Flight Safety Information - March 5, 2026 No. 046 In This Issue : Incident: Ethiopian B38M at Mogadishu on Mar 4th 2026, technical problem : Incident: Ethiopian B738 at Mogadishu on Mar 3rd 2026, rejected takeoff due to engine problem : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 22-23 September 2026 (London) : Incident: Mauritius AT72 at Mauritius on Mar 4th 2026, technical problem : Incident: Iberia A359 over Gulf of Biscay on Mar 3rd 2026, electrical problems : Ensuring Effective FAA Data Protections : FAA, major airlines discuss reducing flights at O'Hare airport this summer : ‘Insane’: Texts reveal El Paso airport’s shock over FAA closure : China Plans Purchase of 120 Airbus Aircraft After Merz State Visit : Aura Aero Logs First Firm Order For Hybrid Regional Airliner : NORAD detects and tracks Russian aircraft operating in the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY : Calendar of Events Incident: Ethiopian B38M at Mogadishu on Mar 4th 2026, technical problem An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration ET-BBC performing flight ET-377 from Mogadishu (Somalia) to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), was climbing out of Mogadishu's runway 05 when the aircraft stopped the climb at FL080 and entered a hold. The crew decided to return to Mogadishu for a safe landing on runway 05 about 75 minutes after departure. Somalia's Media reported technical difficulties in connection with aircraft equipment. The aircraft is still on the ground in Mogadishu about 6 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5360dab9&opt=0 Incident: Ethiopian B738 at Mogadishu on Mar 3rd 2026, rejected takeoff due to engine problem An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration ET-AQN performing flight ET-377 from Mogadishu (Somalia) to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), was accelerating for takeoff from Mogadishu's runway 23 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 140 knots over ground) after both left hand engine (CFM56) doors opened. The aircraft slowed safely, stopped on the runway for about 30 minutes, then returned to the apron. Somalia's Aviation Minister reported a minor runway incident, while the Ethipian Airlines encountered a bird strike during the takeoff roll prompting precautionary measures. The aircraft is still on the ground in Mogadishu about 31 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=5360d4f8&opt=0 Incident: Mauritius AT72 at Mauritius on Mar 4th 2026, technical problem An Air Mauritius Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration 3B-NCP performing flight MK-120 from Mauritius to Rodrigues Island (Mauritius) with 52 people on board, was climbing out of Mauritius when the crew stopped the climb at FL090 due to a technical problem and decided to return to Mauritius for a safe landing on runway 14 about 50 minutes after departure. A replacement ATR-72-212A registration 3B-NCU reached Rodrigues Island with a delay of about 2 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=53609b73&opt=0 Incident: Iberia A359 over Gulf of Biscay on Mar 3rd 2026, electrical problems An Iberia Airbus A350-900, registration EC-NJM performing flight IB-721 from Madrid,SP (Spain) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute at FL400 over the Gulf of Biscay about 240nm north of Madrid when the crew decided to turn around and return to Madrid. The aircraft descended to FL390 for the return and landed safely on Madrid's runway 32L about 90 minutes after departure. A passenger reported the captain announced electrical problems, they needed to return to Madrid. After landing the passenger observed that the flaps remained extended, the aircraft was taxiing on right hand engine (Trent XWB) only and the gear doors were still open. The rotation was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Madrid about 23 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53609731&opt=0 Ensuring Effective FAA Data Protections Industry Challenge While the FAA has taken steps to shield personal data on the U.S. aircraft registry from public access, initial efforts have brought unintended consequences and overall progress remains slow. NBAA Response NBAA continues to work with the agency to balance the need for public access to owner/operator information required for legitimate purposes against industry privacy concerns. Industry stakeholders, including NBAA, remain focused on balancing the need to protect personally identifiable information (PII) about aircraft operators and flight movements from prying eyes with ensuring such information is readily accessible for legitimate uses. Doug Carr, NBAA senior vice president of safety, security, sustainability and international operations, noted open access to such data is key to facilitating aircraft transactions. “The U.S. registry represents $20-$30 billion worth of aircraft transactions every year,” he said. “Lack of access to full information degrades the due diligence necessary with these transactions.” In March 2025, the FAA enabled owners to remove their PII from public view in the U.S. aircraft registry through the Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES) system. The agency also solicited industry feedback on this and other data protection measures. “It’s possible to achieve the security of PII without compromising the registry's functions.” NBAA comments submitted to FAA “It’s possible to achieve the security of PII without compromising the registry’s functions,” NBAA emphasized in comments submitted to the agency last June. The FAA is now working through the more than 200 comments received, though Carr noted progress has been slow due to several factors, including the recent federal government shutdown. “We’ve also shared a potential model for this process based on Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) guidelines for sharing driver information,” he added. “The DOT outlines 14 legitimate uses of such data, including for research and insurance purposes. That doesn’t mean I can take your license plate number to the DMV and find your address.” In addition to aircraft transactions, information on the FAA registry is also used by OEMs to send out safety critical information to aircraft owners. Carr also noted other “unintended consequences” from the FAA’s protection measures, including reports of aircraft owner information disappearing completely off the registry. “The FAA is moving as quickly as possible to develop a process that meets the needs of owners while facilitating legitimate transaction activity,” he added. “The agency has also been extremely receptive to our suggestions of bringing the industry together to propose ways to deal with these challenges. “But the longer we wait, I think we’re going to have more people signing up for something they may not fully appreciate in terms of what they’re signing up for,” Carr continued. “And we need to begin figuring out the transaction side of the equation.” Options to limit public accessibility to off-aircraft tracking data, including the Limited Aircraft Data Displayed (LADD) and Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) programs, have proven successful. “We’re hearing from participants that PIA and LADD absolutely work for operators who take their tracking seriously,” Carr said. “The programs are effective in staying ahead of the flight tracking sites out there.” https://nbaa.org/news/business-aviation-insider/2026-03/ensuring-effective-faa-data-protections/ FAA, major airlines discuss reducing flights at O'Hare airport this summer A crucial meeting was underway in the nation's capital that could impact summer travel in Chicago. CHICAGO (WLS) -- A crucial meeting was underway in the nation's capital that could impact summer travel in Chicago. The Federal Aviation Administration met with airlines on Wednesday to discuss flight reductions at O'Hare airport. If O'Hare's two biggest carriers were allowed to follow through with their planned summer flight schedule, the FAA said it's concerned that the traffic would simply be too much for the airport to handle. The meetings in Washington this week are an effort to prevent large-scale disruption at the nation's busiest airport. The battle over air supremacy at O'Hare has been driving a significant uptick of planned daily operations this summer compared to last summer. The FAA now stepping in, saying it's too much, calling on air carriers to reduce their flight schedules. The apparent over-scheduling is a direct result of a turf war at O'Hare between the airport's two largest carriers United Airlines and American Airlines. Both adding flights in an effort to earn more gates at O'Hare. In a memo to employees American pointed the finger squarely at United saying their "scheduling required action from the FAA." When ABC7 reached out to United Airlines, they declined to respond. "Each one are worried that the other one is going to get an edge. And the sense is at American, if United gets too big, they'll be, in effect, not be able to compete with that," DePaul University Aviation Expert Joe Schwieterman said. "So, there's a lot of allegations that United is expanding, you know, just to try to exert its dominance, rather than chasing profits." Schwieterman said O'Hare is the only airport in the world with two major hub operators running side-by-side. Gate allocation at O'Hare is determined by an airline's flight frequency from the previous year, incentivizing airlines to add flights to win more terminal space. "I like seeing competition but if it results in other complications eventually that'll straighten itself out. It's going to happen," traveler Ken Logtenberg said. The increase in competition also coming in advance of O'Hare's planned expansion intensifying the battle for positioning between airlines. "We have so many regional jets with less than 100 seats, and that's kind of clogging our runway. So all that's kind of coming to a head now, can this two-hub model be sustained," Schwieterman said. The meeting in Washington could last multiple days until a final order is issued. While American Airlines has said: "The FAA now has the opportunity to achieve an improved customer experience for passengers traveling from, to, and through Chicago this summer." United says they share "their commitment to running a safe and reliable operation out of ORD and look forward to a collaborative discussion." The Chicago Department of Aviation said they will work with the FAA, adding that O'Hare is well equipped to handle any future traffic growth. https://abc7chicago.com/post/faa-airlines-meet-amid-order-reduce-flights-chicagos-ohare-airport-2026-summer-travel-rush/18676380/ ‘Insane’: Texts reveal El Paso airport’s shock over FAA closure The messages, obtained by POLITICO, show how airport officials were flabbergasted by the dramatic flight ban. On the night of Feb. 10, the operations manager at El Paso International Airport had urgent news. The Trump administration was imposing a 10-day airspace closure over the Texas border city, and a federal transportation security official didn’t have any information about it, Alexander Rao texted colleagues around 9:50 p.m. “[S]o far this is no BS,” Rao said in a message obtained by POLITICO via a public records request. Shawn K. Naegele, security manager at the city-run airport, began hunting for answers. “Anyone else to call?” Naegele asked. “FBI?” Rao replied. “It’s going to be a long night,” said aviation director J. Antonio “Tony” Nevarez. This group text, among a trove of other city communications obtained by POLITICO under Texas’ open records law, provides a behind-the-scenes look into the chaos prompted by the Federal Aviation Administration’s temporary flight prohibition, an episode that offered fresh evidence of coordination problems between the air safety agency and the military. It also shows how the FAA, in the early hours of the incident, left the airport in the dark about what triggered the sweeping ban. The restriction took effect at 11:30 p.m. local time that day and was scheduled to run for over a week. Then, just as abruptly, the FAA lifted it the following morning. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed a drug cartel drone “incursion” for the short-lived, disruptive situation. But others said it was due to a standoff between the FAA and Defense Department over a laser weapon designed to shoot down drones, which Customs and Border Protection had recently deployed in the area. The New York Times reported CBP hit a party balloon. The FAA and CBP didn’t respond to a request for comment. DOD referred POLITICO to the FAA. ‘The guy on the phone was no help’ Airport officials were stunned as the turmoil unfolded. In the group text, Rao, the operations manager, said he called an FAA hotline about the ban: “All they said is Not an error. It came Through their management about an hour ago.” Nevarez, El Paso’s aviation director, gave a ring, too, and was not impressed, saying, “The guy on the phone was no help.” He added that “media is all over this.” “Can we stop with the ‘this is unprecedented ’ shtuff for a while? Can’t we just be normal. It’s only February,” Nevarez said. Naegele, the airport security manager, appeared to reference an FBI employee by his first name, saying this person “thinks it’s military op. Do we have any contacts at Bliss to ask?” (Fort Bliss is a nearby Army base.) “I don’t think DoW will tell us anything,” Nevarez said, using the acronym for the Department of War, the Trump administration’s preferred name for DOD. “Probably not,” Naegele responded. NOTUS first reported on the group text. Rao said he was told the air traffic control tower’s “instructions are no aircraft at all. Including medflights which have been granted leeway in the past.” “Insane,” said Nevarez, who then asked if anyone had the morning’s “5-9 ish” flight schedule on hand. The airport handles around 4 million passengers annually. Naegele texted that a Transportation Security Administration intelligence analyst “says the notam was issued through DOW.” A NOTAM, or Notice to Airmen, is an alert the FAA distributes to pilots and others containing key aeronautical information, such as airspace restrictions. “Wow, never thought we would see this here,” said Willie Paris, assistant director of aviation operations and security at the airport. ‘WTF, OVER’ Nevarez proposed that the airport set up an emergency operations center. A member of the El Paso Police Department, Curtis Hamilton, outlined how law enforcement was mobilizing to assist. “If we affect any street closures, I have to let the chain know,” texted Hamilton, a potential reference to his chain of command. Naegele, the airport security manager, also shared what appears to be a TSA intelligence assessment that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had passed along to him — marked as being unclassified but only for official use — which stated, among other things, “Per the FAA, they are tracking ongoing efforts to counter potential UAS threats emanating from Mexico.” UAS refers to an uncrewed aircraft system. The port authority and TSA didn’t respond to a request for comment. Rao later confirmed the ban was lifted. The FAA nixed it around 7 a.m. At least a dozen flights were canceled. In another group text hours after the prohibition ended on Feb. 11, Shane Brooks, El Paso’s assistant director of aviation development, sent an image of a rabbit saying into a walkie-talkie: “WTF, OVER.” https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/el-paso-airport-closure-texts-00808688 China Plans Purchase of 120 Airbus Aircraft After Merz State Visit The government in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has expressed a desire to purchase 120 Airbus aircraft after a state visit from Friedrich Merz. The German chancellor announced this development on Feb. 25 after a state visit to Beijing. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz standing in front of a building with Chinese characters written on it. German chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the potential purchase during a visit to the state capital of Beijing © Michael Kappeler The Chancellor’s State Visit to China In a statement, Merz disclosed the estimated number of aircraft after discussion with Premier of the Chinese State Council Li Qiang, and President Xi Jinping: “The Chinese leadership will be ordering a larger number of additional aircraft from Airbus. The total order will include up to 120 additional aircraft.” The current aircraft tally consists of 60 A321-200Ns, 30 A320-200Ns and the purchase centres around orders placed at the back end of 2025, and all of which will be distributed to government-subsidised airlines such as Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Juneyao Air. The idea of the Airbus purchase is a notable consideration for both countries. In a statement from President Xi Jinping he emphasised the importance of building trust between his own country and Germany: “The more turbulent and complex the world becomes, the more China and Germany should strengthen strategic communication and enhance strategic mutual trust,” A fraction of Germany’s exports come from China, furthermore it seems that Merz’ presence in Beijing is to try and improve economic relations between Europe and China, in light of the wave of tariffs from the United States and the still ongoing war in Ukraine. Should the purchase be finalised it would represent a significant growth in Airbus’ economy, potentially securing more jobs in production facilities at Hamburg and Toulouse. https://travelradar.aero/china-plans-purchase-of-120-airbus-aircraft-after-merz-state-visit/ Aura Aero Logs First Firm Order For Hybrid Regional Airliner Pan Européenne Air Service orders upcoming hybrid-electric aircraft The 19-passenger ERA concept was launched in 2021 at the Paris Air Show. © Aura Aero Aura Aero has signed its first firm order for its in-development hybrid-electric regional aircraft, ERA, building on more than 650 pre-orders from 16 operators. Launch customer Pan Européenne Air Service said it hopes to be one of the first to operate a commercial service using hybrid propulsion in a March 2 announcement that did not specify how many of the 19-seaters it is buying. Pan Européenne, which describes itself as a private airline, currently bases at France’s Chambéry Savoie and Lyon Bron airports to various destinations across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Its all-Embraer fleet includes three Phenom business jets, an ERJ 135 regional jet, and the larger ERJ 145. According to Aura Aero, it will offer versions of the ERA with more spacious stand-up cabins of up to nine seats for private charter services. For Pan Européenne customers, this will provide a lower-carbon alternative to its Phenom 300 light jets. Powered by eight Safran ENGINeUS electric motors and two SAF-compatible turbogenerators, ERA will offer range of up to 1,500 kilometers (900 nm). It will automatically alternate between hybrid and electric modes during different phases of flights to maximise energy efficiency. Aura Aero aims to make the first flight with an ERA prototype in 2027. The Toulouse-based start-up is targeting EASA certification and entry into service expected by 2030. The company said that preparations for series production are already underway, with three planned manufacturing locations. These include its Toulouse headquarters, and two U.S. facilities. Its first overseas assembly site was inaugurated in October within Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park in Daytona Beach, Florida. Separately, the startup continues work to certify its all-electric two-seat ‘Integral E’ trainer. This is the sibling to the thermally-powered Integral R, which received EASA certification in December 2024. Pan Européenne commented that its commitment to ERA came after recently taking part in flight tests with the all-electric variant. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2026-03-02/new-era-aura-aero-signs-first-regional-aircraft-customer NORAD detects and tracks Russian aircraft operating in the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked two Russian TU-142 military aircraft operating in the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) on March 4, 2026. NORAD launched two U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter aircraft, two F-22 fighter aircraft, four KC-135 tankers, one E-3 AWACS, two Canadian CF-18 fighter aircraft, and one CC-150 tanker to positively identify, monitor, and intercept the Russian aircraft in the American and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaskan and Canadian ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat. An ADIZ begins where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security. NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions. NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America. https://www.norad.mil/Newsroom/Press-Releases/Article/4420373/norad-detects-and-tracks-russian-aircraft-operating-in-the-alaskan-and-canadian/ GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Airline Pilot, As a doctoral candidate in the Psychology Department at Liberty University, I am conducting research as part of the requirements for a doctoral degree. The purpose of my research is to examine the pilot acceptability and effectiveness of a training protocol designed to inform pilots of the latest research in fatigue and in ways to individually mitigate fatigue within the challenging environment of airline flying, and I am writing to invite you to join my study. Participants must be active pilot flight crew members operating under 14 CFR121 or the equivalent ICAO regulations. Participants will be asked to take two online surveys, view a web delivered training program, take two more confidential online surveys at the conclusion of the training, and finally, 30 days after the training, to take two online surveys as follow-up. This study involves a relatively serious commitment of time, and the only compensation is the ability to receive the training package. This package is modified for pilots from one developed and tested by researchers connected to the DOD medical research community. It contains the latest information on sleep, circadian rhythms, and individual sleep skills. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete each survey and 37 minutes for the training. Participation will be completely confidential, and other than email addresses to facilitate the follow-on survey, no personal identifying information will be collected. These addresses will be exported from the software in a separate file to create the follow-on email invites and then will be deleted following data collection. They will not be associated with your responses. Any questions you may have before or after deciding to participate can be directed to sfreeves@liberty.edu. Participation is entirely voluntary, and you can opt out at any time with no repercussions. To participate, please click the link at the bottom of this message to complete the screening, surveys and training. Participants will complete the initial surveys and the training package. Thirty days later, they will be emailed an invitation to complete the final surveys. I am grateful to each of you for considering/participating in this study. A study information sheet is provided as the first section of the initial survey. The document contains additional information about my research. You do not need to sign and return the document. After you have read the information, please click the button next to YES in order to proceed to the survey. Doing so will indicate that you have read the information and would like to take part in the study. LINK: https://liberty.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2t6rgnOTA9lq8rc Sincerely, Scott Reeves Captain FedEx (Retired) sfreeves@liberty.edu 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 : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 22-23 September 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