Flight Safety Information - February 19, 2026 No. 036 In This Issue : Incident: Easyjet A20N near Manchester on Feb 17th 2026, first officer incapacitated : Incident: ANA B789 over Beaufort Sea on Feb 17th 2026, engine oil problem : Incident: UPS B752 near Atlanta on Feb 18th 2026, engine shut down in flight : Accident: Easyjet A320 at Funchal on Feb 13th 2026, gear damage after two balked landings : Incident: Easyjet A21N at Milan on Feb 17th 2026, rejected takeoff due to animal runway incursion : Airbus A320-232 - Air Return/Evacuation (New Jersey) : Traffic Disrupted At Newark Airport After JetBlue Engine Failure : Delta flight makes emergency landing after pilot says a passenger wanted to access the cockpit : NTSB Issues DCA Final Report : Vietnamese airlines sign deals for nearly 100 Boeing jets during party chief’s Washington visit : Dutch Secretary of Defense threatens to 'jailbreak' nation's F-35 jet fighters — says it's just like jailbreaking an iPhone, in response to questions over software independence : American Airlines chooses CFM International engines to power future deliveries of Airbus A321neos : Airbus planning record commercial aircraft deliveries in 2026 : Calendar of Events Incident: Easyjet A20N near Manchester on Feb 17th 2026, first officer incapacitated An Easyjet Airbus A320-200N, registration G-UZLW performing flight U2-2268 from Gibraltar (Gibraltar) to Manchester,EN (UK), was descending towards Manchester when the captain declared emergency reporting the first officer had been incapacitated. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Manchester's runway 05L about 18 minutes later. https://avherald.com/h?article=5352e640&opt=0 Incident: ANA B789 over Beaufort Sea on Feb 17th 2026, engine oil problem An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-9, registration JA875A performing flight NH-223 from Tokyo Haneda (Japan) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 151 people on board, was enroute at FL350 over the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska,AK (USA) when the crew decided to return to Tokyo due to decreasing oil quantity indications for the left hand engine (Trent 1000). The aircraft climbed to FL360 for the return and landed safely on Haneda's runway 34L about 8 hours after the decision to return to Haneda. A replacement Boeing 787-9 registration JA871A reached Frankfurt with a delay of about 19.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Tokyo about 29 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5352e410&opt=0 Incident: UPS B752 near Atlanta on Feb 18th 2026, engine shut down in flight A UPS United Parcel Service Boeing 757-200, registration N455UP performing flight 5X-9831 (dep Feb 17th) from Miami,FL to Louisville,KY (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 130nm southsoutheast of Atlanta,GA (USA) when the crew needed to shut the right hand engine (RB211) down. The aircraft diverted to Atlanta for a safe landing on runway 08R about 35 minutes later. The aircraft is still on the ground in Atlanta about 14 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5352d3c1&opt=0 Accident: Easyjet A320 at Funchal on Feb 13th 2026, gear damage after two balked landings An Easyjet Airbus A320-200, registration G-EZTY performing flight U2-8519 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Funchal (Portugal), was on approach to runway 05 when the aircraft touched down and went around (balked landing). The aircraft positioned for another approach to runway 05 but again needed to balk the landing. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Porto Santo (Portugal) where the aircraft landed on runway 36 without further incident about one hour after the first balked landing and about 20 minutes after the second balked landing. The aircraft was unable to continue its schedule due to damage to the main landing gear. The aircraft remained on the ground in Madeira until Feb 16th 2026. Easyjet's flight U2-8521 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Funchal was diverted to Porto Santo to drop a flight crew off to take the damaged aircraft back to London. U2-8521 reached Funchal with a delay of about one hour. The occurrence aircraft subsequently departed Porto Santo about three days and 7 hours after landing and positioned to London Gatwick as flight U2-9002. The aircraft resumed service the following morning of Feb 17th 2026. https://avherald.com/h?article=5352c937&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet A21N at Milan on Feb 17th 2026, rejected takeoff due to animal runway incursion An Easyjet Airbus A321-200N, registration G-UZMD performing flight U2-8304 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to London Gatwick,EN (UK), was accelerating for takeoff from Malpensa's runway 35R when the crew rejected takeoff at about 90 knots over ground. The aircraft slowed safely, vacated the runway, waited for about 15 minutes, then returned to the holding position runway 35R and departed about 25 minutes after the rejected takeoff reaching London with a delay of about 20 minutes. Passengers reported the captain announced after coming to a stop, that an animal had been crossing the runway. Later members of the crew told passengers, it had been a stag crossing the runway. https://avherald.com/h?article=5352c05d&opt=0 Airbus A320-232 - Air Return/Evacuation (New Jersey) Date: Wednesday 18 February 2026 Time: c. 17:50 LT Type: Airbus A320-232 Owner/operator: JetBlue Airways Registration: N640JB MSN: 2832 Year of manufacture: 2006 Engine model: IAE V2527-A5 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR/KEWR), Newark, NJ - United States of America Phase: Initial climb Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Newark-Liberty International Airport, NJ (EWR/KEWR) Destination airport: West Palm Beach International Airport, FL (PBI) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-200, N640JB, flight JBU543/B6543, took off from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR/KEWR), Newark, New Jersey, but returned after engine issues and smoke developed in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely at runway 4R, about seventeen minutes after departure, and was subsequently evacuated with slides. No reported injuries. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/567097 Traffic Disrupted At Newark Airport After JetBlue Engine Failure The crew reported smoke in the cockpit and cabin and evacuated passengers via slides the Federal Aviation Administration and JetBlue said. Feb 18 (Reuters) - Traffic was disrupted at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday after a Florida-bound JetBlue flight suffered an engine failure on takeoff and returned to the airport, officials said. Passengers and crew on Flight 543 exited the Airbus A320 on a taxiway around 5:55 p.m. after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and cabin and evacuated passengers via slides, the Federal Aviation Administration and JetBlue said. No injuries were reported. Nearly all flights were halted for about an hour before resuming around 7 p.m. at the airport just outside New York City, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Flightaware said. Flightaware, a flight tracking site, said 31%, or 183, of arriving flights were delayed at Newark along with 30% or 177 departing flights. The FAA said it would investigate the incident involving the plane that had been bound for West Palm Beach, Florida. “Safety is JetBlue’s top priority. We are focused on supporting our customers and crewmembers and will work closely with the appropriate federal authorities to investigate what occurred,” JetBlue said. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/traffic-newark-airport-jetblue-engine-failure_n_699663e7e4b0f4c9ebbe4a59?origin=home-whats-happening-unit Delta flight makes emergency landing after pilot says a passenger wanted to access the cockpit A Delta Air Lines flight from Houston to Atlanta made an emergency landing early Wednesday after a passenger tried to access the cockpit, the pilot told air traffic controllers. Delta flight 2557, a Boeing 717 aircraft, had just taken off from Houston’s Hobby Airport when the pilot declared an emergency. Eighty-five passengers and five crew members were on board, according to Delta. “We had a passenger get up and try to access the cockpit,” the pilot can be heard in a radio recording with air traffic control captured by Broadcastify. “Can you coordinate and have security standing by?” After confirming the cockpit was secure, he requested police and paramedics meet the plane when it landed. “(He is) in cuffs in the back of the aircraft, but he did assault another passenger, so we would like that other passenger checked out,” the pilot told air traffic control. In 2025, there were 1,621 unruly passengers reported to the Federal Aviation Administration. So far, in 2026, there have been 126. Wednesday, the plane signaled an emergency using its transponder and landed back at Hobby Airport about 17 minutes after taking off. Emergency vehicles accompanied the plane to the gate. “They are coming to the gate. The police are there waiting,” an air traffic controller told emergency responders. “Follow the aircraft to the ramp.” Delta later told CNN that the passenger “approached crew and customers but did not make contact with or attempt to access the flight deck.” “The safety of our customers and crew is paramount, and Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior,” the airline said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels.” The flight later took off again and arrived in Atlanta about 90 minutes behind schedule. The FAA is investigating the incident. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/18/us/delta-emergency-landing-houston NTSB Issues DCA Final Report The NTSB has issued 33 safety recommendations following its final report on the fatal DCA midair collision. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its full final report Tuesday, which determined that flawed airspace design and systemic safety management failures led to the January 29, 2025 midair collision between a regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67. In its nearly 400-page DCA final report, the NTSB found that the Federal Aviation Administration placed Helicopter Route 4 too close to the Runway 33 approach path without adequate safeguards. Investigators said the FAA failed to act on data and repeated warnings that showed increasing midair collision risk in the DCA terminal area. The Board also cited heavy reliance on pilot-applied visual separation in one of the country’s most complex airspace environments. On the night of the accident, the DCA tower combined helicopter and local control positions during a busy period, increasing controller workload and reducing situational awareness. A blocked radio transmission prevented the helicopter crew from hearing part of an instruction to pass behind the arriving CRJ. Investigators said the Army crew, operating with night vision goggles, believed they had the traffic in sight but were flying above the published route altitude. The report also noted limitations in both aircrafts’ collision-avoidance systems. While the regional jet’s TCAS functioned as designed, it did not issue a higher-level resolution advisory because of altitude limits. The helicopter had no integrated traffic alerting system. Investigators said next-generation systems such as ACAS Xa and ACAS Xr could have significantly reduced collision risk. The NTSB issued 33 recommendations in its DCA final report aimed at airspace redesign, improved collision-avoidance technology, and stronger safety management oversight. In its probable cause finding, the Board cited the FAA’s airspace design decisions, failure to mitigate known risks, overreliance on visual separation, high controller workload, and inadequate Army oversight of altimetry procedures. The DCA final report describes a chain of systemic vulnerabilities that investigators say were visible in safety data long before the fatal collision. https://avweb.com/aviation-news/ntsb-issues-dca-final-report/ Vietnamese airlines sign deals for nearly 100 Boeing jets during party chief’s Washington visit Key Points • Vietnamese carriers signed deals for nearly 100 Boeing jets during To Lam’s U.S. visit. • The announcements came ahead of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ meeting. • Officials from the U.S. and Vietnam, including the head of Vietnam's Communist Party, To Lam, witnessing a deal signed by Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and Dang Ngoc Hoa, chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Airlines, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 19. • Officials from the U.S. and Vietnam, including the head of Vietnam’s Communist Party, To Lam, witnessing a deal signed by Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and Dang Ngoc Hoa, chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Airlines, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 19. • Three Vietnamese airlines announced deals Thursday to buy nearly 100 Boeing aircraft during a visit by the head of the country’s communist party, To Lam, to Washington, D.C. The deals include commitments from Vietnam Airlines, Sun PhuQuoc Airways and VietJet, marking one of the largest civil aviation contracts announced by Vietnamese carriers. Vietnam Airlines finalized an agreement to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets for $8 billion, a deal first announced in 2023. Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a newly formed airline by the conglomerate Sun Group, also signed an agreement to purchase 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline, which began operations in November 2025, said the $22.5 billion deal represents Vietnam’s largest wide-body aircraft order to date and its first direct purchase from Boeing. Sun Group’s Chairman Dang Minh Truong said in a statement that the aircraft would support long-haul expansion and help promote the resort island of Phu Quoc — where the company operates major tourism projects — as an international destination. Budget carrier VietJet agreed to acquire six Boeing 737 jets through Griffin Global Asset Management in a financing agreement worth $965 million. In a statement, the airline said the agreement “marks a significant step in VietJet’s strategy of diversifying international funding sources, while strengthening its financial capacity and capital structure according to global standards.” https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/19/vietnamese-airlines-boeing-jet-deals-to-lam-us-visit-board-of-peace-vietjet-sun-phu-quoc.html Dutch Secretary of Defense threatens to 'jailbreak' nation's F-35 jet fighters — says it's just like jailbreaking an iPhone, in response to questions over software independence Dutch Defense Minister suggests the possibility of modifying F-35 fighter jet software without U.S. approval. Dutch Secretary of Defense Gijs Tuinman has invoked the possibility of a third party modifying the operating system of the Netherlands’ F-35 Lightning II fighters. The secretary said this during an interview with BNR Nieuwsradio, when the host asked him if the EU can make changes to the jet without approval from the United States. According to Clash Report, Tuinman said that it’s possible to do, but he refused to elaborate further. “I’m going to say something I should never say, but I’ll do it anyway,” the defense secretary said. “Just like your iPhone, you can jailbreak an F-35. I won’t say more about it.” The Trump administration has frequently been clashing with European powers in recent months, and although the U.S. has not threatened to withhold support from the F-35, some nations are worried that their overdependence on American technology has made them vulnerable to actions from across the pond. For example, there have been rumors that the U.S. might have embedded a kill switch on one of the most advanced fighter jets across the world, but officials deny its existence. After all, giving another nation the ability to remotely disable your weapons is unthinkable for any government. However, the F-35 is such an advanced piece of technology that it needs a complete working supply chain to maintain its combat effectiveness. The jets require thousands of parts and services, mostly acquired from the U.S., to ensure that they remain safe to fly. More than that, they rely on Lockheed’s cloud infrastructure for software updates, logistics, and even the “Mission Data Files” that give it its threat-recognition abilities. So, even without a kill switch, the U.S. could effectively ground any nation’s F-35 fleet if it’s excluded from this network. This is especially worrisome for the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force, which relies solely on the F-35 for its fighter jet needs. Because of this, it might be looking for ways to modify the software on the Lightning II, allowing it to operate even if the U.S. cuts off the nation from the fighter’s support system. But even though Tuinman made it look simple and even compared it to jailbreaking an iPhone, modifying an F-35 jet outside of official channels is likely easier said than done. After all, the Lightning II runs on over 8 million lines of code. Given the military nature of their application, they’re also encrypted — that means it’s not like Windows, where you can just open the Registry Editor and make changes you like. Furthermore, these flying machines are way more complicated than a single handset, and any mistakes in programming could cost millions of dollars in property damage and even the lives of highly trained Dutch pilots. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/dutch-secretary-defense-threatens-jailbreak-110000986.html American Airlines chooses CFM International engines to power future deliveries of Airbus A321neos American and CFM are building on a multidecade relationship that supports American’s narrowbody fleet. The engine order will power the Airbus A321neo aircraft ordered by American in March 2024. CFM will continue to provide long-term maintenance for American’s CFM LEAP-1A engines, providing predictable and cost-effective servicing over the life of the engines. FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines today announced that its future deliveries of Airbus A321neos will continue to be powered by the CFM LEAP-1A engine from CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. These engines will be installed on the Airbus A321neos that American ordered two years ago. As part of the expanded partnership, CFM International will continue to provide long-term maintenance for American’s CFM LEAP-1A engines for years to come. “American is proud to operate more CFM/GE Aerospace-powered mainline and regional aircraft than any other airline in the world, and American’s aircraft have flown with GE Aerospace technology for almost a century,” said American’s CEO Robert Isom. “We are excited that CFM LEAP engines will power our next phase of A321neo deliveries, maximizing the power of our fleet investments to deliver the best network to our customers utilizing the best-performing engine in the business.” The financial terms and conditions of the CFM LEAP-1A engines purchase and long-term maintenance agreement have not been disclosed. “We are proud to be under wing powering American’s modernized fleet, and appreciate their continued trust,” said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at GE Aerospace. “We are committed to delivering best-in-class LEAP engines to support the growth of American’s network as they serve more destinations for their customers.” American has the youngest fleet of the legacy U.S. carriers, with 84 A321neos and five A321XLRs in its fleet, with an additional 120 A321neos and 35 A321XLRs on order through 2032, all to be powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines. American also has options to purchase 116 additional A320 family aircraft from Airbus which, if exercised, will also be outfitted with the CFM LEAP-1A engine. The airline recently debuted the A321XLR, elevating transcontinental travel. As the only U.S.-based airline to operate the aircraft, American offers customers luxurious Flagship Suite® seats, relaxing Premium Economy seats and a reimagined Main Cabin, all featuring high-speed Wi-Fi and complimentary seatback entertainment with Bluetooth connectivity throughout the journey. American first selected the CFM LEAP-1B engine in 2011 when it announced its purchase of 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The airline currently has 93 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in operation with an additional 125 on order. The relationship expanded three years later when American chose the LEAP-1A engine for its order of A321neos. CFM LEAP engines have experienced the fastest ramp-up in commercial aviation history. Advanced technologies like composite fan blades and ceramic matrix composites deliver an engine that is 15% more fuel efficient, with 15% lower carbon emissions than prior-generation CFM56 engines. Backed by advanced health monitoring systems and an open MRO ecosystem, CFM LEAP engines offer mature reliability and enable high asset utilization for narrowbody aircraft. About American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) American Airlines is a premium global airline connecting more of the U.S. to the world. With roots tracing back to an air mail carrier in the Midwestern United States in 1926, American now operates more than 6,000 daily flights to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries and serves more than 200 million customers annually. Powered by a proud and talented team of 130,000 aviation professionals, American’s team lives out the airline’s purpose of caring for people on life’s journey every day. The world’s largest airline proudly celebrates its centennial year in 2026, reaching a milestone that reflects a century of innovation and the Forever ForwardSM spirit that changed the industry and the world. American introduced the first scheduled air cargo service, the first airport lounge and the first airline loyalty program and continues to reinvent the customer experience today. The airline is also a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe. Get the latest about American at news.aa.com and @AmericanAir. About CFM International A 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, CFM International has redefined international cooperation and helped change the course of commercial aviation since its founding in 1974. Today, CFM is the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines with a product line that sets the industry standard for efficiency, reliability, durability, and optimized cost of ownership. CFM International produces the LEAP family of engines and supports LEAP and CFM56 fleets for operators worldwide. www.cfmaeroengines.com https://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2026/American-chooses-CFM-International-engines-for-A321neos-OPS-OTH-02/default.aspx Airbus planning record commercial aircraft deliveries in 2026 An Airbus A350-1000 at the Singapore Airshow on February 4. The company said Thursday it aims to deliver a record number of aircraft this year An Airbus A350-1000 at the Singapore Airshow on February 4. The company said Thursday it aims to deliver a record number of aircraft this year Plane maker Airbus aims to deliver a record number of commercial aircraft this year, the company said Thursday, capitalising on "strong demand" and a jump in profit in 2025. "2025 was a landmark year, characterised by very strong demand for our products and services across all businesses," CEO Guillaume Faury said in a press release announcing annual results. The European manufacturer said it received 1,000 orders for commercial planes in 2025, with net orders of 889 after taking cancellations into account, and 793 delivered. Last year, its overall profit jumped 23 percent to 5.2 billion euros ($6.1 billion). The company said it is targeting "around 870 commercial aircraft deliveries" this year. "As the basis for its 2026 guidance, the Company assumes no additional disruptions to global trade or the world economy, air traffic, the supply chain, its internal operations, and its ability to deliver products and services," it said in its outlook. Both Airbus and its rival Boeing have struggled to return to pre-pandemic production levels after their entire network of suppliers was disrupted, even as airlines are eager to modernise their fleets with more fuel-efficient aircraft and expand to meet an expected increase in passenger numbers over the coming decades. https://www.citizentribune.com/news/national/airbus-planning-record-commercial-aircraft-deliveries-in-2026/article_4fc73f8a-44df-5dcd-a474-40f4f2c9503d.html 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