Regulations & Safety
NTSB Preliminary Report on Alaska Airlines Flight 2616 Bird Strike Accident
NTSB details January 2026 bird strike on Alaska Airlines flight 2616 causing engine damage and safe emergency return to CVG airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report detailing a significant bird strike event involving an Alaska Airlines cargo flight operated on behalf of Amazon Air. The incident, which occurred on January 28, 2026, resulted in substantial damage to an Airbus A330-300 freighter and the presence of smoke in the cockpit, prompting an emergency return to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).
According to the NTSB’s findings, the flight crew successfully managed a high-workload emergency immediately after takeoff. Despite the severity of the engine damage and the hazardous environment within the flight deck, both crew members survived without injury. The investigation has formally classified the event as an “accident,” a designation reserved for occurrences involving serious injury or substantial structural damage to the aircraft.
The release of this preliminary report sheds light on the specific sequence of events that turned a routine cargo run into a major safety investigation. It also clarifies the complex operational structure behind the flight, which carried an Alaska Airlines flight number but utilized an aircraft and livery associated with Amazon Air and the recently acquired Hawaiian Airlines fleet.
On the afternoon of January 28, 2026, Alaska Airlines flight 2616 (AS2616) departed CVG at approximately 3:05 PM EST, bound for Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 freighter registered as N5827K, was occupied by two crew members: a Captain and a First Officer.
The NTSB report indicates that the flight proceeded normally through its initial takeoff roll from Runway 27. However, the situation deteriorated rapidly during the initial climb. At an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet, the aircraft encountered a flock of birds. The preliminary data confirms that multiple birds were ingested into the No. 1 (left) engine.
The ingestion caused an immediate loss of thrust and severe vibrations in the left engine. The crew received fire indications for the engine, complicating the emergency. More critically, the report notes that smoke began to fill the flight deck shortly after the strike. This development forced the pilots to don supplemental oxygen masks while managing the aircraft’s energy and trajectory.
Declaring a “Mayday,” the crew coordinated with Air Traffic Control (ATC) for an immediate return. ATC vectored the heavy freighter for a visual approach to Runway 36R. The NTSB highlighted the effective coordination between the pilots and controllers, which facilitated a swift return. The aircraft touched down safely at approximately 3:13 PM EST, just 8 to 10 minutes after departure. Upon landing, the crew made a critical safety decision regarding evacuation. Rather than deploying emergency slides, which could have placed them in proximity to the engine fire or hot brakes, the pilots brought the aircraft to a stop on the runway. They requested a ladder from the airport’s Crash Fire Rescue (CFR) services and evacuated via the right-side door, deliberately avoiding the hazards on the left side of the aircraft.
The NTSB’s post-accident inspection revealed why the event was classified as an accident rather than a standard incident. The No. 1 engine and its surrounding structure sustained “substantial damage.” While modern turbofan engines are designed to contain broken fan blades, the severity of this strike caused damage significant enough to warrant the higher classification.
“The NTSB rated the occurrence as an ‘accident’ rather than an ‘incident,’ a classification reserved for events involving substantial aircraft damage or serious injury.”
The aircraft, N5827K, remains grounded at CVG as technical teams assess the full extent of the structural compromise and the NTSB continues its investigation. Future phases of the inquiry will likely utilize DNA analysis of the organic remains (“snarge”) to identify the bird species and further evaluate the performance of the engine’s containment systems.
To the casual observer, the flight details might appear contradictory: an Alaska Airlines flight number, an Amazon Air paint scheme, and an Airbus A330 aircraft, a type not historically flown by Alaska Airlines. This complexity is a result of the recent merger between Alaska Air Group and Hawaiian Airlines.
Hawaiian Airlines has operated a fleet of Airbus A330-300 freighters for Amazon since 2019. Following Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian, these operations have been brought under the single Alaska Air Group umbrella. Consequently, while the metal and the mission belong to the legacy Hawaiian/Amazon contract, the flight operated under an “AS” code. This incident highlights the operational integration currently underway between the two carriers.
Crew Resource Management (CRM) Under Pressure
The successful outcome of flight AS2616 serves as a textbook example of effective Crew Resource Management (CRM). Bird strikes are common, but strikes resulting in engine fires and cockpit smoke are rare and highly dangerous. The presence of smoke introduces a physiological threat and obscures vision, significantly increasing the stress load.
We believe the crew’s decision to forego a slide evacuation in favor of a ladder egress is particularly noteworthy. In the heat of the moment, the “standard” reaction might be to blow the slides and get out immediately. However, the pilots assessed the specific threat, fire on the left side, and chose a controlled exit on the right side with ground support. This disciplined decision-making likely prevented secondary injuries during the evacuation phase. Why was this classified as an accident? Was anyone injured? What happens next in the investigation?
Sequence of Events: From Takeoff to Emergency Landing
Immediate Impact and Cockpit Environment
Damage Assessment and Evacuation Decisions
Operational Context: The Alaska-Hawaiian-Amazon Connection
AirPro News Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
The NTSB defines an “accident” as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft where a person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. In this case, the damage to the engine and airframe met the threshold for “substantial damage.”
No. Both crew members evacuated safely without injury.
The NTSB will continue to analyze flight data recorders, cockpit voice recorders, and the physical debris. A final report, which includes the probable cause and any safety recommendations, typically takes 12 to 18 months to complete.
Sources
Photo Credit: NTSB
Regulations & Safety
SAS A320neo Wrong Taxiway Takeoff Incident at Brussels Airport
A SAS Airbus A320neo nearly took off from a taxiway at Brussels Airport, aborted at 127 knots with no injuries. Preliminary AAIU report details contributing factors.
This article is based on an official preliminary report from the Belgian Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU).
On March 6, 2026, the Belgian Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) released a preliminary report detailing a severe aviation incident that occurred at Brussels Airport (BRU). According to the official AAIU documentation, on the evening of February 5, 2026, a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Airbus A320neo mistakenly attempted to take off from a parallel taxiway instead of its assigned runway. The aircraft reached a high speed before the flight crew realized the error and executed an emergency rejected takeoff (RTO).
The AAIU has officially classified the event as a “Serious Incident” under ICAO Annex 13 due to the high probability of an accident. The aircraft, operating as Flight SK2590 to Copenhagen with 165 passengers and crew on board, narrowly avoided a catastrophic collision with temporary fences and nearby aviation fuel storage tanks. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and passengers were safely transported back to the terminal.
We have reviewed the preliminary findings, which highlight a complex “Swiss cheese” alignment of environmental, technical, and human factors. The report emphasizes that multiple overlapping issues contributed to the crew’s loss of situational awareness, rather than a single point of failure.
According to the AAIU timeline, the incident unfolded between 21:00 and 21:04 local time. The flight crew was cleared to take off from Runway 07R via an intersection designated as C6, rather than utilizing the full length of the runway. Operating in total darkness, the crew mistook taxiway “Outer 10” for intersection C6 and subsequently aligned the Airbus A320neo with Taxiway E1, which runs parallel to the active runway.
The preliminary report states that the crew initiated the takeoff roll down the taxiway, accelerating rapidly. The aircraft reached an Indicated Airspeed (IAS) of 127 knots (approximately 146 mph). The AAIU notes that the critical “V1” speed, the velocity beyond which a takeoff can no longer be safely aborted, was calculated at 132 knots for this specific flight, placing the aircraft just 5 knots away from the point of no return.
As the aircraft accelerated down Taxiway E1, the First Officer noticed that the forward visual perspective appeared unusually narrow and that the Captain was not responding to standard operating procedure callouts. Realizing the aircraft was not on the runway, the First Officer intervened.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop.”
, First Officer, SAS Flight SK2590, as recorded in the AAIU preliminary report.
At 21:04:09, the Captain immediately aborted the takeoff by applying full reverse thrust and maximum braking. The AAIU report details that at the moment the abort was initiated, the aircraft had only about 520 meters (1,705 feet) of taxiway remaining before it would have collided with temporary fences. While still moving at roughly 40 knots, the First Officer instructed a right turn to avoid the approaching barriers. The aircraft came to a complete halt in just 14 seconds, stopping near the intersection of taxiways V1 and C1, mere meters from the runway guard lights and the airport’s fuel storage farm.
The AAIU preliminary report does not assign blame but rather identifies several contributing factors. Environmental conditions played a significant role; the incident occurred after civil twilight in total darkness. Furthermore, the runway and taxiway surfaces were wet, which the AAIU notes caused glare and made painted ground markings highly difficult to read.
Infrastructure and procedural elements also compounded the risk. The specific intersection is officially designated as a “hot spot”, an area with a known history or high risk of runway incursions. The AAIU report highlights that the illumination for a crucial intersection sign was inoperable at the time. Additionally, the red stop bar lights at the taxiway/runway intersection extinguished before the crew arrived at the holding point, depriving the pilots of a critical visual reference.
According to the investigation, the SAS Airbus A320neo was not equipped with optional safety software such as the Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS), Airbus Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS), or Take-Off Surveillance 2 (TOS2). While aviation regulators do not currently mandate these systems, their absence is noted in the report as they are designed to provide auditory and visual alerts if a takeoff is attempted from a taxiway.
From an Air Traffic Control (ATC) perspective, the AAIU notes that the control tower supervisor had combined the ground and air frequencies. A single air traffic controller was managing both frequencies and dividing their attention among seven different aircraft. Following the report’s release, Belgium’s ATC agency, Skeyes, publicly stated that this staffing arrangement strictly adhered to existing safety guidelines for that time of night and emphasized their full cooperation with the investigation under a “Just Culture” framework.
We note that this incident serves as a textbook example of the critical importance of modern Crew Resource Management (CRM). Historically, steep cockpit hierarchies often prevented junior First Officers from correcting senior Captains, sometimes with fatal results. In this instance, the First Officer’s immediate, assertive command directly prevented a disaster, demonstrating that modern CRM training is functioning exactly as intended.
Furthermore, the absence of systems like RAAS or TOS2 on the incident aircraft highlights an ongoing industry debate. While airlines are legally compliant without these systems, wrong-surface events remain a persistent threat in commercial aviation. As the AAIU continues its investigation, we anticipate that the final report may include safety recommendations urging broader adoption of these technological safety nets, especially for operations at complex airports during low-visibility conditions.
Were there any injuries on SAS Flight SK2590? How fast was the aircraft traveling before the abort? When will the final investigation report be released? Sources:
SAS A320neo Narrowly Avoids Disaster in High-Speed Taxiway Takeoff Incident at Brussels Airport
The Sequence of Events: A High-Speed Near-Miss
Misalignment and Acceleration
The Critical Abort and Evasive Action
Contributing Factors Identified by Investigators
Environmental and Infrastructure Challenges
Equipment and Air Traffic Control Context
AirPro News analysis
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
No. According to the AAIU report, all 165 passengers and crew members were unharmed and safely transported back to the terminal via bus. The aircraft sustained only minor tire and landing gear damage due to high-speed braking.
The AAIU confirmed the aircraft reached 127 knots Indicated Airspeed (IAS) on the taxiway. The V1 speed (the speed at which takeoff must continue) was 132 knots.
The current AAIU report is strictly preliminary. A final report, which will include binding safety recommendations, is expected to be published in approximately one year, likely in early 2027.
Belgian Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) Preliminary Report: AAIU-2026-02-05-01
Photo Credit: Belgian Air Accident Investigation Unit
Regulations & Safety
South Korea Audit Finds Cost-Cutting in Jeju Air Flight 2216 Crash
South Korea’s audit reveals regulatory failures and falsified documents linked to the non-frangible embankment that worsened the 2024 Jeju Air Flight 2216 crash.
This article summarizes reporting by Yahoo News, Reuters and official findings from the South Korean Board of Audit and Inspection.
On March 10, 2026, South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection published a comprehensive report that fundamentally shifts the narrative surrounding the tragic December 2024 crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216. According to reporting by Yahoo News and the state auditor’s findings, severe regulatory negligence and cost-cutting measures by the transport ministry were decisive factors in the disaster’s high death toll. The crash at Muan International Airport claimed 179 lives, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in South Korean history.
While initial investigations heavily scrutinized the flight crew’s response to a bird strike, the newly released 300-page audit reveals that the Boeing 737-800 collided with a rigid concrete embankment that violated international safety standards. Government simulations now indicate the crash would likely have been survivable had the airport’s infrastructure complied with legally required frangibility guidelines.
The state auditor’s report details systemic failures spanning more than two decades. According to the findings, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport constructed a 2.4-meter (7.9-foot) rigid concrete embankment at the end of the Muan runway to house a localizer antenna. The audit concluded this structure was built specifically to avoid the financial costs associated with leveling the surrounding sloping terrain.
Under international aviation standards, structures within runway end safety areas must be designed to break apart easily upon impact, a standard known as frangibility. The rigid concrete wall at Muan directly violated these international guidelines. Furthermore, the audit revealed that for up to 22 years, officials falsified documents. Between 2008 and 2024, the transport ministry certified operating permits and approved inspections that erroneously claimed the structure was made of breakable materials.
The auditor also identified widespread infrastructure issues beyond Muan, noting 14 non-compliant localizer installations across eight South Korean Airports, including major hubs like Gimhae and Jeju.
Jeju Air Flight 2216 was traveling from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan on December 29, 2024, when it suffered a bird strike during its approach, severely damaging the right engine. Preliminary investigations cited in the reports suggest the flight crew mistakenly shut down the operational left engine instead of the damaged one.
The pilots subsequently attempted an emergency belly landing without deployed landing gear. Data disclosed by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board in January 2026 showed the aircraft was traveling at approximately 374 km/h (232 mph) during the belly landing. It slid down the runway and struck the concrete embankment at 232 km/h. Investigators estimated that passengers experienced extreme forces between 40 and 60 times the force of gravity upon impact, after which the aircraft erupted into flames. Only two flight attendants, seated in the detached rear section, survived. A government-commissioned computer simulation provided a stark contrast to the tragic reality. The simulation revealed that if the aircraft had landed on flat ground without the concrete obstacle, it would have skidded for approximately 630 meters and safely come to a stop.
“The government has pledged to take strict follow-up measures, including removing the concrete embankment at Muan,”
according to the summarized reports, which noted that a frangible structure would have caused significantly less damage and likely allowed passengers to survive the initial impact.
In response to the audit, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated it humbly accepted the findings and committed to rectifying similar non-compliant structures nationwide. The revelations follow a December 2025 parliamentary vote that launched an independent 18-member inquiry into the crash, spurred by victims’ families accusing the government of cover-ups and delays.
Additionally, in October 2025, families of the victims filed lawsuits against Boeing in Seattle and Illinois. The legal filings allege that outdated electrical and hydraulic systems in the Boeing 737-800 interfered with the aircraft’s landing capabilities following the initial bird strike.
At AirPro News, we observe that the South Korean auditor’s report serves as a critical reminder of the Swiss cheese model of Accident causation. While the initial emergency was triggered by a bird strike and compounded by apparent crew error, the ultimate cause of the fatalities was rooted in long-standing bureaucratic negligence. The revelation that safety documents were falsified for over a decade severely damages the credibility of South Korea’s aviation oversight. This disaster will likely prompt international aviation bodies to mandate independent physical inspections of runway end safety areas globally, rather than relying solely on self-reported compliance documents.
What caused the crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216? What is a frangible structure? How many people survived the crash? Sources: Yahoo News and Reuters, South Korean Board of Audit and Inspection, Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board.
The Findings of the State Auditor
Cost-Cutting and Falsified Documents
Anatomy of the Flight 2216 Disaster
From Bird Strike to Catastrophe
Survivability Simulations
Fallout and Legal Actions
Government Response and Boeing Lawsuits
AirPro News analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
The initial emergency was caused by a bird strike that damaged the right engine, followed by the crew mistakenly shutting down the operational left engine. However, the high fatality rate was attributed to the aircraft striking a non-compliant, rigid concrete embankment at the end of the runway during an emergency belly landing.
In aviation, a frangible structure is designed to break, yield, or shatter easily upon impact to minimize damage to an aircraft. International standards require structures in runway end safety areas to be frangible.
Out of 179 people on board, only two flight attendants survived. They were seated at the rear of the plane, which detached upon impact.
Photo Credit: AP photo
Regulations & Safety
IATA 2025 Safety Report Shows Decline in Global Aviation Accident Rate
IATA’s 2025 report reveals a lower global accident rate at 1.32 per million flights with increased flights and a slight rise in fatalities.
This article is based on an official press release from The International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its 2025 Annual Safety Report, demonstrating a solid year of safety performance across the global Airlines industry. The comprehensive data reveals a declining overall accident rate, even as the total number of commercial flights increased year-over-year.
According to the official press release, the global all-accident rate dropped to 1.32 per million flights in 2025, an improvement from the 1.42 rate recorded in 2024. Despite this positive trend in overall incidents, the industry experienced a slight uptick in fatal accidents and total onboard fatalities, underscoring the continuous need for rigorous Safety standards and global collaboration.
Industry leaders emphasize that aviation remains the safest form of long-distance travel. Long-term trends highlighted in the report show significant improvements in fatal accident rates over the past decade, reinforcing the effectiveness of modern safety management systems and operational audits.
In 2025, airlines operated approximately 38.7 million flights worldwide, an increase from the 37.9 million flights recorded in 2024. Within this expanded operational activity, the global fleet recorded 51 total accidents. This represents a decline from the 54 accidents reported the previous year, though it remains slightly above the 2021–2025 five-year average of 44 accidents.
The all-accident rate of 1.32 per million flights translates to exactly one accident for every 759,646 flights. While this marks a clear year-over-year improvement, IATA notes that the rate is marginally higher than the five-year average of 1.27 accidents per million flights. The data reflects a long-term decline in aviation incidents that has characterized the commercial airline industry over the past decade.
Despite the improvement in the overall accident rate, the number of fatal accidents increased slightly in 2025. The report recorded eight fatal accidents, compared to seven in 2024 and a five-year average of six. Total onboard fatalities rose to 394, which is higher than the 244 fatalities reported in 2024 and the five-year average of 198.
This increase in fatalities drove the fatality risk metric to 0.17 per million flights, up from 0.06 in 2024. However, IATA Director General Willie Walsh emphasized the broader context of these figures in the organization’s press release. “Flying is the safest form of long-distance travel. Accidents are extremely rare and each one reminds us to be even more focused on continuous improvement through global standards and collaboration guided by safety data,” Walsh stated in the release.
Walsh further noted that a decade ago (2012–2016), the industry experienced one fatal accident for every 3.5 million flights. Today, that rolling average has improved to one fatal accident for every 5.6 million flights.
The most frequent types of accidents in 2025 included tail strikes, landing gear events, runway excursions, and ground damage. Notably, Airports facilities contributed to 16 percent of all accidents, prompting IATA to call for stricter adherence to global standards for runway safety areas and hazard mitigation.
In a significant safety milestone, there were zero loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) accidents in 2025. This marks only the second time the industry has achieved this, the first being the pandemic-impacted year of 2020. LOC-I events have historically been a leading cause of aviation fatalities.
Safety performance varied significantly by region of carrier registration. In Africa, the all-accident rate improved dramatically to 7.86 per million sectors, down from 12.13 in 2024, though the region still recorded the highest overall rate. The Asia-Pacific region saw its accident rate improve to 0.91, better than its five-year average. Meanwhile, Europe recorded 11 accidents, improving its rate to 1.30 with zero fatality risk for the year. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) experienced an increase in its accident rate to 2.74, driven by four accidents involving turboprop aircraft.
We believe the 2025 IATA safety data reveals a complex picture for the aviation sector. While the frequency of accidents is decreasing, a testament to robust operational procedures and advanced aircraft technology, the severity of the few accidents that do occur has driven up the fatality count. The complete elimination of Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) incidents is a monumental achievement that reflects improved pilot training and flight envelope protection systems. However, we note that the 16 percent of accidents linked to airport facilities suggests that ground infrastructure, runway maintenance, and ground handling protocols require renewed focus and investment from global aviation authorities.
What was the global all-accident rate for commercial aviation in 2025? How many commercial flights operated in 2025? Were there any Loss of Control In-flight (LOC-I) accidents in 2025?
Global Accident Rates and Flight Data
Fatalities and Major Safety Trends
Regional Performance and Common Incident Types
Common Accident Categories
Regional Highlights
AirPro News analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
According to IATA, the all-accident rate in 2025 was 1.32 per million flights, which equates to one accident per 759,646 flights.
Airlines operated approximately 38.7 million flights worldwide in 2025, an increase from 37.9 million in 2024.
No. The industry recorded zero LOC-I accidents in 2025, marking only the second time this has been achieved.Sources
Photo Credit: IATA
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