced firm orders for 250 new-technology aircraft from Boeing and Airbus and issued an update for the third quarter ('Q3') 2026. Orders for 250 New-Technology Aircraft Entered into a firm order with Boeing for 140 737 MAX aircraft Entered into a firm order with Airbus for 110 aircraft, comprising 75 A320neo family aircraft and 35 A330neo family aircraft, with options for a further 100 aircraft The new orders support the long-term fleet requirements of Avolon's airline customers Following the orders, Avolon's total firm aircraft commitments have increased to 749 aircraft The firm orders remain subject only to the approval by the shareholders of Bohai Leasing Co., Ltd., Avolon's 70% shareholder, which is expected before the end of October 2026 Q3 Business Activity Acquired 10 aircraft and sold 29 aircraft during the quarter, with a further 112 aircraft agreed for sale at quarter-end Placed 28 new-technology aircraft from our commitments, ending the quarter with 89% of our committed fleet placed for the next 24 months Executed 84 lease agreements, extensions and amendments during the period Ended the quarter with an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,092 aircraft, or 1,342 aircraft pro forma for the new orders Established a US$1.5 billion commercial paper programme Closed a US$855 million unsecured term loan with a syndicate of primarily Asian banks Andy Cronin, Avolon CEO, commented: "We continue to see strong demand for new-technology aircraft, reflected in our placement and trading activity this quarter. Against that backdrop, we are pleased to have reached agreements with Airbus and Boeing that strengthen and extend our long-term delivery pipeline. These orders further enhance our ability to support the future fleet requirements of our airline customers as they renew and expand their fleets into the most fuel-efficient technology available." About Avolon Avolon is a leading global aviation finance company connecting capital with customers to drive the transformation of aviation and the economic and social benefits of global travel. We pride ourselves on our deep customer relationships, our collaborative team approach and our fast execution. We invest with a long-term perspective, diversifying risk and managing capital efficiently to maintain our strong balance sheet. Working with 138 airlines in 62 countries, Avolon has an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,092 aircraft as of 30 September 2026. www.avolon.aero https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/avolon-orders-250-airbus-boeing-110000832.html Airbus confirms 72 jet deliveries in September PARIS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Airbus delivered 72 planes in September, the planemaker said on Thursday, bringing ‌nine-month deliveries to 547 aircraft, up 8% from the same point last year. Deliveries were broadly flat compared to 73 planes ⁠in the same month a year earlier Reuters reported last week that Airbus had delivered around 72 planes despite earlier concerns over the cumulative impact of supply chain delays The planemaker is targeting around 870 ‌deliveries ⁠for the full year, up 10% from 793 in 2025 Airbus sold 17 planes in September to bring ⁠the total number of gross orders for the year so far to ⁠1,174 jets After new cancellations of three jets in September, Airbus ⁠posted 1,105 net orders for the first nine months https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airbus-confirms-72-jet-deliveries-september-2026-10-08/ Boeing's $715 Billion Backlog, Explained Boeing's (NYSE: BA) backlog lies at the heart of the stock's investment case. It allows management to unlock significant value for investors. Simply put, the stock has upside potential if management can execute better operationally. That hasn't always been the case at Boeing in recent years, but there are tangible signs of improvement under CEO Kelly Ortberg, and the company's trajectory is in the right direction. Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 14x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue » Boeing's backlog The overwhelming majority of the backlog is at Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), which represents more than 6,200 aircraft. It's a huge number, and despite increased 737 MAX production in 2026, the backlog rose by $33 billion in the first half of 2026. The BCA backlog accounted for slightly more than $29 billion of that overall increase. Boeing continues to win orders and grow its backlog. Moreover, Wall Street expects Boeing to generate $97.9 billion in revenue this year. The backlog is positive and negative The backlog presents an opportunity for Boeing, but its duration speaks volumes about the company's difficulties in recent years. Its filings at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said: "We expect approximately 21% to be converted to revenue through 2027 and approximately 62% through 2030, with the remainder thereafter. Significant uncertainty remains about when backlog will convert into revenue." That's a relatively long duration, meaning that it will take time to convert into earnings and cash flow. It's concerning for two reasons: It contains some aircraft that aren't even certified yet, such as the wide-body 777X and the longer 737-10 narrow-body. The long duration reflects the bottlenecks and challenges that Boeing has in ramping up aircraft production. What it means for investors Boeing's backlog is not without risk, but the fact that 737 MAX production has gone from the low 30s per month at the start of 2025 to a target of stabilizing at 47 per month is a very positive sign. As long as Boeing can keep making progress on this front, investors will have reason to believe it can deliver on its backlog. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/markets/stocks/articles/boeings-715-billion-backlog-explained-130200447.html The AMA to FAA: Don't wing it on in-flight medical kits The American Medical Association (AMA) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reverse course on its proposed changes to the requirements for commercial airline emergency medical kits, warning that allowing individual airlines to determine their own medical supplies could compromise passenger safety during in-flight emergencies. In a comment letter (PDF) to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, the AMA expressed strong support for updating the two-decade-old onboard medical kit requirements. The AMA, however, opposes the FAA’s proposal to eliminate federal minimum standards entirely. If enacted, the rule would grant individual airlines broad discretion over what diagnostic tools and medications to carry. "When a physician steps forward at 30,000 feet to provide medical assistance, passenger safety shouldn't depend on which airline they happen to be flying," said AMA President Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH. "Physicians need a dependable, evidence-based national standard for onboard medical kits. Leaving critical medications such as epinephrine and vital diagnostic tools to the discretion of individual airlines could put patients at unnecessary risk when every second counts. Passengers shouldn’t be asked to take a flier on whether the medical supplies they need will be available.” The AMA recommended the FAA establish a consistent national standard informed by clinical evidence and the recommendations from the Aerospace Medical Association, which convened a working group to examine emergency medical kits and develop suggested guidelines. The AMA cautioned that leaving these decisions to individual airlines, without a common clinical standard, could result in inconsistent access to medications, diagnostic tools and other equipment when physicians are called on to treat passengers in the air. The entire letter to the FAA can be read here (PDF). https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-faa-dont-wing-it-flight-medical-kits 8 hospitalized after severe turbulence forces New York City bound flight to divert to MIA, officials say Eight people were rushed to a Miami hospital early Friday morning after a flight to New York City was forced to divert to Miami International Airport due to severe turbulence, according to officials. According to officials at Miami International Airport, Avianca Flight 042 was headed from Medellín, Colombia, to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport when the severe turbulence was reported. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told CBS News Miami that "multiple patients" were injured, and the flight landed safely at MIA around 3:30 a.m. Friday. "When we arrived, when we landed, we saw that very close to where we were going to disembark, there were more than five or six ambulances. Seven of them with their lights on as if they were waiting for something," passenger Maria Paula Jimenez told CBS News Miami in Spanish. "When we arrived, well, you know, it wasn't normal." Eight of the injured passengers were brought to the hospital after the plane landed, MDFR continued. The extent of the injuries is unknown. CBS News Miami has reached out for more information and will update this story as soon as new details are received. https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/severe-turbulence-miami-international-airport-flight-october-9-2026/ Frontier flight attendant pushes screaming passenger who appears to try to open exit door after flight is stranded at gate A Frontier Airlines passenger appeared to try to open the plane’s exit door — before a flight attendant pushed her back — after a broken jet bridge allegedly left travelers stuck on board for up to an hour without air conditioning. A woman in a gray hoodie stood at the exit door of the Frontier aircraft, yelling at the crew to open it, according to a TikTok posted by @tavi.dinero after the flight landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday. The flight attendant then wrapped his arms around her, pushed her back and tried to calm her down, the 13-second clip showed. As the flight attendant tried to regain control, the woman kept screaming “Open the door!” in his face — while another passenger shouted, “Don’t put your hands on her!” He pleaded with them to give him a second to figure things out as other passengers began approaching him before the video ended. Letitia James trounced by GOP opponent for attorney general Saritha Komatireddy in fiery debate “@Frontier Airlines in ATL COUNT Your Days !!!!! This happened Last night 10/07/26,” @tavi.dinero captioned the post. The flight, an Airbus A321 from New Orleans, had just landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but a broken jet bridge kept passengers from getting off, according to Paddle Your Own Kanoo. The passenger who posted the video claims that once the plane reached the gate, the crew shut off the engines and lights, leaving no air conditioning circulating through the cabin. After about an hour in the stuffy, dark plane, she said, people began struggling to breathe and started to panic. The poster also wrote in the comments that “They let the first class off and cut the plane off and the pilots got off.” “After 30 mins of sitting there with no air or water or light, one of the ladies started hyperventilating, passing out, and her body was shaking, completely unresponsive, and they still wouldn’t open the door,” she wrote in the comments. Frontier Airlines flight attendant restrained a passenger trying to open the exit door after being stuck on a hot plane in Atlanta. “That girl is panicking bc her mother was unresponsive for 5-8 mins and they STILL DIDN’T OPEN THE DOOR. She was trying to beat on the door, not open it bc there was a Frontier worker standing on the other side of the door,” she wrote in another comment. A Frontier Airlines spokesperson told Paddle Your Own Kanoo that Flight 2052 landed at Hartsfield-Jackson 20 minutes early and taxied to the gate. The jet bridge appeared to attach to the forward exit door as normal, and the first passengers began deplaning, the spokesperson said. The flight, an Airbus A321 from New Orleans, had just landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but a broken jet bridge kept passengers from getting off, But the jet bridge then malfunctioned and became misaligned with the door, forcing flight attendants to halt deplaning for the remaining passengers’ safety while maintenance workers tried to fix the problem, the spokesperson said. “Announcements were made to keep passengers apprised of what was happening,” Frontier’s spokesperson told the outlet. “Once the jet bridge was safely repaired and reconnected, deplaning continued. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and discomfort that arose during this process. We are continuing to seek further details.” https://nypost.com/2026/10/09/us-news/viral-tiktok-shows-frontier-airlines-passenger-appearing-to-try-to-open-exit-door-after-jet-bridge-malfunction-in-atlanta/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 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