Flight Safety Information - February 10, 2026 No. 029 In This Issue : Incident: Malta B738 near Rzeszow on Feb 6th 2026, first officer incapacitated : Incident: United A319 at Washington on Feb 3rd 2026, engine problems : Incident: United B738 near Denver on Feb 8th 2026, high engine vibrations : Incident: Easyjet A20N at Amsterdam on Feb 8th 2026, bird strike : JetBlue Plane Took Terrifying Mid-Flight Nosedive Allegedly Due to Software Glitch, Passengers Say in New Lawsuit : Border Patrol agent brought flash-bang grenade to McAllen airport : Survivor Sues City Following Scottsdale Learjet Crash : Frontier Sues American Airlines For $100,000+ After Collision At Miami International Airport Badly Damaged Plane : U.S. to provide aviation safety technical assistance to Mongolia ahead of launch of direct flights : EGYPTAIR takes delivery of its first of 16 Airbus A350-900 aircraft : Calendar of Events Incident: Malta B738 near Rzeszow on Feb 6th 2026, first officer incapacitated A Malta Air Boeing 737-800 on behalf of Ryanair, registration 9H-QFB performing flight FR-3202 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Rzeszow (Poland), was enroute at FL390 over Poland when the first officer vomited and ceased further operational duties. The captain took control of the aircraft and without declaring emergency continued to destination. Poland's PKBWL reported the remainder of the flight including descent, approach and landing went without further incident. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated. The occurrence aircraft departed for its next sector with a delay of about 3 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=534935bd&opt=0 Incident: United A319 at Washington on Feb 3rd 2026, engine problems A United Airbus A319-100, registration N889UA performing flight UA-2241 from Washington Dulles,DC to Cleveland,OH (USA) with 113 people on board, was climbing out of Dulles' runway 30 when the crew requested to stop climb at 3000 feet indicating some engine issue, later explaining both engines were operating, however they had some unusual indications and some noises, they were not sure what was going on, the crew declared emergency. The aircraft landed safely on runway 19R about 11 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration N494UA reached Cleveland with a delay of about 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Washington on Feb 9th 2026. https://avherald.com/h?article=534924b2&opt=0 Incident: United B738 near Denver on Feb 8th 2026, high engine vibrations A United Boeing 737-800, registration N11206 performing flight UA-1125 from Denver,CO to Boise,ID (USA), was enroute at FL380 about 220nm northwest of Denver when the crew decided to return to Denver reporting high vibrations of their left hand engine (CFM56). The aircraft drifted down and landed safely on Denver's runway 34R about 45 minutes after turning around. A replacement Boeing 737-9 MAX registration N37555 reached Boise with a delay of about 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Denver about 21 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53492084&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet A20N at Amsterdam on Feb 8th 2026, bird strike An Easyjet Airbus A320-200N, registration G-UZEH performing flight U2-3052 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Belfast,NI (UK), was in the initial climb out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the crew declared PAN PAN due to a bird strike and requested to stop the climb at 3000 feet, ATC cleared the aircraft for FL040. The aircraft returned to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 18R about 20 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 23 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53491632&opt=0 JetBlue Plane Took Terrifying Mid-Flight Nosedive Allegedly Due to Software Glitch, Passengers Say in New Lawsuit The lawsuit is seeking damages for claimed “conscious pain,” “loss of income" and “medical expenses” Three JetBlue passengers are suing the airline and the aircraft's manufacturer, Airbus, after a sudden loss in altitude allegedly left them injured in October 2025 Following the incident, Airbus cited solar radiation as a potential cause Now, the JetBlue passengers are claiming it was a technical issue the airline and manufacturers overlooked Three JetBlue passengers claiming to have been injured during a flight’s sudden loss of altitude last year are suing the airline and the aircraft’s manufacturer. On Oct. 30, 2025, a JetBlue Airbus A320 aircraft flying from Mexico to New Jersey experienced a sudden drop in altitude forcing an emergency landing in Tampa, Fla. At the time, Tampa Rescue confirmed to PEOPLE that “approximately 15 to 20 passengers were evaluated and transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.” About a month after the incident, Airbus released a statement with a possible cause, explaining “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.” The company subsequently requested more than 6,000 aircraft implement an immediate software update to ensure the fleet was safe to fly. Tampa International Airport Mike Ehrmann/Getty Tampa International Airport Mike Ehrmann/Getty Now, JetBlue passengers Nadia Ramos, Ricardo Racines, and Natividad Martinez, allege the incident was a result of a “fleet-wide reocurring autopilot glitch” that the airline and the aircraft manufacturers allegedly overlooked. A complaint filed on Jan. 8 and obtained by PEOPLE, claims the aircraft at the center of the Oct. 30, 2025, incident was equipped with an elevator aileron computer (ELAC). The complaint claims the technology was developed by Thales Avionics, who subsequently supported the implementation alongside Airbus and JetBlue. A JetBlue passenger plane Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty A JetBlue passenger plane Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Despite Airbus citing solar radiation as the cause of the incident, the lawsuit points to a purported Emergency Airworthiness Directive by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency which, per the complaint, “identified a malfunction of the affected ELAC as a possible contributing factor.” The complaint also mentions a preliminary report from the French Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses, claiming that it also pointed to the ELAC switch. Separate from the lawsuit, Clive Dyer, a space and radiation expert at the University of Surrey in the U.K., questioned Airbus’ initial explanation. Dyer told Space.com in December that solar radiation levels on the day of the incident were unremarkable and nowhere near the levels that could have affected the flight. The lawsuit names JetBlue, Airbus and Thales as defendants. The lawsuit claims JetBlue knew about the alleged ELAC issues and permitted the aircraft to operate anyway. The alleged victims further claim that Airbus and Thales “failed to adequately study and/or test the ELAC system.” The plaintiffs are seeking an amount in damages in excess of $75,000 to address alleged “conscious pain,” “suffering,” “loss of income,” “medical expenses,” and other damages. The extent of their injuries were not explained in the initial complaint. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/jetblue-plane-took-terrifying-mid-181517711.html Border Patrol agent brought flash-bang grenade to McAllen airport McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The McAllen Police Department arrested a Border Patrol agent last week after he brought a flash-bang grenade to the local airport. At 12:27 p.m. on Feb. 1, officers responded to a call about a “live explosive device” at McAllen-Miller International Airport, according to a summary of the incident released by the police department. The Transportation Security Administration discovered the device while screening luggage, according to the incident summary, and contacted the police department. Officers determined the device — a flash-bang grenade — belonged to Border Patrol Agent Stephon Mason, 42, of Edinburg. Investigation continues a week after Savannah Guthrie mother was reported missing Mason was arrested on suspicion of weapon-places prohibited, a third-degree felony. Officers transported Mason to jail, photographed him and drafted an offense report. A municipal judge, however, determined police lacked probable cause to charge Mason with a crime — and he was released. It’s unclear why the judge rejected the charge. In Texas, it’s a crime for a person to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly possess or bring a firearm, knife or prohibited weapon into a secure area of an airport. The McAllen Municipal Court declined to release the paperwork submitted to the judge after Mason’s arrest or the judge’s statement rejecting the charge. A sign at McAllen-Miller International Airport in McAllen. (CBS 4 News File Photo.) Officers frequently arrest people who bring firearms to the airport. In November, officers arrested a 49-year-old man from Mission after the TSA found a handgun in his backpack, according to a probable cause statement filed with the municipal court. The man said he’d forgotten about the handgun. Officers charged him with weapon-places prohibited. A judge set bail at $5,000. It’s also unclear whether Mason was on duty, off duty or traveling on official business when the incident occurred. Border Patrol declined to comment because the judge determined that police lacked probable cause to charge Mason with a crime. https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/police-border-patrol-agent-brought-flash-bang-grenade-to-mcallen-airport/ Survivor Sues City Following Scottsdale Learjet Crash Suit alleges airport operations and aircraft positioning contributed to 2025 collision. A passenger who survived a February 2025 Learjet crash at Scottsdale Airport has filed a lawsuit against the city of Scottsdale and multiple aviation-related parties, alleging negligence related to aircraft parking and airport operations. The crash occurred when a Learjet 35A veered off the runway during landing and struck a parked Gulfstream G200, resulting in the death of the pilot and injuries to others on board. The complaint claims that the airport allowed the Gulfstream to be parked “in the path of the wayward” Learjet. “A reasonable municipality prevents collisions between planes by ensuring that parked planes are kept at a reasonably safe distance from the airport’s runway and taxiways,” the suit claims. The lawsuit also names the pilot of the Gulfstream, along with the company that towed the aircraft into position and other owning or managing entities. A related legal filing by the Gulfstream’s insurer similarly alleges improper parking and claims the Learjet’s operators did not deploy a drag chute during landing. Scottsdale Airport officials said at the time of the accident that the aircraft appeared to experience a left main landing gear failure before the collision. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board found the aircraft touched down with full flaps, entered a left-wing-low attitude and departed the runway surface before crossing a taxiway and striking the parked Gulfstream. The report stated the airplane was “not equipped with thrust reversers and the drag chute was not deployed,” and documented that the left main landing gear separated during the landing sequence. https://avweb.com/aviation-news/aviation-law/survivor-sues-scottsdale-learjet-crash/ Frontier Sues American Airlines For $100,000+ After Collision At Miami International Airport Badly Damaged Plane a group of Frontier Airlines airplanes parked on a runwayShutterstock Frontier Airlines has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines in a Florida district court seeking damages in excess of $100,000 after one of its planes was so badly damaged during a ground collision at Miami International Airport (MIA) that it had to be taken out of service for six months for extensive repairs. The lawsuit, which landed on the desk of a paralegal at American’s headquarters at Skyview in Fort Worth, Texas, last month, has now been formally filed in court and accuses the carrier of gross negligence and negligent training and supervision. The legal complaint, reviewed by PYOK, explains that American Airlines agreed to pay Frontier for the repair costs incurred as a result of the accident, but the two sides have been unable to reach a settlement on other costs that Frontier says it has incurred. The budget carrier is demanding that American Airlines pay compensation for lost revenue and profits from the damaged aircraft being out of service for six months in 2024, as well as operational disruption and lease payments it continued making even though the plane was grounded for months on end. Frontier’s complaint expresses frustration with safety standards at American Airlines, saying the incident in Miami was far from isolated, and in 2024 alone, there had been another incident involving an AA aircraft damaging a Frontier plane on the ground at Boston International Airport. The incident at the heart of this lawsuit occurred on March 7, 2024, when an American Airlines Boeing 777-300 was being pushed back from its gate at MIA for its departure to Sao Paulo as flight AA-929. The American Airlines plane was parked in an alley with gates on either side. On the opposite side of this alley was a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321neo, which was parked at the gate due to a ground delay program that was in force at that time. Frontier’s attorneys say the A321neo was parked well within the designated gate area, but the pushback team for the AA flight conducted an “out of compliance pushback” in which the Boeing 777 encroached into the Frontier Airlines plane’s safety buffer zone and ultimately collided with its vertical stabilizer, attached to the tailfin. The collision caused “significant structural damage” to the vertical stabilizer, and after assessment by Airbus engineers, it was decided that the stabilizer was beyond repair. Instead, the plane had to be grounded for six months while the stabilizer was completely removed and a new one was attached. In the end, the aircraft didn’t return to service until September 4, 2024. “As a direct and proximate result of American’s conduct, Frontier incurred substantial damages, including repair costs, loss of use of the Frontier aircraft, lost profits, and other operational and consequential damages,” the lawsuit reads. By September 2025, the two parties had reached a partial settlement covering the repair costs for the plane but not the other damages that Frontier says it has incurred. Repeated pushback accidents, Frontier claims, had placed American Airlines “on notice of systemic deficiencies in its safety practices, training, supervision, and compliance protocols, yet American failed to implement corrective measures.” American Airlines has yet to respond to the lawsuit. The case is being handled in the District Court for the Southern District of Florida under case number: 1:26-cv-20686. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2026/02/10/frontier-sues-american-airlines-for-100000-after-collision-at-miami-international-airport-badly-damaged-plane/ U.S. to provide aviation safety technical assistance to Mongolia ahead of launch of direct flights As part of preparations to launch direct flights between Mongolia and the United States, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will implement a technical assistance project worth USD 2.6 million to support civil aviation safety standards, MONTSAME reports. U.S. to provide aviation safety technical assistance to Mongolia ahead of launch of direct flights Photo credit: MONTSAME Under the agreement, signed by Deputy Minister of Road and Transport Ganbold Gochoo on behalf of the Government of Mongolia and USTDA Deputy Director Thomas R. Hardy, the project will provide civil aviation safety expertise as Mongolia works to meet safety oversight requirements critical for direct air service with the United States. The project will be jointly funded by USTDA with USD 2.2 millionandThe Wicks Group Consulting, LLC with USD 390,000, according to the Embassy of Mongolia in the United States. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh emphasized that the agreement will deepen cooperation in the civil aviation sector and is strategically significant for strengthening Mongolia–U.S. political and economic ties, trade, tourism, and people-to-people relations. She described the aviation collaboration as a tangible expression of the Mongolia–United States strategic third neighbor partnership. https://qazinform.com/news/us-to-provide-aviation-safety-technical-assistance-to-mongolia-ahead-of-launch-of-direct-flights-2617ea EGYPTAIR takes delivery of its first of 16 Airbus A350-900 aircraft Toulouse, France 09 February 2026 - EGYPTAIR has taken delivery of its first of 16 Airbus A350 900 on order, becoming the launch operator for the type in North Africa. The A350 will support the airline’s long haul fleet modernisation and network expansion with new non stop routes to key destinations including the US West Coast and North Asia, from its Cairo hub. EGYPTAIR currently operates an Airbus fleet of eight A320neos, seven A321neos and 11 A330 Family aircraft, including five A330-200P2F. The aircraft features a two-class configuration, comprising 30 Business Class suites with direct aisle access and 310 Economy Class seats. The unique, latest-generation Airspace cabin is designed to improve the long-haul experience for both passengers and crew through enhanced ergonomics and greater comfort. The A350 is the world’s most modern widebody aircraft, designed to fly up to 9,700 nautical miles / 18,000 kilometres non-stop, setting new standards for intercontinental travel. The aircraft includes state-of-the-art technologies and aerodynamics delivering unmatched standards of efficiency and comfort. Its latest generation Rolls-Royce engines and use of lightweight materials bring a 25 per cent advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. As with all Airbus aircraft, the A350 aircraft is already able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus is targeting to have its aircraft up to 100% SAF capable by 2030. At the end of January 2026, the A350 Family had won over 1,500 orders from 67 customers worldwide. https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-02-egyptair-takes-delivery-of-its-first-of-16-airbus-a350-900-aircraft CALENDAR OF EVENTS . VERTICON 2026 - Atlanta March 9-12 . CANSO Global Safety Conference 2026 - 29 March – 1 April 2026 (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) . 60th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium - March 31 - April 1, 2026 (Irving, TX) . 2026 ACSF Safety Symposium; April 7-9, 2026; ERAU Daytona Beach, FL . 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference; May 5-7, 2026; New Orleans, LA . World Aviation Training Summit - 5-7 May 2026 - Orlando . BASS 2026 - 71st Business Aviation Safety Summit - May 5-6, 2026 | Provo, Utah . The African Aviation Safety & Operations Summit - May 19-20 | Johannesburg, South Africa . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . IATA World Maintenance & Engineering Symposium (23-25 June, Madrid, Spain) . ISASI - 2026 (September/October 2026) - Dubai, UAE . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis