Flight Safety Information - February 23, 2026 No. 038 In This Issue : Incident: United B739 at San Jose on Feb 20th 2026, flaps problem : Incident: France B773 at Fort de France on Feb 21st 2026, engine surges : Incident: Malta Air B738 at Krakow on Feb 22nd 2026, IRS fault : Incident: KLM Cityhopper E195 at Amsterdam on Feb 20th 2026, slat failure : Incident: Wizz Malta A21N at Barcelona on Feb 20th 2026, smoke in cabin : Airports cancelling flights to parts of Mexico amid reports of cartel leader 'El Mencho' killed : Homeland Security suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs : US audit finds gaps in the FAA’s oversight of United Airlines maintenance : Delta technical glitch causes widespread flight delays as Nor'easter hits East Coast : ICAO calls for more crash victim, family support : Calendar of Events Incident: United B739 at San Jose on Feb 20th 2026, flaps problem A United Boeing 737-900, registration N34460 performing flight UA-2745 from Denver,CO to San Jose,CA (USA), was on final approach to San Jose's runway 30L when the crew initiated a missed approach reporting their leading edge flaps did not deploy, the crew declared emergency. The aircraft landed safely on runway 30L at a higher than normal speed about 20 minutes after the go around. The aircraft returned to service about 14 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=535680dd&opt=0 Incident: France B773 at Fort de France on Feb 21st 2026, engine surges An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GSQO performing flight AF-895 from Fort de France (Martinique) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with 469 people on board, was climbing out of Fort de France's runway 10 when the right hand engine (GE90) emitted a serious of bangs and streaks of flames prompting the crew to stop the climb at 3000 feet and returned to Fort de France for a safe landing on runway 10 about 25 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Fort de France about 16 hours after landing back. https://app.constantcontact.com/pages/campaigns/email/edit/activity/b1dcc250-fbf8-410c-b8c5-35164c6589a1 Incident: Malta Air B738 at Krakow on Feb 22nd 2026, IRS fault A Malta Air Boeing 737-800, registration 9H-QCF performing positioning flight FR-7788 from Krakow (Poland) to Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) with 2 crew, was climbing out of Krakow's runway 25 when the crew requested to stop climb and enter a hold at 6000 feet reporting they had an IRS fault and needed to return to Krakow. The aircraft landed safely back on Krakow's runway 25 about 30 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Krakow about 11 hours after landing following the positioning flight. The aircraft had arrived in Krakow the previous day, remained on the ground for about 14 hours before departing for the positioning flight. https://avherald.com/h?article=53567342&opt=0 Incident: KLM Cityhopper E195 at Amsterdam on Feb 20th 2026, slat failure A KLM Cityhopper Embraer ERJ-195-E2, registration PH-NXG performing flight KL-1983 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Belgrade (Serbia), was climbing out of Amsterdam's runway 18L when the crew stopped the climb at FL130 reporting a technical problem that would require them to return to Amsterdam. The crew subsequently explained, they had a slat failure, the flaps still worked, they would need a high speed approach. The aircraft returned to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 18C at a higher than normal speed about 45 minutes after departure. A replacement Embraer ERJ-195-E2 registration PH-NXF reached Belgrade with a delay of 2:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 4 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5355a803&opt=0 Incident: Wizz Malta A21N at Barcelona on Feb 20th 2026, smoke in cabin A Wizz Air Malta Airbus A321-200N, registration 9H-WMI performing flight W6-1476 from Barcelona,SP (Spain) to Warsaw (Poland) with 239 people on board, had just levelled off at cruise FL340 when the crew decided to return to Barcelona reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely back on Barcelona's runway 24R about 45 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200N registration 9H-WNN reached Warsaw with a delay of about 8 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Barcelona about 11 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5354d063&opt=0 Airports cancelling flights to parts of Mexico amid reports of cartel leader 'El Mencho' killed United, Southwest, and American Airlines confirm they're canceling Sunday flights to certain parts of Mexico. This comes amid reports of infamous cartel leader "El Mencho" being killed by the Mexican army in Jalisco. The US State Department has issued a travel warning for multiple parts of Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. HOUSTON - Airlines in the US are canceling some Sunday flights to Mexico after the reported killed of a Mexican cartel leader leads to clashes in the area. Mexico flights canceled Sunday What we know: United Airlines confirmed with FOX 26 Houston that all flights to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Guadalajara (GDL) have been canceled for Sunday. Southwest Airlines says their flights arriving to and departing from PVR are also canceled. American Airlines says they've canceled their remaining Sunday flights to PVR, GDL, and Mazatlán. What we don't know: As of this report, no flight changes have been announced for after Sunday. What you can do: United Airlines says they have waivers in place to support customers who are impacted by the cancellations. Flyers are also encouraged to go to United.com to check flight statuses and other updates, and download the United mobile app for the "Agent on Demand" tool to speak with an agent for more help. Southwest Airlines says they'll have sections to support their impacted customers. American Airlines has issued a travel alert for flights to, through, and from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Passengers impacted by the alert will be able to rebook their flights without change fees. ‘El Mencho’: Cartel leader killed Big picture view: The cancellations come amid reports of a Mexican cartel leader being killed on Sunday. According to the Associated Press, the Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho." He is said to have been "Mexico's most powerful cartel." Cervantes' death has reportedly led to burning vehicles blocking roads for hours, which is said to be a cartel tactic to block military operations. The US State Department has issued a travel warning for various parts of Mexico, including parts of Jalisco like Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Tourists in Mexican seaside city told to stay on resort as government warns of ‘clashes’ Tourists in Mexican seaside city told to stay on resort as government warns of ‘clashes’ Tourists at a Mexican resort say they were urged to stay put on Sunday as a government official warned of "clashes" in the area following a federal operation. https://www.fox26houston.com/news/airports-cancelling-flights-parts-mexico Homeland Security suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs DHS suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs The Department of Homeland Security is suspending the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry as a partial government shutdown continues. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is suspending the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs as a partial government shutdown continues. The programs are designed to help speed registered travelers through security lines. Suspending them could cause headaches for fliers. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that "shutdowns have serious real world consequences." She also said that "TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts." The partial government shutdown began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration operations that are core to President Donald Trump's deportation campaign. Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security criticized the decision about airport security. They said on social media that the administration was "kneecapping the programs that make travel smoother and secure" and accused them of "ruining your travel on purpose." https://abc7.com/post/homeland-security-suspends-tsa-precheck-global-entry-airport-programs/18632502/ US audit finds gaps in the FAA’s oversight of United Airlines maintenance A Federal Aviation Administration sign hangs in the tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, March 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) The ability of federal safety regulators to oversee airplane maintenance at United Airlines has been hindered by inadequate staffing, high employee turnover and the improper use of virtual inspections instead of on-site reviews in some cases, according to a government watchdog audit released Friday. The U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general said the Federal Aviation Administration lacks sufficient staffing and workforce planning to effectively monitor United’s large fleet. Past audits by the government watchdog also highlighted FAA challenges overseeing other airline maintenance programs, including at American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Allegiant Air. The FAA declined to comment on the findings but referred The Associated Press to a letter it sent the inspector general’s office that was included in the audit report. In it, the FAA said it agreed with most of the recommendations and was taking steps to address them by the end of the year. “FAA will implement a more systemic approach to strengthen inspector capacity and will take other measures to ensure that staffing levels remain sufficient to meet surveillance requirements,” the letter said. The recommendations included a reevaluation of staffing rules, an independent workplace survey of inspector workloads and office culture, and improved training on accessing and using United’s safety data — a current gap that the report said currently keeps inspectors from fully evaluating maintenance issues and safety risk trends. In a statement to AP, United said it works closely with the FAA on a daily basis in addition to employing its own internal safety management system. “United has long advocated in favor of providing the FAA with the resources it needs for its important work,” the carrier said. The inspector general’s office said the audit was conducted between May 2024 and December 2025, amid a series of maintenance-linked incidents at United. It found that the FAA sometimes had its personnel conduct inspections “virtually” when it lacked staffing or funding for travel even though agency policy requires postponing reviews that can’t be done on site. Doing the work remotely can create safety risks because inspectors may miss or misidentify maintenance problems, the reported stated. “Inspectors we spoke with stated that their front-line managers instructed them to perform inspections virtually rather than postponing inspections,” the report said. The audit also found that ongoing staffing shortages at the FAA inspection offices tasked with United’s oversight have resulted in fewer inspections being conducted, limited surveillance of the carrier’s maintenance operations and an “overall loss of institutional knowledge.” In March 2024, passengers had to be evacuated from a United plane that rolled off a runway after landing in Houston. The next day, a United jetliner bound for Japan lost a tire while taking off from San Francisco but later landed safely in Los Angeles. In December 2025, a United flight experienced an engine failure during takeoff from Dulles International Airport before safely returning to the airport. https://apnews.com/article/faa-united-airlines-maintenance-oig-report-ae00f74b47cbf26f037f2b4f738815bd Delta technical glitch causes widespread flight delays as Nor'easter hits East Coast Delta Airlines is experiencing departure delays across its network due to a technical issue affecting its check-in and boarding systems. According to a Delta spokesperson, tools and systems used for check-in kiosks are running slower than normal, forcing agents to check travelers in and board flights manually—a process that is significantly slower than automated procedures. In a statement, Delta said: "A connectivity issue has been affecting some of the tools used by Delta people at gates and check-in during Sunday's operation. Delta has implemented several workarounds to minimize disruption and anticipates minimal impact to flights. No cancellations have occurred due to this issue." Delta teams are working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Despite the airline's assurance of minimal impact, data from FlightAware shows Delta is experiencing a higher-than-normal percentage of delayed flights. About 32% of the airline's mainline and regional flights are delayed today, with nearly 1,100 mainline flights and another 236 at regional partner Endeavor running late. The system issue was first brought to light by X-user and aviation tracker @xjonnyc, who flagged the problem online. The delays come as a Nor'easter brings heavy snow and travel disruptions to the East Coast, further complicating travel for some passengers. https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/delta-technical-glitch-causes-widespread-flight-selays-as-noreaster-hits-east-coast/ ICAO calls for more crash victim, family support The ICAO is urging governments and air transport partners worldwide to accelerate comprehensive support systems for air crash victimsThe International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is urging governments and air transport partners worldwide to accelerate the implementation of comprehensive support systems for air crash victims and their families and to implement recent enhancements to ICAO’s accident investigation standards. In a statement marking International Day Commemorating Air Crash Victims and Their Families, ICAO Council President Toshiyuki Onuma underscored the need for urgent and collaborative action, rooted in compassion and responsibility, to reach all those affected by aviation accidents: “On this day, we turn our thoughts to those who have lost their lives in air accidents, their families and all those who have been affected. We also recognize our collective responsibility to support them. Accident victims and advocates have helped improve support programmes and aviation safety. Today, we see better communication, improved assistance, and stronger investigations designed to prevent future tragedies. Now, the international community must act urgently to deliver better support for air crash victims and their families. The unanimous Resolution adopted at the 42nd Session of ICAO’s Assembly last year provides clear and urgent guidance for the international community to do more. The Resolution calls on all States and partners to establish strong national systems for assistance to victims and families, to strengthen monitoring and compliance with international standards, and to remain prepared in today’s rapidly evolving aviation environment. Across the world, governments are responding to the call to action. ICAO is standing with its Member States, raising awareness and offering tools, training, and guidance to help ensure that practical assistance reaches those who need it most. The international community must build an air transport system more deeply rooted in care, responsibility, and trust.” Following the unanimous adoption of ICAO Assembly Resolution A42-15, ICAO has set clear expectations for every State and operator to adopt effective family assistance plans. This includes the prompt and respectful treatment of families at every stage, from the immediate aftermath of an accident to the provision of long-term care and support networks. The Assembly Resolution further emphasizes the necessity of timely notification for families, the accurate recovery and identification of victims, and the implementation of modern legal frameworks, seamless information-sharing, and mechanisms for advance financial support when tragedy occurs. ICAO continues to guide Member States’ enhancement of their national legislation, regulations and policies. A fully binding standard in Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation now requires every State to legislate clear and enforceable support for families. These efforts are complemented by improvements to investigation systems, which now require faster release of preliminary information, plain language in reporting, and meaningful opportunities for families’ voices to be considered throughout the investigative process. Recent ICAO symposia, most notably those held in 2021 and 2024, have placed family representatives, psychological experts, and industry leaders together at the same table, leading to new forms of support and the identification of best practices across jurisdictions. These forums have spurred major advances, including harmonized compensation regimens, psychological and trauma care guidance, and the integration of family needs into national aviation preparedness planning. ICAO has made the expansion of technical assistance, capacity building, and international awareness a top priority for the next triennium. Dedicated workshops, practical manuals, and tailored training courses are now available to help every State to deliver dignified and coordinated support to victims and families. ICAO is also actively encouraging the ratification of the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (Montreal Convention, 1999), which currently has 143 parties and forms the backbone of a modern, global legal framework for air carriers’ liability and compensation for victims and families. By supporting wider accession to this Convention, ICAO is helping advance the rights of victims and their families. The Organization is reinforcing the audit and monitoring processes that help States pinpoint gaps and drive improvements. Tools such as the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme and electronic filing systems for compliance have increased both transparency and accountability, making it easier to track progress and share lessons learned. ICAO’s commitment extends to regions facing elevated risk, including those impacted by conflict, where enhanced information-sharing and new initiatives such as “Safer Skies” provide additional layers of protection for passengers and crew. Looking ahead, ICAO is cultivating a truly safety-centric culture across global aviation. Airlines, airports, and authorities are encouraged to prioritise empathy, transparency, and direct support for families as fundamental building blocks of aviation safety. Every lesson learned is promptly circulated worldwide, allowing States and operators to benefit from evolving best practices and innovative solutions. As the ICAO Council President has made clear, the time to act is now. ICAO stands with air crash victims, their families, and all those whose lives are touched by aviation tragedies. https://asianaviation.com/icao-calls-for-more-crash-victim-family-support/ 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