AviationCircle, Los Angeles, CA (2026)

06/03/2026

🚨 NEWS: A JetBlue pilot on approach to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) was forced to maneuver out of the way of another aircraft on Monday evening after receiving a TCAS alert.

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel and air traffic control recordings published on LiveATC, the incident happened just after 6:00 PM on Monday, June 1, 2026, as JetBlue Flight 1256, an Airbus A321neo from Guayaquil, Ecuador, was on approach to Fort Lauderdale. The aircraft received a TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) advisory after another aircraft, flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), appeared to be heading directly toward it.

"We have a TCAS alert, we're moving," the JetBlue pilot reported to ATC.
Moments later, the pilot maneuvered the A321neo out of the other aircraft's path and continued to a safe landing in Fort Lauderdale.

The air traffic controller's frustration was caught on the ATC tapes.

"That guy's insane," the controller said, before referring to the wayward aircraft's pilot as "Mad Max." The controller also warned a separate flight in the area: "There's a VFR out there that's been trying to climb at aircraft."

The FAA confirmed in a statement that it is investigating the close call. The agency added that the "required separation was maintained" between the two aircraft throughout the encounter, but is still reviewing the incident.

The identity of the second aircraft has not yet been publicly disclosed, but early reports suggest it was a smaller general aviation airplane operating in the airspace around Fort Lauderdale.

06/03/2026

After more than 66 years in service, Delta Air Lines flight attendant Joan Prince Crandall is preparing to retire, marking the end of a career that earned her the title of the longest-serving flight attendant in commercial aviation history.

Her story, recently profiled by CNN, has gone viral around the world, with social media users honoring her dedication, her grace, and the example she sets for future generations.

"Young girls should look up to women like her, not the Kardashians," one commenter wrote on a post about her career, in a sentiment that has been echoed across thousands of reactions.

Prince Crandall began her career in 1959 at Pacific Airlines, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was still President of the United States. The first aircraft she ever worked on was the Douglas DC-3, a 24-passenger propeller plane. At the time, airlines required stewardesses to be unmarried and forced many of her peers to retire at age 32.

She stayed.

Over the next six and a half decades, her career survived five airline transitions, taking her from Pacific Airlines to Air West, Hughes Airwest, Republic Airways, Northwest, and finally Delta Air Lines, where she has been based in Seattle since 2008. In her later years on the job, she has often served as flight purser on long-haul routes to Paris, Mumbai, and Hong Kong.

Her tenure has now surpassed that of the previous Guinness World Record holder, Bette Nash, who served as a flight attendant for 66 years, 6 months, and 13 days, beginning her career at Eastern Airlines in 1957 and continuing to fly for American Airlines until her death in May 2024, never officially retiring. Joan has now passed that mark by more than three months.

"I've been lucky," Prince Crandall told CNN. "I'm physically healthy, and it's still fun."

06/03/2026

🚨 NEWS: The FAA issued a proposed rule yesterday, June 2, 2026, that would require airlines to replace fuel pumps on 265 US-registered Boeing 787s and 747-8s over a serious engine fire risk.

The proposed rule covers Boeing 787s equipped with GE Aerospace GEnx-1B engines and Boeing 747-8s equipped with GEnx-2B engines.

The proposed rule was triggered by a specific incident. According to the FAA, a Boeing 787-8 powered by GEnx-1Bs "experienced a fuel imbalance caused by a fuel leak on the inlet housing of the main fuel pump."

"A manufacturer investigation revealed that the inlet housing distress was related to the failure of thrust bearing screws inside the housing, which was caused by inadequate torque control practices during overhaul," the FAA said.

The screws inside the fuel pump were not tightened correctly during overhaul work. Those screws eventually failed, causing the housing to leak fuel. If not addressed, the FAA warned, the issue could cause engine fires.

Under the proposed rule, operators would be required to replace the affected fuel pumps with new or overhauled components at the time of the next scheduled shop visit. Affected aircraft include 787s flown by major US carriers such as United Airlines and American Airlines, and 747-8F freighters operated by US cargo carriers including UPS, Atlas Air, and Polar Air Cargo.

GE Aerospace, the engine manufacturer, framed the proposed directive as consistent with steps it had already recommended to operators.

06/03/2026

According to a report released yesterday, Newark Liberty International (EWR) has led all major Northeast airports so far this year with the most on-time flights in 2026. The ranking places EWR ahead of New York JFK, LaGuardia, Boston Logan, and Philadelphia International for the first five months of the year.

The result is a major turnaround from one year ago. Last spring, EWR suffered some of the worst delays of any major US airport, with a combination of FAA radar and radio outages, air traffic control staffing shortages, and ongoing runway construction producing widespread cancellations, diversions, and disruptions.

The improvement has been driven by significant operational changes. The FAA, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and United Airlines have collectively addressed staffing issues, completed key runway construction, and upgraded onboard technology including the rollout of Starlink Wi-Fi.

United Airlines, Newark's largest carrier, achieved its best-ever on-time rate at EWR in April and May 2026, flying nearly 5.8 million passengers through the airport during those two months. Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, United flew a record three million passengers across its global network, with nearly 70 percent of customers arriving on time. The carrier expects to fly more than 53 million travelers this summer.

Newark continues to serve as a key US gateway, with nonstop service to nearly 320 cities across North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean, plus 42 destinations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India.

06/03/2026

'Is he shy?' ATC congratulates American Airlines' most senior pilot on his last flight out of Miami!

06/02/2026

This Photograph was taken during the retirement of Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 21, 2012.

NASA's Space Shuttle was mounted on top of a modified Boeing 747 known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. It was being escorted by F/A-18 Hornets from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center.

It was the final ferry flight of the entire Space Shuttle Program. The orbiter was being delivered from Edwards Air Force Base to Los Angeles International Airport. From there, it would later be transported through the streets of Inglewood and Los Angeles to the California Science Center, its permanent home.

The flight path took the shuttle and its escorts directly over many of California's most famous landmarks. The Hollywood sign. Disneyland. The Getty Center.

Dodger Stadium. The Santa Monica Pier. The Golden Gate Bridge. People everywhere stopped what they were doing, pulled out their phones, and stared up at the sky.

The Boeing 747 carrying Endeavour was a converted 747-100 registered N905NA, originally built for American Airlines and acquired by NASA in 1974.

The shuttle landed at LAX at 12:51 p.m. Pacific Time, marking the end of a three-day cross-country journey from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Endeavour completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, circled the Earth 4,671 times, and traveled more than 122 million miles during its career. It is now on display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

06/02/2026

Alaska Airlines announced today that it will open a newly built lounge at Portland International Airport (PDX) on Thursday, June 4, 2026, doubling the size and seating capacity of its previous lounge at the airport.

The new facility cost nearly $18 million to build, took more than two years to complete, and measures approximately 14,000 square feet, twice the size of the lounge it is replacing. It will accommodate more than 230 guests.

The new lounge features a Pacific Northwest theme, with high open ceilings, panoramic windows overlooking the airport's new terminal, an inviting fireplace, and a striking wooden mural of Mt. Hood created by artist Ben Butler. Travelers can order barista-crafted beverages, West Coast-inspired cocktails, and regionally sourced food. Power plugs and private phone booths are available throughout the space.

Access is available to Alaska Lounge members, Alaska Lounge+ members, eligible First Class guests, and eligible Oneworld and partner airline passengers. Alaska Lounge+ membership provides access to all eight Alaska-operated lounges as well as nearly 90 partner lounges worldwide.

06/02/2026

Sick dog causes hazmat emergency on American Eagle flight into Washington.

06/02/2026

On the afternoon of June 2, 1983, Air Canada Flight 797 took off from Dallas/Fort Worth bound for Toronto. The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 carrying 41 passengers and 5 crew.

The flight was cruising at 33,000 feet over Kentucky when something went wrong.
At approximately 6:51 PM Eastern Time, the flight attendants discovered smoke pouring out of the rear left lavatory. A hidden fire was burning between the outer skin and the inner decorative panels of the aircraft.

Captain Donald Cameron declared an emergency. Air traffic control vectored Flight 797 toward Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. As the aircraft descended, the fire burned through critical electrical cables, disabling most of the cockpit instrumentation. Toxic smoke filled the cabin so thick that visibility was nearly nonexistent two to three feet above the floor.

At 7:20 PM, the DC-9 touched down safely on Runway 27L.

The crew had saved the airplane. But the worst was still to come.

About 60 to 90 seconds after the emergency exit doors were opened, fresh oxygen rushing into the smoke-filled cabin caused a flash fire. The interior was rapidly engulfed in flames. Of the 46 people on board, 23 were unable to evacuate in time.

Among the dead was Canadian folk legend Stan Rogers, returning home from a performance at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. He was 33.

The NTSB investigation that followed never determined the exact source of the fire. But the lessons from Flight 797 changed aviation forever. Smoke detectors became mandatory in lavatories. Floor proximity lighting was required to guide passengers through dense smoke. Aircraft manufacturers must now demonstrate full evacuation within 90 seconds. Cabin materials were redesigned to be far more fire-resistant.

Every commercial flight you take today is shaped by what happened over Kentucky on the evening of June 2, 1983.

May the 23 lives lost rest in peace.

06/02/2026

NEWS: A former MMA fighter restrained a man on a Frontier Airlines flight from Puerto Rico to Chicago on Sunday night after he reportedly assaulted a flight attendant and tried to open one of the aircraft's emergency exit doors mid-flight.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Frontier Airlines Flight 3345, headed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, was diverted to Miami International Airport at approximately 11:55 PM on Sunday, May 31, 2026, after the flight crew reported a passenger disturbance. The aircraft landed safely in Miami.

The man who stepped in was Josh Longood, a 37-year-old former professional MMA fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from Mansfield. According to Longood, he was seated nearby when the disturbance began and restrained the disruptive passenger twice, first for about 10 minutes, then again for another 20 to 30 minutes after the man broke free, until the plane was able to make its emergency landing in Miami.

"I was seated nearby and acted quickly to protect the other passengers," Longood said.

The FAA released no further details about the specific actions of the disruptive passenger. Frontier Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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