Flight Safety Information - July 8, 2026 No. 133 In This Issue : Crash: K2 Cargo B734 over Arabian Sea on Jul 7th 2026, navigation problems, then lost 35000 feet and impacted sea : Incident: 4 Airways B734 at Milan on Jul 7th 2026, engine failure : Incident: Nostrum CRJX at Nantes on Jul 6th 2026, tyre damage on departure and engine failure : Incident: TAP A21N at Lisbon and Porto on Jun 5th 2026, unusual noise : Incident: Delta B738 near Fresno on Jul 6th 2026, engine problem : Accident: Tezjet MD83 at Bishkek on Jul 7th 2026, main gear collapse during takeoff run : Student Pilot Forced to Land Plane After Instructor Jumps Out Mid-Flight : Kazakhstan, ICAO Sign Aviation Safety Deal to Strengthen Air Accident Investigations : Venomous snake vanishes aboard passenger jet after international flight, forcing aircraft out of service : Kyrgyz authorities suspend TezJet operations as probe into MD-83 gear collapse opens : A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 is declaring an emergency and returning to Honolulu : Saudia Boeing 787 Strikes Philippine Airlines Airbus A320 Tail While Taxiing At Manila : Airbus trims jet industry demand forecast after Iran war, tariffs : Calendar of Events Crash: K2 Cargo B734 over Arabian Sea on Jul 7th 2026, navigation problems, then lost 35000 feet and impacted sea A K2 Cargo Airways Boeing 737-400 freighter, registration AP-BOI performing flight KTA-1732 from Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) to Karachi (Pakistan) with 5 crew, was enroute at FL350 over the Arabian Sea about 150nm west of Karachi when the crew reported problems with their navigational systems, ATC began to issue vectors. About 3 minutes later the aircraft suddenly made heading changes and rapidly descended until impacting the sea. A search is underway. Pakistan's Airport Authority reported the K2 Airways flight with 5 crew reported a navigational system issue at 21:18 local time and received guidance by Karachi Air Traffic Control Center. 3 minutes later, at 21:21L the aircraft was seen rapidly descending with rapid heading changes, radar contact was lost about 155nm west of Karachi. A search and rescue operation was launched. The airplane had undergone maintenance in Sharjah and was positioning back to Pakistan after maintenance was completed. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b8a17a&opt=0 Incident: 4 Airways B734 at Milan on Jul 7th 2026, engine failure A 4 Airways Boeing 737-400 on behalf of Aeroitalia, registration 9H-RUN performing flight XZ-2031 from Milan Malpensa to Salerno (Italy), was climbing out of Malpensa's runway 35L when one of the engines emitted streaks of flames and bangs. The crew stopped the climb at 7000 feet and returned to Malpensa for a safe landing on runway 35L about 15 minutes after departure. The airline suspects a bird strike. The aircraft is still on the ground in Malpensa about 11 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b889f7&opt=0 Incident: Nostrum CRJX at Nantes on Jul 6th 2026, tyre damage on departure and engine failure An Air Nostrum Canadair CRJ-1000 on behalf of Iberia, registration EC-MUG performing flight IB-1222 from Nantes (France) to Madrid,SP (Spain), departed Nantes' runway 21 but burst a tyre. The aircraft continued takeoff, but suffered an engine (CF34), stopped the climb at 2500 feet and returned to Nantes for a safe landing on runway 21 about 15 minutes after departure. The runway needed to be closed for a number of hours causing a number of diversions and low fuel declarations. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Nantes about 25 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b8870e&opt=0 Incident: TAP A21N at Lisbon and Porto on Jun 5th 2026, unusual noise A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A321-200N, registration CS-TJM performing flight TP-2878 from Lisbon (Portugal) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute at FL360 about 80nm eastsoutheast of Porto (Portugal) when the crew heard some unusual noise and decided to divert to Porto. In the meantime a ground staff in Lisbon reported his headset was missing. The aircraft landed safely on Porto's runway 35 about 50 minutes after departure. Portugal's GPIAAF reported: "A maintenance inspection was carried out following landing. Remnants of the headset, including loose cabling, were found entangled around the right main landing gear (MLG) main door. No damage was identified to the aircraft’s structure or systems, and the aircraft was subsequently released to continue its flight to London Heathrow Airport (EGLL)." The aircraft remained on the ground for about one hour, then continued the journey and reached London with a delay of about 80 minutes. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b8838e&opt=0 Incident: Delta B738 near Fresno on Jul 6th 2026, engine problem A Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N389DA performing flight DL-2725 from San Francisco,CA to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute at FL310 about 60nm west of Fresno,CA (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Fresno due to an engine (CFM56) problem. The aircraft landed safely on Fresno's runway 29L and stopped on the runway for an inspection by emergency services for possible engine fire. Emergency services reported they could not see any fire, the aircraft taxied to the apron. The airline reported the aircraft diverted due to an engine warning indication. The FAA reported: "Delta Air Lines Flight 2725 landed safely at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California around 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, July 6, after the crew reported an engine issue. The Boeing 737-800 departed from San Francisco International Airport and was traveling to Los Angeles International Airport. The FAA will investigate." The remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers rebooked onto other flights. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b87904&opt=0 Accident: Tezjet MD83 at Bishkek on Jul 7th 2026, main gear collapse during takeoff run A Tezjet Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration EX-80003 performing flight K9-117 from Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) with 181 passengers and 6 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Bishkek's runway 25 at about 15:55L (09:55Z) when the left main gear collapsed. The takeoff was rejected at low speed, the crew managed to keep the aircraft on the runway. A fuel spill occurred. The aircraft was evacuated via slides. A number of occupants received minor injuries. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b87160&opt=0 Student Pilot Forced to Land Plane After Instructor Jumps Out Mid-Flight Flight instructor Leandro Bertazzo jumped to his death from a small plane in mid-air, leaving his student pilot to land the aircraft alone over Toledo, Argentina. Leandro Bertazzo a flight instructor, jumped to his death from a small plane in mid-air, leaving his 22-year-old student pilot to land the aircraft alone. The incident occurred on Monday, July 6, over Toledo, Argentina, when Bertazzo exited the Cessna C-150 while airborne, according to an article The U.S. Sun published on Tuesday, July 7. Bertazzo, 42, is believed to be a former commercial pilot in Chile. His body was located in a nearby field after a brief search, per the report. The unnamed student pilot, who held a license but had limited flying experience, described the moment in detail. "He took his headphones off, arranged his belongings including his mobile phone, took his seatbelt off, opened the door which is very difficult to open and jumped out," she said, according to the outlet. She alerted authorities immediately and safely landed the plane herself, per the report. "She was very shaken, but with complete professionalism she flew the plane to the airfield and made a perfect landing," said Eduardo Alvarez, director of Flying Parrot Cordoba, the flight school where Bertazzo worked, per the outlet. He called her actions "very clear, decisive, mature and professional." According to the article, Alvarez remembered Bertazzo as someone who was "always smiling" and said no one had anticipated the tragedy. "He took this tragic decision on board a plane with a person by his side," Alvarez said. "There's no way to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex, so treacherous. That's why what happened, happened," he added, per the report. Per the outlet, at one point during the flight, Bertazzo reportedly turned to his student and told her, "You know what to do, keep moving forward." Local reports indicated Bertazzo had received neuropsychiatric treatment, though only close relatives were said to be aware before the tragedy, according to the U.S. Sun. https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/student-pilot-forced-land-plane-163720612.html Kazakhstan, ICAO Sign Aviation Safety Deal to Strengthen Air Accident Investigations Kazakhstan has signed a new agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to strengthen the country's air accident investigation capabilities and enhance aviation safety in line with global standards. The agreement was signed in Montreal during a meeting between the Kazakh delegation and ICAO leadership, The Caspian Post reports via Kazinform. The partnership will support the development of Kazakhstan's Air Accident Investigation Center, one of the first specialized aviation investigation bodies in the CIS established under ICAO's international standards and recommended practices. As part of the agreement, ICAO experts will assess the Center's current capabilities, identify investigator training needs, and recommend modern laboratory equipment and technical resources to improve the country's accident investigation system. The initiative also aims to address recommendations from ICAO audits, strengthen Kazakhstan's technical capacity, and introduce advanced investigation methods and technologies. Kazakhstan's Civil Aviation Committee said the cooperation will improve flight safety, expand collaboration with the international aviation community, and help build a modern, internationally recognized aviation accident investigation system. https://caspianpost.com/kazakhstan/kazakhstan-icao-sign-aviation-safety-deal-to-strengthen-air-accident-investigations Venomous snake vanishes aboard passenger jet after international flight, forcing aircraft out of service A TUI Dreamliner that flew from Mexico to Gatwick with 345 passengers aboard may also have been carrying a venomous snake. The reptile was only noticed after the aircraft reached London's Gatwick Airport. A cleaner found it, a ground crew worker took a photo, and then it disappeared somewhere inside the plane. What happened? According to The Nightly, the sighting happened on Friday, June 5, on a TUI Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that had just arrived from Mexico to Gatwick. Passengers had already disembarked by the time the snake was discovered. The animal is believed to be a mock viper, a species described as "mildly venomous." Before it vanished from view, a ground crew worker was able to photograph it. With the reptile still missing, the aircraft was taken out of normal service. Specialists were brought in to search the plane, but the snake had not been located, so the jet remained grounded while crews tried to establish whether it was safe. The airline reportedly suspects the snake was smuggled onto the flight by a passenger before getting loose. As a source told The Sun, "It beggars belief that a passenger brought the mock viper on board." Why does it matter? Even a mildly venomous snake can become a serious safety threat when it is loose inside a commercial aircraft. Beyond the possibility of a bite, there are also concerns about panic, emergency disruptions, and whether the animal could reach equipment or other hard-to-access parts of the plane. The incident does not appear to be a case of wildlife naturally wandering into a human space. If the airline's suspicion is correct, the incident was caused by someone transporting a wild animal into an environment that was unsafe for both passengers and the reptile. Wildlife smuggling and careless animal transport can put travelers, airport workers, and emergency responders at risk, while also exposing the animals themselves to stress, injury, or death. A source told The Sun, "If passengers had seen the snake at 30,000ft there would have been blind panic and pandemonium on board." What's being done? The plane will stay out of service until the snake is found or the aircraft is otherwise cleared. Search specialists have been brought in to locate it. Aircraft contain tight compartments, wiring, and concealed spaces, meaning a small reptile can be extremely difficult to find quickly. Grounding the plane may be costly and disruptive, but it helps protect passengers, crew, and maintenance workers. "The sight of the snake almost gave the airline cleaners a heart attack," The Sun's source added. "There was no way the airliner could be allowed to take off again." https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/venomous-snake-vanishes-aboard-passenger-004000716.html Kyrgyz authorities suspend TezJet operations as probe into MD-83 gear collapse opens Passengers evacuated the twinjet after the gear collapsed during taxiing Airports of Kyrgyzstan Accident at Bishkek Manas airport occurred just a month after Kyrgyzstan was removed from European blacklist. Kyrgyz authorities have temporarily suspended the operations of carrier TezJet after one of its Boeing MD-83s has suffered a landing-gear collapse while taxiing for the runway at Bishkek’s Manas airport. The airport operator states that the accident occurred as the twinjet prepared to depart for Osh on 7 July. “After taxiing and reaching take-off position during pre-flight procedures, the left main landing-gear collapsed,” says the company. “As a result, the aircraft listed to the left, touched the runway with its left wing, and came to a stop.” None of those on board was injured, the airport operator adds. Images from the scene identify the MD-83 involved as EX-80003, a 1996 airframe originally delivered to Korean Air. The tail-cone of the aircraft, which serves as an evacuation exit, appears to have been jettisoned during the occurrence. Work is under way to remove the jet from the runway. Manas has a single runway, designated 08/26. Kyrgyzstan had been subject to a European Commission blanket blacklisting for some 20 years, a restriction which was only removed in early June based on evidence of substantial safety improvement. The Kyrgyz state civil aviation agency is investigating the occurrence. “Until the necessary verification activities are completed, a decision has been made to temporarily suspend the operation of TezJet aircraft,” says the airport operator. “This is a purely preventative measure aimed at ensuring the highest level of flight safety.” The aircraft had arrived from Osh earlier in the day. Manas airport will remain closed until around 06:00 on 8 July. “Flight safety remains our highest priority,” says the airport operator, adding that schedule disruption is possible. https://www.flightglobal.com/archive/2026/07/kyrgyz-authorities-suspend-tezjet-operations-as-probe-into-md-83-gear-collapse-opens/ A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 is declaring an emergency and returning to Honolulu HONOLULU — A Southwest Airlines flight bound for California was forced to make a dramatic U-turn over the Pacific Ocean Tuesday night after the crew declared an in-flight emergency. Southwest Airlines Flight WN512, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration N8777Q), departed Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu at 9:40 PM local time on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, on a scheduled nonstop route to San Diego. According to flight tracking data, the aircraft had been airborne for approximately 90 minutes and was cruising at an altitude of 36,000 feet when the crew encountered an unspecified issue. Far out over the open ocean, the pilots made the decision to abandon the journey, initiating a wide 180-degree turn back toward the Hawaiian islands. Shortly after turning around, the crew broadcasted a “Squawk 7700” code, the international transponder signal used to officially declare a general emergency. By triggering the code, the aircraft immediately received priority routing and handling from Air Traffic Control as it raced back to Oahu. Emergency response teams at HNL are reportedly on high alert and standing by to meet the aircraft upon arrival. The flight is currently descending over the Pacific and is projected to touch down safely within the next 30 minutes. Southwest Airlines has not yet released an official statement regarding the nature of the emergency or the total number of passengers and crew members on board but a source says the return is due to a disruptive passenger. Two days ago, in a similar incident, another Southwest Boeing 737 MAX 8 declared an emergency and diverted to Honolulu. https://airlive.net/emergency/2026/07/08/a-southwest-airlines-boeing-737-max-8-is-declaring-an-emergency-and-returning-to-honolulu/ Saudia Boeing 787 Strikes Philippine Airlines Airbus A320 Tail While Taxiing At Manila Yesterday evening, a Saudia widebody aircraft collided with the vertical stabilizer of a stationary Philippine Airlines (PAL) aircraft while taxiing in Manila. The Saudia aircraft was scheduled to return to Jeddah, but due to the incident, the flight was canceled. Reports indicate that both aircraft suffered structural damage, resulting in both jets being grounded. However, it has also been confirmed that no passengers or crew were onboard the parked PAL aircraft, and no other injuries have been reported either. This indicates that no passengers or crew members were injured on board the Saudia aircraft either. An On-Ground Collision In Manila On Tuesday, July 7, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jet operated by Saudia collided with a PAL Airbus A320 while taxiing at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL). Reports from The Manila Times indicate that the Saudia aircraft was operating flight SV871, which was a scheduled service back to Jeddah. At the time of the incident, the Saudia aircraft was moving, while the PAL A320 was parked, with no passengers or crew onboard. As per the images circulating online, the port (left) side wing of the 787 clipped the lower part of the A320's vertical stabilizer. No crew or passengers onboard the Saudia aircraft were reported to be injured either. However, the reports confirm that both aircraft experienced damage and that both operators have grounded the aircraft, which resulted in Saudia's flight back home being canceled. Reports indicate that an investigation is being conducted and that Saudia is coordinating closely with the airport and aviation authorities involved. These investigations are common after such incidents, as the findings would provide insight into the root cause and factors that led to this incident. Simple Flying has reached out to Saudia to know more about how the airline assisted its passengers who might have been affected by this cancellation. Vertical Stabilizers Are Key To Aircraft Stability & Control It is important to note that the vertical stabilizer on an aircraft functions, as the name suggests, by providing the aircraft with stability in flight. Additionally, due to the location and the considerable surface area of the surface, the stabilizers are always exposed to airflow in flight, which makes them aerodynamically critical as well. Therefore, any damage to this part of the airframe can prove detrimental to the aircraft's stability and control when in flight. Furthermore, the vertical stabilizer also houses the rudders of the aircraft, which are one of the primary flight controls of the aircraft. The rudders (similar to those on boats and ships) provide the aircraft with direction control and act about the aircraft's vertical axis. The rudders are utilized to adjust the heading of the aircraft, but they are also utilized in tandem with the aircraft's ailerons to ensure stable and smooth turns or rolls. For background, primary flight controls are important surfaces on an aircraft that can be actuated by the flight crew for safe control and maneuverability of the aircraft. There are three of these control surfaces, and these are ailerons for rolling, elevators for pitch control, and the rudder for directional or yaw control. However, these control surfaces are usually used alongside the aircraft's secondary flight controls. Similar to the primary flight controls, these are also surfaces on the aircraft. However, these surfaces do not directly control the aircraft, but rather support the primary flight controls in ensuring stability during in-flight maneuvers. These include control surfaces such as spoilers/air brakes, flaps and slats, and aircraft trim systems. An example of both primary and secondary controls working together is that of how spoilers are deployed along with the actuation of the elevators when the aircraft is descending, to ensure the aircraft does not overspeed during the maneuver. Furthermore, in this situation, the spoilers also act to help the aircraft lose its altitude at a faster rate (albeit in a controlled manner), ensuring flight safety. Passengers seated by the windows would have noticed that, before every flight, the pilots always fully actuate all the primary and secondary flight controls when the aircraft is still on the ground. This is done as a pre-flight safety check to ensure that all the flight controls are fully functioning and the associated control surfaces can be fully actuated. https://simpleflying.com/saudia-787-strikes-philippine-airlines-a320-manila/ Airbus trims jet industry demand forecast after Iran war, tariffs Summary Companies Airbus cuts 20-year outlook for passenger jet deliveries by 1% Expects 42,060 deliveries industry-wide in the period 2026-2045 Airbus: Asia should account for about half of all deliveries Airbus ups replacement demand to 47% of deliveries vs 45% before LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab on Wednesday revised down its 20-year industry-wide forecast for passenger aircraft demand by 1% after the Iran war and trade tensions slammed ‌the brakes on what had been a sharp rebound in airline activity since the COVID-19 pandemic. The world's largest planemaker said it still expected robust jet demand led by Asia, which is expected to account for about half of all deliveries, but that back-to-back tariff and Gulf crises had taken the wind out of earlier growth projections. "That post-COVID recovery has effectively flattened," Antonio Da Costa, head of market analysis, told reporters. The lowered long-term growth outlook points to a somewhat less buoyant aviation market ahead, as airlines trim their capacity growth plans ⁠in the wake of higher oil prices stemming from the Iran war. AIRCRAFT SHORTAGES MAY EASE Reviewing demand across the industry, which includes planes sold by rival Boeing as well as newcomer China, Airbus said it expected 42,060 total passenger jet deliveries between 2026 and 2045, down 1% from its previous rolling 20-year forecast. This includes 33,920 single-aisle jets in the busiest segment of the industry, which includes the Airbus A320neo family and Boeing's 737 MAX, and 8,140 wide-body or long-haul jets, both down 1% from the previous 20-year forecast. That is barely enough to accommodate announced production plans of Airbus and Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab while leaving room for China's competing C919 in coming years, suggesting recent widespread shortages of aircraft may eventually ease. Airbus said it expected a higher proportion of total passenger jet deliveries - 47% compared with the previous 45% - to replace older jets rather than increase the size of fleets. The ‌European ⁠company also revised its headline figure for passenger traffic growth upwards to 3.9% a year from 3.6%, but executives said this marks a downgrade from 4.1% on a like-for-like basis. Airbus did not provide data on freighter demand. The world's fastest-growing air travel market remains India, where Airbus revised ⁠up its forecast for annual domestic traffic growth to 9.1% from 8.9%. It lowered its growth forecast for China's huge domestic market to 4.7% from 5.4%. Airbus and Boeing say aviation has shown an ability to absorb shocks, from 9/11 to the financial crisis or COVID-19. But as air travel expands the industry is maturing, meaning ⁠some long-term growth rates are starting to taper off. Airlines are also flying jets longer or squeezing in more people, while AI could further boost efficiency, Da Costa said. Analysts say forecasts from Airbus and Boeing underpin wider investment in aviation. But while they have proven broadly accurate, their composition ⁠illustrates how bets have evolved. In its latest edition, Airbus highlighted the importance of secondary cities as it promotes small planes like the A220 and the narrow-body A321XLR, which can "bypass megahubs". A decade ago, Airbus was touting the critical importance of "megacities" served by its A380 superjumbo, the world's largest airliner, which has since halted production due to weak demand. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airbus-trims-jet-industry-demand-forecast-after-iran-war-tariffs-2026-07-08/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 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 . EAA AirVenture Oshkosh - July 20–26, 2026 . July 20-24, 2026 | Farnborough, UK - Farnborough Airshow 2026. . ICAO/EASA Third Global RSOO/RAIO Forum for Aviation Safety — September 29–30, 2026, in Georgetown, Guyana., https://www.icao.int/events : 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 . Global Aviation Conference Frankfurt- 29-30SEP2026 - Frankfurt, Germany . 79TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT MONTREAL | NOVEMBER 10-12, 2026. . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV . 2027 ACSF Safety Symposium - April 6-8, 2027 - ERAU Daytona Beach, FL Curt Lewis