FAA investigates viral low-pass of Qatar-liveried cargo plane in Texas

A Boeing 777-200LRMF converted freighter registered N705DN skimmed just above the runway at Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center in Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration is aware of a viral video of the low pass and is looking into it.

FlightRadar24 tracking showed the jet’s lowest recorded ADS-B altitude was 950 feet, but after correcting for local pressure of 1018 hPa and the field elevation of 1,080 feet above sea level, the aircraft’s height worked out to roughly 0 to 25 feet above the runway. The flight took place on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, and the video spread quickly after user @EBAviation posted it on X.

The aircraft was owned by Jetran LLC and was being prepared for delivery to Qatar Airways Cargo, but it was not owned or operated by Qatar Airways. It carried Qatar Airways livery, yet it did not have a Qatar Airways registration and the pilots were not Qatar Airways pilots. Jetran said the jet was on a final pre-delivery test flight before its planned entry into the Qatar Airways Cargo fleet, and that the low-pass maneuver “does not reflect operational standards.” Mammoth Freighters said it was aware of the video but was not the owner or operator and was not in control of the aircraft during the maneuver.

LiveATC.net audio indicated the pilots alerted the air traffic control tower before the maneuver. The flight originated at Grissom Aeroplex in Indiana and later landed at Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas around 3 p.m. ET. Former National Transportation Safety Board Chair Robert Sumwalt said the pilots could face credential suspension, calling it “another example of stupid pilot tricks,” and said he saw no legitimate reason to perform the maneuver. Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center is a private airport in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, and Jetran is based there.