Flight Safety Information - May 12, 2026 No. 092 In This Issue : Accident: Lufthansa A21N at Athens on May 11th 2026, APU fire indication : Incident: Astana A21N near Aktobe on May 8th 2026, engine failure : Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Washington on May 10th 2026, gear problems : Bombardier jet makes emergency diversion to Norfolk International Airport : LOT Polish Airlines says Boeing hid 737 MAX safety concerns to sell jets : Frontier flight at Denver airport evacuated after gun magazine is found in aircraft : Delta Worker Identified, Cause of Death Revealed After He’s Killed at Orlando Airport in Tragic Accident : Lufthansa Group orders ten Airbus and ten Boeing long-haul aircraft : Another airline shuts down and cancels last flights : Graduate Research Request : Calendar of Events Accident: Lufthansa A21N at Athens on May 11th 2026, APU fire indication A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200N, registration D-AIEA performing flight LH-1753 from Athens (Greece) to Munich (Germany) with 177 passengers and 7 crew, was climbing out of Athen's runway 21L when the crew stopped the climb at 8000 feet due to an engine (PW1133G) fire indication and returned to Athens for a safe landing on runway 21L about 13 minutes after departure. The airline reported the crew received indication of a malfunction. The aircraft taxied to the apron, where an evacuation via slides was carried out due to a strong odour in the aft cabin. Three passengers received minor injuries during the evacuation. The airline later reported it had actually been an APU fire indication, the crew followed standard procedures and declared emergency. https://avherald.com/h?article=5391280f&opt=0 Incident: Astana A21N near Aktobe on May 8th 2026, engine failure An Air Astana Airbus A321-200N, registration EI-KGJ performing flight KC-921 from Astana (Kazakhstan) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 93 passengers and 9 crew, was enroute at FL320 about 210nm southeast of Aktobe (Kazakhstan) when the crew decided to divert to Aktobe and drifted the aircraft down to FL200. The aircraft landed safely on Aktobe's runway 12 about one hour later. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport reported the crew declared PAN PAN due to an engine (PW1133G) failure. The airport reported the right hand engine had failed. The airline reported a technical problem. A replacement A321-200N registration EI-KGB reached Frankfurt with a delay of about 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Aktobe 3 days later. https://avherald.com/h?article=53911628&opt=0 Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Washington on May 10th 2026, gear problems A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of United, registration N915SW performing flight UA-5134 from Washington Dulles,DC to Morgantown,WV (USA) with 36 people on board, was climbing out of Washington's runway 30 when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet reporting a gear indication. After working the checklists the crew declared emergency advising ATC, although they had a good gear down indication, they wanted to do a low approach to verify the gear status from the ground. The crew performed a low approach to runway 01R, positioned for another approach to runway 01R and landed without further incident about 15 minutes after the low approach. The aircraft is still on the ground in Washington about 9 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5390f306&opt=0 Bombardier jet makes emergency diversion to Norfolk International Airport A business jet diverted to Norfolk due to a damaged windshield landed safely, halting airport operations briefly. Officials report no injuries among the 17 on board. NORFOLK, Va. — A chartered business jet diverted to Norfolk International Airport Sunday afternoon after the pilot reported a damaged windshield, according to an airport spokesperson. The aircraft, a Bombardier jet traveling from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Long Island, New York, landed safely at Norfolk International Airport shortly after 4 p.m. Airport officials said the airfield was temporarily closed just before 4 p.m. to allow the aircraft to land safely. The jet touched down at approximately 4:01 p.m., and the airfield reopened at 4:05 p.m. Officials said there was no impact on commercial airline operations at the airport. According to reports, 17 people were on board the aircraft. No injuries were reported. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the airport’s general aviation terminal. Airport officials said they did not have additional information regarding the extent of the aircraft’s damage, any repairs, or travel arrangements for the passengers and crew. https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/virginia-va-norfolk-airport-bombardier-makes-emergency-landing-orf/291-7cbb48cb-5e75-4050-92f7-679914d52df4 LOT Polish Airlines says Boeing hid 737 MAX safety concerns to sell jets Summary LOT alleges Boeing concealed 737 MAX safety issues during 2016 sales campaign Boeing counters LOT's claims, noting airline continues to operate 737 MAX jets LOT seeks damages in US District Court in Seattle SEATTLE, May 11 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab hid safety problems with its 737 MAX jet when LOT Polish Airlines picked the popular single-aisle jet in 2016 to anchor its plans to recover from its significant ‌financial troubles at the time, the airline's attorney argued on Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. LOT's plans were derailed when regulators grounded MAX jets around the world in 2019 following two crashes that revealed serious safety problems with a part of the plane's flight-control systems. LOT sued Boeing in 2021, seeking damages for revenue losses it suffered due to the MAX groundings. "This case is about Boeing's lies and deception and the devastating financial harm it caused" LOT, the Polish flag carrier's attorney, Anthony Battista, said during opening statements on Monday. While Boeing ⁠was pitching LOT on leasing 737 MAX jets, its engineers were simultaneously grappling with jetliners' tendency for the nose to pitch up under certain conditions. So it created the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), a software feature that automatically pushed the airplane’s nose down in those conditions. MCAS AT HEART OF DISPUTE However, Boeing misled the Federal Aviation Administration about the extent of MCAS and difficulties with it in flight testing, so regulators would not require extensive training for pilots already flying the previous 737 models. Extensive simulator training would have made the MAX jets' overall cost for customers much more expensive, and at the time, Boeing was fiercely competing with European rival Airbus' (AIR.PA), opens new tab' A320 family of jets for thousands of narrowbody orders around the world. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Switching to the A320 would have required “extensive” - and expensive - simulator training, former LOT executive Maciej Wilk told jurors in court on Monday. “And the key promise in all this was ‌about pilot ⁠training” for the 737 MAX, he said. Unaware of MCAS's safety problems, LOT committed to leasing 15 jets over the next couple of years. MCAS played a major role in two crashes that killed 346 people - Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019. In public statements after the first crash, Boeing executives assured people that the MAX was safe. Boeing sales people similarly assured LOT that there were no safety problems with the jet. Like ⁠other airlines, LOT continued to fly the aircraft until regulators around the world grounded the MAX after the 2019 crash, when MCAS’s role in the crashes became clear. Twenty months later, regulators allowed the plane to fly again after deeply vetting design changes to MCAS and additional pilot training. Airlines around the world with 737 MAX aircraft in ⁠their fleets, including LOT, resumed flying the updated aircraft. Boeing's attorney on Monday accused LOT of "crying foul and fraud out of one side of their mouth in the courtroom," while continuing to fly the MAX every day. "Is that how the victim of a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme behaves?" The U.S. planemaker has ⁠already paid out billions to the families of victims of the two crashes, the company has previously told Reuters. It also paid out huge amounts in out-of-court settlements with airlines hurt by the MAX grounding. The sum has not been publicly disclosed. LOT is the first airline to take the company to trial in a lawsuit related to the MAX crashes. https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/lot-polish-airlines-says-boeing-hid-737-max-safety-concerns-sell-jets-2026-05-11/ Frontier flight at Denver airport evacuated after gun magazine is found in aircraft The evacuation came days after another Frontier flight at Denver International Airport was evacuated after hitting a trespasser on the runway. A Frontier Airlines flight at Denver International Airport was quickly evacuated Sunday night after a gun magazine was found in the aircraft. Frontier Flight 4765, which was scheduled to travel from Denver to Phoenix, was promptly evacuated after the discovery, Frontier said in a statement Monday. Passengers were rescreened, and a security sweep of the aircraft was conducted. There were no reports of injuries. “Given the delay, the flight crew exceeded their duty time and thus customers were booked on a new flight for early this morning,” Frontier said. The flight was rescheduled and left at 6 a.m. MT Monday. It arrived in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 6:50 a.m. It is unclear where or how the gun magazine was discovered or whether a passenger physically had the magazine. Another Frontier plane was evacuated Friday after it struck a person on a Denver International Airport runway. Around 11 p.m. Friday, the Frontier flight was preparing to travel to Los Angeles International Airport before it hit a trespasser. The jet, carrying roughly 231 people, filled with smoke after the collision. Everyone was evacuated on inflatable slides. The person who died has not been identified. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/frontier-flight-denver-airport-evacuated-gun-magazine-found-aircraft-rcna344572 Delta Worker Identified, Cause of Death Revealed After He’s Killed at Orlando Airport in Tragic Accident The staff member has been identified as Daniel Maldonado, 49, according to reports NEED TO KNOW A Delta Air Lines employee, who was killed at Orlando International Airport on Thursday, May 7, has been identified as Daniel Maldonado, according to reports Maldonado died after an aircraft tug vehicle collided with a jet bridge at around 10:55 p.m. local time A report from the Ninth Circuit Medical Examiner’s Office, which serves Orange and Osceola counties, stated that 49-year-old Maldonado’s death was accidental, adding that he died of multiple blunt impact injuries, per WESH 2 A Delta Air Lines employee who died at Orlando International Airport (MCO) has been identified. PEOPLE previously reported that a staff member had been killed when an aircraft tug vehicle collided with a jet bridge at around 10:55 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 7. The aircraft had just landed and was preparing to deplane when the incident took place, per Fox 35 Orlando. The crew member has now been identified as Daniel Maldonado, according to Fox 35 Orlando, The Detroit News and WESH 2. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A report from the Ninth Circuit Medical Examiner’s Office, which serves Orange and Osceola counties, stated on Friday, May 8 that 49-year-old Maldonado’s death was accidental, per WESH 2. The report added that the victim, from Orlando, died of multiple blunt impact injuries, the outlet noted. The Orlando Police Department also confirmed to Fox 35 Orlando on Friday that the incident appeared to be accidental, citing preliminary information. PEOPLE has reached out to the District Nine Medical Examiner's Office and Orlando Police Department for comment, but didn't immediately receive a response. Delta Air Lines previously confirmed to PEOPLE that they had lost a staff member. “The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of a team member while on the job at Orlando International Airport on the evening of May 7,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time. We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred,” they added. Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! Following the incident, operations at Delta's Orlando station were paused as staff worked closely with investigators. As of Friday afternoon, operations had resumed at MCO, PEOPLE previously reported. During the suspension, one Delta flight was canceled, and passengers were able to be rebooked through other airlines. A spokesperson for the airport previously told PEOPLE, “The Orlando International Airport community is deeply saddened about the loss of a team member from one of our airline partners, a member of our extended airport family.” https://people.com/delta-worker-identified-cause-of-death-revealed-killed-orlando-airport-tragic-accident-11972317 Lufthansa Group orders ten Airbus and ten Boeing long-haul aircraft Order for ten Airbus A350-900s and ten Boeing 787-9s at a list price of 7.7 billion U.S. dollars Delivery of the highly efficient twin-engine long-haul jets between 2032 and 2034 A consistent step toward greater efficiency and sustainability The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG approved the order for a total of 20 new long-haul aircraft at its meeting today. The Executive Board had previously decided to order ten Airbus A350-900s and ten Boeing 787-9s. Delivery is scheduled to take place between 2032 and 2034. Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says: “By ordering 20 additional long-haul aircraft, we are making a sustainable investment in the future of the Lufthansa Group. It is a clear commitment to a modern fleet, to premium quality, and to further reducing CO2 emissions. After all, aircraft featuring the latest technology are the most powerful tool for more climate-friendly air travel. The state-of-the-art Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 are more fuel-efficient, quieter, and have lower emissions than their respective predecessors. We are thus continuing the largest fleet modernization in our history.” The Airbus A350-900 and the Boeing 787-9 will replace older and therefore less efficient models starting in 2032. The decision regarding which airline and which hub the ordered aircraft will be deployed at will be made at a later date. The gradual standardization of the fleet reduces complexity and increases efficiency, operational flexibility and operational stability. At the same time, maintenance and operating costs will be reduced. Additionally, further synergies will arise, for example in the areas of cockpit and cabin crew licensing and spare parts management. Including today’s order, the Lufthansa Group currently has a total of 232 state-of-the-art aircraft on its order list, including 107 next-generation long-haul aircraft. https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com/en/lufthansa-group-orders-ten-airbus-and-ten-boeing-long-haul-aircraft/ Another airline shuts down and cancels last flights Air Antilles, established in 2002 to fly between the French West Indies islands, shut down permanently in April 2026 after failing a safety audit and accumulating over 56 million euros in debt. With larger numbers of tourists visiting the French West Indies at the time, Air Antilles was established in 2002 to fly between the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Bathélemy. The airline shuttled tourists between the different islands making up the French West Indies while providing a critical link for local residents. But in December 2025, the holiday airline temporarily suspended all of its flights after French aviation regulatory agency Direction de la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile revoked the carrier's operating license following a failed safety audit. Unable to run flights and not having the financial resources to fix the technical issues that caused it to fail the audit, Air Antillles quickly ran up debt of more than 56 million euros. Air Antilles shuts down forever after court-ordered liquidation In April 2026, the Commercial Court of Pointe-à-Pitre ruled that it "was impossible to present a recovery plan through continued operations" and ordered the full liquidation of the airline. Although Air Antilles has not run any flights since last December, when hundreds of travelers on different airlines were left abruptly stranded, on May 11, it officially filed for closure as an airline. The canceled flights that have yet to be picked up by competitors include links between its bases in Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP) and Fort-de-France (FDF) to Dominica and St. Lucia. At the moment, these smaller islands are left without direct air access to the main hub. The fleet ordered to be liquidated includes two 72-passenger ATR 72s, one smaller ATR 42 with room for 48 passengers and one De Havilland Canada DHC 6 Twin Otter with a capacity for 19. Approximately 116 Air Antilles flight crew and other employees have also been left unemployed by the airline's collapse. Air Antilles was a French airline serving the Caribbean archipelago.Air Antilles A short timeline of the Air Antilles shutdown While several smaller airlines currently serves the French Antilles, Air Antilles marks a critical loss both to the local community and travelers from France and the U.S. coming to Guadeloupe or Martinique with the plan to go on to more distant islands. These airlines also shut down in bankruptcy in 2026: Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit Airlines canceled all remaining flights on May 2. While the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow. Magnicharters: While not yet fully shut down, the Mexican low-cost airline canceled all flights until May 2026 in a shutdown that left thousands stranded. Starflite Aviation: Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits. AlpAvia: Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also shut down in March 2026 over financial problems. H-Bird: Charter airline H-Bird was declared bankrupt by a Swedish judge in January 2026 after losing its operating license at the end of 2025. The court in Guadeloupe initially considered three potential acquisition orders from local hedge funds and holdings companies, but ultimately deemed them insufficient to cover the airline's losses and ensure it could continue operating. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/economy/articles/another-airline-shuts-down-cancels-110308341.html Graduate Research Request candidate in Aviation with a specialization in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With nearly 40 years of experience in aircraft maintenance and aviation safety, his dissertation research examines how Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) experience and describe decision-making during troubleshooting, inspection, and repair activities in Part 121 and Part 135 operations. The IRB-approved study seeks currently employed Part 121 and Part 135 AMTs with at least one year of maintenance experience to participate in one confidential 60 to 75-minute virtual interview focused on real-world maintenance decision-making. Participation is voluntary and confidential, and no proprietary or company-specific information will be requested. Although employed by the FAA, this research is conducted solely in an academic capacity and is not affiliated with or conducted on behalf of the FAA. Individuals interested in participating or learning more may contact Steve Poiani at poianadf@my.erau.edu. Steve Poiani Doctoral Candidate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University poianadf@my.erau.edu CALENDAR OF EVENTS . The African Aviation Safety & Operations Summit - May 19-20 | Johannesburg, South Africa . ESASI 2026, 20-21 May, Dubrovnik . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course 7 to 9 July 2026; Woburn MA 01801 USA : APSCON/APSCON Unmanned 2026 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL - July 13-17, 2026 : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 22-23 September 2026 . IATA World Maintenance & Engineering Symposium (23-25 June, Madrid, Spain) . ISASI - BOSTON 2026 - September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis