Flight Safety Information - February 25, 2026 No. 040 In This Issue : Incident: Spicejet B737 at Delhi on Feb 24th 2026, engine problem : Accident: Horizon E175 at Wichita on Feb 22nd 2026, power bank's thermal runaway : Incident: HiSky Europe A320 at Bucharest on Feb 22nd 2026, cabin pressure problems : American Airlines Plane Found with Bullet Holes After Landing in Miami Following Flight from Colombia : Bill on NTSB-recommended aircraft locator systems fails in the House : India: Seven killed in air ambulance plane crash : U.S. House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon abruptly withdraws support : FAA takes action to address 737 Max cabin overheating concern : Spirit Airlines reaches deal to emerge from bankruptcy, avoiding closure threat : Calendar of Events Incident: Spicejet B737 at Delhi on Feb 24th 2026, engine problem A Spicejet Boeing 737-700, registration VT-SLA performing flight SG-121 from Delhi to Leh (India) with 150 people on board, was climbing out of Delhi's runway 28 when sparks were seen from the right hand engine (CFM56) prompting the crew to stop the climb at 9000 feet and return to Delhi for a safe landing on runway 28 about 30 minutes after departure. The airline reported a technical malfunction prompted the return to Delhi. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=535875b8&opt=0 Accident: Horizon E175 at Wichita on Feb 22nd 2026, power bank's thermal runaway A Horizon Air Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of Alaska Air, registration N641QX performing flight AS-2117 from Wichita,KS to Seattle,WA (USA), was climbing out of Wichita when the crew stopped the climb at FL200 after the power bank of a passenger suffered a thermal runaway and caught fire. While cabin crew doused and secured the device, the flight crew returned the aircraft to Wichita for a safe landing on runway 01L about 40 minutes after departure. The owner of the power bank was taken to a hospital with minor burns. A replacement Embraer ERJ-175 registration N652MK reached Seattle with a delay of about 7.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 20 hours, then positioned to Portland,OR (USA). https://www.avherald.com/h?article=53578394&opt=0 Incident: HiSky Europe A320 at Bucharest on Feb 22nd 2026, cabin pressure problems A HiSky Europe Airbus A320-200, registration YR-SUN performing flight H4-8711 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Hurghada (Egypt) with 180 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing through about FL250 out of Bucharest when the crew initiated a rapid descent to 10,000 feet and decided to return to Bucharest due to cabin pressure indications. The aircraft entered a hold to burn off fuel and landed safely on Bucharest's runway 08R about 2.5 hours after departure. According to information The Aviation Herald received, a faulty sensor was identified. The aircraft departed again the following morning and reached Hurghada with a delay of about 12 hours. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=53576ab2&opt=0 American Airlines Plane Found with Bullet Holes After Landing in Miami Following Flight from Colombia Punctures were found in the exterior of the aircraft following its flight from Bullet holes were found on the exterior of an American Airlines plane on Monday, Feb. 23, following a flight from Medellín, Colombia, to Miami The airline told ABC News the aircraft was "immediately removed from service" for inspections and repair The plane had traveled to Medellín the previous day, with Colombian authorities now reportedly investigating the incident An American Airlines plane that traveled between Medellín, Colombia, and Miami was found with bullet holes after it landed in Florida on Monday. According to ABC News, Colombian authorities are investigating the incident. The preliminary investigation indicates the flight was struck while landing in Medellín on Sunday, Feb. 22, according to local officials, per the outlet. No injuries were reported amid the incident. In a statement to ABC News, American Airlines said a puncture was discovered on the plane’s exterior during a routine inspection after landing in Miami. “The aircraft was immediately removed from service for further inspection and repair. We will work closely with all relevant authorities to investigate this incident,” the airline said. According to data from Flightradar24, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane traveled from Miami to Medellín on Sunday evening and returned to Miami on Monday morning. The plane then traveled to Dallas, Texas, later that day, landing at 10:23 p.m. local time. According to American Airlines, per ABC News, the plane was sent there for repairs. The airline’s headquarters are in Fort Worth, Texas. The airline said the puncture did not cause any issues with flying the plane, according to the outlet. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/american-airlines-plane-found-bullet-102112841.html Bill on NTSB-recommended aircraft locator systems fails in the House The House failed to approve a bill Tuesday that was crafted after last year's tragic midair collision near Washington D.C. to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent such crashes. The collision of an airliner and an Army helicopter killed 67 people. The National Transportation Safety Board has been recommending such Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed since 2008. The bill that already passed the Senate would have required aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complementary ADS-B Out system that broadcasts an aircraft's location is already required. The families of the victims who died when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter strongly supported the measure. But the Airlines for American trade group, the military and the major general aviation groups that represent business jets and small plane owners backed a competing and more comprehensive House bill that was just introduced last week. Under the special process that was used to fast-track the bill, the ROTOR Act needed to receive more than two-thirds support to pass the House. It received 264 votes, but 133 other representatives voted against it. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves pledged to continue working with the families and the Senate to address the aviation safety concerns exposed by last year's collision. He said that the House bill could be marked up in committee as soon as next week. That bill is designed to address all 50 of the recommendations the NTSB made — not just the locator technology, but NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has said the House bill falls short of accomplishing that. The cost of the ADS-B In mandate has been a concern. It's not clear exactly how much it would cost partly because the systems haven't yet been designed for every aircraft, but Homendy testified in Congress that American Airlines was able to equip more than 300 of its Airbus a321s for $50,000 apiece, and general aviation pilots have the option of using a portable receiver that costs about $400 and works with an iPad. One of the key researchers who helped develop these locator systems, Fabrice Kunzi, said a plane's dashboard shouldn't have to be overhauled to add a new display because the system is designed to give pilots an audible warning about nearby traffic with details of their locations if there is a risk of a collision. House and Senate bills took a different approach The key difference between the bills is that the House version would not require both kinds of the proven Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems to be installed. Instead, the House bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate what technology might be best as part of a lengthy rulemaking process before requiring a solution. The House bill also covers many more aspects of the systemic failures the NTSB identified as causing the crash last Jan. 29. The bipartisan group of Senate leaders behind the ROTOR Act — led by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrat Maria Cantwell — had argued their bill would be a good first step before drafting additional legislation. The main Families of Flight 5342 group had said that while the House bill includes a number of good reforms that should be considered, they can't support it as written because it doesn't clearly require ADS-B In equipment. Everyone aboard the helicopter and the American Airlines jet flying from Wichita, Kansas, including the parents of Olympic figure skater Maxim Naumov and 26 other members of the figure skating community, died when the aircraft collided and plummeted into the icy Potomac River. Doug Lane said that as he learned more about the crash that killed his wife and young figure skating son, he couldn't understand why airplanes aren't already equipped with this technology. "It was inconceivable to me that in the age of GPS-enabled smartphones in every pocket that there was no way for pilots flying aircraft with price tags in the tens of millions of dollars to see visually whether other aircraft in the airspace were on a collision course," Lane said ahead of the vote on Tuesday.. Improving the collision warning system Any plane flying around a major airport is already required to have an ADS-B Out system that continually broadcasts an aircraft's location and speed installed. ADS-B In systems that can receive those signals and be used to create a display showing pilots where all air traffic is located around them are not standard on airliners, though many general aviation pilots already use a portable receiver to display that information on an iPad. The NTSB investigation showed that system would have provided significantly more warning to the pilots involved in the crash and would have allowed them to avoid the collision. A plane equipped with ADS-B In can give the pilot a detailed description of where other aircraft are whereas the current technology can only warn that traffic is in the area. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/bill-on-ntsb-recommended-aircraft-locator-systems-fails-in-the-house India: Seven killed in air ambulance plane crash The flight had requested a deviation due to bad weather before losing contact with air traffic control. All seven people on board were declared dead on site. Seven people were killed when a chartered air ambulance crashed late Monday night in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials said. Rescue and medical teams rushed to the crash site, which was located deep in a forest. What do we know about the Indian air ambulance crash? India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the Beechcraft C90 airplane operated by Redbird Airways had "requested for deviation due to weather," while flying from Ranchi to Delhi. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control 23 minutes after taking off at 7:11 p.m. local time (13:41 GMT) and crashed in the Kasaria region of the state. Local media cited eyewitnesses saying they heard a loud bang before seeing smoke rise from a heavily forested area. Images from the scene showed the crumpled airplane covered in leaves and debris from the crash while rescue officials roamed the site. "There were seven persons on board including two crew members," the DGCA said in a post on social media. "The team of doctors found them, and declared them dead," local administrative official Keerthishree G told reporters. State officials suspect the aircraft lost control due to turbulence. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau was also sent to the site. https://www.dw.com/en/india-seven-killed-in-air-ambulance-plane-crash/a-76098031 U.S. House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon abruptly withdraws support WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives narrowly rejected an aviation safety bill that was spurred by the deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, one day after the Pentagon abruptly withdrew its support for the bipartisan bill. NTSB blames 'deep' systemic failures for deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C. The ROTOR Act, as the bill is known, would require wider use of a safety system known as ADS-B in and ADS-B out, which can transmit an aircraft's location to other aircraft. It would also limit exemptions for military helicopters. The Senate approved the bill unanimously in December. The bill also had wide support from families of the crash victims, many of whom had traveled to Capitol Hill for the vote. But the Pentagon has reservations. After the Pentagon's support of the ROTOR Act last year, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on Monday that the bill could create "unresolved budgetary burdens and operational security risks," though he did not specify what they are. Under House rules, a two-thirds majority was required for passage. The final tally was 264 in favor and 133 opposed, with more than 130 Republicans voting against it. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said ADS-B technology could have prevented the midair collision of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet that killed 67 people last year by giving pilots more time to react and avoid the crash. "The ROTOR Act would've saved lives," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said on social media before the vote. "How many more people need to die before we act?" But the bill ran into headwinds in the House from several powerful Republican committee leaders. An American Airlines jet takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2026. The U.S. Capitol dome is in the background. An American Airlines jet takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 29, on the first anniversary of the day that 67 people died after a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commuter jet over the Potomac River. Tom Brenner/Getty Images "This bill will undermine our national security," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, in remarks Monday evening. "Requiring our fighters and bombers and highly classified assets to regularly broadcast their location puts our men and women in uniform at risk." Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., the chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, described the ROTOR Act as an "unworkable government mandate" and raised concerns that it would be "burdensome" to some pilots. Graves and Rogers put their support behind their own bipartisan bill, known as the ALERT Act, setting up a possible clash between powerful Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate. But the House bill does not have the endorsement of the NTSB, aviation industry trade unions or the families of the crash victims. After the vote, many of those victims' families said they would continue to push for the ROTOR Act's passage. D.C. plane and helicopter crash Map: See the aircraft's paths before they collided near Washington, D.C. "We are devastated. Today, a majority of the House voted to pass the ROTOR Act. It was not enough," a statement from the Families of Flight 5342 reads. "We call on House leadership to bring the ROTOR Act back for a vote that lets the majority pass it." The bill's co-author, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, also vowed to keep up the pressure. "Only the ROTOR Act ensures that all airplanes and helicopters flying in U.S. airspace play by the same set of rules," Cruz said in a statement after the vote. "Today's result was just a temporary delay. We will succeed, and [the] ROTOR Act will become the law of the land. The families and the flying public deserve nothing less." https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/nx-s1-5724999/house-rejects-aviation-safety-bill-rotor-act FAA takes action to address 737 Max cabin overheating concern The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an immediately effective order to address risks posed by a problem with the 737 Max’s environmental control system that can cause the jets’ cabins to become dangerously hot. Boeing says the issue stems from a “ground wire fault”. It is developing an “engineering solution”. The FAA issued an airworthiness directive (AD) on 24 February in response to two events involving “excessive cabin and flight deck temperatures that could not be controlled by the flight crew using existing procedures”, the document says. The order affects the USA’s 737 Max fleet The agency is giving operators of all in-service 737 Max – Max 8s, Max 8-200s and Max 9s – 30 days to update aircraft flight manuals to include procedures pilots should follow to address the issue. The order takes effect immediately, bypassing the FAA’s typical process of proposing rules and accepting comments prior to making them final. The FAA is, however, accepting public comments through 10 April. “The risk to the flying public justifies forgoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule,” it says. “We support the FAA’s airworthiness directive, which mandates guidance provided by Boeing in January 2026. We are advancing an engineering solution to eliminate the possibility of this electrical fault,” Boeing says. The “engineering solution will be incorporated into the 737 Max 8 and 737 Max 9 and [be] ready for the 737 Max 7 and 737 Max 10 prior to certification,” Boeing adds. “We do not anticipate this issue to affect the certification timeline.” The company has said it expects the long-delayed Max 7 and Max 10 to be certificated this year. An investigation into the two events traced the problem to a tripped circuit breaker in the jets’ standby power control unit. That circuit provides power to air conditioning and cabin pressure functions, the FAA’s order says. The tripped circuit “causes an unintended erroneous electrical ground signal” that commands actuators to close both the 737 Max’s “ram air deflectors doors”. Those doors cover inlets that funnel cooling air to the jets’ air conditioning heat exchangers. When the doors close, the 737’s air system can “supply excessively hot air to the cabin and flight deck”, possibly leading to “uncontrollable, excessively high temperature”, says the FAA. “This condition, if not addressed, could lead to injury or incapacitation of flight crew and passengers,” it adds. Boeing tells FlightGlobal it has determined “the root cause to be a ground wire fault in the air conditioning system”. It says previous-generation 737s are unaffected. The FAA’s order requires operates to revise aircraft flight manuals to include new “non-normal” checklists that specify how pilots should respond to tripped breakers and “excessively hot” temperatures. https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/faa-takes-action-to-address-737-max-cabin-overheating-concern/166423.article Spirit Airlines reaches deal to emerge from bankruptcy, avoiding closure threat Spirit Airlines, which had been in danger of going out of business due to ongoing losses and two bankruptcy filings, has reached a deal that will allow it to survive, albeit as a smaller company. The budget airline announced Tuesday that it made an agreement with creditors that will allow it to emerge from bankruptcy later this spring or early summer. “Spirit will emerge as a strong, leaner competitor that is positioned to profitably deliver the value American consumers expect at a price they want to pay,” CEO Dave Davis said in a statement. Spirit, a no-frills carrier that charges very low base fares and fees for extras, filed its second bankruptcy last year. The airline has struggled to stem losses that started during the pandemic as demand shifted away from low-fare offerings toward more comfortable, experience-driven travel. Companies often emerge from bankruptcy with lower debt and operating costs. But Spirit repeatedly warned investors in recent years that there was “substantial doubt” it would be able to stay in business. The airline’s presence in the US market is important even to passengers who never fly its planes. Spirit’s low-fare model has forced larger legacy carriers like Delta or United to offer a certain number of no-frill seats in order to compete. Thus, its closure would have likely led to higher fares across the industry. Spirit Airlines will emerge a much smaller company than the one that first went into bankruptcy in November 2024. The airline has sold aircrafts and gates to raise cash and reduce debt, and has significantly cut staff. This upcoming summer travel season, Spirit will offer nearly 40% fewer flights and seats than during the same period in 2024, ahead of its bankruptcy, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Spirit will also remain an independent carrier under the terms of the deal. In the past, US airlines have been purchased out of bankruptcy and merged into other carriers. Spirit has twice agreed to be bought only for both deals to fall through. In February 2022, Spirit agreed to merge with Frontier Airlines, another ultra-low cost carrier. But that deal fell apart when JetBlue Airways came in with a higher bid preferred by Spirit shareholders. However, the JetBlue deal ended up being blocked by a federal judge in January 2024. The court ruled such a combination would violate federal antitrust laws and hurt airline passengers by driving up fares. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/24/business/spirit-airlines-to-survive 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