A Boeing 777 cargo jet was captured on video making a shockingly low pass over a Texas airfield. The jet, painted in Qatar Airways Cargo livery, flew just feet above the ground before gaining altitude and flying off. A Boeing 777 pilot who viewed the video called the maneuver 'shocking' and said it was not a smart thing to do.
The pilot, Steve Jones, estimated the jet was flying about 50 feet off the ground during the 'flat' part of its flyby and traveling at between 210 and 220 knots. Jones noted that the plane is not designed to fly like that and that a wind gust or judgment error could have had serious consequences.
The company that owns the jet, Jetran LLC, released a statement saying that the low pass flight 'does not reflect operational standards' and that the aircraft was on a pre-delivery test flight before being turned over to Qatar Airways. The FAA is investigating the incident.
