October 2026 Crew Safety Brief | The Foundation for Aviation Safety

Airworthiness Directive Breakdown

A320

Airbus A319/A320/A321 (ceo) with IAE V2500-A5 engines

AD 2026-17-03 (correction): Third-stage high pressure compressor blades have failed, causing engine fires, rejected takeoffs, and in-flight shutdowns.

Correction to a final AD, effective Sept 24, 2026

777

Boeing 777 with Rolls-Royce Trent 875 to 895

AD 2026-18-52: Same oil pump coupling problem as the Trent 700 above. Dual in-flight shutdown risk.

Emergency AD issued Sept 5, 2026; final rule effective Sept 21, 2026

A330

A330 with Rolls-Royce Trent 768/772/772B

AD 2026-18-04: Fan (low pressure compressor) blades have partially released in service, causing nose cowl loss and under-cowl fires. Replaces AD 2020-06-16.

Final AD, effective Oct 16, 2026

A330

A330 with Rolls-Royce Trent 768/772/772B

AD 2026-18-51: Oil pump coupling failures causing low oil pressure. With two affected engines, this could mean a dual in-flight shutdown.

Emergency AD issued Sept 5, 2026; final rule effective Sept 21, 2026

A330

Airbus A330-243/-243F/-341/-342/-343

AD 2026-18-09: Cracked and broken brackets on the engine anti-ice piccolo tube. The anti-ice feed pipe can come loose and let ice build on the inlet lip.

Final AD, effective Oct 22, 2026

767

Boeing 767-300F

AD 2026-18-08: Some titanium cargo track crown fittings have suspect material certifications. A track failure could let a pallet shift into critical systems.

Final AD, effective Oct 22, 2026

737MAX

Boeing 737-8/-9/-8200 MAX

AD 2026-18-07: Cracks in the bear strap and stub frame at the forward galley door cutout (STA 290 to 296). Inspect and repair before cracks reach critical length.

Final AD, effective Oct 22, 2026 (was a proposal in last month's tracker)

A350

Airbus A350-941/-1041

AD 2026-20-05: Bushings in the horizontal tail's lateral load fittings migrated in flight test. Corrosion plus fatigue could lead to fitting failure and reduced control. Replaces AD 2021-03-08.

Final AD, effective Nov 5, 2026

757

Boeing 757-300

AD 2026-20-04: Current inspections may miss cracks in upper fuselage frames at certain frame splices. Multiple frame failures could follow.

Final AD, effective Nov 5, 2026

777

Boeing 777-200/-200LR/-300/-300ER/777F

AD 2026-19-04: An overheated hydraulic motor pump started a fire in the main gear wheel well. A missing lock washer and nut in the pump's electrical control unit was the cause.

Final AD, effective Nov 2, 2026

787

Boeing 787-8/-9 with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000

AD 2026-20-02: No data shows the engines run safely when dispatched under MMEL item 75-33-01 with an inoperative intermediate pressure bleed valve. Limits that dispatch.

Final AD, effective Oct 14, 2026

787

Boeing 787-8/-9/-10

AD 2026-20-01: Cargo liner sealing tape may be missing forward of Door 1. Without it, a fire in the lower lobe could spread up into the cabin over-ceiling space. Inspect and fix.

Final AD, effective Nov 2, 2026

Cabin-Air Watch

Fumes

Cabin-air watch

No new FAA directive this cycle targets cabin-air contamination, and that's the problem. The FAA still doesn't require air-quality monitoring on airliners, so your reports are some of the only data that exists. Noticed a "dirty sock," oily, or chemical smell on a flight? Log it.

Log a fume / cabin-air event Hear why it matters: Warning Bells Ep. 33, "Dirty Socks"

Crew Library

Foundation reporting and podcasts picked for what matters to crew.

Aviation Watchdog Report · Sep 2026

Miami 767 overrun: no speed brakes, no reversers

Early NTSB data shows the 21 Air 767 touched down long and fast, with no speed brake or reverser deployment. The crew went to go-around power about 15 seconds before the recording ended. Five people on the ground died.

Read this issue

Aviation Watchdog Report · Sep 2026

A 787 that couldn't get airborne in Munich

A Vietnam Airlines 787-9 rolled about 400 feet past the paved overrun before rotating, then landed with destroyed tires and a tail strike. Investigators are looking at takeoff performance entries and possible dragging brakes.

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Aviation Watchdog Report · Sep 2026

787 shim-gap cracking is now a final AD. FAS asked the FAA why.

The FAA now requires repeat inspections for fatigue cracks tied to 787 shim gaps, the kind of defect whistleblower Sam Salehpour warned about in 2024. FAS asked what the FAA is doing to hold Boeing accountable. The agency's answer: it wasn't a question about this AD.

Read this issue

Warning Bells Podcast · Ep 33

Dirty Socks: the airline smell that could be making you sick

That "dirty sock" smell isn't a comfort issue. Ed and Randy talk with fume-event experts about what crews are breathing, why some toxins have no smell at all, and why the FAA still won't monitor cabin air.

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Warning Bells Podcast · Ep 32, Parts I and II

Air India 171: were the pilots blamed for the plane?

The official story pointed at the flight deck. A journalist and an electrical engineer walk through gaps in the probe and a cascading electrical failure scenario on the 787. If you've ever worried about being blamed for a system failure, start here.

Listen to this episode